Fate Mate

Chapter 53

Nolan had been right. No one tried to detain us as we left the lavish celebration, although Dylan had caught us slipping away and raised his glass, eyebrows waving as if to say, "It took you long enough." In any other circumstance, the Delta's roguish grin would have made me want to punch him in the shoulder. But now, there was only one thing occupying my thoughts: my mate.

Thank the Moon Goddess, his thoughts seemed to be equally as... fervent.

As soon as we'd escaped the prying eyes and ears of the Black Lupis pack and began our descent to the cottage, Nolan swept me into his arms. At first, he had me cradled against his chest with my legs hooked over one of his arms, bridal style. But, sometime between when I'd loosened the top five buttons of his shirt and he'd unbound my hair from its updo, our touches became more eager. By the time we walked through the cottage doorway, my legs were wrapped around his waist, all thoughts of modesty forgotten.

Nolan slammed the cottage door behind us before repositioning his hands to cup my rear, only thin sheets of tulle separating our skin. "I want you out of this dress," he growled against my mouth, fingers tightening and digging into my glute muscle.

I'd felt him harden against my abdomen long ago, so I was surprised he'd managed to wait this long to make the demand. Still, the liquid heat coursing through my veins seemed to have given me courage, for I pulled my lips away from his, barely an inch, and allowed a feline smirk to grace my features. I traced the manicured nail of my index finger against his jawline.

"Ask nicely," I whispered, even as my thighs tightened around his waist, increasing the friction between my core and the solid mass hidden in his dress pants.

He sucked in a hiss of air at the contact and released a low, rumbling groan. "I want you out of this dress, now."

Urgency coated Nolan's every word. His pupils had expanded until only a rim of blue remained in his gaze, and I knew that now wasn't the time for teasing, especially as one of his hands traveled up my spine until it reached the top button at the back of my dress. With expert fingers, he unhooked one and the fabric slackened.

"So eager?" My words were breathy as his lips started exploring my neck. I closed my eyes but felt his legs moving beneath me, carrying us away from the living space and toward his bedroom.

A low chuckle vibrated through his chest. "You're not?"

Before I could formulate words, he ran his tongue up the column of my neck and blew cool air on the dampened skin. My lips parted, emitting some semblance of a whimper as everything in me grew taut. Goosebumps freckled every inch of my skin, and I knew that the thin white fabric of my dress did nothing to hide the peaks of my nipples. My thighs gripped his hips impossibly tighter, as if that could somehow alleviate the throbbing between my legs.

"That's what I thought." Nolan's voice held no shortage of male satisfaction. He undid more buttons at my back until the fabric was loose enough that I knew it would fall when we parted. He seemed aware of that as well, for he came to a stop and started lowering me. I opened my eyes in time to see that we'd reached the bed.

I didn't try to keep my strapless dress upright as it slid down my front. By the time my back hit the comforter, the white lace and tulle pooled below my waist, where a jagged scar had plagued my skin only days before. Nolan's eyes were near feral as he reached a calloused hand down to cup the entirety of one of my breasts. Heat soared to my cheeks as he palmed me, lowering his head to kiss me while his fingers explored the hardened peaks.

Suddenly, his mouth was on me, lips latched atop one of the round mounds. I gasped. "Nolan!"

He groaned, settling on top of me as if he prepared to be there for some time. "I have to take my time with you now, Charlotte. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to last once I'm inside of you."