“Marking you will mean I bite you and draw your blood. It’s a way of staking my claim on you so my wolf knows, and so do others, that I’m serious about you. It’s not a mating but you’ll carry my scent and you’ll be all my wolf craves.”

“How do I know your wolf won’t want to kill me?”

“Trust me on this. That’s not what the other half of me wants. We’re in total agreement about you. The only eating that will take place is the pleasurable kind.”

He loved that she blushed. He’d never had someone so innocent and while it terrified him a little, it excited him more. He made a mental note to try not to go too fast if he talked her into staying, not wanting to shock her by doing anything too over the top. Treat her as though she’s completely human, he decided.

“I don’t know what the future holds for us, Shannon. That’s the same with any relationship but I’ve never hooked up with a woman for the entire time of mating heat. I’ve also never marked anyone before. That’s a commitment I take very seriously. There’s nothing casual about what I’m offering or how I feel about you.”

He watched emotions play across her beautiful face. His heart pounded and his wolf pressed tightly against his skin. It wanted her so bad he had to fight it back. He pressed on.

“I won’t cheat on you. You’ll be it for me during the heat. I’ll need you like air and food. I’d go insane if you leave me. Crazy insane. Shit, trust me on that. I never wanted to make any form of commitment to a woman before. It’s serious, Shannon.” He decided not to tell her, if she ran from him after he marked her, that he’d go after her. He planned to make sure that didn’t happen. “Please?”

Indecision and longing battled inside her. He offered her at least two weeks of total acceptance of what she was. No hiding anything. No having to hold back the way she’d always had to do with other men. Was it worth the risk of getting her heart broken at the end of whatever werewolf mating heat was? She needed to consider that.

A fierce werewolf sat before her, begging for her to stay with him. Anton wasn’t the type to do something that drastic unless he really meant what he said. She had no doubt he’d never offered any kind of commitment to a woman before. That had to mean a lot. She desperately wanted to trust him.

She stared into his beautiful eyes and saw sincerity there. She nodded before she chickened out. “I’m afraid but you made some good points. I don’t want to regret not giving us a shot.”

He smiled and lifted to stand on his knees. His arms rose. “Come here.”

She hesitated and glanced at the bed. “I can’t sleep there with you. I don’t want you to compare me to any of the women you must have shared it with.”

He softly cursed and rose to his feet. “That would never happen but I understand. I have a fold-out couch. It’s new, never been used, and I have sheets that are brand new.” He nearly ran to it, tossed off the cushions, and opened the queen-sized bed. He went to a closet, grabbed pillows and pale blue sheets and made up the bed. He threw a denim comforter on top and faced her. “See? No one has ever slept here. It’s just ours.”

That was sweet. “Really?”

“Smell the things and you can tell they are new. I told you I just redid the apartment. New couch, new sheets, pillows, and even the comforter. My bed is a king size. My stuff wouldn’t fit on the smaller mattress.”

She walked closer to him. “I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be. We’ll take it slow.” He reached for the front of his jeans and then stopped. “I’ll leave them on for now. Yeah. That’s a good idea. Take your clothes off.”

“Condoms.”

He nodded. “Right.” He launched himself toward his dresser, moving fast, and tore the drawer open so quickly it came totally out of the compartment that held it. Boxes of condoms hit the floor. He softly cursed and eased the drawer down.

Shannon grinned. “I guess I’m not the only one nervous.”

He peered at her over his shoulder and gave her a sheepish grin. “I want to do this properly. I don’t want to scare you. I’m also concerned about marking you.”

“Will it hurt?”

He hesitated. “Not if I do it correctly. Don’t worry. I’ve heard advice about how to mark a woman.” He released the handle and propped the drawer against the dresser. He bent over to grab a large box of condoms. He turned, holding them.

“That’s an awfully big box.”

“I really want you.”

She had to look away from him while she removed her clothes. Her cheeks were warm, she knew she blushed, and hoped he still found her attractive. When she stood totally naked, she found the courage to look at him.

Anton had sunk his teeth into his bottom lip and the box gripped in his fist had become a little crushed. Raw hunger radiated from his dark gaze, now locked on her br**sts. A soft growl rumbled from him and then he lifted his gaze to hers.

“You’re going to kill me.”

“I am not.”

“Trust me. This slow thing… I’m never going to survive. If you only knew what I wanted to do.”

“What do you want to do to me?”

He took a deep breath. “Tackle you, lift your ass into the air to put you on your hands and knees in front of me, tear open my jeans and f**k you until I collapse.” He shook his head. “But I won’t. Lie down for me on your back, Shannon.”

The sheets were cool to the touch when she climbed onto the mattress. She turned and stretched out. The smell coming from around her assured her he’d been honest. The sheets and pillowcases didn’t smell of laundry soap but instead held that out of the package newness scent. It didn’t surprise her that a guy wouldn’t wash stuff before using them. She’d lived with men before. The humor actually made her smile.

He groaned, tore open the box, and she saw his hands tremble when he tore off a roll of the condoms. He paused. “I should put one on now. No. I’ll wait. If I take my jeans down I don’t think I could zip them back up.”

She focused on the front of his jeans—the rigid, thick bulge pressing against the denim proof that he wanted her. Her focus returned to his face and the humor struck her. She laughed. “You look more anxious than I am.”

He flashed a grin. “Probably. I’m your first shifter so the pressure is on for me to make this great for you and this is my first time marking a woman.”

“Take deep breaths.” She held out her hand. “I’ll hold the condoms.”

He passed them over to her. “Here.”

“You think we’ll need all these?”

“Yes.” He dropped the box on the floor next to the bed and put his knee on the edge of the mattress. “I’m gearing up for mating heat and my hormones are going a little crazy.”

His warm hand brushed over her thigh. “Spread wide for me, kitten.”

She hesitated and then did it. She knew her cheeks pinkened since she exposed her pu**y to him but the low growl he made assured her he enjoyed the sight as his gaze fastened there. He licked his lips, his nose flared as he took in her scent, and he put his other knee on the bed and faced her. She watched as he slid down the bed to sprawl on his belly until his arms braced his face in the cradle of her thighs. Their gazes met.

“You have no idea what you do to me. I could get addicted to you.”

She shivered at the thickness of his voice, how it deepened into a harsh, rough sound. “Just hearing you talk to me in that tone makes me ache.”

“Talk to me. Tell me if I move too fast, frighten you, or if you’re uncomfortable.”

“Okay. What about this marking thing?”

He hesitated. “I won’t warn you but I’m hoping I time it perfectly so you’ll barely notice. Trust me.”

“I’m spread out na**d on a bed with you. If that isn’t trust, I don’t know what is.”

He chuckled. “Good. Relax for me, kitten. This will feel good.”

He slid his hands under her ass, his shoulders lowering to press against her thighs, and focused on her spread sex, just under his mouth. Shannon closed her eyes and her fingers fisted. The condom wrappers reminded her that she held them so she placed them on the pillow next to her and then grabbed the edges of it as a hot, firm tongue slid across her clit.

Her breath caught in her throat and then a snarl tore from Anton. She jolted from the vicious sound but then he sealed his lips around her sensitive flesh there, suckling and licking at her furiously. Ecstasy arched her back and she would have bucked her h*ps if his hands weren’t gripping her ass to keep her in place. He mercilessly dominated her clit. She moaned and purred, the sounds tearing from her throat, and she clawed at the pillow.

She knew she was going to come embarrassingly fast again but Anton seemed to sense it because he pulled his mouth away and lifted her ass a little. She gasped when his tongue penetrated her vagina. He surged forward, entered her, and snarled again, working his tongue deeper inside her body.

“Anton,” she rasped.

He withdrew and pushed forward again, his tongue feeling long and thick as he explored her, f**king her slowly. His nose rubbed her swollen, throbbing cl*t each time he drove into her, his face pressed tightly against her folds. She tensed, her eyes snapped open to stare at the ceiling, and she screamed his name when the cl**ax gripped her.

A groan came from Anton as he kept moving his tongue inside her, seemed to coax her pleasure out longer, and then he withdrew. His cheek rubbed the inside of her thigh with a slight rasp. She felt his lips there when he turned his head, and then something sharp and wet dragged against the tender skin. He moved up a little, brushed light kisses over the curve of her lower belly, all the way to the top of her hip.

He struck fast, just as her body started to relax from the intense pleasure he’d given her, and his fangs sank into the fleshy part of her hip just under the bone. She gasped, her hands released the pillow to grab his thick, silky hair, and she clutched his head. Pain and pleasure surged through her body at the sharp bite, confusing her senses. His tongue laved the area he’d bitten and another deep groan came from him but was muffled against her skin. His jaw worked gently to squeeze the skin he held between his teeth.

She focused on the ceiling. The pain faded but she knew his teeth remained. He’d bitten her. She knew he’d planned to mark her but she hadn’t expected it just yet. He eased the hold of his mouth and licked her skin. The pain totally faded once his teeth withdrew. He brushed a few kisses on the spot before lifting his head to check on her.

His eyes had shifted into that exotic look of part wolf, part man. They were beautiful and incredibly dark. Passion burned in his intense gaze and he licked his lips, drawing her attention lower. Blood—hers—covered his lips. Her hands released their hold on his hair. He growled low at her, removed all traces of her blood with a few more swipes of his tongue, and then rose up to his knees.

“You’re marked and mine for the next few weeks.” His tone came out even harsher, gruffer, and less human. “Hand me a condom. I’m in control.”

She had to think a moment to remember why he asked her for them. She turned her head and found where they’d ended up. Her fingers shook as she tore one from the roll and handed it to him.

He used his teeth to rip it open so he only had to use one hand. His free one tore at the snap of his jeans. He spit the piece of wrapper away and met her gaze again.

“Close your eyes. I don’t want you afraid. Just feel.”

She hesitated. “Do you want me to turn over?”

“No. I don’t trust myself to take you that way yet. My wolf gets a little too excited in that position.”

“What’s not to trust? Will you be too rough?”