It was hard to see his face in the shadows. “My parents are going to love you. I’m more worried about what you’re going to think of them.”

“Why?”

She sighed. “I love them but they are kind of weird, Moon. They blurt out anything they think and it’s embarrassing. They never mean to be offensive but it comes across that way sometimes. They drive me crazy.”

He chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re a shrink.”

She shrugged and smiled. Moon released her hand and climbed out to come to her side of the vehicle.

“I won’t growl at them, okay? I’ll even hide my teeth.” He picked her up. “Can you twist the handle on the front door when we reach it? It’s not locked. We don’t have to worry about break-ins here.”

“Harley told me it’s much safer to live at Homeland. I need to give you fair warning about my parents, though. You won’t be able to hide your teeth. My mom is going to want to see them. Probably my dad too. Don’t hold it against me if they ask weird questions like if you ever get the urge to chase cars or chew on bones, okay? They are harmless but I can totally see them doing that. Sometimes I wonder if I chose my profession only as a way to save money. My best friend Meg and I both decided to become therapists in high school. We never charge each other for sessions when we talk.”

He laughed, shaking her a bit in his arms. “I’m sure I’ll like them, sweetness. They made you for me.” He paused. “Open the door and welcome to your new home. I am going to make you very happy here.”

She had no doubt. “It’s a two-way street, Moon. I’m completely committed to making this work. I don’t want to live my life without you anymore.”

Moon kicked the door closed behind him and peered around the room, grateful Harley had kept him from punching holes in the walls when he’d discovered Joy had left Homeland. It was clean and tidy. He worked a lot of hours but that would change. He had a mate to spend time with now. He studied his home with a fresh perspective.

“You can alter the color of the walls and buy new furniture that’s more to your taste. I want you to be happy.”

Joy lifted her face up to him and smiled. “All I care about is the bed. Where is it?”

She was his kind of female. It sank in. No, she is my female. My mate. A warm sensation flowed through him. All his worries faded into excitement at the anticipation of claiming her for good.

The bed wasn’t made but the sheets had only been slept on once by him. He inhaled the scent of what humans believed mimicked a warm spring day according to the bottle of laundry soap. They were wrong but it was pleasant all the same. He set her on the end of the bed and crouched.

She shifted as he freed her from the blanket. The hospital gown was thin material and he took care to ease it over her bandage, which reminded him of how he could have lost her. “Are you in pain?”

“Trisha gave me something because the other stuff was wearing off but don’t worry,” she smiled, “it’s a mild painkiller. I won’t get another case of the giggles.”

He stilled. “You’re still on drugs?”

She removed the rest of the gown and tossed it on the floor. His gaze swept down her nude body, his dick instantly hardening in response. He wanted her so much it hurt but what she’d said could change everything.

“What is that look for?”

“You said you’d be my mate but what if you change your mind tomorrow? You—”

Her finger pressed against his mouth to silence him. “I’m of very sound mind, Moon. I know what I’m doing and what I want.” Her fingertip teased his lips as it trailed lower, down over his chin to his throat, and only stopped when it reached the neckline of his shirt. “I was hesitant to make love to you too, due the drugs in your system because I was afraid you might regret it later. You said a few things to me when our roles were reversed that I’m going to say to you now.”

“What did I say?”

“No excuses. I want you.” She paused. “I’m certain of that.”

He reached for his shirt and slowly yanked it upward. He threw it over his shoulder and satisfaction filled him when her gaze lovingly scanned his bare chest. He tore at his footwear, not even bothering to stand to get them off. The snaps of his pants opened when he gave them a rough jerk. He pushed them down his h*ps until they were bunched around his thighs, freeing his dick from the tight confines. “Lie back.”

“Stand up.”

Was she testing him? He didn’t want to fail as a mate. Species males were dominant by nature but they would bend to the will of their mates. “Why? Do you want to see if I’ll blindly do as you ask as proof of my love?”

She licked her lips. “I believe you love me.” She stared down at his lap. “I said on the way here that I want to do things to you. Please stand up?”

Blood rushed to his groin to make his dick painfully taut. He didn’t care anymore if it was a test. It seemed a win to him either way if she wanted his h*ps level with her face. He almost tripped on his way up, forgetting he hadn’t lost the pants entirely yet. He pushed them down and kicked them out of the way. His focus fixed on Joy when she reached out to brush the pad of her thumb over the crown of his dick.

Her tongue wet her lips again and he knew what she was going to do. Her hot breath fanning across the tip of his dick forced him to clench his teeth. She deserved a mate who could control the sounds he wanted to make as she made one of his deepest fantasies come true.