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Ever.

“I like calling you ‘my Alpha,’” she mumbled when she was back to herself. She studied me as I stared down at her. “What would you want to call me if I was okay with it?”

I opened my mouth but then closed it and frowned. “I don’t know. I’ve never much had anything other than ‘love’ for the woman I was with or chasing. I don’t use it as flippantly as other Brits, even my mates. To me, it’s for the person I give my love and attention to even if loving on her.”

“Well, maybe if you think of something else.” She shrugged. “Or Ellie is just fine.”

No, no it wasn’t. She wanted to be special.

I had a random thought and snorted, shaking my head when she raised an eyebrow. “Ignore me. My mind is a scary place.”

“Like mine isn’t? Tell me. I won’t get mad.” She poked me when I hesitated. “Quickly. I want the next round.”

Talk about the way to win me over. I sighed knowing it was probably going to get me into trouble. “We’re both such—I was thinking our jobs are stressful and we’ve had too much hard inour lives. I would want something a bit silly and cute. ‘My sweet kimchi’ just popped into my head. We both love it—like addicted to it, and watching you eat it always makes me smile.”

Nothing shocked me more maybe in my whole life than that moment when she loved the silly,sillynickname.

“Really?” I checked.

“I find it just as surprising as you do,” she mumbled. “Sparingly. Maybe only sweet times or… Sparingly.”

“Sparingly is good.” I studied her eyes. “It’s like waking up and saying it when asking for a good morning kiss so you forgive my morning breath.”

“You’re such a fucking romantic that it really makes me melt,” she whispered. “Fine, you can have a drawer or two. I like the name.” She kissed me before I could respond and made it clear that it was time to get back to the sex.

And I was never so happy to get a couple of damn drawers.

I cupped her face and took her other hand in mine, linking our fingers and moving our hands by her head. She moved her leg over my hip and I thrust forward, both of us gasping in the other’s mouth at what we felt. It was something different.

Something closer… And I didn’t mean physically.

“Don’t leave me when the contract is over, Ellie,” I breathed against her lips before moving again. I held her gaze as I made love to her, completely in tune with her and everything her body needed. If she wanted deeper, I knew it before she did. My wolf was so locked in on her, using all of his senses to give our mate what she needed, that I missed nothing.

A man worthy of her would do no less.

“Can’t,” she gasped when got close.

“Trust me,” I demanded and moved faster. “Not yet. With me. Always with me, Ellie.”

“Can’t,” she whimpered, and we both knew she wasn’t talking about our orgasms.

“You can,” I begged. “I’m worth the risk.This is.”

And again, we both knew I wasn’t talking about the sex.

A few more minutes of driving her higher and higher and I finally growled the word she wanted. “Now.”

I kissed her and swallowed her cries of pleasure, snarling almost my own climax was so unreal. It kept going and somehow I knew it was something she was doing. I would have said we’d taken a potion or maybe one of those romantic candies witches and warlocks sold for couples, but whatever it was it was fucking ridiculous.

Everything was with Ellie.

Her eyelids fluttered close when we were finished and I thought she was out, but she said something so quiet that I could barely hear it over my panting. “I want to extend the contract, but I’m scared you’ll turn away again if you learn more. I’m so much worse than being a doctor, my Alpha.”

I opened my mouth to promise her that I’d be better and it wouldn’t happen again, but a cute snore escaped her lips even as her heart still raced. Shit, I was so sunk that something this simple undid me.

Really I was.

I got us cleaned up and tucked into bed, thinking about what she’d said for way longer than I should. Then what happened with my family. All of it raced through my mind until I realized I didn’t sleep at all and it was morning, Ellie stirring in my arms.