Page 21 of Brock
He chuckled and set his forehead against hers. “I spoke with my father. They haven’t found the man. We’re concerned about who or what he is since he seems to be able to sneak up on people without anyone scenting him.”
She furrowed her brow. “Who orwhathe is?”
“Yeah, I don’t have any speculations. It’s unnerving. You and I are going to go down to the valley tomorrow morning and officially have the claiming ceremony.”
She slid her hands to his bare chest and focused on it as if it were fascinating. “Why? Wouldn’t that just possibly be asking for trouble?”
He drew in a breath. She really was bright. He shouldn’t have doubted her. He certainly wouldn’t be leaving her out of the loop. “Here’s the thing, Little doll. Ordinarily, it’s customary for a newly mated couple to take some time to get to know each other before consummating the union. We Alpha Protectors don’t like to rush our Little mates into a physical relationshipthey aren’t ready for. We usually take a month off from pack responsibilities to spend that time getting to know our mates, sort of like a honeymoon.”
She lifted her gaze, nodding. “But…”
He smiled. “My Little smarty pants. But you can’t shift until we’ve been intimate with each other.”
She cocked her head to one side and narrowed her gaze. She might have thought she looked fierce or challenging, but all he could see was cute. “Have sex you mean. I know what sex is, Daddy,” she sassed.
“Okay, Miss Smarty Pants,” he teased.
She sat up taller. “And I already know I can’t shift until after you’ve put your erection inside me. And I already know it’s going to hurt the first time. And I already know it will only hurt for a minute. And I already know it’s inevitable and waiting won’t change a thing and that you’ll worry less about me after I can shift.”
Brock was stunned by her bold revelations. She had been emotionally drained and in shock earlier when he’d rescued her. She hadn’t been herself. Now he realized his girl had a feisty side, and she wasn’t afraid to show it.
“Why do you want to go down to the valley and have the claiming ceremony, Brock?”
He startled at her use of his given name, but he knew this was a serious conversation that required her to be at her sharpest. “I assumed you’d want to have the ceremony before I claimed you, Little doll.”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “Perhaps in a perfect world, it might have been nice, but we got all out of order anyway, and you’ve already seen and touched every inch of me. It’s kinda late for formalities, don’t you think?”
He chuckled. “Yes, Little one.”
“Maybe we should just have the ceremony, for the sake of our parents, at another time. We could start a trend.” She sat up straighter and grinned. “People could get to know their matesbeforethey’re bound together for life. Novel idea.”
He laughed. “Little girl, I don’t think we’re going to start a trend.”
“Why not? I bet the ceremony will be far less scary when we finally do it since I’ll already know you, and I might even like you by then.”
He lifted both brows.
She started giggling so hard her body shook.
He grabbed her waist and tickled her sides as he lifted her off his lap and deposited her on her back in the middle of the huge bed.
She kept giggling as she shoved at his hands and tried to squirm out of reach.
He held on to her easily as he slid his hands up higher to stroke the sides of her breasts instead.
Her breath hitched, and she stopped laughing. “Daddy…” she murmured.
He crawled over the top of her, hovering above her on his hands and knees. When he bent his head to nuzzle her neck, he whispered in her ear. “Youmightlike me, huh?”
“Maybe.”
When he lifted his head to stare down at her, they were both grinning like loons. “Know what I think?”
She shook her head. “No, but I bet you’re going to tell me because you’re bossy and Dominant.”
He groaned. “You’re much sassier than you were earlier. I suspect your little bottom is going to be red on a daily basis.”
Her fucking adorable cheeks flushed at the mention of spanking her.