Page 68 of Crossed Fates

I needed her to give me more of that life, to ground me in this harsh world, to provide me with the anchor I required to remain docked in the present. “Will you tell me more about yourself?” I asked as we entered my house. “More about who you are, Makayla? I don’t even know your last name.”

And I found I wanted to know everything about her.

Every single beautiful detail.

“Laurier,” she said, locking my front door behind us. “Makayla Laurier.”

“No middle name?”

“Oh, I didn’t realize we were going to get that personal.” She gave me a sultry look as she started backward, her hand still clasped in mind. “You sure you want to talk? You still look hungry.”

“Are you offering me something, Makayla No-Middle-Name Laurier?”

“Makayla Mae Laurier,” she corrected. “But if you call me Makayla Mae, I’ll stab you again.”

I laughed outright. “That sounds like a challenge, sweetheart.”

“I thought we decided I wasn’t the sweet type?”

“Well, now, actually, if I recall, you asked me if you looked sweet to me.” I ran my eyes over her again, grinning, as she kicked off her shoes. “And the answer is yes, delectable, even.” I released her hand to grab her hip, yanking her to me. “So I’ll give you a choice.”

“A choice?” She smiled. “I like choices.”

“I know you do,mate,” I replied. “So I’ll give you one.”

“I’m listening.”

“Good.” I wrapped my arm around her, my opposite hand going to her thick, red hair. “We can talk all night, and you can regale me with stories of your childhood, similar to the ones I just shared tonight.”

“Or,” she prompted.

“Or…” I drew the word out, my voice dropping to a seductive murmur. “You can let me spread those creamy thighs and allow me to find out if you’re as sweet as you smell.” I walked her slowly backward toward the bedrooms. “Either way, it’s happening in my bed. Talking or tasting. The activity choice is yours. The location decision is mine.”

Her nostrils flared. “And if I just want to talk?”

“Then I’ll listen to everything you have to say,” I promised, guiding her expertly into my room and nudging the door closed with my boot. I drew my teeth across her bottom lip, loving the way she quivered in response. Her eyes practically burned into mine as I whispered,“What’ll it be, mate?”

Makayla

Sex.Definitely sex.

Except that hadn’t been one of his choices. Not quite.Tasting, he’d said.To see if I’m as sweet as I smell. Just the thought of his sensual words sent a shiver down my spine.

Because yes. Yes, I wanted that. Right now. With him.

And he’d given me the choice.

It was like he knew me without knowing me. A conundrum I didn’t quite understand, one I chose to ignore now. We’d been sniffing around each other for the last few days, our attraction clearly mutual. Yeah, there was the whole fated-mates thing, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t sleep with him. Hell, if anything, it meant Ishouldfuck him. A lot. Like over and over again until this whole burning sensation between us ebbed.

If that was even possible.

“Makayla,” he murmured, his grip tightening in my hair. “You’re not speaking. Should I infer that to mean you’ve chosen the other option?”

I licked my lips, his mouth a scant inch from mine. “Well, there is at least one thing you should know about me first.” I trailed my fingers up the middle of his black dress shirt. He’d left it open at the collar, allowing a teasing glimpse of flesh to show.

I want to lick him right there,I thought, drawing back to study the dip in his clavicle bone.Then I want to lick a path down his body and trail that light dusting of hair to the prize below.

My stomach clenched with the image in my head, his body a treat I wanted to sample every inch of. “If you’re going to taste me, then I want to taste you, too.” I met his sapphire eyes, his irises illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through his window.