Page 45 of Forget Me Not (The Shifters of Timberfall #1)

Bastien

Eyebrows raised, Syve stared down at him.

“Celebrate?”

“You got the grant, Bambi. That deserves a little bit of a celebration. Or a reward—call it what you will.”

His hands found her ankles and he felt her skin prickle at his touch. With a fox-like grin, he slid his fingers slowly up the outsides of her legs, past her thighs until he had a firm grasp on her ass.

She hummed, pupils blown wide. “I like rewards. I’m very responsive to positive reinforcement.”

“I’m so proud of you, Bambi,” he spoke the words into her skin, kissing his way up her thigh from her knee, only to stop at the hem of her shorts and start again on her other leg.

“You worked so hard for this, you deserve every single piece of it.” He enunciated the last few words with little nips, catching the skin of her inner thigh between his teeth, just enough to make her squirm.

“Bastien.”

The way she moaned his name as her fingers thread through his hair was intoxicating. With a grumble emanating from deep in his chest, he slid his hands higher until he could slip his fingers around her waist band and pull.

Syve’s thighs flexed against his arms as she raised her hips just a fraction, allowing him to slip her bottoms off.

When she dropped back onto the couch she raised one leg, dropping her sandal to the floor as Bastien slipped her shorts over one foot.

He didn’t even bother with the other, instead leaving the denim pooled around her ankle.

“I have dreamt of tasting you, Bambi,” he crooned, shamelessly staring at her exposed body.

Soft pants fell from her lips as his hands rested upon her knees.

A sharp gasp followed, when those same hands dropped under her knees so he could flip her legs up over his shoulders, pulling her hips to the edge of the couch.

He didn’t leave her anytime to react before he descended, devouring her slowly, methodically, savoring every second.

Relentlessly, he pressed on until she broke apart, molten under his touch and gasping his name.

“Bastien! ”

“How’s that for a reward, my love?” he asked, a single brow raising when her glazed eyes finally met his. The argument could stand, however, that he was the one who had actually been given the prize.

“That’s it?” she breathed. “What if I feel like I deserve a bigger reward?” Coyly, her gaze shot to his painfully bulging pants.

“Syve, whatever I have is yours. Anything you could ever long for, I will deliver without question. You never even need to ask—if you want it, take it . Demand it from me, and I will give it freely.” Her mouth was on his, feral and needy while she coaxed him off the floor, slowly backing him across the room.

“Door—” she began when they separated a split second to tear his shirt over his head.

“Already locked,” he spoke the words into her mouth, refusing to allow any more space between them.

She kept pushing him back until his thighs bumped into something solid. The island. Bastien’s brows shot into his hairline just as Syve two-hand shoved him, pushing him to his back on the countertop and leaving his lower legs dangling.

“You look good as the predator,” he growled low as she dragged her nails down through the hair on his chest to his jeans, quickly flicking open the button and dropping the zipper .

“You know what would look good on you ?” she asked, peeling his pants and boxers both down to his knees, a groan slipping through his teeth at the immediate relief.

He raised his arm, slipping it under his head to prop himself up so he could look down his body and see her. The animalistic hunger in her eyes almost made him blow his load right then and there.

“If the answer to that question isn’t you, I’m going to be a little disappointed,” he teased.

She grinned deviously, raising a brow at him.

“I guess we’re about to find out.”

She crawled onto him, straddling his hips, her warm center hovering above him. He watched her reverently as she unbuttoned her shirt, letting it fall down her shoulders, leaving her in nothing save a simple gray bra.

“God, Bambi. You’re a fucking work of art,” he praised, sliding his free hand up her thigh to grasp her hip.

With a breathy laugh, she popped the clasp of the bra and flung it to the side.

“Bastien.”

With no small amount of effort, he dragged his gaze from her perfect tits to her face.

“I love you.”

A shudder wracked his body and he wasn’t sure if it was from her words, or the firm grasp she now had on his cock.

Words threatened to fail him as she aligned herself with him .

“Bambi, wait.”

“IUD. It’s been two years, and I’m clean. Please don’t make me wait any longer. I want you. I need you.”

Rapidly nodding, he croaked out, “Okay.”

And down she sank.

Her head fell back as her hips slammed flush with his, lolling to the side so she could meet his hooded stare.

Self-restraint left him and he bucked his hips, smirking when she moaned in return.

She leaned down, nipping at his lip before scolding him. “Uh-uh, I’m in charge right now, not you. So be a good boy, and let me use you.”

“Fuck, Syve. Keep talking like that and feeling like this and I won’t last much longer,” he warned, very quickly realizing that was the wrong thing to say.

The devious glint in her eyes screamed challenge accepted and he knew he was screwed. Literally .

“You can make it up to me later.” She sat back up. “Again, and again and again .” Each word emphasized with a strong roll of her hips. Syve continued to rock against him, granting him mercy when she took him by the wrist, guiding his hand to her breast.

He took the invitation greedily, removing his arm from under his head so as not to leave a nipple neglected.

“Syve,” he begged as she sped up, fingers sliding through his chest hair, nails digging into his muscular chest. “Syve!”

“Come with me, Bas,” she demanded .

He required no further instruction, as he felt her shutter and clench around him, tipping him instantly over the edge. He came so hard his ears rang and his jaw ached from praying her name through clenched teeth.

She slumped forward, rolling to his uninjured side.

With a kiss on her forehead, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, her nails drawing lazy circles on his skin.

“I love you, Bambi.”

With a satisfied hum, she nuzzled into him. He reached up, fingers sliding over hers until he reached her tattooed ring.

“Does it bother you?” she whispered.

“No,” he replied without hesitation. “Neither do the pictures. I would never ask you to put them away, or to get rid of this,” he tapped her finger, “you love him, and I would never ask you to stop.”

“I love you,” her voice warbled.

“And I know that you can love us both. I’m grateful for all the time you had together, all the years he kept you happy and safe. I am forever sorry that he was taken from you, but I’m not sorry that it means, I’m yours now.”

“Mine?”

“Yours,” he confirmed with a kiss to the tip of her nose before rolling up and off the island, staggering a step because of the pants still around his knees .

Syve giggled and Bas glared playfully at her as he kicked free of his jeans, then he grabbed her by the ankles, dragging her to the edge of the table. He tossed her over his shoulder, nibbling her ass cheek as he dashed up the stairs, her squeals echoing off the walls the entire way.

“You have your phone? And you have our numbers written down in case you lose your phone? Who did you list as an emergency contact—you did list an emergency contact, right?”

“Mama, I have everything. I’ve had your numbers memorized for years, and I listed four emergency contacts. You, Bastien, Cyrus and Syve.” Del turned to where Bas stood with Syve, a giant smile plastered on her face.

Eyes shining, Syve smiled back at his little sister.

Cyrus slammed the hood shut on the white Range Rover and wiped his hands on a rag as he walked over to where Del was hugging their mother.

“Alright, Princess.” He pulled a key ring from his pocket, holding it up in front of her. “She’s all yours. Congrats on getting into college. Go show all those snotty rich kids you’re smarter than all of them.”

Eyes bugging out of her skull, Del squeaked, “What? But that’s your car! ”

“Not as of five minutes from now. You just have to sign the title and Syve can notarize it. I’ve sold it to you for one whole dollar.”

It was Bastien’s turn to balk, he glanced between Cyrus and Syve to see the latter pulling a pen and a stamp out of her back pocket.

“Sneaky,” he whispered, and she winked in return.

“But my stuff—”

“I brought down to load up for you. In your car,” Cy finished.

Completely sobbing by this point, Del jumped up to hug him, blubbering her thanks into his neck. When she finally released the poor man, she moved down the line to say goodbye to everyone else.

Syve hugged her tightly, both women whispering to each other through their tears.

Bastian was next.

“Brother.”

“Bug.” He pulled her in, squeezing her as much as he could without hurting her. “I am so proud of you, Delanira. I love you.”

“I love you too, Bastien. Take care of Mama for me, and be good to Syve. I’ll be home for Christmas.”

Then she was in the car, driving down the road while they stood waving in the driveway, Syve squeezing his hand.

Be good to her?

That would be easy.