Instead of responding verbally, Anthony leaned down and pressed his mouth to Elle’s.

He teased her lips with his tongue, and she opened for him.

Elle had a couple of lovers before leaving Summerland, but they were dalliances between friends to slake a need.

The sex had been okay but nothing life-altering.

When Anthony’s tongue met hers, it was passionate without being overwhelming.

Her male knew how to kiss. Anthony lowered the zipper at the back of her dress, then slid the garment off her shoulders, his fingers leaving goosebumps on her skin as his fingers skimmed her arms. The dress pooled at her feet, and Elle kicked it off to the side.

Tony broke the kiss, his eyes taking in her almost-naked body.

Being fae, Elle was tall and lithe like all others of her kind.

The only thing setting them apart was the color of their hair, unlike humans and Gargoyles since Brent and his family had different features.

In other words, she was nothing special.

“Gods, you’re perfect,” he whispered, contradicting her thoughts, before lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the bed, where he lay her in the middle.

His heated eyes traced her skin from head to toe as he removed his clothes.

His thumbs paused beneath the band of his briefs, and Elle nodded.

She wanted to see all of him, even though she still wore her undergarments.

His manhood was erect and proportionate to the rest of his large frame.

Anthony gave it a few strokes before climbing on top of Elle, trapping the length between their stomachs.

Her previous encounters had included idle banter and witty commentary, but Anthony didn’t fill the silence with useless words.

Instead, he spoke with his eyes and his mouth as he pressed kisses to her skin, starting at her neck and moving down her body.

When he got to her breasts, he unclasped the front hook of her bra, exposing her nipples to the brisk air of the bedroom.

He pushed the straps down her arms, and she lifted so he could pull it from under her.

He tossed the fabric in the direction of her dress.

Tony kneaded one nipple with his fingers while his tongue tortured the other.

Elle had no idea her breasts had a direct link to her core.

She hadn’t played with them when getting herself off the few times she’d gone out of town without Grevolus.

She never dared pleasure herself while living with Tovin from fear that he’d invade the privacy of her room, catching her in the act.

She could have hidden in the shadows, but that would have been worse if he’d walked in and witnessed her gift.

Tony didn’t linger. He continued his torturous trail down her skin, dipping his tongue in her navel, and nipping at her hipbones with his teeth.

When he was between her thighs, Tony pressed his nose to her panties, inhaling deeply.

He then teased her clit through the material until her panties were wet from both his tongue and her arousal.

Instead of sliding them down her legs, he ripped them down the middle.

When he resumed his teasing, Tony added his fingers, delving inside, pressing, scissoring, searching.

He settled on the spongy spot close to her entrance and focused his attention there until Elle was a writhing mess.

Grabbing his hair, she tugged. She wanted to come while his cock was buried inside, but she also wanted to ride out this wave of euphoria. He didn’t remove his fingers, but he did raise his head. “You okay, Sweetheart?”

“No. I want you inside me.”

Tony winked and slid his fingers free, licking them thoroughly while maintaining eye contact.

He then knee-crawled until he was at her entrance, his erection pressing against her slickness.

“Are you sure you want to complete the bond? I have to ask because once I get inside you, my beast is going to take over.”

“Positive.” Elle trailed her nails across his chest, scraping across his tiny nipples, and his abs contracted.

Lifting her right leg, he placed her calf over his shoulder and pressed the tip of his cock against her opening.

He arched his brows, asking permission, and Elle used her free foot to press against his thigh, tugging him closer.

He eased his way inside, then began a sensual pace of sliding in and out.

He was poetry in motion the way he rolled his hips, his body undulating.

Elle was mesmerized. She placed her hands on his thighs, the muscles bunching under the skin as he moved.

She squeezed her core around his cock, eliciting a deep growl from his chest.

Tony’s fangs elongated, and his wings popped out behind his back. Elle reached out to touch one, but drew back at the last second, remembering that they were sensitive. “You can touch them, Sweetheart, but only if you’re ready for my bite.”

Was she ready? Was she willing to tie herself to this wonderful creature knowing their time could be cut short?

The answer was unequivocally yes . They had met less than twenty-four hours ago, but the fates had chosen them to be mates, so it wouldn’t matter if they waited days, weeks, or even months.

The bond was inevitable unless Elle refused the bite, and she wanted to be bound to Tony, so she reached out again, trailing her fingertips along the leathery edge.

Tony released her leg, leaned down, resting on his forearms, then quickened his pace.

His eyes went from crystal blue to midnight right before he struck.

The euphoria was instant, triggering Elle’s orgasm.

She grabbed onto his butt cheeks, needing him as close as possible.

Tony groaned as his hips stuttered, releasing his seed.

Tony retracted his fangs, licked her shoulder, then buried his face in her neck. His breathing was labored, and his cock pulsed a few more times as they came down from the high. Tony’s wings curved downward against either side of the bed, shielding Elle. She had never felt safer in her life.

When Tony started laughing, Elle’s heart sank.

Had she done something wrong? Was the sex not as good for him as it was for her?

He pushed to his hands, grinning at her until he noticed she wasn’t returning his smile.

“Oh, Elle. I’m not laughing at you, Sweetheart.

That was hands down the best sex of my life, but I now know that I am impervious to your fire. ”

“What?” Elle pushed against his chest, but he didn’t budge. “I burned you?”

Tony’s wings disappeared into his back. “I may have two red handprints on my ass.”

“Oh, my goddess! I’m so sorry.”

Tony nuzzled her nose with his. “I’m not. That was the hottest thing ever,” he joked.

“You’re not funny,” Elle groused, pushing against his shoulder.

“Hey, I’m damned funny.” Before she could argue further, Tony kissed her.

It started off with soft pecks but quickly turned heated when his dick began getting hard again.

Since he was still buried inside, he rocked back and forth, so painfully slow until Elle couldn’t take it any longer.

She hooked her legs behind his butt, digging her heels into his cheeks, and urging him to move faster.

When he ignored her nonverbal request, she whispered, “Please.” Her mate grinned against her mouth and complied.

After round two, Tony went into the attached bathroom and wet a washcloth, cleaning their combined release from her legs and in between.

He pulled on his briefs while she dug fresh underwear out of her bag since he had shredded the others.

They climbed under the covers, and Elle snuggled against her mate’s chest. Elle had a mate.

She sighed happily and closed her eyes. Between the time difference and the explosive sex, it didn’t take long for sleep to claim her.