Page 36

36

JOY

Wes pulled my wrists together and tied them to the headboard with a wide, pink ribbon. I’m not sure where it came from, but I suspected it was one of Remy’s hair ribbons.

She was asleep, and I was now naked.

Wes’ eyes glowed green. Hunger was etched in every line of his face, but he killed me by saying, “I’m going to take a shower, and you’re going to wait here and think about what a bad girl you were.”

My mouth fell open, and I tugged at my wrists. It was a ribbon, and I could get out if I tried hard enough. I didn’t want to.

“Bad girl?” I protested.

He’d spent the day telling me how amazing I was. How much it meant to him that I’d shown up to have his back and also how much it meant that I was willing to sacrifice my own desires and happiness for his. We’d spent the entire day holding each other, all three of us.

Now I was a bad girl ?

“I don’t think so,” I told him.

A smirk curved his lips. He was smiling more often now. I could definitely get used to it.

“Bad girl. You broke my fucking heart yesterday when you walked out. And I want to be sure you’ve faced the consequences, so it doesn’t happen again.”

The sexy way he said consequences let me know it was a very sexy punishment he had in mind.

The spanky kind, I imagined.

I wriggled my hips impatiently. I needed him to touch me now.

But the big jerk sauntered sexily off to the en suite bathroom.

I stared at the ceiling and huffed. As the feelings of ridiculousness set in–I was tied by a ribbon bare assed naked to a bed without any kind of sexy fun happening–the shower shut off. Wes came out and stood before the bed as he dried himself.

Holy hell, droplets of water worked their way down his body, and they were swiped up. I followed his hand and the small strawberry towel–the same one from when we first met–as it roamed his perfect torso.

This time, his dick was hard. Big. Long. Thick. For me.

“How’d it feel to have me walk away?” he asked, rubbing the towel over his wet head.

My mouth fell open. Then closed. Then open.

“You… you went to the shower, so I’d know what it was like when someone left?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “I wanted you in there with me.”

I tugged at the ribbon. “Whose fault is that?” I snapped. I wasn’t happy any longer. “Wes, let me up.”

He sensed that things had changed and leaned over and tugged at the knot. The second I was free, I popped up onto my knees, so we were eye to eye. Me on the bed, him standing before it.

Both naked. It was time to bare even more.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I won’t ever come between you and Remy. Ever.”

He growled. “I know. I love you all the more for it.”

Tears filled my eyes. He reached out and swiped one that slipped down my cheek.

“We were never apart. You didn’t know it, but I never considered you gone. You were correct, I had to take care of Remy first, but then I was coming after you.”

My eyes widened. “You were?”

“You’re mine. My mate. My partner. My soul.”

“Wes,” I breathed. Okay, I was happy again. I put my fingers to the spot on my breast where he bit me. No, marked . There was a hint of a scab but it didn’t hurt. “Is it because of this?”

“Yes.”

“Because it forced you to return?”

He frowned. “No. Because that mark means we are permanent. Nothing will separate us. Nothing will break what we’ve chosen to join.”

“Oh. I love you, too. I wanted the mark for those reasons.”

“Now will you fucking kiss me?” he asked.

I couldn’t help but smile, then grin outright. “Now you can spank me for being a bad girl.” I turned around and dropped to my hands and knees. Glancing over my shoulder, I looked to Wes. “I’m ready to face the consequences.”