Page 24 of Stripe for the Picking (Paranormal Dating Agency #92)
TWENTY
RYLAN
R ylan could hardly believe all of this was real as he stood there in the ancient clearing where generations of his ancestors had claimed their fated mates.
The air around him and Wren hummed with a primal energy that seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat.
The crystalline formations jutting from the mossy ground glowed faintly under the twin moons, casting an ethereal light over her.
Her emerald dress shimmered like liquid starlight, and her long hair flowed down her back like dark silk.
She was a vision of feminine perfection, and she was ready to become his in every way possible.
When she'd said yes to his marriage proposal at dinner, he'd felt like the universe had finally aligned.
And now, standing in this sacred space, she'd agreed to let him fully claim her and to mark her as his mate for all eternity.
His tiger was roaring with approval, demanding he claim her and mark her quickly, not wanting to wait another moment sooner.
But Rylan forced himself to slow down and to savor this moment completely.
She deserved more than raw urgency; she deserved reverence and worship.
"Wren," he murmured, his voice deep with barely contained desire.
He stepped closer, his hands finding her waist as he pulled her flush against his body.
Her warmth seeped into him, and he leaned down and crashed his lips into hers with a kiss that was anything but gentle.
It was possessive and hungry, a claiming in itself.
Her lips parted for him instantly, and his tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with hers in a rhythm that left them both starved for oxygen.
Her hands moved to his tie, her fingers fumbling slightly as she tugged it loose.
He broke the kiss long enough to let her slide the silk fabric from around his neck, then her hands were on his suit jacket, pushing it off his broad shoulders.
It fell to the mossy ground, forgotten. His hands went to the zipper of her dress, slow and deliberate, his eyes never leaving hers as he lowered it inch by torturous inch.
The dress soon pooled at her feet, leaving her in nothing but her black lace bra and panties, making his mouth water instantly.
"You're so unbelievably breathtaking," he whispered as he unhooked her bra and then slid her panties down her legs.
His hands found her hips, pulling her closer as he dipped his head to kiss the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. She trembled against him, her hands moving to the buttons of his white dress shirt.
"Your turn," she whispered, her voice trembling with the same desire coursing through him.
He let her undress him, watching as her fingers worked their way down his chest, exposing him to the cool night air.
When she reached his pants, he kicked off his shoes and let her slide them down, along with his boxers, until they were both standing there, bare and vulnerable in the most intimate way.
Rylan took a moment to drink her in under the bright moonlight—every perfect detail. Then he gently guided her down onto the soft moss, laying her back with a reverence that made her green eyes soften with deep affection.
"Rylan," she breathed, her voice a mix of desire and anticipation.
He didn't answer, but instead began a slow, deliberate exploration of her body.
His lips and tongue traced a path from her collarbone to her breasts, and she gasped, arching into him.
He took his time lavishing attention on her breasts, slowly circling the hardened nipples with his tongue, and then taking them into his mouth and sucking gently until she was moaning and fisting her hands into his hair.
He then moved lower down her body, kissing and licking every inch of her soft skin, savoring the sweet taste of her, and the way her body responded to his every touch with primal need.
When he finally settled between her thighs, he took his time again, savoring the intimacy of this moment. His tongue teased her sensitive folds, circling her clit until she was trembling beneath him, her hands grabbing his hair tight.
"Rylan," she moaned. "Please..."
He lifted his head, his eyes dark as he met her gaze. "Not yet," he said. "I want to make this perfect for you. When I fully claim you, when I finally mark you, it's going to be the most intense pleasure you've ever felt."
"You're just teasing me now," she said, her voice a mix of frustration and amusement.
He chuckled, the sound low and warm. "Trust me, beautiful. It'll be worth it." He leaned down to press a kiss to her inner thigh, his breath hot against her skin. "The completed mate bond will amplify everything—your pleasure, and mine. I want to make sure you're ready for it."
She sighed, a smile tugging at her lips despite her impatience. "You're impossible."
"And you're almost completely mine," he said softly.
Rylan's lips trailed back up Wren's body, leaving a searing path of heat from her trembling thighs to the hollow of her throat.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, her hands clutching at his shoulders as if she might float away if she didn't anchor herself to him.
He could feel her body begging for him, her slick folds glistening in the moonlight, and her hips arching toward him in silent demand.
His tiger prowled just beneath his skin, its primal hunger roaring in his veins, but Rylan kept forcing himself to savor every moment of tonight.
This wasn't just about claiming his mate; this was about making her feel every ounce of the love he had for her.
"Rylan," she gasped, her voice breaking. Her green eyes were wide, her lips swollen from his kisses, and she looked so achingly beautiful that his chest tightened. "Stop teasing me now."
He chuckled again, the rumbling sound making her shiver. "I'm not teasing. I'm savoring," he murmured. He leaned down, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that was both tender and possessive. "And I'm trying to make sure you never forget this moment."
Her hands slid down his back, her nails digging into his skin as she pulled him closer. "I don't need savoring," she said. "I need you."
Her words sent a jolt of heat straight to his already throbbing cock, and he growled low in his throat, the sound feral and possessive.
He'd been grinding against her, his hard length teasing her slick folds, but now he couldn't hold back any longer.
When her hand slipped between them, guiding him to her entrance, he didn't resist. With a deep, controlled breath, he pushed into her, inch by agonizing inch, until he was buried to the hilt.
"God, Wren," he groaned. She was so perfectly tight, and the feel of her wrapped around him was almost too much to bear.
She let out a loud moan as her legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him even deeper. "Please, Rylan. Move," she demanded, her voice breaking on the last word.
He obeyed and began to move, slowly at first, his thrusts deliberate and deep, each one drawing another moan from her lips.
Her hands grabbed on tight to his shoulders, her nails leaving crescent marks in his skin, and he reveled in the sensation, in the way she clung to him as if he were her only anchor in the storm.
Their mate bond pulsed between them, amplifying every touch and every sensation.
He could feel her desire and her need, as if it were his own, and it drove him wild.
He increased his pace, his hips slamming into hers with a rhythm that left them both gasping for air.
Her moans grew louder, her body arching into his, and he knew she was close.
"Rylan," she breathed.
"I've got you, beautiful," he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear. "Come for me."
And she did. Her body convulsed around him, her orgasm crashing over her like a tidal wave, and he felt it through their bond, the intensity of her pleasure sending him spiraling toward his own release.
He buried his face in her neck, his teeth lengthening as his tiger surged to the surface.
He bit down hard into the tender skin of her collarbone, marking her as his mate, and she screamed, her body shuddering with another orgasm as he spilled himself deep inside her.
For a moment, everything was still, the only sound their ragged breaths and the distant hum of the forest. Then, slowly, he licked the mark he'd made, sealing their mate bond. She let out a soft sigh, and her body relaxed beneath his.
"Rylan," she whispered, her voice shaking with emotion. Her fingers traced the mark on her shoulder, her green eyes filled with unshed tears. "That was… intense."
"That," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face, “was just the beginning of our beautiful life together.” He leaned down, kissing her lips with tenderness and possession. "And our mate bond will only grow stronger."
She smiled, her body still trembling with the aftershocks of her pleasure. "I'm excited to face each day with you," she whispered softly.
He then rolled them over so she was on top, her body straddling his. She looked down at him, her hair tumbling around her face like a dark waterfall.
"You're in charge now," he said, his hands resting on her hips. "Show me what else you want."
Her smile turned predatory as she began to move, her hips grinding against his in a rhythm that left him breathless.
He let her take full control, his hands gripping her hips as she rode him, their bodies moving together in perfect sync.
Her hands rested on his chest, her fingers stroking the hard planes of his muscles, and he groaned, his body responding to her every touch.
"Wren," he murmured as he watched her, her body moving with a grace and confidence that left him in awe.
"You're all mine now," she said, her voice filled with a possessiveness that made his tiger rumble with joy.
When she came undone again, her body convulsing around him, he followed her over the edge again, his powerful release ripping through his body with shuddering force.
Afterward, they lay tangled together on the mossy ground, their bodies still humming with the intensity of their connection. Wren rested her head on his chest, her fingers tracing his skin as they both caught their breath and cooled down from their heated mating.
"I can't believe this is real," she whispered. "I never thought I'd find something like this."
Rylan's arms tightened around her, his heart swelling with love. "It's very real, beautiful," he said, his voice low and filled with certainty. "And it's forever now."