Page 37

“I think it’s creative.” I swiped a dollop of frosting on my finger and dabbed his nose. “You’re just jealous he can bake.”

Lucian rocked with laughter. “It looks like a puddle of Pepto-Bismol. In fact…” He wiped the frosting off his nose and sampled another taste. “Yep. It’s got a chalky aftertaste. It’ll give you indigestion and cure it at the same time.”

I playfully slapped his arm. “Stop that. You are messy.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you love creating drama.”

“Drama? Have a taste.” He swiped a giant glob on his finger and waved it in front of my face.

“Don’t you dare.” When I realized he was going to smear it on my nose, I shrieked and bolted around the kitchen counter into the living room. “Don’t come near me with that!”

“What’s the phrase you like to say? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

Instead of chasing me, he prowled in my direction with his finger raised and a wicked grin. It became a game, and as childish as it was, I was having a good time weaving around furniture and plotting my escape. When I dashed toward the table, I changed direction and made a break for the kitchen.

Lucian grabbed me from behind and smeared icing down my cheek. I shrieked, my heart racing at a wicked beat. When I tried squirming out of his arms, my foot slipped on the kitchen tile, and I hit the floor. Lucian fell next to me.

I was laughing so hard I thought I would burst.

Lucian rolled onto his side and kissed the icing off my cheek.

“You better not do that at our wedding,” I said as my laughter died down.

Then it got quiet.

Real quiet.

I wiped my face. “I don’t know why I just said that. Too much wine.”

Without a word, Lucian prowled on top of me and caged me with his arms. Looking into his golden eyes felt like staring down a wild predator.

He lowered his head and sensually brushed his lips against mine, inviting me to break the rules.

Desire licked over my body, and I trembled as if this were the first time Lucian had ever touched me.

He tempted me with that featherlight touch, his sweet breath skating across my lips as we gazed into each other’s eyes. His purr vibrated against my chest, and a nervous flutter I’d never felt before tightened in my middle.

My hand slid over the back of his neck, and with a pull, I gave him permission.

Lucian’s lips melted against mine. He seduced me with a scorching kiss, his tongue teasing the seam of my lips, the weight of him a familiar sensation.

A moan escaped him as the kiss deepened and our tongues moved in rhythm. My fingernails clawed his nape when he made that sexy noise that curled my toes. Lucian branded me, and his kiss seared into my soul. It was fire and ice. It was satisfaction and desire. It was everything that Deacon’s wasn’t.

His satiny kiss was so feverishly good that I never wanted to stop. Everything about him was inviting and familiar. His taste, his smell, his touch. Lucian awakened emotions within me that Deacon couldn’t reach. We connected like two magnets.

The kiss finally tapered off to incendiary pecks.

“I broke the rule,” he breathed.

His wonderful scent filled my nose, and I drew in a breath as I tunneled my fingers through his hair. Black rings had formed around the outside of his eyes but were thinning the longer I looked at him.

I hated seeing the bruise on his eye. It made me want to hunt down the person who did that to him. “Some rules are meant to be broken.”

He cleared his throat. “I also broke the rule about keeping us a secret.”

My stomach knotted. “What?”

“Krys knows. I didn’t exactly tell him, but he figured it out.”

“You’re not very good at sticking to rules.”

He stared at my lips. “I need to go. Stay inside and lock the doors.”

“Okay.”

Lucian heaved a sigh, and I sensed he didn’t want to leave.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?” I asked, stroking the back of his neck.

His purr deepened to one I felt more than heard. “Not tonight. There’s something I need to do.”

“All right then.”

He nuzzled against my neck, making my heart flutter. The feel of his purr was more hypnotic than the sound, like a large cat lying on top of me. “Eden?”

“Yes?”

“I need to confess something.”

“What?”

He cupped my face in his hand and searched my eyes. “I want to court you.”

I was rendered speechless, my thoughts a tangled spiderweb caught in the rain. “You said you didn’t want anything serious.”

“I didn’t. But now I do. I can’t get you out of my head. And because you’re rushing to find a mate, I’m running out of time to change.”

“Change what?”

“I don’t make enough money. I’m not exactly a pillar of society around here. We’re not the same Breed, but that’s not something I can change. The rest I can. Except maybe getting your dad’s approval. Is that necessary?”

“My dad was tough on me, but that’s because he knows this world is hard for women. I’ve had to work twice as hard to get where I am, and I owe him everything. But… this complicates things. His approval is everything.”

“What would it take to make that happen?”

I blinked up at him. “Are you negotiating with me? What would you get out of this deal?”

“Deal?” He scoffed. “I fucking love you.”

My tiger roared beneath my skin.

Lucian was pragmatic and didn’t seem like a guy who could make a woman swoon, but there it was—an offer laid out on the table like a buffet.

Lucian kissed my neck. “I love you, female. I want to court you.” Then he raised his head. “I was an idiot and didn’t realize I knew all along. I’ve always felt it, even when I was growing my hair out.”

I touched his black locks.

“So? Do I have a shot?” he pressed.

“What does courting mean to you as a Chitah?”

“It means I’ll prove my worth as a mate even if it takes years for you to decide. I won’t cut my hair until you make up your mind. It’s part of our custom, and I’m a superstitious guy. To cut our hair is to cut our chances.”

“Even when it reaches your feet?”

An impish grin touched his lips. “I doubt it’ll take that long. I already know you love me.”

I arched my eyebrows at his brazen remark. “How?”

“Because when I said it, your emotions put out that scent. I know that scent.” He drew in a deep breath. “I’ve never had anyone smell like that because of me.”

I eased forward, forcing him to sit up. Leaning against the cabinet, I tried to assemble my thoughts into something cohesive. “Lucian, it might be the sex talking. I don’t think it’s a good idea if you let desire rule your heart.”

“It’s not the sex. Although… that’s pretty nice.”

I stared down at my black dress, which had flecks of pink frosting on it.

Is this a good idea? He’s a Chitah. How is that going to work between us? What will my father think? Are we even compatible? Where would he expect us to live?

“Are you thinking about leaving your pack?” I asked, wondering if his intentions were to move in with me.

Lucian leaned against the opposite cabinets.

“I don’t want to leave them. It hasn’t been easy, but being around people is good for me.

If you wanted to stay here in your home, I guess that’s what we’d do, but if you want safety, a pack’s a better place.

” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t think everything through.

Lakota told me a person knows when they’re in love because they do crazy shit, and here I am, courting you on the kitchen floor in the most unromantic way without having figured out all the important stuff first. And I’m detail oriented. ”

“I thought you didn’t believe in love.”

He crossed his arms. “I didn’t.”

“Why?”

His face flushed, making his swollen eye deepen in color.

“Tell me.”

“You’ll judge me.”

“No, I won’t.”

He stared at the floor. “Yes, you will. If I’m close enough, I can scent original emotions before people have a chance to change their minds. You can’t hide your true feelings.”

I opened the cabinet next to me, reached in a bag, and pulled out a clothespin. Then I crawled toward him and clipped it onto his nose. “Does that help?”

He removed it and looked down at the wooden clip between his fingers.

I leaned on my left arm, which rested between his legs. “One thing I’ve always loved about us is our honesty with each other. If you want to court me, Lucian Cross, you need to be honest. It’s not fair that you can scent truth and lies out of me but you won’t open up. Who hurt you?”

He averted his gaze before rising to his feet.

Lucian touched my cheek with a soft stroke.

“We’ll finish this later. You need a minute to think about everything before I dump my past into your lap.

I may not be a Shifter, but that doesn’t mean I won’t protect you with my life.

I’ll die for you, female. I’m just not sure how to prove that to you. ”