Page 35 of The Sole Suspect

“Dom,” I gasped as I felt the first telltale pressure at my entrance—the beginning swell of his knot that would lock us together. “Yes—there?—”

“Going to tie us together,” he vowed, his movements growing less controlled, more primal. “Pump you so full everyone will know who you belong to.”

His words sent another surge of pleasure through me, my neglected cock throbbing between my legs. One of his hands slid around to grasp me, stroking in time with his thrusts. The dual sensation was almost too much to bear.

The claiming instinct rose in me, sharp and undeniable. “I want your mark,” I said, tilting my head to expose my throat. “Complete the bond.”

His breath hitched as he bent closer, teeth grazing the sensitive junction where my neck met my shoulder. The slight pressure against my scent gland made my entire body tighten in anticipation.

“Say it,” he demanded, his voice so raw it was nearly unrecognizable. “Tell me what you want, Leo.”

“Make me yours,” I pleaded, all reservations dissolved in the heat of our connection. My hands fisted in the sheets, body trembling with need. “I need your mark, your claim. Please, Dom—make me yours.”

With a final powerful thrust, his knot locked inside me, stretching me to the limit. Simultaneously, his teeth sank into my scent gland, breaking the skin as he claimed me completely. The dual sensation—the pain of the bite and the intense pressure of his knot—sent me over the edge. I came with a hoarse cry, my body spasming around him, inner muscles clenching rhythmically around his knot.

The mating bite triggered his own release. He growled against my throat, his body jerking as his seed flooded me in hot pulses. The bond snapped into place between us, a tangible connection that made my vision white out with its intensity.

When I returned to awareness, we were still locked together, his chest pressed against my back as we lay on our sides. His tongue lapped gently at the mark on my neck, soothing the sting with instinctive alpha care.

“Mine,” he murmured, satisfaction evident in his tone. He was rut drunk, but his touch was gentle, soothing instead of merely possessive. “My omega.”

I reached back to touch the fresh mark, feeling the raised edges where his teeth had broken skin. The bond hummed between us, new and powerful. “And you’re mine,” I whispered, feeling his knot still pulsing inside me, keeping his seed deep where it belonged.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me close. “We’ll be tied for a while,” he said, his hand stroking soothingly down my side. “Your heat won’t break for days.”

“Good,” I sighed, contentment washing through me despite the heat still simmering under my skin. With my alpha’s knot locked inside me and his mark on my neck, I was exactly where I wanted to be. “Don’t want you to leave.”

His arms tightened possessively. “Never leaving you again,” he promised, pressing soft kisses along my shoulder. “You’re stuck with me now, little cobbler.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Istirred against Dominic’s solid warmth. The first light of dawn filtered through my bedroom window, catching dust motes that danced in the golden beams. I was cocooned in a nest of blankets and Dominic’s clothes. His expensive Tom Ford jacket—or what remained of it—lay crumpled beneath my head, the once-pristine fabric now saturated with our mingled scents.

My heat had finally broken. We’d shifted positions sometime during the night—or early morning, rather—after his knot had finally gone down for the last time. Now I lay sprawled across his chest, our legs tangled together, his strong heartbeat a soothing rhythm beneath my ear. I traced idle patterns on his skin, memorizing the feel of him.

“You’re thinking very loudly,” Dominic murmured, his voice rough with sleep. His fingers tangled in my hair, massaging my scalp with gentle pressure that made me purr.

“Just... processing,” I admitted, shifting to look up at him. The morning light softened his features, revealing a vulnerability I’dnever seen before. The bond between us hummed, still new and raw and perfect.

His eyes searched mine, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his expression. “Regrets?”

“None,” I said immediately, pressing a kiss to his chest. “You?”

His laugh rumbled beneath my cheek. “Only that we waited so long.” His hands slid down my back, coming to rest possessively on my hips. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been thoroughly claimed,” I teased, then shifted and winced slightly. “A bit sore. In a good way.”

Concern flickered across his face. He helped me roll onto my side, his hands gentle as they skimmed over my body, checking for any sign of injury. “I wasn’t too rough?”

The tenderness in his touch—this alpha handling me like I might break—made my heart swell. I caught his hands, bringing them to my lips.

“You were perfect,” I assured him. “Everything was perfect.”

Relief washed over his features. He pulled me closer, nuzzling into my neck and inhaling deeply at my scent gland. The action sent a fresh wave of warmth through me, despite my heat having ebbed.

“I should get you something to eat,” he murmured, though he made no move to release me. “Keep up your strength. Can’t have my omega starving.”

I laughed. “There’s leftover casserole in the fridge. And Penny brought pastries yester?—“