Chapter 479 Chapter 479
Noah had never seen her this excited about anything, not since she’d seen her daughter at that pathetic cabin site. Emersyn trailed off in what she was saying and looked back at him, she had a smirk on her face.
“If either of us could write properly it would have been good to make a list of everything we just decided.” She huffed out a breath and put her hands on her hips.
He couldn’t help the grin on his face as he held up his phone. He stopped the recording. “Voice recording. I use it a lot, so I don’t forget instructions,” he cocked his head to the side, “but don’t tell the guys, they have no idea.”
Emersyn opened her mouth and then closed it and came over to him, “show me.” She listened to them talking on the recording until he paused it. She grinned at him, and his breath was stuck in his chest, she was so pretty when she did that, “I need one of those.”
“A phone?”
She nodded, “yes, I want to be able to talk to you when you’re not here or for you to call me—if you want?”
The skittish look on her face felt like a punch in the gut. He hadn’t thought of that, but the idea he liked. Every op had everyone on their phones, and he had no one to talk to except the people that were already there, and Cooper, but those conversations were short and sweet, to say the least. He tucked the phone into his pocket, “Beth probably has one, we can check in the morning before we head out.” He blew out a breath, “I have to say goodbye to my parents too.” He wasn’t looking forward to that.
“Really?” She put her hand over her mouth her eyes bright. “Thank you.” She stretched up and kissed him right on the mouth. He knew it was just from her being excited, but his cat was right there with him for once.
Reaching out, he touched her hips, softly, a careful action so he didn’t startle her. The excitement on her face faded to something serious and expectant. Just holding her like this was hard for him to keep other images out of his head, but he pushed through them and leaned down to brush his mouth over hers lightly. He paused and just looked down into her eyes, he liked that she looked at him anytime they were this close, it was like the power of her look was enough to bat the demons away in his mind. “I never thought I’d want to kiss someone.” He whispered, “but your taste is the most perfect thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Her response to his words was reaching up and gently pulling his head toward her face. He almost grinned as their mouths touched again. Then the feelings started inside him, the ones only she could ever stir inside him. He feared them, loved them, and never wanted to not feel them again. His hand shook as he gripped her hips and pulled her body close enough that he could feel the heat from her body. His insides felt like they were ignited now. Taking a chance that he wouldn’t offend her; he deepened the kiss. She made a soft moaning noise, and he was ready to pull away, afraid he was scaring her or hurting her, she grasped the back of his hair and pulled his head down further. Noah thought his heart might explode inside his chest, and another body part he was trying not to think about because he didn’t want to stop kissing her.
When they finally separated it was because neither of them could breathe. He rested his forehead on hers and relished that he was breathing her breath inside him. It felt natural and right and so few things he did ever felt like that to him. “Did you,” he swallowed trying to settle his breathing so he could speak, “do you know how the marking works?”
Hearing her accelerated breathing was doing strange things to him, and it took him a moment to check on his cat that it wasn’t a bad thing. She nodded, then grinned at him as she continued to struggle with her breathing.
“The woman,” she drew in another breath, “the woman has to mark the man first.” Her eyes widened, “it’s a consent thing.”
Noah lifted his head and looked down at her. Her eyes were heavy from the feelings they had been stirring in each other and to him, it was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. The idea of carrying her mark and scent mixed with his own made him feel a small measure of peace inside. His cat was very enthused by the idea and other than killing that was the only time Noah could remember his cat being that way. “It should be a consent thing. Always.” He was talking about more than just the marking and he knew that she would know that without him having to spell it out. “Do it.” He leaned down and kissed her mouth softly.
Emersyn’s eyes widened slightly, then she nodded slowly. She touched her mouth, “do you think my cat will know? My teeth are normal right now.”
Noah had no idea; he knew nothing about this. He’d actually walked away a few times when the guys were talking about things like this. “I think she will.” He hoped. He kissed her again, without warning, without slow cautious movements, and feeling her respond to him made his cat move even closer to the surface. It wasn’t a cautious thing, or to protect him, but to observe. If he were anything but a shifter, he would find that creepy as hell. He started to think of her teeth piercing his flesh and expected nausea to kick in, but instead, he realized it would be the only welcomed scar on his body.
Dragging his mouth from hers, he lightly held her hips and then dropped down to his knees so she could reach his neck easily. Releasing her, he pulled his jacket off and then his shirt quickly. He’d seen the marks on the others and knew where he would be. His mate’s mark. A dizzying feeling went through him, he froze thinking it was the ill feeling coming out of nowhere as usual, but then realized it was anticipation and nothing bad.
Emersyn ripped the zipper down on her jacket and brushed it from her arms. She placed her hands on either side of his face and looked down at him. Noah’s hands clenched in a nervous move on her hips. He wanted her to hurry, if not he might lose his mind. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d looked forward to something and still have a finger or two left, but this, this made up for all of it. Having her as his mate made up for the years of wrong in his world.
She lowered her mouth to his and kissed him, taking control of the kiss and he was completely shocked by his own reaction to it—his cat felt like he was doing flips inside him, which made the frenzy of the moment even more intense.
Noah stabbed his tongue into her mouth and groaned when it met sharp teeth. He could taste blood and knew it was theirs mixed, his cat froze when he sensed her blood mixed with her taste and scent. It was intoxicating and both were almost to their limit by the time she lifted her head and tilted his chin up.
Noah’s chest shook with each breath he took, and a low animalistic sound came from his throat when he felt her breath on his skin. It was right below where his collar would have rested and his only thought at that moment was the collar would never leave its mark on him again, but he would be wearing hers. It was complete gibberish, and he knew it and for once didn’t give a damn what was going through his broken mind.