J.R. Ward: Lover Mine

She didn’t even wait a heartbeat.

The weight was relieved from his hold and he looked up. Those beautiful red tears of hers were in her eyes as she cradled the box with his pledge to her against her heart.

As the assembled cheered and clapped, John burst to his feet and swept her and that big, gorgeous red dress right up into his arms. He kissed her hard and then, in front of the king and his sister and his best friends and the Brotherhood, he carried his female straight up those stairs she’d come down.

Yeah, there was a feast in their honor about to break out. But the bonded male in him needed to do a little marking—then they’d come down for food.

He was halfway to the top when Hollywood’s voice sounded out. “Oh, man, I want mine done over with some of that curlicue crap.”

“Don’t even think about it, Rhage,” was Mary’s response.

“Can we eat now?” Lassiter asked. “Or is anyone else turning themselves into sushi?”

The party started to get rolling, voices and laughter and the beat of Jay-Z’s “Young Forever” filling the space. At the head of the stairs, John paused and looked down. The sight below, coupled with the female in his arms, made him feel as though he’d climbed a great mountain and had finally, inexplicably, unbelievably gotten to the top.

Her husky voice sealed the deal on his hard-on: “You just going to stand around, or did you bring me up here for a good reason?”

John kissed her, slipping his tongue between her lips, penetrating her. He kept at it as he walked her down to his—

Their room.

Inside, he set her down on the bed and she stared up at him, looking as if she were more than ready for what he was going to give her.

Except she seemed surprised when he just turned away.

But he had to present her with the gift he’d bought.

When he came back to the bed, he had the red bag from Reinhardt’s with him.

I was raised human, and when they do their matings, the male gives the female a token of affection. Abruptly, he got nervous. I hope you like it. I tried to do you right.

Xhex sat up and her hands shook a little as she took out the long, thin box. “What did you do, John Matthew—”

Her gasp as she cracked the lid was too frickin’ fabulous.

John reached out and took the thick chain off the velvet nest. The square diamond set in the middle of the platinum links was six carats—whatever that meant. All he cared about was that the damn stone was big enough and bright enough and sparkly enough to be seen from goddamn Canada.

Just in case any males saw her and maybe had a head cold or something, he wanted it to be known that she was taken. And if John’s bonding scent didn’t reach their noses, the flash of that rock sure as shit would bounce off their retinas.

I didn’t get you a ring because I know you’re going to be fighting and won’t want your hands encumbered. And if you like it, I’d love it if you’d wear it all the time—

Xhex grabbed his face and kissed him so long and so deep he couldn’t breathe. And didn’t care. “I’ll never take it off. Ever.”

John fused their mouths and mounted her, pushing her and that gown back against the pillows, his hands riding up her breasts, then scooping under her hips. As he arched into her body, he started fishing around the acres of satin. .

Took him about a second and a half to get frustrated.

And turned out that the dress looked even better off.

John made slow love to his female, luxuriating in her body, caressing it with his hands and his mouth. When he finally joined them together, the fit was so perfect, the moment so right, he just fell still. Life had brought him here to this time with her, with them together. .

This was the history he would be living from now on.

“So, John. .” she said in a husky voice.

He whistled in an ascending note.

“I was thinking about getting a little ink of my own.” As he cocked his head to the side, she ran her hands up his shoulders gingerly. “How about we head over to that tattoo place. . maybe get your name in my back?”

The orgasm that rocked out of his body and into hers evidently served as a well enough reply in the absence of his being able to voice one.

Xhex laughed in a throaty way and moved her hips against his. “I’ll take that as a yes. . ”

Yes, John thought as he started to pump inside of her. Yes, oh, fuck, yes. .

After all, what was good for the gander was even hotter for the goose. And fair was fair.

God, he loved life. Loved life and everyone in this house and all the people of worth in all the corners of the world. Fate was not easy. . but it got things right.

Eventually, everything that came to pass was exactly how it was meant to be.