Free Bear Reign (Alpha Guardians Book 7) by Vivian Wood

asked, the whisky warming her insides in a pleasant way.
    “I think you know what I’m going to say. I said it before,” he sighed. “I want you, I know you can tell. I want nothing more than to drag you over to my bed right now. But I don’t want you to use me. I don’t want you to let me… feel things for you… and then turn around and treat me like your slave tomorrow. I only want to give myself to my mate.”
    Sophie bit her lip.
    “I would never treat you like a slave,” she said.
    “Giving me commands, flashing the keys at me to assure my compliance,” he said, ticking off items on his fingers. “Guess what that feels like? Knowing that you need me for something, but not knowing what you’re going use me for… that’s not mate behavior, no matter how much I want you.”
    She nodded slowly.
    “What if… what if I can promise you that I’m not going to send you into anything dangerous? What if I promise that you’ve already provided me what I really need?”
    Ephraim’s brows shot up.
    “Is that right?” He said. She could see the gears working in his head, see him trying to figure that out.
    She wrinkled her nose, running the words through her head again to make sure they were true, then nodded. She set her glass aside, giving in to the urge to move a little closer, resting a hand on his arm.
    “If I ask you for anything else, it wouldn’t be more than what you’ve already done for me.” She paused for a second, leaning a little closer to Ephraim. “Would that be enough assurance for you, if I gave you my word I’d never use the keys against you?”
    An unfathomable expression flickered across Ephraim’s face. He didn’t respond with words, but an irresistible smile appeared where his frown had been. He leaned closer, enveloping Sophie in his delicious, masculine smell.
    “You promise?” He whispered, his gorgeous spring green eyes searing her.
    Sophie let her eyes drift closed, leaning in and pressing her lips to his. One of her hands landed on Ephraim’s chest, the other cupped his neck tenderly, her fingers tugging at the silky strands of his chin-length hair and drawing him closer.
    The soft growl that rumbled from his throat excited her. She surged forward, wanting to be closer, wanting to feel the press of his hard chest against her breasts, the heat of his thighs against hers. She moved to climb on his lap, thinking to straddle him, but Ephraim surprised her by scooping her up and carrying her across the room to his bed.
    He sprawled on the bed, gently trapping Sophie under his big body. Already she could feel the thick length of his cock through both their jeans, ready and waiting for her. Her hands plucked at his shirt, eager to strip him, feel his bare skin against hers.
    She’d wanted this since the moment she laid eyes on Ephraim, wanted it more than anything else… thought of him, fantasized about this more than she’d thought of her current plans for revenge. It was an escape, no doubt, but with Ephraim she’d found something deeper than expected.
    He captured both her hands and brought them up above her head, nipping at her lips as he carefully stripped off her thin white silk blouse. Then he freed her hands and tugged off her dark jeans, leaving her in nothing but a black lace bra and panties.
    “Ephraim…” she said as he dropped teasing kisses on her ribs, her inner thighs.
    “Let me take care of you, Sophie,” he murmured against her skin. Cool air caressed her breasts as he slid her bra off, cupping and kissing each breast with infinite patience, tenderness, and hunger.
    Each flick of his tongue, each warm press of his lips, each time his stubbled chin brushed her sensitive skin, she burned a little higher. Heat rippled outward from her chest, pooling low in her body and raising gooseflesh all over her skin.
    “Ephraim,” she said again, this time more urgently.
    His lips curled into a smile as he kissed her navel, moving lower and yanking her panties down