Page 72 of Heat Lightning

He groaned, eyes matching the storm’s intensity before they flickered and darkened, his pupils overtaking the addictive blue. “Damn right I’m the only one.”

Fully descended into rut, my alpha was in charge now.

He kissed me, violent and greedy. Tilting his head to deepen the kiss, he stole every last bit of my remaining sanity.

Together, we plunged into darkness, and yet he lit me up like a ten-thousand-watt bulb, pouring hot need all over me. I clawed at him, digging my fingers into the folds of his jacket and hoodie to pull him closer.

I wanted more. I wanted everything.

Feeling for the bottom of his mask, I asked, “Can I…?”

In a flash, he pinned my hands above my head. “It stays on,” he said, voice thick. “For your own good.”

I whined, my eyes searching his, but before I could beg again, he adjusted his hold so he clasped both wrists in one hand and gripped my ass with the other, pulling us flush.

I melted into it, not even attempting to fight.

Where else would I want to be besides right here with him, staring danger in the face and yet so, so safe in his arms?

Any restraint he showed before was gone. He dove into the places our skin touched, rough stubble scratching my sensitive skin when he dragged his cheek across mine, mirroring the act on both sides.

Scent marking. He’s scent-marking me.

Like an alpha claiming his conquest, this told anyone nearby exactly who I belonged to. Without a word, he shouted in triumph for the omega he’d caught and pinned—for me.

My breath hitched. If I could purr, I would’ve. Small, gasping noises I’d never heard myself make tumbled from my mouth as his pheromones washed over me, thick with lust and possession.

“You smell so good,” he growled, taking a deep inhale from the crook of my neck before kissing me again. “You smell like you want me. You smell like mine.”

I lost myself.

There was no more Max. That syrupy haze descended, making my limbs feel liquid and heavy. All of my worries, cares, goals, and aspirations floated away, leaving only pure, instinctual need. His lips against mine were the only thing I knew, the only thing that mattered at all, coaxing my mouth open to plunge his tongue inside.

Before, I’d felt out of control. Now, I just felt like I was home. There was no room for fear, or stimulants, or blood, because I was with my alpha. It was just us, and I was safe.

Safe.

Safe.

Safe.

My bedroom was only a few steps away down the hall, but we wouldn’t make it there. We’d both waited for this moment for too long.

“Touch me,” I begged, suddenly aware of how empty I was. I thrust my hips into his, hoping for friction, pressure, anything he was willing to give. My shorts did nothing to conceal my raging hard-on, and even through the material, his cock pressed insistently against my stomach.

“Where?” he asked, panting. “Tell me what you need, sweetheart.”

All of his arrogance was gone, but the no-nonsense confidence remained. He wasn’t teasing. He was assessing me, calculating where his touch would be most potent, most effective—learning my body, instead of treating me like anybody else.

“Everywhere,” I answered helpfully. “My cock. Inside me. I’m empty. Need you everywhere, alpha.”

The sharp want from earlier pulsed, hollow and hungry. Slick soaked through my underwear. If he didn’t do something immediately, I’d go feral.

He cursed again and then released me, hands dragging down my body as he knelt. His touch wandered below my shirt, tickling my sensitive skin.

I took the hint and tore it off over my head, flinging it away. Already touch-sensitive from my heat, every caress and puff of warm breath was even more heightened.

His stubble tickled when he pressed his face against my belly, inhaling deeply. “I’ll make you smell like me. I’ll put my cum in here,” he mumbled, more to himself than me. He kissed and nipped at the skin below my belly button, where I was already tender. “And then you won’t be empty anymore.”