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  He reached across the table and covered her hands with his. He knew the admission cost her, but he’d never heard anything sweeter. Knowing that she still desired him was half the battle, in his opinion. If she wanted to be with him again, then maybe they had a chance. If she’d been filled with regret over their time together, he didn’t know what he would have done. He supposed, if it was what she’d really wanted, he would have walked away, kept an eye on her from a distance. It would have killed him, but he’d have done it to make her happy. Connor had been right that day. He loved her. Cain didn’t delude himself into thinking she felt the same way, but he hoped love would grow over time.

  “I guess what I’m saying is that I would like to give our relationship a chance. If you still want me as your mate, I would be happy to stand by your side.” She looked up at him.

  “Of course I still want you, Allie. Nothing would make me happier than starting a life with you. I know you need some time to adjust, but I think the best way to do that would be to start off the way we intend to go on.”

  She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “We need to move in together. The sooner the better. Matt emailed me some flyers for a few houses he has listed right now; some that he thought might be good for a family just starting out. They aren’t big, but they look comfortable. If, over the years, we have a large enough family to warrant a bigger house, then we can go house shopping again. But I have to warn you, most tiger families don’t have more than one or two children. It seems most tiger males have a low sperm count.”

  She laughed. “I don’t think you have to worry about that, Cain. You knocked me up the first time we were together, and you weren’t even trying. I have a feeling we can have as many kids as we want.”

  He smiled. “We can discuss family size later.”

  He released her hands and reached into his pocket. After taking a breath, he held the ring up for her inspection. It was a marquis cut chocolate diamond on a platinum band. It had set him back a little bit, but he thought it was worth it. Allie deserved more than your typical diamond engagement ring. He wanted her to have something as unique as she was.

  “Allie, I know we’re already mated, but I want to ask you something. I want to make our relationship as permanent as possible. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

  Her eyes were wide with surprise, and he thought he saw a glimmer of tears for a moment, but she got herself under control quickly. With a shaky hand, she reached across the table and took the ring from him, studying it as if she’d never seen an engagement ring before.

  “It’s beautiful, Cain. I never thought I’d get married. Go through a mating ceremony maybe, but never married.”

  He shifted in his seat. “Is that a no?”

  She shook her head. “It’s not a no, you’ve just surprised me. You really want to marry me?”

  “Of course I do, Allie. I know you don’t feel anything for me, but…” He blew out a breath. “I promised myself I wouldn’t tell you yet. I don’t want to scare you off.”

  “Tell me what?”

  His gaze held hers. “That I love you. I think I have from the first moment I saw you step out of your SUV, at the job site, the day you arrived in town.”

  This time there was no mistaking the tears gathering in her eyes. He reached for her hand, took the ring from her, and slid it onto her ring finger. It looked right, like it belonged there. A tear slipped down her cheek just as the waitress was returning. She seemed to understand what was happening and handed Allie a napkin before setting their drinks down. Allie hastily wiped the tear away and blotted her eyes to dry up the ones that were gathering on her lashes.

  “Congratulations,” the waitress said. “Now, I’m guessing the two of you haven’t had a chance to look at the menu yet.”

  Allie smiled. “I’ll just take the special. Oh! And some coffee, please. If you could bring a carafe I’d appreciate it.”

  The waitress’s eyebrows rose. “Do you even know what it is?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I’m sure it will be fine.”

  “How do you want your eggs?”

  “Over easy.”

  Cain smiled up at the waitress. “I’ll take the same.”

  The waitress scratched their order down on her pad and walked off, leaving them in their own little world again.

  “You know caffeine is bad for you, right?” Cain asked. “When my sister was pregnant, the doctor told her she needed to limit her caffeine intake. He recommended cutting it out all together.”

  Allie rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Cain.”

  When their food arrived, they ate quickly. Just knowing that Allie was really and truly his had Cain hungering for her more than usual. He hoped she felt the same way. She’d admitted she desired him.

  After cleaning their plates, Cain paid the check and left a generous tip before ushering Allie out of the diner. He helped her into the truck before sliding in behind the wheel, sitting in silence a moment, gathering his thoughts. There was a lot to accomplish today but, God, how he wanted her! Maybe he could hold himself in check until they’d looked at the houses. Other than him mentioning the flyers, they hadn’t really discussed the whole house issue. He hoped she was open to it.

  He pulled the flyers out and set them in her lap. “These are the houses I mentioned. There are five, but I wasn’t sure you’d like them all. Flip through them and see if there are any you want to look at. If you don’t like those, I’ll ask Matt to find others. Those are his listings so he said he could cut us a deal on one, as a mating present.”

  Allie turned one page after another, until she reached the end, then she went back through them and pulled out two. A cute yellow house with white trim and doghouse windows on top and a white one with black shutters that had a porch across the front. Both were cute. The yellow had been his favorite of the group. He took them from her and pulled out his phone to call Matt. When Matt answered, Cain told him they’d chosen two to look at and rattled off the addresses. Matt promised to meet them at the white house in ten minutes.

  Cain disconnected the call and headed in that direction. They were closer than Matt was so he took his time, taking in the scenery along the way. The street the house sat on was filled with Bradford Pear trees and several homes had flowering azalea bushes in front. When he stopped in front of the white house, he noted the jasmine climbing up the left side of the porch and the snowball bushes on either side of the steps. It was cute; definitely something he’d like coming home to every night.

  Allie leapt out of the truck before he could stop her. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with her. She was determined to do reckless things. If she didn’t slow down, she was going to give him a heart attack. Yes, plenty of women carried babies all the time and carried on with their typical lives, but this wasn’t your average pregnancy. Since they didn’t know if the baby would be a tiger or a wolf, they needed to err on the side of caution.

  He followed her up the steps and peeked in the windows. A car pulled up in the driveway and Matt climbed out, smiling at them. When he stepped up onto the porch, he jingled the keys.

  “Ready to see the house?” Matt asked.

  Allie smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Cain was happy to see she was really into the whole house hunting thing. It seemed he’d worried for nothing.

  Matt opened the door and ushered them inside. There was a small entryway with the living room off to the right. Cain could see the kitchen at the back of the living room. To the left lay a small hall with three bedrooms and a bathroom. It was the smaller house of the two and Cain wondered what Allie thought of it. It was bigger than the wolf dorms or Allie’s apartment, so they’d be moving up even if they took the smaller home, but he wondered if she would be happy in the long run. When the baby got older, and possibly had a sibling or two, the sound of the kids would be deafening in such a small space.

  Allie wandered through the house, touching the kitchen counters, opening the
cabinets, inspecting the bathroom fixtures. She hadn’t said a word yet and Cain wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. Did she like it so much she was speechless? Or was she mentally calculating what she thought was wrong with it? Matt had assured him that it had passed inspection just the month prior when he’d bought it so, hopefully, they wouldn’t have any repairs or broken appliances too soon after moving in. He had mentioned the roof needed to be replaced in a year or two, but Cain could easily do that himself. Well, if his job allowed him the time. Speaking of… he really needed to drop off that application. He had it in his truck, ready to go.

  “What do you think?” Matt asked.

  Cain looked at his mate. “Allie?”

  “It’s cute.”

  “But?” Cain asked.

  “I think I’d like to see the other one before I decide on anything. Get a feel for both places and see which one feels the most right.”

  Matt smiled. “If neither of these is to your liking, I can pull some other local listings. I just won’t be able to give it to you at a discount because they won’t be my listings. The five I sent Cain are all I have right now that meet his requirements, except for a few rentals. I’m guessing you don’t want to rent right now.”

  Cain shook his head. “I want my mate and baby to have a stable home environment. If we rent, we’ll eventually have to move. I want a place where the baby can grow up, knowing it’s his/her home and will always be home.”

  “Unless you outgrow it.” Matt smiled. “Take it from someone with five kids; you’ll want a bigger place the more children you have. Maybe one with a playroom so they’ll stay out of your hair for a while each day.”

  Cain laughed and Allie gripped his hand. He wondered if she was nervous about the baby, or the thought of having more than one child. If they had more than one, he would be thrilled, but he wouldn’t push her. If she only wanted this one, then he’d be content with that.

  “Follow me over to the other house,” Matt said. “It’s a little bigger than this one.”

  The yellow house was only two subdivisions away so they arrived quickly. There were colorful rose bushes growing along the front of the house and he noted there was a privacy fence, something that had been missing from the white one. When they walked inside, he watched Allie’s face. She looked down at the hardwood floors and smiled before moving through the house.

  The living room was huge, running the length of the house, and lay to their left. The master bedroom and a full bath were to the right. Straight ahead were stairs to the second floor and the kitchen laid beyond that. The eat-in area was a good size and there was a built in desk where Cain could set up a computer and a house phone.

  They climbed the stairs and wandered through the two spacious bedrooms and small bathroom. It had a shower/tub combo, a sink and a toilet. No cabinets, but Cain could also do a little renovating to add a new sink with a cabinet under it. The walls were painted vibrant colors, so he’d definitely have to repaint before they moved in. Allie moved back to the living room and ran her hands over the hand carved fireplace mantle. A smile lit her face.

  “This one. I want this one,” she said.

  “Are you sure? The baby would be upstairs,” Cain pointed out.

  “I’m sure. We could always put a bassinet in the master bedroom until the baby was a little bigger.”

  He smiled and nodded. “All right. Matt, it looks like we’ll take this one.”

  Matt rubbed his hands together and smiled. “Great! Well, as you saw on the flyer, the list price is ninety-thousand. I know it seems like a lot for such a small house, but this neighborhood is in high demand. However, I’ll give it to you for eighty-thousand. Does that sound doable?”

  Cain nodded. “Just get the paperwork together and let me know when and where I need to sign.”

  “I’ll get on that as soon as I get back to the office. I have to meet two more clients today though, so you may not hear from me until late tomorrow.”

  “That’s fine.” Cain held out his hand to shake Matt’s. “Thanks for this, we really appreciate it.”

  When they were back in the truck, Cain started the engine then turned to Allie. “Is there anything you want to do while we’re out?”

  She shook her head.

  “Good. Because I’m ready to celebrate.”

  “Celebrate?”

  He grinned. “I have a mate, who is also my fiancée, a baby on the way, and now a new house. You don’t think that requires a little celebrating? Maybe of an intimate nature?”

  “Oh. Oh!” She smiled as she caught his meaning. “By all means, let’s go celebrate.”

  Cain smiled the whole way back to her apartment.

  Chapter Nine

  They had barely cleared the apartment door before Cain started removing his clothes. With a heated look, he told her to strip. She looked a little nervous, but excited. As she removed her clothes, she backed toward the bedroom. Cain followed and, once she was bare, toppled her to the bed. He claimed her mouth, kissing her deeply, as he fisted her hair in one hand. He felt her nipples pebble against his chest and couldn’t resist tasting them, lavishing attention on first one then the other.

  “Cain, I don’t think I can handle slow right now. I want to feel your cock filling me.”

  He chuckled and kissed her belly. “Patience.”

  Shouldering her legs apart, he parted the lips of her pussy. God but she was pretty, all pink and swollen with her need for him. She was dripping she was so turned on, and he couldn’t resist a taste. His tongue stroked the slick flesh, gathering her essence. As he stroked her clit, he let out a purr, making her gasp and lift her hips for more. He’d figured she’d like that. Sucking the bud into his mouth, he palmed her ass, pulling her tight against his lips.

  Allie moaned and gripped the covers, her body trembled. She was so damn responsive it made his cock hard as a steel post. He lashed her clit with his tongue and she came, crying out so loudly he wondered just how many neighbors heard her. He couldn’t help smiling in satisfaction, knowing he’d been the one to bring her such pleasure.

  Crawling up her body, he settled over her, his hips resting against hers. He gave her a nip on the neck before slowly sinking into her wet heat. She felt like silk, clasping his cock tightly in the haven of her body. Joining with Allie was unlike anything he’d ever known. He hoped the joy he felt when he was with her would never diminish. Taking up a slow but steady pace, he angled his hips so that he rubbed against her G-spot with every stroke.

  Allie’s hips rose to meet his every thrust, taking him deeper within her. Her hands gripped his forearms as her legs hooked around his thighs, giving her better leverage. Their bodies were slick with sweat as passion consumed them. Cain felt like liquid fire was pulsing through his veins and settling in his balls. He moved faster, wanting to watch her come apart beneath him. It would be the first time he got to see the passion flare in her eyes right before she climaxed and he wanted to cherish the moment.

  Driving into her with enough force to make the bed move, he felt his orgasm building and knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. He reached between their bodies and stroked her clit, the little bud begging for attention. As he circled the bud, he tunneled in and out of her harder and faster, until her body tensed and she squeezed his cock. Her body jerked as she came, her nails bit into his arms and her legs tightened against his. Allowing himself to let go, he leaned forward and sank his teeth into her other shoulder as he came, his hips bucking twice more before settling against hers.

  Cain removed his teeth from her skin and licked the wound. He had a feeling she would be pissed about being marked twice, in two different places. He hadn’t been able to help himself. The tiger inside had demanded they mark their mate again. The beast, just like the man, wanted her to belong to them in every way possible. Cain didn’t want there to be any doubt that Allie was his mate, his other half. And if she called him an overbearing ass, he’d accept the title graciously. After all, he was one.r />
  “That was intense.” Allie panted.

  “The next time we’re together, I want it to be our wedding night. I may go insane waiting that long to have you again, but I want that night to be special.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair. “You know, I was thinking. It’s going to be expensive getting a wedding venue, a dress, flowers and all that crap. What if I just bought a nice dress and we eloped?”

  “Eloped?”

  “Yeah, you know, have a Vegas wedding. You have to admit it would be exciting, and something no one in the pack has done yet.”

  “You don’t want the pack present when we say our vows?”

  “I suppose it would be nice, but it isn’t necessary. As long as there’s someone to snap a picture or two of us, I’d be content. Besides, you may be starting a new job soon. You won’t be able to take off for a honeymoon and, if we go to Vegas, we can kill two birds with one stone.”

  “You’re serious about this?” He narrowed his eyes, assessing her.

  “Dead serious. I knew someone who got married there before. She said that she filled out a pre-application for a marriage license online, and then was moved through an express lane in Vegas to get her marriage license. You can use it the same day. The hotel might cost a bit, and the flight, but I think in the long run we’d save ourselves some money, and a lot of headaches. I’ve only been around a few brides; they always seem so frazzled and have a never-ending list of things to do. I don’t want to be like that. I want to enjoy my wedding.”

  “Vegas, huh?” He grinned. “Well, all right. If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do. Why don’t we rinse off in the shower, get dressed, and sit down to do a little research on Vegas marriage licenses. I know you have to have one to get married, but I don’t know how it works in Vegas.”

  Allie pushed at his shoulders and he rolled off her. She rose on unsteady legs and walked toward the bathroom, pausing to look at him over her shoulder.