Harley marveled over how he could talk of the tragedy so calmly, hiding what had to be a wealth of pain behind a blank expression. “I knew about it, yeah.”

“In that hotel, I told you I was keeping you. That scared you because you knew how overbearing I’d be. You knew that since I lost the female who would have been my mate, I was going to be hell in a relationship; I’d be controlling and possessive and hold you too tight. The shifter world let you down and you didn’t want to be dragged back in it, so you hightailed it out of there. But you had to know I’d only let you run for so long.”

She frowned, shaking her head. “I didn’t think you really meant it. I thought it was just said in the heat of the moment.” Her cat was just as taken aback by what he was saying.

“The heat of the moment?” he echoed, incredulous.

“Well, yeah.” They had too many things going against them. They lived in different worlds, neither of their families would ever give their blessing, and fate had paired him with a submissive female because that was what he needed. Harley was dominant and proud of it, and she had no intention of squashing that part of herself for anyone. Besides, she wasn’t anything special. She was just . . . little ol’ her.

“Hmm.”

Hmm? What did “hmm” mean?

“You honestly thought I would say something like that if I didn’t mean it?” he rumbled.

“Emotions were running high that night. People say stuff they don’t mean when they’re emotional. Anyway, don’t get pissy with me. If you had really meant what you said, you would have found a way to contact me.”

He moved his face closer to hers. “I would have hunted your sweet ass down three years ago if I thought you were ready for what I wanted from you.” Now she had no choice but to be ready, because he wasn’t going to let her walk out on him a second time.

She swallowed. “What do you want?”

“I want what belongs to me. You.”

Harley had no idea why that dominant, nonnegotiable tone revved her engines, but she didn’t like her body’s response at all. His eyes blazed with pure masculine possession as they roamed over every inch of her face. He looked at her as if he owned her, as if he’d always owned her. It made her stomach clench. It also made her bristle.

“You know,” she began, “I would have thought that someone who’d tragically lost the chance at spending their life with their true mate wouldn’t take that chance from someone else.” She’d meant to offend him, but a slow smile curved his mouth.

“That right there is why you’re perfect for me, Harley. You take no shit.”

“So you admit this is shit?”

“You won’t push me away. You’re mine.” Since she was fourteen, though she may not know it, he’d looked out for her, protected her, watched over her, and aided her—he’d say that gave him as much of a claim to her as a hypothetical mate she may or may not find.

He knew he was taking a chance by laying it all out like this, because there was never any knowing how Harley would react to a situation. She was a passionate creature who had her own codes and a quirky outlook that both confused and fascinated him. But he’d take this chance, because living without her any longer wasn’t acceptable to him. “You know better than anyone that finding your true mate doesn’t always mean hearts and rainbows and a happily ever after.”

Harley couldn’t argue with that. Even her cat could concede that he had a point there. Hell, her parents’ mating was a total joke. Lily was lost and miserable, and Clive was in a damn cell.

Jesse brushed his thumb along the crook of her neck. “I remember leaving a mark right here.” He’d do it again soon. “I remember the taste of you. Remember the feel of your pussy hot and tight around my cock.”

He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and gave it a sharp bite. She jerked away—maybe in surprise, maybe in withdrawal. Either way, Jesse didn’t like it. Instinctively, he dominantly snapped his hand around her throat. Her response was instantaneous; her pupils dilated, her nipples pebbled, and she sucked in a sharp breath. Fuck.

Harley gasped as his mouth took complete possession of hers, greedily feasting and dominating and burning away rational thought. His tongue licked into her mouth, bold and sure and taking everything. Memories slammed into her just as heat surged through her and melted every bit of resistance she had . . . and there hadn’t been much left to begin with.

Wanting more, Harley tried to deepen the kiss. His hand fisted in her hair and held her head in place, letting her know who was in charge right then. Too turned on to bristle, she went lax. He rewarded her by taking her mouth again, this time harder and deeper and hungrier. She could only cling to his shirt to anchor herself.

Then he bit her. Sank his teeth into the crook of her neck. And that snapped her out of her aroused daze. Both her and her cat bucked at the proprietary act. With a growl, Jesse dug his teeth in harder. Only when Harley stopped struggling did he release her. He licked over his mark and pulled back, savage possessiveness stamped all over his features. Her pussy clenched at the sight, throbbing with a vicious ache. “Bastard,” she hissed. “I didn’t say you could mark me.”

“I’m not a guy you can manage, Harley—you know it. Just like you know that neither you nor your cat would want me if you could control me.”

“You’re still a bastard.”