Chapter 37: Mine. Caroline...

After returning to Redwood High, Caroline and Andrew retired to their bedroom. On the way back, they had stopped for lunch at an upscale restaurant.

"If you’re tired, you should rest," Andrew told her softly as they entered the room.

"No, I’m not sleepy," Caroline replied, shaking her head.

She slipped off her heels, placed them neatly on the shoe rack, and walked into the washroom to freshen up. When she stepped back out, Andrew was standing by the window, engaged in a phone conversation with Miller.

Caroline said nothing. She picked up a small towel and gently dabbed the excess water from her damp skin, her thoughts returning to what had happened earlier.

’Why did I kiss him?’

Her pulse quickened at the thought.

’Are my feelings truly beginning to change already? But how is that even possible?’

She set the towel over the back of an armchair, her heart thudding wildly against her ribs. Before she could gather her thoughts, Andrew abruptly turned around, catching her off guard.

Their eyes met across the room.

"Why did you kiss me earlier?" he asked directly.

The unexpected question made Caroline’s breath hitch. "I—I just wanted to thank you," she stammered, fighting the blush that was already spreading across her cheeks.

"So, is that how you thank everyone? With a kiss?" Andrew asked, a teasing glint appearing in his burgundy eyes.

"No! That’s not what I meant at all," she insisted, keeping her gaze firmly fixed on him. "I didn’t know what to do in that moment, so I ended up doing that."

Andrew set his phone down on the coffee table and slowly rolled up his sleeves as he closed the distance between them.

His gaze stayed fixed on her eyes which he had always found breathtaking before he dipped his head and sucked into the sensitive skin of her neck.

Caroline gasped, her hand clutching the fabric of her dress as her eyes widened in shock. His strong arm slid around her lower back, pulling her flush against him while his lips continued to trail hot kisses along her throat. Warmth flooded her veins, and once again, his soothing pheromones wrapped them around her in a haze.

When Andrew finally pulled back, his burgundy eyes locked onto hers with intense satisfaction. "What you should say is that it feels different with your mate. That a kiss from him makes you feel better... that it makes you forget about all your worries."

"You’re right. I felt all my worries disappear the moment we kissed," Caroline admitted, recalling the warm, fuzzy feeling she had experienced at the time.

Her hand instinctively rose to her neck, gently rubbing the spot where Andrew had sucked her skin earlier. Suddenly, her wolf whispered something in the back of her mind, catching her off guard.

Yet, instead of pushing the thought away, Caroline found herself wanting to experience that feeling again.

"Andrew, if you want, we can kiss again."

She couldn’t meet his gaze for long and looked away, only for Andrew to gently catch her chin and turn her face back toward him.

"I don’t want just one small kiss," he said, his voice lower than before. "I want more. I want to leave my mark on you, to claim every part of you with my mouth. Will you allow me to?"

He pulled her closer, and Caroline felt the growing bulge inside his trousers pressing against hers. The sudden closeness made her breath catch, and she momentarily forgot how to breathe.

"Yes, you turn me on. A simple kiss from you does that to me," he whispered against her mouth.

His lips brushed against hers as his hand slid slowly from beneath her chin up to her neck, his thumb lightly tracing her earlobe.

He flicked his tongue over the seam of her lips, and they parted almost instantly beneath his touch. His other hand dropped to her hip, pulling her firmly against him so not an inch of space remained between them.

Once again their mouths opened, their tongue collided and glided over each other’s. She wanted to breathe and he gave her a second when he suddenly appeared on the bed with her.

It surprised her how fast it happened. She was straddling his lap while his hand held her firmly against him.

His fingers brushed through the long strands of her hair, refusing to let her go even though she was completely out of breath.

Her fists pressed against his chest as he finally pulled back, leaving both of them gasping for air.

She couldn’t believe how settled and happy her wolf felt. The warmth in her chest was new, something she had never felt with her ex-mate. With him it had only ever been one-sided. She had wanted more; he had only wanted her body for his sexual needs.

Andrew hand slid from her back to the hem of her top. He held her gaze and said in a low voice, "Let me do more. You can unbutton my shirt too, if you still want us to keep going."

Caroline blinked, then reached for the buttons of his shirt. Her hands moved slowly. When the fabric opened and she touched his bare chest, her heart hammered hard against her ribs. The heat of his skin under her fingers made the moment real in a way nothing with her ex ever had.

"What are you thinking?" Andrew questioned as if he had read her mind.

"Uh-nothing," Caroline replied hastily. "You’ve worked hard on your body." She chewed her bottom lip for a second.

"Thanks for the compliment," Andrew answered, smirking. The next second, he swiftly pulled off her top from above her head, leaving her shocked and half-naked to his eyes.

Before she knew, his lips found her neck once again.

"Mine. Caroline, you’re mine."

He growled along with his wolf, but even doing so he was gentle to her. He had a control over his own desires that were exploding in waves inside him.

And those words were more than enough to feel his sincerity.