Chosen Mate: Lion Shifter Romance (Cybermates Book 5) by Candace Ayers (top 100 books to read txt) 📗

letting me lick the icing from his finger, he smeared it across my lips and then closed the gap between us and cleaned it off with his tongue.

“I’m still waiting for you to let me know when you’re ready, Elin.” He kissed me once more and then backed away. “I have to go check on something, but I’ll pick you up before the party.”

My vagina was screaming at him, “I’m ready, I’m ready. Fuck the party, and the cake. Better yet, fuck me!”

Yet, I said nothing. He grinned like he could hear my lady bits crying out, but would wait until the words reached my mouth.

In my attempt to calm down and cool off, I ended up over baking. I made cookies, lemon bars, cherry tarts, and a huge batch of brownies. When that wasn’t enough, I dug through my fridge and threw together a veggie dip.

I told myself to just end this limbo, let go of the fear that he’d leave me broken and humiliated.

I heard his truck pull up outside when he returned, but was busy slicing, arranging, and packaging the baked goods for the short ride.

Fifteen minutes later, when he still hadn’t come inside, I became alarmed.

I decided to go see what he’d been doing outside for so long, but before I made it to the front door, Dylan walked through it wearing a huge smile.

“There you are. I’m loaded down with food here. I could use a hand.”

His eyes widened when he saw all the baked goods. To his credit, though, instead of commenting on how I’d overdone it, he hugged me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

“We’ll take your car.”

The first thing I saw outside in the driveway was the biggest bright red ribbon with a huge loopy bow that I’d ever seen. It was wrapped around a car.

“Wha…wha…what…?”

“It’s a present for you.”

“Me? Are you kidding me right now? You bought me a car!?”

“Not just any car, a Tesla.”

“My old car was fine.”

“But not the safest. This Tesla carries the highest safety rating and gives off no toxic fumes.”

My shoes crunched along the gravel drive as I walked the length of the car admiring the shiny black exterior from every angle. Should I accept it? I knew Dylan had money, but still, it was a huge gift.

He must have seen the indecision on my face because before I could voice it, he held his hands up silently asking me to hear him out.

“This isn’t me trying to control you or assert my macho dominance. It’s just so I know that you and Nugget are safe. I need that. My lion needs it. Plus…well, I just wanted to give you something. Can you please just say ‘thank you’ and accept it? Please.”

I stared into his eyes for a few beats, then a broad grin spread across my face. “Thank you. I accept.”

Then, I squealed in glee.

Dylan slapped a hand to his chest and breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief that made. He handed me a key card to unlock the door.

“Once you download the app to your phone, you can use that to lock and unlock the door as well as perform other operations.”

“Operations? Wow. It’s like a shuttlecraft.”

I tapped the keycard where he showed me near the driver’s window, and slid behind the wheel. There was no instrument panel—the tachometer, speedometer, odometer, and fuel gauge were all missing. Everything was displayed and controlled with the computer monitor attached to the center of the dash. It was like a space ship.

When Dylan rounded the car and slid into the passenger’s seat, he faked a serious expression. “Captain, we’ve lost communication from Starfleet and are cleared to depart from the Enterprise.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “Fire tachyon bursts at will.”

I couldn’t seem to contain my excitement. “This is next-level cool!”

I turned to inspect the back seating area and had to blink back the moisture that rimmed my eyes when I saw that he’d already installed a car seat for Nugget.

21

Dylan

I grinned with pride as I watched a pink tinge creep up Elin’s cheeks. She stood next to her friends as they all raved about her baking. She’d overdone it, but that wasn’t surprising.

The woman’s head may be a hamster wheel of indecision over me, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Her fears, and that’s what they were, would go away in time and I’d be right here when she was ready to accept me.

I grinned at the way she kept glancing over at me. I hadn’t pushed. I told her I’d let her have the time she needed, and I meant it.

Patton and Jake had come through for me. They’d fixed the kitchen after I’d nearly burned it down, but they’d also made some changes. I’d bend over backwards to make Elin happy and give her everything she needed and wanted.

While she shot glances my way, I just smiled at her, letting her know I saw her. I did. All of her.

There was so much grit and determination in my mate. Even when she was sad, she was strong. She had no intention of ever giving up, even if she had to raise our baby alone. She was nothing like my mother in that respect and I damn sure wasn’t my father.

I’d been a fool. Thank god I’d come to my senses.

She’d never have to raise Nugget alone because I wasn’t going anywhere.

Maybe most lion shifters didn’t have mates, but I did. Once I got over that, it was easy to see that life wasn’t worth living without her beside me. I took after my mom—not my dad.

Patton came up next to me and chuckled. “Still pining away for just one woman. Never thought I’d see the day.”

I growled. “She’s mine.”

He sniffed the air and elbowed me. “I’m not scenting a claiming mark.”

I shook my head. I’d been taking his goading nonstop the past few days. “Fuck off.”

“Show her the house yet?”

“I’m going to murder you,