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Her brows furrowed harder and she was silent for a long ave it to me?"

He pushed up to one elbow so they werethe sers drift down to the choker, to the diaainst her throat

"I was afraid that it was too soon That you wouldn’t fully understand I didn’t want to pressure you I was afraid you wouldn’t want it if you knehat it truly meant"

She bit her lip pensively "But Jace, ould you want nificance? It’s not real until I knohat itme wear it had to have been hollow because I didn’t knohat it was I wore"

His lips twisted ruefully "You have h to see it around your neck and for me to knohat it meant But you’re correct It could never nized and accepted its true "

"It’s important to you," she said, not as a question but as a statement of fact

He nodded "It is But perhaps not for the reasons you think It’s not that I’m this asshole who has toit around your neck because I gave it to you and it’s a syift to me"

Her eyes widened "I hadn’t considered it from that perspective"

He s, that you have nothing to give But that’s not true, baby You’ve given ift I’ll ever receive Yourself"

Tears glittered brightly in her fierce blue eyes Then to his surprise, she reached back to unfasten the choker She let it slide from her neck and then held it out to him

Panic took hold and he stared wordlessly back at her Was she rejecting it?

"I didn’t knohat itthe choker out to him "I want you to put it on e both knohat it htened and swelled His hand shook when he took it froht to his knees and then he said, "Get on your knees, baby Kneel for me here on the bed"

She positioned herself in front of hily beautiful with her tousled hair and sleepy eyes Eyes that were full of so he didn’t dare hope for Love

He held the choker so she could see it spread in his hands Then he aze

"Will you wear my collar, Bethany? It’s not only a syift to ift to you I will absolutely cherish and protect you See that your every need is met Your body will be mine, but mine will also be yours I will love and adore you with everything that is me"

"Yes Oh, Jace, yes," she breathed

He slipped the choker once more around her neck It was all the more sweet this tinificance She accepted it and him Could he possibly ask for more than this?

He fastened it and then ran his fingers around to the front, touching the dialed just so Then he leaned down and clai hers in a heated rush that made him dizzy

"I love you, Bethany"

"Jace!"

But he wouldn’t allow her to cry Not in his bed and not while he held her He wanted only her happiness and as long as he had the power to keep those tears at bay, he’d do so

"Make love withthat you belong to me heart and soul"

Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled hi back on theher fir hers

"Never felt like this for a woainst her skin "Never before Never will again"

"Jace," she whispered, a husky catch in her voice "Love me Please"

"I do I will Love you You never have to ask for that, baby It’s yours I’e"

He kissed his way down to her breasts, tonguing one nipple into a rigid peak before turning his attention to the other He licked and then sucked, loving the excited hum that emanated from her Her entire body went taut beneath hiled in his hair, pulling and then holding hiainst her breast

He sroaned "The only thing I love more is when you have your mouth downthere"

Still adorably shy He loved that about her How hesitant she hen it ca him her wants and needs

"Never let it be said I didn’t make every effort to satisfy my woman," he purred as heher sweet pussy to his gaze He traced a finger down the delicate folds, opening her wider so he had access to the swollen, pink flesh It glistened with her ined her taste on his tongue

He licked roughly, swiping the entire pad of his tongue over her entrance and up to her clit He swirled delicately around the velvety nub and then carefully pulled it between his lips with a light sucking ers diving into his hair to hold hi, sliding his tongue inside her, fucking her with liquid strokes

He couldn’t get enough He’d never have enough of her taste, the sensation of her, silky and sweet against his lips He loved how she trehs Never had he iutted over a woman He hadn’t lied when he’d told Bethany that she held ireater power than he’d ever wield over her Because without her, he had nothing

Without her, hisShe didn’t believe herself worthy of hiave him eeter, ithout price or measure

"Jace," she said on a soft moan "Baby, please"

It was the first time she’d ever used an endearment and he liked it He liked it a hell of a lot He’d never considered himself a man anted his woman to call him cutesy names He himself had never used them with another woman But with Bethany, the words came so easily Affectionate terms that slipped fro

"Say it again," he said huskily

She lifted her head, her eyes soft with love and warmth "Say what?"

"You called me baby"

A smile curved her lips and her eyes shone as her sruffly "I did"

"Baby," she whispered

He closed his eyes and licked over her sweet pussy again, enjoying the intense shiver his mouth forced from her