The Designated Mate novel Chapter 32

I took shallow breaths while trying to calm my racing heart - which I knew he could probably hear due to how hard it was beating. His hand that was still around my waist nudged my button-down shirt up just enough for him to slip his hand under and stroke my bare tummy at the same time he intertwined our legs. After a few minutes, my body finally relaxed and I was able to fully appreciate the comfort and odd amount of warmth that his body was providing me.

Seconds later, I was out like a light.

**

I awoke in the middle of the night, sweating bullets all over my body. I tried to push Knox's arms and legs away carefully as to not wake him, but he wasn't budging at all. I grew frustrated as I continued to overheat, feeling smothered from the combination of the winter pajamas, the covers, and Knox's body.

I whined like a child as I tried once again to remove his limbs from me, only to fail. The noise must've woke him up as well because seconds later his head raised from the crook of my neck and he peered down at me in confusion.

"What're you doing, Flower?" He asked, his voice deep and husky from sleep.

"I'm...it's really hot and I'm sweating," I admitted honestly. His deep chuckled reverberated through my body, causing every fiber of my being to hum with acknowledgment of him.

"I knew you would be hot in these," he stated, pulling at my flannel top.

"And you still let me go to bed in them?" I growled back childishly as he untangled his legs from my own and let me hoist myself from the bed.

Not thinking in my half-asleep state, I ripped the pajama top open and threw it across the room - completely forgetting that I never wear a bra of any sort to bed. I was quickly reminded of this when Knox growled deeply and sat up behind me, his hand reaching out to snake around my waist and ghost up my bare torso before stopping just below my chest. I held my breath as his thumb caressed the underside of one of my breasts, causing my body to light up with need.

"Everything about you turns me into a man with no self-control," He rasped out against the shell of my ear. I could hear the heavy strain in his voice, causing a wetness to form between my thighs. His hand moved around to my lower back, but I immediately jerked away from his touch. Grabbing the first thing I saw on the floor - which was the shirt he'd been wearing earlier - I pulled it on over my body before wrapping my arms around myself.

The scars from my whipping that littered my back were something I'd been self-conscious of ever since they'd healed into ugly, thick pink lines. Feeling them was one thing, but I was thankful the darkness shielded them from his eyes. I wasn't sure how he'd react if he saw them. Most likely he'd demand an explanation. With how happy I was to start over again and begin a new future, I didn't want to bring my past up and relive those awful memories.

I was playing with fire and oh how good it felt to burn.

Poppy's POV

I gasped as Knox flipped me onto my back in seconds, pushing my legs apart before situating himself between them. My knee-jerk reaction was to try and shut my legs, but he saw right through and kept them open.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little curious as to where this could possibly go, regardless of what I'd told him just a mere minutes before.

It was more than obvious to me that Knox's human side had vanished - his wolf side had completely taken control and was now eyeing me up and down as if I were a baby deer he wanted to eat up.