Island Stripe Pride - Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Dean wandered up to the loft where he’d left his exhausted mate sprawled out on the bed with a ridiculously satisfied gleam in her eye.
It was well past midnight, and still he was starving for her. Always would be, he thought with a grin and sent another prayer of thanks to the universe for blessing him with his Violet.
Fated mates were rare and cherished among his kind, now their kind, he corrected himself, and he would never forget how blessed he truly was to have her.
“Shit,” he grunted, almost losing his grip on the plate of dessert he’d promised her earlier that evening.
“Mm, do I smell watermelon and chocolate?”
“You do and some other bits of goodness here and there. Sit up, love,” he gestured to the headboard and Violet gave him a saucy growl before rolling over, to crawl up the enormous bed giving him one hell of a spectacular view, even if she was somewhat hidden by the silky sheet.
He sat down next to her scooching her over with his hip and held the plate just out of reach when she went to snag a bit of chocolate sauce.
“Un uh, you get dessert, but I get to feed it to you,” he said and loved the way she faux pouted at him.
“Okay, but you better gimme some chocolate before I hurt you,” she teased.
Dean took a slice of strawberry and dipped the tip into the bowl of melted dark chocolate, blowing on it before holding the treat to her kiss-swollen lips.
“Mmm,” she moaned and took it in her mouth causing him to have all sorts of naughty thoughts regarding other things he’d love to see slip between her lips.
Next was a thin slice of watermelon that he rubbed with a slice of lemon then coated with ultra-fine sugar before feeding it to her.
“Ohmygawd,” she moaned around the mouthful and once more he found himself hard pressed to ignore the almost torturous level of arousal she evoked.
Next was a cherry he’d pitted himself, covered in melted white chocolate, followed by a peach slice dipped in lemon and sugar, and a plump raspberry delicately dredged through the melted milk chocolate and sprinkled with Himalayan pink salt.
All the while she moaned and licked at his fingertips. Every scrumptious morsel was nothing compared to the act of watching her enjoy each bite.
By the time she patted her tummy, Dean didn’t think he could stand up straight. He placed the near empty dish on the floor, save for the small bowl sugar and a slice of lemon.
“What are you doing with that?” she bit her lip.
“It’s my turn for dessert. I like chocolate, but straight up sugar is more my speed,” he tugged on the sheet until it fell away from her breasts loving the way she arched her back proudly as he gazed lovingly at her spectacular shape.
She was full-figured in all the best places with generous tip-tilted breasts that more than filled his extra-large hands. Dean took the lemon wedge and rubbed it lightly over one plump berry of a nipple then dipped his finger in the bowl and put a dusting of the fine powder-like sugar on one then the other.
Violet’s eyes heated as he leaned down and lavished attention on first one, then the other. The sugar and lemon combination only served to bring out her natural scent and when all was said and done that was what he wanted the most.
“Finally,” she said as he nibbled his way to her mouth, “this has really turned out to be some Christmas,” she smiled and he wanted to beat his chest and holler to the whole world that he was the man who’d done that.
Dean Romero put that look on her face, and he planned to do it often and again, for as long as the two of them walked the planet.
Suddenly it hit him. She was his own Christmas miracle and he just had to tell her. Why wait?
“I love you, Violet,” he whispered eyes wide as the truth of his words wrapped around his heart and soul like a vise, he never wanted to be free of.
“Dean, I-”
“No, you don’t have to say it back. You’ve been through so much today, I can only imagine how you feel.”
“I don’t know if you can. This is all like some fantasy, a dream come true. I mean not the accident, but if that is what it took to meet you then yes, that too,” she sat up and took his face in her hands in earnest, “Maybe I’m a silly romantic, but I’ve always believed in love at first sight. You saved my life, gave me a wonderful gift, and now my Tigress is growling in my head constantly that she knows you’re my mate. So don’t tell me to shush when I tell you that I love you too.”
“You do?” he said, and fuck it, yes, he might have teared up at her confession.
“Yes, I do.”
“Thank fuck,” he pulled her close and hugged her tight to him as they both laughed and whispered those three little words over and over again.
Of course, the sound of something landing on the roof had them both jumping apart and looking up at the skylight, where truth be told, the sight Dean saw left him absolutely speechless.
“Was that?”
“Uh-”
“Is he real?” Violet stage whispered and Dean was too awestruck to answer.
“I mean, I’ve heard rumors, but I have never found any evidence either way.”
Violet bit her lip again and her warm brown eyes glowed with mischief as she tugged on his hand,
“Come on! Let’s see if he left us anything,” she giggled and sped down the stairs wearing nothing but the sheet she’d pulled from the bed.
Dean was still wearing the pajama bottoms he’d donned earlier to make the dessert plate. His Tiger pushed at him to hurry up so as not to leave his mate unattended for any amount of time and that was something he could totally understand.
“Hang on, let me go first,” he said and gently pulled her behind him as they walked to the softly glowing embers of the fireplace in the living room where a very small, very red package waited.
Curiosity got the best of Dean and Violet and together they knelt in front of the small prettily wrapped gift.
“You open it,” he grinned when he saw her expression.
“You sure?”
“Yes, I already got my gift.”
That little statement earned him a kiss, which caused him to think silently that he got two presents now. He liked watching her enthusiasm rise as she tore the paper carefully.
A familiar blue box sat in the palm of her hand, and Violet bit her lip while Dean picked up the tiny card that had fallen out with the paper.
“What’s it say?” she asked wondrously.
“It says ‘don’t be an ass, ask her already’,” he laughed, and took the box from her hand, opening it towards her while assuming the proper position.
On bended knee, heart on his sleeve, Dean looked up at his mate with heat and love in his worshipful gaze, “Violet Martinez, the last twenty-four hours have been the most amazing of my entire life and I want you to know that it is because of you. I’m kneeling before you now asking you to take me, Dean Romero, Neta of the Island Stripe Tiger Pride, as your husband and mate until eternity. I promise to respect, love, honor, cherish, and worship you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”