Chapter 11
An Enjoyable Month
When they returned to the apartment, Willow felt carefree and light. She giggled and kept bumping Nolan or playfully hitting his arm. A part of her was aware that she was flirting, but she was having so much fun that she didn’t want to stop. The fact that Nolan seemed just as happy was surreal, and she didn’t want it to end.
They laughed when they entered the apartment, and Willow placed a hand on his bicep as she tried to remove her shoes. He put a hand on her elbow and helped make sure she didn’t lose her balance.
“Well, you two seemed to have cleared the air. Good for you.”
Willow looked up as she pulled the other shoe off. Levi was stretched out on the couch, his muscular body looking relaxed.
Ahhhh.
It was like a lightbulb had gone off over her head. His lackadaisical attitude, graceful movements, and apparent ease when most people would be uncomfortable.
Yeah, I can see cat shifters .
Willow smiled.
Nolan leaned down and whispered, “What’s up?”
“He doesn’t hide it very well, does he?”
“I could hear you from the elevator. Do you think I can’t hear you now?” Levi raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t look upset.
“How’s your lady?” Willow asked, not bothering to answer his question.
His shoulders sagged, and a heavy sigh escaped him. “I’m condemned back to the void.”
“She’s not done yet?” Willow asked, trying to be empathetic.
“No. And it sounds like she won’t be done for another month.” His head flopped back on the couch, and he placed his hand on his forehead. “I feel as if I’m going to be no priority for the rest of my life.”
Nolan rolled his eyes, “Get a grip, Edevane. You’re not an actor, so don’t try to be.”
He frowned at Nolan; Willow gave him a slight push. “Be nice.” She walked over and sat down next to Levi. “You must be really in love to …” She stopped, then looked at Nolan. Then she looked back at Levi, who was watching her with a concerned expression. “Levi Edevane? You’re Levi Edevane?”
The shifter looked over at Nolan with a knowing smirk. “Yes, I am.”
“Oh, wow, that’s – I – This is so surreal! Did you really go into space? What was it like? What are you doing so far from home? Is this why you just disappeared?”
He laughed. “I will answer the first question. Yes, I did. And for the second, it was pretty disastrous. The only reason I’m still alive is because Sybil didn’t want to live with my death on her conscience.”
“I would imagine she wouldn’t want to cause the love of her life to die.”
This got a hearty laugh from both men, and Levi said, “Oh, she hated me then. I wasn’t trained, and the launch was really important, so she tried hard not to help me. She was quite displeased with me being sent up, and she quit to try to force them to listen to her.”
“Really?”
A wistful smile on his face. “Yeah, it was definitely something winning her over.”
“Really?” Internally, she cringed because Willow knew she was coming off as a fangirl. Wanting to act more normal, she asked, “How did you manage it?”
Nolan smirked as he sat at the dining room table. “Yeah, Levi, how did you manage it?”
“Oh, it was easy; I nearly died. She became putty in my hands after that. Or maybe because some of the other shifter families tried to take over, and she had to rely on me. That could have helped her see just how magnificent I am.”
Willow looked at him like he was insane. Ready to change the subject, Nolan asked, “Where’s Elliott?”
Levi held up his hands. “I’ve no idea. That guy does his own thing in his own time. Good on him for that. It sounds exhausting to me, though.” Levi dropped his head to the side and looked up at Willow from under his eyelashes. “Did he tell you the plan?”
“A bit.” Willow licked her lips, not wanting to say that she was worried about the success of their plan.
“You are very nervous about it. That's understandable. Neither Elliott nor Nolan is likely to think of others when making their plans.”
Nolan snorted, then folded his arms over his chest. “And you are a paragon of consideration.”
“Sybil doesn’t complain.”
“That’s because she’s an alpha. She doesn’t wait for anyone to make a plan.”
“An … alpha? What does that mean?” Willow looked at the two men.
Levi’s expression softened, and a smile spread across his face. “My lovely lady is a wolf shifter. She was the alpha of her pack. Not now, though. She hasn’t been for a while.”
“But she still does a lot for her pack.”
“Not everyone has a happy family like yours and the Sextons.”
Nolan opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it.
Levi pushed up off the couch. “Well, you’ve got a few weeks before you can go through with the plan since the facility is starting to panic.” He walked toward Willow and leaned over so his nose was just a few inches from hers. “I would love to hear exactly how you were able to penetrate the center of the facility because your boy there,” he pointed toward Nolan, “won’t tell us anything of the escape.”
Up close, she could see that his pupils were more feline, less human, and gold was mixed in them. Being so close also made her uncomfortable – not because he was in her personal space. It felt more like a cat playing with a mouse.
Then he stood up and smiled as if nothing had just happened. “Well, I had best get going.”
Willow blinked as she tried to determine whether she should feel relieved or offended by what had just happened. However, Nolan didn’t seem bothered when he said, “I thought you said you were on hold for a month. Where exactly do you need to be going?”
Levi gave him a wry look. “I know when I’m not wanted. Besides, I do have my own family to contend with.”
“Felix?” Nolan asked.
“You would think it was him, but no. Not this time. Jace has assumed a bigger role, and some other families are having hissy fits.”
“Wait, are you heading back to Florida?”
Levi sighed melodramatically again. “Unfortunately. Hopefully, it won’t have as much fallout as last time. They need me since Felix is all for him taking over about half of the company and business.”
Nolan shook his head. “I just do not understand how your East Coast families function.”
“On our terms,” Levi smirked at him.
“Will you be back before the plan starts? Because if not, we’ll need someone else for your role.”
“I’ll have to wing it. But I’ve let Sybil know what’s going on, so if you need help, you can pull her in. Unless you want another Sexton brother in on this fun.”
Without hesitation, Nolan said, “I’ll take Sybil.”
“Good call,” Levi said, then gave Willow a sweeping bow. I have very much enjoyed meeting you. I wish you the best of luck should I not return in time.”
She smiled at him; still a little shaken from his earlier actions. “It was nice meeting you. Have a safe trip back.”
“My way of traveling is always safe, at least for me. Adieu.” Seconds later, he was gone.
Willow looked at Nolan. “Do I want to know what his method of travel is?”
“It’s best not to ask because it’s nearly impossible to explain.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s not normal, even for a cat shifter. Anyway, come on.”
“Where are we going now?”
“Well, since we are left just the two of us, I think it’s time I made good on my promise to get you new clothing. It’s the least I could do considering.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know, but I want to. Besides, I have a few propositions about the next couple of weeks.”
“What kinds of propositions?”
“Come with me, and we can talk about it.”
They spent the next few hours out shopping and had more fun than she had had in a long time. When they returned, Nolan insisted on sleeping on her couch, saying he was concerned that they might return. As guilty as she felt about it, Willow was happy he was sticking around to ensure she was safe.
Over the next few weeks, no other obscenely handsome and intimidating men appeared, so the pair had a lot of time to discuss the plan and go over many contingencies. If Willow thought that it would make her nervous as the time drew near, she was pleasantly surprised to feel that everything would be all right.
So, she was surprised when Nolan sat her on her couch the evening before and asked, “Please be honest with me. Do you want to go through with this?”
“Of course. I trust you, Nolan.”
He became visibly uncomfortable. “Surprisingly, that doesn’t make me feel better. I’m worried and don’t want to risk something happening to you. I haven’t heard anything from Elliott, Levi, or Sybil. And I don’t want to be the only person between you and what’s to come.”
Willow smiled and placed a hand on his. “We got out of the facility on our own the last time. I don’t think we need anyone else.”
He turned his hand and squeezed hers. “The only reason you nearly died was because I stopped. That wouldn't have happened if I had just gotten you out of there. You were at risk because of me, because of the bad decisions I made. I’m afraid that the next time, my decisions could end up getting you killed. I don’t want to live with that, knowing that you died because of me.”
“And that’s why I trust you. This isn’t about your pride or your reputation. You are caring about things beyond yourself. Also, I know you always succeed when you put your mind to something.”
Nolan pulled his hand away and ran it through his thick black hair. “For the first time, I’m not sure it’s enough. They are angry about losing you, and … I don’t know just how far they will go to get your back.”
She laughed. “You are mistaken. They wanted you more than me.”
“No,” he shook his head. “I can assure you that you were the primary target. They knew about our history, and they figured that saying you were helping prank me, to teach me a lesson, was very much a calculated effort that they already knew would work well for them. If they thought that you were close to any of your siblings, they would have used them. The only benefit to it being me was that they hoped to get a ransom for me. The point was using someone who would get you engaged.”
She wrinkled her nose with a grin. “You still have quite a high opinion of yourself, huh?”
With a short chuckle, he said, “While I’m glad it was me, despite the implications.” His smile softened, then disappeared, “They are going to be a lot more desperate to get you and keep you this time.”
“I’m sure they will move on to others. That’s why we are moving now, right? To prevent more people with abilities from being taken?”
Nolan frowned. “It’s personal now. They want you specifically.”
Willow laughed, thinking he was being ridiculous. “I’m not important, so…”
“Don’t say that.”
“What?”
“You are important. I never want to hear you say you aren’t important again.”
She leaned forward and laughed, her hand covering her mouth.
“What’s so funny?” He tilted his head and tried to look at her face.
Willow looked at him. “You have changed.”
“I would hope so. I don’t like who I was back then.”
“I didn’t either.” When Willow said that, Nolan lowered his head, putting her hand on his chin, she made him look at her. “But I adore who you are now.”
He looked at her, his eyes searching hers. “You adore me?”
Swallowing, she was about to say something, but he looked so vulnerable. Instead of saying anything, she leaned over and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, he looked at her; then his eyes darted to her lips. Realizing he was feeling the same things she was, Willow leaned toward him again and kissed his lips. They were soft and warm. At first, she was going to give him a simple peck, but once their lips touched, she didn’t want to stop.
Willow turned her body as Nolan slid a hand around her neck. Feeling bold, she opened her mouth and pressed her tongue to his lips. He moaned, then leaned forward, his mouth covering hers as he started to gently stroke her tongue with his own. Willow let out a moan as she began to press her body against his. Her hand moved up a little along his thigh, then gently moved over a bulge.
Her eyes opened, and she pulled away a little. At no point in her life had she ever considered anything like this with Nolan, but now that it had started, she knew she didn’t want it to stop. He was watching her, his chest heaving, clearly waiting for her to decide what happened next.
Willow moved her body and threw a leg over his lap, straddling him and pressing him into the couch as she began to kiss him. Nolan’s hands were on her upper thigh, gently massaging them as she moved against him. His lips moved over her chin and neck, stopping at the nape. Tilting her head back, she began to pull on his shirt. Nolan continued to kiss her as he shifted his body so she could remove his shirt. Once it was on the floor, Willow stopped and looked at him. She placed her hands on his pecs, then she leaned down and ran her tongue around his nipple. The sound he made was animalistic, but Nolan didn’t take control. His hands moved up and down on her thighs as he closed his eyes and let his head rest on her couch. Willow let her hands slide down his abs and over his pants. When her hand brushed over him again, she placed her head on his chest and pushed her hips against him.
Then she unbuttoned his pants.
Finally, Nolan’s hands moved up her back undoing her bra, then removing her shirt and bra at the same time. Willow looked down at him as he brought a hand up to cup one of her breasts. His other hand held her as he brought his mouth down to her other nipple. The way his tongue flicked over her sensitive skin drew a gasp from her, and she arched her back as if inviting him to do more.
He lifted her and placed her on the couch in one swift motion. His arms bulged as he looked down at her. Willow wrapped her legs around him and tilted her hips. With a grin, he quickly removed her pants without unfastening them.
Despite the heat, she couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess I won’t be wearing those pants again.”
“If I have my way, you’ll have a whole new wardrobe. And you’ll only wear them once.”
She started laughing, but he pressed his body against hers and began to suck on her neck. The laugh shifted to a moan. Unable to control herself, Willow squeezed him with her legs, pulling his bulge closer to her. He pulled away for a moment, and she felt disappointment flood her. When she began to open her eyes, Nolan’s mouth covered hers, his tongue delving into her mouth as something began to press between her legs. She pressed her chest against his, and Nolan brought a hand up to cup one of her breasts. His thumb toyed with her nipple, momentarily distracting her from what she wanted.
Then she felt him begin to enter her. Almost as soon as he pressed into her, he pulled out. She thrust her hips up against his, and he rewarded her desire by sliding back into her, just enough to leave her wanting more when he almost immediately pulled out again. He repeated this motion, and she realized he was smiling against her mouth.
Breathless, she tilted her head back. “Are you torturing …”
She didn’t have a chance to finish the question as she felt him thrust into her. Instead of pulling out, he slid in and out, touching her sensitive spot with his head before pushing back into her. With each stroke, she felt him move a little bit further into her, but he wasn’t fully inside her when her first orgasm tore through her. Crying out his name, she was rewarded by him sliding against the spot, applying enough pressure to sustain the sensation for far longer than she thought possible.
Expecting him to finish, she began to pant. Instead of ending it, though, Nolan slid a hand around her back and lifted her hips, holding himself inside her. Then he pushed a little further, creating a friction that brought her to the brink before she had fully relaxed after the last one. The second orgasm was just as intense as the first, and he drew it out for just as long.
When her body finally began to relax a little, he fully thrust into her, his body flush against hers and holding her tightly. Willow kept calling his name as each thrust heightened her pleasure.
“I thoroughly enjoy the sounds you make,” Nolan whispered near her ear, “but I love the sound of my name on your lips when you are pushed over the brink.”
Willow had no words, so she began kissing his neck as he slowed his movements, moving inside of her at a pace that allowed her to come down from the last orgasm but kept her wanting more. Nolan leaned his head back as she began to suck on the nape of his neck as her hands moved over his perfect muscles. The roundness of his butt felt perfect in her hands, so she explored the shape and enjoyed the way he hardened inside her at her touch.
When she reached around and touched between his thighs, Nolan seemed to lose control. Lifting her off the couch, he said, “I need more access. I need to be fully inside you.”
She felt herself falling, and when she stopped, Willow felt Nolan under her, and he was filling her. The sensation was intoxicating, and she began to bound on him, her hand moving around to play with him. When he called out her name, it sent her over again, and Willow began to move faster, sliding up and down him, taking all of him in as she felt her muscles tighten. She could feel him coming, and she squeezed him a little, hoping that it heightened his pleasure, too.
Flopping over onto him, Willow felt a new sense of contentment. “Wow. I don’t have any words, Nolan.”
He kissed her head. “I hope you don’t think we are done.”
She moved to look at him, her chin on his chest, “Are you saying that you want to keep meeting like this after tomorrow?”
He moved too quickly for her to register fully. Before she realized what had happened, everything had been knocked off her table. Nolan’s lapis lazuli eyes looked down at her, “I would love to make this a permanent arrangement, but that’s not what I meant.”
Without warning, he slid her legs on his shoulders, then held her in place as he leaned forward and began to kiss her as he started to slide his head into her. She said something to indicate she approved, but Willow was too lost in the feel of his body on and in hers to care what she was saying.
Eventually, they ended up on her bed, their bodies wet with sweat. Nolan pulled her to him and kissed her temple. “We should probably shower.”
“Just five minutes,” she murmured, nuzzling into his neck. She was aware of him laughing as she quickly drifted off to sleep.