Chapter 26 #3
Reaching back, Merrick pulled his shirt over his head.
I bit my lip as I took in his inked pecs and abs, sculpted by the hardened life he lived.
My eyes traced the tattoos that covered nearly every inch of him.
He leaned over me and began to gently kiss a slow-burning path down my chest and stomach.
I instinctively moved my hands toward his hair, and he growled.
“Arms up.”
I sucked in a breath and obeyed. Yep, I was gone for this man. I finally understood the appeal of the dominant alpha male featured in the romance books stacked in my bedroom.
His mouth traveled down my chest, slow, deliberate, licking and biting a trail toward my stomach. My body arched toward him, craving more.
Then he settled between my thighs and glanced up with a wicked glint.
“As you noted earlier, no one will hear you scream. So scream for me, Wildfire.”
Before I could retort, his mouth was on me, tongue dragging over my clit.
A gasp ripped from me as my hips jerked off the blanket.
“Oh, fuck—” He pressed my thighs down firmly with his hands, mouth devouring me with obscene precision.
He alternated between tormenting licks and sucking pulses that scattered my thoughts.
I couldn’t tell if I was seeing stars because of the night sky or because of the way he ignited pleasure within me.
“Merrick,” I moaned. I clawed the picnic blanket with bound hands as I arched into him.
“Say it louder,” he rasped against me. His tongue flicked mercilessly.
“Fuck—Merrick!”
Sensation charged through me, and I panted as he edged me closer and closer. He was relentless, drawing out every sensation.
When I was teetering, he pulled back just enough to blow cool air across me, smirking at my desperate whine. “So fucking wet for me. You taste like both heaven and sin.”
Overwhelming pleasure consumed me as he slipped two fingers within me and flicked his tongue over me one last time. I cried out as the climax slammed into me, stars exploding behind my eyelids, my body bucking helplessly. The sound tore from my throat and echoed across the quiet lake.
Merrick moved up my body slowly, kissing my stomach and chest before pressing his lips to mine. “Don’t move,” he ordered in a rough voice as he leaned back on his heels and stood before me.
He unbuckled and dropped his pants, boots thudding against the ground. My gaze darted over every inch of him—the tattoos, the scars, his thick cock.
“See something you want, Wildfire?”
“Yes please,” I whispered.
He kneeled, straddling my hips.
“Then be mine.”
“I am yours.” I raised my arms to wrap them around his neck, but he grabbed my wrists with one hand to stop me. Pinning my hands above my head once again, Merrick crushed his lips to mine.
“You know what I mean.” His dark gaze peered into mine.
“Fuck me first and then we’ll talk,” I promised.
His eyes lit up. “You think that’s how it’s going to be? You make demands, and I follow your orders?”
I giggled. “It’s called compromise.”
“Compromise? I’m not sure that’s a concept I understand.”
He slid into me slowly, stretching me almost painfully. “Fuck, Kenna. This is the tightest pussy I’ve ever had. Like you were made for me.”
A sharp gasp ripped out of me. “Give me a second. It’s been a long time, and you’re a fucking beast.”
He chuckled, kissing me softly. “I’ll give you a second. But then you’re going to take every inch of me like the good girl you are.”
He drove deep, swallowing my cry.
I met him, thrust for thrust, as the friction between us caused tension to coil once again in my core.
“Oh-my-fucking-fuck-fuck,” I rambled. My body shook as another orgasm washed over me.
“Wildfire,” he groaned in my ear as I felt his cock swell inside me before he found his release.
He tugged the blanket up around us, pulling me tight against his chest.
He kissed my forehead, his voice soft. “You’re mine now, Wildfire. Even if you’re not ready to wear my patch on your back.”
I hummed in response, not having any words. I traced a finger along his inked, scarred chest before pressing my palm over his heart. The steady rhythm beating below centered me.
“You know, I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for the whole ‘property of’ thing.”
Merrick combed his fingers through my hair. “It’s not about possession. Anyone who fucks with you answers to me. To all of the Mavericks.”
I rolled onto my side, propping my head on my hand so I could meet his gaze. His eyes glinted fierceness and tenderness all at once. “Hasn’t that already been the case? You protected me when we were just friends. What makes this any different?”
He tensed before exhaling. “Because being with me puts a target on your back. The life I live is dangerous. If you’re mine in every way, then you’re safer.
There’s an unspoken rule among clubs that old ladies and kids are off limits.
I’ll be more comfortable bringing you into my world if I know you’re safe. ”
I bit my lip and sighed before nestling into the warmth of his body. “I just don’t want to lose myself in all of this. I want to be with you. But I want to be me, too.”
He kissed the top of my head and tightened around me. “You will be, Wildfire. Always. That patch doesn’t change who you are. It just tells the world you’re mine—and that I’m yours.”
I smiled against his skin, the tension in my chest easing. “Well, when you put it like that …” I trailed off. Was I ready for this? Was I OK with the entire concept?
Merrick pulled away, looking into my eyes. “Is that agreement?”
I shrugged. “You seem to have at least fucked me into agreeableness.”
He chuckled and pulled me closer. “Property of Merrick. Has a nice ring to it.”
I rolled my eyes. “You would think that.”
He brushed a hand on my bare shoulder, noticing the chill on my skin. “Let’s get dressed and go back to my place. As much as I’d love to sleep under the stars with you, my back will hurt for a week if we stay out here.”
I giggled, and he kissed the tip of my nose. “Old man.”
He stood, zipped his jeans, then offered me his hand. “Just wait until you’re my age.”