Chapter 4
Maxim
Iwant Emory Manzoni like I’ve never wanted anything in my life.
I’m lying on the couch in her living room, staring up at the ceiling. It’s the softest bed I’ve lain on in a long, long time, believe me. But I’ve barely slept. My animal’s been churning inside me all night long.
It’s chosen her…
And it’s so goddamn wrong.
She’s fifteen years younger than me, and she used to be my… my what? Surrogate niece? Little sister? A kid I used to protect, anyway. And I shouldn’t be thinking about her like this.
But she’s no longer a little kid—she’s a sexy woman with ripe curves. And all I can think about is how much I want to strip her naked, bathe every inch of her body with my tongue, then plunge my cock between her sweet thighs and take her innocence.
The sight of her last night in nothing but a flimsy white tank-top and those tiny pink shorts…
I’m sure she had no idea they were semi-transparent, and when she flicked her lamp on, I could see the dark shape of her pebbled nipples and the outline of her little pussy.
I just about blew my load. It was all I could do to control my beast.
I’m a dirty, dirty wolf, and I’m going to hell.
My animal thinks it’s found its mate at last. But she can’t be mine. She’s too young. And, despite the family she was born into, too innocent for a man like me.
I’m not going to notice how luscious her tits and ass are.
I’m not going to imagine how my cock would feel sliding between those sweet cherry lips of hers.
I’m going to protect her, that’s all.
And I’ve already screwed up. I should’ve gotten her the hell out of here last night.
Bodyguarding her is not a good idea, at all.
But when she explained how important it was for her to stay in Perdue, she twisted a knife in my gut.
She’s finally found her people here, a shred of happiness.
God knows she’s had little enough happiness in her life.
Sure, I can keep her safe on the streets. Eighteen years of doing this job, and I’m the best in my profession.
But what if someone takes me out? What if the prison service catches up with me and hauls me back to jail? All the shit that went down yesterday was less than a half hour from here. It won’t take a genius to follow the trail back to Perdue.
I snort out a laugh. Twenty-four hours ago, nothing would’ve gotten me out of prison. It was where I wanted to be. Helping my brother was the only thing that mattered. But now…
The bonds of brotherhood are unbreakable. But so is the mate bond. And she’s so vulnerable. She needs my protection.
I mean what I said—I’m never leaving her alone again.
A memory drifts up from the depths:
Once she asked if I would marry her when she grew up. What a funny little thing she was. So earnest.
One day, you’ll find someone your own age, I told her, trying to keep a straight face. I couldn’t have known that when she reached adulthood, my animal would choose her.
Now the answer is yes.
I’d marry her in a heartbeat.
Put a ring on her finger.
Right after I’d given her my claiming mark.
There’s a muffled creak. I jerk upright. Her bedroom door is opening. My wolf’s ears prick up. Every part of me stands to attention. And I mean every part. I hunch forward so she won’t notice my monster erection as she emerges.
Her auburn bob is all mussed, and she’s wearing a bathrobe, and her feet are bare. Does that mean she’s naked underneath it? My beast’s nostrils snuffle, desperate to pick up her scent.
Her gaze shoots over to me, checking whether I’m awake. It’s adorable. She’s all shy now, like we are strangers again.
“Good morning,” I say, keeping my voice low so I don’t scare her.
“Hi.” She waves self-consciously. “I’m just going to take a shower.”
“Sure thing.” I stretch casually, trying not to stare as she pads off.
When the bathroom door shuts, I get up—although every nerve in my body wants me to bust in the bathroom and join her in the shower.
Instead, I go through to the kitchen. It’s a nice little room.
There’s a slatted blind at the window—that’s smart.
Good for providing privacy. I ease the slats apart with two fingers and peer through.
There’s a building directly opposite that looks kind of abandoned.
Not good. If I was going to watch Emory, that’s exactly where I’d hang out.
I locate the coffee maker, fill it up and flick it on.
A few minutes later, the smell of good coffee fills my nostrils.
I sure missed real coffee while I was in jail.
Along with food that I’d hunted myself, and freedom to run.
Being locked in like this has been hell for my animal.
It’s been starting to go a little stir crazy.
I even volunteered for the chain gang, knowing that being outdoors would give it a little respite, no matter that I was chained at wrist and ankle.
And thank the heavens that I made that decision.
If I hadn’t, I would never have come across Emory again.
I go to the fridge and see what’s in there.
I want to make her breakfast, but to be honest, cooking is not my forte.
I try to remember what she liked eating as a little kid.
I shake my head. That was dumb. It was probably chicken nuggets and fries.
As if she’d enjoy eating the same things now. She’s a grown woman.
There’s a click as the bathroom door opens again. A jolt of electricity goes through me, but I force myself not to turn around. She doesn’t want to feel like I’m watching her. I hear her pad into the bedroom. I pour out two mugs of coffee and when I’m done, she’s back again.
She’s wearing a tight black V-neck shirt and tight black jeans, and she’s breathtaking. Her hair is wet and tousled, like she just towel-dried it, and her eyes are huge and sparkling blue, full of the morning sunlight.
My breath catches in my throat because now they remind me of those eyes that I knew from before.
She flashes me another self-conscious smile, which connects directly with my cock. I turn my head sharply, break the eye contact. Gotta keep my beast under control.
“I just dug some things out for you,” she says. Belatedly, I notice she’s carrying a phone and a bundle of clothes. “This is my spare phone. The WIFI’s already connected and we can get you a SIM on the way to work.”
“I sure appreciate that.” My girl’s so smart and resourceful, I think as I unravel the clothes. There’s a gray T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Both man-sized. My beast gives a bellow of jealous rage.
“You have a boyfriend?” I burst out. I’m already imagining tearing him to pieces.
She blinks. “N-no. I’m single.”
My beast withdraws an inch. An ex-boyfriend then? I survey the clothes. They’re massive—shifter-sized. She’s been dating some beastly asshole who’s not capable of protecting her? I’ll rip his head off. Make him wish he’d never been born.
“They were lying in the closet when I moved in here,” she continues. “Think they belong to some guy who was mated to a girl who used to live here.”
Ohh. Someone else’s boyfriend. I can stop being a jealous lunatic. I shove my animal back down.
“There’s never been anyone else,” she says, so quietly I almost miss it.
I go still. Did she really just say that?
She’s a virgin, just as I thought. Untouched, since the last time I saw her.
I avoid looking her in the eye, for what she might see in my expression. But when I finally dare to fix my gaze on hers, her lower lip is trembling, but she looks… eager. Like she really wanted me to know?
Need pours through me like liquid fire.
Damn. I need to get out of here, before I try to seduce her.
“Thanks for the clothes.” I lift my hands in a clumsy gesture. “I’ll just go shower.”
She closes her eyes, like she’s relieved. “Bathroom’s just there.”
I close myself into the bathroom and lean against the door. Shit. The atmosphere in there was electric. I could barely hide my feelings from her, or keep my beast under control.
I strip off my dirty T-shirt and prison jumpsuit and jump right into the shower. The shower gel is a pink, feminine scented thing, but I squirt it into my hand and rub it over my body eagerly. I love that I’m using the shower gel she just used to cleanse her own body with.
Did she use a sponge or her hand? I wonder as I lather up my torso, then move down to my cock. Does she use her hand to wash her little pussy, her small fingers sliding between the slippery folds? Does it turn her on to touch herself like that?
Shit, my hand is pumping up and down my cock as I imagine her in here, naked, caressing her own breasts, her little pussy. I imagine she’s with me now. How I’d lift her up, wrap her legs around my waist and plunge my huge, slippery cock into her tiny virgin hole.
She’s mine. Every bit of me knows it.
My hand pumps faster and faster, up and down my swollen shaft.
In my fantasy, I’m buried deep inside her pussy, my rough hands squeezing her lovely tits while her head is thrown back in ecstasy, crying out my name.
One more pump, and I explode, shooting a rope of cum against the side of the shower cubicle.
Cum that should be flooding her womb, while she comes all over my dick.
I take the showerhead and rinse down the cubicle, watching as my seed circles around the plughole and is lost to the drains.
Can’t happen, Banks, I tell myself. This thing between you and her is only gonna exist in your fantasies. In real life you’re going to protect her. That’s all.
But if she ever begs me to take her, I’ll be straight in there. Spreading her sweet thighs and stretching out her pussy.