Chapter Thirteen #2
“Then we need to stop.” She couldn’t make herself pull away, wanted him too badly.
“There’s not enough time to do everything I want, but...”
When he didn’t continue, she tugged on his hair and wasn’t gentle about it.
“Don’t make me hurt you. I’m a desperate woman.
” Her body was alive in a way it had never been, demanding attention.
In the blink of an eye, she was flat on her back with him looming over her.
That was something else a human male couldn’t do—move with werewolf speed.
“Let me touch you.”
If she allowed this, it would change something fundamental between them, but she gave the only answer she could. “Yes.”
****
He was out of his mind for even contemplating what he was about to do.
It had been one hell of an emotional day for Kinley.
She’d done her best to hide her tears, but he’d seen them, smelled her sadness.
While the last thing he wanted was for her to have regrets, he understood her need for a diversion. And he was it.
Independence and strength had been bred into his bones, along with love and loyalty for family. This driving need to touch, to comfort, to physically claim this particular woman went beyond rational thought. He needed her in a way he couldn’t articulate. Or maybe wouldn’t was a better word.
There wasn’t much he wasn’t willing to do for her. That someone had that kind of power over him should have infuriated him. Instead, it felt ... right.
He wouldn’t make love to her until he was certain it was what she truly wanted and wasn’t simply a reaction to her situation.
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t touch her. He was far from being a saint, was after all a Sin.
The cravings roaring through him demanded to be satisfied.
There were things he could do that would give them both a reprieve from the never-ending need pounding in his veins.
His dick was rock hard, the jeans he wore constricting. He didn’t dare take them off. His intentions were good, but it wouldn’t take much to shove him over the edge.
The slight trembling in his fingers shocked him.
Icy control was as innate as his black eyes, but around her it dissolved like frost in the morning sun.
His breath caught in his throat as he lifted the shirt she wore, exposing the outline of her ribs.
She was far too slender, a reminder of the hardship she’d been forced to endure.
While she wasn’t in danger of falling ill, thanks to her genetics, she wasn’t as healthy as she should be.
Her stomach was smooth and unblemished. He dragged his tongue over it, tasting the faint saltiness of her skin. The sweet and spicy scent of her arousal seeped into his awareness, making his head spin. Whatever her concerns might be, she truly wanted him.
“Eli.” At her breathy sigh, his cock jerked.
If he wasn’t careful, he was going to come in his pants.
Kinley possessed a natural sensuality that was both intoxicating and enticing.
That she was single astonished him. Mine.
He ignored the whispered certainty in the back of his brain, refusing to even entertain the idea.
Not until Kinley had a real choice. And that wouldn’t happen until she was free from all threats.
As much as he wanted to take his time, he hadn’t been kidding about one of his brothers pounding on the door. Every second was precious. He shoved the shirt up enough to expose her breasts, firm mounds tipped with rosy nipples that beckoned.
Groaning, he dragged his tongue over one taut bud.
The slight catch of her breath, the way she arched upward seeking more of his touch, heated his blood.
Attuned to her slightest reaction, he captured the nipple and sucked.
Her fingernails dug into his bare shoulders. His name slipped from her lips.
An unquenchable fire built inside him. He wanted her naked, wanted hours—no, days—to explore every inch of her. Maybe then the fever in his blood would abate. Maybe. He wasn’t sure it ever would now that it had been ignited.
Her hands slid down his slick back and cupped his ass through his jeans. The press of her breasts against his chest made his balls clench. The silent clock in his head sent a warning. He needed to do this now or lose the opportunity.
Burning for more, he tugged her jeans down and off, leaving her bare. He’d seen her naked when she’d shifted, but it had been a mere heartbeat. This was far different. Then she’d been running from him. Now she was purposely allowing herself to be vulnerable.
The magnitude of her gift humbled him. Determined not to screw it up, he settled between her bare thighs. She might be slender but she was a wolf, all lean muscle and strength. The tantalizing scent of her arousal made his mouth water.
She was panting, her chest rising and falling with each hurried breath. Her eyes were narrowed and slightly glazed. Her lips were swollen. Her nipples damp from where he’d sucked them.
Primal instincts roared to life. There was no finesse, no easing her into things.
He dove between her thighs sucking and licking, drinking in the essence of her.
More potent than the moonshine his daddy used to brew, it made his head spin.
He couldn’t get enough. As though from a distance, he heard her whimpers and groans, felt the sharp sting on his scalp as she tugged his hair, the squeeze of her thighs against the sides of his head.
He slid a finger inside her, almost coming when he encountered wet, welcoming heat. Her inner muscles clamped down hard. The idea of what it would be like if it was his cock rocked him to his core.
He shook his head. This was about her, not him.
It was what she needed, what he needed to give her.
Her cries grew louder. Her heels thumped against his back.
She was holding back, something inside her not allowing her to let go.
“Come for me. Trust me.” Using the flat of his tongue, he lapped at her clit, caressing the sensitive nub.
With a cry, her entire body convulsed from the pleasure he’d given her.
Satisfaction flooded him. He savored the taste of her.
Her arms and legs fell back to the mattress with a thud, as if she’d lost all control of them.
Eyes closed, she panted. Her heart hammered in her chest, matching the heavy thud of his.
He rested his head on her stomach and wrapped his arms around her, afraid to move.
One wrong twitch and he’d come in his damn pants, something he hadn’t done even in early adolescence.
The slight crinkling of the pillow made him raise his head. Her eyes were now open and she was watching him. She licked her lips. His cock jerked in ready response to the unconsciously sensual act. She cleared her throat. “No one’s ever done that to me before.”
Pure male satisfaction shot through him. “What precisely? An orgasm or going down on you?”
“Both.”
He fought the urge to throw back his head and howl.
He doubted she’d appreciate it. To be the first, the only, was something he’d never anticipated, but he couldn’t deny it pleased him.
But along with that came uncertainty. She’d said she’d been isolated in her pack.
With her daddy being senior enforcer, it wouldn’t have been easy to date, if she’d been inclined.
“Are you...” He trailed off, not sure how to ask.
“Am I what?” Her brows lowered, the contentment fading from her eyes. He wanted to curse himself for starting this.
“Are you a virgin?”
“No.” She jerked the shirt down to cover her and scooted up until her back was against the headboard. “Why would you even ask that?”
Snarly at himself for spoiling the moment, he carefully sat upright and shrugged.
“What was I supposed to think after you admitted you’d never had an orgasm or had a man go down on you before?
If there’d been a male in your pack you were interested in, you’d be mated.
” And he’d have missed watching her come apart at the touch of his mouth and hands.
That would have been a tragedy, at least for him.
She dragged her fingers through her hair and huffed. “This is embarrassing.”
“Sweetheart.” He licked his lips. “After what we just did, talking shouldn’t be embarrassing.”
Burying her face in her hands, she laughed.
“You’re as blunt about this as you are about everything else, aren’t you?
” She raised her head. Her cheeks were flushed red.
“I’d sneak out on occasion and go to a bar at the nearest town.
There were always plenty of men around. I was curious and knew better than to initiate anything with a pack member.
I was already wary of them by the time I hit my late teens. ”
His throat tightened as he suppressed the urge to yell at her for going off alone without protection.
Which was damn hypocritical considering he’d done the same thing.
Maybe gender shouldn’t matter, but his nature was primal and wild.
The idea of her on her own among human males.
.. Best not to think about it or he’d say something stupid that would piss her off.
She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I can tell you want to lecture me.”
He snorted at that. He wanted to yell at her for risking her safety.
“But,” she continued. “You can’t tell me you haven’t done the same. I only did it a couple of times. I figured the first time wasn’t great because it was, well, my first time. I tried a second time to see if it got any better. It didn’t, so I never bothered again.”
If the muscles in his throat got any tighter, they were going to snap. “Most guys you pick up in a bar are only concerned with one thing—getting off.”
“Believe it or not, I figured that out.”
What was done was done. Her past was over, her future was what mattered. It wasn’t easy, but he let it go, and tried to recapture the earlier mood. “So, this time was different.”
The color on her cheeks deepened. “You know it was.”
He brushed his fingers over the curve of her jaw. “That’s because I care.”
She glanced away but nodded. “What about you?”
“I’m fine.” Or he would be once he had a cold shower.
A light tap came on the door, followed by Levi’s raised voice. “Ah, Cyrus says to tell you to hurry up and get your asses down here. Personally, I think you should stay in there as long as you need.”
“Go away, Levi,” he yelled loud enough to be heard through the thick door and soundproofing.
“I’m gone.” Laughter trailed off behind him.
“I’ll shower first.” If he touched her, they’d never make it downstairs.
With enemies threatening the mountain, Eli’s first and only concern should be protecting his home.
Touching Kinley, bringing her pleasure, showing her that she mattered had been too important to defer.
Now that he’d accomplished that, it was back to the job at hand.
He pushed off the bed and pointed to the bags by the bed. “If there’s anything you need and don’t have, feel free to rummage through the closet and dresser.”
Her expression was closed, all her earlier contentment nowhere to be seen.
He wanted to take her in his arms, assuming she’d have him after he’d acted like an idiot by bringing up her sexual history and past lovers.
What had he been thinking? It had come from the right place, but he could have been subtler about it or waited until another time.
Had he done it intentionally to put some distance between them?
Maybe. Protecting himself was a reflex action.
It was usually from physical harm. This was the first time he’d been in emotional danger.
There was so much he wanted to say, but the words caught in his throat, refusing to be spoken. “I won’t be long.” It came out gruffer than intended. She frowned but nodded.
Leaving her sitting alone on the bed, he went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He stepped into the shower and cranked the water on. His erection laughed at the icy spray. Silently cursing, he grabbed the soap.