Chapter Seventeen
Sweat bloomed on Kinley’s body. Heat rolled off her in waves. She’d had sex before, but it paled in comparison. This was something else entirely. Eli’s every word seared her soul. His touch set her on fire with need. It was scary to want someone this badly. It was also exhilarating.
With the rapid thump of her heart ringing in her ears, she held her breath as his mouth touched her core.
A low, broken cry fell from her lips at the intimate caress.
Her thighs began to tremble. His clever tongue explored every crevice and skated over her clit.
The pressure built until she couldn’t bear it any longer and was poised on the brink of orgasm.
He looked up at her, expression feral, eyes as black as midnight, lips glistening with her juices. “Like that, do you?”
“You know you’re the only one—” She broke off and shook her head, unable to finish.
“The only man who’s ever gone down on you.” He traced his index finger over her slick folds. “Their loss is my gain.” His smile was filled with raw masculine satisfaction. He looked every inch the big, bad wolf he was. And for now, at least, he was hers.
She didn’t want to think about tomorrow, or rather today since it was after midnight. Despair and fear hovered at the edge of her awareness. “Make me forget.”
His smile faded, replaced by determination. He closed his lips around her clit and sucked hard.
“Yes!” This was what she wanted—the wildness of sex, the promise of pleasure, the sheer aliveness being with him gave her.
Never could she have imagined Eli on his knees before anyone. It was a position of supplication, or should have been. There was no doubt he was in full control of the situation, and she was the one totally at his mercy.
Even kneeling, he’d loomed over her. His shoulders kept her legs wide open, his hands gripped her thighs, easily holding them apart.
It was strange to have a man touch and taste her in such an intimate manner, yet it felt natural and right with Eli.
The short bristles on his jaw were an erotic caress against her heated skin.
Hips bucking, she sought the oblivion of release, but he backed off again and again, driving her to a fevered pitch, until there was no room for anything in her thoughts but him. “Eli.” His name fell from her lips, a broken plea for more.
As if that was the signal he’d been waiting for, he pressed one thick finger inside her.
Her senses exploded. Her inner muscles clamped down hard as a massive orgasm shook her from head to toe.
Throwing her head back, a howl ripped from her throat.
In that moment, her old life died and another was reborn.
She was no longer the woman she’d been and could never go back.
Loud panting broke through the sensual lethargy flooding her. Hands gripping the mattress, chest heaving, Eli watched her. Dark eyes gleaming, he waited. Kinley opened her arms.
He surged up and over her, shoving them both further onto the bed.
He fitted the head of his cock to her opening and pushed inward, not stopping until he was seated to the hilt.
She was tight, spasms still rolling through her, and he was thick and long, but somehow they fit as though they’d been made for each other.
They both gasped when her sheath tightened around him.
She should have been sated, done for the night after the orgasm she’d had, but molten need bubbled up inside her.
Supporting his weight on his forearms, he kissed her with a passion that stole her breath. Her taste lingered on his lips. The sheer eroticism of the moment sent her senses reeling. Her short nails scored his slick back. His cock jerked inside her, drawing a deep moan.
“Move.” She tried to lift her hips, but his weight held her down. In retaliation, she gripped his perfect ass and squeezed.
His feral growl excited her. She responded in kind, free to be who and what she was.
There was no holding back, not with Eli.
He pulled away, almost leaving her completely before sliding back in.
Then he did it again, the strokes getting shorter and faster until he was hammering into her.
It was impossible to catch the rhythm, so she hung on and enjoyed the wild ride.
She nipped at his throat and licked the salt from his chest.
He lowered his head to her neck and bit, not enough to break the skin but hard enough to leave a temporary mark. It was the exact spot a mating mark went. Fear and desire collided. Another orgasm ripped through her, this one even more intense than the last because they reached it together.
He growled her name and thrust once more, his entire body stiffening before collapsing on top of her. His massive weight pressed down on her. Rather than find it oppressive, she found it comforting, even if it did make breathing difficult. He solved the problem by rolling them both to the side.
Gasping for air, heart pounding, all she could do was stare at the man who’d stolen her heart. His damp hair was plastered against his skull. There was nothing to soften the high forehead, sharp cheekbones, or square jaw. Those fierce features had become as familiar as her reflection.
The base of his shaft was swollen—something that happened during sex with those of their kind.
This was her first time experiencing it, as her previous encounters had been with full humans.
Unlike with them, she hadn’t insisted he use protection.
The risk was minimal as pregnancies were infrequent—nature’s way of controlling the population—and it wasn’t the right time in her cycle.
That Eli’s mama had given birth to seven healthy sons was incredibly rare.
Kinley was glad he couldn’t withdraw just yet, wanting to savor the intimacy a while longer.
For as raw and basic as the sex act was, it was also beautiful and complex on many levels, at least with him.
Eli brushed several strands of hair off her cheek. A slow smile slid across his face. “I think I’m going to need more soundproofing for this room.”
“Oh, God.” She grabbed one of the pillows and slammed it over her face. She’d forgotten all about his brothers. It was entirely his fault for being an incredible lover.
“Too late for that.” After a short tug-of-war, which she lost, he tossed it aside. “You howled.”
That had been a first. “So did you,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, I did.” Rather than embarrassed, he seemed pleased. “If my brothers mention it, I’ll blame you.”
“You will not.” She grabbed the corner of the pillow he’d discarded and smacked it into the side of his head. It made a loud and satisfying thump.
Chuckling, he rolled her onto her back with him over her, his face alight with humor. “You’re right. I won’t. And they won’t say anything about it.” He paused and added, “At least not to you.”
This lighthearted side to Eli was new. It made him appear younger, almost carefree. Not at all like the deadly bounty hunter she knew him to be. “How old are you?” They’d made love but so much about him remained a mystery.
“Worried you’re in bed with an old man? I’m thirty-four. You?”
“Twenty-five.” Not that it mattered. They were both adults.
He withdrew and rolled off the bed. A chill rushed over her, making her shiver. “Come on.” He held out his hand.
It was still dark outside, but dawn was fast approaching. With it came a day of reckoning and bloodshed. It would be smarter just to get some much-needed rest. She took his hand and followed him into the bathroom.
Sticky from head to toe, a shower would be refreshing. She’d certainly sleep better. A glance in the mirror confirmed her hair was a tangled mess. Her lips were slightly swollen, her breasts were tender, the nipples taut. She was the picture of a well-loved woman.
Eli started the shower and stepped beneath the spray.
“Come here.” The command in his voice sent goose bumps racing over her skin.
It also gave her pause. Eli was a hard man, one used to being obeyed.
The vow she’d given lay heavy on her heart.
If she broke it, she’d sever the fragile trust they’d built. If anything happened to Eli...
“Kinley?” He interrupted her grim thoughts.
Responding to the thread of concern she heard, she went to him.
There was no point borrowing trouble. All they had was now.
There was no predicting what the future would bring.
The heat of the water, combined with his nearness, banished the chill of fear.
She closed her eyes and let the droplets cascade over her, washing away all doubt and worry.
Slick hands slipped over her waist and around to cup her breasts.
The bronze of his skin contrasted against the paler shade of hers.
It was a startling contrast, a reminder of their innate differences.
She was stronger than human females, human men too, but she was no match for Eli.
He was a werewolf in his prime. Beyond his natural strength, he possessed training she couldn’t begin to comprehend.
Soap-covered, those large hands skated over her skin, washing away all sweat and signs of their lovemaking.
Wanting to return the favor, she rubbed the bar of soap between her hands forming a thick lather.
The muscles of his abs rippled as she made her way upward.
She swirled her fingers through the light covering of chest hair on his pecs before following the thin line down to his belly button.
The head of his cock bumped her hand as she continued downward.
Unable to resist, she closed her hand around his shaft at the base and slowly slid upward.
Eli planted both hands against the sides of the shower and sucked in a deep breath. She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, enjoying the sense of feminine power flooding her.
“Don’t start something if you’re not willing to finish.”