Chapter 23
Graham
Meera’s body jerked beneath me, every muscle coiled tight, her skin humming with the same animalistic need that crackled through my veins. The oil made her skin gleam, and her muscles clenched around the tapered tip of my tail as I worked it deeper, stretching her open inch by slow inch.
Fuck! She was perfect like this, spread out beneath me, taking everything I gave her.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
The word pulsed through me with every beat of my heart.
The sexy-as-fuck sounds she’d made earlier had quieted, and I took that to mean I had to up the ante. I reached under her body, my fingers circling the swollen bud of her clit as my tail thrust in shallow, testing strokes.
The cries came again, her voice raw as they turned into broken moans. Her pussy clenched around my cock, which was still and unmoving inside her. By the way she reacted, you’d think I’d impaled her right through.
The begging, moaning, and screaming were back. My hips pistoned, unable to hold back anymore.
The oil and her arousal made everything slick, her tight ring of muscle clenching around the tapered tip as I worked it in and out, matching the rhythm of my cock. Her moans turned desperate, her hips rocking back against me, and I could feel her walls tightening, her orgasm building.
I gritted my teeth, fighting to hold back. “That’s it. Take it. Take all of me.”
She looked so fucking hot. And I was sure the entire penthouse could hear her. Gods knew how sounds traveled through these walls. I’d worry about soundproofing later.
Her fingers twisted in the sheets, and her sounds turned desperate. Her moans became broken cries as I fucked her, my cock and tail moving in sync, stretching her open. She screamed into a pillow, and her walls started clenching around me wildly.
“Yes. Come for me,” I demanded, my voice a growl. “Let me feel you.”
She shattered beneath me, her back arching, her walls locking around my cock and tail so hard I had to fight to move as her orgasm came crashing over her.
The sensation was too much: her tight heat, her broken moans, the way her body milked me.
I snarled, my own release tearing through me as I spilled inside her.
For a long moment, there was only the sound of our ragged breathing, the scent of sex, and the light fragrance of the oil mingling in the air. My tail slid free, and Meera collapsed onto the bed, boneless and trembling.
I followed her down, my body covering hers, my lips pressing against her shoulder. She turned her head, eyes half-lidded, her lips curling into a satisfied smile.
“Stay right there, Trouble. Let me clean you up.”
But she didn’t let me go. Instead, her fingers tangled in my hair as she pulled me down for a kiss. My tail coiled around her thigh, holding her close.
“Cuddles first,” Meera said firmly.
I grinned. “So demanding.”
“You love it.”
I couldn’t even deny it.
“Alright, cuddles first.”
Cleaning her could wait. I lay down next to her and pulled her into my arms. Her skin was still warm, her hair damp against my shoulder.
She settled against me, and her breathing slowed as she let out a contented sigh and traced idle patterns on my skin with her fingertips.
It felt so good, so perfect, to have her in my arms.
We must’ve dozed off together, because a single buzz from my phone woke me. Meera still slept, her face so pretty and soft in repose.
But the interruption had me thinking of the message I’d gotten from Seth while I was out earlier. They’d found Karim—or rather, his body—in Mumbai. It turned out that the people he was working for paid well, but they also did not appreciate failure.
I was going to tell her when I got back, but she was having fun at the pool, and I didn’t want to ruin it.
And now didn’t seem like the right time either.
I didn’t want to mess up her happiness. She had just started to relax after our run-in with the ghouls.
I worried that the news would set her back.
Also, a selfish, jealous part of me didn’t want to see her cry for another man. Was it logical? No. But I never claimed to be a logical creature, especially when it came to her.
I decided that I’d tell her later. It wasn’t like it made a difference when she found out. The man was dead.
Maybe after dinner tonight. Maybe tomorrow. When the right time came to tell her, I’d know.
For now, all I wanted to do was hold her and make her smile.
I reached across the sheets before my eyes fully opened, arms searching for the warmth that should’ve been there. Not only was Meera not there on her side of the bed, but the sheets were also cool. Meaning she’d been gone a while.
Had the dream woken her early? It was impossible to ignore the fact that she’d been having that same dream every night that she’d been in my bed.
Was it a bad omen? She’d been sleeping fine until I moved her into my room.
And despite Sybil’s assurance that nothing could get through the wards, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
I sat up, stretching my arms and wings as I looked around for signs of the woman who’d consumed my thoughts for the past week or so. The bathroom door was shut, and the faint sound of running water told me where she was.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, and Seth’s name flashed on the screen.
Ugh! It was too early to deal with him. Mateo, maybe, but Seth, no. I needed my coffee first for that.
Last night had been fun. We’d gone out to a new place called Rodízio Nocturne, a Brazilian steakhouse that opened only after sunset, and where the servers might possibly be vampires.
I was pretty damn sure the servers were just actors, but I couldn’t say the same for the owners.
I’d eaten so much meat that I could barely move when we got home.
We’d both passed out early after a shower, then woke up in the middle of the night, horny and ready to fuck. We did that until we both passed out again.
I got out of bed and made my way down to my personal bathroom, rinsed my mouth, and splashed some water on my face.
The smell of coffee wafting through the door separating my wing from the common area told me that Lillian was up.
A proper espresso machine had been her first contribution to the penthouse. Then came all the plants.
Prior to her arrival, we’d just grabbed something from a coffee shop or used the instant stuff in a pinch.
Gargoyles and demons could use the added caffeine jolt, but we didn’t require it, not like the way Lillian did.
Lillian was part snow leopard shifter, and the only time she’d ever pulled claws on me was the time I’d tried to talk to her before her morning coffee.
Meera liked a coffee in the morning too, but I hadn’t noticed any one-eighty change in her pre- and post-caffeine, the way it was with Lillian.
“What was that coffee drink you made for Meera yesterday?” I asked Lillian.
“A flat white. It’s a double shot of espresso with steamed microfoam milk.”
“I have no idea what that means, but can you teach me how to make one for her?”
Meera had liked the “flat white” yesterday a whole lot more than the coffee from the place downstairs. And that was reason enough to learn.
My first try was a bust. I packed the grounds down so hard that the coffee refused to filter through the center and instead squirted out the side. Lillian dumped it and urged me to try again. She declared my second attempt acceptable.
A quick steam of milk later, I was walking back to my suite with Meera’s flat white in hand.
“For me?” Meera’s look of surprise turned into a grin, lighting up the room. “Thank you.”
And I decided that very moment that I’d make her coffee every day for the rest of my life, just to see that smile.
“What’s the look for?”
“Nothing. So what’s the plan for today?”
“I think I need to pick up some sunscreen. Lounging by the pool yesterday with Lillian was fun.”
I quirked a smile, thinking of how sexy she’d look in swimwear. If it were just us, she could skinny dip. But our penthouse wasn’t the tallest building in the area, and the thought of anyone seeing her had my blood boiling.
I stepped closer, my hands sliding around her waist. She tilted her head up, lips parting. I took the coffee from her and placed it safely on the dresser as I leaned in—
The door slammed open.
“Seth!” I yelled, stepping in front of her exposed body. “What the fuck? Get out of my home.”
“You didn’t pick up your phone. I’ve been calling for at least ten minutes.”
“So? I was busy. How the hell did you get in here?”
He shrugged. “You didn’t answer, so I called Grayson. I portaled into the common area and walked in your front door. You left it wide open.”
“Well, get out. Meera’s not dressed.”
“I’m not even interested in your woman. Liam and Hazel are more than enough. Do you know they always take each other’s sides in a fight? It’s infuriating.”
“Get out!” I roared.
“Fine, fine. You don’t have to be so mean about it.” Seth rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. I slammed the door shut after him.
Meera dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of jeans and a cute top. I was pretty sure the top was part of a pajama set, but she wore it with so much confidence that I’d never have known if I hadn’t seen the shorts.
I handed her back her coffee.
“What do you think he wants?”
“No clue. Let’s go find out.”