Chapter 19 #2
It also meant, as Cole had said, being with him in every way possible. They would truly be one. She’d never need to wonder if she was where she belonged, and she’d be in a position of helping people. It was all so quick, but it truly felt right. Her lynx purred. “Yes, Cole. I’d love that.”
He looked relieved as a smile spread across his face. “Good, because I love you.”
Love. Nia had been so focused on those around them that she hadn’t been thinking about what truly mattered. How could she ever have dreamed of sacrificing something so great? “I love you, too.”
He put his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. Nia reveled in his firm hold on her body, as if he were concerned she might disappear. She wasn’t going anywhere, and she parted her lips slightly to invite him in.
Nia moaned against the confidence of his kiss as his tongue slid against hers.
The kiss they’d shared at the bakery had been furtive, desperate, and fleeting, even though they’d already known they were destined for each other.
Now there were no questions about what they were doing or who would care, and it brought a new depth to their connection.
Cole kissed her like she belonged to him.
And he most definitely belonged to her. Nia put her hand on his shoulder and pulled herself up onto his lap, straddling him.
She lay her body against his as their tongues continued to twine.
She pressed her breasts against his wide chest and rocked her hips against the hardness between his legs.
They’d waited too long to find each other, and she was ready to have all of him.
Her knee bumped against something hard. Cole pulled back from their liplock and fumbled in his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone, and they both jumped as a deafening orchestra began to play throughout the cabin.
“Damn it!” Cole fiddled with his phone until the volume softened to something much more pleasant. “Sorry. I must’ve bumped it. I was going to ask you to dance, but I guess we’ve skipped past that part.”
“We still can. We’ve got all night, right?” Nia pushed herself off the couch and walked around the coffee table to stand on the rug in front of the fireplace. She reached her hand out toward him.
Cole followed, leaving his phone on the table. He wrapped his arm around her and took her hand. He swayed gently, easily taking the lead and making Nia feel as if she were floating.
“So, you finally got a new phone,” she observed, teasing him. That definitely wasn’t his old flip phone on the table.
“I thought maybe it was time I joined you in the twenty-first century after all.” Cole’s body was hard and strong against hers, and her skin tingled wherever they touched.
“I don’t want you to think I’m trying to change you.” Her hand was on his shoulder, and she curled it around to the back of his neck, her touch running up into his hair.
“You have changed me, though. I don’t think two people can really be together without at least some of that happening.” His fingers rubbed slow, sweet circles at the small of her back.
“Maybe so.” She’d changed, too. She’d taken risks she never thought she would, and she’d tapped into a whole new side of her magic and tarot skills. Would any of that have happened without him? “Just as long as you like the changes.”
“Oh, I do.” Cole trailed his tongue along her jawline to her earlobe. He nibbled her ear before moving down the side of her neck with exquisite slowness.
Nia moaned as warmth flooded her body. She closed her eyes and tipped her head to the side, giving him the freedom to roam.
She felt the music settle into her bones, slow and sultry now, matching the heat building between them.
Nia let her hands explore his chest, tracing the strong lines of muscle she had only dreamed about.
At twenty-eight, she had known desire before, but nothing like this—nothing that felt fated, ancient, and brand-new all at once.
Cole was forty-six, steady and experienced, yet he watched her with something close to reverence, letting her set the pace.
“I want to feel all of you,” she whispered, her voice husky.
She tugged his shirt up and over his head, then stepped back just enough to slip out of her own sleeveless top.
Cole’s gaze darkened with hunger, but he stayed still, his hands resting lightly on her waist as if waiting for permission.
Nia smiled, loving that quiet power she held over this strong wolf.
She reached behind her back, unclasped her bra, and let it fall, the firelight painting a warm glow across her skin.
Cole growled as his eyes swept over her bare, golden skin. “Nia…”
She took his hands and placed them on her breasts herself, guiding his thumbs over her nipples until they tightened under his touch. A low moan escaped her as pleasure spiraled downward. She pressed closer, rocking against his growing hardness, controlling the slow grind that made them both gasp.
They shed the rest of their clothes together, piece by piece, between lingering kisses and soft laughter when zippers refused to cooperate.
Naked, they returned to their dance. Nia reveled in the contrast—his taller, broader frame against her softer curves, the crisp hair on his chest brushing her sensitive nipples, the thick length of him sliding against her belly.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rose onto her toes, kissing him deeply while her hips continued their teasing rhythm.
When the ache between her thighs became too sweet to ignore, Nia took his hand and drew him down to the cozy rug in front of the fire.
She pushed gently on his shoulders until he lay back, then straddled his hips once more.
This time, there was nothing between them.
She braced her palms on his chest and looked into his eyes.
“I want to remember every second of this,” she told him.
Slowly, she lowered herself onto him, savoring the stretch, the fullness, the way his jaw clenched with the effort of staying still for her.
When he was buried to the hilt, she paused, letting her body adjust, letting the moment sink in.
This was her mate. Her choice. Her pleasure.
Cole’s hands rested on her thighs, his thumbs stroking soothing circles, but he didn’t thrust upward.
He waited, eyes half-lidded with bliss, letting her lead.
Nia began to move—rolling her hips in languid waves, finding the angle that made sparks burst behind her eyes.
Each downward glide drew a rough sound from his throat.
She leaned forward, brushing her breasts against his chest, kissing him as she rode him.
Heat built in layers. She sat up again, her hands on his stomach for balance, and moved faster, chasing the tightening coil low in her belly.
Cole’s fingers found her most sensitive spot, stroking her pearl with perfect, gentle pressure exactly where she needed it.
The combination—his thick length filling her, his exquisite touch, the fire warming her skin—pushed her closer and closer.
“Right there,” she gasped, her voice breaking.
Her thighs began to tremble. Cole’s breathing grew ragged, but he kept his touch steady, letting her set the rhythm that would send them both over.
When the wave finally crashed through her, Nia cried out, her back arching and inner walls pulsing around him.
The sight and feel of her coming undone pulled Cole after her.
He groaned her name, hips jerking once, twice, as he spilled deep inside her.
They stayed locked together for a long moment, hearts hammering, skin slick with sweat.
Nia collapsed onto his chest, smiling against his throat as his arms came around her—protective but never confining.
She traced lazy circles on his shoulder, already feeling the stirrings of renewed desire.
The night was still young, and the cabin was theirs.
Later, they made it to the bed, then the kitchen counter when thirst drove them to the fridge, and finally back to the rug when the fire burned low.
Each time Nia guided their pleasure—sometimes slow and tender, sometimes urgent and laughing—discovering exactly how this older, powerful wolf came apart under her hands and body.