Chapter 20
Saint
Call me the luckiest man in the world because I was. Maybe I should take a trip to Vegas.
Lily’s scream brought out the protective beast in me and I reacted without hesitation or thinking beyond getting to her. Saving her. Protecting her.
She was standing completely naked, her long hair piled on top of her head except for a single thick strand covered in shampoo draped over her slender shoulder.
Fuuuuck. The woman looked amazing. The fact that she could be considered every man’s fantasy hadn’t been lost on me all night long.
I’d caught the looks of men in the stands and in the locker room.
Hell, half my teammates had been salivating, visions of tasting her racing through their minds. I’d read them like a playbook.
And I’d been angry about it.
Furious.
Which had increased the testosterone and pushed my wolf into clawing to the surface. Not a good look, but also not something I could easily control.
That’s part of the reason I’d almost broken Rocco’s arm. Since he was a goddamn shifter, I’d sensed his increasing hunger for her. My mate. Not his. Never his.
Unable to help myself, I allowed my heated and hungry gaze to fall from her pained face to her breasts.
They were voluptuous, large enough to fit perfectly in my oversized hands.
Her nipples were the softest pink and given the blast of cold water, something I’d forgotten to warn her about, both were standing taut and proud.
All I could think about was wrapping my lips around them, sucking until she cried out from extreme pleasure. Forget about the rest of her. If I was into the taste of soap, I wouldn’t mind licking off every bubble.
My dick was permanently in a semi-hard state around her.
That didn’t bode well for the ache in my balls either.
My gaze continued to fall since my control had been tossed out the window.
It landed on her wide hips, perfect to grip when I fucked her from behind.
Even the thick curve of her thighs made my mouth water.
The bad boy inside of me was plotting against her, trying how best to convince her this was a dose of kismet. I just couldn’t pull my heated gaze away for the life of me.
Only when she threw one arm across both breasts and fanned the fingers of her other hand, attempting and failing at covering her pretty pink pussy did I jerk myself from the lust-filled haze.
Holy shit, Batman, what I wanted to do to with my mouth, fingers, and cock had to be illegal in all fifty states. But every day in jail would be well worth the time spent exploring every inch of her body.
“You… You did this!” she squealed, her face growing beet red.
“Did what?”
“There’s a… a creature crawling on me and the water is… cold. So cold.”
“Should be warming up by now. Pops must have flushed the toilet.” I moved closer and she threw one hand out to stop me. Her face immediately filled with horror from realizing she’d allowed me another purposeful peek at her incredible body.
“Don’t come any closer.”
“Do you want me to get rid of the spider or not?”
“Spider? Yes. God, yes!”
I finally found something Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes was afraid of. The bad boy in me struck again and I clocked it in my mind for future reference and use. I could be such an evil man when I wanted to be.
After I gathered the spider in my hand, she slammed against the shower wall, the horrified look twisting her lovely face. “Kill it.”
“The poor creature had no intentions of biting you. He’s a granddaddy long legs.”
“Oh! Don’t kill it. Set the little baby free.”
I couldn’t help myself, allowing the wicked smile to return. “You can’t have it both ways, Lily flower.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Okay, honey bunchkins.” She had the prettiest eyes.
I’d been too busy leering at her gorgeous body to pay much attention to them.
In certain light her eyes appeared hazel with a hint of spring green washing through them.
But in others they were the most incredible shade as if she’d been born with sparkling emeralds for irises.
She was so breathtakingly beautiful that I wanted to stake my claim right here and now. The possessive side of my wolf was screaming to be set free. The buzz kill was annoying as hell.
“Just… Do your thing,” she demanded.
“What would that thing be?” The grin kept widening. She had that kind of effect on me.
“Let me finish my shower. Just… Go away.” I’d never seen her stumble over words. She was fearless, proving how much so several times.
Maybe I just wanted to keep her flustered. The shade of rose caused a glow covering her skin. Especially her face. I’d never caused a woman to blush as much as I did my Lily flower.
I don’t think she was expecting me to open the window, gently placing the spider on the sill and shooing him out. After closing and latching it, I rubbed my hands on my jeans.
“That was nice of you. At least I know you have one kind bone in your body.”
“You thought otherwise?” I challenged, tipping my head so I could feed the beast with another long look.
“Absolutely.” Her jaw was clenched and she darted her eyes away from me.
“Do I make you nervous, sweetheart?”
“Of course not! You make me angry. So much so my teeth are going to become pointed like canines by the end of my work with you.”
“Oh, I do so crave a love bite. Bring it on, baby.”
She gave me another evil eye, jerking the shower curtain closed. “Out. Now!”
“You know I like the rough stuff. Right?” I laughed as I headed to the door.
“Get out.”
Why was it that the woman had my blood boiling and my heart pounding in my chest with such ferocity that there was no way I could breathe normally? Maybe ever again. I pushed myself into the bedroom, swinging the door to close it.
But something stopped me.
Instead, I kept it ajar while debating the consequences of my desired actions.
Nothing good would come of what I wanted to do.
At least not in the near future. However, we were engaged.
Right? Maybe I needed to buy her a ring, something a tad more expensive than finding one in a Cracker Jack box.
That sealed the deal. I kicked off my boots and unfastened my jeans.
All the while my mind swirled around all the naughty things that could get my ass into hot water. My, oh, my. It would be worth the dip. After a quick glance at the bedroom door to make certain it was closed, I pushed the door open with a single finger.
She was softly humming, more relaxed thinking I’d heeded her demand. Too bad she didn’t know me very well. Following rules just wasn’t in my wheelhouse. Tonight was one of those nights I was glad I was a hotdogger.
With no common sense running through my mind and absolutely no hesitation, I threw open the shower curtain and stepped inside.
Lily didn’t react at first, her head completely under the stream of water.
While patience wasn’t a virtue in the least, I didn’t need to worry.
The electricity shared between us was crackling away within seconds.
I’d heard with a mate every time the couple was in close proximity the current could light up a city.
But given my track record with women, the lackluster passion that had plagued me since I’d begun the dating nightmare, I’d thought it just another shifter myth.
She didn’t spin on her heels quite the same way she’d done before, but there was no doubt she was aware of my presence.
Every inch of her porcelain skin was covered in prickles.
They danced to the same beat my heart was thrumming.
I wondered if she had any idea how beautiful she was or how graceful every action she took was.
My guess was no one had bothered to tell her before.
Including the asshole boyfriend who’d cheated on her. Thinking about it riled my anger to a dangerous level.
Calm down, big boy. Use the heady dose of testosterone for something else.
There was some truth to another shifter myth that humans were extremely attracted to wolves. Maybe by instinct. Maybe by our scent, which was rich in pheromones. There were some of our kind who’d attempted to use their sex appeal for control, coercing a human to engage in sexual trysts.
Maybe I could put a spell on her, but if she was truly my mate, she wouldn’t be able to resist the same urge that was flowing through my bloodstream like wildfire.
I waited right where I was, practicing my patience as she rinsed her hair. She didn’t bother even looking over her shoulder until the water ran free of bubbles. When she did, the usual look of contempt was gone, replaced by a hint of things to come.
Of possibilities.
Of the future.
Maybe I’d been thinking about too many rainbows and unicorns, but the connection was there and it was tight. So much so my heart was skipping beats.
Very slowly she turned, tilting her head so she could look me in the eyes. Up until now, she’d appeared much taller. But standing barefoot, the fact her chin could fit nicely against my chest was another reason she seemed far too vulnerable for a guy like me.
Not that I was chivalrous.
Her eyelids were suddenly half closed, her long lashes skimming across her cheeks. The shower was small, a typical formed enclosure that would usually make me feel claustrophobic at my size. But tonight, the cramped space was perfect for what I was about to do.
Defile her in the worst way.
Ever since I’d been allowed to taste her before, the need to do so again and again had been ingrained in my mind. It was very true that one taste wasn’t enough. Especially for a man like me.
I took a single step and had taken up half the distance. She didn’t budge. The little minx was making me come to her. I did so adore a woman with chutzpa and she had it in spades.