Chapter 13 - Noah
The greatest temptation of my life thus far had been the night the mating bond with Sage had snapped into place years ago.
I'd given in and kissed her, even though I wanted to do so much more, before cruelly pushing her away.
I'd thought my inexperience and the newness of the bond were what made me feel so crazy at the time, so out of control.
But when I heard her ask me for help with her heat, the scent of her filling my lungs and her body flush to mine, I finally knew the truth. It had nothing to do with how young I had been or the emotional sucker punch of the mating bond.
No. All along, it had been Sage herself. She was the biggest temptation on the planet for me, and now she was all but begging me for help. Begging me to touch her. To ease the pain of her heat.
She was looking up at me with those big brown eyes, her cheeks flushed and her body so warm. Her lips parted, and it would have taken nothing for me to claim her mouth and show her how good we could be together.
But I wanted her to be more than willing. I wanted her to choose me as more than just the man to get her through her heat. To accept me as her husband and partner in all ways.
"Sage." It came out as a growl. I knew I was a breath away from losing control, but I was clinging to it by the skin of my teeth. "Tell me what you want, and I'll do it. Just ask."
"Just...make it stop hurting. Please. Anything."
"I will, but if you want things to go further, you have to be honest with me, okay?"
She shuddered against me, and I could smell the slick leaking out of her. Even her panties would be soaked by now, and that knowledge alone made my cock ache.
"Whatever you want, Noah. Just make it stop hurting."
That was exactly what I'd been worried about. She was so far gone in the haze of her heat that she would happily give in to me, and I knew we'd both love every minute of it. But once her heat was gone, I just couldn't be sure if she'd still be okay with us sleeping together.
There was nothing on earth that I wanted more than to knot my mate, but I had to be a better man than that. I had to take things slow, or risk losing her once her heat was said and done.
"I'll help you," I said softly, and stroked her hair. "But we're going to take it slow tonight."
She moaned and arched against me. Her skin was like silk beneath my fingertips, and the sweet sounds she was making had my cock so hard that it was painful. I knew she could feel how aroused I was, since her leg was resting on my hip and pressing against me.
I didn't want to scare her off, though, so I did everything in my power to keep from grinding against her.
Instead, I kissed her temple, then her cheek.
Sage trembled, and a soft moan escaped her.
I was already so keyed up, and she'd barely touched me.
I had to keep reminding myself that this was about her, not me, even if her touch was enough to make me lose control.
My sweet mate had dressed nicely for dinner in a dark green cotton dress and an oversized cardigan that had disappeared long before I broke into her room.
I kissed her bare shoulders and the curve of her neck, but avoided her soft mouth even when she tried to initiate the kiss.
I didn't trust myself, not when kissing her had been on my mind since the day of our wedding.
It was all too easy to hike her dress up her hips until it was gathered around her waist. After taking a few moments to untangle herself from her blankets, Sage leaned back on her elbows and watched me with dark, lust-blown eyes, her cheeks flushed, her hair wild around her face.
"You're beautiful," I told her. "Touch me," she responded.
Eager to please, I reached out to stroke the inside of her thigh.
It was smooth, and her muscles jumped beneath my touch.
Sage's breath caught, and her eyelids fluttered shut as I dragged my fingers over her skin, mapping every inch of her until she was trembling.
It was almost too easy; she was so responsive from her heat.
When I brushed against the damp material of her panties, Sage's hips jerked and she gasped. Her legs fell open wider, an unspoken invitation.
"Noah." Sage's voice was rough and needy.
I'd never felt such intense hunger and protectiveness at the same time before, and I had to swallow a growl. "Shh, don't worry. I've got you. I'll take care of you."
She was already so slick, and her underwear was soaked through. I considered just pushing the damp fabric aside, keeping what barriers I could between us, but I couldn't resist working down her legs when she raised her body up to help me do so.
In the low light of her bedroom, I got my first look at her, half-naked and spread out for me. Sage was wet and swollen with need, her pussy begging to be touched. I was overcome with all the things I wanted to do to her, how I wanted to touch her, taste her, and fuck her, and knot her.
Not tonight, though. It was just too soon. I had to hold off, even if it killed me.
As soon as the panties were out of the way, I let her guide me. She was so sensitive and needy, and all it took was a brush of my thumb over her clit, and she was clutching at the bed sheets and throwing her head back.
"Good girl," I soothed.
It was all too good. I couldn't believe it was all happening. My mate. Her heat. And my hands are all over her.
I'd barely started, but her whole body was tense and shuddering, and she was moaning as if she was already getting close to coming.
I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold myself together, so I worked my finger against her clit faster.
My other hand roamed up and down her inner thighs, her stomach, and her ribs, before finally cupping her breasts through her dress.
The urge to pull it down and capture one of her nipples between my lips was powerful, but I knew if I put my mouth on her there, it would eventually end up between her thighs.
That wasn't how I wanted to take her.
Instead, I pinched and rolled her nipple between my fingers through the fabric. Her breathing was coming faster, and I was certain I was going to embarrass myself if she kept sounding so hot and desperate.
I was still fully clothed, but my dick was tenting the front of my jeans. There was no point in denying it or fighting it. Instead, I ground my hips against the edge of the bed and let myself enjoy the friction, all while making Sage fall apart under my hands.
I knew I could have gotten her over the edge just by stroking her clit, but I allowed myself the indulgence of dipping one, and then two fingers into her tight pussy, thrusting them in and out in time with my thumb on her clit.
"Noah, yes. Oh, god."
I was rewarded with a flood of slick and the sound of her cries of pleasure. She was right there, and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
"Give it up to me, my sweet mate. I want to feel it all over my hand."
That was all it took, and she was coming apart at the seams, back bowed and eyes clenched shut as she came. Her walls spasmed around my fingers, and I wanted to howl in victory.
I kept rubbing her clit, drawing out her orgasm as long as possible. She reached out to cling to me, and I couldn't stop myself from finally giving in and kissing her sweet mouth, drinking down the sounds of her pleasure as I worked them out of her.
It wasn't until the tension finally left her body and her hands fell away that I realized what had happened.
I'd been kissing her, and she'd kissed me back.
Fuck, I was so close to losing it. I'd done so well, but the scent of her slick and her satisfied sighs had me on the edge. Sage, on the other hand, had fallen back on the pillows, unaware of the battle I was fighting with myself. I'd exhausted her, and she looked happily spent.
But her scent still filled my nostrils, and the sweet slick from her pussy coated my fingers. If I didn't get away from her, didn't leave her room, and take care of myself, I was going to ruin everything.
"Thank you," Sage murmured.
Resisting the urge to lick her juices off my fingers, I dried them on my jeans instead. "I'm going to go..."
"Why?" She was barely awake, and her eyelids fluttered as she looked up at me. "Because if I don't, I'll do something that we're not ready for yet."
She was silent for a long moment, sitting up enough to really look at me, her fatigue gone for the moment. "Noah, wait. Maybe we could..."
I interrupted her, "Is the pain gone?"
"Yes, but..."
I held up a hand to stop her. "Good. Then I will see you tomorrow."
"You can come back to bed," she argued, but before I could lose the fight and pounce on her, I walked out of her room, closing the door firmly behind me. I heard her call, "You're insane, Noah!" as I left, and I agreed with her wholeheartedly.
"What the fuck, Noah," I said out loud, and then went straight to the shower.
The hot water did nothing to ease the tension coiled in my muscles. The scent of her clung to me, and it was all I could do to keep from imagining her joining me in the shower, her slick-covered pussy wrapped around my cock.
Almost as if I was on autopilot, helpless to do anything else, I took my cock in my fist and began to stroke it while the memory of my mate was fresh in my mind. Her scent, her voice, her taste, the way her body arched into my touch.
It was almost too much. I didn't last long, and my climax took me by surprise, roaring through my body. A guttural sound tore out of me as I spilled over my hand, my mind filled with thoughts of her and the image of my seed coating her pretty pussy.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck."
When I'd finished, I sagged against the wall, out of breath and shocked at how quickly I'd come.
"You can't do this again," I told myself. "You have to control yourself around her."
Even as I said the words, though, I knew I'd probably fail. It was all too easy when it came to her.