Chapter 8 #3
She had a few stretch marks there now, but she wasn’t too self-conscious about them. She’d earned each and every one of those, giving life. She sort of liked them. And judging by Hank’s response as he ran his lips over them, one by one, he did, too.
“You are so beautiful,” he told her in a whisper that made her shiver down to her toes.
She didn’t really have the brain power at the moment to respond because Hank was systematically driving her out of her senses, but she kept running her fingers through his hair, stroking him. Petting him as he kept moving downward.
When he sat up and divested her of her pants and panties in one fell swoop, she wanted to howl but held it in. Emma might be a good sleeper nowadays, but howling in her home would certainly wake her.
Hank lifted Tracy’s legs, one by one, pausing to kiss her ankles before placing her just the way he wanted her. She felt the wetness coming from her intimate space, readying herself for him, wanting him like no other. Why didn’t he just take her already? She’d waited so long…
Hank pushed his pants down, freeing his cock, but he didn’t come to her straight away. No, he paused. He had something in his hand, and when she heard the rasp of foil, she knew what it was. A condom.
Shifters seldom had to use such things because they weren’t fertile very often across species or with someone who wasn’t their mate, but Hank and Tracy had already proven they could make a baby. He was right to be cautious. Thank the Goddess one of them was thinking. Planning ahead.
Hank was taking care of her. She felt a little pang in the region of her heart. He claimed to care, and this was one subtle way of him showing her the truth of that claim.
“Not that I don’t want another baby with you, but I think we should plan for the next one, if there is to be a next one, don’t you?” Hank’s soft words came to her as his smile tilted up one corner of his mouth.
He sheathed himself with careful movements then settled between her thighs, his hard cock just nudging the place where she wanted it most. He braced himself on his hands, holding himself above her and looking deep into her eyes. Then, he paused again.
“This is going to be fast. I’m sorry. It’s been a long time, and I find it hard to control myself when I’m around you, Trace.” His whispered words were accompanied by a trio of small kisses placed all over her face. “You drive me wild, sweetheart. I want you ‘til I can’t see straight.”
“I want you too, Hank. Please, come into me now,” she begged, throwing pride, caution and modesty to the wind. She raised her hips, trying to nudge him deeper into her channel. “Please?”
Rather than answer in words, he simply lowered himself into her, moving slow, sliding home. And that’s what it felt like. Home.
Hank couldn’t believe he’d denied himself the pleasure of Tracy for so long. Had he been completely blind? Yeah, he realized, he had been.
Well, no more. He was with his mate now, and she was welcoming, warm and so incredibly delicious, he thought he might be drunk with the intoxication of being inside her.
He tried to make it last, but it had been way too long.
Hank began to move, watching her reactions, moving when he discerned something he thought she liked and repeating the actions just to be sure.
He was learning her body. Learning her responses. Discovering all the little motions that gave her pleasure. He didn’t stop until she came, and came again, wreaking havoc on his control, but he managed to hold it together. At least for a while.
When she came for the third time, Hank couldn’t take any more. He came with her, feeling like the top of his head had blown off, rocketing him to the stars and back again, on a long, lusty, pleasurable journey of delight. With Tracy. Only ever with Tracy, from now on.
Mate. The cat inside purred, and he knew the truth of it without a shadow of a doubt.
“Are you purring?” she asked him sleepily, her gaze meeting his as he opened his eyes.
“Maybe?” he answered, hedging his bets. Did she find it repulsive?
She laughed softly and reached up to kiss him. “I like it,” she whispered against his lips, then took his mouth with deep, thrusting, lazy licks. Mm.
They lay together for a long time, but he had to protect them, and the condom had to come off eventually.
Hank got up and held his pants up with one hand while he made his way to the bathroom.
She was giggling at his state of undress, which he found charming, but when he came back a few minutes later, she was sitting on the edge of the sofa, re-dressed and thinking hard.
He stopped short. This didn’t look good.
He’d thought they’d crossed a bridge here tonight, but maybe not.
Maybe she’d just thrown him back a few steps.
He stifled a sigh. Tracy didn’t do things easy.
Hank shouldn’t have expected his stubborn mate to give in all at once, so easily.
He’d have to work at this, but he was up to the challenge.
He’d win her, come hell or high water. And he’d cross that metaphorical bridge someday soon, then destroy it, so it could never separate them again.