Chapter 19 Trish #2
“She’s fine.” Jaxon growled. Somehow, I felt his wolf ripple under his skin, and I took an unconscious step back.
The man’s lover tightened his fists, coming to his aid. “How would you know that if you won’t let her speak?”
“Because she’s mine.” Jaxon’s tone was so Alpha possessive that the wolf-witch paused mid-thrust to let out a submissive whine. Even the more dominant witches and warlocks—the two male heroes included—lowered their eyes.
Not my wolf, though.
She purred her approval, wagging her tail in the air. I didn’t have time to process what was happening because Jaxon grabbed my arm again, hauling me out of there.
“It’s fine. Really,” I called to the guys. I knew how this looked, but I didn’t know how to explain that Jaxon wouldn’t hurt me.
“You’re not staying?” Charles jumped to his feet.
“No. Thanks for the wine!” I tossed my cup in his direction, feeling horrible for wasting it.
“That’s who you smell like,” Jaxon grumbled, loosening his vice-like grip a fraction of an inch, but not enough for me to escape.
“Will you stop now?” I cried when we were out of the clearing, smacking at his immovable hand. “You’re going to take my arm off.”
As if my words were magic, the whole world came to a standstill as Jaxon let go. The cool night air rushed over my fevered skin when he took a step back. Then another.
“I’m sorry.” He dragged his hand through his hair. The moonlight accentuated the shadows of his tense jawline. The curves of his tense shoulders and chest. The flexed abdominal wall muscles pointing below his waistband.
Why is he not wearing a shirt? My wolf growled.
I jerked my eyes back up. It was none of my business what he was or wasn’t doing before I arrived. My wolf growled louder.
I ignored her. “You should be sorry. What’s gotten into you?” Because back there, he’d said…
He’d said…
No. I hadn’t heard him right.
Yes, you did.
Jaxon started growling too. His beast shone in his eyes as he wrestled him back. “Go to your tent, Tisiphone,” he said.
“No.” I stood my ground, feeling my heart beat faster. I didn’t even know where I was anymore. The music had faded. We were alone in the darkened, empty part of the woods. But if I did listen to him, then this night was over. That shred of hope. The taste of freedom. It’d be… gone.
And it wasn’t fair.
“Stop arguing with me,” he growled.
“No,” I said again, stronger this time. “I want to stay here.”
As if that was an invitation, Jaxon closed the distance between us, towering over me. “Go. Back. To. Your. Tent.” Each word was pained. A plea.
My hands went up, resting on his chest. I intended to push him away, but my fingers landed on his smooth skin and warmth spread through my palms, coaxing a feeling I hadn’t felt in years.
Magic. His or mine. I couldn’t tell.
My eyes found his, and I searched them.
I’d touched Jaxon plenty of times before, hadn’t I? So why did it never feel like this?
Or did it? I couldn’t remember.
He closed his eyes. “Go. Please.”
“I said I want to stay.” My touch softened as I moved my hands down his chest, marveling as his skin pebbled under my fingers. When I looked back up, his eyes were open again and blazing with an intensity that stole my breath away.
I dropped my gaze to his lips, wetting my own. Jaxon growled as he moved me backwards. My back hit the rough bark of a tree.
He lowered his face so our mouths were a breath’s space apart. “I can smell the tonic wine on your lips.”
“I had two sips,” I whispered, afraid that if I spoke too loud, I’d ruin this spell.
My heart beat erratically as I moved my hands lower, exploring.
The curves of his hips. The v-line of muscles I traced my nails over.
He swallowed the sexiest male groan I’d ever heard. I reached for the button on his pants.
“Stop,” his hoarse command tore through him. I ignored it until he grabbed my wrists with one hand, pushing them against my chest to drive the point home.
What am I doing? Embarrassment washed over me and I tried to squirm out of his grasp. I knew this could never be anything between us. He didn’t think of me like that. I needed to get away from him before I did anything stupid. “Let go.”
“No.” He slid his leg between mine, and pressed his body forward, pinning me in place. “You don’t get to do this.”
“Do what?” I couldn’t get enough air. Not with him this close and his earthy scent everywhere.
“You don’t get to make this mean nothing.” His words were so quiet, I could’ve convinced myself I’d imagined them. That’s what I tried to do as I twisted to get out of his hold.
I only succeeded in rubbing my throbbing core against his thigh and couldn’t help the tiny gasp that slipped out.
Jaxon stilled as his nostrils flared and he pulled back to look at my face. “You’re in need.”
I’d try to deny it, but my scent was a dead giveaway. “I guess I am,” I laughed, trying to play it off like my body wasn’t physically burning for more of his touch. “That’s why I want to stay at the gathering.”
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, because his expression darkened as his wolf rose to the surface again.
“Listen, I won’t get hurt. I’ll be careful,” I pleaded, sounding like a broken record. “You don’t have to worry about me all the time.”
His lips crashed into mine, stealing the rest of the words I’d told him a thousand times, and I…
I forgot what I was saying.
Gods, Jaxon could kiss.
He tasted like everything I’d ever wanted. His kiss was a punishing reminder of what I’d never have. Our tongues and teeth danced, as if knowing which way to move all along, and I drowned in a hundred memories, a million moments of wishing I could’ve kissed him just like this.
My heart was breaking at the intensity. I wanted to push him away. Tell him to stop. But my body burned in a way only he could soothe.
I needed this. Needed him like air. Like breath. I had to do something to ease this building ache before it consumed me.
“Please,” I moaned into his mouth, rubbing myself against his thigh still holding me in place.
Jaxon roared, tearing his lips away and resting his forehead against mine as he panted.
I used the moment of weakness to see if I could free my hands from his grasp.
“No.” He caught them again, softening the word when he saw the look in my eyes. “No. If we do this, you can’t touch me.”
I wanted to argue, but I could only wiggle. And then wantonly rock against him, chasing that sensation.
“Gods, help me.” He shut his eyes.
I’d never seen him so flustered before. My wolf was salivating. I leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to the side of his neck. Tasting the salt on his skin. My teeth ached. I gave him a tender little nip to soothe that strange need.
Jaxon pulled away and raised my hands over my head. “Hold her.” Magic crackled around us as the trees moved to do his bidding.
I trembled, feeling his power pulse around me, when the vines and branches wrapped around my wrists.
I refused to complain. One word would end this, and I didn’t think I could take that chance. The bark and roughened points of the vines dug into my skin as I tested their hold, but I wasn’t afraid.
This was Jaxon. A new, intoxicating side of him I’d never seen before, but I knew he’d take care of me. I wasn’t above begging for it in this moment.
“Please,” I whispered again. “Touch me.”
“I will,” he spoke through clenched teeth. “I just need a minute.” He inhaled slowly, before ripping my shirt open and gazing at my unbound breasts.
“Perfect.” He growled as he lowered his lips to one. “Fucking, perfect.” Jaxon trailed kisses across my chest. I arched to give him better access. My nipples tightened as the sensations alternated between his hot breath and the cool night air.
I could feel myself tightening with just this, but the hollow ache in my core grew deeper. “I need…” I panted. “Jaxon. I need…”
I didn’t quite know what I needed.
“I know.” His deep voice was a soothing caress before he kissed his way down my stomach and hips. Deft fingers unbuttoned my pants. My legs were already trembling as my arms began to shake.
I looked down, watching as Jaxon kneeled before me, slowly dragging my pants and panties off my hips. He feasted on me with his eyes. My whole body vibrated and I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get enough air into my lungs as I waited, exposed to him.
“Tell me to stop.” His earthy brown eyes turned up to me.
“I can’t,” I whispered, praying he wouldn’t notice how badly I wanted him. All of him. The Alpha he was. The powerful wolf-witch. The tender hearted pup I knew, that he never let anyone else see.
Jaxon rose to his full height, pressing a whisper-soft kiss to my lips as his fingers dipped between my thighs.
He moved to speak against my ear. “Then you’re going to come, screaming my name.”
I nodded, very much in love with that idea.
His thumb circled my clit as he spread my legs wider with his knee. I cried out, arching against him. But Jaxon didn’t slow. He increased the pressure, taking me right to the edge faster than I knew was possible, and then stopped, gathering my wetness to slide a finger inside.
I gasped at the sudden warm intrusion.
Jaxon stilled. Then he chuckled, leaning closer to my ear again. “Tell me, Tisiphone. Has anyone ever touched you this way?”
“No.” I squeezed my eyes tight, worried this would be the moment he’d walk away. Once he realized how inexperienced I was. Not that I hadn’t had toys to help me through my heats, but never with… anyone.
“Good,” he praised, and I felt the truth of his approval as he resumed his touch on my clit and curled a slowly moving finger against my inner walls. “This is mine. Your orgasm. It’s mine.”
I kept nodding, too delirious to speak as he coaxed me right to the edge. So dangerously close. I’d been burning here for a lifetime it seemed. All I had to do was leap. Every muscle in my body tightened, begging for this release. For his mercy.
“Jaxon,” I cried as he drew out my orgasm, sensations crashing and pulling me under with their intensity.
“That’s it,” he whispered, coaxing out the last of my pleasure. “All for me.”
The hunger in his eyes was forever seared in my brain as I collapsed boneless against the tree.