Authors: P. Jameson
Tags: #Romance, #shifter, #Adult, #Contemporary, #Paranormal
She shook her head, wide-eyed. “No. I was going to let you kill him. I felt how bad you wanted to.”
He stepped closer to her. “I’m glad it was you.”
She nodded, her whole body shaking with excess adrenaline. “I did it,” she murmured. “I took back my power.”
Just before she sank to her knees, Cael swept her up and into his arms. He carried her over the ridge and across the field, never taking his eyes off her face.
Vesh and Avan had some fucking explaining to do. In the morning, Cael and Besh would head back toward an area where there was cell reception, and he’d call Lexar to pick them up. There was no reason to stay here any longer.
He’d find out why the Ozarka alpha was still wasting precious oxygen. But for tonight…
He set Isabesh down inside the small bathroom and reached in to turn on the shower. He didn’t waste any time getting her naked, pulling her sweatshirt over her head and untying her boots.
She didn’t say a word as he removed her jeans and pushed her under the spray of the water. He followed her into the shower, closing the door behind him.
Starting with her hair, he washed her, removing all traces of that bastard’s scent for fucking good. He tried to ignore what touching her body did to him. That is until a soft moan slipped from her lips.
He tilted her face up, brushing drops of water from her cheeks. “What do you want, my Isa?” His voice was harsh from the change, and from emotions that were running amok within him.
“I want to thank you for—”
Bullshit
. He wouldn’t accept that.
Taking her face in both hands, he pressed his mouth to hers, prying her lips open to accept his tongue. Moaning at her taste, he backed her against the wall, dominating her in the most delicious way. But she gave as much as she took. Her tongue tangled with his, her teeth sucking and nipping at his bottom lip.
Fuck
. A kiss had never felt so erotic.
He didn’t stop, he couldn’t, not even to say what he needed to say. His thumb moved to the corner of her mouth where he could feel their connection, the way they moved together, the press forward and the retreat. The licking and biting. The hot, sweet breath mixing.
He was dying. Happily fucking dying.
Isabesh’s hands twisted in his hair, pulling him closer. As if she wanted him to devour her. She
wanted
this. Whether she ever admitted it or not. But he needed her to admit it. Or, if nothing else, he needed to make himself clear.
With a growl, Cael broke away.
“See this?” He sucked gently on the bite mark he’d left when he claimed her. “This isn’t a fucking collar. This is a promise. From me to you, that I’ll never hurt you, not on purpose. That I’ll care for you always. A
promise
, Isa. Don’t you get it? I love what is mine. I care for what is mine. My pack, my female. My
family
. You don’t owe me anything. Not even an answer. But know, I’ll always keep you safe. Even when you don’t want me too. And if I never hear another fucking thank-you from you, it’ll be too soon.”
There was a grim set to her mouth. “I know what I want. Everything became very clear for me in the woods.”
“Tell me.” He held his breath for her answer, praying it was something that allowed them to move forward. Praying that it ended with her, finally and permanently in his arms.
“Forever. With you. That’s what I want.” Her lip trembled with vulnerability, pulling his chest tight around his heart. “And I want it more than anything.”
“Done fucking deal,” he breathed, lifting her and bracing her against the wall for his mouth. He kissed a burning hot trail from the corner of her mouth, down her jaw, nipping at the tender skin underneath her ear.
“Before I marked you, when was the last time you came?” His breath, hot against her neck, brought out delicious little chills that he traced with his tongue. “
When
, Isa? Tell me,
now
.”
“You,” she whimpered. “The last time was with you.”
He pulled back just enough to stare into her eyes. “Didn’t you ever touch yourself?”
“I didn’t want to. And I couldn’t risk Jax scenting it.”
“Your punishment,” he murmured. “You abstained as a punishment to yourself. Didn’t you?”
She hesitated. “Yes.”
“That stops now. You hear me? No more guilt between us.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“I mean it, Isa. We start over right now and we go forever. Got it?”
“Yes.”
She stared at him with so much love in her eyes he thought he’d burst from it. A dam the size of Alaska couldn’t hold all the emotion she was projecting, and he felt so fucking lucky to be on the receiving end.
Oh yes, she wanted this. And he was going to give it to her gladly.
***
Besh held her breath as Cael slowly and deliberately ran his hands down her front until he’d reached her most tender spot. She was so aroused, she had to really focus to keep from rubbing herself against his fingers. She couldn’t ever remember feeling this turned on. Not even before, when he’d showed her how to make love. Not even when she was in heat.
“You’re soaking wet, baby.” His words came between clenched teeth. “I want to take you hard, but I won’t if you’re still sore.”
Have
mercy
. She shivered at his words.
“I’m not sore, but…”
He paused, finding her gaze. “What is it?”
If she was going to start living the life she wanted, the life she wanted to
deserve
, then she couldn’t hold back anymore.
“There’s something I’ve always wanted to try. But only with you.”
Cael’s eyes burned with lust and curiosity as his hand moved from between her legs to grip her hip. “What is it?”
“Me, on top.”
A hoarse rumble from the back of his throat told her he was on board with the idea. He reached over, turning the shower off. “Fuck, yes. But first…”
He lifted her to straddle his waist. Besh wound her arms around his neck, and his hands gripped her thighs as he carried her from the bathroom into the bedroom totally oblivious of the water they trailed through the hall.
She’d clean it up later. Right now, she needed—
wanted
—Cael more than she’d ever wanted anything.
He stared into her eyes as he walked, and his erection barely hitting her core drove her insane with want.
In the bedroom, he fell onto the bed, hovering over her so he wouldn’t crush her. His muscles bulged on his thick frame. He was pure raw power. Intimidating. Demanding. And yet…
He kissed her, his tongue dipping in for the briefest moment.
“I need to taste you, Isa.” His voice was a tortured plea. “Let me?”
Her heart grew ten sizes at his consideration. He knew things were still raw inside, emotionally. The wounds of her life hadn’t yet formed scars. And even overcome with desire, he cared enough to make sure she was right there with him.
And she was. God, she was.
“You never have to ask,” she whispered. “I’m yours. Because I want to be.”
His eyes softened. “You amaze me.” Cael nuzzled her neck, kissing softly. “Simply amaze me.”
Besh’s eyes fluttered closed as she tipped her head back, giving him better access. His hand came up to cover her breast, kneading and teasing her nipple. He kissed his way down her body until he reached her other breast, giving that one attention using his hot mouth.
She moaned when his lips closed around the tightened tip, arching her back for more. His hand slipped around behind her crushing her closer to his kiss. She bucked her hips, instinctively, needing some relief from the delicious ache between her legs.
“Not yet, Isa,” he murmured. “I’m taking my time with you.”
At a torturous pace, he teased his way over her body, nipping at her ribs, dragging his lips along her belly.
“Your skin is delicious,” he rasped.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders. She bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry out.
Cael moved lower, running his nose slowly along the crease of her thigh. “Your scent, baby…
fuck
.”
He spread her legs wide and sat back to look at her. His heated gaze, as he zeroed in on her core, set her on fire. Cael licked his lips with single-minded focus. He flicked his eyes to hers once before he dove in for a taste.
The first lick was a shock to her system. She let out a strangled gasp. But he didn’t stop. With one hand flat on her stomach and the other spreading her wide for his mouth, he worked his tongue against her folds. First softly, then relentlessly.
“Ahh.”
She couldn’t keep quiet. Her wolf writhed at the sensation of his tongue on her flesh. Her mate. Her
real
mate. He was
hers
. Only hers. If anyone ever tried to take him away…
Looking down, she saw his head moving and it brought her closer to the edge. His hair hung forward, covering his face. She reached down to sweep it aside so she could better see, because god, it was amazing. But Cael snarled against her wetness and she jerked her hand back.
“Mine,” he growled, and then went back to licking and sucking.
“I want to see,” she argued.
He paused, and she wanted to tell him never mind, keep going. But then he grabbed her hand and moved it to his head. Besh moved his hair, and the site of his mouth on her almost sent her flying. But then on the next lick, he met her eyes, watching her every reaction to him.
It was the single most erotic thing she’d every experienced in her life.
The sensations were too much. The seeing, the feeling, the needing. She exploded, coming apart inside and falling back together in a pile at Cael’s feet. A confetti cannon. Or a glitter bomb. It didn’t really matter. She floated to the ground feeling happy and whole and safe. Everything she needed.
But the best part was, they weren’t done.
***
His wolf went crazy. Isabesh’s arousal on his lips was fucking divine. Her orgasm on his tongue? There were no words miraculous enough.
He held her hips while she jerked haphazardly against his mouth. So beautiful. So fucking gorgeous.
She moaned a low, whimpering sound that made him feel like he owned the world. He’d done that. Pleasured her so much she was helpless.
When she went totally limp, he rushed up to kiss her lips. “Oh no, baby. I’m not done with you yet. We’ve got years to make up for.” He pulled her earlobe between his lips, sucking, grazing it with his teeth.
“Cael,” she breathed.
“I love your lips when they same my name.” He fused his mouth to hers, rolling onto his back and taking her with him.
She gasped, pulling back and staring into his eyes.
“Please, Isa. Don’t make me wait.”
Her eyes went wide and a tiny little coy smile slipped onto her face as she dragged her nails lightly down his chest. “Oh, but didn’t you make me wait?”
Holy shit. Her teasing him was about the sexiest and most frustrating thing he’d ever experienced. It took all his strength not to toss her on her back and pound into her.
She kissed his chest, rubbing her cheek against his pebbled nipple. “Didn’t you say you wanted to take your time?”
She inched downward.
“Well, I do too.”
And farther. Was she doing what he thought she was doing? The mere idea made him feverish. Lower she went, dragging her lips and hands along the way until his erection bobbed in her vision. Cael clenched the sheets in his fist. If she put his cock in her luscious mouth, he’d rip the damn things.
She took him in one hand, and
shit
, he was wound too tight for this. Her touch felt too good. Bending, her damp blond strands fell over his tensed abs as she ran the tip of her tongue around his head.
Pleasure like nothing he’d ever had before, ripped through him. His wolf bowed to her. His alpha wolf surrendered completely. He was hers. Hook, line, and motherfucking sinker.
Then she did it. She parted those pouty lips and took him in.
Cael’s eyes rolled back in his head.
Mine
. His wolf roared, and he agreed.
He placed a shaky hand on her head to stop the torturously slow rhythm she’d created. “I need to be inside you
now
.”
She slowly crawled back up his body until she straddled his waist. Too slow. He’d die if he didn’t find home soon. Isabesh braced her hands on Cael’s chest and rocked upward to taunt him more, but the hunger in her eyes told him she needed him buried deep inside just as bad as he did.
He effortlessly lifted her hips, placing her at the tip of his erection. All she had to do was take him. She rocked down and her breath caught as the first of him slid inside. Cael clenched his jaw, determined to let her have her way. She lowered herself, taking all of him, and the resulting growl split the room. His fingers gripped her ass, urging her to move.
“Amazing,” she whispered. “This is…”
Cael watched her breasts as she found a rhythm. The tips jutted out, demanding his attention. He leaned up to suck one into his mouth, and was gifted with a guttural moan.
Oh, yes. Oh, fucking yes. She was close again. He could feel her tightening around him.
“My wolf,” she purred. “Cael, my wolf, she…”
“What?”