Freedom in the Smokies (9 page)

Kaitlyn closed her eyes and smiled. She concentrated on his touch as he washed her body from top to bottom. Every nerve was alive. He turned her around until she faced the wall and soaped down her arms until his fingers tangled with hers. Only their hands touched, entwined. Even his cock didn’t bob against her rear as she would have expected.

When he lifted her arms up and placed them on the wall, she peered over her shoulder.

“Keep your palms there. Don’t move them.” His command sent a chill down her spine even in the heat of the shower stall. What this man could do to her with words was incredible. His voice made her body hum.

She chewed on her lip and spread her fingers against the tile when he nudged her legs apart. “Just feel.”

Hands wandered around her waist and up to encircle her breasts. Her nipples hardened and strained forward. Micah squeezed the globes simultaneously and then pinched her nipples, long enough for the bliss to cross over into a kind of pleasure/pain that sent a bolt of lightning through her.

“Oh God. That feels so good.”
Why am I turned on by this?
Kaitlyn never would have pegged herself as someone who would enjoy a bit of pain.

His palms left her breasts and traveled down toward her pussy. He spread her wider with both sets of fingers. Water ran between her legs. When Micah pulled her clit hood back, exposing the throbbing nub to the cascade of water, she almost came.

Her fingers gripped the slick wall, unable to get purchase. As her hands slipped, she leaned forward. She placed her forehead against the wall and her nipples grazed the cool tile, making them harden further.

She gasped for breath when Micah plunged a finger into her sheath. She bucked toward him.
“Please.”
Her silent plea rang in her head. She couldn’t speak out loud. Her mouth wouldn’t move.

Micah nestled his cock between her legs, taunting her.

“You’d be too sore, baby.” He kissed her neck and ran his tongue along the length of her tight muscles. “Just enjoy.”

“Fuck that.” When she twisted her head to one side, her cheek smashed into the wall. “Micah, don’t you dare leave me like this. I need you.”

He chuckled. “I’ll never leave you, baby. I’m gonna make you come so hard and so often, you’ll forget life even existed before we mated. But I don’t want to hurt you.”

She shook her head, as much as possible against the tile. “Don’t even go there.” She lifted up onto her toes, forcing his dick tighter against her pussy. He had to be practically stooping to maintain that position. “Inside, now. I’m not that fragile.”

The groan behind her filled the shower. He leaned his forehead on her shoulder and mumbled into her skin. “You make it very hard to be chivalrous.”

“The important thing is that I make it
hard
. Now use that hardness to fill me.”

One second she was smashed against the wall, exchanging sexual banter, the next she was spun in a quarter turn until she faced the built-in shower seat.

“Put your hands on the bench.” His voice was gravelly.

Her pussy grew wetter, though who would know it under the waterfall?

“I can smell your arousal amping up.” His hands smoothed down her back until he grasped her ass cheeks. He kneaded them several times and then spread them wider.

Kaitlyn shivered. Her most private entrance was revealed to his gaze.

“God, you’re hot. I love having you like this, spread out for me like a feast. Shaking with need and the thrill of the unknown. I hope I can always keep you on your feet, so to speak, anticipating my next move and pulsing with desire. It’s humbling, sexy and empowering all at once.”

His voice soothed her. Words continued to tumble out of his mouth, but she couldn’t hear them. All her brain cells concentrated on what he did with his hands. His fingers rimmed her forbidden hole while pressure and the need to come built. She laid her head against her hands, forcing her ass to be higher than her chest.

Her body betrayed her, begging him to take her any way he pleased, as long as he did so soon.

“Patience…”

This telepathy thing was going to be a pain in her ass.

As soon as the thought left her mind unbidden, Micah pushed a finger into her tight rear hole. “What was that you thought, baby?”

Kaitlyn tensed. But it wasn’t so bad. No way could he push his cock in there, but one finger wasn’t bad.

“Don’t worry. You’re a long way from anything like that. Just feel. Let me take care of you. I can feel your heart rate increasing, smell your arousal. Relax and let me make you feel good.”

“Could you get out of my head?” she whispered.

“Nope. And don’t worry. I’ve heard it’s very difficult to block each other when mating. Your emotions fall out all over for me to see.” While he murmured the words, his finger twisted in her ass.

She concentrated hard on his sentences, hoping that would keep her from coming. His touch should not be eliciting such a lack of control on her part.

“You like that?” He slipped a second finger in, not waiting for a response. “God, that’s hot. Your ass is so fucking tight… I thought your pussy was tight… Your ass is going to grip me like a vise.” He emphasized each phrase with a twist of his wrist, his fingers teasing her until she held her breath to keep from coming.

“Come for me, Kait. I want you to come from this pressure inside your back hole. Come, so I’ll know you loved it.”

She might have been able to hold off for a few more seconds, but when his other palm pressed firmly on her clit, she shattered. Her orgasm pulsed through her, her pussy gripping at nothing. All the attention centered on the spots both behind and in front of her clenched sex.

Even as the orgasm subsided, she was not sated. “Micah,” she begged.

In one breath, he released her clit, removed his fingers from her ass and slammed into her pussy with his rigid length.

Kaitlyn screamed. Sensations overwhelmed her, making her knees buckle. It didn’t matter. Micah held her up while he plunged into her again and again.

He spoke into her mind.
“So tight. So hot. So fucking perfect, baby.”
Even through the telepathic line of communication she could hear his clenched jaw. Was that even possible?

He groaned aloud, a noise that increased with each thrust. Kaitlyn bit her lip to keep from coming again, but it was no use. Her pussy grasped his cock and wouldn’t let go. She milked him with her tight walls, squeezing so hard she forced him to come with her.

His orgasm was so strong she could feel him coming against her cervix.

When he finally slowed and then stopped, she thanked God he held on to her waist. She would have collapsed to the floor otherwise.

Warm water still sluiced over her, tumbling off him and over her back. His cock finally popped out of her.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, baby.” He lifted her upright, his arms wrapping around her under hers, supporting her—both emotionally and physically.

She leaned back into his hard chest.

“Thank God you talked your way into a job here. And to think I chewed my family out royally for hiring someone. I don’t think I was even living until tonight.”

Kaitlyn turned her body to face him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Perfection. They fit together like a single vine intertwining its way up the side of a building.

Micah grabbed the liquid soap behind her and somehow managed to get them both bathed without breaking much contact. She couldn’t bring herself to let go, partially because she hated the idea of not touching him and partially because she didn’t trust her legs to hold her up.

“I think we’re good. Let’s get out of here before we slither down the drain.” He guided her out the shower door, flipping the water off on the way.

The room was cool after the long, hot shower, but it felt good against her heated skin.

After grabbing two towels, Micah tossed her one and went to work rubbing his skin dry. Even that simple act was sexual when he did it. His thighs bulged with muscles; his hair lay in tousled disarray across his forehead. She’d never seen anyone so damn sexy.

When they were both left with just damp hair, he tugged her back to the bedroom. “It’s late. Let’s sleep. Your…George will be here in the morning.”

As soon as her body relaxed into the mattress, Micah pulled her back against his chest. The sensation seeping into her was of being treasured, secure… She tried to relax every muscle and let sleep tug her under, but questions swarmed in her head.

“What do you think happened outside earlier?” she whispered into the darkness. She’d gotten so distracted by her mate’s physique, she’d temporarily forgotten the horse incident. “Aren’t you worried? Isn’t it obvious someone let the horses out? Who would do that? It’s frightening.” She shivered and he squeezed her tighter.

“Don’t worry.” He kissed her temple. “I don’t think there is any immediate threat.”

“Why do you say that?”

Several seconds passed. Kaitlyn listened to Micah’s breathing as it slowed. Had he fallen asleep?

Finally he cleared his throat. “Remember earlier I mentioned that wolf shifters aren’t the only creatures out there.”

“Yes. You failed to expound.”

Micah fiddled with a lock of her hair, his fingers rubbing through the strands. “We can easily guess who let the horses out. The guy’s name is Keeton McKinney. He’s toying with us. He did that to let us know he could. If he’d wanted to kill us or harm anyone tonight, he’d have done so.”

“Seriously?” She twisted in his arms to look into his eyes. “A man is trying to kill you and you’re going to sleep right now?” No longer tired, Kaitlyn sat and faced Micah.

He smiled at her. “My brothers are taking turns on watch. You heard them. We’re fine. Trust me.” He tugged her toward him, but she didn’t budge.

“Who is this McKinney guy? Some other paranormal creature?”

“Yes.” He stared into her eyes. Even in the darkness of the room, the beam of light from the moon allowed her to see his penetrating gaze.

“Mind elaborating?” What did she have to do to get some more information out of this stubborn man?

Micah took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “He’s a vampire, baby.” He rubbed her back with one hand as he spoke. “He’s the reason I was so irate my family had hired you. We don’t need anyone else involved with us. It puts unnecessary risk on yet another human.” His words were steady, his palm circling her naked back.

Kaitlyn bounced back a few inches, squirming to dislodge his hand. The soothing motions were incongruent with her current feelings, and she wanted him to stop coddling her.

“Are you kidding?” She narrowed her gaze at him. His hand fell to her lap. “How can you lie there and calmly explain there is a blood-sucking demon out there and you think he’s going to suck the life out of me? And your immediate plan is to sleep?” She glanced down, realized her state of undress and grabbed the sheet from her lap to cover her chest.

Micah sighed. His gaze fell to her lap. “I’m sorry. Now you know why I was so angry when I met you. I didn’t want
any
new person involved in this, let alone my mate. It scares the fuck out of me to think this asshole might get his hands on you.” He gripped her thigh as he spoke. “You’re now the single most important thing in my life. I’d sooner die than have anything happen to you. Believe that.”

She did. The pain of this choice was etched in the lines around his eyes. His serious expression frightened her. This was real. For the first time in twelve years, someone wanted her, really wanted her. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. It felt good. Right.

“Why did your family let me take this job?” she muttered.

“Because they realized from your passion that you were determined. If they hadn’t let you stay, you’d have found another farm nearby to hire you. That idea was even worse. At least if you’re here with us we can protect you. A new woman on her own, working in the area, could be a target for McKinney. It wasn’t a chance my brothers and their mates were willing to take.”

“I see.” She slouched, relaxing her shoulders.

“Please, lie down. Let me hold you. McKinney is planning something. That’s true. But he isn’t going to act tonight. It’s not his style. He has a flare for the dramatic. He hates us on an unimaginable level, deep in his soul. Whatever he has in mind, it will be ugly… As much as I wished to protect you from this vampire, you’re here now, and I’d sooner cut off my arm than let you go.” He gave a half smile and pulled her down.

She went limp against him, chest to chest, too stunned to argue and consumed with the need to be wrapped again in his embrace. His heart beat against her. Her own also thumped at an inordinately rapid pace.

She closed her eyes. What the hell was going on here?

“I will do anything and everything in my power to keep you safe. We do have to be on alert, however. The vamp is getting stronger. He’s somehow developed new powers. He was demonstrating them here tonight. Testing us. Showing us. Teasing us, essentially.

“He’s never been this close to us. We’ve always scented him from farther away and chased him off. For whatever reason, he has managed to block that ability from us. Now we have to regroup and figure out how to take him down. He has to have a weakness somewhere. There is a cost for his power. It takes energy to block three wolves from smelling him. As soon as we figure out what that currency is, we’ll exploit it.” Micah hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.