Guarding Mari (4 page)

She turned her attention back to the packing and tried her best to ignore the bed and the guy she wanted to get into it with. “I’ve been better.” She quickly finished. Her heart picked up its pace as he walked into her room.

“There’s something else that we need to talk about. It probably a good idea to get it out of the way now, before we get into the car.”

“Oh, God, you’re not going to tell me that the Easter Bunny exists, are you? There’s only so much I can take in one day.”

He laughed again and Mari promptly forgot how to breathe. When he laughed, he seemed lighter, younger. “No, the Easter Bunny doesn’t exist. There are rabbit shifters, but they don’t generally deliver chocolate eggs.” The amusement died down, but the effects didn’t. His eyes were bigger, a more vivid shade of green. “I can smell your desire.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied. She shoved the last item of clothes and a picture of her parents in her bag. How the hell did she explain this to them? Daniel moved around the bed. His body a solid pressure behind her, heat came off him in waves. It reminded her of standing too close to a furnace.

“I can also tell that you’re lying.” Her body ached from craving his touch. The way his voice traveled over her made her shiver. “It’s one of the benefits of having heightened senses. When you shift for the first time, you’ll notice it, too.”

She turned around. “And what would I smell on you?” He was so close she could see the flecks of dark gold in his eyes. His scent caressed her like a physical touch, incredibly sexy and comforting all at the same time.

His gaze drifted down to her lips. “You’d smell the same thing. I want you, and I’m not going to deny it.” He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip and her knees went weak. “I want to know if these lips are as soft as they look.”

Control slipped from her fingers, but she didn’t care anymore. As soon as she’d laid eyes on him, even with John Doe—Ryback—threatening her life, she’d been intrigued, captivated. “Then why don’t you find out?” she challenged him.

Slowly he moved his hand, cupped her cheek, still rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip, and a moan escaped her. How could one simple touch feel so erotic? How could it feel so right? She barely knew him, but he’d saved her life. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

“You’re a very dangerous woman. I’ve never met one who broke my focus like you do.” He closed the small distance between them, brushing his lips against hers. The kiss started slowly, soft against her parted lips, and she melted against him. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It wasn’t her first, but it was definitely the best. Intimate and sweet. A part of her craved more, needed it as much as her next breath.

He slowly nibbled on her bottom lip until she opened her lips, letting him sweep his tongue inside. Her arms snaked around his neck and he dropped all pretense of leisurely exploration. Quickly there was nothing between them but a few clothes. She wasn’t touching enough of him; she needed to feel bare skin under her hands. As she reached under his T-shirt, he pulled away.

“We better leave.” He muttered the words against her lips, bringing her back to earth with a thud.

She pulled away, breathless, turned around, and zipped up her bag. She took her time, trying to school her face into something that resembled calm. That had been one hell of a kiss and everything she’d thought that it would be. If it had continued, there was no doubt in her mind they would have ended up in bed, with him slipping into her like a hot knife through butter. She’d been in a constant state of arousal since she’d met him and now she knew he could smell it.
How am I supposed to get through the next few days without jumping his bones?

They ended up getting a motel room with an Internet connection. While Mari showered, Daniel borrowed her laptop to look over the files about Ryback saved on the compound’s servers. He also sent off an email to Adam asking him to send someone else to track the rogue until he could take over again. He deliberately didn’t go into too much detail. The woman in the shower was a complication he’d rather explain in person. Daniel hadn’t been lying about leaving Mari somewhere safe. With her wolf waiting in the wings to make an appearance, every sense and desire would be bubbling beneath the surface. It wouldn’t be safe for her, for either of them.

Why did he kiss her? The question he’d been avoiding since it happened popped into his mind, unwelcome. In the near silence of the motel room, the truth glared at him. He couldn’t stop himself. Kissing her had made his wolf rear up and nip at his mental heels. Mari was his mate. His wolf knew it, and Daniel had to accept it. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to believe it.

Most wolves prayed for the day they found their mate, but he’d never been one of them. When he became the pack’s hunter, he’d known it was a dangerous job. Any assignment could be his last. It wasn’t a life suited to mates and cubs. At the time, he’d been fine with the choice. His instant reaction to Mari shook him to his very core. The kiss sealed it. It took every ounce of his strength to stop the kiss before it went too far.

She’d gone through a lot. Only a completely dick gave her more to deal with than she could handle. They needed to get to the pack before she shifted. The first change was always the hardest. She needed an alpha to guide her through it.

The thought didn’t make him very happy.

Why don’t I do it? I could
.

He’d already suspected he’d been developing alpha tendencies, but he’d never guided a wolf through their first change before. Calling on the mate bond to encourage the change should be enough. The only difference between a mate and an alpha was the experience. Mari walked out of the bathroom, her fresh, clean scent mixed with the essence of coconut from the shower gel she’d used filling his nose. He was screwed, he thought, as his cock came to life inside his pants. Daniel didn’t turn around, but listened as she opened her suitcase and her towel dropped to the floor.

Was she trying to make him insane? The urge to turn around nearly overwhelmed him. Daniel might have only known her for a day or so, most of which she’d been unconscious, but her wolf danced just beneath her skin. He doubted she liked to tease. As a doctor, she’d been serious, but the kiss had unleashed something inside of her. Something he wanted to explore and coax to the surface.

Her desire peppered the air. Muffled slightly when she pulled clothes on. Waiting until it was safe, he glanced over his shoulder. With a towel in her hands, she sat on the bed and dried her hair. A plain dark blue T-shirt and grey jogging pants shouldn’t have been sexy, but, on her, they were. He wanted to peel back the layers to caress the curves hidden underneath. Daniel bit back a groan.

“How are you feeling?” He didn’t turn around, since it was impossible to hide the effect she had on him. With shallow breaths, he tried to get himself under control. Unfortunately, his body didn’t want to listen, more ready and willing than it had ever been. The last thing he needed to do was confuse the situation.
Then you shouldn’t have kissed her in the first place, you moron. She’s ours. We need to help her
.

“Better. I think the shower helped. Where are we heading?”

“Rocky Mountains. The pack’s there. It’ll take a few days.” He glanced back down at the laptop, needing to focus on anything but her. “You can get some sleep on the bed if you want. We’ll be leaving early in the morning.”

“I can’t sleep. I’m too wired.” She moved restlessly behind him. “It’s like I’ve drunk six cups of coffee. Is this what it feels like to be a wolf?”

It took weeks for an infected human to connect with their wolf. She’d reached that point quickly. Had their mating helped? The hairs lifted on the back of his neck as he heard her approach him. If she touched him, he’d be lost. He leaned forward, his elbows on the table, trying to create more distance between them. He needed to let his wolf out, go for a run and burn some of the restless energy coiled inside of him, but he didn’t want to leave her. “Yeah, your progress is happening quickly. It’s incredible, really.”

Her fingers brushed against the back of the chair. Daniel swore he could feel it like she touched him.

“What can I expect next?”

“Every touch, sound, and smell will be heightened. After your first shift, you’ll have to find a balance between both halves of you.” Her fingers touched his shoulder, and his heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing, Mari?”

She hesitated. “What do you mean?”

“The kiss we shared. It’s the start. What’s between us is going to bubble like water in a pot, overflowing. The need will grow until I’m stripping you out of those clothes, and tasting the wetness between your legs. We’ve barely touched, and I’m as hard as a boy about to lose his virginity for the first time.”

Her breath caught. The scent of her desire grew heavier. “Is this normal?”

A laugh escaped him. There was no point in sugar-coating it. The doctor was strong. She’d be able to handle it. “No, only when you meet your mate.”

“What do you mean, mate?”

He didn’t blame her for the disbelief in her voice. Daniel stood, and her hand fell off his shoulder, and she skimmed it down his back. As he moved in front of her, her eyes drifted down to his pants and widened slightly. “The simplest way to explain it is, I’m yours, forever. It’s more complicated than that but there will be plenty of time to talk about it. There is only one thing I need to know, do you trust me?”

Her gaze searched his. “You saved my life. I would be an idiot not to trust you and I’m not an idiot.”

He trailed his hands up her arms, enjoying the feel of a shiver traveling through her. “I wanted to take this slow but we need to solidify the bond, then when your first change hits, I can help you through it. In the case of a wolf that used to be human, the person who infected them handles the first change. It’s usually a strong bond but the mate bond eclipses it.”

She let out a heavy sigh. “Thank God for that, I would rather die than let Ryback help me.”

He brushed a kiss against her lips. “It won’t come to that. I promise.”

***

When did it become near impossible to breathe? There was something mesmerizing and calming about the way he touched her. The inner turmoil inside of her went quiet. She had a mate? Only a few days ago it would have been impossible to believe it existed, a world of mates and werewolves. Now it made a twisted sort of sense. When he touched her she felt safe like nothing could hurt her. The man in front of her wouldn’t allow it.

“What do we need to do?” Even as the words left her lips she already knew the answer. The colors in his eyes were completely drowned out by a solid black. She stepped closer to him, breathing in his scent. It filled every part of her putting her body on edge. “You smell so good. No man should smell as good as you.”

She shivered as he brushed kisses against the corner of her lips leaving them aching with need. “I’m really not worthy of you.” What did he mean by that? He was exactly what she needed and wanted but he nibbled at her bottom lip before kissing her fully.

They stumbled back until they fell onto the bed. A twist of bodies and she fell onto him, he caught her, cushioning her against his chest. He cupped her face, and she couldn’t look away as he closed the short distance. A moan escaped her. Nothing felt as right as that moment. She reached down brushing her fingers at the sides of his jeans, a hard ridge pressed against her and her heart fluttered in her chest.

With a quick tug her T-shirt went up and over her head, quickly discarded on the floor. She moved against him, a roll of her body touching him a primal way. She needed to feel every part of him.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” She whispered against his lips. With urgent fingers she unclasped his jeans and pushed them down, brushing her hands over the curve of his butt. He kicked them off and got to work on hers. A warm heat that engulfed her quickly replaced the cold air.

Mari went onto her side, facing him as he hooked one of her legs over his hip. She broke the kiss and buried her head into the crook of his neck. Tiny moans escaped her as he brushed his fingers down the curve of her spine, to the wetness between her thighs.

“Oh, Daniel.” She groaned out his name as he rubbed the cluster of nerves between her legs. His hard length pressed against her thigh.

“You are perfect, Mari. This is what it’s supposed to be like.” He whispered the words in her ear. “I never thought I would have this. I never thought I would find you.”

“You certainly have a way with words.” Sex with a virtual stranger and
it feels so right
.

“That’s not the only thing I’ve gotten away with.”

Mari giggled as she ended up on her back gazing up into his eyes. His mouth engulfed hers in a fiery kiss that should have set fire to the bed sheets. A gentle roll of his hips and she moved her legs apart, allowing him access. Her whole body ached. She wanted to feel every part of him. When he slowed, she groaned. He broke contact with her lips and worked his way down her body, lighting her up with a fresh wave of tension.

Oh God
…. Her thoughts descended into incoherence as he teased her to the edge and back with his tongue. She grabbed onto the bed sheets shuddering and crying out his name. A soft nip against the cluster of nerves and her spiraled into oblivion. Fabric ripped as her back arched. Finally Daniel made his way back up her body creating a path of kisses, sucking and teasing her nipples until he reached her lips again. His cock hung heavy between her legs.

“Did you enjoy that?”

She tried to open her eyes but instead peeked out from under her lashes. “You want to be rated?”

He grinned down at her. “No, the way you came told me you liked it.” Her cheeks burnt as she tasted herself on his lips. He nudged at her with his cock, and then slowly worked his way inside of her, stretching and filling her completely. A slight difference in texture made her realize he’d already slipped a condom on. “Forever.” The husky words sent shivers down her spine. “You have all of me, and you always will.”