Vivian Arend - Granite Lake Wolves 2 (11 page)

“Right. Unless you’re looking to develop strong foliage and bright green leaves.”

TJ sniffed the pot. “I thought it smelt exotic…”

The sound of hushed voices faded away behind the much louder sound of her

heart pounding as blood rushed past her ears. Missy pulled herself upright and

stared at the door of the bedroom.

Was he really here?

The door swung open and Missy bit back a small cry as Tad shuffled into the

room, his skin pale, dark circles under his eyes. His scent flowed ahead of him and

washed over her like a cool breeze, and for the first time since he’d left her Missy

took a full breath.

“Hey.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Hey.”

They stared at each other. Missy took in every change in his breathing, every

change in his expression, as he watched her for what seemed like the longest

time. Just being in the same room with him eased the pain a little, the closeness

filling her with the hope she wouldn’t be deserted.

Then her breath caught in her throat and she gave a little sob. Maybe he was

going to tell her he couldn’t be with her and—

Tad stepped closer. “Missy, stop. It’s going to be okay. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

He was right next to the bed now. She could reach and touch him if she tried. She

dropped her gaze away and clutched her fingers together.

The bed dipped as Tad sat and Missy’s traitorous body leaned toward him in her

need. Their shoulders brushed and the connection flared, the numbness erased

from the edges inward as they touched for the first time in days. She couldn’t

stop the rasping breath or the tears that started to fall, and then she was in his

arms and it was all right.

Not all right like when the natural wolves helped save Tad from freezing. Not all

right like when she managed to find her way to the one gas station on the

highway operated by wolves so she could shift and ask for help before collapsing.

All right as in he was there and he was touching her, his fingers gentle as they

traced the back of her neck, pulling curls free from her ponytail. His mouth

touched her cheek and kissed away the tears while he murmured his apologies

against her skin, soft like rose petals.

Tad pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. He kissed her, a tender brush

of his lips on hers before looking deep into her eyes.

“I had no idea.”

Missy nodded. The sweet sensation of his thumb caressing her cheekbone eased

her sorrow. She closed her eyes to let the comfort of being back together with her

mate soothe the raw nerves, the broken pieces inside.

“Missy, I need to tell you. I mean, I want to ask you.” Tad choked on his words

and she flicked up her lashes to see his tear-filled eyes. The golden flecks within

were larger than before as his wolf fought to rise to the surface. She smiled

encouragement at him. “I don’t want this only for tonight. Just for FirstMate. I’ll

understand if you find your real mate and need to leave someday, but I’ve

decided if I can’t have you, I don’t want anyone else.”

Missy scrambled to find her voice. “What are you saying, Tad?”

“I want to marry you. Not as a wolf but as a human. I know it’s quick.” He

brushed his thumb over her lips. “I think I’ve been in love with you since we were

teenagers. I just didn’t realize it until a couple of days ago.” He dropped his head

to rest his cheek against hers.

Missy’s heart swelled as the last of her fears disappeared. She knew they were

true mates. For Tad to be willing to commit without that knowledge…

She kissed him.

Kissed his forehead and brushed her fingers over the worry lines to smooth them.

Kissed his eyes, the corners of his mouth and along the firm length of his jawbone

all the way to his neck. She planted small butterfly kisses up to his ear to whisper

her answer.

“Yes. I love you.”

He wrapped her in his arms for another moment, his torso shaking as he took an

uneven breath. When he released her he was smiling.

“Good. I love you too.”

Missy licked her lips.

“Oh no. That’s what started this mess.” Tad shook his head and covered her

mouth with his hand. “I’ve got strict instructions about what we need to do, well,

before we do anything.”

Missy licked the center of his palm, let her eyes show how much she wanted him.

“You are making this hard, Missy.”

“That’s the idea, Tad.” Missy giggled softly, her throat still raw, her body tight.

But the pain eased. He was with her. He said he loved her. Her heart melted a tiny

bit more.

Tad undid his robe and let it fall to the floor. He pulled off his T-shirt in one

motion, and Missy stared in admiration as he stripped off his boxers to stand

naked in front of her. He was thinner than most wolves, with hard, wiry muscles.

A faint trail of dark curls started at his bellybutton and descended to the juncture

of his legs where his cock rose, firm and erect, already weeping with desire.

“Take off your clothes, Missy,” Tad said as his hand dropped to circle his erection.

Missy watched, fascinated as he stroked from root to tip, a steady motion that

made her knees weak. “Missy? I need you naked.”

He needed her naked? Missy threw back the quilt with her hands and shoved it

aside with her feet while she shimmied the oversized shirt she wore over her

head and dropped it to the floor. In three seconds flat, she was naked and ready

for him.

“Still no bra or panties? Hell, woman.”

Missy leaned against the headboard to watch Tad prowl his way onto the bed. He

crawled on his hands and knees until he knelt beside her. He picked her up and

placed her on his lap, trapping her between the wall and his body.

“I’m sorry, Missy. Because I messed things up we have to—”

Missy covered his lips with her hand. “Tad, no more apologies. I love you.”

He sucked her fingertips into his mouth and teased them with his tongue, his

mouth hot and greedy as he took control. He kissed her, firm and demanding, his

tongue sweeping without pause as need poured off him. Tad’s mouth remained

on hers and her hands slipped over his shoulders. She massaged the strands of

muscle under her fingers, loving the way their skin sparked where they touched.

She felt him stroke his erection. Brushing aside his fingers, she circled his length

with her own grasp. Tad pulled away from the kiss, his head falling back as his

breathing increased in tempo.

“That feels so incredible, your hands on my cock. I want to touch you too. You

know that, don’t you?”

“Soon. Let me help you first.” He needed release before they truly started. She

brought her mouth back to his, savoring the taste of him on her tongue even as

she burned for the velvet steel under her fingers. She stroked, rubbing the

moisture that rose to the slit of his cock over him to ease the glide of her fingers

down his length again and again, until he jerked in her hand. His lips froze for a

moment against her mouth. The heat of his seed washed her belly and thighs

where his ejaculate landed. He whispered her name, so soft and loving, tears

came to her eyes.

Missy pressed a hand on his shoulder to direct him to his back. She straddled his

waist and stared him in the eyes as she traced her fingers through the semen left

on her skin, rubbing it in like a fine lotion.

“Holy Toledo, Missy. The sounds you’re making are killing me.”

Too caught up in sensory overload she didn’t realize she’d made any noise. Scent

rose between them like the most exquisite perfume, flowing in streams and

linking them together into a new combination. She reached down and grasped his

hands, kissed his knuckles, nipped at his fingers before lowering them to cup her

breasts.

Tad was the one groaning as he lifted their weight in his palms. Missy smirked at

the expression of sheer delight on his face. Men and breasts. Tad gazed at her

with a fascination similar to the one he’d shown while admiring her truck.

But not quite. This had more adoration involved.

He touched her gently, rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefingers

until they peaked, hard and sensitive. His cock rose behind her, the wet slit

nudging against her backside. Tad caressed her with his strong hands, brushing in

big circles and small circles until she thought she’d go mad.

Tad rolled her off, placed her on her back and dropped his head.

“I need to taste all of you, Missy.” He lowered his mouth to her breast and licked.

One hand snuck down to cover her mound, fingers parting her curls to slip into

her sheath and circle around her clit. While his fingers continued to dance, his

mouth suckled and nipped, lapping at her nipples until they were dark red against

her body.

He kissed her. His mouth hot and demanding as his fingers continued to play her

like a fine instrument. Every stroke, every touch, brought Missy more and more

alive as the cold seeped away like a spring thaw settling over the land. The

tension in her core grew higher as Tad added another finger to tease and touch.

He curled around her tighter, his rigid cock pressed into her thigh, their bodies

aligning and touching skin to skin.

More than the mere touch of his hands and mouth, his heartbeat and his

emotions began to join with hers and connect them. Intimately. Completely. A

deep connection of passions and needs, fears and hopes. It was the most

intoxicating feeling, and Missy opened herself up as much as possible to enjoy the

sensation. A flash of desire rolled over her and she climaxed, her sheath pulling at

his fingers as he rubbed and stroked.

Tad covered her with his body, the hard head of his cock tunneling into her pussy

as it continued to pulse. He watched her face as he angled his hips and pushed,

his hardness gliding through her soft receptive passage. Tenderness shone in his

eyes as he pressed until he was buried in her warmth, hips tight together, bodies

one.

Around them the room faded until all she felt, all she saw was Tad. He was on her

and in her, stretching her and filling her. He was inside her heart as he cradled her

beneath him.

And then he was inside her head.

“I need you so much, Missy.”

He pulled his hips back with a slow draw over her sensitive tissues. Heightened

awareness of her body increased the pleasure as he sank in again. The head of his

shaft seemed to swell and press harder on the walls of her core on every stroke,

the heat of friction creating an inferno. Missy opened herself more, wrapped her

legs around his back, squeezing to add a jolt of pressure at the base of each of his

strokes.

The tempo increased and Tad thrust harder, his torso supported over her as they

connected only at the hips. It felt so good, so right, but Missy wanted more.

“Touch me with your body. I want to feel every—”

“Did you just talk in my head?”Tad broke stroke and hung suspended halfway

into her body. Missy protested, lifting her hips to finish the movement. She

grabbed his head and pulled him down, sweeping her tongue into his mouth

while she rocked her hips against him.

“Yes. Don’t stop. Oh please, Tad, I need more.”

He was on her like a wild thing, his body hard and touching every inch of her skin.

His mouth feasted, hands dragging her closer while he sank in hard and fast. Each

stroke drove her into the mattress. Missy scraped her fingernails down his back,

tangling her hands in his hair as she tried to help him deeper on every pulse. The

air disappeared from the room consumed by the heat of their lust. Missy cried out

as her body jolted over the precipice. Tad thrust once more and stilled, joining her

in release as his seed shot deep into her core and he groaned with pleasure.

Missy lost control of her emotions and a floodgate opened between them.

Every pain…erased.

Every sadness she’d felt, all her loneliness, all her fears. Washed away as Tad’s

strength flowed into her. His love rested on her body like a tangible object.

His frustrations of being denied releasing his wolf for so long crashed into her

heart, and she reached into him and soothed the pain away. They shared without

words. Their hopes, their dreams, emotions running high as they built an

unbreakable connection.

Tad held her close, their bodies still entwined. The sex was fantastic but this… No

one had told him his first time with another wolf would be this incredible.

“Missy?”
She stroked a hand over his face. The touch was intimate and gentle,

and he smiled at her.
“Does this mean what I think it means? Or is it a perk of

FirstMate I was never told about?”

Soft lips brushed his.
“It’s real. I told you we were mates.”

He paused for a moment. He had a mate. He was ready to dance on the rooftops

he was so excited.
“You did. I should have listened to you.”

Missy giggled. “You okay with this, Tad?”

His heart leapt. She was his and their mating was real, and Missy wanted to know

if he was okay with it?
Hell, yeah
. “So far beyond ‘okay’ my head is spinning. I

proposed to you. I meant it and now there’s no way that you’re ever getting away