Wolf from the Past: Salvation Pack, Book 4 (18 page)

“All the way,” he promised. Even if it killed him. Still, he’d die a happy man. Mostly, he wanted Sylvie to get used to his body. Touch him. Trust him.

She licked her lips and sat upright, pressing herself more firmly against his dick. Gator barely smothered the groan. He was obviously out of his mind to think he could last with her touching him.

“The first thing we need to do is get rid of these jeans.”

Gator practically tossed Sylvie off him and tore at the opening of his pants. The zipper came down and he gave a sigh of relief when his cock popped free from confinement. He shoved the fabric down his hips and kicked it away.

His relief was short-lived. Sylvie wrapped her hand around his hard length and pumped. He gritted his teeth even as his hips rose off the bed.

“You want me?”

Why was she even asking him such a thing? Wasn’t it obvious?

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to require an answer.

“You’re so hot and hard.” She let her hand fall to the base of his shaft before starting the slow journey upward. Then she rubbed her thumb over the flared head, spreading the moisture seeping from the tip.

Gator struggled for control. His chest expanded as he tried to draw oxygen into his starved lungs. His heart pounded. Blood rushed to his cock, making it swell and pulse.

He’d seen her naked before. Had made love to her earlier today. Neither of which dimmed the impact her nakedness had on him. He cupped her breasts, weighing the plump mounds in his palms. Her nipples were already tight buds of need. She whispered his name and leaned into his touch.

“I’m going to come.” There was no way he could wait any longer. He was surprised he’d lasted this damn long. He ached to fill her pussy, to feel her squeezing his cock with her wet heat.

Sylvie threw one leg over his body and settled over him. She gripped his cock and placed the head at the entrance of her channel. He gripped her hips and struggled not to drag her down on top of him.

As if she sensed his internal battle, she dropped down on his shaft. His dick pushed past her body’s initial resistance and he angled his hips upward. At the same time, he used his grip on her waist to pull her down. Her slick heat took all of him until she was sitting on his groin.

Both of them gasped and Sylvie leaned forward, pressing her hands against his chest. “Gator,” she moaned.

“Etienne,” he told her. “Call me by my real name.” No one other than his mother used his real name. He’d been called Gator for most of his life.

“Etienne,” she repeated. “Etienne.”

He reached between her spread thighs and found the sensitive bud at the apex of her sex. He rubbed her clit, willing her to come.

“Fuck. I’m coming,” he growled, unable to hold back any longer. She didn’t even have to move. Just being inside her and having her pussy tighten around him was enough to set him off. His cock jerked and his orgasm shot out of the tip, flooding her sex. The base of his shaft swelled, locking him inside her.

Sylvie moaned and rubbed against his hand. He pressed his thumb against her clit and she cried out. Her warmth flooded him and her inner muscles tightened around his shaft. He swore again and caught her when she collapsed against him.

Panting hard, he held her in his arms. Their bodies were heated, their skin slick with sweat. She snuggled close and he kissed the top of her head.

“That was a little faster than I’d planned on.” Honestly, it wasn’t his finest hour. He hadn’t lost it that fast since he was a teenager. At thirty-five, he’d thought he’d had more control over his body. Obviously, he’d been mistaken. Sylvie shredded his control and made it a joke.

“Hmm.” She rubbed her nose against his neck. “I don’t mind. We can always try again.”

Gator chuckled. The more time he spent with Sylvie the more he liked her. Yes, he was physically attracted to her. Yes, he’d loved her from afar for a big chunk of his life. But he hadn’t really known her until she’d shown up, a ghost from the past. She was sexy as hell, courageous, strong and resilient. She also had a playful side that appealed to him.

He stroked his hand down her delicate spine and cupped her ass. He gave it a squeeze. “You think so, do you?”

“Absolutely.” She kneaded her fingers against his chest. Even though he’d just come, his cock was still full. One of the perks of not being fully human. For right now, he was feeling relaxed and satisfied. Sylvie was in his arms—and seemed content to be there—and they were joined in the most intimate way. Life didn’t get much better.

“Can I ask you something?” Sylvie tilted her head back so she could see his face.

He dropped a kiss on her full lips because they were there. How could he resist? “Anything.”

“How did you get your nickname?”

Chapter Eighteen

“It’s not much of a story,” Gator warned her.

She sighed and kissed his jaw. He loved that she was so openly affectionate with him. “I never knew your name was Etienne. I always thought it was Gator.”

He shook his head. “No, I was born Etienne Rollins.”

“When did you become Gator?”

He sensed she needed some time before they made love again, needed the intimacy that only came from cuddling and conversation. He’d never been fond of that with other women, but with Sylvie he not only didn’t mind, he actually liked it.

He stroked her back, doing his best to ignore whenever his fingers rubbed against one of the many scars that resided there. Permanent reminders of how much she’d been hurt in the past. He loved that she let him touch them. That she snuggled closer against his chest.

Her trust made his heart swell with pride.

“I was about five or six, I guess. Not really sure of the exact age. Under seven for sure.” His daddy had told the story many times, but he’d always been vague about the age. “Apparently, I’d wandered off on my own.” More likely his daddy was supposed to be watching him but had simply forgotten. It wasn’t that the man didn’t care, just that he figured watching the kids was woman’s work. His daddy was real narrow in his thinking.

“What happened then?” Sylvie rubbed her hand over his chest and arm. He wasn’t sure she even realized she was doing it.

“The story goes I managed to stumble across a gator. Not a real big one, but still around six feet.”

“Oh my God.” Sylvie sat upright, driving herself deeper onto his hard cock. He hissed out a breath and she gasped.

He reached for her breasts but she caught his hands. “What happened then?”

As much as he wanted to forget the damn story and make love with her again, he knew from the expression on her face that wasn’t happening until she heard the whole tale. She was a stubborn little thing. He liked that.

“I don’t really remember the details. Daddy says that he heard the gator bellowing and me yelling and hurried to find me.”

He paused for effect and she squeezed his hands. “And?”

“And I had my arms wrapped tight around the gator’s jaws and was chewing on his face.”

“Really? You’re making that up,” she accused.

He shook his head. “Swear to God. Daddy didn’t want to startle me into letting go so he calmly walked over and used his bowie knife on the gator. After he’d killed the gator, he started yelling at me. By that time, Mama had heard the commotion and came running.”

“She must have been frantic.”

Gator shrugged. “Yeah, I remember a lot of yelling and screaming. Mama took me home and Daddy skinned the gator. After that day, my daddy started called me his little gator hunter. Eventually, it just shortened until everyone was calling me Gator.” One of the things he remembered the most was that his older brother had not been pleased with all the attention Gator had gotten. He and Alain had never been close after that day.

“That’s amazing.”

“Not really.” He locked his fingers with hers and rolled them across the big bed until she was under him. “This is amazing. You’re amazing.”

He pumped his hips. Once. Twice. Damn, but she was all hot and wet around his dick. “Do you know what I want to do to you?” He leaned down and kissed her before she could answer.

She opened her mouth and welcomed him. Made him feel like he was finally home. He hadn’t understood just how truly alone he felt until she’d shown up. Everything he’d ever wanted in life was right here in bed with him. If Pierre or Travis or any of them thought they were taking her from him, they were in for a rude surprise.

She tasted sweeter than honey. He swept his tongue over hers, both of their breathing getting faster and shallower with each passing second. He sucked on her plump bottom lip and lapped at the top one.

Even though he’d just had her, he was desperate to claim her, to put his mark on her. He growled and released her mouth and kissed a hot path down her throat. He forced himself not to linger. It would be too easy to let his fangs drop and mark her.

He wouldn’t betray her trust that way.

Instead, he turned his attention to her breasts. They were full and so responsive to his every touch. He nuzzled and lapped one pert nipple. Sylvie sighed and threaded her fingers through his hair.

He wanted nothing more than to keep going but figured he should warn her before they went any further. “You do realize your brother knows I’m in here. Hell, if he’s still awake, which he probably is, he knows what we’re doing.”

Sylvie tensed and then slowly released a breath. “I know you’re right, but I don’t care.”

Gator lifted his head and studied her expression. Small lines of worry creased the area between her eyes. He started to sit up but she used her grip on his hair to keep him where he was.

“I don’t want to cause any trouble between you and Armand,” he told her. “Well, no more than I already have.”

Sylvie gave a small laugh and shook her head. “So honest.”

“I try to be. Lying is just too much trouble.” And it didn’t change the facts. So why bother?

She let her fingers slip through his hair and released him. “I’ve lied.”

He sighed and caught one of her hands and brought it to his lips. “I know,
chère
, but only because you had no other choice.”

Her dark eyes begged for understanding. “I didn’t like lying.”

“It’s okay. You did what you had to in order to live. It’s understandable.” He hated that she was bothered so much by her past. He was fiercely glad she’d done whatever she’d had to do to survive.

The sad smile she gave him almost broke his heart. “Sorry to be such a buzz kill.” She pushed her hair away from her face. “Yeah, that really destroyed the mood.”

Gator withdrew from her and lowered her hand to his thick erection. “Nothing can make me stop wanting you.” He wanted her to understand, to know the truth of that. “Nothing,” he reiterated and carefully moved her hand away. Not one thing she’d done in her past made any difference to him. “You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

“Oh, Gator.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. He caught it on the tip of his finger and brought it to his lips. It was salty and warm.

“We can do whatever you want, Sylvie. We can settle down and I’ll hold you while we sleep. I can get dressed and leave you if that’s what you want.” And he prayed it wasn’t. “Or I can keep making love to you. Your choice.”

His cock jerked as if protesting the idea of leaving Sylvie.

The worry lines disappeared and her gaze softened. “You. I want you.”

Whatever she’d done in her life to deserve this moment, she was glad she’d done it. If living through the hell she had been through had been necessary to bring her to this place, then it was all worth it.

Gator—Etienne—was worth it.

She’d never known another man who moved her emotionally and had her panting for sexual release at the same time. He was, in a word, unique.

And he was hers.

“You’re sure?” he asked. Where earlier there had been sexual desire and caring in his gaze, now there was concern.

She didn’t bother answering with words. She reached down and gripped his thick cock and slid her hand up and down. He was slick and damp with her juices.

He groaned and grabbed her hand. “Not this time,” he told her. “I want to have some fun.” He playfully nipped at the tip of one of her fingers before releasing her hand.

She shuddered as sensation shot up her finger and traveled to the rest of her body. One tiny touch and her nipples were pulled tight and her pussy was throbbing again.

He growled low in his throat and lay flat on the mattress between her thighs. His broad shoulders pushed her legs wider. “You taste so good. Better than chocolate.” He glanced up at her. “And I love chocolate.”

Was she melting? She thought she must be. The way he looked at her and the things he said made her feel all soft and gooey inside. Gator was reaching inside her wounded heart and bringing it alive with his care and attention.

Her wolf trusted his. And that was everything. Unlike humans, werewolves lived by their instincts. Hers were screaming that Gator was the one for her. But could she bring herself to mate again after what she’d been through? It was one thing to sleep with him, quite another to allow him to claim and mark her.

She rubbed the scars on her neck and shivered.

“Hey.” He reached out and caught her hand. “We don’t have to do this.” He started to ease from between her legs, but she shook her head.

“No, I want to do this.” It was more than that. “I need to do this.” She tried to smile but feared it fell flat. “Just have patience with me. I sometimes go places I don’t want to.” She didn’t want the memories of the past to smother the beautiful moment between them.

He squeezed her fingers. “Whatever you want. Whatever you need,” he promised her. “I have a reputation for being impatient, but I can find plenty of patience when something is important to me.”

He released her hand and settled back. His breath was warm on her tender flesh. Then he dragged his tongue over her pussy from back to front. She sucked in a breath and arched into his touch. The slight rasp of his tongue stimulated already sensitive nerve endings.

And when he pushed his tongue against her clit, she almost came off the bed. She tried to close her legs around his head but he kept them spread wide with his large hands. He growled and the vibration rocketed through her. It was like having a vibrator against her clit.

At the last second, she threw her hand over her mouth to muffle her cries of ecstasy as she came. Her body trembled. A thin layer of sweat covered her skin. But it still wasn’t enough. “Gator.”

He swore and heaved himself up and over her. His cock slid between her thighs and he pushed his way home. Sylvie sighed with relief when he filled her.

How had he become so important to her so quickly? He shoved both arms beneath her thighs and lifted as he drove deep. It was frightening how much she wanted him. He’d stop if she asked him. She knew he would. But there was no way she’d ask. She wanted this as much as he did.

He took her hard and fast, as though he couldn’t wait any longer. She was glad. It didn’t give her time to think, to second-guess. She lost herself in the passion blazing between them. Sylvie was surprised the sheets didn’t catch fire.

She met him stroke for stroke, lifting as much as she could in her position. Gator held the power and, amazingly, she didn’t mind in the least.

“Fuck,” he gritted out. “I can’t hold on.” His hips pistoned and she caught his urgency. Once again, she was totally in tune with him. When she felt the base of his shaft swelling again and knew he was coming, her body responded in kind.

She caught his face and pulled him down so she could kiss him. He caught her cries and she smothered his moan of pleasure as they both came. Heart racing and lungs burning, she let herself go.

He pulled his lips from hers and stared down at her. He looked so fierce, so determined. His mouth was set in a firm line, his blue eyes dark with passion. “Sylvie.” He said her name. Nothing more. But he said so much with that one word. She could hear the sensual promise, the possession and the hope.

He collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She liked the way he covered her like a blanket, even if it made it difficult to breathe. He started to push away but she held on tight, keeping him where he was.

“I don’t want to crush you,
chère
.”

“You won’t.” She wanted to stay in this moment. She had a sick feeling of dread in her stomach. Something this good couldn’t last. Their former pack was watching them, waiting for the opportunity to attack.

Gator rolled to the side, taking his considerable weight off her. She kept her arms locked around him.

“Hey.” He pushed her damp hair away from her face and studied her expression. “Don’t think about it,” he told her. “We don’t know what will happen in the future.” He slid one hand up and down her spine, soothing her. She’d missed being touched in the years she’d lived alone. There was nothing sexual about his touch now. It was comforting. “We can enjoy this moment.”

“You’re right.” She knew he was right. She was letting the past and the future destroy this precious time. She ran her finger over his arm, tracing the tattoos. “Why did you get these?” It had to have taken quite a while to get both arms done. Tattoos weren’t something a werewolf took lightly or did on a whim.

He kissed the tip of her nose and the playful show of affection made her smile. “I wanted to look tough for the ladies.”

“Really?” Because that truly didn’t sound like the man she’d come to know.

“No,” he teased. “Not really, but it was a side benefit.” He sighed. “I just wanted something that was mine. You know what it was like living in that pack. You did what you were told and the pack was everything.”

“I know.” She petted his chest, wanting to ease the ache that still echoed in his voice.

“But the tattoo was my choice, my design.” He eased away and sat so she could see both arms. She knelt beside him and studied the intricate designs. Lots of swirls and pattern but also a stylized wolf on each arm.

“It really is gorgeous.”

He pointed to the larger male wolf on his right arm. “This represents me and reminds me to be strong, to fight for what I want.”

She gently caressed the wolf on his left arm, the female. “And this one?”

He caught her chin in his hand and rubbed his thumb over her swollen bottom lip. “This one is for my mate, a tribute to the woman I wanted but thought I could never have.”

Her heart stopped and she froze.

“This one is you, Sylvie.”

She gasped and her heart thudded slow and hard. He’d permanently marked himself with a reminder of her. “Me?”

He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. “Yeah.” His voice was hoarse. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that, but you deserve the truth. No one else knows. They all just thought they were cool wolves. But I wanted something, a tribute to you.”

To think that he’d permanently marked his body…for her. It was mind blowing and surreal. “I don’t know what to say.” She felt as though she should say something profound.