“You peel it from the top down.”
Easy enough in theory, but it took her a couple of attempts before she figured it out. The thick sides came away easily once she got the hang of it. “It smells slightly sweet.” She touched the tip of her tongue against the pale yellow flesh. It was firm but not hard.
He made a sound, almost as if he were in pain. “Yeah, babe, it’s sweet.” His voice was lower than usual, rougher.
Was he okay? There didn’t seem to be any obvious problem. Then he shifted in his seat, giving her an eyeful of the distinct bulge in the front of his jeans.
She looked back at the fruit and noticed the resemblance. Biting her bottom lip, she tried not to laugh. Doubtful he was finding it funny. Still, she wasn’t above having some fun.
Trying to recapture their more lighthearted mood from earlier, she licked the tip again, this time dragging the flat of her tongue all the way around it. “You’re right. It does taste sweet.” She gave a delicate little nibble on the end but didn’t bite.
“You’re killing me,” he muttered, but he didn’t tell her to stop.
Some imp prodded her to keep going. “Why would this bother you? Don’t you want me to try it?” Then she lowered her mouth over the fruit without biting into it. She slowly pulled back, gently licking the side as she went. “It tastes good. It’s a bit softer than I expected.”
A low, sexy growl filled the vehicle. Her playfulness had backfired, affecting her as much as it had him. Her nipples puckered into tight buds, pressing against the soft fabric of the top she wore. She was wet between her legs, her body aching and empty.
“I’ll tell you what’s not soft.” He reached out, grabbed her free hand, and dragged it over to the front of his pants.
Her fingers curled around the large bulge, the heat from him searing her hand, even through the thick fabric. She ached to have him inside her. Things were simpler when it came to the physical aspect of their relationship. Sexual desire sizzled whenever they were together, each look, each small touch adding to the flames.
“This is what you do to me. All I can think about is having your sweet mouth on my cock, your tongue flicking over the tip before you take me all the way.”
The image was seared into her brain. Her mouth went dry. “Is that what you want?” Was that rough, sexy whisper really her?
Am I ready for this? Making love in the shower had been instinctual, fired by love for the man she’d lost so long ago. While she loved him with all her heart and soul, there was still so much she didn’t know about the whole werewolf thing. She licked her lips, nervous.
“I’d fucking sell my soul to have your mouth on me.”
The stark truth pierced her heart, shattering the doubts that threatened to tear them apart.
He gave her fingers a squeeze before lifting her hand away from his erection. “But I have no expectations, only hope.”
Tongue-tied, she swallowed heavily.
He sighed and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “Eat your banana.” When she hesitated, he managed a strained smile. “Might as well try it and tell me what you think.”
Anything to distract from the sensual heat permeating the vehicle. She took a bite of the fruit and chewed. Flavor exploded on her tongue. “This is delicious.” In a couple of bites, the treat was gone. While she ate, she pondered everything he’d told her.
It all boiled down to one question: what did she want? She’d spent centuries without him. There really was no decision to make. “How much farther?”
“Thirty minutes.” His chest expanded as he took a deep breath. “I can wait.”
Hadn’t they already waited long enough? Man or beast, Bjorn was it for her. He was the man she loved. He was far from perfect, and had done some horrible things, but he was no monster. At his core, he was a good man. He was her man.
“You might be able to wait.” She managed to unlatch the seat belt. Scooting closer, she reached out and covered the bulge in the front of his pants. “But I can’t.”
Chapter Twelve
They were going to end up in a ditch or wrapped around a tree if he didn’t get them off the road. Anja’s sensual play with the banana almost had him coming in his pants. Watching her sweet mouth move over the length of sweet flesh destroyed his concentration. But her bold declaration that she couldn’t wait almost put him off the road.
The grocery store had been on the outskirts of the last town, and a large stand of trees ahead beckoned. He aimed for it. She squeezed his dick through his pants. His vision went momentarily blank. The roaring in his ears drowned out all sound.
A tree loomed directly ahead. He slammed on the brakes, stopping a mere inch from the thick trunk. Anja slammed into the dashboard.
“Shit. Fuck. I’m sorry. Are you okay?” Way to kill the mood. “Babe, are you okay?”
She shoved her braid out of her face and the corners of her mouth tilted up. Laughter danced in her eyes. “In a bit of a hurry, are you?”
“You have no idea.” Satisfied she was okay, his dick began to throb, a visceral reminder of how close to the edge he was. His balls were doing their damn best to crawl into his body.
He ran his fingers over the side of her face. “You sure you’re not hurt?”
“Mmm.” Ignoring him, she reached for the button on his jeans.
He caught her hands, stopping her before they got too far. “You don’t have to do this.”
Sweat beaded in his brow. Gods, what was he saying? He wanted her mouth on him more than he wanted his next breath, but he didn’t want to take advantage when she was upset and out of sorts.
This was his wife, the woman he loved above all others. It would kill him if they did this now and she regretted it.
“Don’t you want me to?” All the lighthearted teasing was gone from her beautiful eyes. She bit her bottom lip, drawing it into her mouth and sending a bolt of lust streaking through him.
“More than anything in the world, but be certain. Now that you know what I am, what I’ve become, I can’t have you and then lose you.” It was time for complete honesty. “I have no idea what I’d do if you turned from me later. Every day is a struggle not to return to the bloodlust, to give up and give in to it.”
It was a never-ending battle not to become an even bigger abomination than he already was. His dreams were riddled with the faces of the dead, those he’d killed unjustly. If Anja gave herself to him and then walked away, it would destroy him.
His only recourse would be to have Maccus and Asher put him out of his misery once and for all. Because he understood now that she was the only reason he’d been able to get a handle on Odin’s curse. The faint hope of seeing her again, of being with her, had pulled him back from the brink.
He didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought of him. Only Anja.
“You’re stronger than you know.”
Bjorn shook his head.
“Yes.” She knelt on the seat beside him and stared intently into his eyes. It was as though she was willing him to believe her. “I have faith in you.”
He dragged the back of his knuckles over her cheek. “I’m glad one of us does.”
“I have enough for both of us.”
The sheer conviction in her voice stilled the dark whispers inside him. Was he worthy of her confidence? He wanted to be. There’d never been a woman as strong and brave and kind and big-hearted as his Anja.
“Trust me.” She tugged down the tab of his zipper. The rasping sound was louder than a sonic boom.
There were no more secrets between them. “I do.” There was no one he trusted more.
Since he never wore underwear, his cock fell into her hand. Her fingers wrapped around him, strong and sure. The heat from her palm and the slight roughness from the calluses almost pushed him over the edge. He ground his teeth to keep from coming.
“Fuck, that
feels good.”
She stroked her hand up and down his shaft. “So hard but still so soft to touch. I love that about you.”
“Anja.” He had no idea what he wanted to say. Emotions threatened to choke him. This was his wife, his woman. And he desperately needed her touch.
“It’s okay,” she soothed. “Don’t talk. Just let go.”
God, she had no idea what she was asking. He could never let go, because he feared the wolf inside him would go wild, that the curse would take ahold of him again. He’d managed to claw and fight his way back to sanity.
It was a battle he’d almost lost.
For her safety, he had to keep a tight rein on himself. He ran his fingers over her hair, wishing it were down instead of in a tight braid. It was so silky and thick, and memories of it flowing over his dick and the rest of his body had made him come more than one night in the avid fantasies he’d conjured.
Proving they were in sync, she grabbed the end of her braid and dragged the feathered tip of hair down his shaft. It was light and delicate, a direct contrast to her hand.
His entire body arched into her touch, his hips rising off the seat. “So good.”
She swirled it around the tip, laughing softly when pre-come seeped out.
The area was confining. He wanted to fling her onto the seat, rip off her clothes, and fuck her until she came. No, he wanted to spread her wide and taste the essence between her thighs. But he did neither. This was her show.
He gripped the steering wheel. The urge to take over, to dominate, rode him hard.
The sensual torture was short-lived. She dropped the braid and wrapped her hand around him. When she lowered her head, he held his breath. The first delicate lick, exactly like the one she’d given the banana, almost had him shooting his load. His cock head was so sensitive that the slightest touch was magnified a hundredfold.
“You taste so good. Better than the banana.”
In spite of the lust tearing at him, he laughed. “Glad you think so.”
“I do.” She went back again for another taste and another. Then she dragged her tongue down his length and nuzzled his balls.
“I’m not going to last.” The pure heat from her mouth stripped him of any semblance of control.
“That’s okay.” She worked her way back up his shaft. “We can do it again.”
He kept his mouth shut, not wanting to ruin this special moment. Every time they made love might be their last. Time was precious and spilling away faster than either of them could fathom.
With the exception of his open jeans, they were both fully clothed. He wanted her naked, wanted to taste every inch of her until she was screaming his name.
When her mouth slid down his dick, he released a groan that came from the depths of his soul. Inside him, his wolf growled and rumbled and rubbed against him.
The steering wheel started to crack beneath the pressure. He released it and fisted his hand in her hair. “More.” Desperation ate at him. “Please, Anja.”
She raised her head, releasing him with a wet pop. “Whatever you need.” With that, she lowered her head again and took him so deep he almost touched the back of her throat.
Everything up until now had been nothing more than a tease. She kept one hand around the base of his shaft, stroking and pumping as she used her mouth to pleasure him.
It wasn’t the first time she’d done such a thing for him. They’d spent many a stormy winter’s night curled up under the furs of their pallet, touching and loving each other. There wasn’t a part of him she hadn’t mapped with her hands or tongue. And it was the same for him with her.
His chest ached as he sucked air into his starving lungs. His heart beat so hard and fast he would’ve been concerned he was having a heart attack, except he was immune to such things.
So many nights he’d dreamed of this. The reality was almost too much to bear. The sweetness tinged with the bitterness of regret and fear.
She dragged her tongue over his dick as she sucked, raising her mouth up and lowering it once again. He thumped his head against the seat and held onto her, careful not to tug too hard on her hair.
When she made a humming sound, the vibration shot through him. His balls clenched even tighter. “I’m coming, babe.” He wanted to give her the option to pull away.
She redoubled her efforts, pleasuring him, driving him to the edge. He teetered for a brief second, not wanting it to end, and then plummeted over.
His orgasm shot from his balls, up his shaft, and out the tip. When she swallowed, taking everything he had to give, he totally lost it. A supernova exploded behind his eyes. His wolf howled. Or maybe he did. Damned if he knew.
When he finally came back to himself, she was delicately lapping at the head of his cock, cleaning away the last of his essence. “You swell at the base.” She seemed more bemused then concerned.
“It’s because of my wolf.” He combed his fingers through her hair as best he could with it still bound in a braid. “Thank you.”
The corners of her mouth turned up in a beguiling smile. “You’re welcome. A banana might be sweeter, but this is better.”
A grin split his face, the sensation unfamiliar. “You think so?” He was mellow and relaxed and happy. Almost foreign concepts.
“I know so.” She sat back and swiped her hand over her mouth. He leaned forward and captured her lips. They tasted musky and masculine like him, while tinged with her sweetness. His dick flexed again.
Another benefit of his wolf was that he needed nearly no recovery time. He hadn’t cared before, since it hadn’t been necessary. Now he was glad.
He ran his tongue over her bottom lip and then delved inside. The saner part of him knew this was stupid. But this was what he was fighting for—his wife, his woman, and what they had together.
Now it was his turn to show her just how much he loved her. He cupped one of her breasts in his palm, loving the way the puckered nipple poked it.
He deepened the kiss, driving his tongue into the heated depths of her mouth again and again, mimicking the sex act. She moaned and dragged her fingers through his hair to hold him close.
Her bare skin beckoned. He slipped his hand under her top, fingering the smoothness of her stomach.
An eighteen-wheeler blew by, horn blaring.
Anja jumped back, startled. “What was that?”
“A reminder.” He pulled his hand out and smoothed the fabric down. “It’s not safe here. We can still be seen from the road.”
Disappointment shone in her eyes, but she blinked and it disappeared. “Of course.”
Cursing under his breath, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to keep her from retreating. “That was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Don’t think for one second I don’t want to strip you naked and bury my face between your legs and feast until you come again and again. Maybe after a couple of times like that, I’d fuck you until you came.”
She swallowed, her pupils dilating, her nostrils flaring. “All that.” The husky whisper had his dick flexing toward her.
“And more,” he assured her. “But only when I’m sure you’re safe. I can’t risk you, and we’re too out in the open here.”
He dropped a quick kiss on her swollen lips and watched as she pulled herself back from the edge of desire.
“Later?”
“Definitely later. I promise.” He only hoped it was one he could keep. “Now buckle up.” While she was busy doing that, he tucked himself back in his pants, not an easy job, since he was still hard as a rock.
When she was settled, he took a deep breath and backed the truck onto the side of the road. After glancing in his mirror to make sure there was no traffic, he resumed their journey.
…
Anja licked her lips. Bjorn’s taste lingered there, a heady reminder of what they’d
done. His musky essence mixed on her tongue with the sweetness of the banana.
Watching him now, so focused on the road, there was no indication he was affected by their sexual interlude.
Unless you looked closely.
While he’d always been quick to recover, his cock was still hard. Did it have something to do with the wolf inside him? He looked like he could go all night. A sensual shiver raced over her. She crossed her arms over her chest and then promptly uncrossed them when her arms brushed her hardened nipples.
His hair was only slightly mussed. She hadn’t even taken the time to run her fingers through it. It was silky and soft, while the rest of him was hard.
They hadn’t even kissed. This had been about pure carnal pleasure, about giving her man what he needed. It had fed something primal deep inside her. Admittedly, the whole wolf thing worried her, but she trusted her husband, had faith in his ability to maintain control.
The alternative was unthinkable.
She wanted to run her fingers across his chin. His beard hair wasn’t quite as soft as that on his head, which was quite stimulating when he went down on her. Her core throbbed, making her squirm in her seat.
Taking him in her mouth and loving him had affected her as deeply as it had him. Her breasts ached for his touch. She longed to be filled with his hard heat.
Oh, he was right about it not being safe on the side of the road. They needed a more secure location. But was there really such a place? She didn’t want to waste what time they might have.
Giving her head a shake, she clasped her hands together to keep from reaching for him. Think! This was not the time to give up. It was the time to fight even harder. She’d done nothing wrong, hadn’t asked to leave the afterlife.
There has to be something I can do.
Panic flooded her. What if she never saw him again? Always before she’d had that hope to sustain her. Without it, what would she do?
What she’d always done—survive.
She swallowed the cry of pain that threatened to escape. It would be a distraction, and there was nothing her husband could do to alleviate it. They’d both lost so much.
Bjorn Cursed Page 11
