by Tl Reeve
“Thanks,” she grumbled. “You should get ready for work. Your room is down the hall.”
Caden’s chuckle vibrated against her back. He trailed his fingers up and down her stomach in a gentle motion, relaxing her. “Kalkin called. He said to stay with you. He’s staying with Keeley. She’s wiped out too.”
No. She had to get the boys up and ready for the day. She and Keeley had things to do. If they wanted their gala to go well, they had to find a venue. A caterer. They needed sponsors and people. Even though they’d been there a year, Danielle still didn’t know anyone. Keeley was the same. Of course, at least her sister had a title. That would get her places. Danielle, on the other hand, well, pathetic fit her.
Plus, she wanted to go back and see Crow. The boy needed them as much as her own sons did. Just thinking about him made her heart squeeze. Every little broken part of his soul pricked at her psyche. They had to find the bastards who harmed him. If it meant continuing to see him until she could get a clear picture of who harmed him, she’d do it.
“I can’t.” She leaned up. “I have things to do.”
“Dani,” he murmured, placing his hand on her shoulder. “You need to sleep.”
She shook her head, pushing the blankets off of her. “The boys.”
“They’re fine. Aiden is sound asleep, so is Nicolas.” He drew near. “I have everything covered.”
“Caden, I ca—”
He pressed his lips to hers and wrapped his arm around her. There was a hunger there. One she hadn’t been prepared for. His tongue tangled with hers as he pushed his hand under her shirt. She moaned. The warmth of his touch heated her skin. His thumb skimmed the underside of her breast. Danielle tensed. Had he really? He did it again, only a bit higher. Her areola puckered, causing her nipple to harden. The point ached for his attention, pressing against the material of her sleep top.
Caden pressed his forehead to hers. His breath came in heavy pants. “We’ve been here before.” The corner of his mouth tugged upward. “This time, I promise it’ll be better.”
They had. The one and only time she allowed herself to be vulnerable with him. “Yeah.” She didn’t want to talk about the last time they were together in an intimate way. “Let’s keep it to the present.”
“You’re right.” He kissed her again. His mouth moved over hers as though he made love to it. Danielle sank into the kiss. She looped her arms around his neck, pressing their bodies together. The electric pull between them intensified. Gooseflesh formed on her arms then spread through her limbs and settled within her sex. Her clit throbbed.
“I don’t deserve you.” Caden kissed a path across her jaw and down her neck. “I don’t deserve to be in your bed.” He pushed her shirt up, exposing her nakedness to his perusal. “Tell me to stop, pumpkin.”
She couldn’t. It would have been easier if she could. It would save her tons of grief and worry. It would save her the anxiety attacks she knew would plague her after he decided to leave and only visit during the full moon. God, she hated dwelling on the negative. She’d conditioned herself to expect the worst in everything to the point that she forgot how to let the joy in and live for the moment. “No.”
“You should.” He buried his face in her chest and inhaled. “God, you smell good.” He licked the valley between her breasts before nibbling on the soft skin. Her clit tingled. Her pussy ached to be touched.
Danielle ran her fingers through his hair. She held him to her as he continued to kiss and nip at her flesh. In truth, she missed the connection. She’d shut herself down. Retreated from anyone’s touch. Retreated from trying. Told herself she’d been stronger for denying the intimacy. The whole time, she destroyed a little bit more of herself. She whimpered when he bit down on the stiff peek then laved away the sting. He switched to the other nipple, showering it with the same attention.
“Remember when I told you I wanted your ass?” His gaze lifted to hers while drawing her nipple into his mouth again. “I could smell you. You wanted it so bad.” He ran his finger along the crotch of her sleep shorts and groaned. “You’re so fucking wet. Were you picturing me shoving my cock deep inside you? Knotting you?” He groaned, rubbing her hip.
“Please.”
He looked up and put a bit of distance between them. “Let me take care of you. Let me give you what you deserved that night. I should have never allowed you to keep me at arm’s length. I should have claimed you. I should have showed you how much you meant to me.”
“No.” She shook her head, then swallowed hard. “Not now.” Her bottom lip trembled under his kiss.
“Later, pumpkin. Right now is about you.”
“Together,” she replied.
“Dani?” Shock registered in his voice.
She reached out and rubbed his hard length through his sleep pants. He let loose a harsh growl. His eyes fluttered closed. Growing braver by the second, she pushed her hand into his pajamas. Her finger slid over the slick head of his cock. She teased the tip, enjoying the small sounds he made at the back of his throat. His hips flexed, urging her to take more of him into her palm. She dug deep for her courage, easing her hand lower until she squeezed his shaft and began to stroke him.
Caden buried his face in her chest. He made a pained sound while sucking on her nipple. “Easy. Been way too long.” He stilled her movements while he continued to tease her.
“Same.” Danielle trembled.
“Shit,” he snarled. “We should stop.”
“Why do you keep giving me an out?” She cocked her head to the side. “We’re adults and if I need to slow down, I’ll let you know.”
“Because our...relationship is tenuous at the moment. I don’t want to fuck this up any more than I have already. I won’t do anything you don’t think you’re ready for, even if I am.”
“Oh, Caden,” she whispered. “I want it. We’re making new memories, right?”
He nodded.
“Then don’t stop. I want this too. I need it. We both do.”
To prove her point, she removed her rest of her night clothes, then lay back on bed. Unlike last time she hadn’t been the least bit nervous. She waited for the self-recrimination to strike when he saw all of her scars, including the one from Nicolas’ C-section. Instead, a sense of rightness settled over her. If they were both going to heal, they had to allow nature to take over. She held her hand out to him. Caden removed his bottoms then joined her. He pressed kisses to her stomach. Her ribs. He palmed her aching breast, feasting on the other. He dragged his tongue over the taut peak then drew it into his mouth and sucked. Danielle sobbed, trembling in his arms. She could hardly process the sensation rushing through her.
“We’ll take our time later,” he promised. “You’ll have to be quiet too. Don’t need the boys waking up.”
She agreed. Last thing they needed was to be interrupted. She suspected some of their issues were derived from the fact they were always getting disturbed. Keeley had needed her and instead of putting her foot down, demanding the same respect, she allowed her sister to take Danielle’s time. However, it wasn’t all on Keeley; she bore the majority of the fault. Now she had nothing stopping her but her, and she wasn’t getting in the way anymore. “Don’t stop.”
“I’m not.” His gaze settled on the small line below her belly button. “Later, I’ll make up for this and” —he ran his finger along the backward L-shape scar under her right breast, curving around to her back— “this too.”
He stared down at her as he placed his hand on her thigh. He’d been deliberate with his movements. A part of her appreciated it. The other part of her wanted him to be aggressive and take what he wanted. However, he’d been content to go slow. By allowing her to adjust to his touch, even if she didn’t need it, it showed Caden cared. Tears sprang to her eyes. Out of everything, the good, the bad, and pure evil, he still had a tender touch for her.
“Dani?” He stared up at her, worry filling his eyes.
“I’m okay. I promise.” She sw
iped at her eyes, hating the wayward tears. She shouldn’t be crying right now. But, she sensed her body needed more than one type of release, even though she’d cried the night before in Caden’s arms. This was different.
He watched her for a moment longer then spread her legs, settling between them. A momentary flash of fear filled her. Danielle pushed it aside. Simon and the past had no business interfering in her life. He was dead. Danielle survived, and the past needed to stay where it was, in the past. She gave herself permission to enjoy this. Enjoy her mate. She welcomed Caden into her arms as he positioned himself over her. The slow, excruciating pace he set for them threatened to destroy her control. She wouldn’t exactly say she’d take matters into her own hands, but it had crossed her mind a time or two in the last few minutes.
As if sensing her growing impatience, he gave a soft chuckle. “We’ll get there.” He adjusted her leg, hitching it against his hip, then teased her slick sex with the head of his cock.
Danielle arched. Sparks of pleasure rolled over her. Her breath lodged in her throat. Tendrils of current spread through her, making her tingle from head to toe. In the next second, he was filling her. Inch by glorious inch, he pushed into her. Danielle’s eyes went wide. Her mouth fell open at the overwhelming sense of being over-full. Caden groaned. He pressed his face to her neck and took a deep, shuddering breath.
“I knew it,” he murmured, stilling so she could adjust to his intrusion. It wasn’t like before. This time, there was an absoluteness to it. “So fucking tight. You’re perfect, pumpkin.”
“Caden.” She groaned, threading her fingers through his hair. The pricks of pain ebbed as she accommodated his girth.
“Easy, baby. I got you.” He forged forward, stilling when their bodies were finally connected. The harsh breath he exhaled feathered over her throat.
“It’s ...” She licked her lips. “Wow.”
“I’ll take wow.” He retreated then filled her once more. “Let’s see if we can get a bit more than wow.”
His pace was slow in the beginning, giving her time to adjust to him. He reached places she didn’t know she had. Each long drag of his cock awoke another part of her. A knot of desire bloomed low in her belly as she clung to Caden. Their breath mingled. Their soft sounds of pleasure wrapped around them and, in that moment, it was only them. Nothing else in the world mattered to Danielle.
Caden kissed her once more, mimicking the way their bodies rocked in a sensual glide. She moaned, arching to him. Her nipples rubbed across his chest, causing a zap of energy to race over her sensitized flesh. Danielle clung to him. She scraped her nails down his back, then grabbed onto his ass, pulling him flush to her. She gasped at the shocking sensation of his groin rubbing her clit. The muscles in Caden’s rear quivered and flexed under her palms, giving her a newfound sense of power. When he ripped his mouth from hers, his lip curled up, exposing his elongated canine, a thrill of anticipation shot through her. His thrusts became increasingly more powerful. The small sparks of bliss pinging through her turned into wave after wave of pleasure. She closed her eyes, trying to capture each one to amplify the sensations for both of them.
“Dani,” he grunted. “Not this time, pumpkin. I’m ready to blow.”
She backed off and the tension in his shoulders eased. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It feels too good right now, baby. You go adding your specialness to it and I’m going to come before you get off.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “On the full moon. You’ll do it then.”
“Okay.”
He grinned. “That’s my girl.”
Caden fit his hand between them and began to roll her clit with his fingertips. Danielle jerked, and her body began to move on its own, taking everything he gave her. The ball of need inside her tightened until she thought she’d pass out. His thrusts grew jerky and uneven. They clung to each other, reaching for some unseen force building between them.
“Please. It’s ... It’s too much.”
“Give it to me, Dani.” He bit down at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but enough to get her there.
She gave a soft cry as waves of bliss crashed over her. She shook through her orgasm, shattering in his arms. There were no words to describe what it’d been like, other than peace. Caden thrust twice more then stilled. His hand gripped her hip, holding her to him as a low groan passed his lips and the wet heat of his release filled her. She felt each throb of his climax while she continued to ripple around him.
“I’ve died and gone to heaven,” he said.
She grinned. “Aren’t you afraid all your praise is going to go to my head?”
“Not even slightly.” He rolled them, so she was sprawled out on top of him. “Rest a little longer. I’ll wake you when Nicolas is awake.”
She did feel a bit too loose in the limbs and a bit more tired than she thought she’d been. She snuggled up to his chest and closed her eyes.
* * * *
The sound of children laughing and pots banging mixed with the rumble of Caden’s deep voice filtered up the stairs, slowly pulling Danielle from her deep, dreamless sleep. Her entire body felt relaxed, and even the tension she had on her neck and shoulders from the night before was gone. Glancing at the clock beside her bed, she was surprised to see it at ten thirty. She’d fallen back to sleep, wrapped in Caden’s embrace almost as soon as she found her release.
Shit.
Danielle sat up too quickly in bed, and everything whirled around her as her body adjusted to the sudden movement. Getting used to her new ‘normal’ hadn’t been the easiest thing for her. Now it was going to be…complicated. Danielle groaned, burying her head in her hands. Hiding in her room all day wouldn’t resolve any of her problems. She gingerly slipped from her bed and ignored the soreness between her legs. The humor of the situation wasn’t lost on her. She’d been pregnant, had a baby and technically just lost her virginity to her mate a couple hours ago. It had all the makings of a daytime soap opera.
Or some of those Telenovelas you like. “Aye dios mío.”
Right now, she needed to a hot shower to clear the cobwebs of sleep from her head, some food, and a cup of hot tea. Before going downstairs, she’d have to pull up her big girl panties get control back of her life. How exactly am I going to do that?
Danielle pondered the question as she quickly went through the motions of washing her hair and body in the shower. By the time the water ran cold and she turned it off, she still didn’t have any answers. After wrapping a towel around her, she wiped the steam from the mirror. Her cheeks were pink from the heat and her hair lay in all different directions.
She squinted at her image in the mirror, noticing the slight bruising on the area between neck and shoulder. She could heal it rather quickly if she wanted to. But she didn’t. She actually liked the reminder of her time with Caden. She brushed her fingers across the sensitive mark. The area tingled to life, causing her nipples to tighten in awareness and her clit to throb with arousal. After experiencing Caden’s appetite in the wee hours of the morning, she had a feeling the upcoming full moon would be rough going on her body.
Danielle knew she’d have to be careful about the tops she wore for the next couple of days. Keeley would spot the bruising with her eagle eye vision and immediately know what it meant. Keeley wore a very similar one in the exact same spot, and her younger sister was far from stupid.
Maybe she ought to break out her concealer just in case. She opened the top drawer on the sink vanity, where her limited supply of makeup was kept, and rummaged through the crap until she found what she was looking for. Wedged in the back, between hair bands and a tube of very expensive cream she had bought, but never used, lay the tube of concealer.
Danielle peered into the little tube, trying to remember the last time she even used it. Probably the last time I had bruises the size of handprints. She frowned. In all of her life, she’d never worn makeup to feel pretty. She’d used it to cover up the imperf
ections on her skin. The cuts and scrapes. Bruises and busted lips. Now, she’d use it one more time, to keep her sister off her ass. Why can’t I be normal? She snorted. Danielle didn’t know what normal was or if she’d even enjoy it. After the life she’d led, normal seemed boring.
She made quick work of spreading the concealer on her now dry skin then began the arduous task of blending it in. No one could notice where the makeup started or where it ended, something she learned very early on. The minute people noticed makeup on a welt, they asked questions. Danielle dropped the container on the sink, examining herself in the mirror. She couldn’t see it and if she did her job well enough, no one else would either.
After brushing her teeth, she ran her comb through her hair then got dressed. She stepped out of her room to head downstairs, but stopped. Danielle hesitated to go down.
Pull up those big girl panties. She silently chided herself.
While she dressed, she came up with a plan to play it calm, cool, and collected with Caden. Not even acknowledging what had happened in her bed. He’d eventually leave, she was sure of it and then she’d allow herself a moment to breathe. Until then, if he was going to offer up the use of his body, she’d take it while keeping her feelings locked up tight. She’d had already loved and lost him once. She wouldn’t survive his abandonment a second time.
The back door squeaked as it opened. Danielle jerked when it slammed shut and a burst of anger surged through her. Keeley.
“Where is my sister?” Keeley demanded.
She couldn’t help but wince at her sister’s disrespectful tone. Caden wasn’t one of Keeley’s favorite people, and even though she’d been told to stay out, her sister never missed a chance to get in a couple of digs.
“I heard the shower turn off about fifteen minutes ago,” Caden said. “I made tea for her.”
“So…she has more than one tea bag, make her another one,” Keeley snapped. “It’s gone cold by now.”
Caden sighed. “Keep it up and I’ll call Kal, let him know you’re interfering. I’ll have him cart your saucy ass right back over the bridge.”
