by H. D. Gordon
He reaches me and hands me a cup of moonshine, and though I’m already tipsy, I take it. Seems I’m letting all my fucks fly out the window tonight.
“You did good, little wolf,” he tells me.
“You let me win.”
His head tilts. “Since I’ve never let anyone win before, that’s a victory in itself, don’t you think?”
“How is Tara?” I say, changing the subject.
He shrugs. “She’ll live. She was foolish to challenge you.”
I sigh and glance around. It’s been such a long day, and all of a sudden, I just want to go to bed, to put some sleep between me and all the things that have transpired.
“Can I take you home?” Akim asks.
Well, hell, I’ve gone along with it this far. I nod.
He offers me his hand.
I only hesitate a moment before taking it.
On the bike ride home, I clear my mind.
I let the sounds of the motorcycle engine and the wind in my hair drown out my thoughts. I rest my cheek against Akim’s wide, warm back, and feel the shifting of his abdominal muscles as he guides us back toward the city, breathing in the fresh countryside air, counting my own heartbeats.
By the time we reach my apartment on the northeast side of the city, I actually feel better.
As Akim pulls to a stop along the curb before my front door, he does not shut off the engine as I dismount. Damn him, but he’s still so respectful of my wishes. He won’t assume he can come inside. Not unless I invite him.
I bite my lip, my throat suddenly a little dry.
Akim leans forward and places a light kiss on my forehead, the masculine, familiar smell of him invading my sensitive nose.
“Good night, little wolf,” he says when I take too long to make up my gods damned mind.
He moves to leave, and I hear myself speaking before I can think twice.
“Akim,” I say.
He pauses.
“Come inside.”
And there it goes.
My very last fuck flying away.
I’m a little drunk, but no alcohol has ever made me feel like this.
It takes me a moment to realize that I’m nervous. Like a damn school girl or something.
I unlock the door to my apartment while Akim waits behind me. I’m hyperaware of his presence, like I can feel the heat radiating off him.
Get it together, Harp. It’s just Akim.
But that is kind of the point; It’s Akim.
The wolf in me is sitting up, ears perked, eyes watching. She has been sold on our mating to Akim from day one, does not at all understand why we’ve waited this long.
We go into the apartment and I close the door behind us. I engage the deadbolt and door chain out of habit. When I turn around, Akim is right there.
His wide, strong chest is at eye level, and my tongue darts out over my lips as I follow the smooth planes of it down to his trim waist.
And lower still.
My heart skips three beats as I remember that Akim is a large male, in every sense of the word.
When he speaks, his voice is deep and low, more a growl than anything. “Tell me what you want me to do,” he says.
Yo, I blame it on the ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-alcohol, but my crazy ass replies, “Whatever you want to.”
And that is all the answer he needs.
He stalks forward, closing the space between us.
But he pauses when he’s there, dark eyes locked on mine. I don’t think I’m even breathing.
My wolf is rabid inside me, urging me to quite literally throw myself at him. My eyes are glowing wolf-gold, stomach fluttering. Akim’s nostrils flare as he takes in the scent I’m surely putting out. My lower regions clench as I remember when we were here earlier in the day, when he was kneeled before me.
Good gods, what is he waiting for?
“Tease,” I joke, but it comes out breathy.
Akim chuckles, a low rumble in his chest. Somehow, my back is against the door. He places his hands on either side of me, palms flat against the wall. No part of him touches me, and I want to cry out at the anticipation.
The bastard knows exactly what he is doing.
Fuck it.
I close the distance between us, my lips finding his as if they’ve always known the way. My hands wrap around his hard waist, fingers digging into the soft fabric of his black shirt. He chuckles against my lips at first, but as I press myself closer to him, he breaks.
No more fucking around.
His large hands finally leave the wall and grip my waist, lifting me off my feet as if I weigh nothing. My legs wrap around him, squeezing him with enough supernatural strength to break the ribs of a normal man.
But Akim is no normal man.
He’s an alpha, through and through, and the arrogant chuckle is now a low, menacing growl.
My wolf responds with a growl of her own.
My back hits the bed. I hadn’t been aware we’d even moved, could only think of how good he felt pressed against me, how big he was down below.
A little bit of panic starts to fill me. Am I really about to have sex with Akim, after all these years of resisting him?
Akim senses the change and pulls back immediately. I’m on my back on the bed, but he retreats to stand over me.
“Should I stop?” he asks.
My chest is heavy. My eyes run the length of him. My wolf shoves my panic aside and tells me to stop being a little bitch about this.
I sit up. I’m eye-level with his waistline. In response to his question, I lift the hem of his shirt, and he pulls it off over his head, tossing it aside.
Good gods, the man has abs for days! I’ve always known this, of course. But now they are so close to my lips. I place a kiss near his navel. Another growl echoes through his chest. I kiss him again, and look up to see his eyes burning wolf-gold, as hot and bright as duel suns.
I work free the buckle of his belt as I tilt my head back and look up at him. He holds still as stone, watching my every move. My heart is beating so fast it hums in my chest.
When I free him, I have to consciously tell myself not to gawk. He’s the biggest man I’ve ever been with by far.
I sit for a moment and just stare. When Akim smirks, I pull my own shirt over my head and unhook my bra…
And laugh at his expression.
He’s on me before I can draw my next breath. He takes my right nipple into his mouth, nipping it with his teeth and making me gasp. He makes quick work of my pants, and then we are utterly bare before each other.
He finds my most sensitive spot and teases it with his fingers as he continues a trail of kisses down my neck. I arch off the bed, wanting more of him, needing more of him.
“Akim…” I say, the word a gasp.
“Mmm?”
I moan because I can’t help it. Between what his mouth and fingers are doing to me, I can barely think.
“Please,” I say.
Akim raises his head and meets my gaze, eyes still glowing, body as warm as a furnace and hard as a rock. That one word is all the invitation he needs.
“I’ve waited years for that,” he says, and I think it’s mostly to himself.
I grab a hold of him, taking his full width into my hand, and guide him to me. He fills me slowly, though I can see on his handsome face that the restraint it takes to do so is incredible. I suck in a sharp breath and hold it, unable to do anything else.
He pushes forward until he’s sheathed to the hilt.
And then he just stays there, thrumming with barely concealed power, the both of us throbbing with need.
Akim places a single, soft kiss on my lips.
And then he ravages me.
I can hardly stand it. I cry out his name. Again and again and again.
The way he moves is mesmerizing, rippling muscle and unmatched strength. My legs tighten around him, my nails dig into his back. My mouth moves to his shoulder and I sink my teeth in there, just short of breaking the ski
n.
His responding growl is utterly wolf-like, rumbling through his broad chest. I’m building up, doing my best to keep a lid on things, knowing that I’ll soon erupt.
“Not yet, little wolf,” he tells me. “Hold on.”
He lifts me from the bed, and then my back is against the wall. We make the entire apartment shake as sounds escape me that I’m sure I’ve never before uttered.
“Please,” I say for the second time this night.
Akim laughs, abs contracting. And we are back on the bed.
This time, he settles me on top. “Ride me,” he says.
You bet your muthafuckin’ ass I do.
He’s enraptured. I see on his face that now he is the one barely holding on.
Fuck it.
We climb over that mountain together, and when we reach the peak, we do so hand-in-hand.
MotherfuckingsweatBabyJesusandcheeseonacracker.
Well, gods damn me.
I’m totally wreaked.
Akim knows it, too. He gathers me to his side, warm, strong arms going around me, a rare smile turning up his lips.
He knows as well as I there’s no turning back from here.
17
11:45 p.m.
The bell over the door dings.
Bright-ass fluorescent light spills out onto the sidewalk.
I plant my feet. “I change my mind. I don’t want any snacks.”
Akim rolls his eyes and doesn’t bother to respond telepathically as he tugs me forward into the shop. “Nonsense,” he says.
The land of junk food stretches before us.
Racist Ass Larry stands behind the counter. His scent spikes with fear as soon as he sets eyes on me.
Thanks to him turning over that security tape, everyone with a smart phone knows what I am. He fucking outed me after I’d saved his dumbass from that robber.
And then I’d made the mistake of telling Akim.
What can I say? A bitch be talking about some dumb ass shit after she gets her brains banged out.
“Grab whatever you want,” Akim tells me as he approaches the counter, his eyes locked on Larry. The stench of fear now permeates the small space.
I quickly grab some chips, cookies, and beef jerky and head over to the counter.
Where Akim stands with Larry.
I almost feel bad for the guy. He’s practically shaking, likely near to pissing his pants. He knows Akim could kill him in a heartbeat, would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to sense Akim’s power.
Larry rings up my picks with fumbling fingers, his face a pallid white. Akim doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t have to.
“I’m sorry,” Larry blurts out, his eyes flicking to me and back to Akim. “And…thank you.”
My eyebrows are hugging the fluorescents. “Um, okay,” I say.
Akim pays for the food. Larry repeats his apology twice more before we exit.
As I link my arm through Akim’s and we cross the street, I blink up at him.
He sees my observation and smirks. “You okay?” he asks.
I shake my head and chuckle. “Yeah,” I say. “It was just one hell of a day.”
The End
Want more from H. D. Gordon?
Try Moon Burned…
Also by H. D. Gordon
The Alexa Montgomery Series
Blood Warrior
Half Black Soul
The Rise
Redemption
Heiress of Magic Trilogy
Born of Magic
Thief of Magic
Throne of Magic
The Aria Fae Series
The Halfling
The Masked Maiden
The Blue Beast
The Haunted Hero
The Wolf Wars Series
Moon Burned
Moon Broken
Moon Born
Moon Battle
The Blood Pack Trilogy
Moon of Fire
Moon of Shadows
Moon of Curses
About the Author
H. D. Gordon is the author of several urban fantasy novels. She is the mother of two amazing daughters, and a lover of kick-ass females, beautiful things, and nerdy t-shirts.
H. D. spends her time with family, eating desserts, and taking strolls by the sea.
She resides in southern New Jersey—which she insists is really quite lovely.
For more information visit:
www.hdgordonbooks.com
