Pulling in front of his cabin, he cut off the engine and turned to her. “There’s something else you should know. And I don’t know how you’re going to react to this.”
“What is it?” She blinked up at him. “I promise, I won’t judge.”
“Well …” He rubbed his palm on the back of his head. “That woman … back in Fort Carson. She was the last woman I tried to sleep with.”
“Oh.”
“That was six years ago.”
Her lips rounded into a perfect circle. “Oh.”
“Yeah, and before that … it was six months of therapy, and we’d been deployed for about four months so there wasn’t much dating back there.” God, it was embarrassing to admit this.
“So … it’s been over seven years for you.”
He nodded. “I just … I never felt a strong urge, not after what happened. Sure, I took care of myself, but other than that …”
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said. “I mean, I’m sure you’ll do fine.” She patted his hand. “I can show you if you don’t remember,” she teased.
He burst out laughing. “I think I can figure out the basics.”
She let out a yelp as he reached for her and hauled her onto his side of the cab, planting her on his lap. “I’m sure I can. There is something else … I don’t have protection on me. I should have gotten some before we drove up here, but I was just distracted. Shifters can’t get STDs, so there was no reason for me to buy condoms—”
“Shh …” Her finger landed on his lips. “It’s all right. I’m safe. Up to date with my shots.”
With a soft growl, he nipped at her forefinger. The thought of being in her without any barriers between them made his blood heat. But still … “Are you sure—”
“Yes.” Her pupils blew up with desire. “Please, Damon.”
He opened the door, stepped out of the truck, and hauled her over his shoulder. She let out a yelp of surprise, but he couldn’t help himself. Her giggles told him she was enjoying it too. “I’ve wanted to do that since … well, since we met,” he confessed when they got inside his cabin. He placed her on her feet, and she looked up at him with a skeptical expression.
“No you—”
He silenced her with his mouth. Now that they were inside his den, alone, an urgency set him off. He needed her so bad. Right. Fucking. Now.
She had already taken her coat off, so he did the same with his jacket. They continued kissing as they made their way up the stairs, their mouths only parting when necessary. Soon, they were in his bedroom, and she was only in her bra and panties, and he was in his boxers. Grabbing her by the waist, he hauled her to the bed, dropping her in the middle as he stood back.
“God, you’re so fucking perfect.”
Perfect skin everywhere. Her breasts were high and perky, just the right size—he could probably cover them with both his hands. Small waist, flat stomach, with her hips rounding out to an ass that made him weep. Her legs were lean and long, strong too, as he recalled earlier when she wrapped them around him.
She swallowed and her nostrils flared as her gaze roamed over him. From the strong smell of her arousal, he knew she liked what she saw.
He stripped off his boxers, crawled over her, and moved between her legs, letting his cock brush against her. “I want you so bad, Anna Victoria.”
Her hands came up to his shoulders, gripping them as she pushed her hips up at him. “Yes.”
God, if he wasn’t careful, he could embarrass himself right then and there. Gritting his teeth, he bent his head to kiss her slender neck as his hands moved down to her bra. Pulling the cups down, he cradled her soft breasts, his thumbs easily teasing her nipples to hardness. Moving lower still, he trailed kissed down between them, before taking a hardened bud into his mouth.
“Ah!” Her fingers dug into his scalp as her body arched toward him. He took the nipple deeper, sucking it in and teasing it with his tongue as he unsnapped her bra and tossed it aside. Trailing a hand down her body, he placed it on her stomach, pressing her down on the mattress. The way her hips were rubbing against his was too much. He wanted to last longer, savor her, and watch her come.
In one motion, he flipped her over so she was on top of him. Fuck, she was gorgeous, especially in the moonlight. Her breasts were thrust up, the small waist dipping into her hips. He reached between them where she was pressed down on his stomach, only a scrap of lace between them. Yanking the delicate fabric aside, he touched her slick lips, groaning inwardly at how ready she was.
“Damon,” she panted as she rocked her hips against his fingers.
“That’s it sweetheart,” he urged, gently coaxing her onto her knees. He ripped her panties off, exposing the neat little triangle of dark blonde hair to his gaze and then slid a finger inside her. Fuck, she was so hot, rocking against his hand, fucking herself on his fingers. “Go on … Come for me.”
She moaned and moved her hips faster, harder. He slipped another finger inside her, going deeper, trying not to think about how tight she was as he might explode just thinking of being in there.
“Ngghhh!” Her body thrashed as she squeezed him tight, his fingers flooding with her juices. She collapsed on top of him, but he held her back.
“Not done yet, sweetheart.”
Grabbing the cheeks of her ass, he hauled her up higher, until her legs straddled his head.
“Damon? What are you—oh!”
Bringing her down, he mouthed her slick, hot pussy. Dear God, she tasted sweet, like icing on a birthday cake with just a pinch of salt. He licked at her eagerly, exploring her, tickling her, teasing her until she was once again shaking with pleasure.
“I want to watch you on top,” he said. “But I might not last too long.”
She rolled over beside him. “Then you take charge,” she said. “Take me, Damon.”
With a soft growl, he covered her body with his. He grabbed at her wrists, pinning them over her head with one hand. She shivered, her mouth parting and her pupils dilating with arousal. Settling himself between her legs, he parted them, nudging at her entrance.
Sweat beaded on his temple as he pushed in, slowly. She let out a sharp cry, so he slowed down, allowing her to adjust to his size. When her body relaxed, he moved in again, his jaw in pain from gnashing his teeth together too hard.
She sighed when he stopped. “Are you all the way in?”
He shook his head.
“Dear God.” She threw her head back. “What have I—oh!”
He pushed forward. “Now I’m in,” he said, grinning at her. “Hold on, sweetheart.”
“Oh my—oh!” She cried out when he suddenly pulled back and thrust back inside. Holding her tight, he moved in and out of her, enjoying the feel of her tightness squeezing with each pump. She was close to coming again, he could tell.
“Yes, oh God, yes!”
He moved faster, rutting into her as hard as he could. Her breath was coming in short, fast spurts, so he held her until she exploded, shaking all over as her hips undulated against his. He slowed his pace, easing her down until she was all limp.
“Not yet, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her ear. “I need more.”
Flipping her onto her stomach, he hauled her ass up and onto her knees, her elbows bracing her front on the bed. Bending down, he licked at her. “You taste so sweet. Like sugar.” It was intoxicating; he could feast on her the whole day, but his cock was aching to be inside her again.
She gasped, then let out a cry when he thrust into her. He grabbed onto her hips, digging his fingers into the soft flesh as he fucked into her. His cock pistoned in and out, until she was making those sexy little pants that signaled her orgasm.
Pulling her up, he held her against his body, his front to her back, his cock going deeper inside her. His hand moved between her legs and plucked at her clit, sending her over the edge. He plowed into her; his control razor-thin. He wanted this feeling to last, but he’d been waiting for this forever. With
a low, animalistic growl, he let go, coming deep inside her in the most intense orgasm he’d ever felt.
Her body went limp, and he let go for a moment so she could crash on the bed as he gathered his wits. Not that he had any left. His mind was completely and utterly shot. And he loved every second of it.
When he regained control of his body, he lay down next to her. He tried to grasp words, things he could say to her, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate.
Finally, she broke the silence. “I think you remembered more than the basics.”
He burst out laughing, then cuddled her against him. “Are you … good?”
“Better than good.” She nuzzled against his chest. “And see, you didn’t lose control. You didn’t hurt me.”
“I’ll be damned.” He was flabbergasted. Even now, there was only silence from his animal. Sure, he could feel its presence, like it was slumbering. But it didn’t try to fight him or even interfere.
Her fingers traced circles on his pecs. “Maybe you just needed to get back in the saddle.”
He snatched her hand and kissed her fingers. “Or maybe all I needed was you.”
Chapter Ten
Anna Victoria couldn’t remember if she’d ever woken up smiling in her life, but she definitely had one on her face this morning. Waking up came with full awareness of where she was and what happened last night—and it had her mentally fanning herself. Woo. Was there a word for hotter than hot? Like, surface of the sun hot? Because that’s what it was like. The sheets would have probably burned up. Oh Lord, why did no one tell her shifters had an amazing recovery time? Damon didn’t let her sleep for hours.
She stretched her arms over her head, aware of the delicious aches and pains all over her body. Damon’s scent was all over the sheets, but as she reached over to the other side of the bed, she only grasped … paper?
“Huh?” Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and looked at the piece of paper in her hand. Join me outside, read the neat, masculine handwriting.
Another smile broke out on her face. She glanced out the large windows, which had an amazing view of the snow-covered trees. It was already light out, though in this weather, it was always hard to tell what time it was exactly. Still, it would be cold, which meant she needed to be prepared.
Climbing out of the massive bed, she grabbed the shirt hanging from the bed post—Damon’s shirt which he had retrieved sometime last night—and put it on, then grabbed the blanket and padded out of the room, taking the stairs to the ground floor. Wrapping the blanket around her, she opened the door and braced herself for the cold. The chill hit her face, and she closed her eyes, breathing in the clean, crisp air. But where was Damon?
A growl made her eyes snap open. A small yelp escaped her mouth when she realized she wasn’t alone. A large—no, humungous—dark brown bear was on the lawn, digging at the snowy ground.
She should have felt afraid. But her body didn’t tense nor did her heart start racing. Instead, a calmness wrapped over her, and she instantly realized who it was. “Damon,” she whispered.
The bear must have heard her, because its head swung over in her direction. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized those green eyes. “Damon,” she called again.
Though it hesitated at first, the bear eventually began to lumber toward her. Not minding the chill, she stepped out of the cabin and onto the porch, her steps almost mirroring Damon’s animal. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, the bear was already there, bent down, waiting on all fours. Reaching out, she gently placed her hand on the bear’s head.
“Oh, you’re so soft.” The fur was thick between her fingers. She ran her hand over the bridge of the bear’s nose, and then up its head. The bear let out a satisfied chuff when she scratched at the crown.
Fascination made her grow bolder as she examined the bear closely. She’d never even see a live bear, much less petted one. But it’s not just any bear. No, this was also Damon.
The bear pulled back, and she jumped in surprise. The air around her seemed to change and shift, and slowly, the animal’s large frame began to shrink. Fur sank into skin, claws into hands. Seeing him transform … it wasn’t uncomfortable exactly, but it was like watching something private. Still, she couldn’t turn away.
Finally, when it was all done, Damon was there, kneeling on one knee at the foot of the stairs. His head lifted, and his gaze met hers. “You’re up.”
“Yes,” she said. “That was …”
He frowned as he got to his feet. “I hope you weren’t frightened. Or disgusted.”
“What?” she exclaimed. “No, of course not. I was fascinated, but not disgusted.” How could she be? This was a major part of him.
A smile—a rare, sincere one—lit up his face. “I’m glad.” He hopped up the porch, grabbed the pajama bottoms hanging on the banister and put them on. Taking her hand, he led her to the outdoor couch on the other end of the wraparound porch and sat down.
“Come.” He stretched out his arm, and moved over to make room for her.
Following his lead, she threw the blanket around them and cuddled up to him. “Hmm, so warm.” She nuzzled at his chest. “You’re like my own personal heater,” she joked.
“Shifter metabolism.” He pulled her tighter to him. “All good?”
She nodded. “You should have woken me up when you did.”
“I would have, but I haven’t slept yet.”
Her head bobbed up to meet his gaze. “You haven’t?”
“Nope.” He tucked the other end of the blanket under her chin. “Don’t need much rest. My bear was feeling restless, so I let him out. Plus, I’d rather watch you while you’re sleeping.” His lips brushed across hers. “You’re so beautiful when you do.”
“Oh, stop.”
“You are.” His voice took on that low, sensuous tone that made her melt.
She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. It’d snowed heavily up here last night, and now everything was covered in a thick blanket of white, muffling the sounds and creating a calm, quiet feeling to their surroundings. “I can see why you’d want to live up here. It’s so lovely and soothing.”
“When I first came back from the army and I was a mess, coming up here was the only way I could escape.” His fingers stroked her hair gently. “When I said that to Gabriel, he got this idea that I should join the Rangers. I was skeptical at first, but then he said he’d go through the training with me.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. He hates this nature stuff, you know,” he said.
“But it’s been five years, and he’s still working with you.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Now, he doesn’t like to talk about it, but Gabriel doesn’t need to work.”
“He doesn’t?”
“He’s one of the majority shareholders of his family’s company, Lyon Industries, and sits on the board of the Lucas Lennox Foundation. His trust fund could buy my house a hundred times over.”
“Wait.” She glanced up at him. “Gabriel is rich?”
“Not Lennox rich,” he said. “But, yeah.”
“Huh.” She pondered on that. Now some things about the lion shifter did make sense. “He’s a great friend then.”
“He is.” A wistful smile crossed his face. “Anyway, that’s how I ended up with the rangers. Also, I cashed out my army pension, my parents gave me some of the profits from the sale of their house, and then I got this place.”
“It really is beautiful,” she said, taking a deep whiff of the clean air.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said.
“Really?”
He nodded. “Because I want you to spend more of your time up here with me … if you want to, that is.”
“I do want to,” she said before thinking. There was a giddy feeling that rose up in her, but then she realized that everything seemed so sudden. “As long as you don’t feel like I’m smothering you or this is all moving too fast.” She knew guys could be sensitive when it came to women tak
ing over their space. The last guy she had dated wouldn’t even let her keep a toothbrush at his place.
A chuckle made his chest rumble. “Fast? Oh, sweetheart, these last two weeks have been torture. I told you, I wanted you from the beginning.”
She worried at her lip and drew her brows together as she recalled his words last night, about being his mate. Was it true? What did being mates even mean? The whole concept was still strange to her.
“What’s the matter?” His mood shifted, and his eyes turned dark. “Tell me. Please. You’re not regretting this, are you?”
“What?”
“The things I told you last night … not a lot of people know because they wouldn’t understand.” His entire body stiffened, and his hold on her loosened. “I’ve done things … caused so much pain.”
“Damon, no. Oh no.” She cupped his face. “Look at me. I may not understand what it’s like, but you can’t keep blaming yourself for what happened to the men under your command. They knew the risks, and you had bad information.”
“But—”
“Damon, you know sometimes guilt can eat you up from the inside, and the thing about it is, you don’t even know it’s happening.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “You have to learn to forgive yourself, too, before you’re consumed by that darkness.” Her chest ached for him so bad.
His body relaxed, and his hand soothed her back. “I don’t know about that …” He sighed. “Can we talk about something else? Like what’s bothering you?”
His questions caught her off guard. “I just … I …”
He had told her everything about himself last night, about his past, and yet, he knew nothing about her. About her past and what exactly brought her here. That bag of cash still sitting in the trunk of her car was only the tip of the iceberg.
“Anna Victoria?”
“Sorry … woolgathering.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Damon, don’t you want to know more about me … you know, before deciding that I’m your mate?”
“I can’t ‘decide’ you’re my mate,” he began. “You just are.”
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