His to Protect: Book 1 in the Bound to Him Series

by Sandra Antoni

  “Well, of course. Why do you ask?” he asked me with a hint of confusion on his voice. The expression on his face was adorable, and I felt the corners of my lips lifting in a slight smile.

  “Why don’t you have a Christmas tree or any Christmas decorations? I mean, Christmas is just a few weeks away,” I asked him. He hesitated for just a moment before walking around the edge of the bar and standing in front of me. Then he lifted my hand in his.

  “I’ve never had anyone here to share it with me before,” hhe said softly, his eyes never leaving mine. “Would you like to help me decorate?” he asked. A smile spread across my face at his words, and I nodded up at him.

  “I think that would be fun. I love Christmas, and it might be a good distraction. A distraction would be nice,” I said quietly.

  Zeke walked around behind me and turned my barstool so that I was facing the bar once more. Then his hands went to my shoulders. He began to massage my tense muscles. My eyes closed instantly, and I felt my body relax for the first time in hours. I felt his lips on my cheek and his kiss was warm, sending heat running through me and pooling in my core.

  I could definitely get used to this, and I had a feeling that Zeke wanted me to. My head rolled forward, and his fingers worked the muscles in my neck and then his hands moved down to my back. This felt so good.

  When he stopped rubbing my back, his hands circled my waist. I could feel the heat from his body behind me, and I raised my head and opened my eyes. A smile spread across my face, and I looked at the others in the room who were all still watching me.

  “Girl, if his hands are that good, you know I’m way more than jealous,” Jessica said with an amused grin.

  I actually laughed out loud and it felt really good. I ended up laughing so hard that I was doubled over before it finally stopped. When I looked up again, everyone was staring at me like I had lost my mind. No one said a word, and the silence was deafening. It almost threw me into another fit of laughter.

  “That felt really good,” I said when my eyes met Zeke’s. “The massage and the laughter. It was just what I needed,” I said softly, completely aware of the radiant smile on my face.

  He turned me again, but this time to face him and his lips crashed down on mine. My hands went to his chest and his muscles bulged beneath my fingers. His hand went around the back of my neck, holding me in place as his tongue plunged inside my mouth.

  We shared the same air, one of us breathing in and then the other. His scent filled my senses, and it calmed me. I could not get enough of him. When he finally leaned back, his forehead landed on mine. I drew in a shaky breath, and my heart was racing in my chest. No one had ever made me feel the way Zeke did.

  “I love you, Chelsea,” he whispered, and I leaned back and looked up at him.

  “I love you too, Zeke,” I told him. It was the truth, and now seemed like the perfect time to admit it. I was tired of secrets and I didn’t want any secrets between us.

  When I turned and looked at the others in the room, I realized that Zeke and I were alone. I looked back up at him in surprise. He smiled down at me, then reached down and lifted me in his arms once again. I squealed in surprise, but he carried me through the kitchen and down the hallway to his bedroom.

  When he set me down on the floor in the bedroom, he reached for my t-shirt and pulled it over my head. Then he worked the button and zipper on my jeans and slid them down my legs. Next, he reached around me and unhooked my bra. I let it fall down my arms to the floor. When my panties were on top of the pile of clothes on the floor, he stood and began removing his own clothes.

  Once we were both standing in the middle of the room completely naked, I looked up at him. I mean, I had a feeling that I knew where this was going, but this had been an unusual start and I wondered what he had in mind. He had not said a word since he carried me in here. He reached for my hand, and then he turned and pulled me towards the bathroom.

  When we stepped inside, he opened the glass door to the shower and pulled me in behind him. My jaw dropped open as I looked around. It was an actual room. The walls were all tile that matched the floor, and in the center of the room on the ceiling was a large, rounded shower head. It was easily a foot and a half in diameter.

  Another shower head was on the wall to the right. Under that shower head was a large panel that looked like it held over fifty different sprayers that ran from the shower head all the way to the floor. Another panel just inside the door controlled everything inside the shower.

  There were two long, moveable benches along opposite walls, and a set of built-in shelves in the corner held a multitude of shampoos and body washes. I looked up at Zeke in surprise.

  “I’ve never seen a shower like this before. It’s amazing,” I said in awe. He grinned at me and walked towards the panel on the wall by the door. It seemed that water began spraying from everywhere. Then he stepped back in front of me.

  “Chelsea, I need you to know something. Obviously, I have had relationships in the past, but since I bought this house, I’ve never had a woman in my bedroom. Not until you. I’ve never had a woman in this shower until you. No woman had ever been in that bed until you. I knew from the moment I carried you here from the mountain that you were the woman for me,” he said tenderly, reaching up and caressing my cheek.

  Tears instantly filled my eyes, and his thumb brushed them away. His face was filled with so much tenderness and love. What did I ever do to deserve this man?

  “Chelsea, I knew that one day I would find you. I knew that one day, I would find my mate. The woman meant to be with me. I wanted everything to be pure for you. If I had brought another woman here, it would have defiled what I wanted to have with you. I love you,” he said, then his lips were on mine.

  His hands slid over my shoulders and down my back. My hands went to his chest. I did not even realize that he had moved us into the water until the spray landed against my skin. It startled me, and I broke the kiss. Zeke pulled me to the center of the room and under the rainfall shower head.

  He worked his hands through my hair until it was completely wet, then he reached for a bottle of shampoo. His eyes never left mine as he worked the shampoo into my hair. When he was finished, he backed me into the water once more.

  When my hair was completely rinsed, he reached for a cloth and some shower gel. Then he started at my neck and washed every inch of my body. His touch against my skin sent shivers through me, and when he circled the cloth around my breasts, my knees went weak.

  I felt my pussy clenching in anticipation, and I knew that I was already so wet for him. He moved the cloth down my belly and dragged it slowly between my legs, rubbing over my clit. My breath hitched, and I heard the whimper that escaped my lips. My eyes were still locked with Zeke’s and he smiled when he heard it.

  My hands gripped his shoulders as he knelt in front of me and washed both of my legs. Then he lifted one foot at a time and ran the cloth over each of them. When he was standing again, he pulled me under the water once more.

  His hands stroked over my skin, and a shiver ran through my body at his touch. Then he surprised me by leading me to one of the benches and pushing me down onto it. He stepped back under the water and then he washed his hair and body.

  I had been eager to run my hands over his body in the same way that he had done mine, but watching him this way had my pussy dripping in anticipation. He was like a demi-god, all firm and muscular. My eyes roamed over his hard chest and broad shoulders, and I watched every inch of skin as he washed it.

  My eyes landed on his cock that had been standing at attention since the moment he took his clothes off in the bedroom. My mouth watered, and I could not keep my tongue from running over my lips. I wanted to taste him again. My eyes moved back up to his, and I found him watching me with an amused grin.

  When he had the soap rinsed, he walked towards me and stopped right in front of me. The head of his cock was right in front of my face, and I reached out and wrapped my fingers ar
ound him. I heard his sharp inhale of breath, and then I leaned forward and drew him into my mouth.

  His fingers went into my hair, drawing me closer. His cock was so thick, and it took a moment for my mouth to adjust. I took him into my throat as far as I could, with my hand still working his base. My other hand reached around and grabbed his ass, holding him close.

  I had never really enjoyed this part of oral sex before. Ex-boyfriends in the past had seemed to expect it and so I did it. But I just could not get enough of Zeke. The moans he made had my pussy soaked, and I loved that I could do this for him. I wanted him to feel as good as he made me feel.

  When he tried to pull away, I dug my fingers into his ass to keep him in place. His fingers clenched in my hair.

  “If you don’t stop, Chelsea, I am going to come down your throat,” he said in a strained voice. Just the sound of his voice brought out a groan, and it reverberated around his cock.

  “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Turning my eyes to watch his face, I took him deep in my throat and sucked all the way up his length. His hips began to rock, and his cock slammed even deeper down my throat than I had thought was possible.

  I let him take over control, and he began thrusting in and out of my mouth with an increasing speed. Sucking up his length each time he pulled out, I let him fuck my mouth. When I felt his cock thicken, thick ropes of his seed shot down my throat, and I swallowed everything he gave me, sucking every last drop from him.

  With his hands still gripping my hair, he pulled me from the bench and his lips crashed down on mine. One of his hands went to my breast, and I gasped when he pinched my nipple. I moaned against his mouth and then his other hand traced down my waist.

  When his finger slipped inside of me, I gripped his shoulders, holding on to him for support. His finger pumped into me and his other hand palmed my breast as his tongue searched and teased my mouth. Shivers raced through me and my whole body was aware of his touch. Heat pooled in my core, and my body felt alive.

  Before I knew what was happening, his lips left mine and his fingers pulled out of me. He pushed me back down on the bench. Then he reached for my shoulders and gently pushed me down on my back across the bench.

  He grabbed one of my legs and lifted it onto the bench, bent at the knee. He pushed my knee against the shower wall. My other foot remained on the floor. I was spread wide open for him, and he knelt on the floor beside me.

  His eyes were locked on mine as his hand returned to my pussy. Slipping two fingers inside me this time, my hips bucked against his hand. His thumb brushed over my clit, and I moaned, and my eyes fell closed.

  I felt his lips on my breast and he sucked my nipple into my mouth, swirling it with his tongue. My hand went to the back of his head, and I pressed my breast into him. I could feel the intensity building inside as he worked my body, and I ran my fingers through his hair.

  “Please, Zeke. More!” I managed to gasp out. His mouth left my nipple, and then I felt the heat of his mouth on my clit. His teeth grazed the sensitive nub and I cried out, but then he began sucking. My orgasm was instantaneous, and I gripped his arm with one hand and my breast with the other.

  His fingers continued pumping into me as my hips bucked against his mouth. His tongue didn’t let up, and I cried out at the intensity. My orgasm went on and on until finally, my body began to relax. I opened my eyes and turned my head and looked down my body at him.

  “You are even more beautiful in the throes of an orgasm. I love watching you fall apart,” he said softly with that adorable smile on his face. He reached for my hand and helped me sit up. Then he helped me up from the bench.

  “I guess we need another shower,” I chuckled, unable to remove the smile from my face. Zeke pulled me into his arms.

  “Not yet. I’m not finished with you,” he said, rubbing his already hard again cock against my belly.

  He kissed me again, but without breaking the kiss, he reached around my waist and lifted me in his arms against his chest. I wrapped my legs around his waist and threw my arms around his neck, lost in his kiss and the taste of him.

  When his cock nudged against my pussy entrance, I moaned against his mouth. Working my hips, I tried to lower myself down on him. I needed him inside of me now, but his hands grabbed my ass and held me in place, teasing my entrance with just the head of his cock.

  I felt the wall against my back as Zeke pushed me up against it. Then he dropped me down on him, his cock piercing my pussy in one quick thrust. I couldn’t move since he had me pinned against the wall, his hand gripping my ass. He thrust into me over and over.

  My fingernails dug into his back, but he didn’t stop, and I didn’t want him to. I squeezed down on him, moving in the only way I could as my pussy clenched his cock. He groaned and buried his face in my neck. When his teeth bit down on my shoulder, I cried out and pulled him tighter against me. It had stung, but he didn’t break the skin.

  His fingers dug into my ass as his cock stroked my pussy walls. My body felt like it was on fire, with an intense heat flowing through me. My clit rubbed against him with every thrust he made, and it wasn’t long before I was screaming out again with another orgasm.

  Until Zeke, I had been lucky if I had one orgasm during sex, but with Zeke, my body craved him. My pussy craved his cock, and the sound of my cries filled the room as my orgasm rocked through me. When I was replete, Zeke stopped suddenly and slid his cock out of me. I whimpered at the sudden emptiness, wanting him inside me again.

  He lowered my legs to the ground, and then he took both of my hands and walked me back to the bench. He bent me forward and placed both of my hands on the bench. Then he grabbed my hips in his hands as he stood behind me.

  When his cock thrust inside me again, flashes of light went off inside my head. He worked my pussy, rolling his hips and touching every inch inside me. His cock touched places that had never been touched before, and I craved more. I craved everything. Harder and faster, he pounded into me, and I loved every minute of it.

  When his finger slipped past that tight ring of my ass, I moaned a deep, full-bodied moan. I was so full, and the pressure was intense, but the pleasure was building again.

  “Zeke!” I cried out, and he just pumped into me faster.

  “Fuck!” I screamed, and then my orgasm hit. Sparks seemed to spread through my body, and my pussy clenched down on his cock. He didn’t let up as his finger continued plunging into my ass and his cock speared my pussy. I screamed again as my body trembled from everything that I was feeling, and then I felt his cock thicken inside me.

  I heard him cry out as he pounded into me and then stilled. The heat of his seed filled me, and then he began moving slowly, spreading the warmth into my already soaked channel. His finger slid from my ass, and his hands reached around me and palmed both of my breasts. Then he lifted me up and pulled me back against his chest.

  “I love you, Chelsea. Nothing was right until I found you,” he whispered in my ear. I relaxed against his chest, and my hands covered his on my breasts.

  “I love you too, Zeke. It seems like my whole world has just been flipped upside down, but when I’m with you, my world seems right side up again,” I told him softly, leaning my head back against his chest.

  He pulled his still semi-hard cock out of me and turned me in his arms to face him. His eyes held an intensity that I hadn’t seen before.

  “Chelsea, I know that we haven’t known each other long, but this is just how it is with mates. I know that we still have a lot to talk about, but I don’t want to be without you. I need you with me. Do you think you could be happy here with me?” he asked, and I felt the familiar tears filling my eyes.

  “I already feel like this is home, Zeke. I fell in love with this place the moment I laid eyes on it. Same with you,” I told him, and an amazing smile spread across his face. Then he pulled me against his chest.

  After taking another shower, we finally made our way to the bedroom. As I crawled into the bed, I thoug
ht about what he had told me. No other woman had shared this bed with him. He had saved this room for me. It really had felt like coming home.

  Chapter 15

  Ezekiel

  When we crawled into bed that night, Chelsea peppered me with questions. I took that as a good sign that she was finally accepting what she was. She asked about the mate bond, and I told her everything. She seemed relieved to finally understand what had drawn the two of us to each other in the beginning.

  She also asked me about the pack. There was a certain hierarchy in the pack, and it was my responsibility to lead them. I told her what it meant to be the alpha of a pack. Pack discipline fell to me, but the pack was my family. I shared in their achievements, their disappointments, their successes, their new births, and their deaths.

  Keeping the peace was also my responsibility, along with working with other pack alphas on situations that affected shifters as a whole. It was also my job to deal with the council, although, that was my least favorite thing.

  The council thrived on their power, and their word was law in the shifter world. They had never quite accepted the fact that some shifters mated with humans. They felt like humans would interrupt the sanctity of the shifter blood lines. I had heard stories of the punishments they had dealt in the past to anyone who broke what they considered our most sacred law.

  But times had changed since then. Although most shifters mated with shifters, there were some who had taken humans as mates. That usually happened when a shifter could not find their shifter mate. The council saw this as a breach of our most sacred law that prevented humans from finding out what we were.

  Their reasoning was that humans were fickle. It was their opinion that a human mate would turn on a shifter and expose our world. What they did not understand was that love did crazy things to people. It could even protect our way of life.

  Chelsea had many more questions, but I finally had to silence her. We had plenty of time for questions, but right now, it was late, and she needed sleep. I wrapped my arms around her, and she fell asleep almost immediately. I was glad because my brain was still in “go mode”.