by Sabrina York
Jack stepped behind her and bit lightly on a spot between her neck and shoulder blade. She shivered and goose bumps rose on her arms. Later, if she let him, he’d mark her there so everyone would know she belonged to him. But he would wait until she understood what it would mean to her life to be mated to a werewolf.
“Do that again.”
He moved back to look at her, pride swelling that he’d already found a way to please her. “You like that spot.”
“Apparently. Although, I never knew it before.”
He placed his tongue where he’d nipped. She moaned. “Yes, I think we’ve found a spot on you. I’m going to have fun with that place.”
Her arousal rose and his cock jumped in response. He’d be lucky not to humiliate himself and come in his pants. She hadn’t even touched him and his member throbbed.
“Touch me. Everywhere. Please.”
He placed a thumb over her swollen red lips. “You don’t ever need to beg me.”
Her blue eyes were huge. “Then touch me. Now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She never had to beg. He, however, might plead for mercy. Sex had always been great before but never held the intensity that he felt now. He might not survive this. She could destroy him if she wanted to.
“I get to touch you, too.”
“Please.”
She pointed her finger at him. “No begging for you either.”
He maneuvered her sweater over her head. Her skin, what he could see, appeared lightly dotted with freckles. “I want to count your spots.”
She gasped. “No, you’re terrible to mention them. I hate them. Always have.”
“They’re sexy as hell and I won’t have you speaking of them in that disparaging manner.”
She touched his cheeks. “You say the funniest things.”
“Do I?” Luke had been right. He didn’t really understand humans all the time. Hopefully—and he knew it was risky to hope—she’d be able to accept his wolf-side.
He smoothed his finger-tips over her soft skin toying with a piece of her long curly red hair. Her white satin bra appeared sexy over her breasts. They were more than a handful and his mouth watered. Narrowing his gaze, he worked the front clasp of the device until he’d freed them. Her boobs spilled out before him.
She had pink, firm nipples. He caressed them, squeezing the small buds between his fingers. She moaned and closed her eyes.
“You’re so sensitive.”
“Not usually but I seem to be right now.”
Another piece of good news that made him harder. “You make me want to howl.”
She laughed, more like a purr than a humorous response. He wanted to howl and had to control that urge for a little while longer.
Her eyes opened, heated but sharp and focused. “I said I wanted to touch you, too.”
“You did.” He tugged his shirt over his head.
She stroked her fingers on his abs. “You’re built like some kind of god.”
He shrugged. “I’m not. For my…ah…family, I’m considered to be sort of mid-sized.”
“Are all the men in Delta, Alaska genetically related to giants?”
“No. I guess we just grow big.”
Her index finger traced the lines of his lower stomach. “Do they all have abdominal muscles like these? Like someone took a picture of the perfect physique of a man and planted them on you?”
He pulled her close until they had no space between them. “I don’t make a point of staring at the naked torsos of my neighbors.”
“Probably a good idea.”
He kissed her because he couldn’t not kiss her. His tongue plunged into her mouth, needing the closeness, needing to claim her mouth. She placed her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer.
Still kissing her, he scooped her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She weighed nothing. When he finally had her all to himself, he’d make a point to see to it that she ate enough.
He lay her on the bed and covered her. She jumped under his touch while he ran his hand over her stomach. Her skintight black pants showed off the curves of her thighs and calves. He liked the tease but craved seeing her long legs bare.
He possessed the power to rip the pants in two if he wanted to. A normal human male, like she still believed him to be, would not be able to accomplish such a thing. He needed to behave himself and not give into the pulsing instinct that demanded he dominate her and prove what a good mate he would be by showing off his strength.
Instead, he slowly slid the black denim off her until he’d rid her of the outer clothing.
“You seem like you’re concentrating really hard.”
He smiled. If only she knew. “You have my total focus.”
“I feel like I do. I have to say, it’s very intense.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Too much?”
“No.” She swallowed and he watched her neck stretch. “Perfect.”
“Good.”
She had never been so intently watched during sex. Never. She’d been with one man other than Jacob and neither encounter nor her years with her husband had prepared her for Jack Johnson’s level of focus. The world seemed to start and stop with her for him, which had to be just an invention of her mind since no one acted that way on a one-night stand. Or maybe he happened to be one of those men for whom that kind of behavior came naturally.
He ran his fingers up her bare legs and she shook. His eyes followed the path as if wanting to see the reaction her skin had to his ministrations. Jack’s eyes altered, his brown pupils suddenly appearing…different than before. She blinked and the image shifted back to normal.
Wow. Lust must be really distorting my mind.
He raised an eyebrow. “Am I losing your attention?”
How could he have known that? “No, it’s just that your eyes looked like they changed. Must be the light in here or something.”
He frowned. “Or something.” He adjusted his position until more of his weight pushed against her, dominating her body. “I’m going to have to do a better job of keeping your attention.”
“Oh, trust me, you have it.”
He toyed with the edge of her panties. “Really? Are you sure?”
She didn’t want to glance down at her skin. She had to be the shade of a tomato and it couldn’t be attractive. “I might be able to focus better if you were naked, too.”
“Huh.” His brown eyes lit with amusement. “I suppose I can see how that might help. I’m not sexy like you. But if you think it will help….”
How could he possibly think that? Were all the women in Delta, Alaska blind?
He removed his khaki pants, revealing a pair of black briefs and showed just how attractive he found her. His cock pressed against the cotton fabric. She couldn’t help but stare. Usually she found the male anatomy somewhat intimidating, but staring at his caused her mouth to water.
“You’re so delicate.” He played with her panties again. “I promise I’m going to take care of you. You’ve nothing to fear.”
She stared into his eyes. He could either read her mind or he had a gift for intuition.
“I’m not fearful. I’m actually more afraid of the fact that I’m not nervous and you’re huge.”
He smiled, a slight rose-colored hue appearing on his skin. Had she embarrassed him? She hadn’t meant to and yet she found it delightful. A man existed in the world who could still be uncomfortable with talk about his penis? Weren’t they born wanting to discuss their prowess?
“I want to be in you so badly. I want to feel your warmth surrounding me, bringing me home.”
Her mouth went dry. “You’re a romantic, aren’t you?”
“Maybe I’m old-fashioned in some ways. I don’t know. I believe I’ve found something special here.”
So did she and that presented a problem since she could only be in Alaska a few more weeks at best before she’d have to run with Katie again.
“Did my words make you
sad?”
“Longing.” She waved her hand in the air like it meant nothing. “Never mind. I don’t want to discuss it now.”
She kissed him to lighten the mood but instead his familiar taste took her more intensely into her own emotions. He surrounded her with strength, he held her like he wanted to be with her always. Her eyes filled with tears. Why couldn’t he be? Why couldn’t she be at a place in her life where a relationship with someone like him could happen?
He wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb but didn’t question why she’d cried. Instead, he slowly drew her panties down her legs until her pussy lay bare.
She sniffed and gestured toward his underwear. “You, too. That’s the rule. If I’m naked, you are too.”
“Take off my briefs.” His voice was hoarse. “I don’t think I can do it. My hands are shaking.”
Looking, she saw evidence of the tremor that had overtaken Jack’s grip. Her heart sped up. “Why?”
“You’re…perfect.”
She shivered at his words. As a woman who had once held a baby in her womb and stretch marks marred her skin in more than one place because of the experience, she knew she didn’t look perfect.
In the past things had been…different.
She tugged at his briefs, grazing a finger over his cock. He hissed before making a noise that sounded close to a growl although he didn’t seem to have realized he’d done so. His eyes bored into hers, his attention once again rapt and solely on her.
She stared at his cock. What should she say? He appeared…immense. Erect and heavily veined, she got even wetter staring at it.
He touched the curls he’d admired. She leaned back and closed her eyes, wanting to savor every second of this time. Like he already knew her body well, his finger sought and easily located the tiny bud of nerves that gave her so much pleasure but that always seemed to be so difficult to find. Except, apparently, for him.
Her knees clenched and tried to close with the intensity of the pleasure swirling through her.
“Ssshh, I’ve got you.” He kissed the top of her knee. “Don’t fight it.”
She didn’t want to. She wanted to experience every second of it. Hell, she just…wanted. Finally, the pressure inside threatened to explode, and she let it. Tears swam in her eyes as years of pent up tension seemed to leave her body.
“You smell incredible.”
Her eyes opened and she grinned. “You can scent me? Really?”
She’d always heard people talk about the aroma of sex but had never discussed it before. “You must have a really good nose.”
“I do.” He kissed her nose. “And I’m not done with you yet.”
“You’re not?” She stroked his hard erection, wanting to caress his balls.
He stopped her. “If you touch, if you even bump me, I’m going to come immediately. I want to be in you when that happens, so for now, keep your fingers where they are. Okay?”
His honesty stunned her. Most guys would not want to admit they might lose control like that. “Okay. This time. But if we do it again, I get to play.”
He smiled with something like a wolfish-grin. “Oh, we’re going to be doing this again. Of that, I can assure you.” He removed a condom from the drawer next to them and put it on.
Covering her again with his body, he pressed his cock against her opening. In one hard thrust he was inside of her. He closed his eyes and placed his forehead against hers. “Okay?”
She nodded, no longer able to form words. No man had ever filled her up so completely before.
He started slowly and just when she’d gotten used to the pace, he’d alter it, faster, slower. In and out he plunged, and she thrust her hips to meet him. Their bodies began a dance that seemed to have been made only for the two of them.
Her ears rang and colors passed before her eyes. He cursed, fueling her into a frenzy of pleasure. She clutched his back, uncaring that she marked him with her nails. He screamed her name, his body jackhammering until he exploded inside of her.
They panted together. She lost track of time. Finally, he rolled away, tugging her back into his arms.
“Are you awake?” he whispered.
She stretched happily. “Do I have a stupid grin on my face?”
“No. You have a beautiful smile.” He kissed her cheek. “You okay?”
She forced her lids open. “Oh yes. You?”
He laughed. “You could say that, yes.”
His expression was happy, but his neck muscles appeared strained. “Are you okay?”
“I had to stop myself from biting you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Really?” The idea didn’t disgust her at all. In fact, she got a little wet at the thought.
He groaned and closed his eyes. “You don’t mind the idea.”
He hadn’t phrased it as a question. “No.”
After a moment, he opened his eyes and rolled until he lay on his side and propped his head on his hand. “So, you know I’m from a small town in Alaska. How about you? Where do you and Katie live? And please don’t say in China or something like that because then I’m going to have to figure out how I can get there to be with you.”
His words filled her like tiny miracles invading her soul. Yet, they had to be too good to be true. Men—good men—didn’t fall for her. How could she explain the situation of her life?
Her mouth dried and words stuck in her throat. “I was born in Seattle. My mother’s family is from Alaska by way of Russia. But I never lived here. I’m visiting my aunt who lives in Anchorage.”
He played with a piece of her hair. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Oh, you noticed that, did you?” She kissed his check, unable to stop touching him.
“I did.”
“Right now Katie and I live wherever I can move us on two tanks of gas.” She’d thought there was no way she would tell him about her situation. No way had she wanted to share that part of her life. But he’d asked and she’d answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do.
“I don’t understand.”
She sat up and scooted under the covers, wanting to be covered. He didn’t budge. Nude and clearly unabashed by it, his intense gaze from earlier had come back.
“Katie’s father, my ex-husband, Jacob will kill me and take her if he finds us. I can’t let that happen to my baby. The police can’t stop him, or don’t want to. Maybe they just don’t care. I’ve stopped asking for assistance. So we run. Every few weeks. She can never go to school. I try to teach her. Sometimes it’s hard.” She stared away from him, needing some distance from the intense glow of his eyes. “I’m sorry. This wasn’t what tonight was supposed to be about.”
He stroked her thigh gently over the covers. “Why would he do this?”
She snapped her head back. “Why does anyone become like that? He doesn’t want me to win. He thought it okay to beat me, to threaten her even as a baby. I made a huge mistake marrying him, I….”
Sitting upright, he hugged her against him. “I see. He’s gone feral.”
Feral? “Um, I guess that’s a good way to put it. He’s not mentally well, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”
“No.” He rubbed his forehead against hers and some of the tension lessened. “You’re safe now.”
“Yes, for tonight I feel that way. And Aunt Samantha will protect Katie. He won’t try to take her until he kills me, which makes her safe tonight.”
“You’re safe tonight and all nights and days to come.”
She swallowed. His words were beautiful, but they were just words. “You can’t know that.”
“I’m good with the ferals. Jacob will bother you no more.”
Chapter Three
He stroked his mate’s hair and contemplated what his next move would be. She had to learn about werewolves and accept him. Then she had to move to Delta so he could watch her and the child. He’d not met Katie, and yet she already belonged to him, like her mother did
. Unlike his own father, who had all but destroyed Bethany when their mother had passed away, Jack would care for the girl as if he were her biological father, for the rest of his life. Of that, he felt certain.
“You know I would love to believe you.” The hint of sadness in her voice almost undid him. “I used to believe—long past when I should have—in all kinds of things. Princes who came in on white horses, fairies, vampires, and werewolves. I blame my grandmother. She used to tell me stories and insist they were true. These days, I know the only thing that’s real is that the sun will come up tomorrow and Katie will need to be fed.”
Her eyes glazed over, but not from passion. He took her hand in his and rubbed his fingers over her knuckles. “Werewolves, huh? Big scary beasts that change in the full moon, who hunt and kill babies.”
“Not my grandmother’s version.” She sighed. “After she and her sister came from Russia to Alaska, she said they’d snuck out to watch a shooting star. They’d gotten lost in the snow and weren’t dressed appropriately. Out of the woods came what she called an oroboten. They were terrified, but he herded them back to their town. She swore that the werewolf saved them.”
“How did she know the oroboten to be a werewolf and not a regular wolf?”
His mate shrugged. “I don’t know. I never asked her that. Hey, you knew just how to say that. Have you heard that word before?”
“Once or twice.”
A knock sounded on the door and she jumped an inch in the air. He sniffed, laying a hand on her leg to calm her. A male waited outside the door. Jack scented him and the foods he’d brought with him.
“Did you order something to eat?”
“No. I came right from the front desk here. Maybe I should have thought to order something but I’d gotten nervous and….”
