by Liv Brywood
When Iris asked if she could come with me tonight, it was hard not to freak out. I was so damned excited, but I played it pretty cool for the first few hours. Or, at least I thought I was playing it cool. She’d noticed how antsy I was getting. She’d whispered that I wouldn’t have to wait much longer.
That’s what I like about her. She cuts through the bullshit and says exactly what she’s thinking. She’s not like other girls who play stupid games and are always trying to keep you guessing. She’s up front and honest. I love that. It makes life so much easier.
For days, all I’ve thought about is that intense make out session in the lavender field. I’ve kissed plenty of women, and yet none of them ever meant much to me. They didn’t ignite a fire inside me the way Iris did the morning she kissed me. I’ll never forget that kiss.
Every time I smell the scent of lavender, I think of her. I even bought some of those girly sachet things to put in my dresser drawers. My wolf wants to roll around in that scent, and I don’t blame him, because I want to roll around in it too.
Honestly, all I want to do is get her naked and into my bed. The thought of her warm body pressed tight against mine makes my cock so swollen that my pants feel like a prison.
Still, I don’t want to rush it. I have a hunch that if I do, I’ll break everything we’ve built over years of friendship. I want to move things forward, but slowly, so I don’t scare her away. I’ve waited a lifetime to be with her, I can wait a little longer.
Trying to make love to her at Remus’ place was impossible. Although my herbalist friend has an expansive house, with all four of us there, it seems a lot smaller. I love Remus and Torak like brothers, like my pack, but there are times I wish I could get her alone. Now I can.
The fact that she suggested a trip out to my place makes my heart hammer in my chest. She clearly wants to be alone with me too, but why? I think she wants to kiss me again, but I won’t know for sure until we get home. I can hardly wait. I can’t help but get my hopes up that maybe something will happen. But I have to wait for her to make the first move.
We zip through a tunnel bored straight into the side of the mountain. The yellowed fluorescent lights make little buzzes as we pass beneath them. They fall into rhythm with my heartbeat. Ahead, the blue sky beckons, along with my hopes and dreams.
When we leave the mouth of the tunnel, I lean the bike into another tight turn. Iris squeals and hugs me even tighter. A smile stretches across my face even though I know she can’t see it.
I slow the throttle as we take a steep decline because there’s a set of old mining tracks at the bottom. It’s a pretty rough crossing. If I were with a different woman, I would be tempted to take the tracks fast to excite her. But with Iris, I just want to be careful. No matter what, her safety is paramount to me. I would sooner boil in a vat of liquid silver than see one hair on her head harmed.
At the bottom of the hill, we skip over the old tracks. The suspension I put in last summer gets a good workout. Iris gasps but no longer seems afraid. That pleases me very much.
I accelerate toward a steep hill that leads up to my place. It isn’t paved. If I don’t have good momentum at the start, we won’t make it. There’s not enough purchase for the bike to go from a dead stop.
We flash up the hill as trees zip by at a rapid rate. We crest the hill, and for a moment, Iris gets a hint of what lies in store for her.
A misty valley comes into view. A blue ribbon of water snakes through it. I love the way moonlight ripples across the river.
As we pass through another tunnel, it disappears, only to reappear on the other side.
Once we’re out of the second tunnel, we exit the gravel road. I pull onto my driveway. It’s paved, nearly a quarter mile long. My house is concealed by several large trees. She won’t be able to see it until we’re almost on top of it.
My home comes into view. Three stories of rugged yet polished postmodernism, with a huge garage where I can work on my bike, and more than enough space to entertain. It sits on the edge of a ravine where it overlooks the same river we saw from higher on the mountain.
My living room has a great panoramic view of the valley. I like to sit by the window and watch the sunset. One day, I hope Iris will be able to see it too. I hate that we had to sneak out of Remus’ house under cover of darkness, but I understand why it was necessary.
I pull the hog to a stop in front of the garage and put down the kickstand. Unfortunately, this means that Iris won’t be holding onto me anymore. Once she gets off the bike, a strange emptiness lingers. Without her warmth against me, the chilly night air seeps into my skin.
“Wow.” She whistles as she admires the house. My spare helmet is tucked under her arm. Even with her hair matted down in places, she’s still beautiful. “This is your house? It’s wonderful.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” I hold out my hand for the helmet, and she places it in my palm. After I secure it to the back of my bike, we head around the garage to the house. “Welcome to Casa de Nyx.”
Tall elm and oak trees surround my home like sentinels. They protect us from harsh sunlight and road noise. There’s a stump as wide as I am tall about midway through my yard. I hate it because it’s so hard to mow around the damn thing, but I sometimes wonder if I should turn it into a natural picnic table.
Iris’ head is on a swivel as she takes everything in.
“It’s so peaceful here.” Her smile is as radiant as the sun. Again, I’m struck by how intense my desire is and how far it goes beyond physical need. I need more than just her body; I need her heart and soul too.
“The wolf in me loves this valley.” I close my eyes and let the breeze wash over my face. I inhale the tasty scents of the lush greenery. Somewhere, a forest owl hoots twice after it catches its prey.
“I love this valley too.” She takes in a deep breath, and a bit of tension seems to drain from her.
Right now, the troubles of Dark Magic Academy and her wicked stepmother Lexus seem quite far away, almost as if they belong in another life. We don’t have to think about any of that. It’s just Iris, me, and the wind.
We arrive at my front door. I unlock the deadbolt then throw the door wide open. I gesture grandly at the foyer, which features a polished marble floor. I went for luxury when I was designing this place.
In the living room, a stone fireplace sits ready for use. Well-cured wood is stacked on either side of it. The stairway sweeps gracefully up the wall toward the second floor.
“This is incredible.” She turns and punches me in the arm. “You nut. I can’t believe you never brought me out here to see this place. You’ve been keeping it all to yourself.”
“Yeah, I’m a jerk like that.” We both chuckle and stare at each other. Tension builds in the silence until I have to say something to fill it. “It’s way more space than I need, but I’ve always hoped that one day my wife and kids would live here.”
She smiles, and her cheeks flush. Maybe she imagines herself as my wife. I know I do. I can’t help myself. It seems so right, so logical, and so perfect, that she would be my wife.
I used to seduce women for sport, but Iris makes me want to be a one-woman man.
Does she think of me in the same way? Does she see me as a husband material?
When we kissed, she definitely seemed into it—way into it—even if she did cut me off.
I mean, she kissed me back, right? That means something.
I know it.
All I want to do is tell her how badly I want her. All I can think about is how I much I want to make love to her all day and all night.
What’s wrong with me? I’ve turned into one of those whiny losers who pines for women and writes them unintelligible non-rhyming poetry.
It isn’t fair. I don’t like to talk about my feelings. I don’t even know where to start, but I want to say something. I want to tell her how much she makes my heart ache.
She stands there, waits on me to do or say something, so I ges
ture toward the steps.
“Let me show you upstairs,” I say lamely.
As we head upstairs, cherry-stained boards creak under our feet. Iris reaches out and playfully rubs the antlers I found in the forest. She pokes her index finger with their blunted tips.
Upstairs in the second living room, a massive picture window overlooks the misty valley and magnificent river. It’s a spectacular sight. No matter how many times I see it, I have to stop for at least a minute to appreciate it.
Iris’ beautiful eyes widen, and her mouth drops open. She walks across the room until her nose is nearly up against the glass. She stares in wonder at the magnificent view.
“I picked this spot to build my house so I could look at this every day,” I say.
“Oh, it’s so beautiful. How can you ever bear to leave this wonderful view?”
“There are some things that are even more beautiful in this world.” I reach out and brush the backs of my knuckles across her cheek. Her skin is so soft it nearly drives me insane.
“I could live in a house like this.” She smiles up at me.
Suddenly, I want to kiss her again.
Slowly, I move in. My inner fire burns, and my wolf strains against his ethereal leash. As I hold her face gently, I lean in and kiss her fully on the lips. Like last time, she eagerly responds.
Our lips melt together, and we kiss for several minutes before I explore her mouth with my tongue. She gives as good as she gets, and soon, I’m breathless. She’s so innocent in her exploration of my mouth, yet so sensual at the same time.
My arms wrap around her waist and I pull her closer. She embraces me. Her hands clutch at my broad shoulders.
I went too far, too fast, last time, so now I need to go slowly and gently. I don’t want to rush her.
My hands linger lightly on her back above her waist. I love the feel of her skin beneath my fingers as I trace the sweet curve of her back. I literally find every part of her desirable. I want to touch and lick and kiss everywhere at once. It’s killing me to hold back, but I manage to do it—barely.
Soft moans escape her mouth. Slowly, I trace kisses down her cheek to her neck. When I reach the hollow of her throat, she gasps and clutches me tighter.
I slide my hand down her back and around the sweet curve of her butt. She moans and tilts her head back, encouraging me to continue.
On instinct, I grab her around the waist and lift her into my arms. She goes with the motion and wraps her legs around my waist. I move forward until I reach the wall. As I press her up against it, I smother her with kisses. Her nails dig into my back as I move my mouth down to her throat once more, and my hands fumble with the buttons of her jacket.
When my mouth isn’t occupied, I mumble sweet nothings to her.
“I want you so damn bad.”
“I want you bad too.” There’s a note of regret in her voice, enough to make me pause and look her in the eye. She looks away before looking back at me. “I’m… I’m not ready to be tied down to one man. But I love being with you.”
It’s a knife to the gut, but I shrug and try to play it cool.
“Hey, that’s okay.” I continue to unbutton her jacket. “If you want no strings attached, I can do that. Sound good?”
“Yeah.” She smiles and squeezes her thighs tightly around my waist.
Right now, I’d agree to pretty much anything. I’m happy she’s okay with my suggestion. I definitely want strings at some point, but we’re still trying to figure this whole thing out. It might kill me, but she’s helping me develop the patience of a saint.
Suddenly she yanks open her shirt to reveal her soft, perfect breasts. I groan. This can’t be happening, but it is. She’s giving me the hungriest look I’ve ever seen. I know exactly what she wants, and I’m going to give it to her. She may not want strings yet, but by the time I’m done with her, she’ll want to be all tied up in them.
14
Iris
I’m not supposed to want Nyx, but I do—desperately. Desire consumes me as I stand in the middle of his living room. He’s holding me in his arms, and I’m drowning in sensation. I’ve never wanted anyone so badly. I’ve never needed anyone like this before. I was never the kind of girl who would come up with elaborate fantasies about my first time. I never really thought about it much until recently. And now that it’s going to happen, I want it to be perfect.
For a split second, I hesitate. Nyx is one of my best friends. Am I really going to go through with this? Am I going to give my virginity to him? Once we cross this line, there’s no going back. I’m burning up for him, and he’s clearly ready to take me to bed, but should we? Do we dare?
My body aches with longing. I don’t know why I’m hesitating other than… Well, I’m nervous.
“I’ve never done this before,” I murmur between kisses.
“Do you want me to stop?” He immediately stops and takes a step back.
“No. I want you.” I’m never this blunt, but I can’t dance around my feelings anymore. I can’t deny the overwhelming need to be with him. Perfection is overrated anyway.
“Come here,” he whispers softly before extending his hand toward me.
I rest my hand in his. I need him to take the lead, and he does. He pulls me in close. Our bodies are pressed together. My arms weave around his neck. His arms slide around my waist.
When his lips meet mine, white-hot energy streaks through me. I fear I’ll burn so hot for him that I’ll accidentally singe something.
“Keep me away from the drapes.”
“What?” He laughs against my mouth and gently bites my lower lip.
I can control my magic most of the time, but I feel totally out of control right now, and I love it.
As I roll my hips, I press myself the rock-hard length of him. A new kind of insatiable hunger overcomes me. I want to see him, to feel him, to touch him—everywhere.
“You’re more maddening than a Wolf Moon,” Nyx growls in my ear. “Are bed sheets fine, or do I need to keep you away from those, too?”
“No.” I moan between kisses. “Bed sheets sound great.”
He lifts me off the floor. Our kiss doesn’t break as I lock my legs around his waist. As he carries me into the bedroom, I part my lips to let his tongue melt against mine.
The bedroom is dark. Moonlight streams in from the window to cast an otherworldly glow on his bed. My belly flips. My pussy is damp and tingly.
“Ready?” A devilish grin flashes across his face.
“For what?” A shiver of anticipation races down my spine.
“For this.” He releases his hold on me. I freefall onto the bed with a squeal. He laughs softly before crawling across the enormous bed to join me.
“What else you got?” I’m lying on my back, propped up on my elbows. I lick my lips.
“What else do you want?”
“Everything.”
“I can do that.” His sexy grin makes my nipples pebble.
Wearing only a bra, jeans, and panties, I’m on my way to being totally naked. He’s in no rush. He spreads leisurely kisses across my lacy pink bra before dipping to lick a trail over my belly. My entire body clenches when his lips stop at the top of my jeans.
He gives me a coy smile as he slowly pulls the zipper down. Goosebumps cover my exposed skin. I want him to get rid of all our clothes as fast as possible. I just want to feel him everywhere.
After pulling my jeans over my hips, he sucks in a breath.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers.
“You’ve seen me in a bikini.”
“Mm… but not in your panties.” His throaty growl reverberates against my pussy. My hips arch and he takes it as an invitation to remove my panties.
I slip out of my bra. Suddenly shy, I cover my breasts with my hands.
“No,” he murmurs. “I want to see you.”
He gently grabs my wrists and pulls my arms apart. His gaze feasts on my body. My cheeks burn. I’ve never been so exposed, s
o vulnerable before.
“I don’t know why we waited so long,” he says.
“We don’t have to wait anymore. I want you, Nyx. I want you to be my first.”
He groans and buries his head between my breasts. I stroke his hair before sliding my hands down his back. I love the feel of his muscles under my fingertips.
His head tilts up and our gazes lock.
“I want to taste you.”
I swallow and nod.
“All of you.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
His mouth is molten lava pouring down my body. His lips graze one taut nipple before capturing it. As he teases and torments my tender flesh, I whimper and dig my nails into his back. I never knew I could feel like this. I never knew I could be so aware of every inch of my body. Even my toes tingle with energy.
As he drags his lips from one nipple to the other, I moan. I want to make him feel this good, but he’s covering me, and I can’t reach anything but his back and his hips. I don’t know what to do.
“Relax,” he says. “Just let me love you.”
I’m trembling like a leaf in a storm. I’m overwhelmed by the feel of his mouth on my belly. He traces a ring around my belly button before sliding lower.
Hot breath caresses my pussy. He looks at me and our eyes meet. There’s passion, desire, and concern in his gaze, as if he’s checking to make sure I’m okay. I’m more than okay. I couldn’t even imagine feeling better than this.
As he kisses my inner thighs, damp heat coils in my core. Swirls of red energy spiral tighter. When his mouth brushes my moist lips, I press my shoulders back into the bed. Sharp sparks of electric energy burst to life as his lips nudge me open.
I spread my thighs, not caring about what I look like, only how I feel.
He hooks his hands under my thighs and pulls me forward onto his mouth and into a state of ecstasy. His tongue strokes along my delicate folds before delving deep. I moan and grab the sheets. They twist in my fists.
As he licks me, I writhe. I can’t hold still. It’s too much, too intense, too perfect.
