by Skye Jones
“Do you prefer it strong, peaty, or smooth?”
“No idea. Not tasted whisky before.”
“What kind of Scot are you?” His lips twitched, and he poured a glug from one bottle that came out of a green and white box, and then poured another from a bottle out of a black box. He handed me the one from the black box.
“I’m Irish, remember. Why the different drinks?” I took a seat at the table.
He smiled then. The first real one he’d given since I arrived, as he sat opposite me. “This here.” He held his glass up and swished the liquid around. “This is a Laphroaig, far too peaty for a beginner. I’ve given you a splash of Black Label. Great all-rounder. We’ll build you up to the hard stuff.” He flashed me a grin and knocked back a healthy swig of his drink.
I copied him and choked. I coughed until my eyes burned.
“Here.” Jake hovered in front of me, a glass of water in his large hand. “Drink this.”
Grateful, I took it from him and sipped at it.
“Don’t go knocking back whisky as if it’s water. Sip at it, baby girl. Sip.”
Glaring at him, I took another tentative drink. This time, it went down more easily, leaving a path of fire down my throat. People liked this stuff? Ugh.
“So, you know what I am.”
I nodded, peering at him over my glass.
“And now you must see why it can’t work. I’m not trying to be a bastard. It can’t happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“But Brooke said—”
“Forget what Brooke said.”
How could I be so attracted to someone I didn’t particularly like anymore? I’d thought I liked him…at first. But now, I didn’t. Not one bit. Yet I still wanted to clamber into his lap and taste those firm, sexy lips. I wanted his big hands on me, palming my curves, making me feel feminine and adored. I didn’t want his eyes looking at anyone else naked. In fact, the idea made me positively violent.
“It will pass.” His voice jolted me out of my reverie.
“What will?”
“The feelings you have. The lust and wanting. It’ll go away.”
“Will it for you? If you even have these emotions…or any emotions.”
His hand hit the table, and I jumped.
“Of course, I have the same feelings. This is torture for me. And no, it won’t go as quick for me as it will you. Give it a few months, and you’ll be back to normal.”
Except, I didn’t want to be normal. Not in the current moment. I wanted him. Needed him. Maybe tomorrow they’d wipe my memory and throw me out of here. But right now, I sat close to the prize I desired, and I intended to claim it. I’d become an addict for him. My body craved him, and him so near, so warm, so close, didn’t do anything other than fuel my desire.
I climbed out of my chair and walked around to Jake, making sure to put some extra swing in my stride. His eyes lowered to my hips and then came back up to my face, with a quick stop off at my breasts. Men. Whether human or wolf shifter, they were all the same. I bit back my smile of triumph and lowered my lids, letting my gaze sweep over him and noting the growing bulge behind his zipper.
“What are you doing?” His voice came out low, angry.
“Coming to say hello…properly.” Shit. Maybe after this, I’d take up burlesque or something. It seemed I possessed a hidden femme fatale.
I reached him and pushed my way between his chair and the table. Luckily for me, he hadn’t pulled it in close when he sat back down.
“This is a bad idea.” His hands grabbed my legs, though, and slid up my thighs.
“Maybe. And I get you want me gone. Right now, though, I want this.”
“What?”
“You. I want you.” I’d never been so open with a man—or so forward. I rather liked it. Even if things went to hell between Jake and me, I’d be ditching the wallflower act for good.
He groaned and it rumbled deep in his chest, more of a growl almost, and the hint at the wildness within him gave me a secret thrill.
“I don’t normally act this way.” I licked my lips, and he followed the movement. “I’m a good girl. I don’t chase guys. Heck, I don’t often date, as you are aware. You bring out something in me. You make me all hot and bothered.” I breathed the last word right in his ear.
The world tilted, and I squealed. He’d slung me over his shoulder and marched us out of the room. Oh, no. Did he intend to throw me out and shut the door on me? I’d die of sheer mortification.
But he didn’t go to the front door. Instead, he bypassed it and hit the stairs. He climbed them two at a time, long legs eating them up. We passed through another door, and I went sailing through the air, landing with a soft thud on a thick mattress.
Not giving me a moment to catch my breath, Jake climbed on the bed and crawled over me. “Careful what you wish for, sauklashuan.”
“What does it mean?” I sounded like Marilyn Monroe, all breathy and sexy.
“Innocent one.”
My belly fluttered, and desire pooled between my thighs, making me all achy.
“We can play around, but no fucking.”
“Jeez, don’t sugarcoat it, will you?”
“We can’t. It cements the bond, and this…us, it can’t happen.”
I pushed away my sadness at his words and focused on the sight of him hovering over me, broad shoulders encased in a tight T-shirt and his eyes drinking me in. God, he was so beautiful.
“Don’t be sad.” Jake kissed the side of my mouth, a whisper-soft brush of skin on skin. “It’s nothing to do with my desire for you. It simply can’t be. You’re human, not even empathine, and it’s been a long time since any wolfen took a human mate. Certainly in my pack. There are complications, and I’m the son of an alpha. I have responsibilities.”
I nodded and bit my lip. His eyes followed the movement, and he bent his head once more, kissing me dead center this time. I gave myself up to the sensation of his warm, soft mouth against mine.
My arms snaked around his neck to pull him into me. His weight pressed against me as we slotted together, a perfect fit.
I wanted the barrier of clothing between us gone and moved my hands down his neck and back to where his T-shirt hung outside of his jeans. One swift tug up and it rested around his shoulders. He stopped kissing me and moved into a seated position, legs straddling me. Fluid and graceful, he reached behind his neck and pulled the material from his body. I stared at the perfection revealed.
His broad and strong chest came covered in slabs of muscle, his defined pecs dusted by a smattering of hair. Tan, honeyed skin covered his perfect form. I wanted to lick him all over.
“You must work out.” Once again, the sharp contrasts between us became magnified. I didn’t even run for the bus.
“Some.” He shrugged. “We’re all pretty fit. When we change, we burn up a heck of a lot of energy. Plus, something in our blood makes us immune to putting on weight. We’re not sure what. Our males are mostly muscular. Our females too, to a degree.”
“I can see why you want to limit your time with the fat girl to a bit of fun.” And there went my inner femme fatale and out came my angry, bitchy side.
“What did you say?” He sounded genuinely angry.
“Nothing.” I wanted to leave all of a sudden. This didn’t feel fun anymore. It felt like something that would hurt me…a lot. I turned my head into the pillow.
Harsh fingers gripped my jaw and pulled my face around, until once more I looked at Jake.
“Don’t talk about yourself in such a way. You’re beautiful.”
I laughed. “No. I’m not.”
Here we went again.
“Yes, you are, and you need to understand how much.”
“What do you plan on doing? Paying for me to get some therapy?”
He stepped off the bed and held out his hand. “Come here.”
In the corner of the room stood a tall wardrobe and, to the side of it, a full-length mirror. He pulled me
behind him until we reached the mirror and then pushed me in front of him.
His lips brushed my ear. “Watch.”
One tan hand came up to tangle in the hem of Brooke’s sweater. He bunched the material up and slowly slid it upward. I wanted to look away as my tummy came into view, but something about his big fist moving up my body mesmerized me.
The sweater came off and landed on the floor with a whisper. Flesh prickled all along my arms, and my nipples hardened under the lacy fabric of my bra. At least my own underwear had been dry enough to keep.
“So fucking gorgeous,” he whispered.
And I believed him for once. In this room, with his hands exploring me in the dim light of the lamp, I did look good. We looked good. He was big enough to tower over me, and his bulk meant his shoulders dwarfed me.
His hand fell away from my front and fiddled with my bra clasp. Lace rasped over my nipples as my bra fell away, and Jake pushed the straps down my arms to the floor. Callused hands palmed my breasts. I watched with heavy-lidded eyes as he pushed my flesh together and his thumbs brushed my nipples.
“One day, I want to push these gorgeous tits together and fuck them with my cock.”
Okay, so he enjoyed dirty talk, and so, it seemed, did I, as my clit throbbed painfully at his rough words.
His hand went to work on the zipper of my jeans, and he pushed the denim roughly down my legs. My panties were already damp.
“Gods, you’re so wet for me.” He stroked over the silky fabric with his finger, and the light touch sent me into a heady spin.
The next moment, he lifted his finger to his mouth and sucked it in. I froze in shock.
“You taste as good as I remember.”
I wanted to taste too. I wanted him in my mouth, on my tongue. Turning from the debauched reflection of us, I sank to my knees. My fingers shook slightly as I undid his fly. The bulge behind the metal zipper felt hefty.
I peeled the denim away and gave a small gasp of surprise when his cock sprang free. Dirty boy didn’t wear any briefs.
He was as impressive as I’d imagined. Long and thick, with a drop of clear liquid at the tip signaling his arousal.
I’d only done this a few times, and it hadn’t seemed to send the guy into the stratosphere, so I hoped I didn’t suck at it too badly. Smiling at my unintentional joke, I took hold of him and pulled him to my lips.
Tentatively, I stuck my tongue out and tasted the drop of clear nectar. Wanting more, I licked at him and then sucked the broad head into my mouth. Taking him back as deep as I could, I swirled my tongue, wanting to make him feel good. He groaned in response, and I smiled around him. Power washed over me, thrilling me and making my heart race. I’d made this big, strong male make such a needy sound.
“Stop.” The word came out harsh, and I glanced up at him.
“You keep this up, babe, and I’ll come.”
I let him go and shrugged. “You said we can’t…you know…do it.” Do it! I cursed my inner teenager for popping up and putting such stupid words into my mouth.
“No. But I want you to come first.”
He placed his hands under my elbows and pulled me up, then led me back to the bed.
He laid me down on it with a reverence that made my heart stop. “I’m going to learn every inch of you.” He kissed my rib, under my right breast. Next, he moved to my hip and dropped a kiss there. My knee came next on the list and then my ankle. He licked a long stripe up my calf, and I giggled as it tickled.
“You make me sound like some strange land you need to map.”
“To me, you are.” He looked at me, his blue eyes holding their icy fire, the one I’d seen once before.
He kissed my inner thigh. “I want you in all ways, but it can’t be.”
A surge of desire shot through me, so strong I hadn’t experienced anything like it in my whole life. I thirsted for him as if he were a cool stream and I a parched traveler.
Self-control became a stranger to me as he moved over me, his cock nudging my thigh and leaving a sticky trail of his desire. Why the hell shouldn’t we do this? I forgot. Had he explained the reasons? My mind ricocheted from one thought to the next, trapped in my overheated body as I struggled to remember why we couldn’t take this where I needed it to go.
He kissed me hard on the mouth, and I whimpered into it. His erection slotted between my cleft, and I pushed up against him, loving the sensation of him against me.
Wetness seeped out of me, and I knew he felt it when he groaned into my neck.
We were moving together as if we were fucking, slip-sliding against one another, but it didn’t ease the almost painful ache. Half crazed with want, I parted my legs farther and then…hitched my hips up. He slid inside, and I sighed with contentment. Right. He was so damn right.
Jake stopped moving, hell, he stopped breathing. I looked up at him, but he dipped his face into the crook of my neck. Something inside me died a little then. A glimmer of hope, the tiny spark fizzled out as he hid his emotions from me. Did he experience anger, disappointment, or disgust? He had no right to anger. Yes, I’d pushed, but he’d been with me each step of the way.
Still, I had been the one to cross over the line he’d set, so I ought to apologize. I mumbled, “Sorry.”
Well, this proved awkward. I had an unmoving man on top of me—and no idea what to do next.
A rumble sounded in my ear, and I realized it came from Jake… A low groan, again almost a growl, reverberated in his chest. Holy crap! Was he going to attack me? Had I turned myself from lover to prey?
Not daring to do a thing, I stayed as still as possible.
“I can’t stop it.” His voice scared me more. Guttural and strange, it turned my blood to icy sludge.
What did he mean? That he couldn’t stop himself hurting me?
“Need to move. Need to have you.”
Relief flooded through me. Sex proved a much nicer alternative to being savaged.
Then he moved; his hips surged, and he thrust into me. I gasped at the intrusion and the welcome mixture of pleasure and pain it brought.
“Ah,” he sighed. “So good. So fucking good.”
I wanted to kiss him, but he nuzzled and licked at my throat as he pushed in and pulled out. He dragged his thick cock through my folds, and the sensations sent me to heaven.
I’d never come from penetration before. Only by a boyfriend touching me or with my vibrator. But I felt it building, an inexorable climb to a dizzy peak. Each time he thrust in, his pelvis nudged my clit and sent sparks zinging around my body. I needed more, so I used my hands to pull him into me. Once he got as deep as he could go, I held him there and ground against him, taking my own pleasure.
Where this confident, carnal woman came from, I had no idea, and I didn’t care.
“Oh, fuck.” I arched my back and whimpered as I came, hard and long, writhing mindlessly against him.
“Cait.” He whispered it like a benediction and stilled inside me, filling me with his seed.
When it finally ended, he pulled away from me. I braced myself for his anger, the recriminations sure to come. But he lay beside me, wrapped his arms and legs around me, cocooning me within his limbs.
He kissed the back of my neck and said, “We shouldn’t have done that. I ought to have known I was fighting a losing battle. And you know what?” He brushed the top of my head with a kiss. “I can’t bring myself to regret it. I’ll deal with my father and any shit to come our way. You’re mine. Always and forever. Mine.”
Fear of rejection became replaced by fear of things moving far too fast, far too soon. Oh, fuck. I should have listened to Brooke. What had I gotten myself into?
Chapter Seven
I slept fitfully. Waking on and off, always to find Jake’s arms wrapped around me. I dreamed intense and terrifying dreams. In one, I found myself chased by a pack of wolves, ravenous and hungry. They didn’t stop until they had me cornered and panting by a big tree. Then a huge raven swooped down, picked me up i
n its claws, and carried me away. The meaning of my nighttime stories eluded me.
“Hhhmm.” Jake snuggled in, his lips brushing my neck.
The room came into focus, and I yawned and stretched. My body ached in a pleasant reminder of the previous evening’s activities.
I’d lost all track of time and needed to speak to my friends.
“What time is it?” My voice sounded dry and rough.
“Ten…in the morning.”
“What?” I sat up and stared around me, trying to bring my brain online. Bright light streamed in through the gauzy curtains. The storm had cleared, and I’d managed to sleep the whole night. Some friend I proved to be. I hoped Laura and Gemma were okay.
“I tired you out.” Jake’s face held a ridiculous amount of satisfaction.
“I need to find the girls. I have to speak with them.”
“What about?” Jake nuzzled my neck, sending a delicious shiver along my skin.
“Going home.” I turned to look at him. “Am I going to see you again?”
Despite his “all mine” routine the previous evening, insecurity still stalked me in the bright light of day.
“You’re going to see me every day. We’ve bonded. You’re not going anywhere.” He frowned at me as if I puzzled him.
I laughed and shook my head. “Erm, I have to go home. I’ve got a job.”
“Yes. A job where you hate your boss and you’re paid crappy money. You can work here, for us. Now you know all the facts, surely you can see how useful you’d be?”
“Jake.” I tried for patience. “Surely you can see how I can’t simply walk away from my life.”
“Even if you wanted to leave, and I don’t believe you do, you can’t. You’ll suffer the burning.”
His arrogance reminded me why I lusted after him but didn’t always like him.
“Your head is so big, you’ve lost track of reality.” I clambered out of the bed and rummaged around on the floor for my clothes.
“Oh, really?” He laced his hands together behind his head. The move had the sheet pooling around his hips and showed off his formidable biceps. “Think about it. You came searching for me on nothing more than a whim, after we fooled around once. You told me you’d ached for me. How bad do you think the ache will be now?”
