Caleb reared back to get her sweater off and flung it carelessly away. Then he reached under her body to unclasp her bra. Too impatient to draw off the straps, he pushed the cups up enough to reveal twin mounds of white creamy flesh tipped with dusky pink nipples. Rough fingertips whispered over one peak causing it to tighten in a hard bud. Groaning at the exquisite sight, he leaned down and took her in his mouth.
He'd only meant to lick gently her breast, to tease and coax, but when the warm taste of her exploded through his senses, he lost it. His fingers dug into the jeans at her hip while his mouth worked her engorged nipple to the roof of his mouth, suckling hard.
Her hand dug into his scalp, to keep him there or pull him away, he didn't know, but it was enough to give him pause. He eased up, brushing his lips over the abused nipple in silent apology. Leaving a moist trail, he shifted and flicked the tip of his tongue over her other breast. When she moaned and arched into his mouth, he reached between her legs and cupped her mound. Her hips jerked under his hand, the thick material already damp from her arousal. Caleb let out a guttural sound. He had to get his mouth there and right now. Right at her sweet spot or he'd surely die.
With little finesse he worked her jeans loose, stood and dragged both her pants and thong - God help him - from her body in one swift motion. Then he simply stared, raking his eyes over her flat tummy, the slender legs toned with soft muscles and the nearly bare flesh between her thighs. Only a small strip of trimmed hair adorned her mound, leaving her glistening folds open to his hungry gaze.
Heaving in a lungful of air, he swung her around until she lay sidewise on the bed and he stood between her open thighs. He reached for a delicate foot, caressing her arch as he rested it against the mattress. Then he repeated the action with her other foot, sliding his hands in awe over ankles and calves, the feel of her soft flesh under his touch making him feel greedy for more. When he had her the way he wanted, he froze, eating her with ravenous eyes. The explicit position enflamed his wolf, demanding that the man take her and mate now. Not only was Caleb fighting the lust riding him hard, but both man and beast knew Tess was ripe for breeding and a cub would surely result from this first union.
He bit back a curse, barely leashing the feral creature demanding an unemotional fuck. This was for Tess and by God he would not give into his beast and take her like an animal. Anything else would only prove her idiotic theories and he'd definitely lose any chance at having a life with her.
His hands clenched on her calves and he dropped to his knees on the thick carpet, anxious to make her understand shifters knew how to give as well as take. Not to mention his mouth had been watering for weeks to taste the sweet juices creaming from her pussy.
“Caleb, what are you doing?” Tess's voice shook with uncertainty, making him chuckle.
“Baby, if you don't know, you've been with the wrong men.” And by God, she would never be with another man again.
Wrapping his left arm around her leg, he raised his right hand to gently caress her drenched cleft with his fingertips. Then, opening her further with a finger and thumb, he made one hard pass over her glistening flesh with his tongue.
His body shuddered in unadulterated delight as the taste of her arousal flooded his senses and scalded his blood. Even as his cock pushed adamantly against his zipper he took his time, leisurely exploring her succulent folds, drinking in every drop of her arousal. He traced the tip of his tongue over her swollen entrance and gloried in the feel of her delicate muscles trembling against his gentle probing. A hungry sound passed his lips. “You taste so good I could eat you all fucking night long.”
Caleb flicked his tongue over her clit, watching with eager eyes as she arched her neck, her mouth open, her breathing quickening. When he flattened his tongue and ground it in a slow circle against her clit he was rewarded by a sharp little gasp and a rush of scent as her arousal grew stronger.
Thrilled and unbelievably excited by her uninhibited response, he stiffened his tongue and delved into the heated depths of her pussy, swirling and tasting. He devoured her, his mouth nearly covering her whole mound as thrust and dove deep with his tongue. Tess writhed and twisted under his touch, nearly freeing herself from his tight hold as he worked her sex hard. He wanted to bathe in her juices, brand his essence into her silken sheath until Caleb Bennett was all she knew and all she would ever want. Tess was his and by God she would know it before he was done.
When the need to breathe became too much, he raised his head and stared at his handiwork. “Look at you. So pretty and wet for me.” He traced one finger over the engorged flesh, barely dipping inside to feel her inner muscles squeeze around him as if desperate to draw him in. “Do you want my finger in your pussy, Tess?” She let out a whimper, her hips rocking against his hand. Taking that as a yes, he slid the thick digit fully into the blazing heat of her body.
Caleb watched her face as he slowing plunged his finger in and out of her pulsing sheath. His own cock was throbbing so hard that he rubbed it against the side of the bed in concert with his thrusting finger in an attempt to ease the painful ache. When she clamped around him his eyes crossed, the sensation making his balls tighten in near climax. “Damn woman. You'll make me come in my jeans.”
Another finger joined the tender invasion and she made a mewling sound, her hips bucking against his hand. He groaned as she contracted around him. “You're so tight, so beautifully wet. I want to be inside you so much, Tess. To have your sweet pussy milking my cock like you're doing my fingers.”
He let out a hiss as more of her delicious cream coated his hand. “You like that. You like when I talk dirty to you.”
Her head twisted on the mattress, hands digging desperately into the covers, and had the nerve to lie. “No. No, I don't.”
A rough chuckle left his throat. “Yes, you do. I can feel your pussy clamping around my fingers like a vise. So slick and soft. So ready. Come for me, Tess.”
She moaned in denial even as her hips fucked his fingers. “I can't.”
“Yes you can.” She was so close, her control slipping with every powerful thrust. Caleb knew it and craved it. He wanted her to shatter, wanted to bathe in the glow of her release.
As her inner muscles spasmed yet again, he growled low, eyes closing to half mast as he imagined his dick buried inside her. Adding a third finger, he twisted his wrist with each thrust, creating a sensual friction against her swollen entrance, the tips rubbing deep inside against the quarter-sized patch of ridged flesh. “I can almost feel you around my cock, squeezing me dry. I'm going to fuck you hard and deep Tess, until you scream my name.” She panted, tightening around his fingers, her hips kicking up with frantic need. Oh yeah. She loved being talked dirty to.
“I want to pound into your tight pussy. Can't you feel it?” Lowering his head, he licked her throbbing clit. “Feel me deep inside, Tess. Shafting you, fucking you.” He took the pearled nub into his mouth and, ever so gently, bit down.
Tess exploded. Her body stiffened, her back bowed in a high arch as a strangled sob escaped her lips. The sight was so beautiful, so erotic that Caleb lost it. For the first time ever, he lost all control over his body's demands. His eyes glazed over as an orgasm swept him away in a hard furious wave of blinding heat and, with an agonized howl, he came, spilling his seed in hot jets, not into the precious womb of his mate, but uselessly into the thick denim of his jeans.
Chapter Six
Tess woke with the distressing feeling of nakedness. Not that her nudity was in any way uncomfortable. It was the memory of how she become in such a state that caused a not altogether unpleasant shiver to travel through her body. The ease at which Caleb played her senses, wrecking both her body and mind in one erotic act, had her squeezing her eyes in mortification, and press her thighs together in an attempt to combat the fresh bout of arousal.
When a phone rang, she reached out and snatched it up, desperate for a distraction. “Hello?”
Silence greeted her a moment before
a female voice asked cautiously, “Ah, this is Officer Karen Thossen. I'm looking for Sheriff Bennett. Is he there?”
Tess quickly sat up and glanced around the room, clutching the covers over her breasts. “He doesn't appear to be.” Then she frowned into the phone, picturing the pretty young blonde that manned the station like a drill sergeant. “And why would he? He brought me home,” she looked at the bedside clock, “over two hours ago.”
Karen cleared her throat. “Well,” she said, her amusement clear, “you are answering his cell phone.”
“What?” Tess drew the offending piece of equipment away and stared at it. “Oh shit.”
Hearing a suspicious choking sound over the line, Tess brought Caleb's phone back to her ear. “He must have set it down and forgot it.”
“Uh, huh. Because a diligent sheriff like Caleb is always remiss with his gear,” she said.
Tess closed her eyes and sighed. “There's no reason for him to still be here, but just let me get some clothes on and I'll look for him.”
Suppressed laughter bubbled out and Tess cringed, knowing full well how the other woman took her words. “It's not like that!”
“I'm sure.” Karen wheezed out, trying unsuccessfully to keep the mirth out of her tone. “I know he doesn't come,” a giggle escaped, “on shift until eight, but the Kolter brothers are being a nuisance and Caleb seems to be the only one able to knock some sense into them.”
The Kolter brothers were more than a mere nuisance. The three were a damn disaster waiting to happen. Well, the oldest one was anyway. Kyle Kolter was a thirty year old child who considered the inhabitants of Woodcliff his personal playthings. Though he'd never done serious damage to anyone, the threat always seemed to linger in his predatory eyes. His two brothers, Kevin and Koby, were more responsible. Though every now and again the three got together and caused a big enough ruckus that required the intervention of the new alpha, Dean Kinigos - who also happened to be the mayor - or Caleb.
What Tess had only learned that morning from her mother, which Tess had only partly listened to as mornings were not her best time, Caleb was not only second in command of the Woodcliff shifter pack, he was also one of the leaders.
When Dean had taken over the pack, he re-structured it so that, while the alpha continued to have the final word, there were a group of eight appointed “leaders” or sub-alphas. These leaders basically watched over, listened and governed over smaller shifter groups, creating a more intimate pack atmosphere. Any disputes, question or concerns that affected the entire pack were discussed between the leaders and the alpha and voted on, though the alpha still retained veto power. It was an odd mix of shifter monarchy and human democracy that actually seemed to be working very well.
“Um, just a sec,” Tess muttered as footsteps sounded down the hall. She twisted to face the doorway, grasping the sheets to cover her backside with the same hand that held the phone, as Caleb stalked through the doorway.
The sight of him caused all the spit to dry up in her mouth, and she forgot all about Karen. Not only did the man look good enough to eat with his disheveled hair, broad shoulders and air of masculinity, his sensual mouth had her remembering what he'd done to her with said organ. Her nipples tightened into sensitized beads, begging for a repeat, not to mention the immediate and wet reaction that was occurring between her thighs.
“You're awake.” Possessiveness made his eyes glitter with heat for a few seconds before becoming more guarded.
Tess shivered, the husky tone in his voice reminding her of the naughty things he'd said while his clever mouth and fingers brought her to the most amazing orgasm ever. She flushed, dragging her eyes away from his hypnotic ones, and caught sight of his phone. “Caleb…”
He shoved both hands through his hair, the gesture rough and unsteady. “Do you have any idea what you did to me?”
Nothing like what you did to me.
With a huge inhale she tilted her head back and watched him through the thick fringe of her lashes. “Ah, no?”
His eyes gleamed hot as he raked them over her body, lingering with male ownership on her breasts and thighs. “You made me lose control. I never even got inside you and I lost it.” He strode forward, his steps purposeful, like a wolf after targeted prey. Her heart responded to his stance, pounding loud and ragged in her chest. She drew in a shaky breath, unbelievably aroused by his aggressive attitude.
“I don't like it Tess. Do you understand what I'm saying?” He was at the edge of the bed now and leaned over her, putting an arm on either side of her, forcing her back down on the mattress. His growl was low and harsh, his expression clearly annoyed. “Like some untried cub that sees a naked woman for the first time, you made me blow.” His jaw tightened. “I came when you did.”
Helplessly, she glanced down to his groin, noticing that, yes, while he had an erection - and a very impressive one thank you very much – the material didn't have any revealing wet spots.
His eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I came in my pants, Tess. In my fucking jeans. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”
She gulped and raised her hand. “Phone's for you.”
A fascinating shade of red rushed to fill his face. He closed his eyes briefly than snatched the phone out of her hand, standing stiffly. “What?” He barked into the small device.
Dark eyes tinged with amber flashed dangerously at Tess as he listened, and she had to press her lips together to hold in the laughter.
She knew all about mortification. Didn't that emotion knock her flat just a few minutes ago? Embarrassed at what Caleb would say or do when she next saw him? Instead the manipulative jerk had revealed a weakness, making her feel all gooey inside. Not only did the man cause little electric pulses of sexual awareness to cruise through her body when he was near, she now had firsthand knowledge that Caleb Bennett had the experience to make her body hum in decadent appreciation like no other man ever had. One romp in the sack was usually enough to get a man out of her system, but Tess had the uncomfortable feeling that having sex with Caleb would only bind them closer.
A sobering thought that made her break eye contact and realize just how vulnerable she was, lying naked in her bed. She looked longingly at her dresser. Call her a coward, but she wasn't about to walk naked in front of him to get any clothes.
Caleb snapped the phone shut and hooked it on his belt. “I have to go, but don't think this conversation is over.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“We need to talk, Tess, about our future.” His eyes lingered on her bare shoulder. “I want my mark right there, a warning to all other shifters that you're mine. The need is unlike anything I've ever felt before, well, except getting inside your delectable body.”
Tess couldn't help herself. Her jaw simply dropped at his audacity. “What?” she shrieked in outrage.
His nostrils flared, his eyes melting into that amber glow Tess knew spelled danger. “You're my mate in every way. Not only does your scent make me crazy,” his voice became a low rumble, thickening with desire. “I've been hard as a rock since I first met you. I can barely function because I want nothing more than to be inside you, to spill my seed deep in your womb. You'll give me healthy male cubs.” His lips twisted in a wicked grin. “Even if we have to try multiple times a day.”
A red haze filled her vision and she nearly screeched with the fury vibrating throughout her body. “You conceited ass! What the hell makes you think I'd want to tie myself to you? Huh? What do I get out of your claim? Nothing but a swollen belly and dirty diapers, that's what. Well no thank you and goodbye.”
His head reared back at the harsh rejection. “What? Where the hell are you talking about? Damn it Tess, a mate is the most important person in a shifter's life.”
She turned her head pointedly away, chin thrust out in belligerence, her shoulders tense as if ready for battle.
A muscle twitched under his left eye and he paused, as if suddenly understanding he'd made a huge tactical e
rror and was desperately trying to figure out how to get back on track. “You will have my vow of protection, faithfulness, affection and stability.”
“Yeah,” she glared daggers at him from the corner of her eyes. “And what about love? Do you love me, Caleb?”
He shrugged. “Love will come. Even in the human world there's a sort of sequence of events. Usually it starts with physical attraction followed by a mental compatibility and then, if it's destined, with love. With wolves, each event is simply more intense. We know whether or not a woman is our mate at the physical attraction stage. Waiting for the other two takes up precious time we can't afford.”
He may have nearly repeated the words her mother spoke only last night, but his lack of tact left her aghast. Just when she decided she wanted to learn more about him, chauvinistic garbage spews out of his mouth, making her so angry she wanted to hang him upside down. By the balls.
“You're the daughter of a shifter and know this already, Tess. Why are you even arguing with me?”
The man really did look baffled, the idiot. “Know this Caleb. I will not tie myself to any man without love. Period.”
His eyes went flat, instantly making her suspicious. “I've had my finger inside you, Tess. I know you're not a virgin.”
“So?”
“Did you love every man you took to bed?” At her mutinous glare he continued. “So physical attraction was enough to risk being tied to a man?”
“What?”
“A baby, Tess.”
Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “I've always had safe sex!”
He came closer, leaning over her once again, hands resting on the pillow on either side of her head, his face mere inches from hers. “Only abstinence is effective against pregnancy. A tie you claim you don't want unless love is involved.”
A buzzing sounded in her ears and she licked suddenly dry lips. “No.”
Shifting Positions Page 4
