“Hailey, stop.” He gently pulled her head back. “You have me so excited that I’ll explode at any second. And I want to do so much more with you.”
Coming out of that sensual haze, she pulled herself upright. “Like what?” Her voice came out low and smoky.
His amber eyes bored into her own, dark and like a predator fixed on a hunt. “Like this.”
He grabbed the back of her head and captured her mouth in a demanding kiss. Hot, desperate, and overpowering.
Thoughts clouded as she floated in this pleasurable state. He guided her into a prone position and his hands moved over her. The gentle caresses of earlier were gone, replaced by rough, demanding holds. He was claiming her, and she had no desire to stop him. For someone always in control, the wild absence of it as she submitted to him was strangely titillating. Pure and primal desire took over. She’d never wanted someone like this before. Never needed someone so desperately.
He moved his mouth from hers and kissed and licked down her body, fueling the sensuous flames that had already consumed her. When he reached her sex, she held her breath.
After he tugged at her panties, the sound of tearing fabric surprised her, shooting her excitement up another level. A brush of cooler air flittered across her exposed flesh.
He licked her with a long, slow swipe with his tongue. “Mmm.” A feral sound followed.
An uneven sigh escaped her as she sank into the pillow. As he took control, she became dizzy, lost under his sensual command. At some point, he slid a finger inside her, adding to the pleasurable sensations dominating all else. Her hips moved against him, rising with the desperate need for more. The intensity grew with the pace until she was frantic, with quivering thighs as she hovered on the edge. She grasped at the sheets, grabbed at his back, as that distant pulse increased. The first wave of an orgasm rolled in, making her cry out his name as she splintered. He released the pressure, but didn’t let go, and held on to her hips as the waves ebbed. With only moments to allow her to recover, he renewed his domination of her sensations. Her body still strummed with heat, which he stoked into a blaze with all his raw power.
After she exploded a second time, she begged him. “Please,” she pulled him up. “Need you inside me.”
He slid over her, covering her body with his powerful one. “I love hearing you say that.”
As he slid the head against her, a flicker of her senses returned. “Condom,” she blurted out and pointed to her nightstand.
With a low groan, he pulled back. “I’ve never used one.”
That made her pause. “Never?”
“We don’t carry human diseases. And we’re in tune with our bodies.”
Another reminder of how different they were. Still, she could get pregnant and she wasn’t ready to take that risk. “I’d be more comfortable if you wore one.”
“Of course.”
She fumbled inside her dresser drawer and found one, hoping it wasn’t too ancient to be effective. After some clumsy attempts to tear it open, he took it from her and did so. He stared at it with confusion. Ugh, she was killing the mood.
“Let me,” she said with a gentle smile.
She covered the tip and rolled the sheath down, using her hands to make it more sensual. When he dropped his head back and moaned, she was confident she’d succeeded.
He slid back on top of her and rubbed against her before he slid the tip in. She tightened at first at the invasion.
“Are you all right?” he asked with concern.
“Yes.” Her voice came out breathy.
She reached for him, encouraging him to continue. As she adjusted to his girth and relaxed, he pushed his way in. At least she was so turned on, it helped ease the passage. When he’d buried himself deep inside her, he paused.
“You feel so good, Hailey.”
It didn’t just feel good, it felt right. Like it never had before.
Slowly, he moved inside her, as if he was in awe or maybe careful not to hurt her. But she wanted all of it—pleasure and pain.
“More, Seth,” she cried, as she rose against him to meet his pace.
He grasped her hips and drove into her with a long, harsh thrust that made her squeal from its intensity. But pleasure soon consumed the pain, leaving her heady.
“Like this?” he murmured. His eyes were wild and feral. “Can you take it?”
A flicker of fear and excitement swept through her, the thrill far more dominant. “Yes!” she called out. “Please…”
All restraint was gone as he drove into her like an untamed beast. She grasped at his back, his waist, seeking a hold on any part of him as he pumped into her with wild oblivion. She followed him into that chasm, that dark space where only the two of them existed, as they rose higher, more frantic with a need for more. With him stroking all her sensitive spots the right way, she reached that pinnacle again so quickly. When she crashed over him, she cried out an unrecognizable sound, as wild as his feral sounds. Her body shattered into a thousand shards of light. The fragmented parts seemed to float back to her, fusing with him, and reforming to make something bigger than either of them alone.
***
Buried deep inside Hailey, Seth found that sweet satisfaction his wolf had been yearning for.
She was the one.
Despite his earlier denial, the truth was stark and undeniable. Her addictive scent increased with her rising desire, driving him mad with the urge to claim her. It was as if the moon burst through every obstacle to shine this revelation on him, pummeling the certainty into him, leaving no doubt.
She was his mate.
His wolf howled inside him, thundering in triumph at the discovery, while Seth hammered into her, unable to restrain himself. She yelped and cried beneath him, clutching at his shoulder blades.
When she came, it had almost set him off. He held off as long as he could, pumping into her with long, hard thrusts. A shudder of white-hot heat rippled through his body as her velvet soft walls squeezed and pulsed around him. He couldn’t control it any longer and drove into her, fast and desperate. Overpowering surges pumped through him, culminating with an explosive blast. He dropped his head back and released a wild growl, somewhere between man and wolf.
After every speck of tension in his body left him, he lay on top of her, careful not to crush her. Their soaring heartbeats thundered against each other through their slick, overheated bodies.
He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think. She was the one, his mate. This human who’d saved him. No matter how much it terrified him, it was a truth he couldn’t deny.
Closing his eyes, he inhaled her scent, which calmed him. His wolf settled down, content. Seth finally understood what his wolf had been trying to communicate—Hailey was their mate. He moaned, nestling closer to her.
“Everything okay?” she asked, tensing up.
“That was a good moan.” He planted a slow kiss on her neck. “A very good moan.”
She relaxed beneath him. “Having you in my bed is much better than on the sofa.”
He rolled onto his side, tangling his legs with hers. He draped an arm over her. “Don’t even think you can kick me back out there. I’m staying with you.”
“After that performance, I have no desire to climb out of here any time soon.”
“Good.” He traced his fingers over her silky skin. “Because I have no intention of letting you get away.”
Only a short time to spend with his mate? Not enough. Now that he knew the truth, what was he supposed to do about it? He didn’t belong here in her world and she didn’t belong in his.
But for now, he’d savor the short time they had together. Comforted by her presence, it wasn’t long until he fell asleep.
After they slept for a few hours, they roused and reached for each other with greedy hands. He slowed the pace to savor the moment. Knowing the source of their connection heightened all his senses. Since this might be their only night together, he imprinted every part of her to memory—her taste,
her scent, her touch. When they rested for the night, he spooned her, falling asleep while wrapped in her scent.
They woke up to the sunlight drifting through the blinds. He stroked her soft skin, caressing all her curves, becoming achingly hard. Damn, she made him insatiable; he couldn’t get enough of her. They crawled out of bed an hour later, seeking something to fill their empty stomachs.
“I have to go in to work this morning,” she said as she reached for the kettle.
She was going to leave him here—alone? Trusting him in her cottage, on her father’s estate. “How long will you be gone?”
“Until early afternoon. I work half-time as an assistant ranger.”
“Why do you do that? Your father is clearly wealthy and you’re quite involved in his projects.”
She filled the kettle. “It gives me broader experience of the lands here in the Highlands. Plus, I have a modest income to support myself. This may be his estate, but I don’t want to depend on him for everything.”
That was a wise move, perhaps one he should follow. Having a wee bit of independence rather than relying solely on a pack would have softened that devastating blow when it had come time for him to leave.
“Let’s have breakfast together before I go,” she said.
He took a long look over her standing there in only an oversized T-shirt, knowing she had nothing underneath it. He could think of another way to have breakfast but forced himself to hold back. She had things to do, and he’d distracted her from them long enough.
While they ate eggs, sausage, and melon, Hailey said, “Tell me why you left the isle.”
He steeled himself. Why ruin the happiness they’d shared the past day by talking about a painful memory? “Why do you want to know?”
She poked a piece of melon with her fork and held it aloft. “In case you haven’t noticed, I care about you, Seth. And when you care about someone, you’re interested in learning more about them.”
“But in my case, it’s more complicated. And I’ve told you so much already.”
“I’ve sworn not to tell your secrets,” she replied.
He sat back in his chair and put his fork down. “I was beta in my pack.”
“Your pack—it’s all wolf shifters, like you?”
“Aye. We lived on one part of an island that we shared with others.”
“Others?”
He shook his head. “They don’t matter.”
“So being beta,” she said, “that means you were second in command?”
“I shared the role with the alpha’s daughter, Raina.”
Dark storm clouds appeared to form in her eyes. Jealousy, perhaps?
“And? From your cautious tone, I sense there’s something more to this story.”
He poked his eggs around on the plate. “We were supposed to rule together one day, as mates. She killed our plans.”
“What happened?”
Seth picked up his fork and stabbed the sausage. “She said she’d found her true mate.”
“Mate?” She leaned closer. “Like a lover?”
“Aye. She met someone else and decided it would have been a mistake if we had tried to make it work.”
“Because?” she prodded.
He dropped the fork. “Because we didn’t feel about each other the way one should feel about their true mate.”
The darkness in Hailey’s eyes vanished as they shined bright with excitement. “Like wolves? When they say they mate forever—is that true?”
“Aye, in some cases. Some mate for practical reasons, like an alliance between two packs. But a true mating occurs when two wolves find the one that is their true match. Who they’re destined to be with. Once they discover it, the pull is too great to resist.”
Like the stirrings I feel around you.
He swallowed. He wouldn’t dare admit that to Hailey. Why bother? Their relationship was destined to collapse after only a tiny blip in time. Trying to make something work with a human would never work; he couldn’t even do so with a wolf shifter in his pack, one who was the same species. His wolf yipped at him, but Seth ignored him.
“Is it like a lightning striking kind of feeling?” Hailey asked. “Like in the Godfather.”
“I don’t know what that is, but don’t think so. It hasn’t happened to me yet,” he lied. “More like when you sense it, you know. All I know is that Raina and I had plans that ended when she ran off with a gar—”
“A what?”
“Never mind.”
“No, what were you going to say?”
“She ran off with this gargantuan arse. Don’t know what she saw in him.”
“That’s not what you were about to say. If you don’t want to tell me, fine.” Clearly frustrated by his lack of confidence in her, she raised her chin.
“It’s not like that, Hailey. I’ve already told you more than I should.”
After they finished eating and cleared up dishes, she showered and dressed for work. She wore earthy tones, so different from the lighter colors he liked seeing her in, which brought out the red in her dark hair. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. He enclosed her in his embrace and nuzzled her exposed neck. She smelled clean and fresh like the outdoors.
When she pulled away, she teased, “Stay out of trouble.”
“What could I possibly do?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Let’s not find out. I told the groundskeepers I have a friend visiting, so feel free to explore.”
“I want to look at some maps to get my bearings.”
Her face appeared to drop, but she recovered and said, “I have some in my workspace.”
He rolled his shoulders. “Then maybe I’ll go for a walk, perhaps a swim.” He cocked a grin. “Warm me up for another night with you.” His last night with her. Tomorrow her father would return, he’d keep his promise and meet him, and then he’d be on his way.
His wolf moaned. Seth tried to stifle the protest. She was human; she didn’t understand the pull between a wolf and its mate. She wouldn’t know that trying to leave her would be like trying to separate himself from one of his body parts. It wouldn’t be easy to break from her, but what else could he do?
CHAPTER NINE
Hailey went through the motions at work, shuffling through paperwork, eager to get back to Seth. A youth group was visiting next week and she needed to prepare some activities as they walked the park to keep them interested.
She checked her watch several times and entertained giving her supervisor an excuse that she wasn’t feeling well but shrugged it off. It was only half a day. A few hours away from each other would be good, giving them time to think. They’d hardly been separated since she’d pulled him onto her boat.
As she continued her shift and walked the park, her thoughts drifted to heated images with him in her bed. Sure, it had been a long time since she’d been with anyone, but hot damn, he’d made her body sing.
After that soul-rocking time with him, she wasn’t ready to give him up. He’d awoken a part of her she didn’t know existed. She’d always devoted her time to school and work, all outward focused, but with him she’d discovered her desires deep within herself.
She shook her head to clear it. It was foolish to think like that. What they had was a brief fling, one that would be over soon after it got started. No need to torment herself with imagining it could be anything else.
Finally, her shift was over. She rushed out of there, speeding back in her yellow Jeep. When she threw open her cottage door, she called, “Seth? I’m back.”
Nobody answered. She checked her bedroom and workspace.
Crap. He’d left.
Hailey ran outside and shielded her eyes from the sun to scan the meadows. No sign of him. She scoured the forest line, hoping to see him pop out of the fringes of wood. No such luck.
He’d only agreed to stay to end the conversation. He’s gone.
No, she didn’t want to believe that. He might be in the loch. She set off, bounding forth
at a near jog that left her panting. When she reached the crystal blue waters, a figure pierced through the still surface, swimming away from her. Seth. She exhaled with a loud sigh.
On his next turn, he spotted her and swam in her direction. When he climbed out of the water, her gaze was drawn to his wet, chiseled frame. He wore boxer shorts this time. A good idea, in case any of the groundskeepers spotted him.
“You’re back.” He grinned. “And you look—ravenous.”
Crap, she was ogling him a bit too hard. She fought to keep her voice steady while a glittering of hummingbirds zipped around her insides. “How was your swim?”
“Refreshing. The loch is calm, not like swimming through ocean waves.” He raised his chin. “How was your day?”
“Fine.” She didn’t want to talk about work, not with the way he glistened, distracting her. She handed him the towel with slight reluctance. She should have volunteered to dry him slowly, taking her time. “I was looking forward to coming back here.”
His grin turned naughty, sizzling her insides. He gave her a slow kiss. “Let’s go back to your place. I’m hungry, too.”
With the dark heat in his stare, she hoped he didn’t mean for food. He took her hand as they strolled back.
Being around him left her in some sort of hyper state. It wasn’t just sexual, but more than that. Like the forests around them buzzing with activity, her body and mind hummed with an underlying liveliness she’d never known. Like the wild restlessness she’d seen in animals during mating season.
As soon as they returned to her cottage and closed the door, he pulled her in for a deep kiss. It quickly intensified as they devoured each other with a kiss that left her breathless. After they tore at each other’s clothes and shed every garment, they stumbled through her cottage back into her bed and spent the rest of the day there. With his insatiable vitality and untamed desire, she knew she was done for. No man could ever compare after her few days with Seth.
When her phone buzzed the next morning as they lingered after a breakfast in bed, she maneuvered out of Seth’s embrace to reach for it. It was her father.
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