by Ann Cory
How could she keep up the act? Of course she wanted him. “It’s all a bit sudden. Isn’t it?”
The ends of his hair tickled her belly as he shook his head. “No. Every day has been another step in finding you. Unless you object, I’m going to touch you.” His voice turned hard and demanding.
Before, she would have argued with a man who wanted to be in control, but now she willingly accepted it. He devoured her with his gaze. She loved the way she felt right then. Not timid. Not awkward. Somehow he’d eased away all fears and doubts.
An intimate silence grew between them. Jacquelyn lowered her eyelids, gazing at him with the wanton desire stored up inside her. He wanted her permission.
Brazenly she opened her thighs. “Take me. Help me make up my mind.”
His eyes smoldered. “You’ll feel my love for you deep in your core.”
The promised words pulled at her heartstrings. Love? She could love him. God, yes, she could easily fall in love with him. The carnal lust in his eyes affected her so strongly, it could have been the stroke of a hundred fingers against her body. This man wanted her to be his. Solely his. No question, no lies and no expectations.
Her breasts grew heavy under his watch.
“I’m going to taste you now.”
He caught her lips with his. Slow and tender, his tongue slid over her lower lip, and pushed inside her mouth.
***
Finally, he had his chance, and like a fool he almost hesitated. He’d gotten off many evenings to a face he couldn’t see, but an essence he willed himself to feel. Now she was within reach. Her scent overwhelmed his senses and turned his mind to mush. A growl emanated from deep within his chest. Do it now.
Baldric leaned forward and nibbled at her lower lip. Her taste—sweet. Honey-laced. Addictive. His mouth came down hard, starved.
The feel of her satin nubs against his chest as they kissed did a number on him, making his erection almost painful. He reminded himself to take it slow and let her enjoy it.
Baldric slid his lips down along the soft angle of her chin and nipped along her swanlike neck. Her breathy gasps helped guide him, to let him know for the moment, she was his. He paused mid-kiss to look at her. To see the trust in her glance. An amazing freedom spread through him. All this time, searching, hunting, tracking, aching. To finally have her. To know now she was safe, and that he could take care of her until her dying days. It made him feel more like a man than ever before. A purpose fulfilled.
“I’ve dreamt of our union together. My cock thrusting inside your wetness. Those nights were torture to get through.”
In breathless pants she asked, “Did you ever try to be with someone else?”
Baldric didn’t want her to ever be concerned about any other female. He would always be faithful to her. “I told you, I’m committed. I stand by my principles.”
She moved her hand along his arm and up to his face. “You’re unlike any man I’ve ever known.”
At the pause, he said exactly what he’d been thinking since telling her the truth. “Does it lessen your desires to know I’m part man, part wolf?”
Her fingers traced along his cheeks and jaw. “No. It makes me want you more.”
His chest filled with pride and he couldn’t help but beam. “Because the wolf is only part of who I am, I still hold the same principles in both forms. I don’t change because my body does.”
Baldric buried his face between her breasts, loving every inch of her. “Your skin, so soft. My pussycat. I bet I know how to make you purr.”
He inhaled deeply, letting her heady aroma fill his senses completely. Letting it drive him to a feral need to sink his cock into her wet slit. In the end, he wanted more from her than just to submit to his yearnings. He wanted her heart. To know she cared for him as well. He believed in time she would come to love him.
Baldric stood beside the bed and removed his pants, freeing his erection. Her eyes shone with approval. She was a goddess.
He moved to the end of the bed and kissed the swollen part of her ankle over the stocking.
“Does this hurt?”
She didn’t even flinch. “Not right now.”
He left tiny pecks up her calves and knees, finally stopping at the apex of her thighs.
“I like the way you’re dressed. You show a lot of skin.”
Her girlish giggle warmed his heart. “It’s only a costume. I typically wear more than this.”
“Shame. Far as I’m concerned, you can just go around naked.”
Her eyes narrowed. “The costume was meant to wear for a Halloween party. I was going as Little Red Riding Hood.”
He chuckled. “Ah, I know the story well. I guess you didn’t know you’d be running into a real wolf.” His impatience for seeing her without clothes won out.
Baldric reached up and slid her satin outfit down over her breasts and over the stockings, letting it fall to the floor.
She sucked in her breath. He couldn’t ignore the glint in her eye.
“You aren’t a bad wolf, but from what I can see, you are big.”
Cock in hand, he stroked it slowly. “You’ll feel me for days. Just you wait.”
Her eyelids flickered. “I’m not sure I can wait.”
“Then I won’t make you.” He climbed on the bed and hovered over her. The erect peaks of her nipples begged for his lips to suckle, and he heartily obliged. Her body shuddered beneath him and his cock stirred in response. He couldn’t wait to bury himself in her willing sex. Heat engulfed his face as his body buzzed with sheer excitement. Her nipples felt good to his lips and tongue. Even more appealing were her satisfied cries as he sucked them hard.
With his mouth attending to her breasts, Baldric slid his hand down her stomach and flicked his fingers against her clit.
She sucked in her breath sharply. “Oh God.” He tilted his gaze up to see her head sway side to side. Lips opening and closing with each moan of pleasure.
“Mmm, yes.”
To test her readiness, he moved a finger inside her pussy, growling at the level of wet she was. He’d waited so long to be with her this way. Part of him wanted to hurry, another part wanted to draw it out and make the night last forever.
“You’re so beautiful.”
A second finger joined his first one and pulsated inside. It would be tight going in, but she’d love every minute of it, as would he. First and foremost, he wanted to taste this pussycat’s cream. He knelt between her thighs and spread her legs far apart, careful to not jostle her ankle. He brought his face to her damp center, dizzy with need.
“No, Baldric, don’t,” she gasped as his tongue laved her clit.
“If you tell me no again in a few seconds, I’ll stop.”
With his fingers, he splayed her pussy wide and darted his tongue inside. She cried out, her legs trembling alongside his face. She tasted exquisite. Not hearing any more protests, he busied himself with his tongue between her thighs. He took turns circling her clit with his thumb and taunting it with his tongue, while his fingers tried to bring her to an orgasm. It intrigued him to watch the way she responded to his movements. Her body fluid like water, dancing beneath his touch. It moved him how she gave herself freely.
Her whispered “yes” followed by melodic moans served as his indication she was close. He jiggled her clit faster, his fingers finding a quick rhythm.
“Now, yes, right now,” she cried.
Baldric watched as her body convulsed, her pussy contracting around his fingers. He savored her juices until her trembling subsided.
“Oh, my, that felt so good,” she moaned, moving a strand of hair from her face. “I needed that more than I even knew.”
Baldric knelt between her thighs and inhaled her scent, more stimulating now as it mingled with her sex. “I can’t wait to be inside you. To feel you where I’ve only dreamed I could.”
“Your words seduce me,” she whispered.
He hovered over her body and nuzzled his face between her b
reasts, enchanted by their soft texture. His lips ascended to the curve of her neck, up along her earlobe and settled a hairsbreadth above hers. Lips that fascinated him with a smile, a frown and pleasurable sighs. Unable to contain himself, his mouth closed over hers, trading hot passionate kisses. Her moist lips opened and he could taste her warm, sweet breath.
Locked in a heated debate between their tongues, he slid his hand down her body and parted her slick folds. Her juices soaked his fingertips.
She turned from the kiss and rested her lips next to his ear. “I want you.”
How he’d longed to hear those words, made even better by her wispy breath.
Her legs wrapped around his waist and she struggled to bring him into her. “Please, now.”
He wrapped his fist around his cock and paused at her entry. Everything would change after this. Everything.
“You ready for me?”
She nodded, eyes glazed and half-mast.
“Good, because I’ve wanted you forever.”
Her jaw slackened as he pushed his cock inside her.
The tightness of her pussy surprised him. Not wanting to hurt her, he took it slow, groaning in his descent. This was better than any dream. His breath stilled as he thrust into her to the hilt. She wrapped her legs tight around his waist and rocked her hips, the fabric of her stockings brushing against his skin. He drummed his cock inside her and watched her face flush soft colors, her eyelids drooping each time he thrust. Cries of delight filled his ears, fueling him on. The only thing that mattered to him was her pleasure.
Baldric reached underneath her bottom and scooped her up closer to him. Her arms lay spread on either side of her head, her expression one of content. Pink tones splashed across her nose and cheeks as he sped up his thrusts, his cock grazing along her swollen clit. The way she looked up at him, such trust, it made him feel even more possessive. He’d never let any harm come to her.
She arched into him and he wrapped his lips around a nipple and suckled lovingly. Her head lolled to the side, eyelids flickering. He could see she was close.
“Your pussy’s so tight. Come for me, Jacquelyn. I want to feel you come around my cock.”
Her fingers closed around the pillow as she moved with him, her eyes glittering with passion.
“Yes, I’m there,” she sighed, and her entire body quaked beneath him.
It was incredible to witness. To feel her liquid spill around him and the way her pussy held and released his cock in swift spasms. He couldn’t pull away from his orgasm any longer. The release barreled through him, only the sound of his pulse was present in his ears. Baldric howled as he came hard, beads of sweat trailing down the sides of his face. His heart hammered away until his thrusts slowed to a stop.
He shivered as he pulled from her stronghold. She lay like an angel. Her eyes reflecting peace. Spent, he lowered himself beside her and wrapped her in his arms, listening to her heartbeat. So, this is what it felt like. To be one with someone he cared more about than life itself.
She let out a satisfied sigh. “You are very persuasive.”
He chuckled and nuzzled her arm with his nose. “Don’t you forget it.”
Chapter Four
Jacquelyn turned onto her side and watched the rise and fall of Baldric’s chest. The man accomplished the impossible. Seduced her, satisfied her and stayed right by her side. Sure, she wasn’t any closer to knowing what she wanted, but then sex always did leave her somewhat confused.
The intensity of his feelings touched her. To be loved like that by someone was more than she’d ever expected. When he spoke of how they met, it had triggered a long-forgotten memory. A memory of holding an animal’s tail and being led to a cave where it rested its head in her lap, and stayed until her parents came. She recalled stroking its fur as it kept her warm. It had to have been him. Everything he said was true.
His dreamy voice broke into her thoughts. “Hey pussycat, I’d say you’re thinking some deep thoughts there.”
“You caught me. Sorry, I tend to do that after sex. Over analyze everything. Bad habit.”
He moved to his side so they were face to face, and brushed his knuckle against her cheek. “I’m happy to listen, if you want to put it out there.”
Did she dare? “Oh, I don’t know. Did you ever want to give up trying to find me? Admit defeat and find someone else, instead? Take the easy way out.”
He slid in closer until his chest pressed against her breasts. “For some time I worried I was chasing a ghost. Something or someone that existed only in my mind. But the level of longing was so strong that it took hold of me. Even when the others were convinced I’d never find you, I was determined to prove them wrong. Hell, determined to prove myself right.”
Jacquelyn draped her arm over his side. “Do you think you would have given up eventually? What if you’d been wrong?”
“If I’d come this far only to realize I was wrong, yes, I would have stopped. At least the tracking part. I wouldn’t give up hope altogether, but I wouldn’t let it drive me anymore.”
Jacquelyn hated to ask. “Would you then settle for another mate?”
Baldric paused and let out a deep breath. “No. It would be unfair to her and myself. I’d just spend the rest of my days traveling with the pack, and step down once I found a more suitable leader.”
“You’re their leader?”
He nodded.
“Then you must have a lot of responsibilities.”
“Yes, the pack counts on me. I feel guilty for having left them to come find you, but it was necessary.”
“And if you didn’t find me you would honestly give up being leader? That seems pretty drastic.”
A thoughtful look crossed his face. “Not really. I’ve already shown my weakness by placing my own needs before theirs. Then to come back empty handed…I wouldn’t be any good to them. It would be the right thing to do.”
She’d never met a man so honorable. “You’re very hard on yourself, aren’t you?”
He paused and rested his head to the side. “I haven’t been fair to the pack. I’ve asked a lot of them over the years.”
The level of his loyalty impressed her. “I’m sure they’ll forgive you. Especially once they hear you found me.”
At once, his eyes grew wide and sparkled. “Does this mean you’ve made your decision?”
The last thing she wanted was to give him false hope, but she couldn’t resist taunting him a little. “I never said that.”
The sparkle faded from his eyes immediately. “Oh.”
Wanting to make things right again, she added, “I mean really, it was just sex. You didn’t move mountains.”
He rose up to his elbow, an expression of surprise across his face. “Excuse me?”
Jacquelyn couldn’t hold in her laughter. “I’m afraid I’ll need more proof of your devotion to me. Hours and hours of sweaty, hot proof.”
In graceful swiftness, Baldric rolled her on top of him and tickled right below her ribs. “You insatiable little imp.”
His playfulness made her crave him even more. Maybe she didn’t believe in soul mates, but she might have found the right guy for once. She leaned over and pressed her lips against his. Enjoying the feel of his palms up along her back, his fingers combing through her hair.
As she straddled him, something crashed through the window and knocked down the lantern, sending a blinding sheet of flames around the door.
Jacquelyn’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, the cabin’s on fire!”
***
Baldric grabbed her and turned her away from the heat, cradling her tight to his chest. He hated fire with a passion.
“Don’t breathe in the smoke,” he rasped.
Already his throat burned.
Jacquelyn’s shrill voice added to his panic. “What do we do? The flames are all around the door.”
He didn’t have time to think, only do. Baldric tried to open the window but the old wood had swollen it shut. They didn’t have an
other choice. He cursed under his breath. “We’ll have to go through the window.”
“But the glass…”
The frightened look on her face reminded him of when she was little, the same fear of the unknown threatening her innocence. He threw on his clothes and pushed the table beneath the window. “It’s okay. Trust me and do as I say.”
Baldric grabbed her clothes and thrust them into her arms. He found a thick blanket on a shelf and wrapped it around her to protect her from the jagged glass.
“Let’s go.” He helped her onto the table and put his arms around her tight. “Ready? I’m going to propel us through the window. Keep hold of me and close your eyes.”
The fire spread fast around the room, but he moved faster. Baldric cannonballed out the window, and landed on his back atop the slick ground with Jacquelyn still clinging to him. In a swift move he was on his feet, pulling her up gently to her feet.
She gasped and he slid his arm around her. “Still hurts to walk?”
Tears shone in the corners of her eyes. “Yeah, stupid ankle. I never should have worn these heels.”
“It’s going to have to get looked at tomorrow.”
“What, are you a doctor now?”
He laughed and steadied his weight as she hobbled beside him. “We need to find a way to get this fire contained so it doesn’t damage the forest.”
“I have my phone in the car. Why don’t you run ahead and call 911.”
Instincts told him to not let her out of his sight. “I can’t leave you here.”
She waved his concern away. “I’ll be okay. I’m only going to slow you down.”
Baldric wouldn’t be swayed and was about to say so when he noticed a tall figure move out of the corner of his eye.
His fists clenched at his sides. “Hey, you there. I can see you. Come out right now and I’ll consider sparing your life.”
Not one, but three teenagers came into view, with their heads down. Jacquelyn gasped and took refuge behind a large tree trunk.
He took a step closer and watched them cower. “Were you the ones who broke the window?”
The tall scrawny kid with hands in his pocket stepped forward. “Sorry, mister. We didn’t know anyone was inside there.”
