by Beverly Rae
This time his joke hit home and she chuckled. Relief flooded through him and he grinned at her, happy to smell her fear leaving her. He was even more thrilled when she accepted his outstretched hand. “Does this mean you’ll come home with me to the mountains?”
Her hand squeezed his. “Is that where you live?”
“Yeah, mostly. Although I do come into town for business. When I have to.”
“So…you live in a cave? In the woods?”
Her nervous expression was endearing. “In caves. But don’t worry. Our caves are quite different from what you mean. You’re going to be amazed. We have all the modern comforts of life with none of the hassles of the city. And as for your job, if you still want to keep it, we’ll figure something out.”
She frowned, conflict covering her face. “No.” She released his hand. “I mean, how can I? I don’t change. Just because I have a little shifter blood in me, doesn’t mean I could live with your people. Or that I’d even want to.”
The joy he’d felt evaporated. “No, Tala, you don’t understand.” He took her hands, unable not to touch her. “You’ll change. You have shifter blood in you so it shouldn’t take long. All we have to do is bring it out.”
“You mean like my sad attempt when you came in?”
“Good. So you admit it. You were trying to shift, huh? But, no. You’ll change. Don’t worry. When I bit you, I started the conversion.”
She moved away, putting both physical and emotional distance between them. He ached to follow her, but knew he’d better not.
“Are you talking about the other day? That wasn’t just a hickey gone wrong? You meant to sink your teeth into me? Without asking me?”
Had he told her too much, too soon? Yet, the truth was out and he had to make her understand. “I’m sorry you’re upset. But it was a natural thing for me to do. I couldn’t control myself.”
Her words came out fast and furious. “I don’t give a fuck what you think is natural. You had no right, Devlin. No right at all. And then you lied to me about what you’d done. I knew it!”
He cringed at the tears coming to her eyes and prayed they wouldn’t fall. He’d hate to see her cry. Ever. But especially because of him. “I’m sorry, but you were so upset, I couldn’t tell you the truth. Not then. Tala, you’re my mate. My lifelong partner. It’s destiny for us to be together. You know that.”
“Destiny? What the hell are you talking about? Sure, I agree we’re connected in some indefinable way, but…” She shook her head and backed away from him.
He nodded, understanding her denial and hoping she would come to see the reality, the history of it all. “We’re meant to mate, Tala. Think about it for a minute. Your ancestors were shifters. Your family is shifter.” A memory of his mother, her eyes glowing as she talked about finding his one true mate filled his mind. “Shifters and wolves are alike. We mate for life with the one who was meant for us. Tala, just imagine the future. You, me and a pack of kids.”
She stared at him, glanced at the wolf family poster and blanched. His words about a family had sunk in. “A family?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Kids?”
“Uh, yeah. Don’t you like kids?”
“Shifter kids?”
He cocked his head at her, trying to understand her thoughts. “Well, kids, really. But yeah, they’ll shift like we can.”
“Oh, my God.”
“Tala, it’s all right.”
She took another look at the poster. “But I have my friends, my grandfather, my work here. I can’t go running off with you to live in the woods.” She tunneled her fingers through her hair. “Me live in the woods? This is all so out there. So incredible. I need time…”
Still more time? Granted, this was a lot to comprehend, but how much time did she need? When would she learn to heed her instincts? He sighed, forcing himself to consider her feelings. “Then take the time. We can talk about it all later. Digest everything you’ve seen and heard first.” Still, he couldn’t help but add, “You’d love the freedom. I know you would. I could see the freedom in you wanting to break out the night I watched you dance.”
A wild race of emotions cascaded over her features. Anger, lust, desire and need came and went until only apprehension remained. “No. I can’t.”
Frustration held in check far too long roared out of Devlin. “Damn it, we belong together. I know it and you know it. You called to me, Tala, and I came for you.” He strode over to her, took her by the shoulders and forced her to look him in the eyes. “I need you and I want you.” Putting all his energy behind his determination, he willed her to accept their future together. “And I’m going to have you.”
She opened her mouth to speak and he took it as an invitation. Crushing his mouth to hers, he slid a hand behind her neck and held her tightly against him. Her smell, so hot, so spicy, so her, filled his nostrils. Drinking in the warm nectar of her, he fought to control the aggressiveness raging through him. She tensed and pushed against his chest.
Devlin jerked away from her, abrupt and wrenching, leaving Tala gasping for air. He wouldn’t force her even though the primal urges screaming within him demanded he throw her down and take her as his female. Instead, he picked her up, carrying her like a piece of fragile crystal, and strode into the bedroom.
She tucked her head against his chest and murmured soft indecipherable sounds, shooting his pulse rate higher. With all the tenderness he could manage, he lowered her to her feet.
“Put your faith in what was meant to be, Tala. You’re mine and I’m yours.”
Keeping his gaze fixed on hers, he slipped his hands under her shirt to lift it off, letting the fabric glide over the curves of her breasts. Freeing her of her bra next, he took her face in his hands and pressed feather-light kisses against her lips. She whimpered, but made no move to stop him.
He unsnapped her jeans, then thumbed them over her lush hips to let them drop to her ankles. With a groan, he broke free of her blue magnetic pools and let his sight skim down her flat stomach, drawn to the lacy white of her panties. God, the sight of her drove him wild. Wilder than the animal inside him had ever been able to be. He thrilled at the silky smoothness of her skin.
Trapping her face between his palms, he dared to find those pools again, dared to make her search within him. He had to make her accept what she already knew in her heart. “Tala, I’ve waited for you all my life and now that I’ve found you, I’m not going to let your fear keep us apart.” He narrowed his eyes, strengthening his resolve. “I know you’ve waited for me, too. Maybe you didn’t realize it, but you waited nonetheless.”
A flash of a realization flickered across her face. But she remained silent.
He lowered to his knees, kissing her as he went, then nipped at the pink rosebud on the front of her chaste white panties and tugged. The material slipped an inch lower, giving him a quick peek at the curly treasure underneath. He slid them another inch and knew he’d reached the end of his patience. He groaned with need and edged the silky material over her pelvis and past her mound. When the lacy material fell to the floor, he paused, drinking in the sight of his desire. Cupping her buttocks, he leaned forward and pressed his face against her. Her scent, a mix of sweet lotion and heat, filled him. He nuzzled his nose into the middle of her hair and breathed deeply.
“Devlin.”
The simple act of her saying his name spurred him on. He dragged in one last deep breath, sat back and, with all her clothes gathered at her feet, tapped one ankle, coaxing her away from the pile. She understood and stepped to the bed to sit on the edge.
He ran both hands over the smooth skin of her legs, giving her gentle encouragement to spread them wider. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could resist drinking his fill. When she did, he shot her a playful look and lifted her legs over his shoulders.
Tala let out a low contented sigh, lay back on the bedspread and spread her arms over her head. “Devlin?”
“Shh. Let me enjoy
taking care of you.” This time she’d know they weren’t having sex. This time she’d know they were making love.
He lowered his face to her bush and ran his thumbs along the curve of her folds. An excited quiver rippled along her legs. To tease her, he licked the inside of her thigh with a slow, leisurely lap. Startled, she jerked, but he held her firmly in place. Slowly, lovingly, he skimmed up the tender flesh with his teeth, wanting to bite, but resisting the urge. When he made it to the crease at the top of her leg, he pressed his lips to her and sucked. She whimpered and his dick throbbed in response.
Running his tongue over the top of her folds, he caught the sweet flavor that was Tala and tugged her closer. Although he’d hoped to play longer, teasing her until she begged him, he couldn’t hold back. He spread her pussy-lips, slipped his tongue inside to fondle and sucked her already wet nub.
“I’ll never get tired of tasting you.” Tracing the sides of her legs with his fingers, he skimmed his hands over her flat stomach before she grabbed his hands and squeezed. “Easy, Tala, easy.” Her moan wrenched the need inside his abdomen free, making his cock grow harder, bigger. “Turn on your side.”
She hesitated, then did as he’d asked. Holding both legs over one shoulder, he pushed the fleshy top of her legs apart and jabbed his tongue in her pussy. She gasped, sending his yearning for more higher. Sliding his tongue along, he followed the tangy path from her pussy to her ass. He heard her intake of breath. “I need to taste every inch.” When he was certain she was okay, he ran his tongue back and forth, gathering every drop of her delicious come.
Tala was his. Not as a possession or submissive female, but as his mate, his other half, his partner in life. She shivered under the lashings of his tongue, but he stayed focused on the main objective: to make Tala understand they would stay together.
When he couldn’t stand any more temptation, when his need for her overrode him, he rose and she growled her displeasure at him for stopping. A smirk crooked the corner of his mouth as he climbed on top of her, placing his knee at the moist cleft between her legs and shoving her farther onto the bed. “I’m glad you liked it. I want you to need me as much as I need you.” Falling on top of her to pin her to the bed, he saw the horny gleam in her eyes and knew she did.
“Relax and enjoy.” He gathered all of his love and kissed her again, nipping her upper lip with gentle tugs. His tongue took command, swiping the inside of her mouth, wanting all the sensations she had to give. He grasped her breast, rubbed her hard nipple between two fingers, and rumbled his satisfaction into her throat. He nearly lost himself when she moaned back, giving him her warm breath.
Although he’d wanted to take time with her, savoring every touch, every smell, he couldn’t. The burn inside him, unleashing the animal within, lashed out, and he knew he didn’t have long. He gritted his teeth, silently demanding that he keep control. But when her gaze met his, he nearly conceded the battle. He had to have her, had to feel his shaft surrounded by her hot tight walls. Clutching her ass, he lifted her, positioning his body. He took both her tits, squeezed them, and delighted in the firm roundness.
His wolf knew he was weakened and, before he could stop it, he felt the shift spreading through him, breaking over him. He froze, stunned at its intensity. He squeezed his eyes shut in the struggle to maintain control. He couldn’t unleash the animal. Not yet.
When he looked at her again, the brilliance of her sapphire eyes shone against her tanned face. Her blonde hair, spread out around her head, sent an overwhelming ache through him. An ache to bury his hands in her hair and run its silkiness over his body. An ache to grab onto her and never let her go. Reverently, he stroked her breasts, ran his hand along her firm stomach, then back up to pinch her taut nipples.
Damn, she’s beautiful. He soaked in the sight of her, struggling to keep from ramming his shaft into her. He couldn’t, not until the last possible moment. “Damn, you’re beautiful.” She gaped at him with a surprised expression, as though she didn’t believe him. “Tala, don’t you know how beautiful you are? Hasn’t anyone told you?”
Tears gathered in her eyes. “Not for a long time.” The rest of her words strangled in her throat. She averted her eyes from his, but not before he saw the pain lingering there.
How could such a glorious woman not have experienced her own beauty? Were the men she’d had before him blind? His breathing grew shorter, panting in his need to again keep the wolf at bay for as long as he could.
This time he failed.
Razor-like claws ripped into the covers underneath them and his facial structure began to distort along with the rest of his body. His strength increased, taking over the weak hold he maintained until he raised his massive head to roar his frustration. Yet just as he was about to cry out, her palm cupped his cheek, bringing his hot glare down to her.
The tenderness on her face knocked all the emotion save love from him. He held his breath, stunned and thrilled to see what lay beneath him. No one had ever looked at him like that. She was open to him, all her emotions, all her fear and hopes, all her love on display for him. Only for him.
“I dreamed of you. As a man.” A single tear slid down her cheek. “And as a wolf. But I never thought you were real.”
Her admission whetted his need and he strained against the power seeking to be set free.
“Stay with me, Devlin. As a man. I need you.”
At her plea, his body relaxed, losing the wolf-like characteristics. His claws retracted and his face returned to human form. The animal’s power within him lessened and he regained more control. Whenever she needed him, however she needed him, he would be there.
She wrapped herself around him, driving him insane with the silkiness of her inner thigh nestled against his waist. Lifting her, he sat her on top of his legs, curving his cock to nestle against her mound in her curly hair.
“I can’t—wait much—longer.” He panted the words, surprised he could even speak.
Letting her hair fall between them, blanketing his chest, she wiggled just enough, covering him with her wetness. “Then don’t.”
He roared his relief and thanks, and drove into her. She gasped and clung to him, her hips moving to match his pounding rhythm. They kept their hold with their gazes, each thrusting against the other with unbridled need. He pumped harder, deeper, closing his eyes to hear the creaking the bed made with every bounce, the squish of their sweaty bodies when they came together then separated, the soft grunts and mews she made.
Pushing her breasts together, he sucked both hard pebbles into his mouth. She cried louder, arching her back to thrust them to him. Every time he tugged on them, she cried louder, yet pushed them at his face. He nibbled, nipped, licked, enjoying the different sounds she made. When she leaned backward, taking them away from him, he nearly shouted in pain. And then rammed his cock into her again. Harder. Higher. Deeper.
“Tell me you’re mine, Tala.”
She whimpered with need. Her long hair danced around her shoulders.
“Tell me you’re mine. Now.”
“Devlin.”
He held on, wanting to let her come first, wanting her pleasure before his, but needing to hear the words. He pulled her cheeks apart and widened his stance, opening her even wider. She yelped, surprise filtering across her face, before finally determination set in. Clasping his hair, she held on and rode him.
“Damn it, Tala. Say the words. I need to hear you say them.”
She clamped her teeth together, circling her hips to grind into him. Staring into his eyes, she finally answered. “I’m yours.” She then lifted the corners of her lips in a temptress’s smile. “And you’re mine.”
Those simple words filled him as no lovemaking ever could. Yet he was unprepared for her next words.
“Devlin, mark me again.”
He stopped, panting, throbbing, and stared at her, wondering if he’d heard her correctly. “What’d you say?”
The conviction in her expression left no doubt o
f her words. “Mark me again. Do it.” She turned her head to the right, exposing more of her left shoulder in one last silent signal to obey her.
The wolf inside him howled its delight and his release tore through him, stiffening his body even as the surges continued. He cried out in ecstasy and shifted, bringing forth his fangs. Spreading his lips wide, he plunged his teeth into her.
ƒ
“This is freakin’ sinful.”
Tala stretched, molding her body to Devlin’s naked skin, delighting in the sensation of his strong lean form next to her nude one.
Devlin murmured his agreement and ran his hand along the curves from the top of her shoulder to the bottom of her thigh. His eyes burned with lustful fever even though they’d finished making love only a few minutes earlier.
With his hair spread across his pillow, his other arm supported her head and she nuzzled her nose into his chest. His rich musky scent filled her nostrils, making her feel safe and loved. She closed her eyes, letting all her other senses take him in. “I’m glad I took the time off from work even if we never got out of the house.” She sighed, happy and contented for the first time in years.
“Because we never got out of the house.” Devlin sported his mischievous twinkle and pulled her closer. “I may never let you out of bed again.”
“Promise?” Tala batted her eyes at him. “If I had my way, we’d stay in bed forever.”
“We can make your wish come true, you know. Come home with me and we’ll spend all day, every day, together. Playing in the sun, making love whenever we want, hunting. Doing anything we want.”
He kissed her, starting at the fullness of her lips and working outward. His tongue teased her, lightly touching the slight part between her lips, yet never going inside. The easy comfort she’d felt moments before was blown away by the desire gusting through her. Could life get any better than this? She almost forgot what she’d started to say.
“I’m not sure about the hunting thing. All the blood and guts? Yuck.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “I couldn’t hurt Bambi.” Besides, who’d rather hunt than make love?
