by Maddy Barone
“Do it.”
It still didn’t hurt. It felt strange, having him invading her body, then retreating and coming back, but almost nice. Her inward giggle cut off. An echo of her orgasm sparked where he was moving. She tilted her hips to catch the echo. There! Just as she had done earlier, she tried to match his rhythm.
“More,” she demanded.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“More,” she insisted. “You’re not hurting me.”
His body stilled while he looked down at her face. Then he began to move. Still watching her face carefully, he increased the pace of his thrusts. Apparently whatever he saw reassured him. He let go of restraint and that was what she needed to strengthen the echo and bring it fully into the present. Her body, familiar now with what it sought, moved as frantically as his did to capture the orgasm.
She wasn’t sure which of them crested first. She did remember screaming, and catching a glimpse of his head thrown back, his body arched back on stiff arms, his mouth open in a howl. They shuddered and jerked together for long moments until he collapsed to the bed beside her. There was a burning sensation between her thighs that was close to pain but she was too busy panting and gasping to notice too much.
Their eyes met and a big smile curved his lips. She smiled back. They stayed like that for a minute while their breathing slowed. Gooseflesh prickled Rose’s arms. Now she knew what sex was like. A couple of years ago Carla had told her that with the right man, sex was wonderful. Rose looked at Sky’s face. Carla was right.
“Are you okay?” Sky asked. “How much does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt.” She shifted to scoot further up the bed and winced. The burning between her legs was definitely there. “Much. It’s normal.”
“Wait here.”
He got up, a beautiful, long-legged creature that moved with smooth efficiency out the door to the bathroom across the hall. Rose heard water run, and then Sky came back with a washcloth. He climbed back on the bed.
“This will help.”
With great care he wiped the wet washcloth over the flesh between her legs. Smears of red marred the white terrycloth and he looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
She ignored the lingering soreness and sat up to touch his jaw. “I heard it always hurts the first time, and it didn’t hurt me very much. In case you didn’t notice, I enjoyed myself just now. Twice.”
Sky tossed the washcloth carelessly on the floor. “Blood wasn’t the only thing on that washcloth. My seed was there, too. You could be pregnant right now. That’s what you want, right? A baby?”
She remembered the parade of infants her friends had produced over the past seven years, but the longing was dimmed. “A month ago, a baby of my own was the thing I wanted most in this world.” She shook her head with a smile, amazed that the longstanding stab of envy didn’t come. “But now I don’t feel like I have to have a baby right now. I’m sure babies will come,” she clarified. “We both enjoy sex enough to ensure babies.”
“Oh, yes,” he said fervently, then chuckled. “Enjoy isn’t quite the word I would use. I enjoy Mrs. Nord’s cooking. Lovemaking is more than enjoyable.”
She snickered. “Agreed. And I will be very glad when we do have a family.” She cupped his chin and drew him in for a light kiss. “But for now I have you.”
“Yes,” he vowed, seizing her hands. “You have me. What a fool I was to stay here in Omaha when I had a mate waiting for me at the den.”
That was exactly what she had thought for the past several years. These short few days in Omaha had changed her mind. She squeezed his fingers. “What you’re doing in Omaha is important.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “but not as important as you. How many years did I waste?”
“It wasn’t a waste. What would have happened to Katelyn if you hadn’t rescued her? What about Odell?”
He was silent for a long moment, his face clouded with regret and trouble. “Well, it’s water under the bridge now. You have goose bumps on your arms. Let’s turn off the light and get under the covers.”
Both still naked, they curled together. This is what she had wanted all along, this feeling of love and acceptance and comfort. The sex was mind blowing, better than she had even dreamed it could be, and she loved it, but being held by a man who had opened himself to her was even better.
“Good night, princess,” he whispered. “Sleep well.”
Princess. He’d called her that in the past to show disdain. Now it was a tender endearment. She smiled against his shoulder. “Goodnight, Prince Charming.”
*
In the dark, drinking in the scent of his mate and their love making, Sky sighed. He was no Prince Charming. For years he had put his mate last. Yes, his work in Omaha was important, but he had let it come between them. To a wolf warrior, nothing was more important than his mate. How could he have forgotten that? Was he even a wolf warrior anymore? His hair was short, he wore city clothes, he lied, he manipulated, and he hadn’t let his wolf out in over six years. He hadn’t released his wolf even while he’d visited the den.
Cautiously, he looked deep inside himself, searching for his wolf. He found him in a dark corner, curled up and all but purring like Rose’s stupid cat. The wolf was satisfied with the step he and Rose had taken. They were mated now. Nothing in the world could break that bond. At Sky’s nudge, the wolf showed no sign of wanting to make the change, but he was content in a way Sky hadn’t sensed in years. Maybe that was enough for now.
With Rose naked and sleeping under his arm, Sky felt the same contentment. He breathed in the precious scent of her and allowed himself to drift into sleep.
Chapter 19
Rose woke and realized by the sun coming in the window that it must be mid-morning. Breakfast was probably long over. She realized two other things immediately after that: she was naked, and Sky’s incredibly blue eyes were watching her from a distance of less than twelve inches. A zing of memory made heat rise in her cheeks. The sheet was twisted at her waist, leaving her bare from the waist up and the knees down. She clutched at the edge of the sheet, wavering between the desire to pull it up, and the need to prove she wasn’t a shrinking violet.
“Um.” She swallowed. “Good morning, Sky.”
“Good morning, princess.”
His voice was a tender rasp. The once-hated nickname made her smile. Wonder and something very close to joy bubbled up in a giggle she barely suppressed. Last night she had accepted his mate claim. They were bonded now forever. Her hands relaxed on the sheet. She didn’t have to be embarrassed to be naked with him; he was her mate. His gaze was intense as he looked her over from her bare white feet to her bed head hair, lingering on her belly and breasts.
He leaned close. “I want to kiss you.”
She drew back into the pillow, covering her mouth with her hand. “I haven’t brushed my teeth.” The suppressed giggle burst out at the familiar words.
“Did I say anything about kissing your mouth?”
His smile was feral as he pushed her onto her back and dove to her chest.
“You can kiss me anywhere you want,” she told him, running her hand over the velvet-soft short hair at his nape.
She loved the feel of his hand cupping her breast, the wet heat of his mouth closing over her nipple. When he shifted over her she opened her legs to welcome his weight. He settled into the cradle of her open thighs and unexpected pain dragged her breath between her teeth in a sharp hiss. Sky immediately lifted his weight off her. Holding himself above her on stiff arms, he looked down at her with concern.
“Are you okay?” He glanced down at her pelvis still covered by the rumpled sheet. “You’re sore from last night, aren’t you?”
She hated to admit it. “I guess. A little.”
He settled on the bed beside her. She searched his face for anger or disappointment, but saw neither. “Then we’ll wait until you feel better.”
She glanced at his lap
and saw he was fully erect. She waved a hand at the evidence of his arousal. “But…Isn’t that uncomfortable?”
Sky’s lips quirked. “I guess. A little.”
Rose knew he was purposely repeating her own words back to her. It might have been mockery, but his hand was gentle when he brushed her hair back from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.
“I’ll live. We don’t need to rush into sex. We have the rest of our lives to make love with each other.” His smile hinted that he felt the same wonder she did at the idea. “Besides, we haven’t had a chance to talk about anything yet. This is a good time for us to talk.”
Before she could say anything, there was a scratching at the door. A feline complaint said Mitzi wanted to come in. When she struggled to crawl over Sky, he caught her by the shoulders. “Hold on. Where are you going?”
“To let Mitzi in.”
“No.” Sky’s voice was very firm.
“But…”
Sky shook his head and set her carefully on the mattress beside him. “No. This is our room. That damn cat stays out.”
Rose considered arguing, but gave in with a sigh. She would play with her cat later. “Okay. Will you tell me about the mayor’s poker game last night? You were worried about what they would say about Odell. How did it go?”
Sky took his time plumping pillows against the headboard and pulling the sheet and blanket up. Rose stifled another giggle at the sad expression on his face when he tucked the blanket more firmly under her arms to hide her breasts. In spite of being sore, she wished he would go on kissing her breasts. Hearing about what happened last night was good, but not the same. She sighed.
Sky folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the headboard. “No one mentioned it, but the atmosphere was tense,” he said quietly. “The vice-mayor Peter Vann was there, and Terry Askup and a couple more of the mayor’s buddies. That’s the usual crew for the Sunday night poker game. Sometimes a few of my allies are there too, but not last night. I could tell they’d been talking about me before I came. I’m an outsider to them. I’ve always known that. They make a show of welcoming me, but that’s only because I own a successful business. I’m not one of them, and it’s never been more obvious than it was last night.”
“That’s okay. You don’t want to be one of them.”
“No, that’s true. I pretend that I do, and they pretend that they believe it, but we all know the truth. In the last year, the pretense has worn thin. I’ve been open about wanting the laws to change. I say that with the economy stable, the city doesn’t have to have the income from the Women’s Acts. Any business with a woman working in it will bring more revenue to the city.”
“I remember you talking about that at the mayor’s house the night we had dinner there.” She ran a fingertip down the muscle of his upper arm. “You used the Eatery as an example.”
He caught her finger and kissed it. “It’s a valid business plan. Women can work wherever they want, and men will pay more, just for the chance to meet them. Especially if they don’t have to beggar themselves to be able to afford to marry a woman they meet at her place of employment.”
“You know, when I was growing up I planned to be a lawyer. In the Times Before, women could have any job they wanted. Men and women were equals. Mostly equals,” she amended. “Women didn’t have to stay home and run the house and raise the children.”
“It will be that way again,” he said, like it was a promise. “Someday. And I’m not sure that men and women are equals.” Rose jerked in a breath at this outrage, but he went on in a serious tone before she could speak. “From what I’ve seen, women are superior in some ways to men. You can take away their freedom, deny them their rights, and kick them when they’re down, but they just get back up. I’ve seen women put up with crap for themselves, but when someone mistreats their children, they turn into demons.”
Rose leaned her head against his shoulder in an unspoken apology. “So tell me about last night. What did you talk about while you played cards?”
“I didn’t say much of anything. They did all the talking and laughing.” He released her finger to scrub his hands over his face. “Rose, those fools are so blind that they believe Omaha wouldn’t dare rebel against them.”
“Even after what Odell’s family did?”
“Yes, even after the Grahams fought to keep Odell home.” He looked at her and his blue eyes were disbelieving. “It’s like they want trouble. If the vote to relax the Women’s Acts fails today, there will be trouble. The only question is how soon. Omaha could turn into a bloodbath.”
“Do you think that’s what they want?” she asked, watching his face. “Are they looking for an excuse to shoot some of the people who might give them trouble?”
He looked at her with horror on his face. “Fuck.” He sucked in a breath. “That just might be it, Rose. I hope you’re wrong.” He shook his head. “But it’s exactly something they would do.”
She watched him climb out of bed. “Where are you going?”
Magnificently naked, he leaned over the bed and kissed her lips gently. “I’m sorry. It’s the same old thing: I have to go and talk to people. I don’t want to leave you, but I have to warn the Grahams and the others who are likely to rise up. Maybe knowing the mayor would love an excuse to thin the ranks of the opposition will calm them down.”
“Sky.” She felt the blood drain from her head. “You are probably at the top of their list. They have to want to shut you up. When I had tea with Mrs. McGrath, I overheard the mayor say he should have gotten rid of you a long time ago.”
“I know. You told me.” He smiled when she blinked. “You were asleep when you told me.”
She waved that off. “You have to be careful. Please.”
He kissed her again. “I will. I have everything to live for, and it’s right here in my bed. I’ll be careful, I promise. I’m going to grab a quick shower and some breakfast, then head out.”
“Sky.” When he paused and looked at her with loving eyes, she fumbled for words. “I like you. I mean, I like the way you’re being now. So nice. You weren’t before.”
His eyelids fell, hiding his emotions, but she saw his lips tighten. “I know,” he said softly. “I was a jackass.” He looked directly into her eyes, appearing ruthlessly honest. “When I went to the den, I was angry to be called away just before the vote. I took it out on you. It set us off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry.”
Remorse made him even more handsome. “I should have been more patient.”
“No,” he disagreed. “You were more patient than I had any right to expect. Who could have blamed you if you had married that man I found you with at the train station? I would have killed him,” he added in a mild tone. “But I was an idiot to think you would wait for me forever.”
“I understand now why you wanted to stay in Omaha.” She smiled a little. A week ago she’d never have defended his actions. “You’re doing something important here.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “I think my wolf is ashamed of what I’ve done. He’s refused to have anything to do with me for years. When Taye’s letter came telling me he was going to allow other men to court you, the wolf finally communicated with me, and he wasn’t happy.” An expression of determination made Sky’s eyes electric blue. “Putting Omaha ahead of you was the biggest mistake I ever made. I knew my mate should always come first, but I was so busy being a big shot in Omaha that I forgot that. I swear I’ll never forget it again. If I ever start to act like I did before, punch me.”
Rose swallowed a hint of tears. A week ago he’d been an arrogant, impatient stranger who held her at arm’s length. This morning he was caring, loving, and repentant. Was it the sex that made him change or was sex the result of the change? “Maybe I’ll just sic Mitzi on you.”
He cringed theatrically. “That should put me in my place.” He turned serious. “I wonder if I should have just killed the mayor in the beginning. Maybe all of this co
uld have been avoided.”
She squeezed his hand. “They might have executed you. Wouldn’t the city have gone crazy? Riots? Politicians fighting to be the next mayor?”
“Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? I only hope we can prevent that now. I still need to go talk to people to try to keep them safe.” His lips touched her knuckles lightly. “I promise we’re leaving Omaha as soon as this business is settled. Maybe even as early as Christmas, but by spring for sure.”
“Christmas?” She tried to smooth dismay out of her voice but it was too late. “That’s almost three months.”
“I know.” He kissed her cheek. “This could drag out for a while. You can understand that I can’t just leave in the middle of a revolution I helped to start, can’t you?”
“Yeah,” she agreed, making herself smile. She did understand. Sky was an alpha and this was his Pack. No alpha would abandon his Pack in dangerous times. It was only three months. She could do that.
He kissed her forehead. “If things aren’t settled by April, I’ll start making arrangements for my ladies’ safety, and we’ll be gone by May first. I promise.”
“Okay. Omaha can have you during the day, but your evenings are mine.”
Against her mouth his kiss turned into a smile. “Best deal I’ve ever gotten.”
After watching his perfect butt disappear into the bathroom, she got out of bed and dressed. Sex was just as good as she had hoped. She’d been told a woman’s first time was usually disappointing. Ha! It probably wasn’t possible for a wolf warrior to disappoint his mate in bed. She loved sex. The soreness was definitely there, but they could have had sex this morning. Maybe she should track Tasha down to get some pointers on how to surprise Sky tonight.
Rose headed downstairs before Sky came out of the shower. Just the thought of beads of water rolling down the slope of his pec made her want to lick them up. Better to leave before she was presented with temptation in the flesh. Maybe tonight she would do that. Or tomorrow morning they could shower together. They had thousands of mornings in their future to look forward to. She entered the kitchen with a bounce in her step.
