by Tl Reeve
Kalum pulled from her then lifted his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. “I fucking knew it, Fawn. I always knew you’d taste sweeter than sin.” He licked them again and groaned. “Remember when I said the third step was me marking you?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Tonight I plan on claiming you.”
For long moments, he stared at her. She didn’t know what to say to his proclamation. Thank you didn’t seem like a good enough phrase for the orgasm he gave her, let alone the mark he promised to leave on her flesh. Fawn opened her mouth to say something…anything, when the timer on the stove dinged, announcing their pizza was ready. “Come on, sugar, let’s eat.”
***
Kalum sat at the table across from Fawn and watched as she shifted in her seat. A grin tugged at his lips before he took a bite of pizza. “Do you like the jacket?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered. A pretty blush stole over her cheeks. “I thought I said as much.”
“I don’t remember. I think I was concentrating on hearing you moan,” he crooned. The scent of her arousal curled around him, tempting his Wolf. As it was, just the taste of her had sparked the need to take her to the ground and claim her. Damn Wolf—the beast never was a patient animal.
He reached across the table and wiped a bit of tomato sauce from her bottom lip with his thumb and growled. She trembled, her eyes wide as she watched him lick the tangy concoction from his finger. “You’re doing this on purpose,” she said, pushing her plate away.
“Doing what on purpose?”
“Making me feel all…discombobulated,” she huffed.
“Sugar, if all you feel is discombobulated, I’m not doing my job right. I should try again.” Kalum placed his napkin on the table and pushed out of his chair.
“Wait,” she yelped, holding up her hand. “If we do this…whatever this is again, we’ll be late to the festivities.”
“I’m not seeing the problem.”
“Don’t you want to go?” Fawn asked.
“I do. I also want to explore this natural attraction between us. I want to figure out what makes you tick. Makes you squirm. I want to taste you and touch you all over. I want to see you naked, thrashing in ecstasy under me.” He took her hand and pulled her up against him. “I think we can be a little late.”
“O-okay,” she stammered, glancing up to him. Her wide hazel-green eyes locked with his and held a bit of trepidation.
“Be brave,” he murmured, cupping her cheek. “Remember, tonight is for making memories.”
“I-I know. I guess I’ve never had anyone who looks at me like you do.”
“How do I look at you?” he asked, guiding her away from table.
“It’s a cross between hunger and devotion.”
“Sugar, it’s more than that.” He chuckled. Truth be told, he held on by a thread. The need to mark his mate and claim her as his thrummed through his veins. One taste would never be enough for him.
Kalum led her through her house and stopped at her bedroom door. She shook next to him as her scent shifted between nervousness and fear. His Wolf snarled at the thought of her being afraid of him, but the rational part of him understood. He knew to take his time. To make her feel comfortable.
“So, this is it?” she said, placing her trembling hand on the knob.
He stilled her. “No, Fawn. This isn’t it. This is the beginning of something bigger than both of us. If you’re not ready, we don’t have to.”
She scrunched up her nose. “You said you were going to mark me.”
“I will. However, I won’t force myself on you.” He tipped her chin up so he could look at her. “You’re the most important person in my life. No way in hell I’m messing this up.”
Chapter Eight
Fawn had a decision to make. Did she back out and tell Kalum she wasn’t ready? Or did she take the first step into embracing her new life? A life with a man determined to bring her out of the self-imposed darkness she lived in. “No, I’m ready,” she said, turning the handle. “It’s time.” Taking his hand, she led him into her room. “What do you want me to do?”
“You’re going to enjoy the ride.” Flames of lust flickered in his slate eyes as he backed her up to the bed. “I want you to forget about the past. Tonight we’re replacing it with good memories.”
Kissing her once more, Kalum nibbled and sucked on her bottom lip while running his hands up under her sweater. Fawn shivered as his fingers curled into her flesh, before raking them down her sides. A delicious heat bloomed where he touched, but his groan fanned the embers of her arousal. Her nipples tightened. Her sex ached to be fondled once more. Fawn rubbed her legs together, trying to relieve the pressure building. It only served to intensify the throbbing feeling in her clit.
“Beautiful,” he crooned, pulling the sweater dress over her head. The red lace bra she’d bought after much prodding from Tinks drew his attention to her breasts. He sucked in a breath and she knew he saw the jagged scars. “Perfect.” Kalum went down on one knee and kissed each of the healed marks, before swiping his tongue across her nipples.
“You don’t have to say that,” she muttered, watching him through her lashes while her fingers speared his hair.
“Say what?” He kissed the space between her breasts. “That your breasts are perfect? The best I’ve ever seen.” He flicked the clasp holding the thin material together and exposed her flesh to his gaze.
Then, as if to prove his point, Kalum palmed her mound and squeezed, tweaking her nipple with his thumb and forefinger. Need pooled deep in her belly, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her. The ache behind her hard nub amplified as he licked a fiery path down to her navel. His teeth grazed her hip and a muffled cry passed her lips.
“Wait.” She stilled his hand. He glanced up at her while he stroked the area he’d nibbled on. “There’s…. You have to understand I—”
“Shhh,” he muttered. “It’s okay.” Kalum kissed her knuckles. He gripped the hem of her leggings and exposed the disfigured skin of her lower body. Healed lesions from cigarette burns dotted her lower stomach while wicked slice marks crisscrossed her pelvis. Each line, the last of which was deepest, stopped right above her pubic bone.
“My poor baby,” he crooned then pressed his lips to each jagged groove and puckered dot. “What did they do to you?”
Tears filled her eyes then rolled down her cheeks as he lovingly touched every inch of her. “You’re”—she swallowed hard—“you’re not supposed to like them or-or want to touch them.”
“Why,” he asked, wiping her tears away.
“Because they’re ugly,” she cried. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. “Because no one is supposed to ever want me.”
“Ah, sugar.” He sighed, standing. “Come here.” He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and carried her over to the bed. Laying her down, he then came up beside her. “Do they hurt still?” He kept his tone soft, soothing away the anguish coursing through her.
“No.” She shook her head, gazing at him.
“Are they sensitive?” He ran his finger along the deepest of the scars.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He began to kiss them again with reverence while removing her boots and pulling her stockings off the rest of the way. “You know what I see?”
“What?”
“I see life.” He caressed her. Eased the tattered parts of her soul, which had never really healed. “I see someone who’s traveled through the fiery depths of hell and came out the other side a survivor. I see a strong woman. A beautiful woman. I see my mate.” He tugged on her silk panties, drawing them off of her. “So pretty.” He ran his fingers through her slit then lifted them to his mouth. “I’ll never get enough of you.”
Slipping between her legs, Kalum licked and nibbled a path to her thighs. Once he got to their apex, he breathed deep and groaned, nuzzling her sex. He glanced up at her, and she saw his Wolf pushing for
ward, peering at her with curiosity. The draw of his weighted stare called to her Wolf, drawing her out of the darkness and into the light. He growled at her in acknowledgement then nipped her lower belly.
“Why aren’t you naked?” she asked, trying to distract him.
A wicked smile tugged at his lips before he dragged his tongue through her slit. “Would you like to see me naked?” he asked, kicking his boots off.
She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes,” she groaned as he licked her again.
He went to his knees and unbuttoned his shirt. Pulling it out of his jeans, he made quick work of the last two buttons then shed the garment. A white undershirt molded his abs and broad chest. Never had she been so jealous of an inanimate object before. Fawn’s mouth watered as he gripped the hem and pulled it off, exposing his sun-kissed upper torso. A smattering of silver-and-black hair covered his pectoral muscles and narrowed to a thin strip bisecting his stomach muscles, and traveled south below the waist of his jeans. A delicious thrill rolled through her at the prospect of what hid beneath the fly of his pants.
The cocky expression on his face never faltered as he slid off her bed and stood before her, grasping the front of his jeans. Her breath came in soft exhales as he flicked the tab on his Wranglers and drew the zipper down. The thick flesh of his erection bulged, straining against the denim holding it in place for the moment. Commando. She’d wondered many times if he was a boxer or brief kind of guy, especially on the days when he sat across from her and stared at her. Or when he’d stood and discreetly adjusted himself, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined this.
Fawn reached out then pulled her hand back. “Go ahead. It won’t bite,” he growled. She leaned forward and ran her fingertips over the steely velvet flesh of his cock. “But I will.” His eyes turned an eerie iridescent color as he curled his lip, exposing the elongated curve of his canine teeth.
Her breath hitched.
“I smell you baby,” he drawled. “No fear.” He flattened her hand to his groin and grunted. “My flesh, your flesh. We’re the same. Only pleasure, sugar. Only love.” He caressed the back of her hand, almost infusing it with the strength she needed to push forward.
“My flesh, your flesh.” Fawn licked her lips. “We’re having fun.”
“Oh we’ll be having more than fun, baby.” He chuckled. “I’m going to rock your world.”
She burst out laughing but covered her mouth when Kalum scowled. “Sorry.”
“For what?” He took her hand.
“I thought I upset you.”
“Because you took your hands off me,” he answered. “Now come on, sugar. You’re killing me here.”
She skimmed the band of his pants and sighed at the contrast of his soft flesh to the thick outline of his burgeoning erection. Growing braver by the second, she pushed his jeans down over his hips and took him into her hand. He grunted and cupped her cheek, keeping her focus on his face instead of what she was doing. His eyes became heavy lidded with each stroke of her fist, and his lips parted as he sucked in a breath. He allowed her to explore him—fondle him. So much negative had been connected to sex. Rather than hurrying her along, he seemed content to allow her to take her fill of him. She cupped his balls and rolled them in her palm, testing their weight before going back working his length. He moaned her name and flexed his hips. A harsh shudder worked through him as a pearl of pre-cum formed on his tip.
Fawn swiped her thumb through it then put it to her lips and licked it. The salty masculine taste exploded on her tongue, making her light-headed. She wanted more, but she didn’t know how to say as much. “You taste good,” she said. Heat crept into her cheeks at her proclamation.
“Do I?” he asked, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Mhmm,” she answered. “I can see why you liked licking your fingers after you, you know.” She glanced down when the heat intensified and spread down her neck.
“You’re killing me,” he rasped. “I’ll let you taste me later, but right now, I don’t think I have the self-control needed to guide you.” He climbed onto the bed then fit his shoulders under her hips. “However, it doesn’t mean I can’t take you on a little ride.”
He held her open to his perusal while his tongue swirled around her hard clit. Fawn’s eyes went wide and her hips rose off the bed. Kalum splayed his palm over her stomach and held her in place while he continued to feast on her.
“What did you do? What did you touch?”
“Nothing…much.” He chuckled. “You’re so sensitive.” He lapped at her clit again then settled his mouth over her pussy and devoured her. His tongue lashed at her then filled her. Sparks of electricity skittered along her skin. Her nipples puckered. She tingled from head to toe as a ball of bliss expanded in her belly.
He didn’t give her a chance to catch her breath nor did he give her a moment to get used to his pace. He flicked her clit then sucked on it, scoring the tight bundle of nerves with the blunt edge of his teeth. Fawn cried out and wiggled beneath him, trying desperately to position herself where she needed him the most. He, however, had other ideas. He kept at her, fucking her with his tongue while simultaneously pushing his finger into her clenching channel. “Kalum,” she whimpered.
“Damn,” he grunted, adding a second finger. He drove her to the edge of sanity, seemingly enjoying the fact she squirmed for him, chasing the exciting bubble of ecstasy expanding inside her. She rippled around his intrusion and rocked her hips, riding the wave of elation crashing over her. “You’re milking my fingers, and you’re so fucking hot and wet. Give me more. I want your juices running down my chin.”
She moaned. “Please.” Her eyes fluttered open to find him watching her. Arousal glittered his gaze. His mouth was still latched onto her pussy. He groaned against her, and the vibrations shot through her. “Oh God.” She shuddered.
“Please what, Fawn? What do you want?” He wiggled his fingers then curled them as he drew them out of her, before slipping back inside.
“I need to come.” She sighed. The foreign sensation spread through her like mini bolts of lightning, licking at her nerve endings until she was a knot of unspent energy.
“Yes, you do.” His tongue grazed the sensitive flesh of her pussy, while he continued to fuck her with his digits. “Let go, baby. I’ll catch you,” he said before gently biting down on her clit.
Everything detonated inside of her. She screamed his name as she flew apart, shattering into a million pieces. Shards of bright lights filled her vision until she was floating on a blanket of nothing, gliding back down to reality. “Wow,” she whispered when she finally caught her breath.
“Indeed.” He placed a final kiss to her folds then climbed up her body, placing wet, openmouthed kisses to her stomach, sides, and chest. He nipped at her chin then drew her bottom lip into his mouth. She could taste her release on his tongue when he finally claimed her mouth, and it only served to stoke the flames of her desire. “Do we need to be concerned about your cycle?”
She shook her head and buried her face in his chest. “No. I’m good.” The way he said we, as though they were a team. His concern for her protection made her want him even more.
Shifting his hips, he placed her leg over his elbow. He lined himself up at her entrance and took her lips in a searing kiss as he pressed forward. Her head fell back onto the pillow and a cry of bliss fell from her lips. Above her, Kalum grunted. His jaw clenched as he retreated and filled her more.
His thrusts were measured, giving her maximum satisfaction without causing her any of the pain she’d become accustomed to. Fawn dug her nails into his back, clinging to him for dear life. He filled her to the point she thought she’d rip in two, but instead of fearing the sensations racing through her body, she embraced them. Reveled in them. She allowed herself to take flight once more. Riding the euphoric tendrils coursing through her, Fawn shattered once more in his arms.
Kalum stilled over her.
&nb
sp; His big body shook with the effort it took to keep himself stationary while he watched her take her pleasure. “You’re beautiful when you orgasm.” He began to move once more. Pumping his hips, his pace became uneven and jerky—almost as if he warred with his baser need and making it last.
She stroked his back, urging him on. “Easy, Kal. You can let go, too. Let me be the one to catch you.”
Fawn wrapped her legs around his waist, and he tilted her pelvis up, changing the angle of penetration. She cried out. Tingles of bliss spread through her body, ratcheting up her need. Their moans filled the room, with each plunge of his hips. His pace increased as he buried his face in her neck and moaned her name over and over. Kalum’s grip held her in place while he fit his other hand between them and strummed her clit. “Together,” he grunted.
“Yes,” she murmured. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
His thrust grew more urgent and, each time he filled her, he pushed down on her clit, adding pressure to it. The knot inside of her grew until her breath hitched and the world around her disintegrated. She rippled around Kalum, milking his cock with everything she had until he slammed into her one last time. She felt his mouth at her neck and, in the next second, a momentary sharp pain as he bit down, piercing her flesh. Fawn cried out once more and shuddered. He’d marked her. Claimed her for all eternity. A possessive growl vibrated in his chest, igniting mini orgasms to ripple through her.
“Mine,” he snarled, cradling her body to his.
Yours.
For long moments, neither one of them moved. With gentle motions, he pulled from her and gathered her in his arms.
“Looks like we’ll be a little late.” She giggled.
“Just a little bit.” He laughed then kissed the top of her head. “Are you okay, sugar?”
She stretched and grinned, enjoying the delicious ache between her legs. “Better than okay.” She pressed her lips to his chest. “I feel amazing. Thank you, Kalum.”
