Dallas kneaded between my shoulder blades, never breaking the kiss. He worked my tense muscles hard, melting all the doubt away. Small circles kept dipping lower on my bare back, his fingers warm while they worked. He massaged the small of my back, and I thought I was going to fall over. My body was going haywire.
I gasped against his lips when he let go. He grasped my wrists, holding them in front of us. The rough pad of his finger brushed against the tender skin below my thumb.
“Do you trust me?” he asked. The gold swirled in his eyes, I’d never seen them like this before.
“I do,” I whispered. It was hard to speak.
“Good. If I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, tell me.” Dallas held both my wrists in one hand, and he cupped my chin with the other. He knew I’d try to look away. He frowned. “What do you hate more than anything else?”
Weird question, right now. “Broccoli.” I was going to burst out laughing, thinking about how much I hated the texture of it in my mouth.
He nodded. “If you don’t like something I do, if it doesn’t feel right, or if you want to stop, say broccoli, and I’ll know that you hate it. I’ll stop immediately. No questions asked.”
I laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not. It’s a safe word.” He nodded when my mouth fell open against his hand. He must’ve been able to feel my heart slam against my ribcage. “I want us to explore everything. Together. And sometimes that means going to the edge of the cliff and deciding whether or not we’re going to jump. Keep an open mind. But if you’re not into it—“
“I know, say broccoli.” I laughed. “That doesn’t mean I want you to stop right now. Just that I agree to the terms of the arrangement.”
Dallas kissed me again. This time was different. There was no give and take in this one, he was in the driver’s seat. And it was sexy as hell. “How are you feeling?”
It was hard to think over the tattoo of my heartbeat in my eardrums. “Excited. Nervous.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Are you scared?”
“A little.” I swallowed hard. Not broccoli level, but there was no denying it was there.
“Good.” Dallas’ answer shocked me. “The best feeling in the world is when you conquer something that scares the shit out of you. When you can look it in the eye and make it your bitch. I want you to know what that’s like. I’ll never be a rich man, but I want to give you something no one else can.”
To have one day without fear. I had many, before my mother drove away from me. My life had been so different, carefree. She didn’t just leave me behind, she took my childhood with her. My memories and my joy. All she’d left me with was pain and confusion.
This was the greatest gift anyone had ever given me.
Goosebumps prickled my skin. Dallas hadn’t succeeded yet, but it didn’t matter. He’d already given me power where I’d had none. This was a chance to get my life back.
He slipped the satin belt around my wrists, crisscrossing the black sash carefully. I tugged a little, testing the restraint, but I couldn’t move my hands away from each other. Dallas smiled but didn’t say anything when I did it. He knotted it, leaving a long tail.
He knelt in front of me, kissing my fingers. I’d knotted them together, mimicking the pattern he created.
“I feel bad,” he said, rubbing his thumb along my bare hip, just below the strap of my thong. “You had something special planned, and I saw this outfit and lost my mind.”
“Don’t. My plan was the outfit, and I figured it would spark some creativity for both of us.” I shivered at his light touch. He was so gorgeous, on his knees in front of me. I may have been the one restrained, but I’d never felt so much power.
Dallas stripped off his T-shirt. I’d never get sick of watching his muscles move under his skin. His hair fell over his bare shoulders, and his gaze flicked up to me. They were like two flames swirling in the dark. “Keep these plans coming,” his voice rumbled. “I have a lot of ideas.”
He tugged the strap of the thong just enough to expose me. Running his finger along my cleft, he kissed just above it. I swayed, and Dallas continued the kiss. He outlined the edge of my slit, then darted his tongue out, sending shockwaves to my clit on contact.
I gasped, bowing forward. I couldn’t catch myself since my wrists were bound, but Dallas caught me before I lost my balance. He steadied me with one hand, still on his knees. He resumed his mission, but his kisses trailed higher, along the curve of my stomach and just below my belly button.
I burst out laughing. “That tickles.”
“Good. You’re fun to play with,” he said before he licked me. I squirmed, crying out. “Because you make that noise every time I hit one of your spots.”
“There’s a few other places I might be ticklish.”
“Oh yeah?” Dallas rose from his knees, never letting go of my wrists. “Get on the bed. I’m going to find them all.”
I sat on the edge of the bed, my nerves tripping off little landmines all over my body. “What do you want me to do?”
“Lie on your back. And let me do the rest.”
I sunk into the mattress and closed my eyes. Peace washed over me—I had to let Dallas take care of everything. He brushed my hair away from my face, and ran his fingers lightly over my lips. I tried to catch them with my tongue. He lingered, and some of the cherry taste remained from earlier.
It didn’t last long. Dallas stretched my arms over my head, looping the free ends of the sash through my headboard. My arms were suspended above my head, a reminder of my concession.
“How does that feel?” he asked. It was instinct to tug on the knot, even though I didn’t want to be anywhere but here. Good thing, because I couldn’t move.
But Dallas could. Look fear in the eye, and make it your bitch. My mouth watered. “Don’t leave me,” I whispered.
“I’m not going anywhere, baby.” Dallas kissed my lips and the fear dissipated. He hovered over my face, smiling. “I have a pretty good idea where you’re ticklish.”
“I’m not telling.” I strained, trying to reach his lips. They were so close. “You need to find it on your own.”
Dallas sat back and shimmied out of his jeans. He ran his fingers over my teddy, lightly enough to make me shiver. He rubbed my arms, not leaving an inch of me untouched, then let his hands fall to my thighs. The slow, rhythmic movements put me into a trance. Until he reached the bottom of my feet. I flinched when he hit the spot.
He shook his head, smiling. “Old news.” He crawled back up my body, grabbing the forgotten strap of my thong. It had adjusted itself, sort of, when I got on the bed. Bunched up, but not covering what it was supposed to. “Only one spot left.”
There went the thong, down my legs, onto the floor. I was totally at Dallas’ mercy. He repositioned himself in between my thighs, spreading them wide. My legs weren’t bound, but I didn’t fight. Instead, I arched my back, offering myself to him.
“Is that a hint?” Dallas ran his hand up my leg, settling on my raised thigh.
“Yes.” The word was strained. “Hurry up.”
He burst out laughing, and I couldn’t contain it very long, either. We stopped, but the giggles came back. “I could slow down, tickle your feet, but the truth of the matter is, I’m just as anxious to do this as you are. I can’t wait to fuck you with my mouth.”
My body fell back on the mattress. Just the words alone were powerful enough to knock me over. Dallas held my thighs firm as he made first contact. His tongue hit my clit, and electricity raced through my body. I couldn’t get away from it, and I had no choice but to ride the wave.
Dallas knew exactly what he was doing. He sucked on the swollen nub long and slow, swirling his tongue around, sure to hit every spot. It didn’t exactly tickle, but the effect was the same. I writhed, but had no way to relieve the sensation. I cried out as Dallas clamped his lips down on the sensitive skin. He slipped two fingers inside me, curling them forward.
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br /> That was the spot.
“Oh my God,” I gasped, pulling on my restraints so hard I was afraid I’d break the headboard. Dallas intensified his thrusts, and I couldn’t see straight anymore. I thrashed wildly under him, but there was no stopping the pressure that built in my core, throbbing and demanding escape. I cried out, riding the orgasm.
“You are so beautiful when you lose control,” Dallas said, his voice rumbled, gravely with need. I panted, crashing down from the high and the shock of Dallas letting me go. He kissed me; our sweet, salty union passing between us. “You should try things that scare you more often.”
“Don’t leave me.” My voice was hoarse like I’d been screaming. “I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t.” The rumble turned into a growl. “We are going to fight this, together. I’m stronger with you, Lyssie. Before I met you, I had no idea what I wanted. I thought I did, but I didn’t know why. You gave me a reason. Every day I wake up with you and I’m reminded why I do the things I do. Because I want a future, and I want you in it.”
My heart was going to burst. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.” He kissed me again. “This is why it’s good to face your fears. You’ve spent so much time being afraid of things that haven’t happened. And they never will. I watched you tonight, at the farmer’s market, and you are a force to be reckoned with. Stop thinking about what you’re going to lose and remember all you have to gain.”
“I know,” I said softly. “I have to remember that everyone is scared of something.”
“Let me tell you a secret.” Dallas sat up, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a condom. “I’m afraid of losing you, too.”
I could barely think, watching him sheath himself with a firm grip on his own cock. How could this beautiful, powerful man be afraid of anything?
But then I realized he’d lost everything, too. The Sawtooth wolves had grown up with the promise of a mate, and the waved goodbye as the she-wolves were sold off to the highest bidder. Wanting things never went away when you lost everything. The cravings intensified, but they were for different things. Comfort. Love. Home. The things that hurt the worst when they weren’t there because we’d been promised we’d have them forever.
“I love you,” I said. The fear was gone. “You’ve lost everything, too. And you never stopped fighting for what you believed in. And you thought I was worth fighting for. Even when I didn’t.”
His face glowed, hovering over mine. He brushed my hair away from my damp face, and his smile was pure ecstasy. “I love you, too. Lyssie. You gave me a future, and that was something I never thought I’d have. It’s not always going to be perfect, but it’s always worth fighting for.”
Dallas slipped inside me, and together, we’d found everything we’d been looking for. Kisses rained down on my cheeks, lips, forehead as he rocked his hips against me. His thrusts intensified, the emotions were overwhelming. I wrapped my legs around him. We were knotted, twisted, and messy, and I never wanted to let him go.
He swelled inside me, and his body slowed as he jumped off his own cliff. We couldn’t stop kissing. Dallas stayed inside me, our bodies still tangled. He untied the sash from the headboard, and rubbed my arms as he unwrapped the satin.
All of that and I hadn’t been able to hold him.
“How are you feeling?” Dallas asked, kissing my fingertips.
“Like a completely new person.” I couldn’t stop smiling. “Who knew a little lace and shiny stuff could do that?”
Dallas shook his head, his eyes were still on fire. “The outfit is hot, don’t get me wrong, but that was all you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dallas
“I had a dream about you,” I said when Lyssie’s eyes fluttered open. It was unusual that she got to stay in bed past dawn. Even if she had a rare day off, like today, she often set her alarm to make sure Kiera got out of bed. That was a responsibility Lyssie was more than happy to relinquish to Baron.
“Just one?” Lyssie rested her chin on her hand, but none of them let my chest. A sleepy smile played on her lips. “I dream about you all the time.”
“Sometimes I think I’m dreaming about you, but then I realize my eyes are open.” I ran my fingers through her tangled hair as she sighed. “Anyway, last night I dreamed you were a wolf. I knew it was you because of your eyes. That pretty blue. Your fur was all white, and you were just as gorgeous as you are right now. The whole pack was together, a regular full moon run. It was awesome, being able to run with you. But then Ember and the rest of the Montana assholes showed up. Lyssie, you handled it. You trotted right up to her and it wasn’t physical fight, but it was still a domination. No question about it. They retreated, and I knew they were gone. Really gone. I woke up so proud of you.”
Her smile widened, more awake now. “I like that dream. A lot.” She sat up, raking her fingers through her hair and stretching. The sheet fell away from her body, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her curves. Her body was soft and round all over, with full breasts that I’d never get enough of. Lyssie was so confident in her body, and I never stopped appreciating it. I was used to girls with a thousand hang-ups about being naked, but she didn’t have any. It was an unexpected surprise, and how I knew I could push her last night. I was willing to hold her hand and help her bridge the gap to the woman I knew she wanted to be.
Don’t get me wrong, I was in love with the woman who was sitting beside me, bare and rumpled, looking down at me with a silly grin. “What?” I asked.
“I had a similar dream, I’m trying to remember it all. The whole town had turned into a giant hotel. It had weird and windy hallways, but I knew that’s where we were. And that Ember ruined everything. It was like a ghost town. No one came because they wanted Granger Falls but it didn’t really exist anymore. But everyone kept leaving their animals behind, and we had to take the hotel over, because it was the only place big enough for us.”
“So what happened?” I loved that we’d shared the same dream. It took different forms, but we were truly becoming one.
Lyssie frowned, searching for more information about the dream. “I’m not sure. It didn’t feel right, but we were convinced we could make it work for the animals. I don’t remember the end.” Her face lit up. “I got like a hundred bucks last night at the farmer’s market for Forever Home. Trina’s going to be psyched. It doesn’t sound like much, but every little bit helps. We’ve had trouble lately, but there are some really good people here. I know you see this as a wolf issue, but it affects everyone in town.”
I pulled her down on top of me. “You’re amazing.” I managed between kisses. “What you do for everyone else doesn’t go unnoticed.”
“Sorry about my morning breath.” She pushed away from me, swatting and laughing. “Dallas, I was always yours. And the fact we had the same dream proves it. We need to do something about it. We’ve spent the last couple of weeks figuring out how to get rid of Ember. Believe me, I’m having the time of my life trying to cure you. But you know what we haven’t tried? Telling her what’s up. That she’s barking up the wrong tree, pun intended, and that she’s not welcome here. Getting her out of our hair isn’t enough. I won’t let her ruin this town. I love it here, and it’s our home.”
I sat up, we had shit to do. “First of all, never apologize for your morning breath. It’s a small price to pay for being able to kiss you before anyone else gets to see you. Secondly, I think that’s a great idea, but you have to prepare yourself for the possibility that it’s not going to work.”
Lyssie pouted. “Why not?”
I got out of bed, slipping my jeans back on. One of these days I’d bring my clothes here. But soon I hoped to draw up plans on a place of our own. Right next to the place Baron built for himself and Kiera. “Because we’re not dealing with a sane person. She wants things, too, and she’s already shown she’ll take them by any means necessary. I shouldn’t let you go anywhere near her.”
�
�You shouldn’t let me?” Lyssie raised an eyebrow. “You just told me that I should do things that scare me. This scares the hell out of me. Is that what it looks like when you pull the alpha male card?”
I laughed. “What, you don’t like it?”
She sighed. “I really shouldn’t. But let me tell you a secret. I love it.”
**
It was no secret where Ember had set up camp. She and her pack had taken over the villas at The Bald Mountain Resort. It overlooked both Granger Falls and Sawtooth Forest. The town quickly divided over their opinion of her presence. Not only was she harassing many hardworking business owners, but she was also interrupting the life blood of the region: ski season. Rooms were at a premium, and she was taking prime space away from people who spent their money in Granger Falls.
Not everyone was sorry to see her here. Running a small business was much like skating on a pond. The ice could give way at any time. Ember knew where the ice was flimsy, and some people would’ve gladly sold their stake in town in return for a fresh start.
Add to that she was gorgeous, cunning, and the most exciting thing that had happened in Granger Falls in my thirty years. Some of us had to be careful what we wished for.
“Do you ski?” Lyssie asked. “Kiera loves snowboarding, but I’ve never tried it.”
“Baron does, too. The two of them are having a blast, with their extreme sporting expeditions. I love the mountain as a wolf. As a human, my sport of choice is hockey. I haven’t played this winter. The Lowes have a big Christmas game every year, but it didn’t happen this year since X was in rough shape.”
Lyssie shook her head. I could see her making a mental list of everything Ember had taken away from us. “Don’t get me wrong. I love winter. I love snuggling under blankets, the cocoa, and the way the air feels when we leave work and its dark out. It’s so crisp. My dream is to open a booth at the farmers’ market and sell my knitted stuff. I might want to use you as a model.”
Shelter Me (Sawtooth Shifters, #6) Page 9
