She leaned her forehead against his and nodded. "I won't ask any more questions tonight, but come morning, all bets are off."
Raed kissed her again until he left her breathless. They sat on the living room floor until his cock finally softened enough so he could pull free. He then picked her up and carried her to the bed. He stripped naked and got in beside her. Raed then proceeded to make love to her again. When his cock became locked inside her as it had before, Lexi asked no questions. The strange sensation relaxed her, made her feel safe and secure. She cuddled against his chest and fell asleep.
* * *
The muffled sound of ringing brought Lexi awake early the next morning. Before she could nudge Raed, he jumped out of bed, scooped his jeans off the floor, reached inside the front pocket and pulled out his cell phone. As he answered it, she let her gaze run over his naked body. She had licked and kissed every inch of him during the night.
As she watched, his cock started to lengthen and harden.
Lexi brought her gaze up to find Raed's eyes filled with heat as he spoke. "I'll be there shortly. Tell the others not to touch anything." Raed snapped his phone shut then reached for his jeans again. "I have to go. Something came up at home."
She gave his erection a meaningful look as he shoved his cock inside his jeans.
"Are you sure you can't stay a little bit longer? It's still early. And you did promise to answer all my questions in the morning, which is now."
Raed pulled his shirt over his head and sat on the bed next to her. "I can't. You'll still get your answers, Lexi. They'll just have to wait a bit longer."
"You promise?"
"I promise." He leaned over and kissed her until her toes curled. Raed stood and looked down at her. "Call a locksmith to come and replace the lock on the flat's door.
You can tell your landlady I'll pay the bill."
"There you go again, ordering me about."
"Please? Is that better?"
Lexi chuckled. "I guess. I can see I'll have to work on your bossiness."
"I promise to work on it. I'll come back as soon as I sort things out at home."
"I'll be here waiting, but I hope it isn’t anything too serious."
"No, nothing that bad."
Raed gave her another quick kiss then he was gone. She heard the flat's door shut behind him. It was still early enough to roll over and go back to sleep if she wanted. She settled deeper into the covers, but sleep eluded her. Now she was awake, thoughts of Raed and the night they'd spent together wouldn't leave her head. Each time they had made love, Raed's cock had swelled to the point where he had become locked inside her. She may not have had too many lovers, but she knew the swelling was anything but normal. Then there were the animal-like growls he made. She had no idea what to make of them. But his touch left her coming back for more. Lexi stretched. Since she couldn't sleep, she decided to get up and take a shower. After she finished she would call the locksmith.
Thirty minutes later, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. As she lifted her right arm to dry it, something on her back, high up near her shoulder, caught her eye in the bathroom mirror. She wiped the steam off then bent her shoulder toward her reflection to get a better look. An area about the size of her hand appeared to be bruised. She reached over her shoulder to touch the blackish marks, but they didn't hurt like she expected, even though the mark couldn't be anything else but a bruise. And she had a feeling she knew how she got it, too—when Raed had taken her against the door.
She'd always bruised easily. Not that she would be complaining any time soon about how she had gotten that particular mark.
As she dried the rest of her body and went back to her bedroom to get dressed, Lexi remembered how desperate Raed had been to have her. She smiled. The mark on her shoulder had been worth it.
* * *
"Who found him?" Raed asked.
He looked at the mangled body lying on the ground among a thick stand of trees at the rear of their property. Even though the man was in human form, his scent gave him away as a werewolf. Not only that, the scent told Raed this had been the werewolf who had been here the day before . . . the one who'd gone sniffing around Lexi's flat, as well. He couldn't say he felt sorry to see the bastard's dead carcass.
"I did," Brand said.
"And you didn't see anyone else?"
"Nope. Just him. He'd already been dead for a while."
Whoever dumped the body—presumably another werewolf—had taken measures not to leave traces. A slight acidic smell combined with the dead werewolf's scent irritated Raed's sensitive nose.
His brows drew together as he stared down at the body. "Why dump him here if he wasn't killed here? Seems like extra work to me."
"Maybe he's supposed to be some kind of message," Algar suggested.
"Maybe." He shoved the body with the toe of his shoe. "I found this bastard's scent outside Lexi's flat. Whoever did this saved me from having to hunt him down."
Dolf chuckled. "So that's why you didn't come home last night? Did you and Lexi make up?"
Garrick, who stood beside Dolf, elbowed him. "Of course they made up, and probably had sex for most of the night as well. Ow!" Garrick shouted when Raed smacked him in the back of the head. "Touchy, aren't we?" He ducked the second smack.
Raed gave Garrick a warning stare. "If we can keep on subject? Somehow this one found Lexi's flat. They're getting smarter, or just better organized. I don't like the thought of Lexi being alone. I'm going to bring her back here. This is where she belongs anyway."
Wolfric held up his hands. "Whoa. Hold up. What exactly do you mean by Lexi belongs here?"
Raed sighed. "I mean I'm not giving her up."
"You just can't keep the little American," Dolf said. "For one thing, you would have to tell her exactly what we are."
"That's what I intend to do."
Wolfric shook his head. "No. Are you crazy? You've known Lexi for how long?
You wouldn't even tell your wife. You went so far as to make it look as if you were aging before you faked your own death so you wouldn't have to tell her. Remember Sutton Hoo?"
"Lexi is nothing like my dead wife. She's stronger. She'll be able to handle what I am. And it doesn't matter how long I've known her, I want her at my side."
Brand snorted. "Won't work."
Raed turned to him. "Why?"
"She's mortal."
Raed hadn't had time to think that one through yet. Lexi's mortality was a bit of a problem, but it still didn't hold him back from wanting her as his own. Last night had shown him just how well they fitted together, at least in bed. His hunger for her seemed endless. She had somehow become as vital to him as the air he breathed, never straying far from his thoughts.
"Do you love her?" Algar asked.
Did he? He didn't know. He had loved his wife, but he had never been as attached to her as he was to Lexi. His wife had been the mother of his children, ran his household and had been good company. But she had never engendered this all-consuming need that pounded in his body whenever he was around Lexi.
"Honestly, I don't know," Raed answered. "All I know is I want her." He looked each of his men in the face before he continued. "Enough about my personal life. One of you call Tiw's fire to get rid of the body. Since they now know where we live, we're going to have to be extra vigilant. Starting tonight, while the others are out hunting, one of us will stay at the manor and patrol the grounds. I don't want any more surprises such as this. I'll take the first shift."
When his men nodded, Raed turned and headed back toward the manor. He heard the sound of god-fire consuming the body as Algar fell into step beside him. "Are you serious about telling Lexi about us?"
"Yes."
"You are my king; you know I would never gainsay you, but think carefully before you do this. You're asking a lot of her."
"I know, but I think Lexi can handle it."
"For your sake, I hope you're right."
* * *
Lexi thanked Charlotte and headed back up to the flat. Not sure when Raed would be able to return, she put on the kettle to make a pot of tea and sat down in the living room to wait for the water to boil. She picked up the book she had bought for her father and started to flip through the pages.
When she reached the section about the Sutton Hoo burial ship, a picture of a purse lid drew her attention. The kidney shaped lid, which would have at one time covered a leather pouch, had three geometric motifs running along the top with two stylized birds facing each other on the bottom center. The intricate metal cell work done in garnet, gold and blue attached to a sheet of horn was very ornamental. On either side of the birds was the exact same image Raed had tattooed on his left arm—two wolves with a man in between them. Had Raed picked that particular image for his tattoo because it was the design found with the items excavated from the tomb that was supposedly King Raedwald's?
Thinking Raed may have some interest in Sutton Hoo because of his tattoo, Lexi read some of the history about it. The burial ship hadn't been small, with oar-rests for forty oarsmen. The benches and mast had been removed from the central section, where they figured the body had been. Alongside had been a number of grave goods interred at the same time, amongst them a ceremonial helmet with a full face mask, shield fittings, spears, a sword, a sword-harness, silver bowls, spoons, shoulder clasps, a great buckle and the purse lid. Lexi didn't know much about these things, but the legend that King Raedwald of East Anglia had been buried with the ship rang true.
Lexi spent the next half hour reading about Sutton Hoo while she drank a second cup of tea. Lost in the history of the Anglo-Saxons, she jumped when a knock came on her door. She opened it to find the locksmith standing on the other side. After he gave the doorknob a cursory look, he assured her he would have it replaced in no time.
The locksmith had just finished when Raed arrived. He paid the man and took the extra key, promising to give it to Lexi's landlady. Once they were alone, he pulled Lexi into his arms and kissed her senseless.
Knowing where this would lead, Lexi ended the kiss. She shook her head. "Slow down there, buddy. You promised me answers."
"How about I make you a deal? You drop the extra key off with your landlady then come and spend the rest of the week with me at the manor. After that, we can take things from there. If you say yes, then I'll answer all your questions."
"You want me to stay at your place? I want answers as soon as we arrive. And that's bribery, by the way. You're also changing the terms of our original deal."
Raed kissed the tip of her nose. "You'll get your answers, I promise. I would feel better if I knew you weren't alone."
"I do live alone back in the States, you know. It's not as if I'm not used to being on my own."
"Just say yes, Lexi," Raed said with a groan. "Please. You're only here for a month. I find myself not wanting to waste any minute I can get with you."
Lexi felt the same way, but she wasn't ready to admit how she felt to Raed. "Since you asked so nicely, and didn't order me back to your place, my answer is yes. But, I'm driving there in my rental car so I can come and go when I please. I'm going to play the part of a tourist at some point, and I'm sure you don't want to follow me while I wander around; you've probably seen the sights a thousand times over."
"You have a deal, but I don't mind going sightseeing with you. I'll get to see them through your eyes. Maybe you will give me a different perspective of them."
Lexi chuckled. "My perspective may not be all it's cracked up to be. And I'm still taking my car."
Raed brushed his lips across hers before he turned her around and gave her a shove toward the bedroom. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go pack your clothes."
In a matter of minutes, Lexi threw a few belongings into the smallest suitcase she had brought with her from the States. Once she returned to the living room, Raed ushered her out of the flat. It only took her a minute to drop off the key to Charlotte at the bookstore. She knew moving in with Raed, even only for the rest of the week, seemed a bit rushed when it came to their relationship. But she had to go back to the States in less than a month, which didn't leave them much time. Hoping she wasn't about to make a mistake that would ruin what Raed and she had together, Lexi got into her rental car and followed his Mercedes-Benz back to his manor.
Chapter Eight
When they arrived at the manor, Raed motioned for Lexi to park her car next to the large garage. After he parked his car inside it, he deftly extracted the suitcase from her grip and led her inside.
Brand crossed their path on his way out the door. He only took the time to say to Raed, "Going out. Be back later." He gave Lexi a nod on the way past.
Lexi shook her head and smiled. "That's the most words I've heard Brand say."
Raed returned her smile. "When the mood takes him, Brand can be as talkative as the next person, though he has to indulge in a large amount of alcohol first. Needless to say, Brand doesn't overindulge very often."
With her hand in his, Raed took her up the stairs to his bedroom. He closed and locked the door behind them, put down her suitcase then wrapped her in his arms. His mouth closed over hers. In between kisses he said against her lips, "I wanted to . . . kiss you . . . all the way home."
Lexi threaded her fingers through his hair at the back of his neck. "And I've done nothing . . . since you left this morning . . . but think about how good it feels . . . to have you buried inside me. I want more."
Raed growled low in his throat as he nibbled the side of her neck. He lifted her off her feet and laid her on the center of his bed, following her down. "I can't leave the lady wanting."
He swiftly undid the buttons on her short-sleeved blouse. Once he parted the two halves, he cupped her breasts and bit down on one taut nipple through her bra. As he moved to tug at the other, Raed undid the front clasp. Pushing the bra aside, he sucked a nipple deep inside his mouth. Lexi gasped and wetness pooled inside her pussy with each pull of his mouth.
He released her nipple then moved on to the other as she squirmed beneath him.
She bunched the back of his t-shirt in her hands and pulled the material up. Raed raised himself off her just far enough so she could lift the front as well. As he settled back down on top her, Lexi pulled his shirt all the way off.
Raed inched his way down her body. When he came level with the front of her jeans, he quickly undid them and yanked them down past her hips. He left her panties on as he made short work of pulling her jeans down her legs and off. Raed used his wide shoulders to spread her legs farther apart. He cupped her bottom then dragged the flat of his tongue along the crotch of her panties. Lexi moaned, a throbbing ache building between her legs.
She rocked her hips against his mouth as he continued to lap at her pussy through the thin material. Her panties grew wet, Raed's saliva mixing with her leaking juices. She yanked at his hair and groaned, needing a firmer touch.
Raed hooked a finger on either side of her panties and pushed down. Instead of pulling them down, he parted the material in half as if he'd cut them with a knife. What was left of her underwear ended up on the floor next to the bed.
Raed circled her clit with his tongue and she lifted her hips. She moaned loudly as two hard fingers delved between the lips of her wet pussy. He sucked on her clit and fingered her, driving her wild with desire. She lifted her head off the mattress. The sight of Raed's mouth on her pussy as he licked and sucked her clit was almost enough to send her over the edge.
Raed looked up and m
et her gaze as he pulled his fingers out and sucked them clean. Panting with need and without breaking eye contact, Lexi sat up and pulled off her blouse and bra. Raed sat up and undid his jeans. His cock sprang free as he yanked them down and off.
Lexi pushed at Raed's shoulder until he lay flat on his back on the bed. His erection stood up from his body. She moved to straddle his legs and wrapped her hand around his shaft. His cock jerked as she pumped up and down its full length.
She leaned forward and dragged her tongue from the base of his shaft to the very tip. Lexi continued to lick Raed's cock until he groaned and lifted his hips off the bed.
She sucked the tip past her lips and swirled her tongue around the head then stroked the sensitive spot just underneath. Wetness leaked onto her thighs as his cock jerked inside her mouth.
Giving his cock one last swipe of her tongue, Lexi rose up higher on her knees and positioned her pussy above Raed's engorged shaft. She took only the tip inside her and moved up and down until she had coated the head with her juices then she slowly lowered herself until his length butted up against her womb.
She closed her eyes as she sat up straight and started to ride Raed. The feel of his thick cock moving in and out made her bite her bottom lip. He filled her completely.
Only with him did her body soar. Joined with Raed like this, she couldn't tell where her body ended and his began. He was becoming an addiction. Her body craved the feel of him lodged deep inside her.
She angled her hips so his hard shaft rubbed her clit with each stroke. She moaned as she squeezed her inner muscles around him, increasing her pleasure. Raed placed his hands on her hips and urged her to ride him faster, harder. She panted, working his cock in and out of her pussy. Raed's shaft started to swell as he neared his orgasm. Lexi set a faster pace as he rocked his hips to meet hers.
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