“You did that on purpose,” she accused, affixing him with an accusing stare.
“Whatever do you mean?” he shot back before beginning to spread out the bedding to make the spacious tent more comfortable.
She decided to let it go. She had bigger matters to discuss with him, anyways. And she still needed to decide if she could tell him about Creed’s plan, or if she needed to protect him from the madness the Aberrant was about to rain down on the Shifter world.
“So, you want to tell me why you got so touchy about Maggy?” Jaelle asked once he had settled cross-legged in front of her.
“What do you mean?”
“See! You’re doing it right now! Your tone changes, your keytones start to smell bitter. Something about her is agitating you and I don’t understand why.”
He leveled his gaze at her, eyes narrowed as he seemed to think it over. Jaelle waited impatiently for him to speak, and she felt anticipation building up in her middle. Had she misjudged the situation entirely? Were his feelings for her not the same as what she felt for him? That was possible. It wasn’t like she had had a chance to talk it over with him yet.
“Why aren’t you jealous?” he asked finally, his voice flat and measured.
“I’m sorry, what?” She could only stare at him, his question coming so far out of left field that she couldn’t quite comprehend it.
“I don’t mean rabbit-cooking jealous, but when you heard about Maggy, your scent didn’t alter and your heartbeat didn’t skip.”
“Well, yeah. Why would either of those things happen?” He shrugged, and she could see the melancholy settle over him like a cloud. “Bradley, what is all this about?”
He looked like he didn’t want to answer, but thankfully he did despite himself. “If I heard someone say that you had met an amazing, dashing Hunter and wanted him to join the party, I’d be at least a little jealous.”
“Why?” she blurted incredulously. But as soon as the words left her mouth, it clicked in her. He wanted her to be jealous because it meant that she was afraid of losing him to another woman. “Are… are you feeling insecure?”
“Of course not! I just, well, I—”
“Look, Bradley, obviously I am attracted to you, and obviously I enjoy your company and our time together very, very much, but I don’t have any sort of claim on you. If you wanna chase some avian, I don’t see how I could stop you.”
“What if I want you to have a claim on me?”
That caught her attention and now her heart did leap into her throat. “Come again?”
He reached out, taking her hands in his and regarding her with that genuine, open expression that he wore so well. How could he trust her so easily? And how was he just so…good?
“I understand that you have been through more than any one woman should have, and if you’re not interested, I understand. But I’m not satisfied with being companions who share occasional rolls in the hay. You are so much more to me, and I would like to be that much to you. If you’d have me, of course.”
Jaelle could only stare at him. “You, the lead Hunter, want a relationship. With me?”
She could hear his blood pressure start to pick up. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“Well, yeah. This is kinda a dog and cat situation, expect if the cat was widely regarded as a dangerous beast cursed to kill everyone around them.”
“Accurate metaphor, but I really can’t tell which way this conversation is going and the anticipation is less than comfortable.”
“Right. Well, I mean, it doesn’t make any sense at all, but I would be lying if I didn’t sort of, possibly feel the same way.”
A grin broke out on his face. “Sort of possibly? I suppose I could settle for that.”
“You know we’re probably insane for thinking this could work, right?” she asked, looking up into his eyes.
“Well, legend does say that your kind does have a knack for the going bonkers thing.”
“Hey,” she warned, but her love just chuckled and ran one of his hands through her curls. She leaned into his touch, before her early thoughts resurfaced. “Well, since we seem to be on the same page, how about we celebrate?”
Chapter Fourteen: Mutual Congratulations
The night wind gently buffeted their tent, which still smelled of new plastic and car air freshener. For a moment, Jaelle worried at how much their companions would see and smell, but she figured that they were plenty aware of exactly what would happen when the two lovers were united.
She stared at his face as he hovered over her. For a while there, she had been so sure she would never see it again, and yet here Bradley was, in all his glory.
Her hands came up and caressed that rugged face. His beard was growing in more than she had ever seen it. It made her feel a bit special that he had been so distraught at her imprisonment that he hadn’t seen to shaving himself. She also liked the sensation of the thick hair against her palm. It wasn’t smooth by any means, but it made the moment that much more real.
They didn’t trade any sort of words or quips, but they didn’t need to. Her lover leaned forward, gently resting his still slightly-bruised forehead against her own. They remained still in that moment together, relishing the peace, the feel of each other. It wasn’t often that they could just sit and experience each other without rushing or desperation. There was only contentment and finding comfort in as their breathing and heartbeats began to syncopate.
But the stillness could only last for so long. Even with the affirming peace between them, their desire for each other grew too strong. They moved toward each other at the same moment, and their lips crashed together. It didn’t take long for the passion and heat to rush through her entire being, unchecked and ravenous in the best way.
Jaelle sighed happily as their mouths moved against each other, her hands moving from Bradley’s chiseled face to his shoulders, where she held on like she would never let him go. And she never wanted to. The feeling she had in his arms was perfection, the closest thing to heaven she could get on the mortal realm. She wanted to lose herself into him, to burn herself into his mind and his body so that no prison could ever separate him.
His hands roved her body with just as much urgency, as if he was afraid that she would disappear from his tent if he lowered his guard for even a second. He yanked at her flannel shirt, only pulling back after he freed her from it long enough to devour her with his gaze. His Hunter’s stare was just as intimidating as it had always been, but instead of being cowed, it invigorated her. She wanted him to see all of her, to have the image of her carved so deep into his memory that he could never forget.
His calloused fingers reached out, shaking slightly as they reverently traipsed across her skin before caressing one of her breasts. Jaelle’s breath hitched, and she pressed herself into his palm, craving more of that feeling. She threw her arms around his neck, and pulled him flush with her body so she could claim his lips once more.
He didn’t resist her seeking, desperate kiss as his hands continued their worshipful journey. They moved behind her, and he unclasped her bra, practically tearing it from her body in his urgency to get to her. But the Hunter’s desperation only made her want him to touch her more and she pressed into his strong, roving fingers.
He knew just how to tease her, how to rattle her bones and draw a whine from her throat. She could feel him smirk against her mouth as he rolled her sensitive nipple between his calloused fingertips.
Her head fell back, and the rest of the world fall away without much protest. The two of them were the last souls in existence, and all that mattered was what wonderful pleasure and completion they could bring each other.
Heat and euphoria rushed Jaelle’s senses and she let out a mewl. Bradley seemed emboldened by the sound and pulled her from her sleeping bag to sit comfortably in his muscular lap, allowing her to wind her legs around his bare and bandaged middle.
The tension radiated out of his body, and his torso quickly grew slick with
sweat. His need for her was already pressing insistently against her jeans, begging for freedom, clearly caught up in the its desire for her.
She was never going to get tired of that feeling. Being wanted so ardently that his body couldn’t help but react to her was borderline intoxicating. It made her feel more powerful, sexy and all of those other delicious feelings she had never known were so easy to obtain. Feeling mischievous and cheeky, she ground against his begging length, letting her jeans rub on his stained and broken in pants.
There were entirely too many pants in the equation, however. She wanted them off and in the corner of the tent, not to bother her until morning, but that meant that she had to part from Bradley, and she wasn’t quite ready to do that yet.
The two of them sat like that for a handful of tender moments, moving against each other as their lips worked against each other until they were swollen and wet. She couldn’t say how long passed exactly before her patience finally waned entirely and she was ready to continue. Sitting up, she gripped his face once more in both of her battered hands.
“I need you on your feet,” Jaelle murmured, voice low with desire and want.
For a split second it seemed as if he wanted to object, and pull her to him once more with crushing force. However, he must have caught her expression because he let go and did as she had asked.
Watching him move was like watching art come to life and he slowly stood until she was face to face with the greedy bulge still fighting to be released from the jeans confining it.
They were sturdy pants, but it was time for them to go. Immediately. With a much less patience than she probably should have, Jaelle shoved the blue fabric down and he stepped out of the article of clothing.
It was hard not to laugh almost giddily as she threw them into a corner, where they sat in a sorry puddle of denim. Returning her attention to his form, she settled back onto her haunches so she was comfortable, her knees pressed the sleeping bags they had set out.
Jaelle heard his breath hitch, the anticipation in the air around him making goosebumps rise along her arms and legs. If she had a little more patience, or a little more will, she would have drawn out her teasing for much longer. It was quite fun to watch the powerful, in charge man squirm while she hovered over the part of him that wanted attention so badly. However, her own patience wasn’t exactly running over in the moment, so she gave in exactly how she wanted to.
His response was immediate as she dragged her tongue across the rigid skin there, laving a wet trail along the entire length.
The strangled, breathless gasp he made was more than encouraging to her efforts. She decided she had plenty of time being cautious and tender, so she withdrew her tongue and swallowed him fully, making sure her Shifter-sharp teeth were completely covered by her lips.
His fingers wound themselves into her hair, proving that she was rocking his being hard enough that he needed to find a handhold to route himself to the world. He gripped the dark curls like a lifeline and she let out a trill of excitement. The noise gave him permission to tighten his hold even further, and he began to guide the direction of her head and he set a rhythm to his liking.
It was an interesting paradox, pleasing him in this way. On one hand, she was on her knees before him, his hand buried in her hair. It was a submissive sort of position, yet she felt anything but. His pleasure was entirely in her hands. Er… mouth. She was the one in control. If she wanted, she could have him trembling and boneless in minutes, drunk on ecstasy. Or she could just bear down with her teeth and utterly destroy him for months. His fate was up to her, and it was hard not to become drunk on the power.
The minutes passed and she could feel him drawing that much closer to his end. She grew more and more enthused, finding all of his weak spots and plundering them thoroughly, until he stepped back from her with a frantic sort of urgency.
“Sorry,” he gasped breathlessly, looking at her with an expression that was a mix of both wonder and slight guilt. “I don’t want to end this yet. Not by a long shot.”
“I think I can agree with that philosophy,” she murmured, wiping her swollen lips.
“Lie back for me,” Bradley almost whispered as they shared a hungry look that spelled out exactly what each of them wanted.
Jaelle nodded and tipped until she was sprawled across the sleeping bags that they had laid out. Once, long ago, she would have been a bit self-conscious about prostrating herself so in front of a man as beautiful as Bradley. But with the way he looked at her, the way he worshipped her body, how could she feel anything but both beautiful and safe?
Bradley seemed to subconsciously echo her thoughts. His calloused, dirty fingers hooked into the waistband of her jeans and quickly made work of both the button and the zipper. How he could do that one-handed was beyond her, but she didn’t want to stop him to ask any questions about it.
The Hunter continued unimpeded, and once she was free of her jeans, he moved on to the men’s boxers that she was given. How many months had it been since she had worn a pair of cute boy-shorts or a lacey bit of nothing? Too many.
But Bradley didn’t seem to mind her utilitarian covers and quickly pulled them down past her hips, down along her thick thigh, over and off her ankles until, after an age, they were completely gone from her.
“I want to taste you,” he murmured, leaning down and pressing a single kiss into the soft skin of her shoulder. She spread her legs for him without hesitations and held her breath until his fingers found the sensitive cluster of nerves just atop her center.
Pleasure washed over her like a tsunami, drowning out every other thought. She didn’t attempt to muffle the euphoric gasp that escaped her mouth as he pressed into her with an expertise she had yet to grow used to.
Her body accepted his ministrations without a fight. It was like her flesh was comfort-starved and desperately searching for some kind of relief. It didn’t take long for her to grow slick for him, her flesh more than willing as it made her ready for him after just a few short minutes. When he pulled away, his fingers were coated in her wetness, and she felt her muscles tighten with anticipation.
“I’m ready for you,” she whined, yanking him to her. “I want you, right now.” He could have drawn it out, made her beg, but instead he complied without any teasing or delay. They kissed once more, just as wanton and wild as the first time, and she could feel him align his needy length with her entrance.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met,” he breathed into her mouth, pausing for just a moment to deliver the impassioned missive.
“Please,” she gasped. “No more waiting.”
The expression that ran across his face could only be described as pure sin, and he pushed forward into her.
She didn’t hold back any of her responses, body tensing itself as she arched into him. It was the perfect mix of pleasure and pain, being stretched almost past her ability but filled so deliciously all at the same time.
He waited for her to adjust, his patience godly, until she signaled that she was ready for him to continue. He pressed another flurry of kisses across her face, then rolled his muscled, sinewy hips against her.
Her moan was immediate and unrestrained. How could it feel so goddamned good!? It was impossible, and yet here she was, drowning in the ecstasy.
Passion took over her brain, overpowering all of her other senses. Her nails scored several lines down his back in her hedonistic fervor. He hissed, but it seemed to urge him on more than ever, and his rhythm increased to a near dizzying frenzy.
Bradley grasped the soft flesh just above her hips, his nails nearly biting through her skin as he yanked her into one forceful thrust after another. And she met them all with unchecked enthusiasm. After so much hiding in the shadows and scurrying through filth like an animal, she had finally found solace.
And what a Shifter to find solace in.
Their wild, reckless and wanton romp could last only so long before their climaxes began to rush toward them. J
aelle gasped, feeling that white-hot wave of mind-blowing pleasure rapidly hurtling toward her. She held onto Bradley’s form with all of her might, her breath coming in short pants, until she was toppling over the edge and into the abyss without restraint.
Her cry ripped from her throat as she threw her head back. “Oh, my God, Bradley!”
All of her senses whisked away, leaving only the bliss. There was no sight, no breathing, not even thought, all that existed was the rapture engulfing her body. Her toes curled, her back tensed, her entire body was one taught band of sinew. Euphoric, she hovered above everything for several moments before descending back down into her body and reality.
Her thighs relaxed and she became the equivalent of an unwound string just in time for Bradley to reach his own end. He let out a near animalistic growl, his thrusts growing wild and frenzied, until she felt him fill her with his heat.
They collapsed in a messy, sloppy puddle, not caring where sweat or other liquids went. He rolled to her, flashing her sated, near drunken grin. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
She smiled, too, and pressed her lips weakly to his cheek. “I’m beginning to get the idea.” She paused to take in a deep breath, letting his scent fill her nose with all its delicious masculinity. A hundred years could pass and she would never grow tired of the piney, earthy musk which only grew that much more potent during their romps. “You’re not half-bad yourself.”
“‘Half-bad?’ Such lavish compliments. Be careful, if you continue to praise me so, my head might grow too big to fit into my Jeep.”
“What a terrible fate.” She chuckled, settling down. “See, I’m just looking out for your wellbeing.”
“I’m sure you are,” he breathed, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Silence grew between them, but it was a pleasant, warm one. Jaelle was just about to slip into sleep when Bradley’s low voice rumbled through the tent. “You said you had something to say about Creed?”
That made her heart skip a beat and it took everything in her not to open her eyes in shock. “Tomorrow,” she murmured. “Don’t want to ruin the mood.”
The Aberrants Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 46
