“Really. I don’t need to be a mind reader to know what’s going on it that pretty little head of yours.”
No one had ever called her pretty. And even though she knew it was just a phrase, she liked the way he spoke about her and the way his eyes consumed her body, as if he were starving and she was the only food that could satisfy his hunger.
“And if I promise not to run?” she asked softly, trying to sound seductive, but not quite sure how that worked. Bliss had never seduced a man in her life.
“I am not ready to trust you.” He stood up and studied her face, looking at her was though he could read both her thoughts and her soul. In response her breasts heaved, her body reaching out to his, begging to be touched by those firm, gentle hands. “What is your name?”
She swallowed hard, before her mouth blurted it out. Should she tell him? Would it matter if he knew who she was or not? Her eyes locked with his; he already knew exactly who she was, and would be able to tell where she was in this world from now on, whether he knew her name or not. How did she know? Because that was how she felt. Her body attuned to his, as if they danced around each other, two stars, drawn together by gravity to collide in a momentous clash of life forces.
“Bliss,” she breathed.
He leaned in to her, his lips impossibly close to hers. Her tongue snaked out to moisten her bottom lip, confident of the kiss that would seal her fate. But he pulled back, more able to fight the bond than she was.
“It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Bliss. I’m Hugo.”
“Hugo,” she repeated. “Untie me, Hugo.” At this moment, running was the furthest thing from her mind. All she wanted to do was throw her arms around his neck, demand he place his hands on her body and bend her to his will.
“Damn it, Bliss, I want to. But I know you’ll be out of here the first chance you get. And I can’t let that happen. Not until you realise what we are to each other. I want to help you.” He was so sincere, and although she wanted to kick and scream at him and tell him she wouldn’t like playing these kinds of games, she didn’t.
All her life she had been powerless against what happened, no matter how she fought, she could not escape her fate. She had kicked and struggled, pushed and shoved to get her dad to stop drinking, her brother to take his meds, for Cole and Riley to stop fighting between themselves. And for other people to give them some respect or at least leave them be. Here with Hugo, she didn’t want to fight anymore. She was weak in his presence, and right now, she didn’t care.
“Then you are going to have to cut my jacket off, and my sweater.” Her eyes held his, and she watched the uncertainty cross his face. “Don’t you trust me around scissors?”
“I don’t know if I trust you at all.” But he grinned, the guy had a humorous side. That she could live with.
He placed his hand under her arm and guided her to the kitchen. “I’m flattered you don’t want to let me out of your sight,” she teased.
He laughed, a deep sound that resonated in his chest. “It has nothing to do with not trusting you. It has everything to do with wanting to be around you at all times. That way I can take care of you, Bliss.”
“I can look after myself,” she said, but liked the idea of this big, hard-muscled man catering for her every need. Of the physical kind, anyway.
“I am going to have to argue with you over that one. Because if you could look after yourself, you wouldn’t be outside in the dark, risking your hide to steal a man’s cattle.” He gave her a hard look, and she expected him to mention spanking again, but that notion seemed to have passed, thankfully.
“It’s complicated,” was all she could say.
He opened a drawer and took out a pair of scissors, looking at her jacket, and then pausing. Instead, he placed the scissors back in the drawer and turned her to face him. “I have another idea.”
Moving to the kitchen table, he turned her away from him, and then leant her over the table, face down. “What are you doing?” she asked.
His hand ran over the curve of her bottom, making heat pool between her thighs. Her arousal crept up several degrees, as he smoothed his hands back up over the curve of her ass, his finger pressing harder between her thighs, and she knew he would be able to feel the heat through her jeans.
“Just checking for weapons,” he said, leaning over to whisper in her ear. He then began to give her a very thorough search, his hands caressing her curves, and she closed her eyes to let her other senses take over, until he left her a heaving mess of need.
She could feel his cock pressed against her, knew he was feeling the same need, the same desire. And she wondered how long they would play this game for, before they both gave in and consummated their mating bond.
“You like that, Bliss,” he said as he ran his hand up her leg, caressing the back of her knee and then sliding up and down her thigh, inching closer to where she wanted his hand the most.
She couldn’t answer. Couldn’t give into him just yet. So he stopped, and instead untied one of her wrists, but if she thought he was going to free her, she was mistaken. Instead, he leaned down and tied the free end of the rope around the table leg.
Then he moved back from her and went to the sink to get some warm water. She didn’t move, didn’t want him to see her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her desire was written all over her face. Bit by bit, he was taking down her defences and leaving her open to him. Her only fear was, what would think when he saw her emotionally naked. Or physically naked. She was a little on the curvy side, her body never willing to confirm to society’s rules, just like the rest of her.
“Sit on the edge of the table,” he instructed.
At first she didn’t move. “Bliss, come on. I’m sorry I touched you like that. I should have bathed your arm first, it was selfish of me.”
Selfish? How could she tell him that she enjoyed every moment of it. That his hands were better than any pain meds, and his touch more soothing than any bandage. She simply could not. Not yet.
Turning to face him, she wriggled back onto the table, and he carefully took her jacket off, leaving it hooked around her good arm. Then he awkwardly removed her sweater. She lifted her arms for him, his eyes fixed on her voluptuous breasts as they were exposed to him. The moisture from the mud had soaked through, leaving the front of her shirt almost see-through.
“Fuck,” he said.
Yes, please, she thought.
Hugo managed to tear his mind back to the job in hand and bathed her arm. “It’s not as bad as it looked,” he said, his voice thick with his arousal. “I’ll apply some antiseptic; it might sting a little. But it should stop any infection. Then I’ll bandage it up.”
“Thank you,” she said, wincing when he applied the ointment. He was right; it did sting.
“My pleasure,” he said, smilingly shyly, his eyes flicking down to her lips.
“What else is your pleasure?” she asked softly, startled at her own daring.
He moved, easing her thighs open and nestling his body between them as he applied the bandage. “Do you have to ask? You must feel it too.”
“Feel what?” she teased.
He pressed himself closer to her and she could feel exactly what he meant. “The same thing you feel. If I don’t fuck you tonight, my heart will stop beating and my lungs won’t be able to inhale the air. I need you.”
She slid her hand between their bodies and stroked his cock, hearing a groan of approval from Hugo. His hand trembled; he was struggling to concentrate on bandaging her arm. If she carried on, he would be putty in her hands. The only problem was, she had already overstepped the edge of her comfort zone, and when he turned to face her, and she saw that hunger in his eyes, she trembled with desire, and fear, of what she had started.
Chapter Six – Hugo
Her hand covered his cock and stroked him until he went weak at the knees. Did men ever swoon? That was a woman thing, right? Well, whatever, his legs didn’t want to support him and his head swam, and
he even saw stars. Just from her hand. What the hell would happen when he claimed her body?
“That feels so good, Bliss.” Oh, Bliss by name, bliss by nature. How corny could a man be?
She squeezed him, just right, and he nearly exploded in his pants. This was totally unexpected. He had anticipated having to spend some time working up to sex, but she had jumped right in there. Maybe she was more experienced than he thought. He hoped he could satisfy her; he had never cared that he would live up to any kind of reputation. But he wanted to be the best sex she had ever had.
His hands shaking, he tied off the bandage, checking it was secure, despite a sharp intake of breath, and having to bite his bottom lip to stop himself crying out as his climax grew. If she carried on like this, he was going to come in his pants. When he wanted to come inside her heated sex.
Already her arousal had reached him, her scent the sweetest he had ever smelled. His mind lingered on it, and he knew he wanted to taste her sweetness on his tongue. First her mouth, and then lower: the slick heat between her thighs promised so much pleasure.
Hugo slid his hand behind her and pulled her closer, his other hand brushing her hair back, stroking her cheek, and then trailing his finger over her lips. Her hand tightened its grip on his cock, and he groaned once again and then captured her lips with his. Heaven could not be any better than this. His mate using her hand on his cock, his mouth tasting hers. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he slid it along her lower lip, and she nipped it playfully.
The wolf inside him awoke, wanting to play.
Moving his hand to her breast, he squeezed it gently. She gasped against him, whimpering when he pinched her nipple between his thumb and finger. How he longed to see her swollen flesh. And since she was tied to his table, with nowhere to go, why not strip her?
Why not indeed?
Bliss had woken up the alpha in him, the man who wanted to catch his mate and bend her to his will. And that will wanted to explore every inch of her body.
Using his fingers, he clumsily undid her buttons, while her hand drew him ever closer to the need for release. But he kept his mind on the job, and soon her shirt was open, he pushed it off her shoulders, where it ended up stuck around the wrist of her hand, which still held her captive.
“Magnificent,” he breathed, his voice so quiet, it was a sigh against her skin. Yet she heard him, her body shuddering in response. And what a body it was. Unclasping her bra, he let her breasts spill out, they were even more beautiful than he could have imagined. Soft, creamy skin and rose-coloured nipples, just ripe for sucking and licking. His mouth couldn’t resist.
Each in turn, he nursed on them. The hard buds were taut as he nipped them, licked them, finding out what made his mate squirm, and did she ever squirm.
She whimpered, her hand pausing as it slid along the length of him, her brain unable to multitask while he sucked hard on her nipple. While his mouth continued its exquisite torture, his hand went to the button of her jeans and undid it. Then he pulled back, lifting her so that he could slide her jeans off her bottom and down her thighs.
For one moment, he thought she was going to protest, but when his fingers stroked her clit, through the fabric of her panties, all her resolve faded. He had won. This round at least.
She looked down, watching him stroke her clit, and then move her panties aside, and push his finger inside her. Gripping his arms with her hands, she let him finger her, so wet, so ready for him, there was no doubt she wanted this as much as him.
Practically tearing her panties off, he fell to his knees, pushing her thighs wide apart, and looking at her wet pink sex, before kissing her thighs, forever moving towards the centre of her need. He could smell her, and then he could taste her as he flicked his tongue over her clit, feeling her tense, her voice rising to a cry as he plunged his tongue inside her sex and then withdrew to lick the whole length of her.
Nothing had ever tasted better, and Hugo knew that nothing ever would. She completed him on every level. But would she ever feel the same?
Chapter Seven – Bliss
His tongue pushed into her and she thought she would come right then. In and out, he plunged until the room was filled with her voice, crying out his name. Then he switched, his tongue torturing her clit, his teeth grazing the sensitive bud while he pushed two fingers inside her.
Stretching her inner walls, one finger hooked to apply just the right amount of pressure, he fingered her. Only once did he pause, but after a moment’s hesitation he continued, only not so roughly. At least not so rough with his fingers; his mouth, on the other hand, made her want to beg for mercy. Until she erupted in the sweetest of releases, her sex contracting and pulsing around his fingers, while her wolf wanted to promise him the world if only he would do this to her every day. Twice.
The rope bit into her wrist as she plunged her hands into his hair and held him in place while she came. Not that he had any intention of going anywhere until she was totally drained, totally spent. She guessed his pride was at stake, and she wasn’t about to complain.
Then her orgasm passed and she was left sobbing, exhausted by what he had done to her. Hugo stood up, holding her gently and pulling her close. He stroked her hair, something she vaguely remembered her mom doing before she passed away. For so long she had missed the comfort of someone holding her and telling her it was all right. No one had done that for her, it had always been Bliss the comforter, Bliss the diplomat, the nursemaid…
She wrapped her free arm around him and sobbed like a baby into his chest.
“Hey, did I hurt you? I’m sorry. I never realised you were a virgin. When you stroked me like that… Well, I thought you were experienced…” he stuttered.
“No, it’s not you. At least not that part of you. It was great. It was more than great.” She couldn’t go on, couldn’t tell him how much it meant to her that he cared. Bliss had never learned to open up about her feelings. They had been bottled up for so long, she wasn’t even sure how to let them out. Scared that once she did, a dam would burst and she would drown under all the emotion.
“Then what is it, sweetheart?” He titled her chin up, gazing into her eyes as if she were an angel. Not some raider who had spent the last six months making other people’s life a misery. All she felt at that moment was what a poor excuse for a human she was. But she wasn’t just human; she was a wolf.
“I’m not your sweetheart,” she said turning from him, not wanting to see the love he had there for her. It was too soon for that, she knew it was just the mate bond talking and if he really knew her, knew what she had done these last few months, then he would turn from her.
“Don’t shut me out,” he said, his chin resting on her head, his arms wonderfully tight around her body.
Bliss didn’t speak, there was nothing to say, no words to express her feelings. So she simply leaned on his chest and absorbed his warmth, knowing that she couldn’t stay. Her life was somewhere else, keeping her brothers out of trouble. Especially Sol. It would be best for Hugo too, he deserved better. She was convinced he would get over her.
“I need to leave,” she said, lifting her head off his chest.
“No.” He took a step away from her, and she immediately wanted him back, holding her close and making her feel safe.
“I have to, Hugo. My brothers…”
“Are long gone. They ran out on you, which is something I will never do.”
“You don’t know me,” she said sadly.
“I know enough. You are my mate. Fate bought us together. I mean, what are the chances of you choosing to steal my cattle? And for me to hear and come out and find you. And your brother. What if he hadn’t got himself stuck, we would never have met.”
“That might have been the best thing. For you. I must be a disappointment. I bet you never thought you would have a thief as your mate.” She couldn’t bring herself to look into his eyes; she didn’t want to see him agree with her.
However, he cupped her face in his
hands, tilting her chin and kissing her lips lightly. “I will never be disappointed in you. There is a reason you steal, there has to be. I want you to tell me, and let me help you.”
“There is nothing you can do to help us.” She shook her head. “I don’t want you caught up in this. We are a bad lot to fall in with. And you seem like a good man, Hugo. A really good man.” Her voice trailed off.
“And I want to make an honest woman of you, Bliss. I want to marry you, have kids, and make a good life for our family. But something tells me to do that, I have to help you straighten out those brothers of yours.”
She laughed, but it lacked humour. “They will never straighten themselves out. And I’ve given up trying.” She paused, and then went on, needing to share part of herself with him in the hope he would understand and not feel cheated by having her as his mate. “My younger brother is not like the rest of us.”
“In what way?” Hugo asked gently.
“When my mom gave birth to him … there were complications.”
He kissed her cheek and said, “I’m so sorry, Bliss.”
“She died before she even saw him, he was never held by his mom.” She took a deep breath, but tears were close, too close to control. Wiping her eyes with her free hand, she carried on, “He was put in an incubator and given oxygen. But the damage was already done. He never grew up. I mean he did physically, but not mentally.”
“And you look after him?”
“I try to. When my dad was alive, it was easier. But when he died … he made us come here. To Wolf Valley.”
“Why?” Hugo asked, and she didn’t know how to explain it. She had never been able to put those thoughts into words. But she had to try.
“He originally came from Wolf Valley. But something happened, and he was forced to leave. I was only a baby. Riley and Cole don’t remember it either, and Sol wasn’t born.”
“Did your dad blame what happened to your mom on them having to leave?”
She wiped her eyes again and sniffed loudly. “Yes. He always said it broke her heart. That she hated leaving her home and going to live in a city where they had no freedom to change.”
To Catch A Wolf: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Wolf Valley Raiders Book 2) Page 3
