by Chloe Cole
She hesitated but then nodded. He was humbled by her trust, which only made him more determined to make sure he proved himself worthy of it.
"I have so many questions," she said as he led her deeper into the forest. The wind had picked up to a howl and she was shivering again now that they’d left the warmth of the fire.
"Shoot."
"Well, first of all, is that how come your body feels so warm all the time?"
The fact that she had noticed and contemplated the heat of his skin sent a pulse of male satisfaction roaring through him.
"It is. We run a few degrees hotter than humans."
"And how did you...get that way? Are you like vampires where someone has to bite you or…?"
He slowed and pulled her to a stop, looking down into her curious face. "I can only speak for myself, and I was born to werewolf parents. There are some who are turned, but that's rare. We have rules and such."
Rules that would probably scare the shit out of her, so he opted not to share unless she asked.
"Are there others?"
"Others?"
"Other types of shifters. Like, lions? Or otters?"
Those wide blue eyes were killing him and he resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her. "Otters? No. Not that I know of, at least." Not a lie, exactly. Again, it just seemed like she had enough on her plate what with the whole wolf shifter bombshell. The fact that there were also bear shifters would blow her freaking mind.
And god help him if he mentioned the dragons.
"And the full moon thing?” she asked. “Because I don't remember it being full the night Chandra..." her voice trailed off and she turned her face away from him.
"The full moon is a lure, for sure. We like it. But a grown werewolf can control when he or she shifts, full moon or no." He reached out and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, urging her to turn toward him again. "You have to stop beating yourself up about this. Tobias Wheeler is the one who kidnapped Chan. You are as much a victim as she was, okay? Chandra forgives you, you know. Now it's time for you to start doing the same."
She looked so forlorn, he didn't fight his instincts any longer. He pulled her into the circle of his arms and bent his head low to press a kiss to her forehead. So strange. He'd been attracted to hundreds...maybe thousands of women before, but never like this. Never in a way that made him want to protect them and hold them at least as much as he wanted to sleep with them.
She stiffened for a moment and then let out a sigh and burrowed closer, slipping her arms around his waist. It felt like validation. Acceptance, and it filled him with a relief so keen, his body quaked with it. She knew what he was, and hadn’t run away screaming.
It was a start.
They stayed like that until she stopped shivering, and finally pulled away.
"Come on. You had something you wanted to show me." She tugged him by the hand back in the direction they'd been heading.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, and he was sure she was thinking of a dozen more questions to ask him. He only hoped when they reached their destination she would be too captivated to ask them. He had a lot of planning to do before he spilled the rest of it, no matter how much he wanted to waylay her fears.
A low hissing sound caught his attention, and Amber froze in her tracks.
"Do you hear that?" she whispered, squeezing his hand more tightly. "Is that a snake? Because I don't do snakes.” She spun to stare up at him in horror. “Jesus, you’re not going to tell me there are weresnakes, are you?"
He laughed, and the sound echoed through the forest. "No snakes, of the ‘were’ variety or otherwise. Promise." He started walking again and pulled her with him, a sense of anticipation building in his belly.
This, at least, he knew would be a welcome surprise.
They walked a little further until they reached a little break in the trees and he stepped to one side.
"Ladies first."
She hesitated for a split second. "Okay, but for the record, this shows a massive level of trust on my end. You did just show me you're a werewolf after all, and I am walking into a remote forest with you in the dark. Now you want me to walk in front of you through that tiny space between the trees. Seems like the script to a horror movie.” She didn't wait for him to respond as she squared her shoulders and shimmied through the brush into the clearing.
"Oh my god," she gasped.
He stepped up to stand beside her and take in the view.
A huge, steaming, spring bubbled ten yards in front of them, the size of a small swimming pool. Even from where they stood, he could feel the heat pouring from it, warming the air around them. The steam seemed to emphasize the fresh forest smells—pine and sap and earth—to the point that even a human could detect them.
Clearly, she noticed, because she dragged in a deep breath through her nose and sighed with pleasure. "This is amazing."
She stepped closer to the frothy water, and waved a hand through the thick steam above it, scattering the particles.
"Seriously, the second most amazing thing I've seen tonight. Thank you for bringing me." She stood and stared at the scene for a long moment before wheeling around to face him.
"Is it…safe?"
The hopeful expression on her face made him second-guess his original plan. He'd wanted to show it to her to take her mind off the whole werewolf thing a little, but he hadn't planned on getting in.
Partly because they didn't have any towels and it was freezing out, but also because he didn't know if he could handle being in the water with her mostly naked without touching her. A concept which, at the moment, seemed about as naïve as sending a starving man to a buffet and expecting him not to eat.
It would be heavenly hell.
Exquisite torture.
He tipped his head in a curt nod. “Absolutely.”
Twisted fuck.
But there was only one thing that seemed worse than getting in the water and not touching her, and that was the thought of not getting in the water with her at all.
"Totally safe. I've been here many times."
"Oh." Her face fell and she bit her lip.
It took him a second to figure it out, but when she averted her gaze, it came to him like a switch had been flipped.
"Alone. I've been here many times. Always alone. You're the first person I'm sharing this with." Her gaze warmed on his face, and she smiled.
"I'm glad," she said simply. Then, she gave him her back and started tugging off her clothes. The heavy fleece went first. Next her sweater, leaving her in only a thin, long-sleeved cotton shirt and her jeans. She paused and shot him a glance over her shoulder. "Did I mention that the last one in is a rotten egg?"
The words took a second to sink in, but when they did, he dropped to one knee and started unlacing his work-boots. Because fuck that. He wasn't about to be a rotten egg.
She barked out a laugh filled with such genuine joy, it made his blood sing, and then she began stripping off the rest of her clothes.
It wasn't until he stood a minute later, naked as the day he was born—only without the fur—that he saw her again. Only now, she was buck naked, standing in a moonbeam that had fought its way through the canopy of trees, seemingly just for her.
And she was gorgeous.
All ripe curves and smooth, creamy skin. Her golden hair hung wild around her shoulders, the ends trailing over her full breasts. She shivered beneath his gaze, her pink nipples peaking in the chilly night air.
"Amber..."
Her throat worked as she stared at him, letting her gaze trail over his chest, down his stomach and lower, where his cock pulsed and went rock hard.
"Rotten egg," she murmured in a husky voice. A second later, she whipped around and ran into the spring.
He followed her, saying a silent prayer.
There was still a world of unfinished business between them. More secrets to tell, more pitfalls ahead, before they would know whether or not they had a chance in hell of be
ing together.
And something told him, once he got inside Amber Jansen, he'd never want to leave.
CHAPTER SEVEN
L ord, his body was like something out of a superhero movie.
She stepped deeper into the steaming pool until the water lapped at her nipples and covered her breasts. She shouldn't be ashamed. At least he'd had the same physical response to her nakedness as she'd had to his. And, man, had he responded.
Even now, she was trying not to look as he took a step into the pool, but there was no hiding it. His cock was thick and ready, stiff against his belly, and she ached to wrap her fingers around it and squeeze.
"Is it too hot for you?" His deep voice sent a thrill through her and she tried to keep it together and not throw herself at him like some sort of old-time Elvis groupie.
"It feels great. Like heaven."
It was true. The chill of the air outside tickled her heated cheeks but the rest of her felt like it was wrapped in a hug from Mother Nature. In fact, if it weren't for the hottest guy in the universe being in the spring right next to her, she was pretty sure she could've easily drifted onto her back and taken the most relaxing catnap ever.
As it stood, it was anything but relaxing.
It was energizing and life affirming. It felt like the first step into a whole new world.
She waded to the side to make more room for him, and he immersed himself. The pool covered her to her collarbone when she stood, but it barely reached his waist.
“Aren’t you freezing?” she asked, bending her knees until she sank low enough that the hot bubbles tickled her chin.
“Nope.” His whole body seemed tense and ready as he cocked his head in challenge. “Wanna check for yourself?”
Her throat went tight at the same time her nipples did, and she tried to find her voice. It was a new day. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye and there was no going back. She could tumble and flail the rest of the way down this rabbit hole, or she could tuck and roll, and enjoy the ride.
She ignored the nerves jangling around inside her and nodded. “I do.”
She rose and closed the distance between them, lifting a tentative hand out of the water into the night air. She pressed her palm to his chest and someone—Her? Him?—let out a hiss.
He hadn’t lied. His skin was hot to the touch and she wanted more of it. So much more.
“I’d like to collect,” he muttered, his voice all grit.
“Collect?” She was sure she should know what he was talking about but she was so focused on the feel of him, she could barely think straight.
“My kiss. I won it fair and square.”
“So you did,” she said, tipping her head back so she could meet his molten gaze.
“I’m going to take care of you, Amber. No matter what, we’re in this together,” he said softly.
Before she could make sense of his words, he was swooping down, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her with a fierceness that would have overwhelmed her in another lifetime, but set her aflame in this one.
His tongue stroked hers in a dance that made her strain closer. When her breasts, already heavy with want, touched his chest, she cried out into his mouth.
This was happening. She’d woken from a nightmare only to fall into a dream.
He speared a hand into her hair and held her firm as he ravaged her mouth, sending wave after wave of need pulsing through her. She inched forward and gasped as his erection pushed insistently against her stomach. Instinctively, she rocked against him, reveling in the pressure.
He grunted and pressed her back against the edge of the pool. She gasped as he lifted her onto a small ledge. It left her top half exposed to the chilly night air and her sensitive nipples tightened even further.
He must have seen it too, because he groaned and swooped in low to capture one between his teeth. She threaded her fingers through his hair, tipped her head back and let her eyes drift close, blocking out the stars twinkling above to focus on the sensations coursing through her.
"That feels so good," she murmured, arching her back as the heat of his tongue swirled around her nipples.
He tightened his grip on her hips and she moaned, loving the feel of his bridled strength. It was there. The full measure of it, right under the surface, and suddenly, more than anything, she wanted to feel it. All of it.
"Don't hold back for me." It wasn't a request. It was a demand. “I won't break, Billy. Please."
He released her breast and lifted his head to meet her gaze. His eyes were like two glittering chips of emerald and his voice was guttural.
"Are you sure?"
Tuck and roll, straight down the rabbit hole.
"I'm sure."
And what had been a sensual dance...a sultry, winding path to ecstasy, became a battle. He jerked her upward, into his arms, using his immense power to hold her aloft, to make her wrap her legs around his waist for purchase. His cock pulsed and kicked against her pubic bone, and the increased pressure alone was almost enough to—
"I need to see you," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Fall back. I won't let you go under."
She didn't hesitate, letting her muscles relax, lowering herself into the water until she floated on her back, anchored by his steadying hands and her thighs around his hips.
The water sent her hair flowing and moving around her, brushing her shoulders and tangling over her breasts to catch on her nipples.
"You look like a fucking mermaid. Jesus, I will never forget the way you look right now."
A second later, her hips were free and he urged her to float completely, to let her legs spread wide as he helped her stay afloat by cupping both cheeks of her ass and then stepping between her thighs.
Slowly, he drifted her backward, to the opposite edge of the pool and she started in surprise as her back bumped against another underwater shelf.
When she peered up at him, she realized that his whole focus was on the apex of her thighs. He looked hungry...starving, and every nerve-ending in her body lit up in anticipation.
She wriggled until her back was supported by the smooth stone beneath her, and shivered as some of her skin was exposed to the cold. Her suffering was blessedly short, because a second later, he growled her name and was on her. All hot mouth and lashing tongue. It was no gentle exploration. He wanted to eat her alive, and she nearly died from the pleasure of it.
"Billy," she groaned as the undulating water worked in tandem with his mouth, like twin tongues caressing her needy center. He closed his lips tight over her clit and sucked, and it was all she could do not to scream as shudders wracked her now fevered body.
He murmured his pleasure at her reaction and dug his fingers deep into the cheeks of her ass, grinding her closer, pressing his face into her until the pleasure became so intense, the need to come so overwhelming, a scream began to build in her chest.
Billy tore his mouth away long enough to peer up at her with almost preternaturally green eyes and mutter, "You taste so fucking good," before diving back in, working that throbbing bundle of nerves with his tongue until she began to tug at his hair and thrust her hips restlessly.
She needed to stop him or slow down, before—
"I want to come with you inside me," she managed on a gasp, trying to ward off the impending climax that, even now, was threatening to drag her under. "Please Billy, I need—"
What did she need? To be connected with him. To look in his eyes and see his want, to know he was as far gone as she was.
He straightened, water sluicing over his thickly muscled shoulders, and met her gaze. "Yes."
“Protection?” she groaned, the rawness of her voice shocking her. She waited for the shame to come…but it never did.
“My kind is immune to disease like that and pregnancy is only an issue if we choose it to be.”
“Oh, thank god,” she whimpered.
She shook off his hands and scrambled to her feet, reaching between them to do what she'd been
dying to do since the second he'd taken his pants off.
"Shit," he grunted, as she closed her fingers tightly around him and squeezed before working her hand upward in a firm stroke.
He was so hard, so ready, and her body responded to the call, clenching and fluttering in anticipation of his thick length inside her.
"Now," he bit out, shaking his head briskly, “it has to be now.” He tugged her hand away and used it to turn her around, facing away from him.
She shivered at his words, and then again as he pressed her gently forward, dipping her breasts back into the steamy froth, the shock of the change in temperature adding another layer to the sensual onslaught.
When his big hands palmed her ass, she leaned forward until her cheek touched the water, and braced herself on the edge of the pool with her hands. Anything to make his path inside her as quick as possible.
He tucked one hand lower, teasing the crevice between her cheeks, drifting down until he reached her slick slit and then drove one thick finger inside.
“Mmm, oh my god,” she groaned as the blood rushed to her head. Then he started to move, sliding in and out, then added a second until she cried out, slamming her hips backward in an effort to take him deeper still. Her legs shook as the need to come bore down on her like a coming train.
A moment later he was gone and she cried out for the loss, but he was back in an instant.
“Shh,” he murmured.
She felt him then, the thick head of his cock probing between the petals of her center, sliding in, filling her, inch by inch. It was an almost painfully tight fit, but one that came with so much pleasure, she found herself murmuring incoherently just to keep sane for one moment more. She didn't want it to be over yet. She wanted it to go on and on, but her orgasm wouldn’t be denied. She’d been on the razor's edge for too long, and what she wanted and what she needed were two very different things.
"Now, Billy, please, now," she cried.
He pulled back and plowed forward again in one, long, firm stroke, not stopping until he was seated to the hilt. For a second, she was suspended there, mouth open, body locked in ecstasy. And then she exploded over his cock, twitching and squeezing and crying his name as stars burst behind her eyelids.
