by Nicole James
“Going somewhere? You were all about pleasing me a minute ago. Lose your nerve?”
“Not the belt, Wolf.”
It clattered to the floor.
“My hand then.” He bent his head to her ear, his soft beard brushing the side of her face. “And I swear to you, you’re gonna feel it for a few days.
He walked her over to the dresser, pushing her over it. She had on a short sundress with tiny straps. His hand fisted in the hem and pulled it up over her hip. Then his fingers were hooking in her lacy panty, yanking them free in one quick tug.
She gasped.
He buried a hand in her hair, fisting to pull her head up until her eyes met his in the mirror. He grabbed his cock with his other hand. He was already hard again for her as he lined up and drove inside her. Her pretty mouth dropped open, and her eyes slid closed. He tightened his hold on her hair.
“Watch,” he growled.
Her eyes immediately popped open as she followed his command.
He took her hard and fast, smacking her bottom with every other thrust. He could feel the way she clenched tight inside with every impact, and it drove him higher.
“Show me your tits.”
She didn’t hesitate. He loved that about her. She’d fight him if she thought that was what he wanted, but she’d always submit when he needed her to.
He watched as she quickly pulled the straps off her shoulders, and the dress fell to her waist. Her breasts were bare underneath. He watched as they bounced with every thrust, every punishing smack.
“Very pretty,” he rumbled. Releasing her hair, he locked both hands on her hips and pulled her ass tight against him as he continued to pound into her.
But he wasn’t anywhere near close to finishing again. This time he was going to drag it out, for both of them. Pulling out, he turned her around, hoisting her up onto the dresser so that her ass just barely hung over the edge. It was the perfect height. He pushed her legs up with his arms, knowing he’d be able to take her deeper that way.
The soft noises she made as he sunk in deep, were almost as good as the feeling of being inside her. She fell back on her hands, her back and head pressing against the mirror bolted to the back of the dresser. It banged against the wall with every driving thrust of his punishing onslaught.
Briefly, he leaned over her, one hand stroking the side of her face, then trailing down to her breast for a slow squeeze that had her moaning.
“I’ve missed you,” he murmured, his face an inch from hers. “It was hell, these last few months. Not being able to see you, touch you.” He slid in and out, his pace slowing momentarily as he reveled in the sensation of her breast thrust up into his hand as she arched her back, seeking his touch.
She lifted her head to try to close the distance, her mouth attempting to capture his.
He pulled back. “You think one night was gonna be enough to make up for all those months?”
When she didn’t answer, he punctuated with a deep thrust, pinching her nipple between his fingers. She moaned, rocking her hips against his body.
“Did you?” he demanded.
She shook her head, rolling it from side to side on the glass of the mirror. His hips had her pinned like a butterfly.
“I’ve never been a patient man, Crystal,” he growled. “And you’ve definitely pushed me way past my limits.”
“No, Wolf. I knew it wouldn’t be enough.”
“And still you ran?”
“Yes.”
He kept plunging inside her, but his need to drive her as mad as she was driving him was quickly surpassing his need to pull any unwilling answers from her. “Before this is over, you’re going to tell me why. But right now, I don’t care to hear anymore lies spill from your lips.”
He gathered her up and carried her to the bed, taking her to her back as he came down on top of her. He shoved and kicked his jeans that had been around his thighs, completely off, then he moved over her, his hand sliding between her legs.
“Your turn, baby. And I’m gonna wear you down, until you’re a puddle of need, until you’re just as crazy for it as you’ve got me.” He loomed over her, his fingers already delivering on his promise. “You gonna fight me on this?”
She shook her head, giving him the answer he’d expected. “No, Wolf. I’m through fighting.”
“Good, baby. I’m through fighting this, too.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Wolf stood staring out the motel room window, watching the night fade away as the first streaks of dawn broke on the horizon. It was five in the morning, and his time with Crystal was quickly ticking away. Ticking by way too fast with so many things left unsaid. Christ, so many things he still needed to say.
He looked back at the bed. Crystal lay there sleeping. After she’d passed out from exhaustion a couple of hours ago, he’d made good on his promise, made sure she wouldn’t be able to run out on him again while he’d slept. It was gonna be her turn to be pissed when she woke up this morning. A grin pulled at his mouth. He had no problem with that.
****
Crystal woke, her eyes fluttering open. Wolf was standing by the window, staring out. Early morning light glimmering through the cheap curtains. She blinked, her brain still fuzzy with sleep. Awareness seeped in. They were in a motel room on the state-line, where Wolf had brought her after chasing her down. It all came flashing back. They’d ended up in bed, where they seemed to do most of their communicating. Wolf had been demanding after she’d taunted him with her flippant comments. Comments designed to push him away and shield her bruised heart. Comments that only drove him to be even more possessive.
He’d taken it as a challenge. As if he thought he’d prove her wrong if she thought anything about what they had was casual.
It wasn’t. She knew that. They both knew that. What was the use in pretending?
But somewhere along the line, his aggression had turned sweet, his touch had turned tender, filled with feelings and emotions he always seemed to have such a hard time verbalizing. But those feelings existed. They were there. They were all there, expressed with such sweet passion, the way only Wolf could.
All this flashed through her brain in a microsecond.
And then she tried to stretch, to move, and panic flashed through her just as quickly. Her eyes darted above her head to find her wrists tied together to the cheap wooden headboard. Her eyes fell on the restraint. A black satin sash, one she recognized only too well. The sash to her satin kimono robe.
What the hell?
She pulled, but the knots were tied tightly. Her eyes again darted to Wolf, standing at the window. He turned, her movements having caught his attention.
“Wolf, untie me! Right now, goddamn you! This isn’t funny.”
He grinned, moving to stand near the bed. “Wasn’t meant to be. I wasn’t gonna take the chance of you sneaking out on me again.”
God, he was infuriating.
“So you tied me up?” She practically screeched it at him.
“Yup. Payback’s a bitch, huh?”
“I’ll scream,” she threatened.
“Go ahead. Scream all you want. Ain’t no one around to hear.”
“Let me up, Wolf. I mean it.”
“Don’t think so. Not till we get a few things straight, baby-girl.”
She quietly fumed, staring at the ceiling, thinking she had it straight already, he’d lost his damn mind if he thought she was going to play these kinds of games with him.
“You up for that conversation now? That conversation you didn’t want to have last night?” When she didn’t respond, he continued right on. “Time to tell me why you really left town.”
“I did tell you.”
He shook his head, she could see the movement in her peripheral vision as her eyes remained locked on the ceiling.
“No, you gave me an answer, but it was a bullshit one. Tell me the real reason, Crystal.” When she maintained her silence, he continued, “There was something going on. I know i
t. I could feel it back then, but you left before we could talk about it.”
Yes, there was something going on. She’d been carrying his baby! A baby she’d been too afraid to tell him about. If only she’d made better choices. If only she’d told him. If only she hadn’t left. Her whole life had become one long tortuous game of ‘what ifs’.
Crystal felt her eyes sting as they pooled. She turned her head away from him, determined not to let him see. Determined not to let all the hurt that she’d buried so deep swell up to consume her again. It was always so close, right under the surface, and God, she didn’t want to return to that deep dark pit again. It would suck her in if she let it. Only this time she may not survive it.
“Please, Wolf. Please, don’t.” She knew her voice was shaky, but she didn’t anticipate his reaction, didn’t realize what the sound of her quavering voice would do to him, how much it affected him. He moved to the bed, his hip brushing hers as he sat on the side. With his hands on the bed on either side of her, he leaned in, his whole demeanor changed. Gone was the confrontational Wolf, set on provoking her, in his place was a man who suddenly only seemed concerned.
“Baby, what is it? Tell me.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I can’t. Please, Wolf. Don’t do this to me.”
His hand reached up to stroke the hair back from her face. She blinked and felt the tears pool over to slide down her cheek.
“Crystal, why are you crying? What aren’t you telling me? Was it Misty? You know she didn’t mean shit to me. Hell, I ran her ass off that night. She hasn’t been back, I swear.”
She shook her head violently. “No, you ass. I’m not crying about her. Let me go, Wolf.” She began her struggles again, tearing and pulling at the sash. It was tied tightly over the beaded bracelets she wore on both wrists, and she felt them cutting into her skin, the strands ripping.
“Crystal—” he started, and she could see true worry was starting to grip him. “Whoa, baby. Okay. Okay. Calm down, let me untie you.” He reached to try to undo the knots, but she continued to pull and jerk making his task more difficult. She couldn’t help it, she was beginning to panic. He couldn’t find out her secret. She couldn’t let him. What would he think of her if he knew?
He leaned over her, his weight coming down on her, trying to settle her down.
“Crystal, damn it, hold still. I can’t untie the knots if you keep fighting me. You’re just making them tighter.”
She heard him, but she couldn’t stop. She could see the look on his face as he stared down at her. He must think she’d lost her damn mind. And maybe she had. She began to shake with sobs, completely breaking down, her eyes closed tight against the image of his face, burned into her brain. The shocked look on it.
She felt something cold and steel and then he’d sliced through the sash with his knife. It snapped free, the bracelets with it, the beads scattering all over. She heard the knife clatter on the nightstand and then he was pulling her up, clutching her tightly to his chest.
“Baby, you’re okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” His hands ran up and down her back as he attempted to comfort her. But all she wanted was to get away, to put some distance between them. She shoved him back.
“Let me go. Let me up.”
“Crystal—”
She fought his hold, and he grabbed her wrists, trying to settle her down. And that’s when he felt them. His eyes flashed down, his thumbs sliding over the ugly rigged scar tissue that marred the inside of both wrists, exposed to him now that her bracelets weren’t there to hide them. They were plainly visible. An ugly, horrible reminder of just how deep that dark pit was that had almost completely sucked her in.
She tried to pull away, her actions almost instinctive. Self-preservation and reflex all rolled up in one.
“Don’t,” she bit out. But he wasn’t going to be put off. Not this time. His hold only tightened as he stared down at her wrists. And then his wide, stunned eyes flashed up to meet hers.
“Jesus Christ.” His words were barely a whisper, but she heard them. They ripped her heart out.
“Don’t you pity me. Don’t you dare pity me!” she hissed.
“You did this?”
She wouldn’t look at him.
“Crystal, my God, why?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She pulled again, and this time she slid free. He let her free. She scrambled off the bed. She grabbed up the first article of clothing she found lying on the floor. His flannel shirt. She tugged it on, buttoning a couple buttons to hold it closed and cover her nakedness. She felt exposed enough to him right now. She moved to stand in front of the window, needing space. There wasn’t very far she could go in the room, and she knew if she moved toward the door, he’d stop her. He’d allow her space, but only so much. He’d never let her walk out. Not now. Not until he dragged every wretched detail out of her. Crossing her arms in front of herself, she tried to build up the wall that he was determined to tear down.
“The hell it doesn’t.” He moved to stand behind her. She could feel him there, and she prayed he wouldn’t touch her. She’d break into a million pieces if he did, but at the same time, she felt bereft when he didn’t. “Baby, please, talk to me.”
She shook her head violently. “It’s over. It’s done. Please don’t make me talk about it.”
“I have to make you talk about it. If you can’t talk to me about it—hell baby, who can you?”
“You won’t want to hear it,” she warned.
“Crystal, I don’t run, and I don’t scare easily.” When she remained quiet, he coaxed, “You’re not the only one who has stuff they don’t want to talk about. We all have things we hope will never see the light of day.”
She felt his hand slip onto her shoulder.
“Your secrets are my secrets. Your demons are my demons. Tell me, and you’ll never have to fight them alone. I promise you that.”
A promise. From Wolf. He’d never once promised her anything.
She whirled on him then, determined to use anger to hold herself together. “Fine. You want to know? I’ll tell you. You’re right, Wolf, there was something more going on when I left.” She watched his jaw clamp shut, and she knew he wasn’t sure what she was about to spew at him. Hell, he didn’t have a clue what was coming. “I was pregnant, Wolf.”
She watched him visibly pale, and his voice came out in a whisper. “What?”
“Didn’t see that one coming, did you?”
He frowned. “You were pregnant? When you left? You were pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She swallowed, regretting for a moment dropping this bomb without any warning.
“Why didn’t you fucking tell me, Crystal?” he growled again.
There was the anger. She knew it’d show up sooner or later.
She watched his hand flex at his side. If he’d been another kind of man, she may have expected a backhanded slap. But Wolf would never hurt her, not that way at least. The hurt he inflicted was always emotional and probably unintentional if she was being truthful.
“You couldn’t even tell me? Couldn’t have said something before you walked out the fucking door?”
“What would it have mattered, Wolf? You can’t commit to anything longer than a few weeks or months. You wouldn’t have wanted any of that. We both know that.”
“That would have been my choice to make!” he roared. “Not yours. You took the choice away from me.”
She took a step back. She’d seen him pissed before, but never like this. She’d really hurt him, honest-to-God hurt him.
“You went off and had my baby, and never fucking thought to tell me? Where is it? You leave our kid with your mom? Your sister? Huh?”
She shook her head and turned back to the window. But he was having none of that. She felt his hand clamp around her upper arm to yank her back around. His face glaring down at hers.
“Where’s my baby, Crystal?” he roared.
She shook her head again, whisp
ering softly. “There’s no baby, Wolf.”
“What?” He stared down at her with a frown and a look that told her he was trying to keep up with a storyline that had one too many twists and turns. And then, an anguished, grief-stricken look on his face, he asked, “You didn’t want it? You didn’t want my baby?”
“Wolf—”
“Christ, tell me you didn’t kill our baby?”
She shook her head, more tears returning.
He ran his hand through his hair, and then moving toward her suddenly, he grabbed her forearms, holding her scarred wrists up in front of her eyes. “You did, didn’t you? And then you tried to kill yourself.”
“No, Wolf.”
“You do this?” He shook her scars in her face.
She nodded. She couldn’t deny that. She had. “Yes.”
He shoved her away as if she were poison.
“Oh, my God.” His voice was tormented, like she’d never heard it before.
“Wolf—”
“Oh, my God.”
She slapped him then. Hauled back and let him have it with a resounding crack that echoed in the small room. And then she screamed at his stunned face. “I didn’t kill your baby. I lost your baby. I lost our baby. I lost my baby!” She emphasized the words by jabbing her finger in her chest. “Mine.”
He stared at her, frowning for a long moment and then whispered, “You wanted it?”
She nodded. “Yes, I wanted it, you big, stupid oaf.”
He slowly ran his hand over his mouth, studying her. His eyes dropped to her wrists, and then as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders and it was just too much, he collapsed down on the bed, dropping his head into his hands.
She stared at him a long moment, and then she saw his shoulders shaking with a slight tremor. His face was downcast, but she knew he was weeping. For their unborn child? Perhaps for everything they’d lost?
It killed her to see him like this. Wolf, who was so strong, now devastated, broken. She found her feet moving toward him, drawn like a magnet, needing to give him comfort. Dropping to her knees in front of him, she put her hands on his wrists, attempting to pull his hands from his face. He fought her on it only for a moment before he let her win. She saw his eyes, glassy with tears, and then she was sliding her arms around his neck.
