by Lola Gabriel
Rocco frowned and moved closer to her.
“Maybe?” he repeated. “Have I made a mistake about the boys’ age?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “But how are they meant to know better when they aren’t taught better? The way they were talking in there? About us being stronger than humans? Those are my parents’ thoughts on the matter too. The boys pick up on it.”
“You mean your parents are actively encouraging that kind of behavior from them?” Rocco asked in what he hoped was a soothing, non-accusatory tone.
“Not encouraging the behavior as such,” Marin said. “But certainly not discouraging it either.”
Rocco felt himself soften slightly toward the boys. He had to admit that Marin had a point. Even at fifteen, the boys were more inclined to take their parents’ word for something than to abide by the official line if the two differed from each other. They were still at that age where pleasing their parents was pretty high up on their priority list, and Rocco was now really glad that he had only issued a mild punishment. Maybe it would be enough to convince the Baileys that they needed to watch what they were saying around their children a bit more.
Marin flashed Rocco a self-conscious smile and started to get into her car.
“Wait,” Rocco said, unsure of what he wanted to say, knowing only that he didn’t want her to go.
He started toward Marin, but she shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I’ve said too much already,” she said.
She slipped quickly into the driver’s seat, pulled the car door closed, and drove away, leaving Rocco standing alone on the sidewalk. He watched her car as it disappeared down the road, but in his mind’s eye, he wasn’t seeing the car. He was seeing Marin and her beautiful eyes.
3
Marin shook her head as she sat waiting for her cab. Every time she had a spare moment, her thoughts went back to Rocco and this time was no exception. Of course Marin had been aware of Rocco before the day he had come to her parents’ place to talk to the twins, but that had been the first time she’d gotten a close-up look at him. And now that she had, she found that she was smitten with him.
She imagined herself pushing her hands into Rocco’s thick, black hair and losing herself in his deep brown eyes. She imagined running her hands over his toned chest and she imagined what he would taste like, his lips on hers. Her pussy dampened just thinking about Rocco and for the millionth time, Marin told herself she had to stop thinking about him. She had to stop thinking about how tall and strong he was. And she really had to stop thinking about how he had perhaps the cutest ass she had ever seen.
It didn’t matter that she knew the attraction she had felt when she looked at Rocco hadn’t been one-sided. There was no way they could be together. He was pack royalty and she was just a nobody. And not just any old nobody—no, she was a nobody from a family that seemed to always cause trouble wherever they went. No, Marin thought to herself with a heartfelt sigh, it would never happen between her and Rocco.
Marin jumped up when a car horn sounded outside of her house. She grabbed her purse, pulled her mask on, and headed out to the waiting cab, locking the door behind her. She got in and gave the cab driver the address. She was going to her friend Maisie’s masked ball. Maisie’s family had thrown a masked ball annually for as long as Marin could remember, but this year, they had let Maisie, their daughter, organize the ball. Marin was excited about the party but nervous for her friend as they sped toward the house.
The masked ball had always been one of the most talked about social gatherings in their calendar with everyone who was anyone in the pack attending, and Marin hoped for Maisie’s sake that this year was no different. The ruling couple had RSVP’d yes, which had sent Maisie into a state of excited panic. Rocco had, of course, turned down the invitation, but that hadn’t concerned Maisie. He had never attended a single one of the masked balls. At the time, when Maisie had told her about the ruling couple’s acceptance of her invitation and Rocco’s polite “no thank you”, it hadn’t concerned Marin either, but now, as much as she tried to tell herself to stop thinking about Rocco, she wished that he would be there tonight. Not for anything to happen between them—Marin knew that was just a silly fantasy of hers—but he would sure give her something good to look at.
The cab pulled up outside of Maisie’s place and Marin paid the driver and got out. She could hear the sounds of music, conversation, and laughter coming from inside of Maisie’s place and she smiled to herself, some of the nerves for her friend fading away. Maisie had pulled the party off pretty well, judging by the sounds drifting out of the house.
Marin moved inside the house, smiling and greeting friends as she made her way through the crowd of guests. The guests had all made an effort, dressed in suits for the men and cocktail dresses for the women, their masks exotic and glittery. Marin weaved her way through the crowd to the kitchen where she poured herself a generous gin and tonic and then she began to move again, finding her friends once more and stopping to chat with them.
By eleven fifty, Marin was tipsy but not drunk. She was in good spirits, having spent the whole night laughing and joking and dancing. At midnight, the masks would come off and everyone would pretend to be surprised by who was who, even though generally, everyone already knew each other’s identities.
“Okay,” Maisie said from Marin’s elbow. “I know we all pretend like we don’t know who each other is, but seriously, who is that guy?”
She nodded and Marin followed her line of sight. A man stood alone, his back pressed against the wall. He was dressed all in black, including his mask, which covered all of his face from the mouth upwards.
“I mean, it’s my party and I have no idea who he is,” Maisie added.
“Well, you’ll find out soon enough,” Marin laughed. “He’s probably someone’s plus one.”
Maisie nodded her head and then she flitted off to refill drinks and mingle with her guests. Marin moved through the guests and went to use the bathroom. She returned, coming down the stairs just before midnight, not wanting to miss the moment of the unmasking. She stepped off the bottom stair and collided with someone who approached the staircase from the side of it.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t see you coming there. I really should be…”
She had been going to add the words “more careful” but before she could finish her sentence, she looked up and found herself gazing at the mysterious man in black and the words faded away as she caught a whiff of his scent, musky and hot, and her wolf stirred inside of her.
His mouth moved into a smile, the only part of his face not concealed behind his mask. Before Marin could do anything but start to smile back, the man in black bent down slightly and touched his lips to hers. She started to pull back, shocked at the kiss, but then she realized that fire was flooding her body. The kiss felt right somehow and instead of pulling away, Marin allowed herself to melt into it.
Her lips moved with the stranger’s lips, his tongue probing into her mouth. She could feel his chest pressing against her, toned and muscular. His scent came to her stronger now, consuming her completely, and she breathed deeply, sniffing him in. He smelled of musk and spices and she felt her body heat up uncontrollably as he kissed her. Her wolf was going crazy, howling inside of her, and she had to make a conscious effort to keep it down and allow her human side to remain in control.
As they kissed, Marin became aware of the crowd around her counting down from ten and as they said one, the mystery man pulled his mouth from hers. His lips curled up in a smile again as he reached up and peeled his mask off and Marin’s jaw dropped when she saw the man beneath the mask. Rocco. No wonder Maisie had had no idea who he was.
She reached up and pulled her own mask off, grinning up at Rocco. He smiled back and then he took her hand in his and without a word, he led her back up the stairs she had just come down. Marin allowed herself to be led upstairs and when Rocco pushed open the door to one of the bedrooms and pulle
d her inside, she made no move to stop him. She didn’t want to stop him. She no longer cared whether this was a good idea or not. All she cared about was the hungry need inside of her—a hungry need that only Rocco could fill.
Rocco pushed the door closed again behind Marin and then he pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against his body. Marin’s body responded instantly to Rocco’s touch, and so much pressure was building up from her center that she felt like she might burst. Her clit pulsed, craving Rocco’s touch, and when he ran his hands down her back and cupped her ass, she moaned quietly. Rocco cut her moan off by clamping his mouth tightly back on to hers.
She ran her hands over Rocco’s body and then she stepped back far enough to allow a small gap to form between them. Marin brought her hands around from Rocco’s back, filling the newly made gap. She tugged Rocco’s jeans open, her fingers fumbling in her eagerness to free his erection.
Rocco followed Marin’s lead, pulling her dress over her head. She moved her hands away from his jeans, lifting her arms in the air so Rocco could peel the dress over her head. He dragged it off her and dropped it onto the ground. She stood before him in her bra and panties and greedily moved her hands back toward his cock. Pushing his jeans down, she saw the huge bulge in his boxer shorts. She quickly pushed his boxer shorts down and reached for his length. She wanted to run her hand over it, suck on it, make Rocco feel as good as she felt, but before she could grab it, Rocco was moving her backwards, walking her toward the bed.
He peeled her panties down her thighs, letting them fall past her knees and to her feet, and then pushed her gently backwards until she was lying on her back on the mattress. She kicked her panties off her feet as Rocco climbed on top of her. He didn’t waste any time and Marin knew he was as turned on as she was. He pushed inside of her, his erection big and hard and delicious-feeling as it filled Marin’s core.
She moaned as he pumped into her, wrapping her legs around his waist, her hands running up and down his back beneath his shirt. He moaned her name and kissed her neck as he thrust into her. Marin matched him thrust for eager thrust. Her whole body was on fire, her wolf going wild inside of her, telling her that this was something special, something far more primal than just lust. It was telling Marin that she and Rocco were connecting on a deeper level, that maybe they could be something magical together, but even as Marin enjoyed the moment, she knew it could never be.
She told herself to stop thinking and just let herself feel, and feel she did. Rocco slammed into her, filling her up, and she felt the fire within herself starting to spread out through her body, waves of pleasure crashing over her. She gasped, her nails scratching at Rocco’s back as her orgasm took her, sending her reeling over the edge.
Her center clamped around Rocco’s cock and her back arched as the pleasure consumed her. She was vaguely aware of him spurting into her and moaning her name as he came with her. She clung to him, her body shuddering repeatedly as her orgasm tapered off and finally faded, leaving her breathless, her muscles turned to jelly.
Rocco rolled off her and they lay side by side for a moment, both of them panting for air. As Marin came floating slowly back down from her orgasm, she was happy—happier than she had been for a long time; both her human side and her wolf side were content. She knew it couldn’t last, though. She knew that for Rocco, this had just been about getting the physical desire between them out of their systems. There was no way someone of his status would get mixed up with a Bailey, not when they were known to cause trouble for the pack. If there was any doubt about it, Rocco had cast it aside by choosing tonight to make his move—a night where he could be with her without anyone knowing it.
She waited for Rocco to utter the words that would break her heart, but he stayed silent, and Marin decided to get in first. It maybe wouldn’t hurt so much if she was the one to say it, and she thought it would be easier all around. Rocco probably didn’t know she had already accepted the fact that they couldn’t be together again and he was probably trying to find a way to tell Marin this was a one-time thing without hurting her too badly.
“We shouldn’t have done that,” Marin said.
She forced her voice to come out steady and normal, but inside, she was breaking, the words the hardest ones she had ever had to say.
4
Rocco lay beside Marin, wishing he was brave enough to argue with her when she told him they shouldn’t have done that. In his mind, they should have done it, and they should be doing it again right now. And then again, and maybe once more. And they should never have to stop. But deep down, Rocco knew that Marin was right. His parents would never accept her as his mate, not considering the troublesome family she came from.
The fact that he had come here tonight purely because he had hoped to see Marin, to hold her and kiss her and perhaps even to make love to her, was no longer relevant. They couldn’t do this again, and Marin was right when she said that what had happened between them shouldn’t have, even if it did hurt to hear the words spoken out loud. Rocco had come here wanting this, but deep down, he hadn’t thought it would happen. He had half expected Marin to refuse his advances, and when she hadn’t, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from being with her. And now they both had to accept Marin’s truth; they shouldn’t have done that. Oh, but they should have. How could something that had felt so right be a mistake?
Rocco sighed and then he sat up. He glanced at Marin, unable to stop himself from taking one last look at her, taking in her bare, sweat-covered skin, her flushed cheeks, her shiny hair. His eyes held hers for a moment, relishing the bright green color. He forced himself to break the eye contact between them, knowing if he didn’t, he would kiss her again. He looked away from Marin and nodded his head, and then he stood up and began to pull his jeans and boxer shorts back up.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he said.
Marin stood up and pulled her dress back over her head. Once she was covered, she stepped into her panties and pulled them back into place, before running her fingers through her hair, smoothing it back down.
“So, we both agree that it was a mistake, then?” she said.
Rocco nodded, although what he really wanted to do was pull Marin into his arms and tell her that nothing about this had been a mistake from where he was standing. He wanted to shower her with kisses and make love to her all night long. Instead, though, he had to walk away from her. He knew that much; he had to put the pack before his own feelings.
“Yeah,” Rocco said. “It was just one of those things that shouldn’t have happened but did happen. And now we can just act like it didn’t and go back to normal.”
“So, we have to act like we don’t even know each other?” Marin said with a raised eyebrow.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Rocco grinned.
Marin laughed softly.
“Good,” she said, and then she breezed out of the room, leaving Rocco to try and work out what she had meant by that. Did she just mean it would be less awkward if they spoke to each other instead of pretending that they didn’t know one another? Or had she meant something else entirely? Something that could let him believe that what had happened could easily happen again?
It doesn’t matter, Rocco told himself. It’s not just Marin who thinks this was a mistake. Oh, who am I kidding? he thought. That was no mistake. He knew it still couldn’t happen again, though.
Rocco spent the next few days telling himself he wasn’t thinking about Marin and that he barely even remembered how her mouth had tasted sweet like peaches or how her lips had felt as though they had been made to fit against his. He tried to tell himself that his wolf hadn’t recognized her as the one for him, that it hadn’t stirred at all. And they were all lies. Marin was all Rocco could think about. Thoughts of her consumed him and his inner dilemma over her raged on inside of him.
He tried to tell himself once more that none of his feelings for Marin mattered. He knew that nothing had changed; he was still t
he heir to the pack’s alpha position and Marin still came from a family that spelled trouble, but none of the logical reasons he came up with to stay away from Marin were stronger than his need to see her again.
When he could stand it no longer, he stood up and left the house, making his way to his car and driving out toward the office block where Marin worked. He knew roughly what time she finished and he was planning to arrange to “accidentally on purpose” bump into Marin and offer her a ride home. And from there, well, who knew what might happen? He just had to pray that his wolf was right and that this was meant to be and that Marin didn’t really think they were a mistake together any more than he did.
Rocco didn’t have long to wait before he saw Marin coming out of the building. His heart skipped a beat and he felt his cock starting to harden at the sight of her. She wore a white blouse and a black pencil skirt that showed off her curves perfectly. He got quickly out of the car and began to walk toward her, whistling and looking around casually as though he just happened to be there.
“Rocco?” Marin said.
He looked toward her and smiled at her.
“Oh, hey, Marin. How’s things?” he said.
“Okay,” she replied. “What are you doing over in this part of the town?”
Not coming just to see you after finding out where you work, Rocco thought to himself. He smiled at Marin.
“I just dropped a friend off,” he lied. “What about you? What brings you out here?”
“Oh, I’ve just finished work. I work in one of the office buildings,” she said.
“Do you want a ride home?” Rocco asked.
Marin looked torn for a moment and Rocco knew she wanted to say yes but wasn’t quite sure whether she should or not.
“Come on. It looks like it might rain,” he said.
Marin looked up into the bright blue, cloudless sky and laughed, nodding her head.
