She slid her hand down her body to the juncture between her thighs. The instant she touched herself, her pussy clamped around nothing, making her moan. She stilled, listening for movement outside her bedroom. When she only heard the scrape of something big in the kitchen, she knew Jaxon was too far to hear. It had been way too long since she’d been intimate with a man, and even longer since she’d enjoyed it. Her last boyfriend had been more than a little lacking in the pleasure arena. It wasn’t that she didn’t have orgasms, she knew how to take care of herself, but something was always missing.
What she needed was to take the edge off. Otherwise, she really would tackle Jaxon to the kitchen floor and have her way with him.
Settling herself on her bed, she spread her legs wide and closed her eyes. She wasted no time in finding her clit, wetting her fingers, then plunging them deep inside. Drawing on strength she barely possessed, she kept her sigh quiet. Only a thin door and a short hallway separated her from the man currently making her body so wet she couldn’t stand it.
If only he knew what she was up to such a short distance away. She pulled out and dipped back in again. Maple had never come to such a fevered pitch so quickly in her life. Already, with nothing but her own fingers spearing into her, she was reaching for her climax. She would like to blame her self-imposed abstinence over the past two years for her lack of control, but she couldn’t. It was all him. Jaxon.
Withdrawing her fingers, she circled around her clit, pressing into the small bundle of swollen flesh with each rotation. She tweaked her nipple with her free hand, all the while imagining Jaxon coming into the room and watching as she pleasured herself. Her pussy clenched at the image, and a fresh wave of pleasure rippled through her. She quickened her movements, touching herself just how she liked and pictured him stroking his cock through his jeans, not once taking his eyes off her. Her breath caught in her throat and she circled faster, pressing harder, until her pussy contracted hard, sending her flying into her orgasm so quickly she couldn’t stop it. Even though she tried to suppress it, a moan slipped past her lips as the pleasure overtook her. Breaths coming in ragged gasps, her entire body relaxed, melting into a puddle on her mattress.
It was only after she lay there for a few moments that she realized the cabin was oddly quiet. She scrambled off the bed, cheeks heating with the knowledge of what she’d done. She had to get back out there—and worse, face the man who had unknowingly gotten her off harder than she’d come in years.
Maybe a little picnic on the beach was what they both needed. And if things got too hot, they could always jump in the lake. At least now, there was a slight chance she wouldn’t molest Jaxon only an hour after having met him.
With a little giggle, she went to her dresser and pulled out her new bathing suit. She was about to pull the bottoms over her hips when a soft tap came at the door. “Yes?” she asked, her voice sounding much too breathless.
“Just letting you know that I got the fridge in. I unloaded your groceries and put stuff away, too. Is everything okay in there?” Jaxon’s voice was deeper, rougher somehow, which only made her still quivering body pulse to life again.
She nibbled on her bottom lip to keep from laughing at nearly getting caught with her hands in her pants. “Everything is fine. I’ll be right out. I was just changing.”
For a second, all was quiet. Then his heavy footsteps on the creaky hallway floorboards sounded as he went back to the kitchen. She’d swear she heard him chuckle as he went. Heat stole up her cheeks. So lost in her pleasure, she hadn’t even heard him come down the hall.
Eight
Jaxon leaned over the gate of his truck, his eyes screwed shut as tightly as he could get them. He clenched and unclenched his fists, drawing long, deep breaths. As many as he took, and as fresh as the air was, he couldn’t get the smell of his mate’s pleasure out of his nose. What he wanted was to bathe in it, but he had to gain some measure of control before he faced her again.
Had he been human, he would have been none the wiser, but his wolf’s sensitive hearing picked up the softest noise, his nose, the faintest smell. Her sweet sighs and moans teased him even now when she was busying herself in the kitchen. No, she wasn’t touching her lush body anymore, but he’d be able to replay the erotic sounds in his mind forever. He reached down, adjusting his jeans, desperate to ease the ache in his pounding cock. It had taken every ounce of his control to stay on the other side of that flimsy door as she’d brought herself to a shuddering climax a few feet away from him.
His skin burned as fur bristled beneath the surface from denying the wolf the shift, but he held it back. It had waited so long for its mate to return, and was growing more impatient with each passing minute. It didn’t care that she was human or that she needed to be treated carefully. It just wanted her. Now.
Fuck. He didn’t know if she was aware of the shifter world—not all humans were—and much less, if she was open to a relationship with one. He’d have to feel her out. Find out what she knew. One way or another, they’d make it work. There was no way he was letting her get away. Neither he—nor his wolf—would survive the separation again. He’d barely made it twenty years ago. Emmet and the rest of the pack had thought that he’d eventually gotten over losing her, but he never had. Jaxon had only become better at hiding his anguish and torment.
He straightened at the sound of the screen door opening and forced a calm he was nowhere near feeling to wash over him. There was no way he could get his cock to deflate with the spicy scent of her pleasure still clinging to her skin, so he didn’t bother trying. He turned to face her, and the breath he’d been trying so hard to regulate rushed out of his lungs.
She’d changed into a barely there bathing suit. Red triangles covered her breasts but did nothing to hide the hard peaks of her nipples through the thin fabric. The bottom hid the essential parts but left all the rest exposed for his perusal. Every glorious curve of her body was on display. He couldn’t contain his moan if he tried.
“Bringing that fridge in all by yourself had to be tough. I thought maybe you could take a break and have some lunch with me by the lake,” she suggested. “Since you’re not willing to take my money, the least I can do is feed you while you’re here.”
If she wanted to parade in next to nothing, he sure as hell wasn’t going to complain. Hell, he’d be happy to have her walk around naked all day as long as he was the only male around. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” He followed her back toward the cabin where she had set a basket and blanket on the step.
He should have been a gentleman and taken the blanket from her when she laid it on the soft grass at the water’s edge, but the view as she bent to straighten it kept him rooted to the spot. He shifted his weight, adjusting his jeans again. Had anyone ever died from shock after every drop of blood in their body had pooled in their dick? If not, he might be the first.
Maple glanced over her shoulder and grinned at him before sitting down and patting the ground next to her. The little minx knew exactly what she was doing to him. With nothing more than a few scraps of red material and a basket between them, he settled himself next to his mate. How the hell he’d make it through lunch without giving in to the need to tear that sexy bikini from her and bury himself deep inside her, he had no idea.
***
Jaxon sat stiff next to her, and she did mean stiff. The hard ridge straining under the zipper of his worn jeans didn’t lie. She felt kind of bad for teasing him the way she had, but if Maple had her way, she’d ease his discomfort soon enough.
Propriety be damned. She was going for it—for him. She’d never been the type to fall into bed with strangers or have one night stands, but there was something about Jaxon that she couldn’t resist. Call it selfish, but she didn’t want to waste what little time she had at the cabin pussyfooting around their attraction.
He took a deep breath and looked over the sparkling surface of the water, drawing her attention to his naked chest as it rose and fell, then lower to t
he hard abs bunched above the waistband of his jeans. She wanted to lick each one of those muscles and keep going until she found the treasure he kept hidden still.
Pulling a sandwich from the basket, she held it out to him. “I hope you like ham and swiss.”
Jaxon brought his gaze back to hers before letting it dip to her lips. “My favorite,” he said, his voice a deep rasp that sent a ribbon of heat curling through her. He took another deep breath, his nostrils flaring.
In the next instant, he was on top of her, his weight pressing her onto the soft blanket. She couldn’t be sure if he’d moved the basket, or if she did, or even where the sandwich ended up. All she knew was that his lips were on hers, devouring her, and she couldn’t care less if she ever ate again. The soft tug of his fingers in her hair held her for his invasion. His tongue stroked hers in an age-old dance that left her body throbbing for more.
Maple wrapped one leg around his hip, pressing closer, needing more contact. She caressed the length of his back with her fingertips, not stopping until she reached the waistband and stroked back up again. Goosebumps rushed across his skin, and a moan rumbled from his chest as he thrust his hips into her.
Breaking the kiss, he nibbled along her jaw and down the column of her neck before pausing at her collarbone. “Tell me to stop. Do it, Maple. If you don’t, I won’t be able to on my own,” he said, his voice rough. He brought a hand down to rest on her ribs below her breast, his fingers digging lightly into her flesh. Each exhale had his warm breath caressing her sensitive skin.
“Oh, God, don’t stop. Please,” she begged. That was the last thing she wanted. “I’m clean, and I’m on the pill.”
“Clean, too,” he managed before moving lower to scrape his rough chin against the swell of her breast. “You’re so damned beautiful. I don’t know which part of you to explore first.”
He slid his hand down her side and around her hip, bringing her closer still until he was wedged tight against her throbbing core. She reached for the snap of his jeans but couldn’t get her fingers close enough to unfasten it. “These have to go,” she said, her voice breathless—needy—as she tugged on one of his belt loops.
“Not yet.”
She was about to protest when he pulled one side of her bikini top down, exposing her breast. A second later, his tongue swiped over her peaked nipple. Moaning, she arched her back, demanding more. His hooded gaze met hers, and he flicked it again before grinding himself between her legs, increasing the pressure in her throbbing clit. His free hand found her other breast, stroking her through the material.
She buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, needing more. When his lips finally closed around her and he sucked the taut tip, she bucked up. Pure pleasure rippled from where his mouth gently suckled straight to the overwhelming pulse between her legs. The warm breeze teased her skin as he uncovered her other breast. He went to the other, laving it with his tongue as he teased the first with his thumb and forefinger.
“Please, Jaxon. I can’t take anymore,” she begged. Her orgasm just out of reach, Maple thrust her hips into his, desperate for the release her body demanded.
Jaxon gave one last pull with his lips on her nipple before kissing his way back to her ear. Shifting his weight, he lay on his side next to her. He brought his hand down her belly. His fingertips dipped beneath the fabric, so close to where she needed them, yet not nearly close enough.
“You want to come again, don’t you? Like you did inside the cabin?” he asked. His deep, gravelly tone had her gasping almost as much as the words themselves had.
“I… You…”
“It was the sexiest damned thing I’ve ever heard. Were you thinking of me while you were touching yourself, Maple?”
She whimpered when his fingers slid lower, barely grazing the top of her slit. Nodding, she tried to tilt her hips up to meet his touch, but he moved with her, denying her.
“Were you?” he asked before he bit her neck below her ear.
She nodded again. “Yes, I was thinking of you… Of you watching me,” she admitted. Part of her wanted to turn away with her admission, but the rumbling moan vibrating in his chest had her pussy clenching around nothing.
“I want to watch you come—so much.” He slid two fingers between her folds, bracketing her clit, gently squeezing it between them as he pulled up again.
Maple’s breath caught in her lungs as jolts of pleasure streaked through her, flooding her entire being. He stroked her again and again, adding more pressure.
“Let me see you, Maple. Come for me,” he demanded before he brought his head down to her nipple again and sucked hard, keeping his gaze trained on her face.
Nothing could have stopped the waves of ecstasy washing through her. Her legs shook, and a cry tore from her lips.
The bright amber of his eyes were almost swallowed by the pupils. His hard sucking on her nipple eased to a gentle suction as she slowly came down from her climax. Her quick, uneven breaths slowed, and he finally released her. He slipped his hand from her slick pussy and brought his fingers to his lips, drawing them into his mouth. When he closed his eyes as though to savor her taste, she couldn’t help but moan again.
“We’d better get you covered up. Someone’s coming,” he finally said as he roamed down her body and up again with his gaze.
“What?” Maple scrambled to sit, her heart pounding as she righted her top to cover her breasts. Lost in the moment, she hadn’t heard anyone pull up, but sure enough, a second later, a car door slammed. It was one thing to fall into a stranger’s arms, but another entirely to give someone else a peep show.
Jaxon chuckled and got to his feet. He grinned down at her, then drew her to him and gave her a long, hard kiss. He didn’t stop until someone cleared his throat close by. When he finally pulled away, it was all she could do not to pout. She hadn’t even gotten his jeans off him.
Nine
Jaxon fought his wolf for control. He’d been so close to having his mate, only to be interrupted by someone who really should know better. “Emmet, this is Maple Hudson. Maple, this is my brother, Emmet. What’s up?” he asked, trying to hide his irritation.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Maple,” Emmet told her before bringing his attention back to him. The fact that he kept his gaze strictly above her shoulders appeased his wolf—barely. “I came out to get the car, but there was a problem. I thought I’d check and make sure everything was okay over here.”
Jaxon stiffened.
“What kind of problem?” Maple asked, her voice rising. “It didn’t catch fire, did it? I think I might have smelled some burnt wiring before I shut it off.”
Emmet looked at her again. His lips tipped up at the corners for the briefest moment. Jaxon couldn’t remember the last time he’s seen his brother smile, even in such a small way. “No, the car isn’t on fire. But there are a couple of flats. Probably slow leaks or something you ran over in town. I’ll look at them when I get it to the shop.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it,” she said.
Emmet turned his attention to him again. “Would you mind giving me a hand with the car? I hadn’t expected the flats and didn’t bring everything I’d need with me.”
“Yeah, sure. Is it okay if I come back to finish fixing the shower later?” he asked Maple. His brother didn’t need help changing a flat, that was for damned sure, and as much as he wanted to stay, the look his brother gave him convinced him otherwise.
“Yes, of course.” Maple bent to retrieve the still-wrapped sandwich that had ended up on one corner of the blanket. She took the other, as well as two bottles of water and a container, from the basket, and handed those to him, too. “You’ve been working hard, you should eat something.”
“I’m not going to take your lunch, beautiful,” Jaxon told her as he tried to hand the stuff back to her.
“It’s the least I can do. I’ll make another in less time than you’ll spend arguing about taking this one. Besides, Emmet looks li
ke he’s hungry.”
Rather than argue with her, Jaxon handed the food over to Emmet. “I’ll be there in a sec,” he told his brother. Jaxon waited until he heard the truck door slam before pulling her flush against him.
“We didn’t get to finish what we started,” she said, her voice a soft rasp that made him want to strip her down and take her right then, regardless of his brother being so close. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, rubbing her body against his, making him hard all over again.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he said as he tipped her head up and kissed her, leaving them both breathless.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ll look forward to it.”
With a sway to her hips that made his mouth water, she sauntered back to the cabin, making no attempt to cover herself. He loved that she had the confidence to show her curves. That self-assurance was just as sexy as that luscious body. It would serve her well once they were officially mated, and they would be mated. Their pack was a peaceful one, but they wouldn’t tolerate weakness from the Alpha female.
“You better have a damned good reason for coming out here,” he said as he climbed into the truck and slammed the door shut.
“Her tires have been slashed. All four of them.” A muscle jumped in Emmet’s jaw as he snapped it shut and ground his teeth.
Jaxon stiffened. “You’re sure?”
Emmet nodded and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “They’re cut. I scented two males, one human, one wolf.”
He didn’t try to contain his growl. “Who?” The sheriff could deal with the human, but if someone in his pack thought they’d get away with crap like that, they had another thing coming.
“Not one of ours.”
Fuck. No wonder his brother was so tense. The last time there were strange wolves in the area, the Wassookeag Pack had been attacked. Emmet had been incapacitated, and over a dozen men had died. Even though he’d been severely outnumbered, his brother carried the guilt of failure like an anvil strung around his neck. It had shaken the entire pack to its core, and Jaxon had worked damned hard to get it back up and on its feet ever since.
Sassy Ever After: Northern Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Sugar Shack Book 1) Page 4
