by A. D. Ryan
I rolled onto my side and openly ogled his naked upper body. Seriously; I didn’t even try to hide it. The heavy pulse between my thighs returned tenfold.
His scars from the other night had lightened substantially, and were only slightly more noticeable when compared to all the others that covered his body. His flannel sleep pants rested right on his hip bones, showing off that muscular “V” that dipped behind the elastic waistband.
It wasn’t the first time it had happened to me, but something about one of his scars stood out to me, and I didn’t know why; on his right hip was a small circular scar. All the others were gashes, like he’d been cut or clawed during a fight. This one was an almost perfect circle, and I was curious as to where he got it from. The mystery of its origin nagged at me.
I shook off the bizarre feeling and rolled out of bed, noticing the time. I panicked until Nick helped ease the guilt I felt about having overslept.
“Miranda told me before I came to bed that we should sleep in today. She said it would be beneficial to my healing…” He paused. “And it looks like she might have been exactly right. Those extra couple hours seem to have done the trick.” With a sly look in his eyes, Nick shifted closer to me and pulled me back onto the bed beside him. “So, tell me about this dream.”
Embarrassed, I shook my head as he nuzzled my neck and inhaled deeply. “It was nothing.”
He breathed in once more before pulling his face from the crook of my neck. “Doesn’t smell like nothing,” he retorted, arching an eyebrow suggestively as his right hand moved down my arm, over my abdomen and teased the hem of my shorts until he stroked my inner thigh.
Lust fogged my brain, but I managed to meet his gaze, my eyes widening in disbelief, and said, “That’s a creepy little talent you have there, you know that?”
“I don’t hear you denying it,” he challenged, the amber ring around his pupils warming until the aqua-blue of his irises popped. His fingers continued the back and forth motion along the juncture between my legs.
My belly tightened, and warmth spread across my cheeks as a surge of energy shot through me. Pulling my lower lip between my teeth, I smiled at him. Now that the threat of the coven had been dealt with, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. No one would come after us ever again which meant I might actually be able to move on with my life and find happiness after so much tragedy.
Another wave of lust rolled over me as his fingers pressed a little harder, making my body hum with the possibilities. “How can I deny it when you can sense every little shift in my body chemistry?” I quipped, warming to the idea of giving in more and more with each passing second. “The way my body grows hot when you’re near me, how my pheromones spike and my heartbeat quickens.”
His own desire thickened the air as he pushed his hips against my outer thigh. I could feel his arousal as much as I could sense it. Lowering his lips to mine, he kissed me gently at first, testing the water. My hunger for him consumed me, and I deepened the kiss, threading my fingers into his hair and holding him in place.
With a groan of satisfaction, Nick slipped between my thighs, and I celebrated the fact that maybe we were finally ready to take that step.
Unfortunately, voices down the hall reminded me of our lack of privacy, and a loud knock on our door yanked us from the moment.
Breathing heavily, I dropped my head back to the pillow and closed my eyes. Nick rested his head against my shoulder and groaned. “What?” he demanded, his breath hot against my skin.
On the other side of the door, Zach stammered. “Sorry, man. Marcus wants to see you.”
Nick lifted his head, his expression apologetic. “Rain check?”
“Yeah,” I whispered softly, trying to keep the disappointment from my face. I was pretty sure I did a lousy job of it. “Of course. I should do some laundry, anyway.”
Nick grinned broadly. “I knew I could domesticate you eventually.”
Rolling my eyes, I shoved him off of me and stood up. “Go to your Alpha and stop pestering me.”
I was bending over to start gathering our laundry when Nick slapped my ass on the way to our bathroom. I squealed, and he chuckled before closing the door behind him so he could get ready.
After throwing the first load of laundry in the wash, I headed back upstairs to put away the clean clothes from our little holiday. I opened up our bags and started sorting through everything. Once my stuff was where it all belonged, I opened the drawer to put Nick’s T-shirts away only to find it cluttered and disorganized. It looked as though a bomb had gone off inside his dresser.
With a laugh, I shook my head. “Glad to see some things never change,” I muttered to myself, setting his clean and nicely folded shirts atop the dresser before folding the others. It was beyond my comprehension how he could find anything in a drawer like this. As I folded, I put each shirt on the pile I had built on the top of the dresser, and I reached back into the drawer for the last one when something beneath the cotton fabric caught my eye.
I yanked my hand back, clutching it against my chest like I was afraid it might bite me. I froze, unable to bring myself to touch the royal blue velvet box. Suddenly, my memory registered the box; I’d seen it before—handed it over to Nick’s mother seven years ago in an effort to move on with my life.
I tried to tell myself it wasn’t the same box. How could it be? Who holds onto something like that for so long?
Slowly, and with trembling hands, I reached out and picked it up. The velvet was as soft as the day Nick gave it to me. The hinges squeaked as I opened it, and I gasped upon finding my engagement ring gently nestled within the box. The diamond wasn’t very large given Nick had only just started working at the time, but it was extremely beautiful. The round diamond sparkled in the light of my room, the fire dancing around each facet of the stone, and the white gold band hadn’t tarnished much with age. It was nothing a little polish wouldn’t fix.
The bedroom door clicked shut behind me, making me jump. Nick’s eyes moved from me to the ring in my hands, and his eyebrows rose.
“Y-you kept it,” I whispered. “After all this time?”
Nick took a step toward me, his gaze colliding with mine. There was a passion in his stare that pulled me toward him like a moth to a flame, but if I looked deep enough, I also saw fear. “Like I said before, I remained hopeful that you’d take me back.”
At a loss for words, I set the box beside the freshly folded shirts and took a step toward Nick. My heartbeat quickened, and my stomach fluttered as his eyes burned into mine. I couldn’t figure out what it was he seemed afraid of.
My desire for him sparked to life the second we were within inches of each other. The flames beneath my skin burned hotter when Nick reached out and cradled my face in his right hand. My eyes fluttered closed, and I sighed, covering his hand with mine.
“I love you, Brooke.” His confession forced my eyes open. “I need you to know that this is me and not tonight’s full moon.”
My eyebrows pulled together in confusion, but it all became clear when he pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was hungry and insistent as he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off the ground. I moaned, and he took that brief second to deepen the kiss and bite my lower lip. In one fluid moment, he slid his hands down over the swell of my ass and gripped my thighs, parting them. He wrapped my legs around his hips as he spun us around and walked over to the bed.
When he lowered us to the bed, our desperation for one another took over as we pulled at each other’s clothes, stripping away every barrier between us, no matter how small. Ever since we acted so impulsively in the shower and I let my lust take control, I wanted to savor this moment, but after everything that had happened, I couldn’t take the chance of anything else coming between us.
That, and my primal instincts seemed to gain momentum over rational thought.
When he stopped without warning, I stared up at him, confused and out of breath. My body ached for him—craved him�
�and my brain was so clouded with desire that I couldn’t figure out what was going on. His eyes held mine, like always. The way the blue-green irises gradually turned to amber in the center was mesmerizing. In them, I saw our past as well as hope for our future.
Slowly, one of his hands cupped the back of my head, his fingers twisting into my hair. Everything inside me stilled as I waited. All I could do was look into those eyes. Watch as his gaze dropped to my mouth and his thumb traced my bottom lip. He paused as if waiting for something.
It didn’t take me long to figure out what it was.
“I love you too, Nick,” I whispered against the tip of his thumb. “I want you.”
His head dipped swiftly, stopping just before his lips touched mine. Our breath mingled, and his fingers flexed in my hair, holding me close. The tugging sent prickles of pleasure through my body, and I tried to fight the shiver I could feel building. I lost.
Then he closed the space between us, kissing me finally. The instant his lips touched mine, sparks of electricity fired through my veins, setting my skin ablaze. Our kiss wasn’t tentative or tender like I expected; it was urgent and full of need, hunger, and desperation. It was the perfect force and pressure as I slid my hands around his neck and threaded my fingers up into his hair.
“You smell so good,” he mumbled against my mouth before his lips trailed over my jaw and down the column of my throat. The hair on his face tickled and scratched my sensitive skin as he inhaled deeply at my jugular. I didn’t mind, though; I quite liked it over how smooth his face used to be. It was rough—manly.
My stomach quivered when he grazed the responsive flesh below my breasts with his fingers. Slowly, he kissed a trail down my sternum and over my abdomen. I whimpered in response, and my legs trembled and melted around him. Not having his lips on mine was pure torture. I found myself trying to find the coherency to beg as he kissed the crook of my elbow and made his way back up and over my collarbone. I whimpered and bit my lip as he dragged his teeth over my skin. He knew exactly what he was doing to me and that, when he finally returned his mouth to mine, I would be desperate for it.
His fingers curled into my thighs, holding me against him as he hooked my legs further up around his waist, opening me up to him as he pressed himself firmly between my thighs. His hands roamed upward until they reached my breasts. It was like no time had passed between us, his touch familiar as he knew exactly which parts of my body brought the most pleasure. He hadn’t forgotten that ticklish spot on my ribs, just behind my right breast, or how I reacted with a soft moan and thrust of my hips when he lightly nipped the apex of my neck. He took pride in the goosebumps that rose all over my body when his breath fanned over my neck, and he released a shuddering sigh when I let my fingers sweep down his chest and slipped my hand between us to wrap it around his thick length. When his lips returned to mine, I groaned, pulling his lower lip between my teeth playfully.
My animalistic desire for him burned like gasoline on fire, growing hotter by the second and raging out of control. I was willing to jump into the flames without another thought and take Nick with me.
It had only been several weeks since my life had been turned upside down, but something about being with Nick again just felt right. Maybe it was a wolf connection, maybe it had something to do with how protective and attentive he’d been lately, or maybe it was just our history. I had been angry with Nick for so long, but I never stopped loving him. Not that this negated my love for David in the least. What we shared was real and exactly what I needed in my life. I wished he was still alive, and I missed him desperately, but I knew that wasn’t going to bring him back. He was gone, and I knew he would want me to be happy and that he wouldn’t want me to dwell on what could have been.
Unlike before, I wasn’t seeking solace as Nick’s lips pressed firmly against mine. I wasn’t desperate to be reminded that not all men were monsters as he palmed my breasts and pulled me against him greedily. This wasn’t just another symptom of my new affliction. Everything that had happened recently—as well as what happened seven years ago—slipped away in that one perfect moment. It was just Nick and me, and love was what fuelled our actions.
My emotions got the best of me as I realized my feelings for Nick were coming full circle, and my hand shook with urgency as I guided him toward me. We moaned in unison as he eased his hips forward, entering me. His strong hands moved over my flesh as our bodies undulated, seeking out the pleasure and release we both craved after all this time apart.
Nick inhaled deeply as he lifted his head. He licked his lips hungrily, locking eyes with me. “God, you smell and taste incredible,” he breathed again, almost like he was savoring it. “You’re absolutely intoxicating.”
I kissed him again. Harder than before. So hard our teeth crashed together until we found our rhythm. Our thirst for one another seemed unquenchable, and our stamina was something most people would sell their souls for. Pressure expanded in my belly, flowing outward until it released through my fingers and toes. I cried out, dragging my nails down Nick’s back as I climaxed loudly.
Panting, I attempted to catch my breath as Nick kissed my neck tenderly. Even the gentlest touch of his lips on my neck sent a ripple of pleasure through me and made my toes curl again and again. Every inch of my skin was hypersensitive to touch, but one look into Nick’s bright eyes told me we were far from finished.
Our bodies were slick with sweat, but I found a reserve of energy. My arms and legs were tight with over-exertion, but within seconds, I was at full strength and flipping Nick onto his back. He looked up at me with complete awe as I moved above him. His hands ensnared my hips, guiding me at a speed that seemed to benefit us both.
My shoulder started to burn, but before I could focus on the pain that was starting to blister down my arm, Nick sat up and pressed his cool lips to my scars. His right hand came up and rested on my shoulder blade as he kissed and gently nipped at the sensitive skin of my shoulder, and soon the heat dissolved into nothing more than an annoying tingle.
With Nick’s body pressed tightly to mine as I rocked my hips back and forth, I could feel myself beginning to lose control again. I pushed Nick back down onto the bed and fell forward, laying my hands on his strong chest and bracing myself for the waves of pleasure that slammed into me again and again. When my vision returned, I took in the smug look on Nick’s face. As much as I wanted to call him out on it, all it took was one shift of his hips beneath me and I was rendered completely speechless.
With a growl, Nick rolled me onto my hands and knees. His lips touched down on the small of my back, his tongue peeking out and moving up my spine as though tasting the moment—my sweat, my pheromones—he lapped it up before gripping my shoulders and easing into me again.
We were so lost in the sensation that the entire world slipped away around us. It didn’t matter to either one of us that there was a houseful of people with hyper-sensitive hearing. We’d waited far too long for this and there was no volume button on ecstasy.
My third climax steadily built, my muscles tensing and preparing for the release that would render them completely useless this time. I could already tell that this would be it for me, so I hoped that Nick would follow suit this time; his stamina was even more impressive than my own.
When Nick’s tempo picked up in both speed and force, I rejoiced aloud and urged him to join me. My flesh tingled as my pleasure simmered just below the surface before breaking free in the most powerful and intense orgasm I’d ever experienced.
My arms and legs trembled with fatigue, and I struggled to keep them from giving out on me before Nick was finished. With one final thrust, Nick stilled behind me, his hands moving down my back, fingers curled and nails scratching, until he reached the swell of my ass and rolled us over. Exhausted, I panted for breath and tried to calm my racing heart. My hair covered my sweaty face, but I couldn’t even find the energy, let alone the strength, to do anything about it. Instead, I told myself to get used to it as Nick’
s fingers lazily trailed up and down my side, inviting a fresh wave of goosebumps to cover my body.
When my heart finally slowed to its normal pace, I turned my head. Nick laughed and lifted a finger to clear my hair away and then leaned forward to kiss me. “That was…amazing.”
“You’re such a girl,” I teased, rolling over completely to face him. He was lying on his left side, and my fingers started mimicking his, trailing up and over his chiseled body, going over the scars I’d memorized weeks ago as well as the new ones from the last few weeks.
“Marcus wants us all to run again as a pack tonight. He says that, with the coven gone, he wants everyone to enjoy the Wolf Moon.”
Even though it had only been a handful of days since my last shift, I felt the wolf bound with excitement within me. It looked forward to a night of wild abandon. I liked the feeling of unity I now shared with my wolf side.
My fingers moved down over his side, and he tried to hide a smirk as he recoiled from the ticklish sensation. This only spurred me on, and I continued to move south. My eyes followed the trail my fingers set, and I froze when my finger rested above the one scar on his right hip that wasn’t like all the rest. The one that had intrigued me since the first time I saw it.
Nick’s body went rigid right then. Something from the past few months struggled to resurface. I moved my hand, but continued to stare at the circular scar. Then I remembered he had a matching one on the back of this same hip.
“You were shot,” I stated. That one confession cleared the blackness from my mind until the images became visible. It was like a rapid-fire slideshow, and it made me dizzy.
A dead girl in the middle of the park…
Sounds that drew me to the bushes…
Wide, yellow eyes, staring through me…
A wolf with a sandy brown coat, white teeth gleaming before it leapt for me…
