Sleeping Rose

by Erin West

  I pick one leg up and grab the clothes, throwing them inside the car. With trembling and weak knees, I unbutton his jeans, but he pushes my hands away. Is he changing his mind?

  Our breaths mingle as he steps closer to me. “I won’t last long if you touch me,”

  His hands slide up my legs, picking me up by the back of my thighs and spreading me wide. The trunk of the car meets my back as he lays me down, placing my feet apart on the trunk. His hungry gaze takes in my body splayed out before him like a feast.

  His tongue darts out, licking his lips. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

  A groan leaves my mouth as his lips close over the most sensitive part of my body. My hips thrust up to get more friction.

  Hands clamp down on my hips, keeping me still as he devours me like a starved man.

  My orgasm strikes out of nowhere, and my back bows off the trunk.

  He is relentless, continuing to lap at my core, hands still pinning me to the car.

  “Ooh, God,” I almost beg him. For him to stop or give me more, I’m not sure. My mind is a jumbled mess from the mind-blowing orgasm he gave me with his mouth.

  He raises up, chin and mouth glistening. “We’re just getting started.”

  Just his words stoke the embers to a blazing fire again.

  From my limp position, I watch him unzip his pants and pull out his hard erection. My mouth waters to taste him, but I can’t move my body.

  There haven’t been any cars driving by, and I couldn’t care less if they did.

  He strokes himself once more before pulling me closer to the edge and entering me in one swift thrust with a grunt. We both moan, neither breaking eye contact as he makes slow, sure thrusts, hitting the right spot every time.

  I splinter apart with a scream, riding the sensations out.

  When he pulls out, I whimper, missing our connection.

  He chuckles. “I’m not finished with you yet.”

  Sliding me off the car, he stands me up, the buzzing stronger than before where our skin and lips touch as we kiss. I can taste myself on his lips as his erection presses into my stomach, igniting my arousal to a fever pitch.

  He draws my bottom lip into his mouth, biting down and pulling away.

  I hum with my eyes closed, “Mmm,” before he turns me around so I’m facing the car.

  He pushes my back forward, bending me over the trunk and entering me again.

  I can’t hold in my scream. “Ahh, yes.”

  This new angle allows him to penetrate me deeper. He growls and thrusts harder, bringing his mouth next to my ear, his panting breaths fanning against my overheated skin.

  “You’re mine.”

  I yell, “Yes!” and the breeze carries my voice away.

  His wolf bleeds through his gravelly voice. “I need to hear it. Say you're mine’”

  “I'm yours.”

  He thrusts home and bites down on the tender area between my neck and shoulder. Pain and pleasure intermingle as another orgasm explodes through me and he yells out his release at the same time.

  My body slumps forward on the trunk, not able to move a muscle. Then, something pops inside of me and strength returns to me.

  Drake separates us, helping me off the car and into my clothes while raining kisses all over me.

  “Thank you,” he whispers into my hair. He pulls his jeans up, tucking himself in and buttoning them. His brown glow has become stronger. What the hell are these colors I keep seeing?

  I can’t stop the smile on my mouth. “For what? Shouldn’t I be thanking you?”

  He wraps his arms around me, our connection buzzing. The feeling of being more complete resonates within me, but there’s still something missing.

  We stare into each other’s eyes, a happiness shining from his that I haven’t seen before. “For trusting me with you. You won’t regret it.”

  We arrive at Mia’s relaxed and comfortable.

  I use the spare key she gave me a couple days ago to let myself in.

  “Mia,” I call out from the foyer.

  She peeks her head out of the kitchen, a smile lighting up her face. Her braids are gone, and her hair is now a beautiful ‘fro. When the hell did she have time to do that?

  “Hey, girl. Did you have fun last night?” Her question trails off as Drake steps in behind me, her eyes taking him in. Her eyebrows furrow and she places a hand on her jutted hip, but I cut her off before she can say anything.

  “I’m going to grab my things.” I turn my head to look at him standing there with his hands in his pockets.

  Mia walks over to us, checking him out. A pink hue surrounds her. That’s weird.

  The green-eyed monster grips me by the throat. I don’t want her looking at him.

  “This is Drake.” I glance at him to find his eyes locked on me. Warmth spreads through my chest at the hunger darkening his eyes, causing my jealousy to recede a little.

  “Nice to meet you. She’ll be right down,” she tells him as she drags me upstairs and into my room, then closes the door behind her. “Spill. That hunky man downstairs is not the sexy man you left with last night. Did you sleep with both of them?”

  I begin gathering the few things I brought with me. I pick up my phone, plug it in, and turn it back on. As it powers on, I chastise her. “Shhh, he might hear you.”

  “Pfft, we’re behind a closed door.” Her mouth drops open. “You did, hussy. You go, girl.” A smile lights up her face.

  “Shut up,” I whisper. I’m not sure if he can hear us from downstairs, but I can hear him moving around.

  There’s a low growling sound, and Mia stops moving. “What was that?”

  Shit. Drake heard her asking about Oren. “What? I didn’t hear anything.” I shrug my shoulders, grabbing my phone from the night stand as it starts pinging, alerting me to missed text messages and voicemails.

  She walks over and cracks the door. After closing it again and facing me, her eyebrow raises. “Don’t think you’re getting out of telling me.”

  I chuckle. “Wouldn’t dream of it. But, later.”

  “Fine. Are you leaving me already? I like having you around.” She pouts.

  “Yes, but we can still hang out. Drake is giving me a job at his office. The hours will be better, and I’ll be able to do more than just exist.”

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you. We better get you back down to that fine-ass man.”

  I pick up all my things, throw the charger in my bag, and swipe my finger across the screen. Holy shit. There are over two hundred messages between Drake and Eli. I'll read Drake's later. The ones from Eli are calling to me.

  The most recent one is so unlike him, I have to read it several times.

  Please contact me, Rose. I need you.

  A gasp leaves my lips, and Drake is in front of me before I take another step.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Staring at me, Drake’s face has concern etched all over it. “What’s wrong?”

  I glance back down, rereading the text once more. “It’s Eli. Something’s wrong.”

  He huffs. “He pulls shit like this all the time. Don’t worry about it.”

  That sounds about right, but something does feel off now. It’s not like I would be able to tell something like that, though, right? “Yeah, you’re right.”

  Grabbing my stuff, he leans over and kisses me on the cheek. “Come on. Let’s go shopping.”

  Mia glances at him and back at me. “That fine-ass man wants to go shopping with you? Girl, you need to teach me some tricks.”

  I burst out laughing and follow Drake down the stairs.

  He opens the door for me and waits as I walk past him.

  How did I ever go this long without him and the others? Whoa. Why did I include Oren and Eli? It’s not like I’ll ever see Oren again. That was just a mind-blowing night that I would love to repeat again. Oh, dear God. Why am I having those thoughts after just having amazing sex with Drake?

  Mia stands at the door, w
atching Drake help me in the car. “If you don’t want him, I’ll take him off your hands.”

  Oh, hell no. There is no way in hell that will ever happen. “Nope, he’s all mine.”

  He leans into me before shutting the door. “That’s damn right.” He kisses my lips, making me yearn for more.

  I lean closer toward him, unable to stop myself.

  Chuckling, he pulls back. “I would love to have another round, but I don’t think this is the right place.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I lick my lips. “That’s what you said earlier.”

  His amber eyes glow, promising me more. “Don’t worry. We’ll make up for lost time tonight.”

  I quiver under his watchful eyes.

  Grinning, he kisses me once again and stands, walking around to the driver’s seat.

  Once we pull out, he drives us toward the mall.

  I can’t get Eli out of my head. What if there is something wrong? Despite him being a jackass and the fact that we dislike each other, I can’t deny there is something between us. He comes across as a little unhinged and uptight. When he first texted, he was being his normal asshole self and throwing a tantrum, but now, he almost seems desperate.

  Squeezing my hand, Drake cuts his eyes to me. “You okay?”

  Forcing a smile, I gaze back at him. “Yeah, never been better.”

  He intertwines our fingers. “Don’t lie to me.”

  I lean my head back against the headrest. “I’m worried about Eli.”

  Stiffening, he takes a deep breath and lets it out. “Okay, after we pick you up some clothes, we will run by his office and check on him.”

  This man must really care for me to offer that. I wish I’d had him by my side eight years ago.

  He pulls up at Macy’s and parks the car.

  He must be kidding me. There is no way I can afford anything in there.

  Getting out of the car, he walks to my side and opens my door.

  “Why are we here?” I’m not kidding. I can’t afford anything here.

  He puts his fingers to his lips. “To buy you some clothes.”

  I shake my head. “Nope, we need to go somewhere else. Is there a Forever 21 or something like that around here?”

  Leaning down, he brushes my lips once more. “We already agreed you’ll pay me back at a later date.” He takes my hand and pulls me up, putting his forehead against mine. “You’re my mate in all ways now. Let me do this for you. Please.”

  How can I say no to that? I stand on my tiptoes and capture his mouth. “Fine, but I’ll pay you back.”

  Growling, he pulls me against him. “Don’t worry. You will tonight.”

  I giggle and press myself even more against him. “Promises, promises.”

  He kisses my neck and places his hand underneath my shirt.

  Unease filters through me, and my heart picks up speed. I take a step back and glance behind me.

  His eyes begin searching the area. “Something wrong?”

  Turning toward him, I nod. “Something feels off. Can we go inside?”

  “Of course.” He takes my hand, and we walk into the department store.

  Marching us to the women’s section, he helps me pick out several outfits.

  Before long, I have piles of clothes being held between him and me. There are twenty different business outfits that consist of skirts and dresses, along with a few business suits. In addition, he’s piled on several small dresses and casual day outfits.

  A saleswoman approaches and blatantly checks out Drake, eyeing him like a piece of candy.

  Oh, hell no. I put my clothes in her hands and walk over to him, stepping up on my tiptoes and brushing my lips against his.

  He groans and drops some clothes on the ground, reaching out to pull me closer.

  The lady clears her throat and begins picking up the clothes that were thrown on the floor. “How about I get you set up in a dressing room?”

  Pulling away, I smile at her. “Yeah, thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

  As she walks away, Drake chuckles. “I need to make you jealous more often.”

  I stick my tongue out at him and move to follow her.

  But he holds me still. “You know I’d never look at another woman now, right?”

  His words bring me comfort, but I’m also wracked with guilt. I want to make the same promise to him, but two other men keep popping up in my thoughts. “You better not.”

  He cups his hand on my cheek. “Never. You’re it for me.”

  Why does he have to be so damn perfect? He deserves someone better than me. Someone not confused and hardened. “You’re too good to me.”

  Taking my hand, he wraps his arm around me. “I can never be too good to you.”

  That’s not true at all. However, I’m selfish enough not to push it.

  The lady walks out and shows me to the dressing room.

  After trying on all the outfits, we leave with at least five bags of clothes plus five pairs of shoes he talked me into.

  Walking out to the car, the unease prickles my senses again, but I ignore it. My imagination must be going wild.

  We stuff all the bags into his vehicle and exit the parking lot. He turns the car toward downtown and takes my hand. “I sure hope you know what you’re getting us into.”

  Yeah, I’m not sure, but something is wrong. I can feel it.

  After a few minutes, we pull up at one of the largest buildings off Peachtree. We pull into a parking garage on the side and into a reserved parking lot. The name Silver and Associates is across the curb.

  I glance at him. “Are we going to get towed?”

  He chuckles and runs his hand through his hair. “That’s my company. That’s crazy. We’re mated, and you don’t even know my last name.”

  My eyes widen. “Oh, this is where I’ll work?”

  “Yeah.” He grabs my hand. “Unfortunately, the vampires are just down the hall. Let’s go check on him and get home. There are some things that need to be tended to.” He gazes down at my body.

  Well, yes, there are.

  We get out of the car and walk inside.

  He leads the way, and we walk past a door labeled with his company name. Walking down a little farther, he stops us at a door that has no name on it.

  Drake opens the door, and we walk into a reception area.

  The receptionist is gorgeous. She has long, wavy auburn hair, dark eyes, and pale skin. “Ugh, who called the mutts in?”

  I step around him. “Sorry to intrude, but is Eli available?”

  She raises an eyebrow, looking me up and down. “What’s it to you?”

  Footsteps can be heard in the hallway. They are sluggish but steady.

  Drake comes up beside me and wraps his arm around my waist.

  Eli appears from the hallway, his green eyes meeting mine. A small smile lifts his lips before it falls. “You came, thank God.”

  His skin is scaly, and his green eyes look sunken in.

  What the fuck is wrong with him?

  He takes my hand, bringing it to his mouth, and places a kiss on the back of it, electricity coursing through his touch. “Please, help me.”

  Drake growls. “Get your hand and lips off of my mate.”

  The receptionist gets up. “Eli, stop acting desperate. Just go feed on someone. You can’t feed on this mutt’s mate.”

  Eli turns around and slams her into the wall. “Don’t get involved with shit you don’t understand. She’s the only one I can feed from.”

  Eyes glowing, Drake steps in between us, growling. “That’s bullshit. She’s mine. My wolf has claimed her.”

  Stalking forward, Eli gets in Drake’s face. “Don’t you think I’ve tried feeding off other people? Do you think it brings me enjoyment to get to this point? I can only drink from her.”

  What the hell is going on, and why the fuck do I want him to feed off me? It’s so strange, but that’s exactly what I want. The need to do it has me stepping in between their standoff. “Ok
ay. I’ll let him.”

  Drake spins around me. “No, Rose. You can’t.”

  I tap his chest and end up pushing him clear across the room and into the wall. Shit! What did I just do? I race over to him. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

  He gets up, his forehead wrinkled. “How the hell did you do that?”

  I shrug. “I have no clue, but I just meant to make a point.”

  Eli reaches for my hand. “Please, I can’t go on like this much longer without feeding.”

  “Okay, but not here.”

  He sighs and nods. “Let’s go to my office.”

  Drake growls. “Like hell, you are.”

  I turn and place my hands on my hip. “I’m going to help him, and you’re going to deal with it. I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”

  Stepping toward me, he glares at Eli. “Then, I’m coming with you.”

  Oh, hell no. Not if it’s going to feel like last time. The last thing I want is him in that room. “No, I’ll call you if I need help.”

  He runs his hands down his face. “Why the hell am I agreeing to this?”

  “Because I’m telling you that’s what I’m going to do.”

  The receptionist huffs. “What the hell is so important about her? I’ve never seen you fight over anyone.”

  Eli takes my hand and pulls me into the hallway.

  The last thing I see is Drake’s hurt and disapproving face.

  There’s no explanation, but I need to do this. I can’t let Eli go on like this much longer. Seeing him in this condition bothers me.

  Eli stops at the door furthest away from the main door. He opens it and walks in, pulling me behind him.

  The office is huge. There is an oversized black leather couch, a dark cherry coffee table in front of it, facing a flat-screen TV mounted to the adjacent wall. A huge, red mahogany desk sits on the other side of the room overlooking the city, like a king observing his subjects.

  He sits on the couch and motions for me to sit beside him. The buttery soft leather molds to my body, and I have to stop the sigh of appreciation from leaving my lips.

  The last time he bit me springs to my mind. Will it feel that good again? I sure hope so.