“I’m sure it will be perfect,” she assured him. She set her laptop on the coffee table. “Thank you.”
She was a vision of pure loveliness wearing her simple sweater and jeans. She wore no makeup, but she didn’t need any. Her skin was smooth and supple. Her lips a rosy pink that begged to be kissed.
“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” Not exactly smooth, but if he didn’t get his mind off sex, he was going to do something stupid. Like strip her naked so he could kiss her from head to toe.
“Or something,” she echoed. She touched her fingers to his jaw. It was rough with stubble, since he hadn’t shaved since this morning.
“I’m trying not to rush you,” he reminded her.
“I appreciate that.” She let her fingers trail down his throat. “I really do. But maybe we could kiss a little more. I really enjoy that.”
She was killing him. She might be experienced in many ways, but in others she was an innocent. “I enjoy it, too.” Best to be honest. “But, Elise, I want to do a lot more than just kiss.”
She swallowed, and her delicate throat rippled. “I’d like that, too. I’m not sure just how far I can push things, but I’d like to try.”
“I’d like that, too.” There was a big picture window in the living room, and the drapes were wide open, leaving them exposed to whoever might come by. Not that he was expecting anyone to drop by this time of night, but whoever was out on patrol might swing by to check on Elise.
“We should either close the drapes or go to the other room.” Her bedroom to be exact. He didn’t want to pressure her, but the last thing he wanted was someone walking in on them.
Elise chewed on her bottom lip. “You’re right.” She stood and held out her hand. He was going to let her take the lead. If she was willing, he wanted to touch her with his hands and mouth. He wanted to learn every hill and hollow of her body before he brought her pleasure.
His erection punched against the front of his jeans. He did his best to ignore the reminder that he wasn’t going to get inside Elise, not yet.
He took her hand and followed her. They paused long enough for her to turn off the lights. The moonlight reflected off the snow and shone through the window, lending an ethereal glow to the space. Even though the interior was no longer lit, he knew it wouldn’t be difficult for a werewolf to still see inside.
Mikhail wouldn’t truly relax until they were in Elise’s bedroom with the door closed. He doubted any of the pack members made it a habit to look through her bedroom window.
They made it as far as the hallway before his resolve faltered. Elise looked mystical and magical with her long braid draped over one breast and her pale skin glowing in the moonlight. Like some pagan goddess whose mere presence demanded she be worshiped.
He turned them so her back was against the wall. She startled but didn’t object. He placed his hands flat against the wall and murmured her name before he bent down and kissed her. With the light and other distractions gone, the only thing he could see, hear, touch, taste, or smell was Elise.
The faintest scent of flowers tickled his nostrils, but beneath it was a delicate hint of arousal. He ran his fingertips over her cheek, marveling at the softness. She gave a tiny gasp when he trailed biting little kisses over her bottom lip. She tasted sweet and warm.
His blood pounded through his veins. Every muscle coiled for action. The bedroom was only steps away, but the distance seemed almost insurmountable.
“Mikhail.” His big body shuddered when she said his name.
Chapter Thirteen
Elise was surrounded by Mikhail—his body caged hers against the wall and his masculine scent surrounded her. Where once that would have frightened her, now she savored the experience. Her body was alive with sensation. Her breasts fuller. Heavier. And her nipples puckered and pressed against the cups of her bra. An ache filled her lower body, and she knew her panties were damp.
For years, she’d assumed she was sexually cold. Defective. She’d never had the slightest urge to have sex with her former husband, or with any other male werewolf for that matter. Those feelings had lain dormant until she’d met Mikhail.
That was frightening for a woman who’d survived the abuse she had. She wanted no man having that kind of power over her. But oh, how good it felt.
He kissed her jaw and nuzzled her ear. “What are you thinking? We can always go back out to the living room.” He flicked his tongue over the whorl of her ear, sending goose bumps down her neck and arms.
She’d feel safer on the sofa. Although that wasn’t logical. They could have sex there as well as they could in her bedroom.
“Elise?” Mikhail started to move away. She grabbed a handful of his shirt and stopped him.
She could do this. She wanted to do this. It had been her idea in the first place. “Bedroom.” The last thing she wanted was one of the others looking in her window while they were out on patrol. Or maybe even stopping by.
With the lights off, she hoped they’d assume she was asleep. She wanted this time alone with Mikhail.
He dropped his forehead against hers and sighed. “Okay, but promise me you’ll let me know if you change your mind?”
This really wasn’t fair to him. “Are you sure you haven’t changed your mind?” After all, she was eager one minute and hesitant the next.
“Never.” He scooped her into his arms and carried her the short distance to her room. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, assuring herself he wasn’t going to toss her aside, wasn’t going to hurt her.
He set her down on the pink bench at the end of the bed, knelt in front of her, and took her chilled hands in his. “There’s only one rule when we’re together.”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “What’s that?” Even kneeling on the floor didn’t diminish Mikhail’s size or presence. If anything, it emphasized just how large a man he was.
“Pleasure.” He lifted one of her feet and slipped off her slipper and sock. “Everything we do together has to make you feel good.” He set her foot back on the floor and lifted the other one. “If it doesn’t, you tell me, and I’ll stop.” He tossed her second slipper and sock aside.
Elise curled her toes against the rug that covered part of the floor. “What if you like something and I don’t?”
Mikhail cupped her face in one big hand. “If you don’t like it, then it will bring me no pleasure,” he assured her.
She wanted to believe him so badly she ached. “Okay.”
“If all we do is lie on the bed, hold one another, and talk, that’s fine with me.”
“You want to do more than just talk.” She’d seen the bulge in the front of his jeans and felt it when he’d pressed her against the wall in the hallway.
“I do.” His honesty helped her relax, making some of her tension bleed away. He ran his hands down her shoulders and arms before linking their fingers together. “But we have time, Elise. However long it takes.”
“And if I never get there?” That was a very real concern for her.
“You will.” He sounded so certain. She wished she had his confidence. He stood and tugged her to her feet. “One step at a time, baby.”
The rough tone of his voice echoed inside her, and her wolf stretched her neck and preened. No need to ask the creature how she felt about Mikhail. Elise drew confidence from her wolf. “What next?”
He released her hands, reached for the hem of her sweater, and waited until she nodded before raising it up. He didn’t immediately reach for her bra. Instead, he just looked at her.
“Lovely.”
He’d given her more compliments in the short time they’d known one another than she’d received in her entire life. She wasn’t sure she quite trusted them, except she sensed the truth behind them. Whether or not she believed them, he did.
It was time for her to stop being so passive. “My turn.” She hardly recognized her own voice. It was low and sultry.
“I’m all yours.” Mikhail held his
arms loosely by his sides, making no effort to control the situation.
Elise took a deep breath and tugged his shirt up. He ducked so she could pull it off. She made a small humming sound in the back of her throat. The snow outside the window reflected the moonlight, illuminating the room. With her enhanced vision, she could see every ripple and hollow of his chest and stomach.
Like every male werewolf, he was strong. But no other male made her skin feel warm and way too tight. Only Mikhail.
“Like what you see?”
“Very much.” He sucked in a breath when she touched the center of his chest. He might seem calm, but his heart was beating heavily. His skin was warm, almost hot. Muscles rippled beneath her palms as she traced his pectoral muscles and then his abs. He sucked in his stomach when she circled his belly button with her forefinger.
“Now it’s my turn again.” His voice was a deep rumble as he reached around her back and found the closure of her bra. He didn’t unhook it. She realized he was waiting for her agreement.
“Yes.” She barely had the word out when her bra loosened. Mikhail drew the plain white straps down her arms and dropped the garment to the floor.
He slid his hands around to the front, hovering just below her bare breasts. Her heart raced, and she was finding it hard to breathe. Finally, she could take the wait no longer. She grabbed one of his hands and lifted it to cover her.
They both groaned at the contact. It was as good as she remembered. Better. He palmed both mounds, massaging them gently. Heat blossomed in her chest and, like slow-running molasses, followed a path down to her core.
“You’re so soft.” He ran his thumb around one of her nipples without touching it. “I have to taste you.” He leaned forward and captured the hard tip with his mouth and tongue.
Elise drifted on a cloud of sensual delight. She ran her fingers through his silky hair, enjoying the way it caressed her skin. His shoulders were hard and his biceps rippled with barely contained power.
He gave her nipple one final flick of his tongue before he eased away. The air was cool after the heat from his mouth, adding another layer to the erotic caress. “I want you naked.”
His blunt statement had her flashing hot and then cold. The bed was right beside them. She could climb under the covers and not be totally exposed. “All right.” She reached for the fastening of her jeans.
Mikhail shook his head and covered her hand with his. “Let me. Please.”
She let her hands fall away and waited. He undid the metal button and peeled down the zipper. Every sound seemed amplified, from the brush of his fingers over her jeans to the way her breath quickened when he pulled the garment down her legs.
He took her underwear with the pants, leaving her feeling very exposed. She sat down hard on the bed when her legs could no longer hold her. He used that to his advantage, tugging both her jeans and panties away.
Elise didn’t hesitate. She yanked down the covers and crawled beneath them. Mikhail towered over the bed, a large, powerful presence. Yet the shiver that raced through her wasn’t one of fear. It was anticipation.
“Elise?”
Once again, he was awaiting her decision. If she invited him to her bed, anything could happen. She knew that. Yet he’d promised her whatever happened would be her choice.
It all boiled down to trust. Did she trust Mikhail’s word?
She swallowed back the fear that threatened to rise up and destroy the moment. She wasn’t about to allow the past or her ex to control her any longer. She wanted Mikhail. Wanted to know what it would feel like for their entire bodies to touch, to be skin to skin with nothing between them. She wanted to touch him and have him touch her in return. She wanted to take it as far as she could. And then she wanted to go a bit farther.
He was right. They would make love eventually. Maybe not tonight, but someday. As long as he was patient with her, it would happen.
She took a deep breath and took a leap of faith. “Why don’t you take off your jeans and climb into bed.”
…
Every muscle in Mikhail’s body was taut with anticipation. This was the most difficult battle of his life, and all his brute strength would do him no good. His wolf howled inside him, the creature more than ready to lay claim to what he already considered his.
He took one deep breath and then another. He needed to gain some control so he didn’t just jump into bed and ravish Elise. The last thing he ever wanted was to do something that would cause her to look at him in fear.
That would kill him.
When she told him to take off his jeans and climb into bed, he felt as though he’d won a major victory. He forced himself to slowly remove them, when what he really wanted to do was yank them off in two seconds flat.
He barely had the zipper down when his cock burst free from its confinement. Male werewolves rarely wore underwear. It made it much easier to shift in a hurry without them.
Elise had the covers pulled up around her, more to cover her from his view than from the cold. The room was warm and cozy for a cold winter’s night. It would be even cozier when he climbed into bed beside her.
He slid the rough denim down his thighs and kicked it off. Then he tugged off his socks. Naked, he stood beside the bed and let her look her fill.
Her gaze strayed down his chest to his erection. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look away.
“Pleasure,” he reminded her. “This is all about you feeling good.”
Elise nodded and then flipped down the covers on the other side of the bed. He would much rather take the position by the door. His protective instincts demanded it. Instead, he walked around the bed and slid in beside her.
The slight chill of the sheets helped cool his skin, but it did nothing to dampen his need for the woman beside him. He turned onto his side to face her and propped his head up on his hand. She lay flat on her back and stared up at him.
Anticipation and fear warred in her beautiful eyes. He wanted to see them glazed with pleasure.
He reached out with his free hand and slowly tugged the covers down to her waist. She relaxed when he made no move to take them lower. Patience was key to winning this woman.
And Mikhail always played to win.
He palmed one of her full breasts, massaging it and teasing the nipple with his thumb. Elise closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. She was the most sensual woman he’d ever known. There was nothing calculated about her responses. They were natural and real.
His cock throbbed as heavily as his heart pounded. He leaned down and found her lips with his. She parted them, and he slipped his tongue inside. Like an addict, he couldn’t get enough.
He kissed her for a long time, enjoying the taste and texture of her mouth, the plumpness of her bottom lip, and the way she gasped when he nipped it. He worked his way lower, licking her collarbone and then her breasts. Her nipples were still tight little buds, and he couldn’t resist sucking them.
Her legs moved restlessly against the sheets, and she dug her fingers into his hair. A fine sheen of sweat covered both their bodies. Their temperatures naturally ran higher than that of a human. Now he was burning up with desire.
Taking a chance, Mikhail kissed a path down her torso to her waist. He ran the flat of his tongue over her belly button. She sucked in a breath but didn’t stop him. He eased the covers down to her knees and inhaled her sweet scent. Elise was very aroused.
He sensed her tension. As much as he wanted to delve between her thighs, he pressed his lips to her upper thigh. He nipped at her hip bone and stroked his fingers over her belly.
His cock was ready to explode. He pressed it hard against the mattress and did his best to ignore the throbbing ache.
Elise gradually began to relax, and her legs finally parted. Mikhail ran his hand up the inside of her thigh, enjoying the silky softness. His fingers itched to touch the plump pink flesh at the apex.
She slowly lifted one of her legs so it was bent with her foot flat on the mattress
. It was the invitation he’d been waiting for. He kicked the covers off the bed and slid between her thighs. The friction of the sheets against his shaft almost made him come. Only the promise of tasting Elise kept him from spilling himself. He didn’t want to do anything that might break her mood.
He ran his hands up the insides of her thighs and opened her wider. The sweet, musky perfume of her arousal washed over him. He growled and lowered his head. He had to taste her.
He licked up one side of her moist pink folds and then down the other. Ambrosia. He was a man who enjoyed a woman’s pleasure. Only an idiot didn’t. But making Elise come, giving her a beautiful sexual experience was what he most wanted. And it was because of who she was.
She was the woman he loved.
She sucked in a breath, and her thighs tightened around him, but she didn’t push him away. He found the hard kernel of pleasure at the apex and flicked it with his tongue. Her hips undulated toward him, and she made the sweetest moan of pleasure.
Mikhail growled and eased one thick finger into her core. She closed around it like a wet vise. He sucked and licked at her clit and slick folds. She was getting wetter by the second. He was drowning in her scent.
He slid his finger in and out, picking up the pace as she began to rock against his hand, silently demanding he go faster. She dug her nails into his scalp and tugged on his hair. She gasped and writhed, getting closer and closer to the edge.
He pushed a second finger into her hot depths. When her orgasm swept her away, she cried out his name. Mikhail lost himself in the sweet sound and fragrance of her pleasure. She rippled around his fingers, coating them in her juices. Her scent deepened and grew richer. He licked at it, letting the unique flavor coat his tongue. He paid attention to her reactions and only let up when he sensed she’d reached her limits.
He removed his fingers from her core and placed soft kisses on her inner thighs. His blood was practically boiling, and his shaft was more swollen than it had ever been. He carefully rolled onto his back and pulled himself up onto the pillows beside Elise.
Wolf of her Own_Salvation Series Page 11
