“It’s not unheard of, though. Right?”
“I guess not. A very bad case of the flu could knock someone out for twice as long…”
“Exactly. Make the call now, and I’ll go and get us both some more coffee.” Without waiting for a reply, Evander got up off the bed and left the room.
Clara’s colleague sounded mildly puzzled, but understanding enough. “You just rest up,” he said, “you’ve been working too hard as it is. Come back when you feel better.”
Clara thanked him and hung up, wondering bleakly whether she’d ever even speak to him again.
She let herself fall back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling, tears once again prickling the backs of her eyes. Gods, she was turning into such a crybaby! But then, didn’t she have reason to feel devastated?
It was like Evander’s claiming bite had broken a dam in so many ways. Not only would it completely change the trajectory of her life, but she felt different, too. More emotional. More vulnerable.
More like an Omega.
Was that even possible? For the umpteenth time, she wondered what Saskia had been about to say when they’d been interrupted, and vowed to find a way to talk to her again.
“Here, sweetness.” Evander held out a steaming mug and Clara sat up and took it, sipping the coffee gratefully.
“Thank you.”
“Did they accept your sickness excuse at work?”
“It sounded like it. They had no reason not to. I still felt bad for lying to them, though.”
“I get that. I don’t often take any time off, either.”
She felt a small smile tug at her lips. “I still don’t know what you do.”
He gave her a devastating grin. “I’m in construction.”
“A builder?” She was surprised. He looked like he’d be more at home in an office setting.
“A surveyor.”
“Oh.”
Reaching out, he caressed her bare shin, the contact of his palm on her skin sending tingles through her lower belly. “I’m an open book for you, Clara. I want to learn everything there is to know about you, and I want you to know everything about me. There’s nothing you can’t ask me.”
“All right. I’ll bear that in mind.”
His hand crept higher, grazing her knee and sliding up her thigh. “Gods, my cock is still sore but I want you again.”
Her body responded with a gush of liquid warmth between her legs. “After last night, I never thought I’d ever want to do it again, and you’re not the only one who’s sore…” she admitted.
“Do you still believe you’ll never want to do it again?” His fingertip had found her clit and was stroking it with a feather-light touch, barely grazing her most sensitive spot.
Clara gasped at the sudden pleasure. “No,” she conceded, “but I’m still sore.”
He increased the pressure just a tiny amount, a dark hunger entering his eyes. “Sore enough to opt out, or just sore enough for me to go easy on you?”
With a trembling hand, she set the mug down and reached for him. Already she was wet and aching for more of his touch. He truly was like a drug—while she knew it might hurt her, she couldn’t stop craving it. “Go easy,” she whispered.
“I was hoping you would say that,” he growled. The next moment, he had wrapped her hair around his fist and tugged her face to his, tilting it so he could crush his lips against hers.
As his tongue slipped into her mouth and his intoxicating scent set her entire body alight, Clara melted.
When she was with Evander, giving in to her most base, primal instincts, he dominated her every thought—she forgot all her worries, her fears, her cares. Her mind went quiet.
And right now, all she wanted to do was forget.
By rights, Evander should be getting some sleep—at least, that’s what the rational part of his brain told him. But as always, the slightest touch of Clara’s skin had been enough to give him an erection of steel, and even though he hadn’t lied when he’d told her his cock was raw, somehow he couldn’t resist the thought of taking her again.
Strangely, it wasn’t just the sexual satisfaction he craved. It was deeper than that, the feeling of being closer to her than he’d ever been to anyone before.
When it came to his little Omega, every inch of space between them was an inch too much.
He’d already brought her to one swift, shuddering climax using only his fingertip and then, having divested them both of their clothing, he was now balls-deep in her slick heat, lying on top of her, kissing her until they both had to come up for air and then slanting his mouth back over hers.
She had her eyes closed, her long, dark lashes sweeping her milky skin, and she was whimpering softly, giving those little mewls of pleasure which served to drive him out of his mind.
He’d been fucking her with long, slow thrusts, but her comment about being sore down there kept rising back to the forefront of his mind. Remembering her reaction to his hints the previous night, he withdrew carefully—loving the way she gave a little gasp of protest—and rolled her over, tugging her perfect, curved hips up until she was on her knees.
“Let’s give that sweet little cunt of yours a break, shall we?” he said, his fingertip already sliding in circles around her clit.
She let out a groan and a tiny spurt of cream gushed into his palm. Again, he marveled at how responsive she was to everything—his crude words and rough hand seemed only to heighten her desire.
“I seem to remember promising to fuck you here…” Gathering some of her slick, still stroking her stiff little nubbin with his left hand, he worked to lubricate the tight, puckered hole of her ass with his right before sliding his finger in up to the first knuckle.
Clara buried her face in her forearms and let out a guttural moan which went straight to Evander’s groin and made his stiff, dripping cock jerk.
“There we go… just relax it, sweetness, concentrate on this—” he flicked her clit and she gasped, “—and trust me. Do you trust me?”
Her plump buttocks trembled and he saw she was nodding against her arms.
“Good girl.” He slowly slid his finger all the way inside her puckered asshole, marveling at how tight she was, and for a moment, he wondered whether he’d even be able to fit. Deciding she needed to relax a little more first, he worked his finger back and forth, then withdrew the digit.
“Arch your back…” he ordered.
She did as she was told and he gripped her ass cheeks with both hands, spreading them apart, taking a deep breath and admiring the view.
Her plump labia were parted, glistening with her slick, and her clit stood to rigid attention. Suddenly desperate for the taste, Evander bent and placed the flat of his tongue against the stiff bundle of nerves, rubbing it back and forth before licking all the way up, over her dripping cunt, and dipping into her rosette.
The sound she made almost made him lose control but he ignored his throbbing, aching cock and did it again, licking her from her clit right up to her asshole in one long sweep.
Her pussy contracted once, then opened again, and he noticed her thighs were trembling.
Evander repeated the movement over and over, licking her faster and faster, her slick exploding on his taste buds as he used his tongue to coat her entire sex with it, from the stiff bud at the apex of her cunt right up to the hole he was planning to fuck.
Clara was barely making a sound but he knew she was close. His heart pounding, barely able to restrain himself at the thought of taking her ass, he bent his head and focused on her clit, lapping at it with short, firm strokes until she let out a howl and came, her spread pussy contracting hard as more slick seeped out to coat his tongue.
No longer able to hold back, Evander moved fast. While she was still coming, he plunged his cock inside her cunt once to get it nice and wet, then positioned the tip at her asshole.
Gripping her hips to hold her steady, he began to work himself inside that tight, most private hole, the blood
roaring in his ears as he felt her stretch around him.
“You can take this,” he growled, “just relax for me, sweetness… atta girl.”
Not even her virginal cunt had gripped his shaft tighter, and he had to go even slower than he had anticipated, but gods, the velvet heat and mere thought of taking her there were already enough to make his balls tighten with the beginnings of his climax.
Forcing himself to concentrate, lest he lose control too early, he reached down and found her clit once more.
Still sensitive from her last orgasm, she bucked at the first stroke, her movement serving to impale her completely on his cock.
“Fuck!” Evander roared, driving his hips forward with such force, her thighs gave way and she collapsed onto the bed with him on top of her, still balls-deep inside her ass.
He lay there for a moment, breathing hard, relishing the way her smooth buttocks felt against his skin, the soft silk of her hair tickling his nose, her sweet, musky scent, and of course, the tight, slick heat of her most private hole.
“Don’t move,” he whispered, his heart pounding. “Gods, you feel so good. I never knew anything could feel so good.”
She let out a little sigh and reached out to clasp his hand, twining her fingers with his.
Taking that as a sign to continue, he began to move, thrusting in short, slow digs.
On her belly beneath him, Clara spread her thighs and moaned softly.
“Do you like this?” he growled. “Having my cock deep in your tight little asshole?”
“Yes.” It sounded more like a sigh.
“Lift your hips up for me, just a little.”
As soon as she did what he’d asked, he slipped one hand underneath them both until he was cupping her sodden sex. Clara groaned as her clit made contact with his palm.
“Think you can come one more time? For me?” he said gruffly.
She moaned. “Yes. Please.”
Evander began to thrust once more, pulling her against him with the hand between her spread legs. Her swollen nub felt like a honeyed marble against his palm as it slid back and forth with each thrust.
She let out a garbled cry and gushed, and at first he thought she was coming already but then he realized he had knotted, stretching her ass even further.
Moving his hand faster to compensate, he was gratified when she began to hump his palm rhythmically, jerking herself back and forth on his cock in short, quick digs.
Biting his lip, he let her take over and set the pace, trembling with the effort to hold back his own climax. Without even thinking about it, Evander began to growl, the sound vibrating through them both, and it tipped Clara over the edge.
With a ragged cry, she ground herself against his hand once, twice, and then one last time before he felt her come, squeezing his cock with uncontrollable spasms.
He climaxed with a roar, shooting a seemingly endless load deep inside her most private hole, pumping hard over and over again until she had finally ceased trembling and her asshole had stopped milking his shaft.
They both slumped on the bed, spent and sated. Evander’s heart was pounding so loudly, he could hear it. His hand, trapped beneath her body, was still cupping her sex, his palm filled with slick.
When, after a while, she hadn’t moved, hadn’t said anything, didn’t even appear to be breathing, he squeezed once, hard, and she gave a yelp.
Evander chuckled and kissed her shoulder. “Gods, Clara, that was fucking amazing. I love you.”
The words had slipped out without any coherent thought on his part and he closed his eyes, glad he was behind her so she couldn’t see his face. Not wanting her to feel any kind of pressure to respond, he quickly continued, “Can you breathe, or do we need to roll over?”
“I’m fine,” she said. Then, “Just please don’t squeeze my pussy again. At least for the next little while.”
“Done,” he said. “In fact, if you raise your hips a bit…” He did the same, moving with her until she had lifted off the bed enough for him to withdraw his hand.
As they settled back down, his mind was racing. Had he just said that purely in a state of post-coital bliss, or did he really mean it?
Just then, Clara gave a soft sigh of contentment and wriggled beneath him as if snuggling up to him even more.
Evander’s heart squeezed with affection as he realized he’d meant it.
He loved her… with every fiber of his being.
Already.
Chapter Eleven
Clara was astounded at how fast she had grown accustomed to Evander’s presence in her apartment. Forced into hiding—at least until they were able to come up with some kind of plan—she was now dependent on him in a way she had never been on anybody before.
They’d spent the entire first day after he’d claimed her in bed… talking, laughing, dozing, and making love, of course.
She’d learned that he had one sister, also an Alpha, who lived with their parents in another city. That he’d first met and befriended Arius when they’d attended school together, and that he hated any kind of white sauce in food.
She’d also learned that she quite liked being in his company even when they weren’t indulging in one another’s bodies, and that he threw his head back and roared with infectious laughter whenever he found something funny.
In fact, on the second day, when he’d returned to work, she’d spent most of the morning in bed feeling inexplicably sad; craving his touch, his scent, his mere presence.
She had heard him say that he loved her in that intense, powerful moment after he’d taken her in the most intimate way, but she’d been so shocked, she hadn’t known how to react, and then he’d swiftly changed the subject, as if he regretted having said it.
Had he meant it? They’d only just met… could he really love her so soon?
Or was it just the hormones talking?
Unwilling to look inside herself and examine her own feelings about Evander, she’d simply lived from moment to moment since that fateful morning after the claiming. It was almost as if she was now existing in a warm, cozy cocoon which the real world couldn’t penetrate. And since thinking about real world problems threatened to burst her contented bubble, she’d avoided doing that—including figuring out what to do when, inevitably, her week off ended and she had to face her colleagues, her responsibilities… and, of course, her father.
When Evander had returned home from work, she’d thrown herself into his arms, giggling when he nuzzled her neck and covered her face with kisses.
As well as the physical reaction he invoked in her, he made her feel so many things… excited, optimistic, giddy, cherished, and comforted. Regardless of what he was doing, whether he was deep inside her and growling, or simply holding her and purring, she always found herself wishing he would never stop. And his absence, even if it was only for a matter of hours, felt like a physical ache in her chest.
Clara had discovered that when she allowed herself to be vulnerable and was herself around Evander, he made her feel better than she’d ever felt. While he was still—and always would be—a pure Alpha who knew what he wanted and demanded it, once she’d stopped running away from him, he’d grown more light-hearted and less intense, at least for the most part.
The delivery of the Visker patches was the first cold, hard slap of reality. Clara stared at the unopened box, wondering how she could possibly have forgotten all about them to the point where she hadn’t even noticed their delivery had been delayed by two days.
“What’s that?” Evander asked, coming up behind her and slipping his arms around her waist. “A gift?”
He was in the process of getting ready for work and his shirt was unbuttoned, allowing her to feel the heat of his huge chest against her back.
“No,” she said, trying to get her sluggish, sleepy mind to wake up. It was still so early in the morning. “Not a gift.” Should she tell him?
“Well go on, open it. You must have ordered it for a reason.”
&n
bsp; “I’ll open it later. It’s just something for work.”
He spun her around to face him, his dark blue eyes narrowed. “Open it now,” he said, a tiny hint of danger creeping into his tone. He raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’re hiding something from me?”
“Of course not!” she said, pulling away from him and going to the knife block. “It’s just not important, that’s all. I don’t want you to be late for work.”
He shrugged. “I’m the boss. A couple of minutes won’t matter.”
Her mind racing, Clara slid the knife under the tab in the box, breaking the seal, wondering how the contents were packaged. The word Visker wouldn’t mean anything to him… unless he’d seen the same magazine ad. So unless the box was labeled Suppressants, she would be in the clear. Holding her breath, she opened the parcel to reveal a sheaf of gold foil packets with Visker emblazoned across them in maroon lettering.
Evander’s brow furrowed. “What’s Visker?”
“A new medication we’re testing in the lab,” Clara gabbled, sliding between him and the box and running her fingers over his chest. “Like I said, work stuff.”
“Why does the name sound familiar?”
“It’s unlikely you’ll have heard of it, it’s still in the trial phase.” This, of course, was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that.
Peering over her shoulder, he reached out and took one of the foil packets from the box. “You forget, sweet Clara, that I can tell when you’re hiding something from me. I can smell it on you.”
“It’s a new type of suppressant,” she said quickly, trying to keep her tone light and casual. “Delivered straight through the skin via a patch, instead of orally.”
“If it’s for work, why was it delivered here, to your apartment?”
She glanced up from her bare feet to meet his blazing, dangerous gaze. It was no use, she realized, he was impossible to keep secrets from. Besides, he would notice if she were wearing one of the patches anywhere on her body. “All right,” she said, “I admit it, it’s not for work. Well, not strictly. I ordered these the day after my old suppressants failed. I was hoping they would work for me—but I also wanted to run some tests on a couple. The market for suppressants is huge and very lucrative, and we’re still searching for a way to create them without the negative side-effects. As you know, at the moment, anybody who uses them long-term is putting their life at risk.”
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