I turned, ready to run, ready to put these crappy tennis shoes to the test. I ran a finger under the seam of my panties. Er, cheer shorts. The ones that only covered half my ass cheeks.
But people in L.A. wore less everyday. Running through the city until Larry's magic wears off and I can glamour again will be easy, right? Right.
I coughed again, using the inside of my shirt to suck in a semi-smoke-free breath before setting my sights on freedom. I'd taken one step. One single, solitary step... when I heard a heart-wrenching scream.
I turned back and looked up to see a little girl, no older than five, crawling out of a smoking window on the fourth floor of the newly burning complex. She balanced precariously on the ledge, holding a stuffed lamb doll, before her instincts took over and she shifted into a tiny white wolf pup.
A bullet to the heart would have hurt less than watching the scene before me.
The little creature howled in fear and terror, her voice calling up to the moon, praying for someone to save her from the smoke and flames.
Fuck me.
My feet pivoted.
She was a shifter. She might even become a damned criminal one day, but she wasn't one yet. And regardless of the fact that my boneless, insect-like parents had demoted me, regardless of whatever title I did or didn't have... I was a police officer. The need to help people was in my blood. It was the force that drove me. Always.
I ran toward the burning structure instead of away. I thought about going inside, but trying to find her exact apartment in that maze of a building would waste precious time. Instead I mentally kicked her parents for leaving her as I climbed up a fire escape on the side of the brick wall.
"Stupid, hairball-choking, flea infested fucks. Who leaves a kid that young home alone? Or leaves them behind?"
My shoes squeaked against the metal rails of the old, rickety ladders that composed the different levels of the escape. When I reached the fourth floor, I saw that I was still five windows away from the little white pup. She was standing closer to the middle of the building and the fire escape was along the side.
Damn it!
The heat was utterly intense, billowing across my skin like a giant hair dryer from hell. Smoke filled my nostrils like a repulsive cologne: hints of mayhem, death, and the choking scent of ash coming together to make up the unpleasant smell. I couldn’t ignore the heat or the smell, but I could at least force my attention back onto the girl.
How the fuck could I get to her?
Instead of trying to kick in the nearest window, I tested my wings. They lifted me slightly, enough to hover, but not to truly fly. Larry’s magic had worn off slightly but not completely. It would have to be enough. Because it was all I had.
I grabbed onto the side of the building and stepped off onto the nearest window ledge. I flapped my wings frantically, pushing my body into the bricks—bricks that were heating up like a pizza oven.
I shuffled sideways across the ledge to where it stopped, then stretched my foot as far as it could reach to touch the edge of the next window. I couldn't get a full foot on it. I was going to have to jump.
My heart squeezed tight, like a little kid clutching the sheets as they stared at the closet... knowing there’s a monster inside… just waiting for it to come.
There's a fight at the end of this. I tried to lie to myself, to get the adrenaline rush to turn from stomach twisting fear into excitement. But the lie fell flat. There was nothing I could do… but jump.
I took a deep breath and then leapt.
My wings fluttered furiously, but they couldn't hold my weight. I sank, my fingers clawing at the bricks, scraping until they bled. Finally, they latched onto the next window ledge. My wings flitted furiously, shoving me forward so that my face rested against the glass window pane. I glanced inside the apartment as I fought to catch my breath. Smoke drifted under the door across the room. Going inside wasn't an option.
I turned and yelled toward the little wolf pup. "I'm coming!"
Her golden eyes turned my way and one of her ears cocked to the side.
I edged along the second window, nerves already tense as I anticipated my next leap. But just as I got ready to make it, a huge claw closed around my waist, snatching me from the side of the building.
I looked up to see a giant black dragon, covered in dust and debris. He swooped forward and grabbed the wolf pup in his other claw and with one powerful beat of his wings, he pushed off away from the burning building and flew us down the street.
He dropped me suddenly and I fell, accidentally letting out a scream that would make me hate him forever. How dare he fucking damsel-in-distress me? I was the hero, damn it. I was in the middle of saving that little girl.
Arms caught me and I looked up to see a very angry pair of light green eyes. "You’ve been a naughty little butterfly."
14
Aubry
Bodie didn’t stop to check in with Easton or Drake. He didn’t even check on the little girl shifter who was crying in Easton’s arms. Apparently, Goldilocks had caught her and then The Shadow had shifted back to human form. But I could only glance back at them for a moment, peering over Bodie’s shoulder, just long enough to ensure they were okay, as he carried me down the street like a caveman.
Or… a groom.
Panic made me stiffen when the image of Bodie stripping off a bow tie and tossing it aside before he assaulted me. Fuck, that would be so hot.
How could I even have those thoughts right now? I was sore, aching, I’d just had some man swoop in and steal my save-the-day moment and all I could do was stare at Bodie’s cracked lips, imagining us in the shower together with water running down his face, washing away all the soot, so that he wasn’t dirty that way anymore. Instead, he got to be dirty my way. With me.
"You’re wearing those booty shorts in the fucking street?" Bodie growled, his eyes half green, half golden. Ugh. I bet that was what his eyes looked like when he came.
Shock or something was sending me into a tailspin of horniness. Shit. Sometimes that happened after a big op. I needed release. And I’d never gotten any after El Fuego. I definitely needed something after tonight’s antics. With hooded eyes, I stared up at Bodie, who dug his fingers into the outside edges of my thighs and put his lips to my ear.
"I’m gonna clean you up, Buttercup. I’m gonna touch every inch of this delicious body. Then I’m gonna eat you out until you scream. And once your legs can’t hold you up, I’m gonna make you fucking hover in midair as I pound the shit out of my pussy."
Oh god. I am so screwed.
That fucking claiming tone he took, that sense of possession... I didn’t want to melt. I didn’t want this mate bond to be real. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was still some spell. But I was more turned on than I’d ever been at the start of a play session with any of my doms.
"Hurry up, then," I told him, running my hand down his chest. He was covered in grime and sweat, but that just added to the primal vibe he was giving off. That, or I’d jilled off to one too many firefighter calendars growing up.
Bodie shoved open the door of a nondescript apartment building two blocks away from the fire, about two more blocks away from the building where I’d been held. He marched up the stairs with me, my anticipation rising with each step he took. I barely noticed the peeling paint or the discolored, 1980’s red industrial carpet. I was too focused on the fact that Bodie wasn’t even winded while he was carrying me.
Holy shit. He must have amazing fucking stamina in bed.
"Where are we?" I tried to sound sultry but ended up coughing. Goddamn smoke inhalation. Summer fae weren’t completely immune to smoke. That’s why we made our fire magic burn so hot, that way it emitted less of the stupid stuff.
Bodie ran a comforting hand up and down my spine. "We’re at my place," his voice was soft, almost vulnerable. "I’ve been getting it ready for you."
I glanced up sharply. The look in his eyes was cautious. Almost like he didn’t know how I’d respond. Normally, that ki
nd of commitment talk would make me smack him across the face, jump out of his arms, and bolt like lightning. I’d leave his shocked ass behind and be outta there. But the stupid, fake mate bond had me leaning closer, pressing my chest into his, counting his heartbeats.
When he reached the third floor, Bodie pulled a key out of his pocket while still managing to hold me. He unlocked the door of 3B and pushed it open. The inside of the apartment didn’t resemble the exterior at all. Bodie had clearly had a ton of work done in there.
The interior had black slate floors and an accent wall with narrow, natural stone tiles in a variety of browns and greys. The rooms were small, like you’d expect from that kind of apartment, but the materials transformed the space and gave it a rich, cave-like feel. His couch was leather—typical male—but the rug in front of it was a delicious wine red. It was a sex rug, that was for sure. Or it would be, as soon as Bodie and I were clean. I pictured him pounding me from behind as I knelt on that rug and my knees went weak at the thought.
Something in my expression must have given me away, because Bodie slammed and locked the door behind us, hurrying into the bathroom. He set me on the grey concrete countertop and then turned around to flick on the shower. It was a small walk in shower, definitely not meant for two people. We’d be crammed in like sardines, our bodies wet and pressed against each other the entire time.
This was gonna be the best shower of my life.
"It’ll take a minute to get warm," Bodie said when he turned back. "Or, you could just huddle close to me, because I’m already hot."
I laughed, teasing insults flying to the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down when Bodie reached behind his head and yanked off his shirt.
Even the doms at my club didn’t have six packs that chiseled. I pressed my lips together and pulled off my own shirt, determined to match him move for move. I didn’t have a bra—the assholes had never given me one. I think Bodie had taken a sick pleasure out of watching my nipples harden everytime he whispered my name.
"Oh, Aubry." He did it just then, proving me right. His eyes traveled down my neck to stare at the pebbled peaks of my breasts before they burned a trail down my torso, settling in between my legs. I watched him clench his fists, watched how much he wanted to just grab me and take me.
But he resisted. Just like a good dom would.
Damn. That thought made the heat between my legs turn into molten liquid. We needed to shower, and fast. That red rug was screaming my name, or it was at least waiting for me to scream all kinds of names into it as Bodie rode me hard.
My hands reached down to slide off the booty shorts, but Bodie leaned forward and stopped me. "Wait."
He shucked his jeans and boxers so that he was completely naked first, then stood there taking me in. He was already half hard and he grew even harder as he stared at me. He reached down and stroked his length and I couldn’t help but notice how his own hand could hardly fit around it. I imagined how much he’d fill up my mouth and I bit my bottom lip.
I rinsed my hands real quick and wiped them on a towel that lay on the countertop. Then I let my fingers travel up to my nipples and start to tweak them, which always made me wetter.
Bodie groaned. "Turn around and slide those shorts down so I can see some of that fine ass."
I slid off the counter and turned around, tucking my wings as I watched my breasts fall forward in the mirror. With my right hand, I reached back and slowly slid the shorts down.
"Fuck," Bodie released his dick and strode forward, kneeling and wrenching the shorts the rest of the way down. His teeth bit into the soft flesh of my ass, and I gasped as I kicked the stretchy material away. The pain sent a red-hot spike of pleasure through me.
Yes, man-handle me, wolf boy.
Bodie rose and grabbed my hand, leading me into the shower. I had to keep my wings tucked down so that we could both fit, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. He angled the sprayer so that it hit my chest and he aligned himself behind me, his hardness pressing against my asscrack and wings, sending a shiver of anticipation through me. He reached around me to the shelf and grabbed the soap, which he lathered up between his hands before setting it back down.
"I’ve been dying to touch you, baby," Bodie whispered in my ear as his hands stroked down my neck and shoulders, cleaning me. He rubbed in gentle circles, using his thumbs to dig down on pressure points that helped relieve tension in my neck and made me sag back against him.
Why did I resist this, again? I had no idea.
All thought fled from my head when Bodie lathered up again and caressed my breasts, cupping and squeezing. He cleaned my stomach, then knelt behind me and cleaned my legs while his hot breath warmed the back of my thighs. Then he did my hair and face. My skin buzzed like a live wire, sizzling with energy, ready to spark.
"I don’t know how to wash your wings, Butterfly," Bodie admitted, when he was done gently feeling every other inch of me—except for that sweet spot between my thighs.
I turned, but the space was so tight in the shower that I ended up plastered with my face in his chest. The crevice between his pecs was the most delicious, lickable thing I’d ever seen in my life. I glanced up at Bodie, at his gorgeous yellow-green eyes. Then I slowly opened my wings, lifting them behind me.
"You can touch them," I whispered. "Just be gentle."
He reached out, gently stroking them as if they, and I, were precious to him. His hands roaming over my wings sent an explosion of sensation through me. Fae didn’t normally allow anyone but a mate to touch their wings, because they were so delicate. But also because they were so sensitive. Bodie reached a spot in the middle of my wings that made my knees give out.
I arched forward and fell into him, rasping, "More. Please. Right there."
He stroked again and again, finding a pace that left me clinging to him, whimpering.
"Yes," I panted as colors streaked behind my eyelids and an amazing orgasm ripped through my body.
Bodie stroked me gently as I came down, then he quickly swapped our positions and cleaned himself up while I sagged with my back against the shower wall, mind still hazy from the delicious aftershocks of a 9.5 level orgasm. Maybe higher. The Richter scale didn’t have enough numbers for the amazingness that was Bodie. My mate. And just from touching my wings, too. I mean, holy fucking shit…
I stared at him curiously as he scrubbed shampoo out of his hair. Mate. Was he actually my mate? Was I actually acknowledging that?
I’d had all kinds of kinky orgasms before. But they usually had to be given with a healthy dose of pain in order for me to rate them in the top ten. Bodie’s fingers, not even his dick, had just given me this ridiculous, giddy, high-as-a-kite, happy orgasm.
He shut off the shower with a dirty smile. "I hope you’re ready for round two." Then he swept me up into his arms. He didn’t bother to dry either of us off, just stomped down the hall, toward what I assumed was his bedroom.
I stopped him, saying, "I want the red rug."
He paused for a moment, imagining the deliciousness of my request, before he switched directions and headed back for the living room. He didn’t even bother to look where he was going, just sucked on my neck and nipped at my pulse as he went.
He dumped me on the rug and towered over me. I’d never admit it to him, but I loved that rough treatment. How could he have known? How could he be so gentle with me one minute and so rough the next but do both exactly right?
I watched as he licked his lips at the sight of me. "Spread your wings and your legs. I wanna see all of you," he ordered.
I did, feeling promiscuous and wanton.
Then Bodie knelt in front of me and shoved my thighs down on either side so that my knees touched the floor. He brought his face close and let his teeth skim over my skin. He teased me, nipping around my core, at my stomach, my thighs, my pelvis. Nips turned to licking. His tongue stroked me in circles, promising me naughty pleasure.
My hands went to my breasts, but he sto
pped me, leaning up and over me. "One nipple. And the other I want free so I can stare at it. Stroke your wing instead." He grabbed my hand and moved it to my wing, to the spot he’d stroked earlier. "There."
Then he returned down south and blew his warm breath across my sex. My toes curled in anticipation. I tweaked my left nipple and simultaneously rubbed my hand across that sensitive spot on my wing.
Ohhh. Yes.
My head started to roll back.
His mouth latched onto my clit and sucked. And I entered bliss. I left earth and floated around the moon, waving at the asteroid belt. He sucked again and it was like I blasted off past Saturn and all its pretty rings. I left all solid thoughts behind. I was just a mass of pleasure, spinning around the sun. He was my sun.
"Bodie." I panted his name breathlessly, somehow remembering to pinch my nipple and stroke my wing as he sucked. We found a rhythm that had me riding the very edge of pleasure. "Spank me," I cried as my hips arched and I pinched my nipple to the point of pain.
Bodie’s hand came down hard on the side of my ass and I tumbled into ecstasy.
I thought the orgasm in the shower was amazing? Well, I was wrong. This one was so much better.
And Bodie wouldn’t stop. He wouldn’t let me flop down on the rug in numb submission, allowing him to fuck me raw. His mouth still gently circled my clit as he pushed three fingers into me at once.
He wasn’t gentle. He didn’t start with one or two. He used three. Like he knew I’d need a rougher orgasm after the one I’d just had. He was a psychic fucking sex god.
He roughly fucked me with his hand as his fingertips searched inside for my g-spot. I pushed up onto my heels, raising my hips, trying to help him find it. He finger fucked me so hard that my breasts shook with each thrust and when he had me right on the edge, he stopped.
He pulled his hand roughly away from me and his mouth left my clit.
"Suck my dick," he said gruffly, kneeling on the rug.
I was bereft. But at the same time, so completely and utterly in lust with him. I crawled on shaking hands and knees toward him and took his length in my mouth. Even fuller than I’d imagined. I used my tongue to flick the underside as I tried to choke myself with his cock.
Fae Captive (The Mage Shifter War Book 1) Page 14