Exposed Memories

by Sienna Aylen

  Emma reached up and wiped at the damp trail of silent tears that had started to run down her face. Happy tears. “Yes, Damien, yes to all of the above.”

  All of a sudden Emma was flying through the air, landing with a soft oomph in the middle of the mattress. Socks and shoes were thrown in different directions Grunting, Damien tried to yank his shirt off but ended up getting tangled in it. Emma giggled as Damien used one arm to point in her direction and growled, “You’d better be taking those pajamas off if you want to save them. If there’s anything left on you when I get over there, it’s going to be ripped off.”

  Emma couldn’t help it. She was laughing so hard she struggled to breathe. It was just too cute—he was stuck in his shirt, barefoot, and his pants were open and falling down around his thighs. She blinked once and his shirt landed on the foot of the bed. Sitting up in a rush, she started tearing at her clothes. They were both laughing and out of breath by the time he jumped onto the bed and crawled over her naked body.

  Spreading her legs apart, Damien settled into the gap. He was heavy, easily outweighing her by a hundred pounds, but it was a glorious weight that pressed her deep into the mattress. They both moaned at the contact. “How long has it been since you last had sex?”

  Emma swatted his chest in exasperation. She was busy appreciating his physique and he was distracting her with his inane questions. “Must you ask that question? Really? Right when we finally get naked?”

  Damien grabbed both of her hands and anchored them on either side of her head. He said only one word. “Emma. ”

  Emma sighed. He could be so exasperating sometimes. “Fine. But if you laugh at me, I will seriously kick your ass. The last time was about three hundred years ago.”

  Leaning down, Damien rewarded her with a slow lick around the taut peak of her nipple. When she gasped, he pulled it into his mouth and gave it a gentle tug. Her hips shifted under his, her breath coming in shallow pants. Lifting his head, he moved to repeat the process with her other breast.

  Once she was completely boneless, Damien brought himself back up and gave her lips a sharp nip. “I expect complete honesty between us so I’ll always tell you the truth. The last time I had sex was over a year ago.”

  Emma let out a low chuckle. “Way to make me feel like I’m robbing the cradle. Jesus, this makes me a cougar. Rawwwr.”

  Damien stopped in his foray down the side of her neck and grinned. “Luckily for you, I’m into older women.”

  Her husky laugh turned into a moan when Damien used his teeth to tug on her earlobe. Electricity arced from the top of her head down to the soles of her feet. There wasn’t a place on her body that wasn’t overheated and achy. When she would have wiggled her arm out of his grip, he let out a snarl that vibrated against her neck.

  “Keep your hands where I put them, Em. Tonight is all about you. If you move them, I’ll stop what I’m doing.”

  The roughness of his hands contrasted with her smooth skin as he plumped up the curves of her breasts. Running a callused thumb over the buds, he watched her face closely. She let out a soft, almost inaudible moan.

  He was driving her crazy. Her hands twitched where she had them on either side of her head. She wanted to fist them in the soft, dirty-blond strands of his hair. Or maybe run her fingertips through the matching soft pelt of baby-thin hair that decorated his chest.

  Emma whimpered in frustration. He had been serious when he’d said he’d stop if she moved them. She knew he hadn’t been bluffing. Instead of reaching out to grab him, she curled her fingers into tight fists around the fabric of the pillow on either side of her head so she wouldn’t be tempted to break his rule.

  Emma’s body was on the verge of implosion from his attention to her breasts alone. She had never considered her nipples to be an erogenous zone but Damien’s callused hands and talented mouth created the right amount of friction to send her into a complete meltdown.

  The thump of her heart pulsed against her chest in time to the pulls of his mouth on the sensitive mounds. The creamy evidence of her desire coated her inner thighs and if she could just shift a bit to the right, she could grind herself against his pelvis. She tried to subtly move her clit closer to him—just a touch of pressure and she’d go off like a grenade. Right when she thought she was going to succeed in her quest, he pulled himself up a fraction of an inch and bit down on the tip of her breast enough to make her squeal.

  “Tsk. Tsk. Impatient one, aren’t you?” The husky molasses of his voice filled the room. “You aren’t going to get off until I let you, so sit still and just enjoy it, baby. I’ll tie you to the bedposts if I have to.”

  Fingers of arousal trailed over her body at the heated words. At this rate, she was going to soak the sheets before he was done with her. The image of being tied down, helpless to take whatever he dished out, was enticing. Hot. She had a feeling she’d like whatever he wanted to do with her, just as long as he was right there with her.

  Damien skimmed the backs of his knuckles over her wet opening. “Mmm, you do like the idea of being tied up. Don’t worry, we’ll definitely do that another night.”

  “You’re driving me crazy,” she gasped out when he started trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down her stomach. Everywhere he touched, he left a delicious warmth in his wake. Lips skimmed over her slightly defined abs to the small tattoo on her hip.

  Damien’s chuckle penetrated her senses. “Ha, you do have a ninja tattoo! I knew it.”

  Emma shook her head, impatient for him to continue his path downward. “Ninja tattoo? No, it’s a Council mark. It showed up on my twenty-fifth birthday, when I got my immortality.”

  Damien ran his finger over the lines of her mark. She watched him look at her scars next to her mark, three scars placed right over her ovaries. On the other side, she had an identical set. Scars from where they sterilized her, primitive in their methods, but effective.

  Bending his head low, Damien kissed each white mark, all the while keeping eye contact with Emma. Large hands opened her legs farther, exposing her to his gaze. Knowing he was right there with her, as hungry as she was, gave her the courage to just let go. To give up control and enjoy the sensations rocking her body. A long, drawn-out moan left her throat when she finally felt his hot breath whisper over her folds. He gave her one long swipe, just skimming over where she needed him the most.

  Teasing her. Driving her right to the brink.

  “Tell me what you want, Emma.” If it was possible, his voice had dropped even deeper. Become a husky, vibrating growl that curled Emma’s toes and echoed against her pelvis.

  Seriously? He expected her to be able to form a coherent sentence when she was going up in flames? “I want you,” she gasped out.

  “Hmm.”

  Damien lapped at the cream spilling out of her, a reaction he’d coaxed from her. She snarled when he made sure to avoid the one spot that was begging for his attention.

  “I’m right here with you. If you want something specific you’re going to have to ask for it, baby. How else am I supposed to know what you want?”

  She had the distinct impression that he was hiding a devious grin as he nibbled on her inner thigh. Oh, she was going to kill him. Ask for it? She did have some pride. If she were honest, she wasn’t so sure she was above begging if it would make him move faster. “I will seriously maim you if you don’t suck me, right now!”

  The curve of her back bowed when his lips finally closed over her sweet spot. He drew on her as if he was trying to suck an entire milkshake through a tiny straw. Lights burst behind her eyes, fireworks that sparked explosions all over her body.

  Her mouth opened wide on a silent scream. Through it all he held her pelvis down with his forearms and continued to guide her right through the most explosive orgasm of her life. Before she knew it, one orgasm had bled into another, until she was begging him to stop torturing the highly sensitized bud.

  Floating among the stars, Emma started to come back to reality in a haze. H
e was back on top of her, gently peppering kisses over her face. Forgetting his rule in the heat of the moment, she grabbed the sides of his head and pulled him down for an explosive kiss.

  Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

  Ours, his bear piped up.

  Yes, she’s ours. Forever.

  Damien stared, transfixed. She was beaming at him as if he’d just handed her the sun. He couldn’t believe it. He was here, in bed, with his mate. His bear gave a satisfied rumble and hurried him to get back to his exploration of her body.

  Tonight was about pleasure. Showing her that he could satisfy her in every way. That he was the only one who could bring her body to incredible heights. They had all night and he had every intention of drawing it out.

  Damien reached for a condom from the bedside table. Grasping his hand, Emma pulled it back. “No. Both of us are clean and I can’t get pregnant, anyway. Please, I want to feel all of you. Everything.”

  “If that’s what you want, baby.” Aligning their bodies together, Damien pushed forward one agonizing inch at a time through the silken folds that opened for him like a velvet flower expanding its sweet petals. Resting his weight on his forearms, he caught Emma’s surprised gasp in his mouth. Even with her orgasms making her incredibly slick, she was still as snug as a fist.

  He had to go slow.

  Couldn’t hurt his mate.

  A minute was all he needed. A minute to get himself under control so he wouldn’t give in and pound into her warmth like the beast that he was. Warm hands suddenly encased his backside, small nails pricking the sensitive skin and making him growl in pleasure.

  “Emma. ”

  Blinking, his vixen looked up at him a little too innocently. “Yes, Damien?”

  “You need to put your hands back on the pillow before I lose it.” Emma had already been hurt enough in her life and he wasn’t going to make sex painful for her as well. If she didn’t move those hands, though, he wouldn’t have a choice.

  If anything, she pulled him closer. Dug her nails deeper. She lifted legs up then wrapped them snugly around his waist, crossing her ankles at the small of his back. “Damien, look at me. I won’t break. I’m right here with you and I swear if you don’t start moving, we’re going to have serious problems.”

  In one long stroke, Damien pushed and seated himself in her until his scrotum slapped up against her rear. He made himself look at her, to make sure he hadn’t put any pain in her eyes.

  The deep green of her eyes was glazed over with intense pleasure, her head moving back and forth across the pillow restlessly. A bright-pink flush covered her from head to toe, her breaths coming in rusty pants. She was ready.

  He pulled almost completely out of her before thrusting back in with force. Reaching and grabbing both of her hands from where they were gripping his ass, Damien held on to her wrists and pinned them back on either side of his head. She was in for the ride of her life.

  Their breaths mingled and shortened as he became frenzied, pounding into her mercilessly. Leaning down, he nuzzled the underside of her breast, wetting it with his tongue. Once, twice, and on the third swipe he bit down, marking his mate. With one final stroke, he rubbed his pelvis against her clit, giving her the friction she craved, and they both exploded.

  Her shrill scream mixed with his primal roar as he released himself in a hot stream that coated her inner walls. His weight collapsed on top of her but when he would’ve shifted, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer.

  As they lay there trying to catch their breaths, Damien pressed tiny kisses to the side of Emma’s face. A small, sleepy mewl of protest left her lips when he finally rolled off her. Lying on his side, Damien pulled Emma into his arms with her head next to his chest before reaching back to flip off the lights.

  Turning her head, she nuzzled into his chest like a tired kitten.

  Looking at the clock, he figured he could let her rest for a few hours before waking her again.

  Chapter Eleven

  #xa0;

  Flipping the pan with a flick of her wrist, Emma was satisfied when her omelet turned out perfect. The finishing touch, a sprinkle of cheese right across the top. She was starving after the marathon of sex the previous night. Damien had woken her every few hours and had taken her in countless different positions. Certain portions of her anatomy were quite sore and her voice was suspiciously hoarse. Emma smiled. She’d enjoyed every second and couldn’t wait for it to happen again. Her caloric intake was going to have to increase if they kept going at it like rabbits. With a grin, she fingered the wooden bear hanging underneath the collar of her shirt.

  This morning, she’d snuck out from underneath her real-life snoring bear and gotten as far as turning the shower on and stepping in before he caught up with her. A lengthy shower and rumbling stomach later, Emma had left him in all his naked glory to come down and make herself some breakfast. Damien had to get ready to take a conference call with the leaders of the other Clan dens, anyway.

  Emma was just putting her omelet on a plate when Gwen and Tessa waltzed in. Tessa’s face was lit up and Gwen had a mysterious glint to her eyes. Tessa grinned mischievously.

  “Well, looks like somebody got laid last night. And by the looks of it, I would say it was multiple times. He was obviously great in the sack. Some people just have all the luck.”

  Shaking her head, Emma looked at her sister and rolled her eyes. “Spill your secrets, Tess. How could you possibly know that I got laid last night?”

  Tessa placed one hand on her chest. “Well, first I noticed the unusual flush to your cheeks when we walked in. Second, you were grinning at your omelet with the look of someone who had a delightfully dirty secret. Third, you are walking around here with a very distinct gait, like you went horseback riding…” Tessa tapped one finger against her chin. “Or should I say, bear-back riding. And if all that wasn’t enough to convince me, the screams at intervals during the night were rather obvious, especially since they were accompanied by some very loud roars. That man has a set of lungs on him,” Tessa finished cheekily.

  “At least one of us is getting some. I haven’t enjoyed a sexual partner in over a century, or is it two?” responded Gwen, without seeing that Bleu and Hunter had just walked in and were standing within earshot.

  Emma’s cheeks flamed. How much could they have heard? The interest in Bleu’s gaze and the outright grin on Hunter’s face answered her question for her. Emma tried to catch Gwen’s gaze to give her a hint to stop but Gwen was lost in her own thoughts and was having a conversation with herself.

  “I mean, really, I should know when the last time I engaged in coitus was but apparently the male wasn’t that memorable. Oh, yeah…” Gwen snapped her fingers together. “It was over two centuries ago. That’s when the alternative toys and such started to really take off and get interesting and yet at the same time the men themselves became rather dull. I will say, though, the quality of toys has improved considerably since we first started working…” Gwen trailed off.

  Emma was blushing and trying not to laugh, while Tessa had given up trying to hold back her own laughter. She was shaking her head back and forth and giggling like a schoolgirl.

  “I really don’t know why you’re laughing. If it’s because I’m frankly talking about toys then you both need to grow up. They are a perfectly natural thing to own and use when the male specimens of the era are lacking,” Gwen stated in a very teacher-like voice.

  Emma gestured for Gwen to look behind her. Sighing with exaggerated patience, Gwen turned around and found herself face-to-face with two grinning men. Placing one hand on her hip, Gwen pointed her finger at the two. “Don’t even say it.”

  Emma watched as Hunter opened his hands out in front of him innocently. But he couldn’t hide the laughter in his eyes or the shit-eating grin he sported. “Don’t say what?”

  She almost doubled over laughing when Gwen stepped forward, closing the gap between her and Hunter. With a scowl, Gwen stabbed one fing
er into Hunter’s chest. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Gesturing to the rest of the group, Gwen included them in her stare, but she was obviously having a hard time holding back her own grin. “Children, every last one of you.”

  As soon as Gwen had gone up the stairs, they heard a bedroom door slam shut. Emma couldn’t hold back anymore. She and Tessa collapsed on the floor, laughing so hard tears ran unchecked down their cheeks.

  * * * *

  “Those women are completely certifiable. You might have to go and scrape your mate off the kitchen floor later.” Sitting down in a chair on the other side of the desk, Bleu propped his foot on his opposite leg.

  “What happened? Is she all right?” Damien looked up from the console where he had just ended his call with Phil and Ray. There were three Clan territories in the immediate vicinity that were under Damien’s protection. Since he couldn’t physically be present at all three, he’d left Phil and Ray in charge of the other two. They called in for regular updates at least once a week.

  “Well, there were tears streaming down her face, she was gasping for breath and grabbing her stomach while leaning against Tessa, so…” Hunter trailed off.

  Damien was halfway to the door when Bleu interrupted, “She’s fine, Damien. She and Tessa were just cracking up so much they couldn’t stand anymore. Gwen made quite the spectacle when we came in.”

  Walking back to his desk, Damien stopped to slap his cousin upside the head. The kid was a menace. An absolute menace.

  This morning, Damien was happier than he’d ever been. He had claimed and marked his mate, though he was pretty sure she hadn’t seen the distinct symbol on her ass earlier while they had been scrubbing each other.

  It was the stamp of a mate. The women in the Clan all ended up with a distinctive mark when they mated, in a shape that was unique to them. Damien had seen the mark when they were in the shower that morning, along with the faint white lines that crisscrossed her entire back, and if the bastard who made those marks had still been alive, Damien would have castrated the jerk.