As my eyes travel over her, I notice she’s still got the Tinkerbell charm dangling in her perfect little belly button. I smile at the proof that she never really let go of the fairytales. She just didn’t know how fitting it truly was for her to choose a fairy. Moving her slightly forward, so my hand, on her back, can unhook her skimpy excuse for a bra. I know I’ve tortured myself to the limit, so I pull my t-shirt down over her head and shoulders before slipping her bra off. Once it’s gone, I pull her arms through the sleeves and lay her gently back down. She sighs and turns onto her stomach, sprawling out on the bed. My eyes travel down and that’s when I notice that the back of her panties are missing. A fucking thong. I roll my eyes to the ceiling in frustration.
Grabbing her bra, I turn away to set if with her other clothes on a chair. As I put down the lace garment, a thought occurs to me. A woman doesn’t wear sexy lingerie unless her intention is to let someone see it. Jealousy rears its head and rage burns in my chest just thinking about another man seeing what’s mine. I didn’t think to ask if she had a boyfriend. Did you think she was just sitting around, pining for you? Ok, so, maybe I did. I clench my fists, restraining the desperate need to shake her awake and demand to know who she is wearing this lacy shit for. It doesn’t matter. She’s mine.
After tossing it on the chair, I make my way to the other side of the bed and slide under the blankets. A queen size bed is tough for me to fit in alone, much less with another person. But, as I settle in, Shaylee rolls toward me. I lift my arm and she scoots up close, laying her head on chest and throwing an arm and a leg over me. Yep, I knew what I was doing when I didn’t book a room with a king.
I wrap her up in my arms and let her heat relax me. The blue balls, I’m sure to have by morning, are completely worth having her in my arms. It takes a few minutes of thinking about ugly-ass Fallen, but eventually, I’m able to fall asleep.
I wake to the sound of a small moan and lift my head to make sure that Shaylee is all right. As my body shifts, I realize that she is pressed up to me, back to front. My morning wood is snug up against her ass, and somehow, in my sleep, my hand had wandered up the front of her shirt to hold her naked breast in my palm. I glance quickly down and see that her eyes are still closed, her mouth slightly parted like it was the last time I watched her sleep. But instead of deep and even, her breathing is shallow and slightly erratic. I can feel her faster-than-normal heart beat under my hand, and curiosity gets the better of me. I lightly squeeze the breast in my hand and the beat of her heart speeds up a little more. She’s fucking turned on. She squirms a little and pushes her ass back into my cock. It takes everything in me not to rip away the string of her thong and thrust my cock deep into her pussy.
Instead, I lower my head and kiss the soft skin below her ear, squeezing her breast again, a little harder this time. She breathes out another little moan and whispers something. I lean down closer to her mouth and listen when I repeat the same actions.
She whispers again and I feel possession and deep satisfaction explodes throughout my body. It was my name that crossed her lips. The caveman in me roars and beats on his chest. I start placing hot, wet, open mouth kisses on her neck and my hand begins to slide south. When I reach her pussy, I run my finger over the material and feel that it’s wet. I press a little harder and feel her pulsing on my fingers.
She shifts a little and I see her eyes begin to open, waking in a haze of lust. I lay another kiss on that sensitive little spot, below her ear, and slip my finger inside her panties. I slide it down and push it slowly inside of her. Her hips thrust up involuntarily and she turns her head to look at me. I don’t give her time to clear her mind; I take her lips in a savage kiss. I push my tongue inside in the same rhythm as my finger is fucking her scorching heat. Without removing my mouth or my finger, I gently push her onto her back and cover her body with mine.
Tearing my mouth from hers, I bury my face in her neck, inhaling the lavender scent I didn’t realize I missed. I can feel her pussy clenching, searching for relief, but I’m not ready to push her over the edge yet. I slowly remove my finger and smirk at the whimper of distress I hear. I nudge her legs apart with my knee and they fall willingly to either side. My lower body settles into the open v, my cock flush against her pussy. I kiss her deeply again, then pull back just a little and push her shirt up, removing it completely. Once it’s off, I drop down again and let out a low groan when I feel our skin connect. She feels so damn good. My mouth returns to hers and this time, her tongue reaches out to explore my mouth as her back arches, rubbing her erect nipples against me. I growl in satisfaction and rub against her core, my mouth moving down her neck, eliciting a sweet little moan from her sexy mouth.
I’m so fucking hard, I can barely think straight. But in the far recesses of my mind, I know I can only let this go so far. The last thing I need is to give her one more reason to be pissed at me. I follow the rise and fall of her tits and decide, just a little more. Wrapping my lips around one hardened peak, I can feel her heart racing and her breath exhaling in uneven puffs. My tongue swirls lightly around before sucking her nipple deep into my mouth. She cries out and my hips jerk forward involuntarily, the friction causing my cock to tighten even further, so painfully hard that I know I won’t be able to stay coherent much longer. I move to her other tit, once again pulling it deep while rocking into her a little faster.
“Baby, I’ll never get enough of you.” I whisper as I lift my head, intent on returning to her mouth. Her body suddenly stills. I glance up and see her face has hardened, her eyes swirling with a mixture of emotions, settling on anger.
“You had enough of me once before.” She presses her hands against my chest and pushes, seemingly intent on getting up and away from this conversation. I grasp her hands and raise them above her head, holding her immobile, so she can’t run away from me before we talk.
Her lips pinch in annoyance, but she doesn’t struggle. She knows she won’t be able to get up until I’m ready to let her. Her eyes are spitting fire and I’m momentarily distracted at how fucking sexy she is. I just want to—
My thoughts screech to a halt as a barrage of ice cold water suddenly drops from the air, soaking me from head to toe. The shock of it causes me to lose my breath. Holy shit, that’s freezing! When my brain reboots, I jump off of the bed and stare at the ceiling wondering what the hell just happened! Shaylee is still lying on the bed, staring at me, her mouth forming a little “o” of surprise. It takes me a second to realize that she is completely dry. I feel my eyes narrow in suspicion. Did she—damn, I’m pretty sure she did.
“What were you thinking, Shaylee?” I ask curiously.
“I—I was thinking—um,” She stutters. “I was thinking that you needed to cool off.”
At her words, I burst out laughing. I laugh so hard that tears leak from the corners of my eyes. When I finally calm down, I notice Shaylee is glaring at me as she puts her t-shirt back on. I can’t help but be disappointed to see her cover up. Damn, she is gorgeous. A shiver runs down my body, and only partly because I’m soaking wet.
“You want to let me in on the joke, Aden?” She’s glowering at me and I realize that she thinks I was playing with her.
“Baby, I told you we have magic.” I shake my head ruefully, but am still chuckling. “I haven’t taught you how to use them yet, but they are there. You wanted me to cool off, so you doused me in freezing water.” Honestly, it’s not something I’ve seen before. When someone is newly marked, their magic makes small appearances, but usually in very small ways, like turning on a light bulb; simple things. For her to soak me, and keep herself completely dry…it’s impressive. She’s already using her ability to shield, albeit unknowingly.
Her face is filled with disbelief. “No way did I do that. Stop messing with me, Aden.” She stands up and puts her hands on her hips, scowling at me. “And, stop calling me baby.”
“I swear; it wasn’t me. You think I would do this to myself?” I meet her intense stare before
adding, “And, no.”
Chapter Seven
Shaylee
No way. No freaking way did I just conjure ice water from thin air and drop it on Aden. My mind is rejecting the thought, but the truth is fighting to overcome the disbelief. I don’t want to admit that I felt a rush as the water fell, like a heated summer wind blew through my body. Just as I don’t want to admit that if Aden hadn’t spoken those words, I probably would have given in to the overwhelming desire for him—wait—words. My mind halts and then rewinds to something he just said.
“What do you mean ‘no’?”
Aden closes the small gap between us. Keeping his eyes locked with mine, I see determination darkening his green gems to the color of fresh grass. I try not to notice how beautiful they are, holding tight to my anger and hurt, to keep from falling under his spell once again.
“Just what I said, baby.” He emphasizes the endearment with a low, smooth tone and it washes over me, heating my skin and making my panties even damper. “I’m not going to play games with you, Shaylee—you’re mine.” His head lowers until his lips are at my ear. “And you know it.”
Tingles work their way down my spine, settling between my legs in a dull throb. I want to respond with a snarky comment, to tell him he’s wrong. But, I can’t. The words won’t come. Because he’s right. I am his. He pulls back slightly and I see a smug grin on his ridiculously perfect face. My eyes narrow and I mirror his actions, bringing my lips to his ear and letting them brush against the shell as I speak.
“Maybe I am yours, Aden.” I feel his smile widen as his cheek rubs against mine. I run a finger down the middle of his chest until it reaches the band of his boxers, molded to his impressive (why deny it?) erection. I slip the finger in and tug slightly, pulling him just a little bit closer. When I feel his breath hitch, I continue. “But, that doesn’t mean you get to have me.” I step back and bring my hand up to, condescendingly, pat his cheek. The smile has been effectively wiped from his face. I take advantage of his momentary astonishment and quickly step around him, entering the bathroom, firmly shutting the door, and clicking the lock. Perversely, I enjoy the fact that he is stuck, waiting for a nice warm shower after having been drenched in icy water.
And this round goes to Shaylee!
Once I grab a quick shower, I step out of the tub and wrap myself up in a scratchy, white towel, barely big enough to cover my chest and ass. As I stand here, dripping onto the rug, I contemplate my circumstances. Ok, so, I didn’t think things through when I huffed into the bathroom—I forgot clothes. Nice going, airhead.
I don’t want to step outside the bathroom in my, practically nonexistent, towel. And the obstinate twit in me doesn’t want to ask him for help. The practical me rolls her eyes at my stubbornness, and her logic wins out. I call out to Aden and wait for his response but am met with silence. I call again and, when there is no response, I wonder if he has stepped out. Maybe he went to get breakfast or some other errand. I sigh in relief, that I’ll be able to get dressed before he returns, and open the door.
Damn it! I stumble on my feet, when I see Aden leaning against the wall across from the door, wearing a towel wrapped low around his hips. My body reacts and I pull the towel tighter around myself, not that it does any good. His arms are folded across his muscular chest, but his stance is relaxed as he lazily peruses me from head to toe and back up. A cocky grin breaks out on his face, “Forget something, baby?”
I glare at him and he just chuckles. Jackass. With an obnoxious (ok, completely sexy) wink, he unfolds his arms and reaches down to grab the handle of my small suitcase. He lifts it easily and holds it out to me. If I reach for it, I’ll lose my grip on the towel. The arrogant look on his face tells me that he is completely aware of that fact. After a second of deliberation, I come to a decision. Why the hell not? Maybe it’ll torture him just a little. I drop the towel and grab the suitcase before spinning around and storming back into the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind me. I can hear his laughter through the door. Next round to Aden. Shit.
Digging in my bag, I pull out an old pair of stonewashed jeans and a black t-shirt with the words, “You’re a great friend, but if the zombies chase us, I’m tripping you.” I have a thing for funny shirts.
I braid my long hair, quickly finish getting ready, and then step out to let Aden shower and dress. He’s standing at a small table, by the front window, munching on a doughnut, still in nothing but the towel. I stifle a groan. Ugh, why does he have to be so freaking gorgeous? I mentally bitch slap the panting whore inside me.
I clear my throat and work to keep my voice steady, “Um, the bathroom is free.” He looks up and chuckles when he sees my top. Raising his eyes back to mine, they go warm, a genuine smile creasing his face. Gone is the smug bastard from earlier and I feel my irritation melting away at the reappearance of my Aden. The sweet, fun-loving Aden that melts my heart. Don’t pretend that the overconfident asshole doesn’t cream your panties.
I pad over to the table and set my bag by the door before plopping into a chair. Grabbing a doughnut, I watch Aden as he saunters over to his suitcase and grabs some clothes. His back is to me and I take the opportunity to study him a little as he heads to the bathroom. His back is defined with sinewy muscle and there is a small tattoo on the back of his neck that I never noticed before, but I’m too far away to really see what it is. My eyes drop lower to the most incredible ass I’ve ever seen. Wow.
The towel molds to the shape and with each step, it slips a little lower, revealing those sexy dimples at the base of his spine. I bet my tongue would fit just perfect in one of those little dips. I can just imagine how tight his ass is and how it would feel in my palms while he—oh for crying out loud, Shaylee! Can’t you think of anything but sex? I just barely keep myself from banging my head down on the table in frustration.
My attention returns to my breakfast and I force my mind from the naked temptation on the other side of that flimsy door. So much has been thrown at me in the last sixteen hours; I haven’t really had a chance to process it. It’s seems surreal. Faeries, magic, fallen Fae, it’s all been a part of my imagination. Now I have to accept that they are a part of my reality.
Closing my eyes, I remember my dad and listen intently to what he was always telling me. I can feel the truth in his words, but there is still a part of me that wants to wake up and have this all be a dream. I wanted my life to be simple and now it is more complicated than ever. But I know, if my father were here, he would have told me to hope for the future rather than lament the past. I open my eyes and look at the sliver of sunshine peeking through the ugly, floral curtains. What is it with these hotels? Cheap equals ugly?
The sunshine practically calls to me and I slide the curtain back to bask in the glow. The parking lot sits open in the sun but each of the three sides of the hotel sport an overhang that shades the walkway and doors. There aren’t many cars, so I’m surprised when I notice movement in the shadows across the way. But, it was only for a second. I feel a rush of heat roll through me, just for a moment, so I scan the area again—there is nothing.
The bathroom door opens and Aden steps out clothed (a good thing, I suppose) and throws everything in his suitcase. He glances at me quickly as he checks around the room for anything we might have forgotten.
“You ready to go?” he asks distractedly. He doesn’t wait for my answer, just grabs the keys to the car and throws both of our bags over his shoulder. “Let’s go.” When he reaches the door, he stops before opening it. His eyes close and I watch, mesmerized as his skin takes on a slight glow. I’m not talking about the sparkly vampire kind of light, or the aliens made of light that you read about in books. It’s more like a radiance. The way skin looks when it’s out in the open, soaking up the sun. But he’s standing in the shadow of the door and yet, I see the brilliance of sunlight, even in that tiny glow.
He opens his eyes, and the light recedes. I find myself feeling the loss of it, as though I’ve been deprived of som
ething that makes me whole. Aden grabs my hand and pulls me close.
“We have to hurry. When I open the door, step into the sunlight as quickly as possible and go right to the car. Got it?” His voice is strained. I just nod, confused at what’s got him so stressed. Finally, he opens the door and moves quickly out of the shadows, into the bright light of the morning. The beams wash over me, the heat . . . a blanket of comfort, calming my racing mind and dissolving the tension in my body. Aden’s posture has relaxed too, but he still rushes me into the car. After tossing the bags in the back seat, he climbs into the car and drives out of the lot onto the open road.
He glances in the rearview mirror a couple of times, before settling into the drive. After a few miles, he slides a look over at me. “Sorry. I didn’t think they would catch up with us so fast. I wanted to get out of there quickly.”
“There’s that ‘they’ again.” I make air quotations around the word and infuse my tone with light sarcasm. His lips twitch in amusement and he shakes his head slowly.
“Always the smart ass.” His little smirk grows into a full blown grin and I’m struck once again by his features, the way they form a beautiful face, worthy of a marble statue at the Met. His jaw is square and strong, normally very chiseled, but the scruff he’s sporting this morning softens the lines. I wonder how that scruff would feel on my bare skin. The images that thought provokes cause my body to heat and I feel my cheeks burn. Before he can notice the telltale blush, I school my features into a playful pout.
Protecting Shaylee Page 5