Wrath's Patience (Seven Deadly Sins Book 3)

by R. A. Pollard

  “Not fast enough for my liking.” Lexi’s terse voice interrupted their moment. She walked from her photo room, loaded with bags carrying different lenses for her cameras. “When are you leaving, anyway?”

  “Lexi, that’s enough. He is staying here as long as he wants.” She opened her mouth to shout that he was staying as long as she wanted him to, but they had not even really talked about this attraction between them. Her eyes skipped to his. Their gazes locked and he watched her with an intensity that set her skin on fire.

  “You and your damn strays. I’m out, don’t expect me back until it’s gone dark.” Lexi headed to the door, grabbing her bag of winter gear and her winter puffer jacket. She pulled open the door and was greeted by a blast of cold air.

  “Lexi, don’t be out there all night. You are not immune to hyperthermia, you know.” Layla wrung her hands worriedly in her shirt.

  “Yeah, yeah, thanks, Mom.” With that she headed out, slamming the door behind her, leaving Layla and Tan in silence.

  “She doesn’t like me much; maybe it would be best if I did leave.” Tan was standing now.

  Layla turned around quickly, her eyes wide. “No! I mean, I just, I don’t want you to go.” There, she said it.

  His flickering blue eyes locked on hers as he closed the distance between them, making her tilt her head back to look up at him. He reached out, his fingers brushing along her cheek and leaving flames in their wake. Her breathing caught in her throat. God, how did the idea of him walking away freeze her heart like this? She barely knew him. Hell, he didn’t know himself.

  “You want me to stay?” His voice stroked over her skin, sinking deep, marking her. No other man would ever have the same effect on her—she knew this in her very bones.

  She opened her mouth to answer but the words dried up on her tongue. Instead of talking she just nodded slowly. It was crazy, more than insane. Only days before he had been a mad beast intent on killing her. Now here he was, a man, a demon even. No memory, and no idea why he was being tormented by a damn angel, and all Layla could think was without him here her life would be less bright.

  He growled low, pulling her body closer to his, molding her to him. His mouth covered hers, tongue sweeping deep, sending tiny shocks through her. Layla wrapped her arms around his neck. His hair was soft, and the stroke of her fingers through it brought a low purring sound from his throat.

  His kiss turned harder and he backed her up to the breakfast counter. Strong hands roamed down her hips to her legs and she was lifted, her ass sliding onto the counter. Layla parted her thighs and he stepped between them, pulling her hard against him. His fingers kneaded her ass, a low groan filling the kiss. That sound turned her body into a pliant slave.

  Layla gasped, feeling the hard ridge of his cock pressing against her through her pants. It had been so long since anyone had touched her there—only her own fingers and her imagination had been her companion. Since Richard had turned into a bastard literally overnight, no other man had come close to her. Even dates did not appeal to her. Not until Tan—his mouth, his touch—he made her feel alive again.

  The demon took full advantage of her gasp, wrenching full control of the kiss and plundering her mouth with his tongue, his hands tightening on her hips. They were alone for the first time all day. Layla trusted her daughter with the animals, and her sister was out sulking in the snow. This might be the only time she had to be with the man that had relit a fire she long thought dead.

  Her fingers ran down his chest, digging into the shirt. She popped the buttons and pushed the shirt from his shoulders. The demon responded by nipping hard at her bottom lip, then trailing his mouth from her lips and down her throat. The soft panting spurred him on, his lips trailing over the column of her neck. Layla tilted her head to the side as her nails scratched along his arms and over his shoulders.

  “If you keep that up, woman, I’m going to rip those pants off and make you scream.” Could one orgasm from words alone? She damn well felt like she could. His voice rumbled through her, making her body tighten. His voice needed to be outlawed.

  Goosebumps erupted all over her skin as she panted, turning her head so her lips found his again. He made the loneliness go away. He drove it off with his hot sinful mouth and hard body. He made her feel safe, needed, and craved—that was the most erotic thing Layla had ever experienced.

  Her soft moans wrapped around his insides, stroking, calling on the darker part of his soul to come out to play—come out and claim. She ignited something deep inside him, and he knew just what it was. The beast stirred, but not in anger or rage, he stirred in primal need as his tongue explored deeply. Her taste was exotic, sending sparks down into his groin. He needed to feel her skin, needed to be inside her, to taste her. It was a craving unlike any he’d had before, scratching at his insides.

  His fingers ran down, brushing along the edge of her pants. His breathing deepened. He felt like he was about to lose his mind. He wanted to lay her back, strip the clothes from her, and fuck her—there was nothing sweet about what he needed from her. Pulling back quickly, he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back. Sweat glistened on his face as he looked over her, the scraping worse.

  “What’s wrong, Tan?” Layla looked at his face. The scent of her arousal was shredding his fragile control. He panted softly, his body shook, and he hung his head forward, praying for strength. “Speak to me, did I do something wrong?”

  He lifted his eyes to hers. “I’m sorry, I felt the beast. He was coming out. It wanted you, like I want you.” His voice was strained—his desire had not dimmed at all. The fact she was not running from him made him crave her even more.

  Closing his eyes, he could see it; the animal prowled back and forth in his mind—it hungered for the female with a voracity that bordered on insane. He knew how the beast felt, because he felt the same way. Licking his lips, he lifted his eyes again. He breathed in her scent, growled low, and leaned in, brushing his nose up her throat.

  “I want you so badly I can taste it, but so does he. I don’t know what will happen, Layla.”

  Layla reached out and cupped his face with her hands, bringing his eyes back up to hers. Brushing her fingers over the beard that covered his jaw, she smiled. The sensation of her fingers was so good he felt it all the way through his body. He felt like arching against her, anything so she would keep touching him.

  “He doesn’t scare me. I want him to come out. I want to show you we can be together, and you don’t need to fear. I have a knack with animals, you know.”

  He opened his eyes and swallowed hard. What if he let the beast go and attacked her again? Whatever Michael had done to him had caused him to lose his memory, and his very essence. He could not risk her as well. He shook his head and pulled away from her.

  “I know you do, I feel it. Your voice, your scent—everything calls to me, to him. I need you, but I won’t risk you. I would never come back from that.” Tan reached out and sank his fingers into her hair.

  He watched in rapt thrall as she licked her lips and slowly smiled. What was she scheming in that pretty head of hers? “Do you trust me, Wolfman?” He could only nod as she leaned in, placing a sweet kiss against his lips.

  Tan locked his eyes on hers. He trusted her fully. Something inside him recognized the fact that he did not trust easily. She nodded slowly, and the smile she gave him made his cock jump. In that second, she was pure seductress. She was like some mythical angel, one of the good ones, and she was handing him a gift.

  “Good. I want you to put your hands on the counter. Don’t move them. Promise?” The glint of seduction in her eyes had his skin tightening and his body burning.

  “I will not move my hands.” Hell, he would superglue the damn things down if he had to. If that look of sin in her eyes was anything to go by, he was not going to break this promise.

  Layla was not about to lose the ground they found together. He might be scared, and she fully understood why. Not a chance in hell
she was walking away from the one man that made her hormones do a happy dance and her body come alive with the slightest touch. An idea had formed in her mind, and she was going to show him just how safe she was with him.

  She licked her lips and slid from the counter, her eyes locked on his the whole time. She ran her fingers down his chest, slowly following each intricate tattoo. She watched every muscle tense, every breath as it rushed through him. Each shiver that tracked over his flesh. Leaning in, she flicked out her tongue against his nipple. The demon hissed and clamped his teeth closed, his hands tightening on the counter.

  She smiled and ran her tongue along one broad curling tattoo, down his chest toward his stomach. He was panting low and hard. His eyes watched each flick, each sweep of her tongue as she traversed down his body. She sank her teeth into his hip, causing him to groan and tilt his head back. She was stoking a fire that enticed her. She loved seeing him like this—knowing it was her kisses that could drive him to this point of madness.

  “Layla…” he growled. The sound of aching wood came from behind her, but she ignored it and locked her eyes on his.

  She pulled back, watching as blue flame rolled over his skin. That should terrify her, send her running, but instead she leaned in and licked down from his belly button to the edge of the sweatpants he wore. The flames licking over her tongue pulled a moan from her mouth. She had never felt anything like it. The fire seemed to roll down her throat as she swallowed. It filled her, spreading through her nerves and veins. She closed her eyes and licked again, bringing more of that unique element into her body. Her fingers dug into his pants and she pulled them down, his cock springing free.

  He was large, the swollen dusky head glistening with arousal. Layla took him into her hand, gripping him and drawing forward. The demon groaned and that spurred her on even more. She ran her fingernails along the length, and his cock twitched, jumping at the contact. Leaning forward she avoided his erection and flicked her tongue against his hip, then biting down on his skin. His hips jerked forward hard and he looked down at her, pure wildness flashing in those blue depths.

  “Fuck!”

  She pulled back and smiled, making eye contact with him again. Layla licked her lips. Her mouth watered to taste him. That erotic blue fire licking over his skin called to her, as did the wild risk of pushing the beast to the edge. Layla swept her tongue over the weeping head of his cock, his taste tingling on her tongue. It felt like the blue fire was sinking into her body, heightening her senses. In her time with her ex, she had not really explored her own desires because they had been together for such a short amount of time. But with her Wolfman she could do what she wanted, as well as things he wanted and needed.

  She swooped down and enveloped the head of his cock, bringing a bark of shock from him. The sound of cracking wood was lost in the groaning from his throat. He was like flame and heat, with a touch of wildfire. Her tongue tingled as she swept it along his hard length. She felt consumed by him.

  Her own body had come alive—she was hyperaware of everything. His taste, the feeling of his hard flesh moving between her lips. Her own clothes felt too tight, her bra rubbing against her peaked nipples sent shockwaves through her body right down to her core. Layla was hot and slick. Her clit pulsed. Damn, she just wanted to reach out and run her fingers down between her lips to ease the building pressure that threatened to drive her insane.

  God damn, she was killing him. He was so close to snapping, the beast rolling under his flesh, her ripening scent calling to him—claim, mate, take female—she belonged to them. Just watching her tongue licking over her lips was enough to make his knees go weak. Fucking hell, she was the hottest thing he had ever seen.

  This little female was going to be the death of him. Her hot mouth swept along him and sent lightning rushing from the head of his cock deep into his balls, drawing him tight. Hanging his head he clamped his teeth closed hard. He didn’t care if he shattered all his teeth and broke every finger, he promised he would not move. He felt like roaring. He could feel the beast growing, spreading inside his body. He could hear her heartbeat, hear the rushing of her blood in her veins—he was hungry, but not for her blood.

  She nibbled on the head of his cock and his hips thrust forward. She took him deep, and he felt the velvet head brushing against the roof of her mouth and down her throat. He cried out, unable to hold back the rush of flame as his energy shifted. His skin was shifting blue, a rolling azure mix of sapphires and the deepest sea.

  “Stop, Layla! It is too close, I can’t hold it back!” His eyes went to his hands—talon-like nails now graced his fingertips and dug into the butcher-block countertop—fear he might harm her warred with his need to claim her. His skin felt like it was about to split open, his balls drew tighter, and an inferno licked down his spine into his lower back.

  The crazy woman did not let up. She sucked on the head with a small smile upon her lips. He couldn’t stop himself; his low growl shook the room, and his hips thrust almost uncontrollably into her mouth. The flames flickering over his flesh turned into a burning inferno that encompassed her, those azure flames rolling over her and enclosing them both in glittering fire.

  The wood countertop cracked again, and finally splintered in his grip. The fire raged through his spine and down his cock in a blinding rush. He roared out, thrusting forward, his body releasing into her hot mouth. Surge after surge of seed left him, and each time he felt his brain shorting out. The evil little vixen kept sucking along his length, drawing out the pleasure until he felt like he was dying.

  Layla licked and drank him down, her tongue flicking over the head. He tasted salty and sweet at the same time, as she sucked on him like a Tootsie Pop until he groaned, tilting his head back. Layla pulled back, a huge smile on her face. Licking her lips, she stood slowly, scratching her nails up his legs and over his stomach.

  The demon hissed, locking his eyes on hers. She felt like an evil, tempting seductress, so powerful that she could bring such a male to weakness. Her aim had been to show him she would be safe. But the look he now had in his eyes sent shivers through her already heated and aroused body. Her core was slick and wet from teasing him, her body hot and aching in much neglected areas. The flickering blue glow in his eyes promised so much more, and she was willing to be his prey.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The demon watched her take a step back. Turning her head to the side, she raised her eyebrows at the remains of her kitchen counter. As she turned to survey the damage, he took a slow step forward, pressing his front to her back. He caged her in against the counter and lowered his nose to her throat. Her scent bloomed around him, her body trembling everywhere he pressed against her. He could not get enough of her; her skin was like velvet to his touch. The energy that surrounded her sparked over his skin, calming and inflaming him all at once.

  His hands moved to cover hers. Automatically her body responded, rocking back against him like a cat. He trailed his nose up her neck, stopping just below her hair line. She had played his body, bringing him to his knees—figuratively. But now he wanted more, he wanted to feel her writhing under him, wanted to see her head thrown back in abandon as he explored every inch of her velvet skin.

  She was panting softly, her body molding back against him. With a smile on her lips she relaxed, her blond hair flowing over his shoulder.

  “See, I told you. You would never hurt me.”

  He let out a low growl against the skin of her throat and pressed his hard erection against her ass. His sweatpants hung just below his hips. The rough sensation of her jeans against his still-hard cock sent a surge of pleasure rushing up his spine.

  “That’s true, but now I want a taste. I want more.” He heard her let out a shaky breath, her body pushing back against him. “Will you let me taste you, Layla?” He could not keep the growl out of his voice, and judging by her breath catching in her throat, she liked hearing it. She turned her head so she could see his eyes. His lips feathered along he
r jawline and paused beside hers.

  “God, yes.” Her surrender to his control was like pure lightening through his veins. His mouth caught hers, his tongue sweeping past her lips, swallowing her moan. He pressed harder against her back. The pounding of his blood thickened in his veins. The very air around them was heady and hot, their breath mingling. The drive to pin her against this counter and make her cry out tore at him.

  Hands entwined together, the beast hovering just under the surface of his skin. He wanted to mark her, make sure everyone knew who she belonged to. She was sweet on his tongue. Her body responded, and she gave as good as she got, her mouth devouring his as he tasted and kissed deeply, needing more of her.

  “Mommy?” A sweet innocent voice broke through the sexual haze like ice water being dumped all over him.

  The pair of them pushed from each other as if they were on fire. Tan turned quickly to readjust himself and cover his aching cock, his whole body tingling. He managed to hold back the groan. God damn, if that didn’t kill the mood in half a second flat; he even felt himself burning red. At least the evil seductress who got them in this mess was as embarrassed as him. She gasped and covered her face before quickly recovering and turning to face her daughter. Annabelle just stared at her with a little knowing smile on her face.

  “Does this mean he is going to be my new daddy?” Hope shone in her little face as she looked between the two adults. No doubt they looked more like scolded children then she ever had.

  “Oh, err, Annabelle, that’s not, I mean… it’s not, we weren’t…” Oh yeah we were, or almost were… oh. He had to admit, Layla was seriously cute when she was blabbering. The tiny human, however, just smiled her little smile and ran over to him. Her little arms wrapped around his legs and she looked up at him with pure adoration in her bright eyes. Tan looked down at the child. His mouth opened and closed as he tried in desperation to come up with something to say, but it looked like the little girl had already made up her mind.