by Renee Rose
Her teeth grazed him more than once, her jaw too small for his width, but he didn’t care. He wanted it to go on forever. He wanted it to stop immediately. He needed to claim her. No. He shook his head, shoving back the beast.
Ashley continued her meticulous torture, humming against his skin, licking, sucking. His knuckles turned white on the headboard, muscles straining.
Cum surged down his shaft. “Oh, God,” he choked. “I’m coming.”
Ashley didn’t take her mouth off his cock, accepting his offering with feminine grace, swallowing with a satisfied smile.
He flipped her to her back and pounced, covering her body with his. His cock, still hard despite the release, found her slick entryway and was already prodding for entrance before his brain kicked back into gear.
Get off her.
He blinked, rocking his hips so the tip of his cock actually breached her hole. Oh, hallelujah. Nothing felt sweeter than the first parting of her inner lips.
No.
He mustered all his willpower and yanked himself off her. Get a grip, Stone. Crawling down, he yanked her panties to the side and licked into her. She parted her thighs, drawing her knees up to make room for him. Her hips arched, her flat belly quivering at the flick of his tongue. She had a neatly trimmed pussy: petite and beautiful.
He stopped, his thoughts suddenly running in a direction that turned him cold.
“Who do you keep this pussy trimmed for?” he demanded, not managing to sound casual.
“You,” she said thickly, wiggling her hips for more.
He frowned. “No, really. Who?”
She leaned up on her forearms, her brow furrowed at the interruption, or maybe because he had no right to ask. “For myself. I like it that way, okay?”
He relaxed and touched the pad of his thumb to her clit, gently vibrating.
She bucked, moaning something incomprehensible.
He pinned her hips down, parted her inner lips, and traced her dewy opening. She gave a closed-mouthed scream when he slid inside her—a needy cry that made his cock furious to be so far from her.
Using the palm of his hand to rub her sensitive nub, he slid in and out with his thumb, still holding her down as she thrashed beneath his ministrations. He changed fingers, sliding two inside and flicking his tongue over her clit.
She tugged on his hair, clamped her knees around his ears, and made a throaty cry.
Her responsiveness nearly sent him over the edge—she looked so beautiful with her hair fanned out on the pillow, her lithe body undulating and arching into his hands. He swirled a slow circle around her clit with his tongue, then sucked it. He fit three fingers inside her soaking pussy, then made a cone of his fingers and thumb and pumped it in and out, stretching her wide to accept him. She went wild, her eyes rolling back, fingernails sinking into his shoulders as she came, rubbing her clit over his face. He continued penetrating her tight cunt until the fluttering of her muscles around his fingers had stopped and she collapsed back on the bed.
He must have already been partially shifting, ready to mark her, because he realized his vision had changed. He scrambled backward off the bed, back to the shower where he blasted the cold water. Shucking his clothes, he climbed in and put his face and cock in the freezing stream.
Damn. The blowjob hadn’t lessened his blue balls even by a measure. Water streamed over his heated body, cooling his skin but not the inner burn. His cock barely deflated. He jerked the shower curtain open when he finished and stalked past Ashley, who was coming into the bathroom, blushing.
He was an asshole. He didn’t even know how to be nice to a woman, especially not one he wanted to fuck six ways to Friday or Sunday, or whatever the saying was. He heard the shower start up and ignored his cock’s eager idea to rush back and join her.
The sound of her phone ringing jerked him out of his lustful haze. He dived for her purse and pulled it out, then jogged to the bathroom. Turning off the water in the shower, he thrust the phone at her.
She grabbed it, her eyes wide and frightened. “H-hello?”
He heard the electronic voice clearly, his hearing far more sensitive than a human’s. “Midnight, downtown Greyhound bus terminal parking lot.”
“Oka—”
The line went dead before she’d spoken. He didn’t know how it worked for Zolla, but if he needed a certain length of time for the call to go on, they’d failed.
Ashley’s dripping hand shook as she handed him the phone back, her face pale.
He wanted to tell her everything would be all right, but he wasn’t sure he believed it, and he’d never been one to lie. He just gave her a curt nod and closed the shower curtain.
* * *
Ashley picked at her food. Even the toast seemed too heavy for her nervous belly. Ben’s friend Zolla hadn’t been able to pinpoint the location of the call, so they were no closer to getting Melissa than the night before. Ben sat in silence, his plate already clean, watching her with his brooding gaze. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was angry with her, but by now, she was used to his scowls and dark looks. Whatever it was that went on in that brain of his, whatever his mysterious thoughts, she was fairly certain he liked her. Which didn’t mean she felt any safer or more confident with him.
She didn’t know why he hadn’t had sex with her, or why he seemed almost disgruntled about the blowjob she’d given him, but she had noticed that despite his orgasm, his flag had still been flying at full mast. Maybe sex was different for shifters.
“Do you think she’s okay?” she asked.
He pursed his lips. “I don’t know what to think. I know it’s a good thing they still seem to want my laptop. I guess we’d better figure out why.”
He lifted his palm in greeting and she twisted to see his friend Zolla walking through the diner toward them. She slid over to make room for him in their booth and Ben immediately shook his head.
Zolla seemed to understand. He held out his palm in a gentlemanly gesture. “I’m sure you prefer to sit with Ben,” he said.
Her gaze flicked from one wolf to the other, and then she shrugged and scooted out of her side, sliding in next to Ben.
“So you were saying we need to figure out why they want your laptop,” Zolla said.
“How could you possibly have heard that from way across the diner?” she asked, thinking he must read lips or something.
Zolla smirked. “Wolf ears. All the better to hear you with.”
She laughed and Ben looked at her askance, as if she shouldn’t be laughing at another man’s jokes.
A waitress came by and Zolla ordered a coffee.
“So what’s on the laptop?”
Ben shrugged. “It’s my access point to everything, but I don’t store anything of importance on it. I’m thinking they could be after all my passwords? Could a hacker get that info from my computer?”
Zolla nodded. “Yes. I set up the initial security for your brother’s system. I made it so it was un-hackable from the outside. If things are still the same, then yes, your laptop and only your laptop would provide them what they need to get in.” He looked grim. “Not even Jack had universal access, although he asked me for it more than once.”
“He asked me for it, too,” Ben muttered.
Zolla gave him a sharp look and Ben cocked his head by a fraction of an inch. “It’s possible,” Ben said.
“That Jack is behind this?” she asked, trying to understand the unspoken conversation.
Ben gave a single nod.
“What did you find out from the license plate?”
“Registered to a Dan Walker. Typical thug—several misdemeanors, one felony for car theft. Probably not the mastermind behind this, but a hired goon.” Zolla slid a piece of paper across the table. “Here’s his address, although I doubt you’ll find him there.”
“And no info on this morning’s call?” Ashley asked, although she already knew the answer.
He shook his head. “Location information has been removed from your
sister’s phone and the call was too short to do a traditional trace,” he said, looking sympathetic. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate your help.”
Ben seemed to bristle next to her, as if he didn’t like her talking to him.
Zolla looked away from her and asked, “Have you talked to Stanley?”
Ben’s jaw clenched. “Yeah. He was pretty butt-hurt about me calling in a favor when I wasn’t technically a member of their pack. I don’t think I can count on their help for the meetup.”
Zolla said nothing for a long moment, just tapped the fork against the spoon. Then he blew out his breath. “You know he wants you to lead the pack, right?”
A muscle jumped in Ben’s face. “Not going to happen.”
Zolla shrugged. “Well, Stanley’s losing wolves right and left. He lost me. He’s not strong enough to lead. No one wants to follow a beta. I know that must sound ripe coming from me.”
Ben didn’t answer.
“Well, I have a contract job in Edgewater, so I’ll be out all day, unless you want me to stick around.”
Ben shook his head.
“Do you two want to hang at my place today?”
“Maybe,” Ben said. “It would be about an unlikely a place to stay, one where no one would think to look.”
“Well, if you decide you want to, here’s the address and the code to get in.”
“Thanks. I think we will go there.”
“Okay, then I’ll meet you there an hour before the meeting.”
“Good. I’ll see if Mark Ruhl will come as well. Thank you.”
* * *
Ben opened the car door for her, but instead of stepping in, she turned to face him. “What’s with the weird vibe if I even look at Zolla?” she demanded.
He avoided her eyes, looking over the top of the car toward the Flatiron Mountains, which jutted majestically in the background. His body itched to shift and run for that wilderness, to get rid of all this pent-up tension winding his crank.
“You’re acting crazy,” she said.
He knew she was right. His behavior was over the top, even by wolf standards. He dragged his eyes to meet her. “I know,” he admitted. “I’m sorry. I just can’t seem to help myself around you.”
“Well, you can relax, because I’m only interested in you,” she said, laying a palm on his chest.
Her touch burned him like a branding iron, causing him to jerk at the jolt of electricity that passed between them. But as much as he adored her, as much as he wanted her, he couldn’t have her. And pretending otherwise, when she was making her feelings plain, would be cruel.
“Ashley… I can’t.” He looked around as if the right words would be posted on a sign nearby. “I can’t do this with you.”
She stiffened. “Why not?” she asked, her voice sounding tight.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I just can’t. I’m sorry. It’s not possible. I shouldn’t have,” he swallowed, “done what I did last night—or this morning. I know I’m an asshole. You don’t deserve this.”
Her face turned to stone and she shrugged like it didn’t matter, climbing in the car. He hesitated, his hand on the door handle. But what else was there to say? Explaining the marking thing would only terrify her. Besides, even if marking wasn’t an issue, he couldn’t get involved with her. He couldn’t let another person he cared about die on his watch. He shut her door and walked around to the driver’s side.
They rode in silence for twenty minutes before she said, “Is there another woman?”
“No,” he snapped, not meaning to sound so harsh.
She flinched and turned to look out her window.
He waited for the next question, but it never came. They made it all the way to Zolla’s without speaking another word. He pulled into the driveway and used the code he’d given him to open the garage door. When he returned to the car to pull it in, Ashley had climbed over to the driver’s seat.
“I’ll see you later,” she muttered, trying to shut the door he’d left agape.
He shoved his hand in between, and managed to slow it a bit before it slammed on him.
Ashley’s face registered horror and she shoved the door back open to free him. He used the opportunity to put his entire body between the door and the car, reaching in to haul her out.
“Stop it,” she cried, struggling.
Afraid of leaving finger bruises on her arms, he spun her around and wrapped one arm around her waist to pick her up. “Where did you think you were going?”
“I don’t know—away from here! What do you care? I’ll be at the meetup.”
His need to protect her made his teeth sharpen in his mouth and a growl to erupt from his throat.
She froze, her shoulders hunching in a slight cower, but her voice came out strong and brave. “So I’m still your prisoner, huh?”
“Yeah,” he muttered. “You’re still my prisoner.” He pushed her over the hood of the car and began to rain smacks down on her wriggling ass, hard and fast.
“Ben!” she shrieked, the panic of public humiliation evident in the pitch of her voice.
“Don’t even think about going anywhere without me,” he growled. He continued spanking, not because he thought she deserved punishment, but just to assert his dominance. He didn’t expect to earn her submission, though. Hell, he was probably forever sealing the end of their relationship, which should be what he wanted. Except… there was no way he could let her go.
“Okay, stop!” she yelled, turning to look over her shoulder at him. Her face held a mixture of emotions—her eyes dark and glassy, her teeth bared, her brows down low in anger.
“You can’t leave,” he growled. “It’s not safe.”
She didn’t answer, so he delivered several more hard slaps.
“Ashley? Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
He turned her around and placed his shoulder into the fold of her hips to toss her over his back, inadvertently lifting her skirt up. When he reached to pull it down, he brushed across her panties and found them soaked. Even when she was pissed at him, her body said yes. His cock went rock hard. How could he doubt she was his mate? Their chemistry was off the charts.
She smacked his back with her palm. “Put me down, you big jerk. I’ve had enough of your Neanderthal ways. I’ve had enough of you.”
“I’m sure you have,” he said, carrying her into the garage and opening the door to the house. “Unfortunately, you have no choice but to put up with me for one more day.” He plopped her on the sofa. “Do I need to find the duct tape?”
She surged to her feet, a wild look of defiance on her face. “Yes!”
He hid a surprised smile. Yes? What did that mean? Wicked thoughts crept into his brain. “Okay,” he said and tugged her back up to stand. Whirling her around, he pinned her wrists behind her back. He used them to force her to the end of the sofa, where he pushed her down over the padded arm.
“You need to be restrained, Ashley?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly.
Her breathing came in audible gasps.
He leaned his body over hers, his erection pressing into her soft ass. “Do you like being my prisoner?” he murmured in her ear.
She didn’t answer, but her hips pushed backward, the heat of her flesh searing against his straining cock. With a great effort of will, he wrenched his hips safely away from hers. He could not claim her. He shouldn’t be doing this—not after he’d just told her they couldn’t have a relationship. But the intoxicating scent of her wet pussy had sent reason flying.
Keeping her wrists pinned with one hand, he used the other to lift her skirt and tug down her panties. Her cheeks were reddened from the spanking he’d just given her, and she clenched them now, as if to ward off further spanks.
He tested to be sure he was reading her correctly. “Spread your legs, Ashley.”
Her feet slid apart.
His cock surg
ed against his zipper, painfully hard.
He brought his hand up between her legs, slapping her pussy.
She shrieked, trying to lift her torso, but he didn’t allow it. He noted she did not close her legs.
He slapped her again, her natural lubricant coating his fingers. He spanked her little pussy over and over again until she began to whimper and plead. “Please… Ben… please.”
“Please what?”
“I—please… fuck me.”
He was unprepared for his body’s reaction to that request. His skin flushed and prickled, canines lengthened, vision changed.
Do. Not. Mark her.
He forced himself to inhale several times through his nose, the effort to stay in control overwhelming. When his vision dulled again, he nudged her feet even wider. Using the pad of his middle finger, he stroked along her dewy slit, gliding between her inner lips, gathering moisture, and dragging it up to her clit.
She gave a wavering moan.
He flicked her responsive little button and her knees buckled, her feet sliding out from under her. The sofa bore her weight and he pressed her pinned wrists down, holding her in place as he continued to torture her most sensitive organ.
Her moans grew louder, a needy, desperate pitch taking over.
He slid two fingers inside her.
She mewled, arching against the hold he had on her wrists.
He pumped his fingers in and out. It only took a few strokes before she cried out, her muscles gripping his fingers, squeezing in a rhythmic pulse.
“Ben,” she choked and the sound of his name on her lips nearly turned him savage.
Somehow, he managed to ease his fingers out without pouncing on her and making her forever his. He slapped her pussy one more time as he backed away. The change was still upon him—his entire body shook with the effort to keep it back. He needed to shift and run—to get release this pent-up frustration.
“Promise me you’ll stay put,” he said, his voice still rough.
She said nothing.
He slapped her bare ass and she yelped. “I promise!”
He released her wrists and pulled her panties up, then turned her to face him and pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, twisting as her eyes widened. “You’re killing me,” he muttered, even though he knew he was the one doing the killing. He’d been the king of mixed signals, dragging her, and her heart—if she cared for him, and he desperately hoped she did—through the wringer.