Peyton got up from the chair and followed Wyatt out of the room. He was standing in front of the couch, running his hands through his hair. His shoulders and back were tight with tension, and Peyton could see the veins in his neck bulging. She’d caused this and needed to fix it.
“I’ve always been alone, Wyatt,” she said barely above a whisper. “I don’t know any other way to be, but I want to try. I need you to show me the way.”
Wyatt turned around and starting walking toward her. At first, Peyton wasn’t quite sure what he was planning to do. Her flinch was unexpected and unwanted, and the look in Wyatt’s eyes nearly gutted her. She saw the pain in them, but also regret. And something else she hadn’t seen before; he looked at her like she’d seen Jacks looking at Ryleigh, and the promise that brought could bring her to her knees. This man truly did care about her, and she cared just as deeply for him.
The months and months of communication had built a foundation. Peyton hoped it was strong enough to still hold when he finally beat down all her walls. When he opened his arms and embraced her, the relief she felt was palpable. Laying her head on his chest, she let his robust and steady heartbeat soothe her frazzled nerves. That little confession had taken so much out of her. Wyatt Green was dismantling her and putting her back together faster than any assembly line.
“Thank you, baby. Thank you for trusting me enough to want to try. I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to give you what you need.”
When he started to caress her back, Peyton began to squirm. His touch felt so good. If she could bury herself in his body for these feelings to continue, she would. When his hand ventured down to her butt, she was a little shocked. This had been such a tender moment, she hadn’t expected the move.
“Now, I think we need to talk about that spanking,” Wyatt said, squeezing said butt cheek.
Peyton froze. “What?”
“Your ass has had a starring role in my dreams for a while now. But damn, baby, it’s way better than anything I could have made up in my mind. It’s a perfect balance of plump, yet firm. And damn, your skin is so pale and creamy, my cock is aching, thinking about the warm pink I could place on it with the slap of my hand.”
Peyton could feel his arousal pressed against her stomach, and the evidence empowered her. Peyton wanted this man to want her as much as she wanted him. He was everything and more than she dared to imagine. Truth be told, she wasn’t exactly opposed to a bit of pain, especially if it came from Wyatt and ended in a much more pleasant way. But she couldn’t let him get away with that statement so easily. She had a feeling many people bowed to Wyatt’s will, and she wasn’t going to be one of them. If they were in this, then they were in it together.
“I don’t know, Wyatt. You seem to be obsessed with my ass. It’s starting to get a little creepy,” Peyton laughed coyly. Stepping out of his embrace, dislodging his insistent hand on her butt, Peyton turned and walked away. She couldn’t resist one more comment. So, she looked over her shoulder and said, “I like a little slap and tickle as much as the next girl, but you have to earn that right with me.” A wicked little smile filled her lips.
Wyatt was on her in the blink of an eye. His forearm locked under her heavy breasts and his hand at her hip.
“Oh, baby,” he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I’ll definitely earn that privilege. Your ass is so mine. But, let's get one thing clear before we go any further, this is a hell of a lot more than a little slap and tickle. You’re mine, Peyton. You might not get what all that means, but you will. Shifters know instinctively when we’ve met our mate, and for me, that’s you, baby.”
“Mates?” Peyton stiffened and tried to move away. Wyatt only moved her closer.
“Yes, Peyton, mates. I know it’s true. Can’t you feel it, the connection, the chemistry? We’ve been drawn together for months. Being together now, in person, only increases the need for touch, taste, and connection.” He pulled her back further into him to emphasize the fact with the hard rod planted firmly in her backside.
“Mate? What are you talking about, like as in animal mates? Or mates like Ryleigh and Jacks? You called them that before. What exactly are you saying, Wyatt?”
Peyton was afraid of the answer he might give, but hoped for the answer she wanted. She knew bears in the wild only mated for procreation, the rest of the time they were pretty much loners. That was never going to work for her; having Wyatt once, then him leaving would destroy a part of her. She wanted more. Ryleigh and Jacks, they were mates, or at least that’s what Wyatt had called them. They seemed like a happy, loving couple. The problem with that scenario was they were also married. Peyton didn’t believe in marriage. Judy had killed that institution for her a long time ago.
“You’ll see, honey. And when the time is right, I’ll explain it all to you. But that time isn’t right now; you’re not ready.”
Peyton wanted to protest his statement, but couldn’t. He was right, she wasn’t ready, but she needed to let him know one thing.
“I’m not the one-night-stand girl, Wyatt, you need to know that. I don’t open myself up easily, and I won’t do it just to fill a need or serve a purpose.”
“I know, baby,” Wyatt kissed her temple, “but you need to learn to trust me and these feelings we have for each other, or we’re both going to be sorely disappointed.”
When he released his hold on her, Peyton didn’t hesitate to move away. The last couple of days were moving fast, and they had a lot of work to get done before they could even consider exploring anything else. She went to the kitchen to grab some drinks while Wyatt sat down on the couch.
“Peyton,” Wyatt called from the other room, “how do you know Judy isn’t going to pay him another visit and find out you went to see him?”
“I have no doubt Judy will go back and see Frank, she’s desperate. She needs to find Bastian, and she’s willing to get that information anyway possible, but I really don’t think Frank will tell her about my little visit. He might like to get his rocks off, but he hates Judy. She fucked him over all those years ago, and even though he was crude, I don’t think he wants to see me hurt.”
After getting the drinks, she came back into the common room and took a seat next to Wyatt. She loved this couch. It was old and second hand, but the leather was buttery soft and the cushions caressed her body like a big warm blanket. Getting to sit next to Wyatt only increased its appeal. Curling herself into the arm and facing him, she continued the conversation.
“Frank Frost is out for himself and no one else. As long as Judy keeps her contacts away from him, he doesn’t gain anything from any of this. He would sell Bastian or me out in a heartbeat for his own gain, but not for hers. My visit with him doesn’t really change anything; he and Judy still only have a general location of where your base and Bastian are. What we need to figure out is how Frank even knew that much. I know Bastian didn’t tell him.”
“Yeah, we can put that on the list. Is your network watching Judy?” Wyatt asked.
“Yep, I put them on it right before I came here. It cost me though.”
“What do you mean it cost you?”
“Well, I had to supply each person with something to make this a priority. I can’t believe the cliché is really true. One wanted a year’s supply of Twizzlers, one a year’s supply of Red Bull, and the other one has a skittles fetish. When did hackers become so predictable and unhealthy? I mean, I like to indulge every once in a while, but I want to live past my thirties, and a diet of junk food isn’t where it’s at. Don’t you agree? You’re in great shape, you must work out and eat a healthy diet, right?”
“Well, sure,” Wyatt looked a little embarrassed, “but baby, the Shifter gene ensures I’m in top physical condition.” When he started preening like Jacks had in the meeting, Peyton laughed, he was so cute. “Here’s what’s really going to catch your goat, I can eat whatever I want. If it weren't for Dalton’s insistence, I would totally skip the gym.”
“No way, that’s
so unfair. If I even think about cheesecake, I gain ten pounds, all in my butt.”
“Hmm, looks like I need to learn how to make cheesecake,” Wyatt said, leaning over and trying to grope said butt.
“You are such a dork,” Peyton pushed his hands away laughing, “and you’re right, I’m totally jealous. Maybe if I stick around you long enough, some of those magical genes will rub off, and I can be the size zero model I always hoped to be.”
“Oh, no fucking way. I like your curves right where they are, and it would be a crime against humanity if that ass got even a little smaller. Baby, you are stacked.”
Peyton wasn’t used to this type of conversation, but she liked it. When Wyatt stuck his tongue out and started panting like a dog, she began laughing so hard her eyes watered. Wyatt pulled her closer, and she rested against his chest. She was so tired; everything that had happened today was pulling her under, but there was one thing that she couldn’t get off her mind.
“I can’t believe my brother never told me about him being a Shifter.” Here, in Wyatt’s arms, she felt like she could ask anything and he would answer; he didn’t disappoint.
“Honey, we aren’t allowed to tell anyone but our mates and children,” Wyatt responded. “It’s law, and that law is governed tightly. That’s why I told you. You’re my mate, I feel it, but that’s a discussion for another time and place. I’m sure Bastian wanted to tell you though.”
Peyton was still on the fence about the whole mating thing. She didn’t have any idea what it entailed, but she liked the idea of being with this man. She just didn’t think she could do anything short term. He had the ability to break her; she had never allowed anyone else to get close enough to have that happen before.
“Yeah, maybe,” she said.
Peyton didn’t really want to think about her brother right now. She wanted to live in the moment and suck up everything Wyatt had to offer. When he put his finger under her chin and directed her face up to his, the look in his hooded eyes almost burned her. His aqua green eyes were sparkling again, and this time, it most definitely was not from anger.
When he dropped his lips to hers, Peyton was more than ready for the kiss. It was no little peck. This kiss was long and deep with tongues dueling, creating an erotic slide. Peyton moaned. This was the best kiss she’d ever gotten in her life. The man knew what he was doing. He placed his hands on her cheeks, pulling her closer. He placed small kisses on either side of her lips before he licked her plump bottom lip, asking for permission to enter. Peyton sighed, and he dove in with zeal, exploring every crevice of her mouth. After several minutes, he twined his tongue with hers, pulling it into his mouth, giving her a little power.
Peyton took full advantage and explored the recesses of his mouth. His hands moved sensually down her arms, then to her sides, creating even more warmth in Peyton’s middle. Wyatt pulled her onto his lap, and for the first time, with her thighs on either side of his hip, Peyton’s most sensitive skin was pressed firmly against Wyatt’s arousal. Moving a fraction of an inch created the most wonderful feeling. She couldn’t help but move more, recreating the feeling over and over again.
Her panties were wet, and her clit was gloriously engorged. Wyatt started fucking her mouth with his tongue, bringing his hands down to her hips. He aided her little dance, applying more pressure to her already heated core. Peyton felt it coming and knew there was no stopping what would happen next. One more slow, hard grind and she was gone. The explosion was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she saw lights flashing in her brain. Panting as heavily as before, Peyton slumped into his body.
“Damn, now that’s a sight I’d like to see several times a day for the rest of my life,” Wyatt declared. “My mate, breathless and fully sated by my hand. You better prepare yourself, baby, I’m already addicted to you. Once I get a real taste, I might never let you out of bed again.”
Peyton was unable to move or respond. Small tremors still racked her body, and she relished every one. She didn’t know how she felt about the whole mate thing, but right now, at this moment, everything was right in her world. Maybe she could just sit here for a while, safe in Wyatt’s lap, where hacking and bad people didn’t exist.
She wanted, probably the first time, a life where she could train her dogs and not have to give them away. Where she could help out NAC and The Holly Group when and only if she wanted to. But most of all, she wanted, no needed, Wyatt. She wanted to get Judy out of her life once and for all and concentrate on more important things. This big bear could come to mean everything to her. Could she let herself go there or would she run away like she’d trained herself to do? She didn’t want to run even though staying might be the scariest thing she ever did in her life. That was until she heard the loud grumble coming from Wyatt’s stomach.
“Either you’re hungry,” Peyton snickered, “or your bear is making his presence known.”
“Sorry, honey, but all that talk of the three major food groups earlier and our little workout, I can’t help myself.”
God, the man, was such a ham.
“Okay, big guy, I guess you’ve earned it,” Peyton said saucily. “We both missed breakfast and lunch, and it’s about dinner time. How about I go and make us something quick, and we can get back to work?”
“Sounds good to me, but how about I help?” Wyatt said. Wyatt stood, pulling Peyton up with him.
“You don’t have to,” Peyton said, looking up at him. “I don’t have anything all that great here. MREs and sandwich fixings will only take a couple of minutes to prepare. Why don’t you start setting up the computer, so we can work while we eat? Two birds, one stone.”
Wyatt kissed her on the forehead, and she stepped away to head for the kitchen. The loud smack reached her ears before the pain in her backside registered.
“You didn't!” she said, turning to look at him, shocked and indignant.
“Damn right, I did, baby,” Wyatt smirked. “Damn, I do love that ass.” He gave her a little push. “Now off with you, your man is hungry.”
Peyton, still a little shocked, started walking toward the kitchen. Damn, it didn’t matter how caveman that little statement sounded, she liked Wyatt calling himself her man. This one time, she really wanted to see what her life could be with this man. She made up her mind that if what Wyatt said was the truth, she was all in and willing to mate with a bear Shifter.
Several hours later, Peyton was so engrossed in her work, she didn’t notice Wyatt come into the room. Hell, she didn’t even notice he had left the room in the first place. He set a bottle of water and an apple on the desk and said, “Eat.” She didn’t even acknowledge him, waving her hand to indicate he should leave.
“Baby, I need you to give me everything you have so far,” Wyatt demanded. “I want to look over the surveillance you have on Judy, and the information you found out about the suits,”
Peyton grunted, pointed to the laptop to her left, and gave Wyatt her password. He laughed and left her alone. Sometime after that, Peyton smelled something delicious, jolting her attention away from her work.
She was hungry and whatever was cooking smelled magnificent. In fact, it was good enough to divert her attention from the computer screen. She’d made them sandwiches earlier and hadn’t even thought to offer him anything else. Lucky for her, he was a take-charge kind of man.
For the first time in hours, Peyton looked around to see where the smell was coming from. Seeing Wyatt in the kitchen, stirring something at the stove warmed her heart. She had never had someone cook for her before, it was nice. Well, except for Bastian when she was a child, but this was different. Deciding she needed a break, she made her way to Wyatt to thank him. Peyton hugged him from behind, placing a small kiss on his back.
After a relished moment, she asked, “What are you cooking? It smells delicious.”
Wyatt moved his hand to hers and squeezed, “Nothing much, just soup and grilled cheese. You’ve been at it for hou
rs. I figured it was time for you to take a break and get something warm in your belly.”
“Thank you, Wyatt,” Peyton said, laying her head between his shoulder blades. Damn, she might have to stay like this. It felt so good. Rubbing her hands up his stomach, she was entranced with all the hills and valleys she found.
“If you keep this up, I might have to keep you,” she joked.
“Well, we can talk about that later,” Wyatt said, stopping her hands from her impromptu exploration, which was disappointing, “but right now, brace yourself for the absolute best grilled cheese on the planet. Go have a seat, and I’ll bring it out.”
Peyton left reluctantly, pouting and stomping a little on the way. She liked grilled cheese, but she liked what she’d been doing a second ago even more.
Wyatt came out of the kitchen and placed a plate in front of Peyton, taking the seat next to her at the table. She didn’t make a move to take what he offered.
“Come on baby, dig in. You need to keep up your strength. After this, you need to go and lay down for a while.” Peyton went to complain, but Wyatt had turned and placed his finger over her mouth. “No, baby, you need some sleep, even if it’s only for a couple of hours. Don’t fight me on this, okay?”
She couldn’t fight him, she knew they both needed to sleep.
“Okay Wyatt, but first, you need to impress me with your culinary skills. I have my standards after all,” Peyton laughed.
“Well,” Wyatt gave her a quick kiss, “then prepare to be amazed because my grilled cheese is legendary.”
Peyton had to admit, he wasn’t far off. Wyatt’s grilled cheese sandwiches had just the right amount of gooey, crunchy, cheesy goodness. Peyton was in heaven. Wyatt wouldn’t have to worry about her losing any of her curves if he made her this every day, that was for sure, and Peyton wasn’t ashamed to admit she wanted them every single day.
When she finally decided to take a breath from her Hoover act, the pained expression on Wyatt’s face stunned her. What surprised her even more, was the arousal she’d seen in his eyes before was back. She briefly thought about teasing him, but really, who could make eating a sandwich arousing? Dessert sure, even other foods which involved the use of silverware had a shot, but a sandwich? No such luck. She hadn’t even tasted the soup he gave her yet, and she really didn’t want to tease the gorgeous man. Oh well.
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 75