Not affections, a little voice inside said. Her love.
Since when did finding a mate and falling in love need to go together? Arctos paused as he pulled out until only the tip of his shaft remained inside of her. His body shook as the truth struck. It meant everything. He couldn’t true-mate with a woman who didn’t love him.
Caitlin’s hands moved to his thighs, gripping them tight as if she feared he would leave her teetering on the edge. He kissed her shoulder, making his way to the small of her neck. His teeth scrapped, dangerously sharp against her tender flesh. Arctos snapped his jaw shut as he realized what he’d been about to do.
He growled low in his throat, then lifted her to her knees, spreading her until her pink puffy sex was angled just right. Instead of entering her, he dropped to his hands and licked her from bottom to top. Caitlin trembled and her arms gave out, leaving the lower half of her body thrust high into the air. Her juices ran down his chin as Arctos continued to feast.
“I will never get enough of the taste of you.” He held her so his mouth and tongue could explore her thoroughly.
Caitlin’s thighs quivered and she mewed into the pillow, gripping it tight. She didn’t try to pull away as he devoured her swollen flesh. When she trembled, Arctos doubled his efforts. He plunged his tongue deep inside her channel and latched onto her clit at the same time. Caitlin screamed, her whole body convulsing as her release rocked her.
Arctos wasn’t nearly finished, but he sensed her exhaustion. He lapped her folds tenderly while the tremors shook her, catching the last of her moisture on his tongue. When her breathing returned to normal, Arctos positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. This time he didn’t hold back. He wanted to mark her, needed to mark her. He thrust hard, his entrance eased by a flood of wetness. Each stroke glided easily in and out of her as her body opened to accept his relentless invasion.
He held her waist, pulling her back to meet his demanding thrusts. Arctos felt his balls draw up. His breathing grew ragged as his release neared. Caitlin bucked and her body clamped down on him. The frantic pace Arctos was setting faltered. He wouldn’t last much longer. Light flashed behind his eyelids. He shuddered and lost all rhythm. Her channel fluttered again, milking his shaft.
Arctos bellowed, his grip near crushing as he jerked her tight, holding her snug as his essence spilled inside of her.
* * * * *
A wall of heat incinerated Caitlin the second Arctos cried out. She felt herself shatter as his grip tightened and he lodged himself against her core, fusing them together. His scalding chest rested against her back as his big body jerked repeatedly, sending wave and wave of fresh warmth pulsing inside of her. She’d never felt anything like it. Arctos’ climax seemed to go on forever.
It was several minutes before he eventually pulled out of her, his cock still hard. He kissed her back, then licked the base of her neck. “Thank you,” he said, his voice full of awe.
Caitlin rolled onto her stomach until they were staring eye to eye. “That was wow.” She brushed his hair away from his face. “I’m sure you hear that a lot, but it’s true.”
His lips quirked. “I was inspired,” he said, winking at her.
Caitlin laughed. She couldn’t help it. “I don’t know about you, but I could really use a shower.” She thought about the bathroom situation and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, searching her face.
“There isn’t a shower in this cabin, only a bathtub. If I want a bath, I’ll have to heat up snow.”
Arctos grinned. “Is that all?”
“What do you mean is that all?” she asked, getting perturbed. He made it sound like it was no big deal, when she knew hauling snow would be a pain in the butt. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the snow that was really bothering her. Maybe it was the feelings that Arctos was stirring up inside of her.
“I’ll fix you the bath that you desire.” He rolled off the bed.
The instant lack of warmth from his body left her feeling oddly ill at ease. Caitlin crossed her arms over her chest and looked around the room for her clothes. “It’s going to take forever to heat that much snow,” she said.
“Leave everything to me.”
“You’re crazy,” she tossed back, gathering her things.
He winked again and something inside her chest fluttered wildly. “Trust me.”
This couldn’t be happening, she thought. Sex was sex. That’s all. Even as the words flitted through her mind, Caitlin was loath to admit that they didn’t ring true. She didn’t trust men or relationships. Never had. So why did she want so desperately to trust Arctos?
Arctos came inside carrying the first of many pots of snow. He went back and forth so many times that it actually made her dizzy to watch. When he came in with the last pot, she pushed her way into the bathroom. Sure enough, the tub was overflowing with… snow.
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but shouldn’t you heat that first?” She shivered at the thought of bathing in cold water.
He arched a brow. “I’m not finished yet. Could you please give me some room to work?” Arctos raised his hands. “On second thought, could you go into the other room and pour me another one of those cups of…what was the name of that dark brew you gave me at dinner?”
“Coffee?”
His face brightened. “Yes, that’s it.”
Caitlin snorted. “Fine, I’ll be right back.”
* * * * *
Arctos waited to make sure Caitlin was gone. When he was sure that she’d wandered into the other room, he walked into the bedroom and grabbed his weapon. He strolled back into the bathroom, then adjusted the laser so it wouldn’t sear a hole in the tub. He aimed the beam at the snow and fired. Within seconds the snow melted and the water began to steam. He leaned down to check the temperature. Satisfied, he put the pistol away and waited.
Caitlin came back into the bathroom a couple of minutes later, carrying two mugs of coffee. She nearly dropped them both when her gaze landed on the tub of steaming water. “How did you? What did you?” She put the cups down on the small table that held the basin and rushed forward, shoving Arctos out of the way. She hesitated, then dipped her fingers into the tub and sighed.
“I--” was all he managed to get out before she kissed him, cutting off his words.
“Right now, I don’t care how you did it.” Caitlin shrugged out of her clothes once more.
The sight of her naked had Arctos’ shaft stiffening again. His whole body tensed when she bent over to swoosh the water around. He swallowed hard and took a step back to give her room. He had no doubt given her tightness that she was sore from their earlier encounter. The warm water would go a long way toward soothing her inner muscles. Goddess how he wanted her. If she’d let him, he’d take her right here, right now.
Arctos forced himself to move. It was either that or join her. The thought was tempting, beyond tempting. He focused instead on the coffee cup. He picked it up and took a sip. The hot liquid rushed down his throat, searing his chest, but did nothing to ease the need building inside of him.
“I’m going to go check on the fire,” he said, clearing his suddenly dry throat.
Caitlin sighed as she sank into the tub. She closed her eyes and dropped down until the water reached her chin. Arctos stood mesmerized unable to look away. She cracked one eye open.
“I thought you were going to check on the fire?” she asked.
He straightened. “Yes, the fire. I’ll be back in a little while. Enjoy our bath.”
“Oh, I will,” she said, closing her eyes once more.
* * * * *
Chapter Five
Caitlin had been soaking for several minutes when the panic over what she’d done set in. How could she have slept with a stranger in this day and age? She’d obviously lost her mind, along with her panties. The fact that Arctos acted like a perfect gentleman only made matters worse. She was used to jerks or at least guys who were only interested in a good time.
&
nbsp; Despite his amazing looks that didn’t seem to be Arctos’ style. He’d said he wanted her. He’d fought a bear to protect her. And no matter how much Caitlin hated to admit it, she was monogamous by nature. That didn’t mean she believed in forever or happily-ever-after. Far from it. But it did mean she wasn’t used to falling into bed with men that she’d just met. It was one of the reasons she’d never considered sleeping with Michael.
She dipped down deeper into the water until it covered her mouth. The warmth soaked into her bones, relieving some of the soreness that came from a fabulous bout of love-making. Caitlin paused as the thought popped into her mind. She wanted to discount it outright, turn it into lust-filled sex, but that would be a lie.
Sure, there’d been lust involved. That was how they’d ended up naked in the first place, but sometime during the act something had changed. Warmth pulsed through her, spreading to her limbs.
Caitlin quickly squashed it like a bug. That way led to unhappiness. She wasn’t about to ruin the moment with regrets. She took a deep breath and sank below the surface, letting the water swallow her whole. She was down there staring at the surface, when a familiar face came into view.
Arctos reached into the water and pulled her up. A frown furrowed his pale brow. “What are you doing? You cannot breathe in that environment.”
She swished a hand over her face to get the water out of her eyes. “I was thinking,” she said.
“Under the liquid?” he asked, confusion clearly visible upon his face.
“Yes, I do my best thinking while I’m underwater. It allows me to tune out the rest of the world.”
“The fire has been fed.” He proceeded to strip off his clothes.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her eyes growing rounder by the second.
He halted mid-motion. “Joining you,” he said as if that should be blatantly obvious.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Caitlin said.
Arctos slipped in behind her and pulled her against his chest. His large hands stroked her stomach, making lazy circles. It didn’t take long for the flames inside her to flare once more. Caitlin dropped her head back, resting it upon his shoulder. Arctos’ fingers glided over her wet skin until they rested beneath her small breasts. He cupped the mounds a second later and began to knead, carefully avoiding her nipples.
Caitlin moaned. “Okay, you can stay.”
“Thank you,” he said, muffling what could’ve been laughter with a kiss to her shoulder. His mouth skated across her skin, coming to rest at the base of her neck. Arctos nibbled until she arched her back, shoving her breasts more firmly into his hands.
He squeezed, tugging at her nipples until they grew tender and rigid.
“Yes,” she hissed.
He lapped at the base of her neck, while continuing to torture her breasts. He let go of one side and slipped his arm around her waist. Amazingly, he lifted her one-handed, until her opening rested above his hard shaft, then slowly released her, allowing her weight to carry her down.
Caitlin sank down onto his rigid cock, feeling it fill her inch-by-inch. She bit her lip as her body opened to accept him. Arctos waited until she was fully seated, then grasped her by the waist and lifted her again. She slipped over his turgid flesh, her tender channel stretching to accommodate his wide girth.
“You are perfect in every way,” he said, kissing her and laving her neck like someone had dumped melted chocolate onto her skin.
His rough tongue made gooseflesh rise on her arms, but it was quickly dispersed as he allowed her to sink into the warm water. Arctos’ chest rumbled as he guided her up and down, each time making her body take him deeper and deeper.
“Arctos,” she gasped.
“What do you want, my Cat?” he asked, nipping her ear.
She ground her hips against him as water splashed over the sides of the tub. “You,” she said, repeating the movement.
“That you can have whenever you desire,” he said. Arctos’ hands clamped onto her sides and he picked up the rhythm, shafting her until Caitlin couldn’t remember why this was such a bad idea.
One hand found her clit. She fought for breath as her body tightened, reaching the breaking point. Arctos continued his sensual assault, until she couldn’t take another second.
“I’m…I’m.” Caitlin shattered, her strangled cry filling the small space.
Arctos continued to pet the crisp curls that covered her mound as she road out her climax. When the shudders quieted, he leaned her over the rim of the tub and rose up behind her.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Good.” He grasped her hands. His fingers twined with hers a second before he entered her.
Primal grunts filled her ears as he drove his cock into her body. Each joining seemed more demanding, more feral than the last. Everywhere he touched, everywhere he tasted, a sting of pleasure-pain lingered. Like a man possessed, he took her, branding her flesh with his insatiable passion.
At this rate, Caitlin would never get enough of him.
Water splashed onto the wooden floor with each hard thrust. The delicious fragrance of his skin surrounded her, enveloped her, until she was drowning in his male essence. Caitlin couldn’t smell anything but him. Her channel clamped down hard as another orgasm took her by surprise. He groaned once, twice, then stiffened behind her as he found his own release.
Arctos placed kisses along her spine. When he reached her waist, he pulled out of her. Once again Caitlin was left feeling empty. This time the ache from his sudden absence was far worse. He made no attempt to leave the tub. Instead, he dropped down onto his hands and knees, parted her cheeks, and lapped at her swollen folds.
His chest rumbled in what sounded like a gruff purr. “Your taste, your sweet musky scent is maddening. I can’t seem to get enough. Every time I look at you, you make me hard.”
Caitlin gripped the side of the tub, her body torn between pleasure and exhaustion. Tired won out. “Let’s wait a while. I need to get my second wind.”
“Of course.” Arctos licked her one more time, swirling his tongue around her entrance, then climbed out of the now cooling water. A rough towel appeared in his hands and he held it out for her to step into. Caitlin did and nearly collapsed as he began to dry her.
“You need rest,” he said. “Forgive me for being so demanding. Where you are concerned, I cannot help myself.”
She laughed and stepped out of the circle of his arms. “You’re not alone.” Caitlin found her long underwear and put it on. It may not be sexy, but it was warm. The second Arctos slipped into bed beside her, she realized that she shouldn’t have bothered with the clothes. His body radiated enough heat to shame an electric blanket.
“Get some sleep,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
* * * * *
Caitlin woke to falling snow. She was snuggled under the blankets, but Arctos was nowhere to be found. She frowned and looked around the room. Everything was as she remembered. Was it all a dream?
She shifted, feeling the aches that could only come from mind-blowing, body-melting sex. No, not sex. Love. Every tender kiss, every fevered touch came rushing back. Caitlin sighed, resting her forearm over her eyes. What had she done?
The cold light of day highlighted some harsh realities. She needed to set Arctos straight before he got any crazy ideas that this was anything serious. Pain radiated from her chest. This couldn’t be happening.
“You of all people should know better,” she chastised, then swung her feet over the edge of the bed and got dressed.
Caitlin searched the cabin, but Arctos was nowhere to be found. For a second, fear overwhelmed her. Had he left her here all alone? Even as the thought filled her mind, she knew in her heart that he’d never do anything like that. He’s probably out gathering more wood. Yes, that made more sense.
She picked up the rabbits he’d caught the night before and did her best to pre
pare and cook them. Not exactly her ideal breakfast, but it beat the heck out of starving. The rabbits were stewing away over the fire, when Caitlin heard the first rumble outside. “Arctos?”
There was no answer.
It would’ve been so easy to ignore the noise, except the sound came again. This time it was answered by another and another. Caitlin tiptoed across the room and glanced out the window. She counted five polar bears before fear took over and she moved away. Their little haven was surrounded. Her gaze shot to the rabbits cooking over the fire. They’d smelled the food. Even as the thought entered her mind, she was already searching for a weapon.
They hadn’t tried to break in yet, but Caitlin knew it was only a matter of time. She shoved one of the chairs in front of the door, then snatched the poker out of the fire and stood back. Where was Arctos?
She glanced at the bubbling pot. Should she toss the rabbits outside? Would that make the polar bears go away? Unfortunately, that would require opening the door.
Caitlin didn’t think that was such a good idea given the circumstances. She glanced around the sparse cabin. Other than the small window in the bathroom, which a greased squirrel couldn’t fit through, and the one facing the front, there was no other way of escape.
It made perfect sense given the cabin’s purpose, but was of little help now. If she could just hold them off until Arctos returned… The crazy thought entered her mind, then was quickly dismissed. What could he do? It was one thing to scare away a single polar bear. Quite another to chase away five. She scanned the rafters. The ceiling was a crude pitched design that didn’t hold any beams. So there was no way she could climb up and hide.
There was a loud snuffle at the door. Caitlin took a step back. Acting on autopilot, she grabbed her backpack and fumbled for her phone. She punched in a number that she knew by heart. It rang and rang, then eventually Allie picked up.
Phantom Warriors Volume 1 (Novel length) Page 14