Power in Darkness

by Krista Street

  “You’re taking the bed, Dar. Don’t even try to argue. There’s no way I’m going to sleep up there while you’re on the floor.”

  “But I—”

  “No.”

  I ran my hand along the bed. “This is a pretty big bed. Maybe if we put pillows between us, we wouldn’t have to worry about me touching you.”

  Even though my stomach lurched at the thought of accidentally hurting Logan during the night, I also didn’t want him sleeping on the hard floor.

  “I appreciate the thought, but it’s not happening. Get in the bed.”

  I sighed loudly. His insistence that I take the more comfortable spot reminded me of who Logan was. He always put my needs first. Always. Whether that could be explained by his alpha side shining through or it simply being who he was, I didn’t know, but when he’d been my bodyguard, he hadn’t given his well-being a second thought. He’d always thought about my safety and comfort before his.

  I opened my mouth to argue again, telling myself that for once he was going to put himself first, but Logan beat me to it.

  “Dar, I’m not sleeping on the bed. Just get under the damn covers so you don’t freeze to death standing there.”

  A chill had already settled in the room. Summertime’s end neared. If the cool breeze trickling in through the cracked window held any indication, it was going to be a cold night.

  “Fine.” I sighed in exasperation and slipped off the sweatshirt.

  My breasts strained against my thin nightshirt, my nipples immediately hardening in the cool air. Logan’s entire body tensed, his gaze dipping down. I snatched the covers back on the bed, dove under the sheets, and pulled them to my chin before my boobs could make another embarrassing display.

  A relieved sigh escaped Logan when my entire body was covered by the thick blanket.

  Following that, he took three long strides to the far wall, dropped the spare pillow on the floor beneath the windowsill, and then rolled his blanket out.

  I watched as he arranged his bed. With his back to me, he raised his shirt over his head. My eyes widened and my breath caught when his smooth tanned skin appeared.

  His muscles rippled when he tossed his shirt in the corner. Next came his jeans. He slid them off and kicked them aside, revealing strong legs peppered with dark hair. Clad in only his boxers, he dropped to the ground and pulled the blanket over him, his head settling with a thump on the pillow.

  “Night, babe.”

  I hastily reached over and turned off the lamp. Moonlight flooded the room, the round orb hanging just above the horizon.

  My gaze darted to the dark ceiling, my breath shallow. Once again, my hormones shot into overdrive as images of Logan’s body flooded my mind.

  Tingling started deep in my belly, next to my powers. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to stop the unbidden images that kept bombarding my mind—images of Logan sliding under the covers next to me, his hand running lightly up my thigh, his warm mouth pressing kisses against my neck, then his tongue doing delicious things to my ear. My heart beat frantically as I squirmed on the mattress.

  A growl came abruptly from where Logan lay. “If you want me to sleep at all tonight, Dar, you’re gonna have to stop it.”

  “Stop what?” I squeaked.

  Rustling sounded from where he lay. “You’re giving off pheromones like a bitch in heat. I can smell your sex. I can smell that you’re ready for me. It’s hard enough not being able to touch you, but knowing how badly you want me…” More rustling. “I might have to sleep on the couch.”

  Hearing that Logan could sense the sweet ache between my thighs made me clench my legs together more. But that only heightened the tingles. I sighed heavily, my voice coming out in a whisper, “I can’t help it. It’s what you do to me.”

  “Dar…”

  “It’s true. I’m sorry. I’ll try to … I don’t know.” My hand slid between my thighs. My sex ached. Just the feel of my fingers brushing against it caused a moan low in my throat.

  Before I could clamp a hand over my mouth, Logan was on the bed next to me. He did it so quickly, like he’d flown across the room and landed on the mattress.

  I snatched my hand away from my sex and looked at him with wide eyes. “Logan! What are you doing up here? You can’t touch me. You know that. I could kill you!”

  Desire filled his eyes, making them glow gold. Ragged breaths lifted his chest. His mouth tightened. “I know I said I wouldn’t touch you. I know that I promised that. But fuck, Dar, this is harder than I thought it would be.” He closed his eyes and inhaled. “You have no idea what scent you’re giving off. Every werewolf within a mile can probably smell your sex.” A low growl sounded in his throat again. “And the thought of another male smelling that makes me fucking crazy. Fuck, I want to claim you.” He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

  “What’s this claiming thing you keep talking about?” My fingers strayed lower again, as if on their own accord. The ache between my thighs had grown exponentially.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Are you touching yourself again?”

  I dipped my chin. “Maybe.”

  His jaw worked faster. “Claiming is a werewolf thing. Males will mark a female as theirs, then other wolves know she’s off limits.”

  “And you want to claim me now?”

  “More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life, but I’d have to touch you to do it.”

  Just hearing how much he wanted me did things to me I’d never experienced.

  His nostrils flared again, his eyes glowing brighter. “Make yourself cum. Maybe if you have release, you’ll stop giving off these scents, and I’ll be able to control myself better. It’s taking everything in me right now to not bury my cock in you.”

  “Make myself cum?” I squeaked. In front of him?

  He slowly pulled back the covers from me, the cotton sheet sliding along my skin. Just the feel of the softness trailing over my limbs while his heavy gaze avidly devoured my breasts and my stomach as they emerged made my sex swell even more.

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Touch yourself, Dar,” he said hoarsely. “Touch yourself until you orgasm.”

  His gaze was bright when his eyes opened, his breathing coming in short pants. My eyes locked with his as my fingers strayed lower. “I don’t usually touch myself.”

  “Do it for me.”

  I broke eye contact long enough to let my gaze trail down his hard chest to his crotch. In the moonlight, his boxers tented out, hinting at the huge erection beneath them.

  Seeing that made me squirm again. I settled my fingers on my core and began rubbing myself. My body responded instantly, arching off the bed, a moan filling the back of my throat. Logan was right. I was like a bitch in heat.

  “That’s it, babe. Keep rubbing yourself.”

  I locked gazes with him again. His breathing grew more and more ragged as my fingers dipped and played. I pushed my pajama shorts aside, cool air washing against my swollen lips.

  His pupils dilated when he saw my sex in the moonlight. “Fuck, Dar. You’re as beautiful as I imagined you’d be.” His large hand strayed to the edge of his boxers. He inched it down, and his erection sprang free.

  I gasped, the swell of my sex growing a hundredfold.

  His hand wrapped around his hard length, and he began to pump it up and down. “God, you’re so wet. I can smell it from here.”

  When I saw him touch himself, my fingers moved faster, making my breath catch in my throat.

  He inched closer, kneeling lower on the bed but still being careful not to touch me. “I just want to smell you. I need to smell you.”

  The mattress dipped when he leaned down and brought his face closer to my sex. Even though air still separated us, I’d never felt more aroused in my life. His large hand was still wrapped around his erection as he moved his face closer to my core.

  My fingers moved faster, the need within me rising higher.

  “I want to lick you so bad
right now.” He sucked in a breath and blew softly on my sex.

  I moaned as the pressure built inside me.

  “That’s it, babe. I can smell that you’re getting close. Cum for me.”

  I rubbed harder, the pressure building higher and higher. I opened my eyes just long enough to see Logan’s entire body tense as he sat back on his haunches. His large hand pumped his erection faster.

  Seeing that sent me over the edge. I shouted my release as wave after wave of pleasure shot through me. Logan’s shout came next, and I opened my eyes just as his seed pumped all over his hand.

  I tried not to stare, but when he hung his head back with his mouth open as his strong hand stroked his rigid length, I couldn’t take my eyes away. I was still a virgin, and the realm of sex was still so new to me. I greedily watched as his dick grew soft, his shoulders relaxing while a heady glaze coated his eyes.

  He collapsed on the bed beside me then grabbed a tissue to wipe his hand. As he propped himself up on his elbow, a lazy smile stretched across his face.

  A few moments of silence passed, both of us panting heavily.

  “Even though I’d prefer to actually touch you, damn, woman. That was good.”

  My cheeks heated. “It was?”

  He nodded, his eyelids hooded. “There’s something about you, Daria Gresham. No woman has ever aroused me so much.”

  I tried to bite back my smile but couldn’t. “Really? Do you mean that?”

  His voice turned husky. “Yeah, I mean that, and when I smelled you tonight and you started touching yourself—”

  “I’ve never … I mean, what I just did, I don’t usually—”

  “Dar?” His gaze grew serious, and he inched closer. We still weren’t touching, but I could feel the heat from his body. He reached out, once again brushing his finger lightly across my cheek before breaking contact.

  The movement was so fleeting that my powers didn’t have a chance to respond. “You don’t ever need to be embarrassed with me. You’re beautiful and sexy as hell. I know a lot of this is new to you, and the fact that I turn you on enough that you did something you’ve never done before tonight only makes me want you more. Just know that I wouldn’t have it any other way. You already know that I love that you’re a virgin. I fucking love that you’ve never done stuff like this with another guy.” He inched closer, his entire naked body stretched out beside me. “Once we figure out how to get rid of that darkness inside you, I’m going to fuck you until you scream.”

  My cheeks grew even hotter.

  He chuckled. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

  I smothered a smile but pulled the covers over me again. Even though I’d never taken off my clothes, I still felt exposed, and even though Logan made me feel more confident about my sexuality, all of it was uncharted territory for me.

  Logan, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease in his skin, naked or clothed, and never seemed to be anything but entirely confident and comfortable.

  “I wish I could be more like you,” I whispered.

  He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re so sure of yourself. You never seem embarrassed, and you can lie right there, completely naked, and not feel the need to cover yourself.”

  He glanced down at his body. “Do you want me to cover myself?”

  “No!”

  He chuckled. “You know part of this is because I’m a shifter, right? When I shift from my wolf form back to human, I’m naked. All werewolves are. It’s not unheard of for a group of us to be walking around the woods in nothing but our birthday suits.”

  “And that’s never bothered you?”

  He shrugged. “When you grow up that way, it feels normal.”

  I covered my face with one hand, heat rushing up my cheeks. “I’ve been modest my whole life. I don’t know if that will ever change for me.”

  His fingers encircled my wrist, and he gently pulled my hand down. I gasped and reared back just as the dark power rushed forward, but Logan broke contact in time.

  Still, my heart hammered as I fought to control the power. At least my light stayed calm. As a potential mate, Logan was one of the only people that was the case with.

  “You like playing with fire, don’t you?” I said shakily.

  Regret shone in his gaze. “No, I just hate that I can’t touch you. Sometimes, I can’t help myself.”

  “The darkness responded just now, when you did that.” I still wrestled with it, but already, it was calming.

  “I know. That’s why I let go.”

  “How did you know?”

  “A look of panic crossed your face.” He raked a hand through his hair, his expression regretful. “I’m sorry. I need to control myself around you more, but it’s hard. Wolves like to touch. It’s in our nature, and not being able to touch you is driving me crazy.”

  I swallowed, my heartbeat slowly calming since the dark power had fully retreated. “I know. It’s hard for me, too, but Logan, we can’t. Not until this power is gone.”

  Chapter 17

  A dream filled my mind of Logan, wolves, packs, and hierarchy. I clung to it. In the dream, Logan was touching and kissing me. Yes.

  The bed dipped, making me roll.

  “Dar?” Logan’s soft question brushed against my ear. I awoke to the feel of the sheet sliding off me.

  “Mmm?” I asked sleepily. I opened my eyes to see Logan lying shirtless beside me. The early morning sun peeked around the curtains. The delicious dream vanished, but I smiled lazily. “Good morning.”

  His eyelids grew hooded. “Morning. How did you sleep?”

  “So good.” I stretched and yawned. I’d had dreams all night of him. Just the memory of my most recent dream made my cheeks heat and my girly parts tighten.

  He inhaled, a knowing look entering his eyes.

  “Do we need to get up?” I glanced at the clock. It was just after six.

  “Not yet, but I had an idea of something we could try before we leave for the day.”

  “What?” I turned on my side to face him, my gaze traveling over his broad chest and lean waist. Damn. So hot… I could definitely get used to waking up to that.

  “I know that I can’t touch you right now, but other things can touch you, right?”

  I cupped my head in my hand and tried to concentrate, but it was hard. My head was still foggy from sleep. “Things? What do you mean?”

  “Clothes. Bed sheets. Backpacks. All of those things touch you and the dark power doesn’t react, right?”

  I raised my eyebrows and yawned again. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess I never thought of that. It’s only people that provoke it.”

  He grinned devilishly. “So that got me thinking…” He lifted a long feather from the bed.

  My gaze widened as I took in the soft feather in his hand. I then surveyed the small collection of other items by his side—a cup of ice, a long satin ribbon, a soft washcloth, a firm rubber ball, and a few other household things. Someone had obviously been awake for a while.

  “I want to touch you even if I can’t directly touch you.” He lifted a strip of cloth.

  My lips parted, and all sleepiness vanished. “Oh,” I exclaimed. My heart beat faster, my core clenching as I understood what he wanted to do. I squirmed, and the urge to clench my thighs together grew stronger. “Wha”—I cleared my throat and said breathlessly—“What did you have in mind?”

  He shifted closer but made sure to keep a few inches of distance between us. “I want to worship your body. I want to make you orgasm, except this time, I want that orgasm to be entirely from me.” The ring around his irises glowed. “Will you let me?”

  I breathed shallowly. “What would I need to do?”

  “For starters, you can take your shirt off,” he replied in a husky voice.

  My eyes bulged, my nipples already hardening in excitement, but— “Just give me a minute.” I leaped off the bed and ran out of the room.

  In the bathroom
, I panted shallowly. I didn’t know exactly why I’d just freaked out, but … I closed my eyes.

  It was Logan back there—my overprotective, sexy as sin, unfailingly good and kind boyfriend. I was falling in love with him, and he wanted to pleasure me in the only way he could at the moment. All of that was normal boyfriend and girlfriend behavior. So why am I panicking?

  I took another moment to use the toilet and brush my teeth. Feeling more alert and refreshed helped. After glancing in the mirror, I fixed my hair then returned to the room.

  Logan waited on the bed with an apprehensive expression. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” And I was. I wanted to do this.

  I fingered the hem of my shirt then paused. Even though Logan had seen my naked breasts before, I’d never been so casual about getting undressed. The other times had been in the heat of the moment.

  “Dar, you’re beautiful,” Logan whispered, as if reading my mind.

  And that, right there, was why I loved him. He always knew how to make everything okay.

  After taking a deep breath, I vowed to embrace the new sensuality in my life. No more hesitation. No more virginal blushing. Dammit, I don’t even want to be a virgin anymore. I wanted the werewolf lying on his bed, looking as sexy as sin, to rip every last ounce of modesty from my soul until I lay bare and wanton in front of him.

  I crawled back onto the bed and gripped the hem of my shirt. With one strong pull, I stripped it off. Once it was over my head, I let the cotton top flutter to the floor. My breasts jutted out, proud and defiant—a mirror of how I was determined to feel.

  Logan’s eyes glowed brighter as his gaze stayed on my boobs while an erection tented his boxers. “Damn woman,” he whispered.

  Seeing the glow in his eyes made my breath catch. He stared at my tits like a dying man spying an oasis.

  “Do you like what you see?” In the cool bedroom air, my nipples budded, growing taut as he drank in the sight of them.

  “Yes. Fuck yes.” He dragged in a breath and shook himself. “Have I told you that you have the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever seen?”