Wandering Off the Path

by Willa Edwards

  Yet he couldn’t retract the momentary lapse in his iron façade, giving Abigail a freedom she wouldn’t have believed possible. Knowing Wolf cared enough to pull himself back from the brink at only a frightened look gave her a new confidence. Arching her back, she eased herself up onto her knees, pulling on the belt for leverage. She curled tighter into a ball, raising her arse into the air, inches from his still-extended hand. She swayed her hips in silent invitation. Coaxing him to reach for her, to stroke her, to make her feel.

  He didn’t move, neither reaching across the small space, nor pulling away. Rather he kept his hand outstretched, the heat of his almost-contact stimulating her skin. Her legs shook beneath her, her back remained rigid as she awaited his touch. Anticipation flooded her system. Unable to restrain herself any longer, a soft hungry noise—somewhere between a moan and a plea—escaped her throat.

  Wolf startled her with his own responding groan. She glanced over her shoulder to look at him, his expression filled with a deliciously startling ferocity. His lips curved in an arrogant smile. “I’ll have you making much better noises before I’m through. You’ll be howling before the night is over.”

  Erotic images danced in her mind. Fantasies she’d never believed would come true clouded her vision. Dark dreams she’d never been able to share with anyone, even her grandmother. For the first time in her life, she believed they were possible—Wolf could make them possible.

  He’d brought out a part of her that she’d never known existed. The harlot. The rebel. The daredevil who searched for trouble, who wanted to tempt and tease the animal inside him until he attacked. Because she’d enjoy the confrontation as much as he did.

  “What big ears you have, to hear such a small noise.” The sound came out deep and breathy like she’d never heard her voice before.

  Wolf’s smile deepened. “The better to hear your every moan with, my dear. Don’t hold anything back from me. I want to hear everything you want, every way you dream of being fucked.” He skimmed his palm over the right side of her arse, falling just as quickly away.

  She let out another whine, louder than the previous sound.

  “Better.” He rewarded her with a sweep down the other rounded cheek.

  She turned towards him, staring up into his deep gold eyes. Wolf’s hungry gaze devoured her naked form, caressing her every curve and heating her flesh as surely as his hands would.

  “What big eyes you have.” Abigail was hardly aware she spoke.

  “The better to see every beautiful inch of your body with, my dear.” He licked his lips, drawing her attention to his mouth. “I intend to memorise every morsel of your body as you scream for more.”

  She shivered. Visions of herself whimpering, screaming her throat raw with need, begging him to continue his onslaught regardless of what lay beyond her bedroom door, filled her mind.

  He pulled his shirt over his head, discarding the garment with her abandoned clothes.

  Her blood pounded, the sound pumping through her, until she couldn’t hear anything else. Her gaze drifted to Wolf’s bare, bronzed chest, pelted with a thick covering of salt-and-pepper hairs. Her fingers twitched with her urge to caress his muscles, to explore each ripple and dip of his body. Her tongue tingled at the idea of lavishing his flat brown nipples until he groaned her name.

  Wolf smoothed his palm across her lower back. Her nerves quivered at the gentle touch. His large hands stroked her skin with a possession that sank deep into her bones. She bit her lip, fighting back her need to scream for more, to beg him to do anything and everything he wanted to her untried body.

  “What big hands you have.” Arching her back, she pushed into the caress.

  He circled each bump of her spine with his callused fingers. “The better to touch you with, my dear.” He settled his hands upon either side of her, an inch below her ribcage. With slight pressure he drove her head and chest flat against the bed, arranging her to his liking. “I plan to touch every inch of you while you beg me to pet you more.”

  His touch continued up her back, skimming her shoulder blades. She brushed her hair aside, the silken strands cascading off her shoulders into a pool of autumn on the bed beside her. A shudder ripped through her as his fingers caressed the edge of her hairline. He grabbed her nape, not painfully, but with authority. She moaned deeply, melting beneath the domination.

  Wolf placed a knee on the bed, leaning over her. His hold remained constant along her neck. Her whole body shivered, sensing his strong solid presence just behind her.

  He roamed her backside with his other hand, skimming the curve of one cheek, following the seam to her warm centre. He was forceful, yet imparted only pleasure. He explored her flesh, sliding his fingers along her slit, and up to rub the sensitive peak at the top of her sex. Sensation erupted from the spot, shaking out along her limbs and stealing the remaining breath from her lungs.

  He thrust his fingers into her, strong, hard, fast. She screamed at the surprised intensity, the overwhelming fullness of his movement within her snug body, a slight, needy pain accompanying his intrusion. She opened her legs wider, allowing him greater access. She pushed against his hand, instinctively showing him what she wanted, but as she did, Wolf removed his fingers altogether.

  Stunned by his sudden withdrawal, Abigail glanced over her shoulder. He licked his lips, moistening them until they shone in the full moonlight. Her sex pulsed, craving the glide of those lips.

  “What a big mouth you have.” Her words rumbled, husky with passion. Hope that he’d satisfy her unfulfilled desire stained every word.

  A wicked grin curled his lips, his gaze returning hers. “The better to devour you with, my dear.”

  Exerting pressure upon her nape, he pushed her head into the soft mattress, her arse protruding farther into the air. His touch left a trail of heat down her body as he gripped her hips. She wanted to arch her back into his palm, to follow the rough glide of his fingers, but Abigail remained still, allowing Wolf to position her. The possession of his hands demolished her will to rebel.

  She bit her lip, clamping her eyes shut. She pressed her face into the bed. Her nerves hummed with anticipation, of what more he would do to her, where his next stroke would land.

  His whiskers sweetly abraded the inside of her thighs. Her breath caught in her throat at the warm swipe of his tongue across her sex. The intoxicating sensation overwhelmed her more than when his finger had plummeted into her receptive body. Her vision blurred, and even breathing became secondary to the wet glide between her legs.

  “You taste delicious.” Wolf placed a hand on her lower back, at the seam where her cheeks split, pinning her in place, and pushing her back to his mouth.

  Her breath sputtered as his tongue probed her inner flesh, battering in and out with a dizzying rhythm. His thrusts increased in speed, her body responding. His tongue swirled inside her, the muscles deep within her quivering. Moans and gasps rippled from her throat, each sound flowing into the next without end.

  He nipped at her, lapping her lower lips with his tongue. Moving farther under her, he sucked the throbbing bud between her legs. She shuddered and screamed at the suction of his mouth combined with the light scrape of his teeth.

  “Wolf,” she shrieked. Blood flooded her head, making her dizzy.

  “What do you want, pet?” His moist breath burned her with each sweeping syllable.

  What do I want? The sensations running through her far exceeded any imaginings she’d ever had, but her body wanted more. An unending ache radiated from deep within her, a longing she couldn’t name demanding fulfilment. How could she ask for what she didn’t know?

  She looked to Wolf, searching for his help to articulate the unknown hunger growing within her, yet his gaze revealed he already knew. He understood his effect upon her, enjoying it in turn. His arrogance infuriated her. She lifted her leg to kick him and force the confident grin to falter.

  He reached out, keeping her in place, his mouth continuing to toy wit
h her. “That’s not very nice.” He laughed. His hot breath pelted against the moistened folds of her swollen, throbbing sex with seductive force. “Tell me what you want and I’ll be happy to comply.”

  As he spoke, he delved one finger into her, driving deep, but still not enough to fulfil the ache there. Wolf retreated only to plunge back, harder and deeper. Her whole body shook with the power of his thrust.

  “I need you,” she moaned through a tense jaw.

  “All you had to do was ask.” He pressed a soft kiss to her inner thigh before pulling back, his whiskers scratching as he removed himself from between her legs.

  Dread screamed through her. Was he playing with her? His absence enveloped her in a bone-deep chill. Unlike the delicious fright that Wolf’s commands created, this fear held no pleasing twist.

  Abigail jumped at the rustle of fabric breaking the otherwise quiet night. Anticipation mingled with anxiety, as she cast a glance over her shoulder, unable to deny her curiosity, and absorbed the sight before her. Wolf stood there naked. Every inch of him was hard, long and thick beneath her perusal. She shivered at the sight. Wolf had no intention of leaving her, achy and wanting.

  The mattress dipped as he placed his knee beside her right hip. His sweaty skin swept against her back as he joined her on the bed. The caress was so agonisingly brief she couldn’t be sure that it was any more than a brush of air.

  He settled his hands on her hips, tracing around her arse to her thighs. With gentle pressure, he pushed her legs apart, exposing her wet, heated sex to the cool room air.

  He probed the entrance to her body with his cock. Warning bells sounded, loud and strong from the corners of her mind. She’d reached a fork in the road, the final moment where she might be able to choose between wandering into the unknown or staying on the familiar course. She’d known the path would end here, yet she was struck with cold, hard panic at the choice.

  As if sensing her fear, Wolf placed a delicate kiss upon her back. For such a fierce man, he could be so kind and gentle at times. His caress calmed her, reassuring her, forcing her to admit she’d travelled too far to turn back.

  He ran his fingers along the length of her inner thighs, massaging the muscles and easing the remaining tension from her legs. Acknowledging her submission, she rubbed against him.

  Wolf pulled her tight against his body, easing into her one inch at a time. Abigail gave a pained yelp as he pushed through unused tissues, tearing through the tight chamber of her sex. He didn’t pause. He gripped harder on her hips, the pinch distracting her from the burn of his entrance.

  When he was fully inside her he stilled, allowing her time to accept the invasion. He throbbed within her, stretching her around his length. Her toes curled at Wolf’s fierce possession over her. Her sex quivered, blocking out all other sensations, her body demanding more. Her sex contracted, dragging him deeper.

  Wolf growled behind her, beginning to thrust with short, quick movements. Not enough to bring her the satisfaction she craved.

  “Please,” she moaned into the pillows, afraid to insist more fiercely, remembering the previous ardent pleas that had been denied.

  But Wolf held nothing back. He increased his movements. His breath was expelled in gruff gusts against her slick back. The hair on his chest and legs tickled her sensitive skin, a sweet agony she couldn’t escape, driving her to want more. She bucked back against him, her hips rising to meet his, moving with him as she anticipated his thrusts.

  Heat built within her. Just as she felt about to explode, Wolf grabbed her hair, pulling her head back with the force on the roots. Her neck arched from the yank on her hair. The pang of tension at her scalp sang through her to her shuddering core, propelling her higher.

  A wave of pleasure overtook her. Her spasms increased, escalating until they enveloped her entirely. Wolf thrust deeper, his large frame curving over her. She screamed out with the force of her orgasm as he nuzzled into her neck, kissing and grazing his teeth over her skin. She gripped the belt ends for stability, digging her nails into the leather, the final tremors rippling through her.

  Her knees buckled under her weight. Exhausted, Abigail slumped forward. Wolf stilled behind her, his cock still hard inside her. She paid him little attention, too replete to notice any sensation beyond the echoing ripples of pleasure.

  Wolf reached over her, wrapping her in his heat. He wrenched at the belt, picking at the leather knots until they unfolded and released her from captivity.

  Freed, she fell to the bed limply, Wolf’s cock slipping from her body. She rubbed her wrist, forcing heat and blood flow back into her hands. They hadn’t hurt when tied together, but freed they tingled, pins and needles dancing across her palms and to her fingertips.

  Wolf curved his fingers around her neck. The hot pads caressed the round muscles of her shoulders, down her back, settling upon her hips. His touch warmed her cooling body. With a slight pressure upon her hips, Wolf encouraged her to roll. She gave in to his orders. Her arms quaked as she used them to turn over, not having the will to deny him.

  Abigail stared up at Wolf, his large body dominating the space above. His broad chest, thick roped arms and torso and the snarl on his lips obscured all else from her vision. Nothing mattered beyond him and this moment. She longed to reach out and stroke him, but didn’t have the strength to lift her arms.

  He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip. His gaze had lost some of the intensity, yet his molten eyes still glowed with desire. He no longer seemed to want to eat her whole, to take her body. Now he demanded so much more. Her heart. Her soul.

  Her stomach flopped.

  “This time”—his hand curved around her cheek, directing her gaze to his, though she couldn’t look away if her life depended on it—“I want you to touch me.”

  Before she could respond, Wolf dived for her, sucking the pulse point of her neck, settling on a section that made her muscles jerk. He gripped her thighs, pulling them off the mattress to wrap around his waist. Her warm sex pressed against the hard muscles of his lower abdomen. She clenched her legs tight, crossing her ankles behind his back. Her body automatically reacted to the possibility of being filled by him again.

  His smile was shaky and his breath rasped. He plunged into her, his thick cock thrusting deep. “Fuck.” Wolf threw his head back, the muscles of his neck strained.

  He pulled out and pushed back into her, slow and deliberate, his movements not as rigorous as his previous rhythm but still inciting her towards the same dizzying height. The tension bubbled, growing within her, despite her prior release.

  “Touch me,” he growled against her.

  Abigail reached for him, wrapping her arms around his torso. She grabbed hold of the sweat-slickened skin of his shoulders. Her nails dug deep into the muscles as he moved within her.

  He roared. Her desire multiplied and her chest tightened at his gratification. She clutched him closer.

  Wolf increased his speed, moving into her deeper, impaling her on the bed and stretching her around his massive girth until stabbed her fingernails into the crook of his hips. His large body held her captive beneath his weight, hindering her movement. With each thrust, he claimed all she gave, seizing what she offered, challenging her for more.

  She stared up at him. His jaw was clenched, his teeth gritted, his eyes closed—the picture of a man on the edge. His imminent release was sketched across the worn planes of his face.

  Mimicking his dominant grip, she slid her hands up his neck, tangling in the hair at the base of his nape. She yanked until his head curved away from her. The smile dropped from his lips, quickly replaced with a snarl. A growl echoed through the dark room. He made no attempt to end her hold. Nor did she release him, enjoying the control she wielded, gripping him tighter.

  She nipped the flesh of his neck between her teeth, biting down until he groaned. She released the skin to move farther down his throat. She let out a gasp, shifting against him. The movement rubbed the bundle of nerves at the
top of her sex against his hard torso. She squirmed, trying to get away from the overwhelming feeling and move towards it at the same time.

  “Do you like that?” Wolf howled beside her.

  Her gaze met Wolf’s. He thrust in again, lengthening the brush against her sex.

  Her legs tightened around him convulsively. No other answer was needed. His thrusts quickened, the sounds emanating from him closer to those of a feral animal than a man. Her own pleasure intensified. Wolf shuddered above her, his muscles shaking with his efforts.

  She stared up at him. His hair was wild around his face, his expression focused. He gazed down at her as if she were his entire world, the centre of everything. It was more than she’d ever dreamt of, more than the bard devoted upon his lady in the square. Her heart throbbed within her chest, wanting and needing what she didn’t know how to ask for. More.

  With a wild howl, he plunged into her so deeply she shrieked. The final thrust threw her over the edge. Her climax overtook her, exploding from her and stealing her breath. Wolf followed quickly after her.

  His body went limp against hers. She released his hair, allowing his head to slump down against her chest. His arms still wrapped around her, she settled into the sensation. It felt so good to be in his arms, comfortable and protected. She trailed a feather-light line down his back with the tips of her fingers as their heartbeats settled.

  “Marvellous,” he whispered, nuzzling into her neck.

  Her heart sang at the words.

  His breath slowed against her flushed skin. He wrapped his thick, muscled arms around her like a vice, not allowing her to move. As he drifted off to sleep, his large body pressed her into the bed, keeping her captive even in his dreams.

  Freed from the restraining cloud of lust, reality invaded Abigail’s mind. Fear swept her, snaring her as tightly as Wolf’s arms. She could feel the consequences for wandering down this path gnawing at the edges of her mind. There was no way back to the safety and security she’d once known, no course back to what she used to be, after all she’d experienced. And, worse, she didn’t know if she wanted to go back.