Ren was rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but watch. His mind and body seemed to be disconnected. One hand moved to his fly and took hold of his erection through the soft khaki material. Molding his hand around the thick shaft, he stroked the rod—up and down in a slow cadence. He matched the dance of her fingers on her clit. He undid his fly and tugged down his pants until his cock and balls were exposed. She paused in her ministrations, grabbed a bottle of oil and tossed it to him, an impish smile on her lips.
“Show me,” she called out.
He grinned back at her and nodded. Taking his hand off his erection, he grabbed a stool, lowered his pants past his knees and sat down. Popping the top of the oil, he squirted some into his hand.
He grasped the rod again and waited for her to make a move. Nodding, she recommenced massaging her breast and pinching her nipple, transferring attention from one globe to the other. She leaned back, letting the water run over her. He watched, entranced; his own private show. With leisurely strokes he ran his hand up and down his thick rod, pausing to swipe the pre-cum leaking out of the slit on top of the crest before sweeping back down. They masturbated in unison, matching each other’s pace without missing a beat. Ren cupped his balls and rolled them in his hand. Heat and desire built inside him as his inner wolf awakened. The urge to shift shimmered in his veins but nothing happened. It just sat under his skin in a light buzz. The arousal took over his body and pushed aside any demand of his wolf.
The need in the air swirled around him. The scent of sex mingled with lavender and vanilla and sea. Fire trailed up and down his spine as desire hummed in his balls. His worldview narrowed to one crystalline moment just out of reach. With each brush of his hand, every squeeze on his balls the precipice drew closer and closer as the fire inside coiled tighter, winding itself into a pulsing knot. His heart thudded against his ribcage. Sweat sluiced down his forehead, trailed along his neck and traced the contours of his chest. Droplets traced his spine to dip into the well at the base of his back. He squirmed and pushed his hips forward. Tossing his head back, he increased the pace of his hand, flexing his hips in time. His grunts combined with her moans and the sound of the showerheads. He danced on a knife’s edge of climax.
Larissa came on a breathless cry, his name bouncing around the bathroom, echoing back to him. That one husky sound drove him forward, pitching him headlong into the black abyss of pleasure. Lightning electrified every nerve ending. Desire burned through his veins as his cock throbbed and jerked in his hand. Cum slid over the flared crown and coated his hand.
Ren cried out when he felt the soft lapping of a tongue on his slit. Looking down through a haze of sweat, he saw Larissa, dripping wet and on her knees, lapping at his seed, swirling her soft pink tongue around his cockhead. She swallowed the thick cap into her mouth and teased him with quick, deft swipes and slow, teasing licks. Ren released his balls and threaded his fingers through her hair. In a tight grasp he held her still as he pumped his thick shaft into her mouth. The climax drew him closer and closer until, on one white burst of heat, he came, shouting out his release, spurting his seed into her mouth.
Panting, he slumped on the stool and ran his hand through her hair. “Thank you, sweetheart. Thank you.”
“Mmm, what a way to start the morning.” She tilted her head up, rose onto her knees and gave him a quick kiss. He could taste the musk and salt of his seed on her lips. It didn’t repulse him.
“And now you should shower. I have breakfast to eat and I’ll make some lunch. We’ll spend time on the beach, skinny dip and lie around. No protests. I get to take care of you too, you know?”
She stood and wrapped a towel around her before padding out of the bathroom. After another quick shower, he joined her in the kitchen. Satisfaction hummed through him. He was pleased by the start of the day. As much as he wanted to protest, he felt she really did want to take care of him this time, and he was going to let. For a while, at least.
When he got to the table she had already changed into shorts, a tank top and flip-flops. They ate breakfast in a companionable silence, each seeming to be lost in their own thoughts. After breakfast, they did the dishes, her doing the washing, him the drying and putting away. They worked well together.
She put together a basket, grabbed a blanket and nodded toward the front door. “Let’s go.” Larissa grabbed a bag and opened the door. “Come on, wolfie. I don’t have all day. And if you behave, I’ll even let you run around in wolf form. The full moon is a few days away but I’m sure your inner canine is dying to get out and get some freedom.”
He blinked. She wanted to see his wolf? Larissa was going to allow his wolf to roam free. And she wasn’t even scared? He was astounded. His wolf gave a bark of approval. Without giving her a chance to change her mind, he ran past her and stripped out of his clothes.
Pain shot through his entire body. It seared through his muscles and tendons and set fire to his bones but he didn’t stop the shift. Once his inner wolf was free, it gave a bark of joy and ran out of the door and onto the sand. Her laughter trailed after him. The man in him took a backseat as the wolf took control. She spread out a blanket and set down the basket before settling down with a book. The sun illuminated her bare legs, arms, and a bit of her exposed chest.
He ran through the surf but kept her within sight. It felt good to allow his wolf to stretch out its legs and just run around. The simple joy of running rushed through him.
The morning died away. At noon, he laid down next to her, still in wolf form, panting but happy. She ran her hand through his wet fur and opened up the basket. She took out a ham sandwich and set it before him while scratching behind his ear. His back left leg thumped as pleasure twitched through his body. He whined and nuzzled his nose in her palm before lowering his head to eat the cold meat and bread. The wolf lowered his head and closed his eyes. It was exhausted.
Shifting back into man form, he stood and stretched. It had been a perfect day. After a quick dip in the ocean, he pulled her toward the house. “Let me get dressed, and then I’ll make dinner. Then we’ll have a sleep under the stars. You watch TV and I’ll get things started.”
* * *
Larissa didn’t bother protesting. She’d enjoyed the day so far and didn’t want to ruin it. If he was determined to continue pampering her, so be it. She was looking forward to a bit of cuddle time under the stars with him. It seemed as if his idea of relaxing was similar to hers, so there was no need to argue.
Instead, she went up to her room, showered, and changed into a loose sundress with no bra or panties. She knew the night would end in sex. She was having far too much fun. Nothing to worry about. Her needs met by a gorgeous man who wanted to pamper and fuck her, and she was on an island with nothing to do but read, relax, and enjoy the gorgeous weather. She almost didn’t want to go back to work.
By the time she was done he had set up things for the bonfire and had the grill going. She blinked.
“You wolves move fast. Need help?” She moved up behind him. He seemed more at ease. There was no tension in him whatsoever.
“How about s’mores for dessert?” He glanced at her over his shoulder as he turned over the pieces of chicken and some vegetables.
“How very camping out. Sure.” She moved away from him to gather up what they’d need. She set up a place with pillows and blankets and Thermoses of coffee. Larissa would have brought out some wine but didn’t want to be buzzed while enjoying his company. He’d already put together two plates and had filled two glasses with water.
“You didn’t bring out wine…” He handed her a plate.
“For a second there I thought you could read my mind.” She accepted what he’d offered and settled down at the table. When he didn’t join her, she looked up at him. “No table?”
“Bonfire. Thought it would be more romantic.” He gestured toward the place she’d put together.
“I love the way you think.” Without protest, Larissa got up and joined him on the blank
ets while he lit the fire. She settled against the pillows and began to eat. “So, we have five more days here. What exactly are we going to do? Things could get boring after a while.”
He chuckled. “You don’t know me very well but we’ll fix that. Besides, I have a plan. All you have to do is trust me.”
She chuckled. “And what if I have a plan?”
He was silent for a moment. “I suppose anything you think up we can work into what I’ve decided to do.”
Snorting, Larissa shook her head. “Oh, my adorable little wolf, the tricks I could teach you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly does that mean?”
She gifted him with a small smile. “You’ll see. So, you’ve told me about your relationship with your brother and your parents, and you’ve given me some idea of what you like to do and read so tell me, past relationships?”
It was a touchy subject and probably far too soon to ask but she wanted to see just how honest he’d be with her.
Without looking at her, he answered. “I’ve dated, been in relationships that lasted three months max but I’ve never really settled down. It’s similar to my wandering around. I just couldn’t find something to keep me there.”
“Until me?” She waited for him to tell her some romantic nonsense.
He shook his head. “I’d already decided to come back and mend fences with my family. Finding you was a bonus.”
“Good answer, no bullshit detected. So when we get back to the mainland, how do you want to handle things? Just do the dating thing and see where it goes?” She didn’t want to be stuck with someone trying to hold her back. Larissa had her own ideas of where she wanted to be. She had no intention of being Will’s assistant forever. Will had agreed to help her, show her the ropes. If Renny tried to hold her back because he believed his mate should be only be a secretary, she could see a problem.
“We see where it goes. That’s all I’m asking. I know once I get back there’ll be a chance I’ll have to find a new job. Bailing out on the family reunion isn’t going to be easy to explain, much less acceptable, especially since my intended was supposed to be there. I’m sure Will has blown up my phone and filled my inbox with all sort of messages. He’ll be especially pissed with me.” Guilt flashed across his face.
“So tomorrow you call him and find out if we need to we go back early.” She shrugged. And if I need to I’ll talk to Will myself. Larissa didn’t say that last bit out loud. She doubted that Ren would want her involved. But she was. Whether he liked it or not, she wasn’t going to let the brothers be torn apart because of this.
“Okay.” There was a tremble of fear in his voice. In that instant he looked like a little boy, afraid of showing his parents his report card because of a bad grade. In that moment she realized there was a lot of emotion in that situation. She wanted to help him in any way she could.
“Don’t worry, you’ll have me in your corner. I promise you, I’ll help in any way I can.” She meant every word.
“Thank you.” He reached out and took hold of her hand, giving it a squeeze.
She realized sex wasn’t what was needed. Just some time spent together. They finished their meal, and she moved closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder. He pulled a blanket over them, and for a while they stared at the bonfire. All was right in the world. Everything seemed settled. Her eyelids grew heavy, and a yawn grew in her throat. It had been a long day. Despite all the lying around she’d done she was still tired. Not bothering to fight it, she closed her eyes and snuggled against him.
When he woke her, the moon was up, and the stars were shining brightly in the sky. He handed her a s’more with the chocolate melting and the marshmallow trying to ooze out between the graham crackers. Giggling, she accepted the proffered treat and listened as he regaled her with tales of his childhood and the first time he went camping.
She wasn’t sure when she fell asleep again but when she awoke this time the sun was rising over the water. Layers of orange, yellow, pink and purple painted the sky.
He sat next to her, his hair disheveled and a bit of scruff on his cheeks. “I’m going to call the plane and have it come out tomorrow. You can stay if you want but I have to talk to my family. Alone. Talking to you made me realize that if we’re going to be together I have to come clean to them. Running away solves nothing.”
She ran a hand through his hair and smiled, feeling pride swell in her chest. “Okay. But I’ll stay here if you don’t mind.”
He gave her a look. “Oh sure, I go off to the firing squad and you’ll be sipping mimosas.” He smirked.
She grinned sweetly back at him. “Not my fault you’re a coward.” Sticking her tongue out at him, she pushed the blanket off her and stood up. “You clean up here, and I’ll go shower and start breakfast. And yes, I’ll be doing the cooking today.” Without waiting for a reply, she headed back up to the house.
Chapter Five
Ren squirmed in his seat on the plane. When he’d spoken to William on the phone he hadn’t been able to tell just how angry his brother was with him. He and Larissa had made love before he’d left. The thought of not seeing her again for four more days made him uneasy. She’d been sure that everything would be fine but he wasn’t so sure. He could see how childish he’d been in running away, and yet he hadn’t seen any other way to escape and think. Finding Larissa on the island had just given him less to plan, and the fact that she was willing to explore a relationship with him only made him feel more at ease in that department.
When the plane landed, his brother was waiting for him at the car. Ren’s heart stuttered, and perspiration broke out at his brow and on his upper lip. With a deep breath he approached his sibling. The fact William had broken away from the family reunion early didn’t bode well.
William opened the car door for Ren and slid in after him before ordering the driver to take them to Ren’s apartment. Nothing was said, leaving Renny uncomfortable.
He opened his mouth to start but Will beat him to it. “Not showing up to the family reunion was childish, cowardly, and irresponsible. I know you don’t like Binny but having the decency to tell her to her face would have been better than leaving us to beg her pardon and make explanations. We told her you’d been called away to work and couldn’t make it.”
Ren shut his mouth, unsure of what to say. They’d made excuses for him instead of hanging him out to dry? He wasn’t sure how to take that. Thank you seemed inadequate, and yet he told his brother that anyway.
Will brushed the gratitude aside. “It wasn’t because of you that we did it. The family has to save face, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Mother’s broken your engagement. She and Bunny got into a fight, and let’s just say things were said that couldn’t be taken back. You’re a free man but you’ll still have to make things up to them. Coming back is a start.”
“I’m not sorry she’s not going to connect me with Bunny, and I’m not sorry I didn’t go,” Ren started slowly. “I got to spend time with Larissa, my mate, and she helped me see that I did need to come back.”
“Larissa has always had a good head on her shoulders,” William responded quietly.
“Yes, she does, and I’m lucky to have her. I do intend to make it up to you and the family. I really want to get to know you all again, to really show you that I’m staying this time and want to be part of the family. You just have to give me a chance.”
William sighed. “I’ve been doing some thinking as well. Having you around as of late has shown me just how much I missed my brother, and I’m sorry if I came off as thinking that you hadn’t done the report. Can we—can we start over?”
Renault looked at his brother. Tears formed in his eyes as he nodded. “I’d love that. I don’t think we can start over but we can just go from here. How’s that?” He waited for his brother to reject this idea but William turned and smiled at him.
“Okay. Now, tell me about how your time with Larissa on the island went. I’m sure she opted to stay?
She didn’t want to risk coming back and seeing the pile of crap I put on her desk, did she?” He smiled.
Ren laughed. “That, and she wanted to have an actual vacation.” He launched into an abridged version of his mini-vacation with his mate.
* * *
Larissa didn’t want to go into the office. In fact, she didn’t want to believe she had a job that involved work. Instead, she dragged herself in, feeling grumpy and apprehensive of what William had left for her.
After she’d come home she’d crawled into bed to adjust from the plane ride home. Ren had called to check in on her but she’d been too sleepy to return his call. When she’d woken up, she’d found breakfast already cooked. She’d made a mental note to tell Ren that breaking into her apartment was more stalker-like than romantic. Larissa wouldn’t complain about breakfast though. There was no arguing with cinnamon rolls in orange glaze sauce and rich mocha cinnamon latte with whipped cream on top. Gotta love a wolf who wanted his woman to eat and indulge in the good things in life.
She went to her desk to find that it had been cleared away, and some blonde woman was sitting at it. The mysterious woman even had small plants and photos up. Confused, she walked into William’s office without knocking. “Where the hell is my stuff?” she demanded, not bothering to act calm.
Will came forward, a serious look on his face. “Rissa, I’m sorry. I had to fire you.”
She stared at him as ice flooded her body. Fired? She didn’t have a job? It didn’t compute. Her legs shook and her knees turned to jelly. Will caught her and guided her to a chair.
“Shit, I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right. I had to let you go from my department. You’re overqualified. You’ve been transferred to a department where you can learn hands-on. Basically, you’ve been promoted.” He smiled at her, and she wanted to punch him for scaring her.
Renny’s Mate Page 5