by Clare Atling
‘Jesus Christ, how did you even come to that conclusion?’ Hope’s look of shock made Sarah laugh.
‘Well, Maggie and Brandon said they hadn’t seen you today, and just before Callie went inside she said she’d left you in Colt’s capable hands. So, if it’s not me or Maggie or you, then it must be Callie. I’ve got to speak to her!’ Sarah was buzzing excitedly at the news.
‘You can’t right now,’ said Hope. ‘Logan will rip you to shreds if you interrupt him during his time with Callie. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.’ She hoped Sarah would listen to her and not go charging over to their house before she had time to warn Callie.
‘Okay, but you will come tonight? Bring Colt, if you want to.’ Sarah’s mischievous wink made Hope smile.
‘Sure, I can totally see Seth agreeing to Colt sitting round his table for dinner!’
Sarah winked at her again. ‘Our table,’ she corrected. ‘But it would be fun to watch, right? Come on. You can help me prep.’ The girls linked arms and headed towards Seth and Sarah’s home.
Chapter Five
The previous evening had been fun and Hope loved catching up with her brothers, something she hadn’t been able to do much of since they had all mated. She had text Callie on her mobile to let her know that Sarah was going to come knocking because, somehow, Hope had let it slip that she was expecting, too. It was only when she heard her phone ring a few minutes later and answered to Callie’s screaming excitement that she realised she’d also inadvertently let the cat out of the bag that Sarah was pregnant.
She made Callie swear to never let her in on a secret again, because she obviously could not be trusted. God, her head hurt from all the confusion of who was supposed to know and who wasn’t. She was pretty sure that, by the end of the day, everyone on Penn Lake would know that her brothers had knocked-up their mates and their pack was about to get bigger.
She loved the idea of being an aunty, but right now she wasn’t sure she could face two hormonally-excited sisters-in-law, so she figured she would hide out and catch up on her housework. Yes, she would sit back and relax with a hot chocolate and a girly flick on the sofa. She wasn’t going to think about Colt at all. No way was she going to think about how hot he was, with all that hard, rippling muscle she had felt and his soft warm lips against her skin... Nope, today Hope was going to relax and enjoy a day to herself. Maybe she’d even visit her mom and dad.
So, later that day, Hope went and saw her father, who at least had the decency to apologise for being caught acting like a teenager last time Hope had seen him. They talked some more about Colt but, thankfully, nothing was mentioned about the impending birth of her nephews or nieces, so she figured the others hadn’t been by to see them yet.
She stopped in to see Alex at the marina and he bought her lunch. Alex was always kind to her and, after the awkwardness of taking her virginity at a party a few years ago, they had remained friends and put it down to too much drink and being caught up in the moment. Alex was now more like a friend to her and she had never felt anything but a friendly kind of love towards him. If her brothers knew it was him that she had slept with that night they would have beaten him for sure, even if he was the perfect gentleman. They got together when both of them felt the need, but it never developed further than sex. She trusted Alex and knew he would never hurt her, but now Colt had come to the island she knew she wouldn’t touch another man again.
‘Hey, Hope, how’s it going?’ He smiled at her as he passed her usual diet coke. ‘You and Colt make it official yet?’
‘Fuck off, Alex.’ Hope felt the corners of her mouth lift slightly, but she didn’t want Alex to know he hadn’t really pissed her off.
‘Such a lady, Hope. Always did like that about you.’ He leant over and kissed her cheek.
‘How come you’re working the bar and not driving the boat today?’ she asked.
‘With Greg gone and Mindy still missing, I thought I would help out. Nothing much happening today. What about you? Anything exciting planned today?’ He started to wipe the bar with the cloth in his hand.
‘God, I hated that bitch.’ She really did hate Mindy. She had tried to break Logan and Callie up a few months back and then sided with Greg after he betrayed the pack. ‘Nothing happening for me,’ she continued. ‘I’m going home to watch a tear-jerker and fall asleep on my sofa and not think about anyone in particular.’
‘I don’t mind if you want to think of me…’ He gave her a wink and patted her hand.
‘Thanks, Alex, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t you I had in mind. Sometimes, I wish we were mated, but then again you would be missing out on all those dates you like to go on with all those pretty ladies.’ She smiled and took a sip of her cold drink.
‘Well, what can I say? I’m a likeable guy.’ Hope smiled at him and hoped he found his mate soon. He was such a great guy and deserved the best. She finished the rest of her coke and stood up to go.
‘See you later, Alex.’ She waved at him and wandered home slowly. Even though she wanted time to herself, her house sure was lonely what with Callie, and now Maggie, living with their mates.
After making herself some cheese on toast, Hope settled on the sofa in her jeans and the baggy jumper she had borrowed from Brandon. She had never managed to give it back because it was just too comfy; plus, he had never really asked for it back so, in her eyes, that made it hers. She had chosen her film and settled back with a box of tissues because she knew it was going to make her cry and, sure enough, halfway through the film, she was sobbing into her third tissue. God, she loved this film – the cute little puppy that turned into the worst pet ever, but still its owners loved him. Once the credits rolled, she hit the off switch but sat there for a few moments, still letting her tears fall.
‘Who the hell has upset you?’ The deep, rich voice echoed through the room and made her scream.
‘Jesus fucking Christ!’ She jumped up from the sofa and spun round to see Colt standing in the doorway. ‘What the hell are you doing here? I didn’t invite you in.’ Her hands were clenching at her chest as her heart thumped from the shock.
‘I want to know who has upset you.’ His teeth were clenched and his hands were curled into tight fists, ready for a fight.
‘No one, you idiot. I was just watching a sad film. But you still didn’t answer my question. What the hell are you doing in my house?’ She stood still as he started walking towards her. He looked like a man who was stalking his prey. Once he reached her, he raised his hands to her face and used his thumbs to wipe away the remaining tears.
‘The great Princess was upset by a film?’ He frowned down at her. ‘I don’t like seeing you cry. Makes me want to rip apart the person who made you sad.’ One of his hands swept behind her head as he wrapped her hair in his fist, pulling her head back so she was looking at him; the other hand remained on her face, cupping her cheek. ‘You are so beautiful.’
‘Colt…’ was all Hope could whisper before he crashed his lips against hers, his fist tightening in her hair, the biting pain making her knees feel weak. She had frozen to the spot, waiting for her brain to restart and tell her why something that felt this right was so wrong. She felt Colt’s tongue pressing to gain entry and all her good intentions flew out the window, her soft moan making him more aggressive.
As soon as Colt tasted Hope on his lips, it was all he could do to stop his wolf taking over. Her soft, supple mouth was moulded against his and, when she sucked his tongue into her mouth, he almost exploded in his jeans. He had never felt this close to the edge with anyone before and he knew he had to take it slow with Hope, but his wolf wasn’t having any of it. Colt had to pull himself back a bit before he crossed a line from which he couldn’t return, for he didn’t ever want to hurt Hope.
He tried to pull back, but Hope’s hand came up against his head to hold him in place. He opened his eyes to see her amber wolf staring right at him. She stopped the kiss but stayed close against his face, still holding him in place.
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��Don’t you dare hold back,’ said Hope. ‘You break into my house uninvited and attack me, so you can damn well finish what you started.’ She pulled his head back to hers and he couldn’t help the smile that drew across his lips, causing her to pull back again. ‘I swear to god, if you are laughing at me Colt, I’ll knee you in the balls.’
‘You are such a feisty little thing,’ he replied. ‘For your information, I was trying to slow things down so I didn’t hurt you.’ His face turned serious again. ‘I’d never want to hurt you. I want you to trust me and, for whatever reason I can’t work out, I need to be near you all the damn time. My past is...’ Hope pressed two fingers against his lips to silence him.
‘Exactly that. In your past. You need to forgive yourself before others can forgive you, Colt.’ She ran her finger down his scar and he tried to turn away from her. ‘Don’t. You’ll hurt me more if you turn away. You came here tonight for something and, if it is something you still want, then come with me.’ She took his hand and began to lead him towards the stairs to her room.
‘Hope, stop. I’m not a flowers and romance kind of guy, and if that’s what you need then I’ll walk away. I swear it will kill me, but you need to know that’s something I can’t give to you.’ Colt stood still, waiting for her answer, but not really sure if he wanted to hear it.
‘Colt, I don’t need flowers and romance,’ Hope replied. ‘Well, okay, some romance and flowers are nice when you’ve pissed me off, but I’m not that kind of girl, either. As much as you scared the shit out of me earlier, I love how you took control. The bite of pain as you pulled my hair and the need to protect me when you thought someone had upset me…’ She smiled at her last words. ‘What did you want to happen when you broke out of your cell and came here? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t to see me in jeans and my brother’s jumper.’ That made Colt smile. He hadn’t taken much notice of what she was wearing when he had her pressed up against him.
‘Actually,’ he replied, ‘I was imagining I’d find you in bed playing with yourself and thinking of me.’ His smile was predatory and he saw her face flush.
‘That can be arranged if you stop talking and start doing…’ He pounced on her again. This time, he grabbed her sweet, rounded arse and lifted her up to carry her to her room.
‘Which door?’ he bit out in-between kissing her. She pointed to the first one. However, before she could reach down to the handle, he had kicked it open, splintering the woodwork, but she didn’t care. He knew his eyes had turned blue, a family trait that Callie also carried, as his wolf preened near the surface at the thought of getting its mate after years of loneliness.
He threw her on the bed, making her squeal as she bounced on top of the covers. If he wasn’t hard already, the sound of her laughter was making it so he could probably hammer in nails. He started to undo her jeans and pulled them off before throwing them across the room. The black lace thong she had on barely covered anything and her scent was making it hard for him to concentrate.
‘Take off the jumper and panties,’ he almost growled. ‘I want to see you spread out before me.’ The look in her eyes was one of complete surrender, although he knew she would never admit it to him, but he smiled as she followed his instructions. Each bit of flesh he saw he wanted to mark as his own for all to see. Man, he had to get a grip. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and started unbuttoning his jeans. Hope licked her lips as her eyes lingered over his body and concentrated on each button he undid. ‘You keep wetting those lips and I’ll give you something to slip between them, Princess.’
‘And your point would be?’ She shrugged her shoulders and climbed, completely naked, onto her knees and started towards the edge of the bed.
‘I don’t know if I can go slowly with you, Hope. But I promise, if you tell me to stop, I will.’ He cupped her face as he looked down at her. ‘God, you are so beautiful. So fucking beautiful.’ He closed his eyes as her hand wrapped around his cock and started to pump him slowly. ‘Damn it, Princess, you need to let go before I come right here.’
‘As old as you are, I would imagine the recovery time is long,’ she replied. Colt loved this playful side of her, but he was so going to spank that ass one day. ‘You tensed up. What are you thinking about?’ Hope still had her hand on his cock, so he was surprised he could think at all.
‘I was thinking about spanking your perfect ass.’ He leant over and squeezed the round globe. ‘I’d love to see it all red from my handprint whilst I fucked you.’
‘Damn, Colt, you’re going to make me a puddle in the middle of this bed with those promises.’ She leant up to kiss him and, once again, he took control. He pushed her down on the bed and came on top of her, their bodies perfectly aligned and pressed together. He could feel her breasts pushing harder against him with every breath she took. ‘You’re not going to hurt me, Colt. I promise I’m not made of glass.’
Colt couldn’t say anymore as he took her hair again in his hand and wrapped it around his fist so he could control the angle of her mouth. She let him possess her and take control and, for that, he was thankful, as he didn’t know what would happen if she tried to fight him on it. He kissed her for what seemed like ages. Her moan and the pain of her nails digging into his shoulders brought him back to reality again. He smiled and started kissing down her neck towards her collar bone, whilst pulling her hair slightly to change the angle. When he reached her nipples he drew one into his mouth, making it pebble instantly, as he pinched and nipped with his teeth.
‘God, Colt, yes…’ Hope thought she might come from him biting her nipples. She had never had very responsive breasts, but with him it felt like they were on fire. He kissed her lower and let his fist slip away from her hair as she felt her legs open to him, like they had been doing this for years.
‘I love how smooth and silky you are down here, Princess.’ He used his fingers to spread her open and, without hesitation, he leant in and licked her pussy from bottom to top as she nearly shot off the bed. ‘Mmm, you taste perfect.’ The tip of his tongue teased her and she couldn’t help reaching her fingers to wrap through his hair. It was long enough for her to grab it and give him the direction she needed, but he seemed to be hitting all the spots on his own.
Colt’s fingers pressed into the top of her thighs and Hope loved the rough edge of sex he was giving her. Being the baby of the pack, she was often treated gently. Even though Alex, her first and the only guy she’d had sex with, had been gentle and satisfying, she knew nothing compared to this man between her thighs.
Colt pressed his finger into her wet heat and groaned as he felt it easily slip in and clench around him. She was close and he wanted her to come before he fucked her hard on this bed. Her soft gasps and moans were almost enough to get him off now, but he wanted to be inside her first. He felt her tighten around his finger as he sucked on her clit hard and, when she arched her back, he knew she was coming, so he sucked harder, drawing it out for her.
‘Yes, Colt, please… more,’ she cried. ‘Yes, baby, yes.’ She could barely breathe as he sucked harder, sending a ripple of climaxes coursing through her body. He hadn’t even made love to her yet and already she was ready for sleep. ‘That was... Mmm.’
‘Don’t fall asleep yet, Princess.’ She let out another squeal as he flipped her onto her stomach. ‘You look so hot all exposed like this.’ Smack. Hope felt the first spank across her cheek and she couldn’t help moaning out loud. ‘You like that, Princess?’ Colt ran his fingers down between her thighs. ‘So wet,’ he hissed, as if trying to regain some control. She realised that she wanted him to lose control with her; to give her everything he had. She could take it. Smack. Another one landed on the other side, but this time she felt the thick head of his cock breach her entrance.
Colt’s legs almost gave out as he pressed into Hope’s warm, wet passage. He climbed slowly over her and put his weight against her back, kissing along her spine and shoulders as he moved.
‘What do you want, Princess? Slow and steady.
..’ He pumped in and out of her at a rhythmic pace. ‘Or hard and fast?’ She moaned into the duvet as he pressed in hard as he spoke.
‘Hard, please... deeper.’ He watched as her fingers dug into the soft material of her bed. He began picking up speed and almost lost himself as he felt her push back against him. Her heat clenched around him and she was close again. He wanted her to come before he did, so he reached under her and stroked her clit hard as he pumped. Hope arched her back and cried out his name as he pressed four more times into her before releasing everything he had into her.
The rough strokes barely registered in his mind as he felt the sensation rush down his spine and his balls drew up. The feral roar he let out could probably be heard across to the mainland, but he didn’t care as he emptied himself inside his mate. Then, pulling her head to one side, he sank his teeth into her neck. Hope’s inner muscles rippled around him as she came again and, with the final pull on her neck, he collapsed on top of her, sated for the first time in his life. It wasn’t until he felt Hope wriggle underneath him that he realised he was crushing her with his body.
‘Sorry, Princess.’ He rolled off her and pulled her sweaty body up against his. She wasn’t as relaxed as he felt and he knew something was wrong the minute she tried to wriggle away from him. ‘Hope? Are you okay?’ Shit, had he hurt her?
‘I just need to shower and get some sleep,’ she replied. He let her go for a moment but, as soon as he heard the bathroom door click shut, he guessed he had fucked up. Climbing from the bed, he strolled towards the bathroom door and opened it to find Hope sitting on the side of the bath with tears in her eyes.
‘I thought we’d covered this earlier...’ He crouched down in front of her and wiped the tears away so gently that it made more tears appear in Hope’s eyes. ‘I don’t like seeing you cry, Princess, and knowing this time I put them there makes it so painful across here.’ His hand covered his heart and Hope just flat out sobbed. ‘Princess...’ He stopped when she hit him on the shoulder.