by Vivian Arend
Hands and lips seemed to be everywhere, a relentless assault on her senses as his breathing picked up speed. The edge grew nearer and nearer and—
Sweet release.
The pulse started deep inside and threw her against the couch as his fingers played her like a guitar. The thick cords on his forearms dancing rhythmically as he dragged out her orgasm, snapping his hips faster and faster until he groaned, his free hand clutching her thigh in a vice.
Addie collapsed where she sat, decorum forgotten as she sprawled comfortably, a puddle of satisfaction. Damon rested his head against her chest, his cheek pressed to one wet nipple spot. She stroked his back, patting him happily. “Is that what they call a successful experiment? Because I will totally give you full grades.”
“I’ll be teacher’s pet any time.”
Addie laughed. “I had no idea tonight would take this kind of a turn.”
Damon pulled away, careful to keep their hands from making contact as he backed away. “I’m glad it did.”
“Me too.”
He rocked back on his heels. “You’re not a virgin, are you?”
She shook her head. “This trick of mine has developed slowly since adolescence. It just got really out of control in the last year.”
“And you haven’t fooled around since then?”
Addie chuckled at the shock in his eyes. “It’s tough to get interested in trying when you’re worried. Put it this way. My partner getting distracted during sex was horrible.”
“How could someone be distracted with you writhing in pleasure under him?”
Her mouth was dry again. “Whoa, you’re good.”
Damon grinned.
Still, he needed to know. “Lots of emotions that aren’t sexy can happen during sex, especially when he spots a spider, and he’s afraid of them, and suddenly… Well, let’s just say most lovers don’t like women screaming in their ear in mid-coitus. It interrupts the mood.”
He caught her elbow and helped her to her feet. “That would be the wrong sort of exciting.”
The last thing he wanted was for her to withdraw, but the last last thing he wanted was for her to feel pressured to go faster than she felt safe. Even now she was trembling, her arm under his fingers vibrating, and he didn’t think it was aftershocks from the orgasm.
He was good, but not that good.
“Let’s call it a night. I need a shower first, though.”
She hesitated, suddenly shy. “I’d like to try more things.”
“Tomorrow,” he promised. He leaned over, tempted to kiss her, holding back with every ounce of strength he had. “Sleep in your wolf again. That we know is safe, right?”
Addie nodded, then followed him to the bathroom. “I…” She stood in the doorway, her brown skin flushing as her gaze drifted over him. “Is it too much of a tease if I stay here and watch? When we can’t do anything more? Or do you want to do more?”
“Behave.” He was tempted, but his thoughts from earlier in the evening echoed. They had a good thing, and going slow wasn’t a bother. In fact, it added something to their relationship. Something he’d not had since he’d lost Caitlin.
Addie might not be his mate, but she was special, and for more reasons than her Omega background. He deliberately kept space between them, reaching over his shoulders to catch hold of his shirt and pull it over his head. He bunched the fabric into a ball and tossed it to the floor in front of him.
“No touching. That’s my rule. You can look all you want.”
Addie leaned on the doorframe, her pyjama pants and still-damp sleep shirt a thin barrier between them, and suddenly he wanted that gone as well.
“I charge a toll for the ladies to ogle me while I shower.” He smirked, playing with the button on his kilt.
“A toll?” Addie straightened, mischief on her face as well. “I have no idea what you could possibly ask for in payment.” She twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers and, holy shit, he was a stupid fool because he might have just come in a very schoolboy fashion, but his dick was hard again.
“Take it off, sweetheart. Let me see.” She shimmied the fabric upward, and he watched intently as her belly button, then her ribs, and then those perfect brown nipples he’d been sucking on earlier, albeit through the shirt, came into view. “Holy fuck, I’m going to drop dead,” he warned.
It was like eating a smorgasbord in reverse. He already knew what sounds she made when she came. Already knew how she would tremble under his touch, how she tightened ever so slightly in that instant before climax.
Now he got to see the treasures he’d been fondling only moments earlier.
“Drop your trousers,” he commanded.
“Kilt first,” Addie insisted, slipping a hand under her pyjama pants.
Damon’s brain went off-line. Naked from the waist up, her pants hid what she was doing from his sight, but he could imagine what was happening. The soft fabric moved the slightest bit as her knuckles showed against the worn cotton. “If you make yourself come, I’m really going to die. Right here, right now.”
“Ditch the kilt, Damon,” she ordered, easing her shoulders against the wall. Her lower lip slipped between her teeth, and she hummed softly, her fingers moving again in an intriguing manner.
“Damn…”
A moment later the kilt was on the ground, and Damon stood stark naked in his socks, all of him hard and aching, his cock pointing straight at her as if she were the North Pole and he were a compass.
She worried that lower lip a little more before breathing out a happy sigh. “Looking at you is like wandering through the Louvre in Paris and coming across one of Michelangelo’s finest works. Are you sure your name isn’t David?”
“You’re flustered.” He gripped his cock tighter and stroked a few times because it was impossible not to. “David is in Florence, sweetheart. Not Paris.”
Her eyes were focused on his hand. “See, I do forget things,” she said. “I should let you shower.”
She pretended to get ready to leave.
“You move one inch toward that door, and I will wrap you in a blanket, take you to the top of the highest tower and give you so many screaming orgasms the boys will think they have a sex-maniac ghost haunting the place.”
Addie snickered. “That doesn’t sound like much of a threat…”
But she hooked her thumbs under the edge of her pyjama pants and wiggled out of them, her breasts dipping as she pushed the fabric to her ankles. She kicked the material aside, and it joined the pile of his things on the ground.
She stood, one leg flexed, weight resting with a hip jutting out, her hands dangling at her sides. Like a statue in the museum she’d mentioned, but so much better. Not cold, white marble, but warm, brown skin that begged to be touched.
Somehow, he was going to find a way to make that happen.
They stared at each other, and then she blew him a kiss and shifted, turning into her wolf form with a shimmer. Light pulsed, the magic taking her from beautiful creature to beautiful creature, and Damon was pretty sure he could fall in love with either one of them.
Addie padded back into the bedroom as Damon rinsed off quickly, no longer wanting to prolong the time before he could be with her.
When he got to the bed, Addie had already curled up with her nose tucked under her paws, soft and relaxed. Damon took full advantage and wrapped himself around her, guarding her with his body.
No one who wasn’t a shifter could understand how natural it was for them to be naked and touch, and no one who wasn’t a shifter could understand how much she must have hurt, dealing with limited touch over the past year.
She deserved a little TLC.
Cradling her all night long was no hardship. Neither was waking up in time to be out of bed and dressed before her, speeding down to the kitchen to offer Grandmam Susanna a kiss before raiding the cupboards, looking for breakfast.
The old woman flushed, shaking her head as he thanked her for the treat she’d sent
their way the night before. “It was doing me no good sitting on the shelf,” she said, slapping his fingers away from the sausage patties frying briskly in the pan. “I have trays for you and the nice young lady nearly ready. Wait a little, my lad. There’s no use rushing good things.”
Her words echoed the thoughts he’d had the night before.
He took the stairs two at a time, balancing the tray easily in his hands as he carried up two full plates of food and a steaming carafe of coffee for them to enjoy out on the balcony in the morning sunshine.
Other than nearly tripping over another house cat at the top of the stairs, the day continued in a most spectacular way. The coffee was perfect, their breakfast conversation general enough to be safe and yet entertaining. The best part was watching pleasure bloom on Addie’s face as she bit into a sausage. Damon had to jerk his gaze away to stop from staring at her lips.
She finally patted her napkin against her mouth and pushed aside her empty plate with a satisfied sigh. “We’re switching rooms today,” she announced. “This time you get to do some work.”
Damon struck a muscle pose, offering his biceps for admiration.
“Yes, I see you. There’s nothing wrong with your beefcake,” she agreed with a smirk.
“I’ll lift and tote,” he said, “but you have to agree I’m in charge of our breaks and quitting time.” She loosened the band of her watch and held it out. Damon accepted it before another thought struck. “You don’t have a clock in your head as well, do you?”
Addie laughed. “One weird talent is enough, thank you.”
Then she led him into what had to be a storage room, walls lined with unlabeled boxes all covered in heavy layers of dust.
He got to lift then. He got to do lots of lifting. By the time she’d gone through a dozen of the boxes, he was covered with an inch of dust.
He was about to suggest time for their first break when she gave a low whistle, holding up a linen paper tied together with a length of a fine lace. “Lookee here,” she said. “The plot thickens, Watson.”
Damon leaned on the table beside her. “A little deducting from that comment makes me think you’ve discovered another will.”
“Possibly. I’m going to open it with you as an eyewitness, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to make a fuss if it’s a bunch of old love letters, but this is the type of paper Lord Sterling-Wylde used for the other wills.”
Damon settled his arm against hers for reassurance, and she glanced up, quickly offering a smile before turning back to the task of untying the delicate string.
Addie carefully unfolded the first part, and that seemed enough to confirm her suspicions. “Final testament of Lachlan Sterling-Wylde. We have will number five. The boys are not going to be happy.”
She didn’t open it any further, instead folding it carefully and placing it aside out of the dusty area where she’d been working.
“You’re not curious what it says?”
“Of course I’m curious, but it’s not my business. I can wait until the official word comes out. And luckily, the executor is dropping by today for his weekly update from me. I can give this to him without mentioning it to the boys.”
“If they give you any trouble, I’m here for you,” he reminded her.
Addie nodded. “You are, and thank you for that.” She paused, staring past him at the box in the far end of the room, shaking her head. “Someone must have hit a sale on leather journals. I swear I’ve seen a dozen of those golden-toned covers. I keep finding them all over, in places that make no sense.”
“You’re just annoyed you can’t work methodically,” he teased lightly. “Books belong in the library.”
She stuck out her tongue, and Damon couldn’t resist. He leaned forward and planted a kiss against her lips, slipping his tongue against hers for a brief instant before pulling away. Watching carefully for her reaction.
Her eyes widened and a pulse beat a million miles an hour at the base of her throat, but she didn’t start screaming or anything, so that was good.
“Is this another experiment?” she whispered.
Oh hell, no. Damon trapped her in place, one hand on either side of her hips at the table. “Definitely not. This is our break time. Ready to get refreshed?”
A flash of nervousness passed her eyes. “What if…”
“Then we stop.”
He didn’t bother to discuss it any further. Just leaned forward, closing the distance between them. Her gaze was fixed on his lips, hers parting slightly, warm breath wafting past his cheek.
The other times they’d kissed it had been in a wild rush—she was right that surprise had been the foremost emotion. But now he wanted something different. Anticipation. Sensual longing.
He leaned into her, their torsos brushing, completely safe with their clothing as a barrier. The heat of her body and his meshed together as he lowered his head.
Addie tilted her head back and to the side, sucking in a quick gasp before he made contact. Soft lips met his, warm and enticing. He offered a kiss then slipped back half an inch, coming forward to repeat the motion a dozen times. It gave her time to react if needed, time for him to pull away, but the only thing she did was press tighter against him, hungrily returning his advances.
Damon took a chance and slid his hand up her back until he was cradling her head, angling her to the side so he could kiss her deeper. Their tongues slipped against each other, tentative touches that sent thrills through his entire body, urgent need rising that he tucked aside as he enjoyed the simple pleasure of this contract.
The slightest whisper of a negative response and he’d retreat to the other side of the room faster than a lightning bolt, but the only sounds from her were moans of happiness. Pleasure. Need.
He could have kept going for a hell of a lot longer, but instead he pulled back, breathing heavily as they stared into each other’s eyes.
“I have no idea how you did that,” Addie whispered, utter amazement in her tone. “Nothing. I mean, nothing other than I want another helping, please.”
“Such a greedy girl. I have to keep my eye on you. Who knows what mischief you get up to all by yourself in these dark lonely rooms?”
“Ha. If there’s any mischief you’d want to be involved.”
Damon played the innocent. “Me? Involved in mischief? I think the word you’re looking for is instigator.”
She laughed softly, a flirty smile tugging her lips. “Scoundrel.”
“You like scoundrels.” He reluctantly let her go.
It was the strangest thing—his wolf was completely MIA, and had been since the previous day, but he wasn’t worried anymore. Now he was focused on Addie and what they could get up to during the next break. Something to keep testing the waters, especially if it dragged out the sexual tension between them.
He loved a good challenge, and this was one of the most pleasurable he’d had in a long time.
Chapter Eight
Addie finally knew why Damon was there—to torment her.
She’d thought Lillie had sent him to help, but it had actually been a declaration of war by her best friend. He kept the Sterling-Wylde boys at bay while simultaneously driving her completely and utterly mad.
Three days. Three devastatingly wonderful and frustrating days.
That’s how long had passed since their intimate discussion that night in front of the fire. Three days where they’d shared kisses and brief caresses, Damon sneaking up on her while she worked, and brushing past her at every opportunity.
At no time did any wild rush of emotion overwhelm her, at least not from him. Her libido was doing a great job sending her blood pressure skyrocketing all on its own.
He’d gotten her off on the bed last night. Made her strip before ordering her to lie flat out on the soft linen covering the mattress. She’d been sure they were actually going to have sex, but instead he’d taken the silky soft top sheet and laid it over her, caressing her through the material as he kissed her se
nseless.
Orgasms were wonderful things, but she really wanted sex. And she wanted to touch him, which hadn’t been part of the agenda, no matter how much she tried. He had all those muscles she’d gotten to look at, that her fingers ached to explore. Yet Damon was the master of distraction, always finding a way to stay out of reach and turn the sensual exploration in her direction.
It was hard to pout when she was shaking from yet another climax.
To top it all off, her wolf was sulking. They hadn’t had a whiff of Damon’s shifter side, which all things considered was really weird.
Enough. Today she was going to do something about their stalemate. Because as much fun as they were having, and how much better her job was going with Damon’s protective presence, Addie wanted more. She wanted to give more, and this time he would damn well accept it.
Choosing the right moment was more difficult than deciding it was going to happen. Pouring rain kept them inside all morning, but after lunch, the sun burst free.
“Break time,” Damon announced, rising from the chair where he’d been quietly keeping an eye on her.
“Outside?” Addie suggested.
He nodded. “Garden, or down by the lake?”
Hmmm. Wide open spaces, or plenty of hidden nooks and spaces for a secret rendezvous? “Garden.”
In spite of her secret agenda they wandered for over an hour first, talking about their families. Finding out what he’d done for fun growing up in New York City pointed out how very different his life had been from what she’d experienced in rural Scotland.
They didn’t have a lot in common, and yet she couldn’t deny the attraction. And after the fooling around they’d done, she was pretty sure going all the way wouldn’t be a problem for her woo-woo talent thingie.
Even if it was—she wanted to risk it.
They strolled side-by-side, Damon flirting outrageously, and the ball of heat in her core continued to expand.
It had to be okay to do more. She wanted it to be okay.
“I have something to show you,” he murmured. He’d snuck up behind her and briefly enveloped her in his arms, nuzzling at her neck affectionately for a split second before whirling away.