by Moira Byrne
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Warming my hands."
"How considerate." She turned back around. I put my hands on her shoulders and started to rub. It wasn't long before I found the knot in her muscle with my thumb. I rubbed it in small circles, slowly increasing the pressure. She pushed back into my touch and a low moan escaped her. My body responded to the sound of her pleasure. I cursed myself and tried to push the feeling back.
This was not about getting her in bed. It was about making her feel better. Getting the tension out of her shoulders so she no longer winced in pain when she moved. She moaned again and I felt the knot loosen.
"You're so good at that," she said. "I'd almost forgotten."
"You always seem to get a knot right there." I meant to pull my hands away, but now that I had touched her, I didn't want to let her go. "I told you, I know you."
"You could stand to get to know me a little better," she murmured. "There's so much more to explore, right?"
I could hear her heartbeat start to quicken. I knew she could hear mine doing the same. She turned around to face me. We stood there like two fools—our eyes locked, our breath growing shorter with each second.
My body responded to the heat in her gaze. I sucked in some air, trying to steady my breath, and her scent surrounded me. As I stepped forward, all my good intentions slipped away. I could hear Eric in the back of my mind telling me to give her some space, but that was the last thing I wanted right now. I wanted her.
As if my desire for her wasn't already driving me crazy, Aly stepped back with an enticing smile. I saw the desire in her eyes and knew she wanted me just as much. A war raged inside me—should I give her space or should I close this distance between us? I wanted nothing more than to step forward, grab her close, and kiss her until we were beyond thought.
I forced myself to stand still. My wolf puzzled over my hesitation. It didn't understand why we weren't already having hot, sweaty sex. I throttled those thoughts back. I hadn't been with anyone since that night with Aly. My pent-up hormones were getting carried away.
Acting like the animal inside me probably wasn't the best choice. I was supposed to be giving her space while not giving her space. My cousins, man. Their advice was suddenly feeling less than stellar. I had no idea how to approach this anymore.
"Are you coming?" Aly asked with a raised brow.
I clenched my jaw, then met her gaze. She wasn't bothering to hide her desire and it was sending my body into overdrive.
"No, but I want to." I heard come out of my mouth. Smooth.
Amusement mixed with the heat in her gaze. Her eyes roamed over my body as she lightly bit her lip. The sensual move was more than I could withstand. She smiled knowingly as I took her in my arms and pulled her body flush with mine.
Despite the fury of my desire pouring through my veins, my mouth was gentle when it touched hers. My control was holding on by a thread. All it took was a tiny, encouraging nip on my lower lip and that thread broke.
A soft purr poured forth as I deepened our kiss with a frenzy that took me by surprise. Her hand snaked down between us to brush and caress along the length straining against my jeans.
I broke our kiss as a groan tore out of me. It felt so good to have her touch again. I met her eyes. Flames of desire flickered in them as she looked at me with a challenging gaze. It was the sort of look that made me want to take her here and now, and she knew it.
I took a deep breath. The intoxicating scent of her arousal hit me. I dropped my head and clenched my jaw. Must. Hold. It. Together.
"Ben?" Her hand took on a gentle, teasing touch. I didn't know if that was better or worse. I wanted her so badly I couldn't even think straight.
"Aly," I growled out, "I can't . . ."
"You can't what?" she purred.
"I can't think with you touching me."
Her hand moved but it didn't leave my body. She trailed the backs of her fingers up my stomach. I shivered with a combination of desire and disappointment. I didn't want to stop. I couldn't remember why we should stop. All I knew was that we had to.
"Then why think?" Her response was husky as her fingers traced small circles.
"Aly—" Before I could finish, she took a step back and gripped the bottom of her shirt. She pulled it up over her head and my eyes devoured her. I ran my eyes over her body and a smile curved my mouth when I saw lace on the edges of her bra. Her full breasts begged for my touch and attention.
I raised my eyes and met her heated gaze. Her mouth was slightly parted and her breath hitched. She held out her hand and I took it. She led me down the hallway to an open door. I followed her in, only barely registering that it was a bedroom.
I pulled her into my arms, our bodies flush against each other. My lips crashed against hers. She kissed me as fiercely, her fingers locked tight in my hair.
We broke apart and I trailed kisses along her jaw, down to her neck and shoulders. It wasn't enough. I needed more. I bent down and slid my arms behind her knees, picking her up.
She wrapped her arms around me and dropped kisses along my jaw. I pushed the door closed before moving to the bed. She looked up at me, the heat in her eyes glowing brighter as I placed her on her back.
"Aren't you going to join me?"
"First . . ." I slid my hands along the waist of her jeans, my fingers moving to the button, then the zipper. Aly flashed me a smile as she helped by shimmying off her jeans.
"Your turn." She tugged at the hem of my shirt and rose a brow.
I was happy to oblige. I reached down and yanked off my shirt, threads popping but I didn't care. She laughed lightly in surprise. I dipped down and silenced her with a searing kiss. I cast my shirt aside as I kissed her, groaning against her lips when her fingers trailed over my bare skin.
I rested on one elbow to avoid crushing her and lowered my head to deepen our kiss. She met me with a feverish kiss. I moved my hand to cup her breast, the perfection of her body beneath the lacy cloth wringing a moan out of me. She arched her back in invitation, and my thumb brushed over the hard peak of her nipple that strained against the lace. A purr poured out of her in response.
I pulled back and met her gaze. I knew my eyes had gone wolf-silver. I wasn't surprised to see hers were cougar-blue. Her chest rose and fell in a choppy rhythm, drawing my gaze to her breasts, and I couldn't resist the temptation.
I pushed down the bra cup and lowered my head to pull the peak into my mouth. She moaned as I swirled my tongue around the tight bud. My hand trailed down her body in a gentle caress and slid down to tease the top of her lace underwear.
Her hands rhythmically opened and closed on my shoulders, then she arched her back, and her bra was gone. I gave a lick and gentle nip to the bud in my mouth, then pulled back to blow gently on the glistening tip. A low moan accompanied her purr.
"Ben," she demanded in a throaty cry as her hands fiercely gripped my shoulders, "don't make me wait. It's been too long."
I couldn't agree more.
I slid off the bed to remove my pants. When I climbed back into bed with her, she gave me a little push and I rolled onto my back. She climbed on top of me and rubbed her lace-clad heat against me. Pleasure shot through me and my body grew impossibly harder. I let out a groan. I was so stiff it was almost painful. My hands played with the band of lace. I wanted her naked. I wanted her.
As if she read my mind, she slid out of her underwear and moments later she was back, flush against my body. Torturing me in the best of ways as her wet heat brushed against my swollen length. I couldn't stop myself from thrusting against her.
I lifted my hands to cup her breasts. She sucked in a breath as my thumbs brushed over the tight peaks. Without warning, Aly slowly slid onto me.
The pleasure of simply being inside her shot through me and my sounds of pleasure mixed with hers. Every muscle in my body was tense as I fought not to move. I wanted to savor this feeling.
"God," I groaned, "I've missed you."
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She watched me through heavy-lidded eyes, moving her hips in slow, deliberate circles. A challenge. If I wanted more, I had to take it. Challenge accepted.
I gripped her hips and slowly lifted her up, then back down again. A sweet whimper fell from her lips and a groan from mine. She closed her eyes and dropped her head back. I lifted her again, building an achingly slow rhythm between us.
I slid so easily in and out of her slick heat that I could hardly control myself. She was wet and tight and perfect. I wanted to take her hard—make it clear she was mine—but I also wanted to make this last. I never wanted it to end. I pulled her flush against me and stilled.
She picked up where I left off with a soft sigh, rolling her hips against me. I moved my hand to the juncture of her thighs and found her hidden spot. A faint gasp left her lips, then she leaned forward. Her eyes were hot on mine as her pace began to increase, matching the rhythm of my fingers between her legs.
I reached up to play with her breast, her moans music to my ears. I felt my own pleasure building, but I wanted—no, needed—her to find release first. Just thinking of her clenching around me made my fingers press harder and move faster. I took her taut bud between my fingers with one hand, softly squeezing, while coaxing her to the edge with the other.
She rode me faster, her lips falling open as a low moan escaped her. The sight made me grow even harder, something I would have said was impossible. She rolled her head back as an even louder moan tore from her. That arousing purr endlessly rumbled out of her, and it was almost too much for me to take.
She breathed in a sudden, trembling gasp as her body clenched tightly around me. A cry burst forth from her lips as her body bucked against mine. I sucked in air through my teeth and groaned as I moved my hands to hold tight onto her hips.
That was it. I couldn't hold back any longer. I pressed my fingers into her hips and took over, thrusting into her hard and fast. She let out a final moan and collapsed against me. I hugged her tight to my chest and thrusted deep, a hoarse groan marking my own release.
She pressed a kiss to my shoulder then let out a soft, sweet purr as she curled against me. As our breathing slowed, my wolf curled up inside me, content. Exhaustion soon took us both and as I drifted off to sleep with Aly in my arms, my wolf quietly whispered in my mind, mate.
7
Alysse
I woke the next morning with an empty bed and the cheekiest grin ever on my face. I knew Ben didn't go far, I could hear him rummaging around in my kitchen. Is he seriously making me breakfast? The clink of pots and pans was followed by the steady metallic ting of a whisk beating something in a bowl.
Ben knew me well. The easiest way to win the heart of the elusive Alysse was through her stomach. I bit down on my lower lip and pressed my face into my pillow to silence a happy little noise.
Ben's clean scent on the pillow tickled at my nose and I inhaled deeply. A purr rumbled through me. I could smell him everywhere. On my skin, the sheets, and the blanket. I was in a little cocoon of Ben. It was as wonderful as it was overwhelming. Mostly because his presence went from something I thought I would never feel again to being everywhere in what felt like an instant.
My cellphone let out an irritating chime, rudely interrupting my afterglow. I rolled over and slapped my hand on top of it, then dragged it along the side table and into my bed. I squinted down at the bright screen and groaned. Ana's one-month checkup. I had to be there by ten this morning and it was already eight.
Not a big deal, right? Nope. I was the type to laze around while getting ready. I would much rather drink coffee and scroll through my phone while sitting at my vanity than actually put on my makeup most mornings. However, now I had two of us to get ready, and I knew I had better get out of bed if I wanted to make it to Ana's appointment at a reasonable time. Luckily, the scent of brewing coffee wafted through the air, calling to me.
Yawning, I pulled my reluctant body out of bed and slipped into my fluffy robe before I trudged out into the hallway, pausing by Ana's room. My heart stilled for a moment when I saw the empty crib, but I just as soon realized I could still smell and feel her nearby. She must be with Ben. A small smile quirked my lips upward. That was nice of him. If he was trying to impress me with his fatherly skills, he was doing a hell of a good job so far. Breakfast and he got Ana out of bed. Nice work.
I smiled as I resumed my trek down the hallway, thinking of the natural way he seemed to fall into that role. During our late-night study sessions, he often told me how his mother made sure he helped around the house and with his little sister. I would say she succeeded in making her lessons stick. Apparently he was an experienced babysitter too, so I really chose the right guy to accidentally have a baby with, didn't I?
I walked into the kitchen and, sure enough, found Ana happily gurgling and kicking away in her bouncer seat. Ben was at the stove, his back bare and a pair of tight, low-hung jeans hugging his body. Judging by the delicious scents in the air, we were having pancakes and eggs. I was always down for pancakes, especially when served by a nicely muscled, half-naked man. Ben looked over his shoulder and hit me with a smile that nearly knocked me sideways.
"Morning," he said. "I was going to bring you breakfast in bed, but . . ."
I put my hand to my chest and fake swooned. "My hero."
Spatula in hand, Ben flexed a bulging arm without turning around. Cute. I let my eyes drift lower, planning on scoping out the rest of the goods. A pink string tied around his back caught my attention.
"Ben."
"Yeah?"
"Are you seriously wearing that god-awful apron?"
Ben turned around and I burst into laughter. Ana kicked around wildly in her bouncer in response. If she were older, she would be laughing, too. He was, in fact, wearing the pink floral monstrosity my sister had left behind when she moved to Alex's house on the Greenhaven property. She insisted it wasn't hers, but I had my suspicions.
Ben placed a hand on his hip and rose a brow. "You like?"
"I've never been more attracted to you," I deadpanned.
He beckoned me over. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, but I was grinning so wide and uncontrollably that my cheeks were starting to hurt.
"You're going to burn your eggs, beautiful," I tossed out as I started to walk over to Ana.
"Hey, if you want to miss out on the chance to get at this . . ."
"Promise you'll wear it for me later?"
"Be careful what you wish for." Ben rose his brows, a small smirk on his perfect lips, then turned around to finish cooking breakfast. I bent down and gently bopped Ana on the nose with the tip of my finger. She blinked up at me in surprise and squirmed happily.
"How did you get to be so adorable, hm?" I murmured at her.
"She takes after her mother," Ben chipped in.
"You flatterer."
"It's true. She looks just like you and your sister, but, y'know, half-Asian."
"It's almost like—"
"Yeah, yeah. Genetics."
I lifted Ana from her bouncer and nuzzled against her soft cheek. She still had that wonderful baby smell that cranked my endorphins up to maximum overload.
"Let's get you something to eat, cutie."
"Already taken care of," Ben said from the stove.
"What?"
"I know. I'm your hero yet again."
I looked at Ana and sighed. "Promise me you won't take after his massive ego?"
"My ego? Aly, please, I've got nothing on you."
I flashed him a grin. "Well, yeah, nobody does."
"My point."
I placed Ana back in her bouncer and brushed my fingers over her fine black hair before I made my way over to the coffee pot.
"Coffee ready?" I asked.
"One sec."
He set his spatula down, stepped to the side, then poured coffee into a cup sitting by the pot.
"Why, thank you."
"Hold on, I'm not done . . ." He flashed me a smile before pulling the m
assive jug of caramel-flavored creamer from my fridge. "You still need this, don't you? I remember. You always had some sugary coffee when we were studying."
He dumped a heavy pour into the cup. Bingo. He got it right. I was no coffee purist. I was in it for the delicious sugar. I gave him a big grin as I took the cup he proudly held out to me.
As I sipped my steaming cup filled with more than enough cream, I couldn't help but think about how . . . normal this felt. Not just normal, but good. Nice. I liked having Ben here with me and Ana.
I wasn't going to admit that things had been a little lonely this past year, but they had. Strangely enough, things had been a little easier since Ana was born a month ago. The awful newborn diapers were worth the honest joy she brought into my life. Even then, my day-to-day life consisted of Ana, doing accounting work at the orchard for Peter, and homework. Ben being here made things feel different in an unexpectedly good way.
"Breakfast is served," he sang out behind me.
I grinned to myself. God, I missed him, I really did. He was such a big, strong guy, yet he made the world seem so much brighter. I chalked it up to the fact that he didn't have the makings of a bitter, jaded superhero like I did.
As much as his mother put that special sort of matriarchal-born fear into him, I knew his family was filled with love and support. Not to say mine wasn't. Sophie gave me everything she could after we lost our parents. I still carried that weight on my shoulders, though. The knowledge that my parents were robbed from this world.
As we sat down for breakfast, I glanced at Ana, still happily squirming away in her bouncer and my heart warmed. When I looked back up at Ben, I saw him grinning at me. I quickly cleared my throat, then raised a brow.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You like having a house-husband, don't you?"
"Husband?" I snorted. "As far as I know, we're still very much living in sin."
"We could change that."
"Ben, are you proposing to me over pancakes and eggs?"
He shrugged. "I'm just saying."
I cupped my cheek in my palm and fluttered my lashes at him. "How romantic."