A moment of silence ensued. He hadn’t wanted the subject to turn sad. It just happened.
Juliana stepped forward and changed the subject. “What kind of horses do you breed?” And just like that the melancholy moment passed.
“Thoroughbreds. Race horses.”
“Awesome. They’re so majestic. How many do you have?”
“In the spring, the foals are born. We usually have about six most years and sell them the following spring.”
“Sounds like a lot of work.”
“We love it. We live outside Pigeon Forge. Caring for the mares and their foals is a full-time job.”
“And you hike?” Her voice hung with anticipation.
“Not as much as I’d like. But it’s a beautiful countryside out here. I love it when I have the opportunity.” Never mind he usually wasn’t in human form.
Time to change the subject back to her. “What are your plans now that you’ve graduated?”
He held his breath and prayed the battle to convince her to stay with him wouldn’t be completely uphill.
Without looking up, she shrugged. “Not sure yet.”
She stumbled over something and grabbed onto Sergius from behind. “Shit. Sorry. I’m all left feet today.”
As far as Serg was concerned she could be the clumsiest person alive if it meant she touched him every so often. A zing raced through his body each time she made contact.
“Want to rest again?”
“Sure. I could use a drink.” She sat on the nearest log and grabbed for the pack on her back. “Aren’t you thirsty? Here.” She held out the water bottle after taking a swig.
Serg wrapped his palm around the clear plastic, eagerly accepting the opportunity to graze fingers and then set his mouth on the spot where she’d had hers. Maybe he’d glean a hint at how she tasted.
“How much farther do you think?”
“About a mile, I’m guessing.” Not enough time as far as he was concerned.
By noon, he’d have his little mate safely back in town. And then what?
He gazed at her profile while she stared off into the distance. Smudged with dirt, no makeup, tendrils of her red hair blowing haphazardly in the breeze, she’d never look better than this.
Sure, she might clean up and knock him off his socks later, but he’d always remember her as she was right now, at one with nature.
He’d give anything to pull that band from around her hair and let the long locks cascade over her shoulders. By his estimation, her hair would reach past the pert nipples of her breasts.
As if on cue, Juliana unzipped her jacket and peeled it from her arms to tie it around her waist. In a simple, pale pink, tight-fitting shirt, nothing was left to his imagination. As she reached behind her to adjust the jacket, her shoulder blades pulled back and her chest rose.
Serg held his breath. Her breasts were small and firm, as expected on someone as fit as she was. And God help him, her nipples pebbled beneath the minute layer of material, poking out toward him, begging to be suckled deep into his mouth.
He had to turn his head before he did something incredibly stupid, like drool…
Adjusted to her satisfaction, she stood. “Think I’m ready to get going again. Day’s getting warmer.”
“That it is.” That’s an understatement.
“Want me to carry your backpack?” What sort of ass had he been, hiking along empty handed while she carried her own stuff? His momma wouldn’t be proud of him right now.
“I’m fine, but thanks. It’s not heavy.”
“Yeah, well, I like to think I’m a better gentleman than that.” He clambered behind her, grabbed the straps with both hands and eased it over her slender shoulders and down her bare arms.
He had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from leaning forward and nibbling all that exposed flesh. Pale skin, covered with a light coating of freckles, taunted him from inches away while he adjusted her pack on himself, tugging on the side straps to accommodate his much larger torso.
“Do you have sunscreen in here somewhere? Your skin is going to burn even with the clouds.” He could see she always took precautions—otherwise her skin wouldn’t appear so pure and creamy.
“Oh, right. I do.” She reached into the pocket of her hiking pants and pulled out a small tube of ointment. “Would you mind applying some to my back?” She peered at him over her shoulder, dangling the little bottle of sunscreen in her fingers.
That alone nearly made him groan out loud, but the evil little vixen was blinking her eyes at him all coy-like with her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth again.
Oh, baby, you don’t know who you’re messin’ with. He would not forget to punish her sweet little ass later for being such a tease.
She didn’t know it, but from his viewpoint she was begging him to take her, make her scream his name while he made her come over and over again. Or maybe he’d hold her on the edge. Fondle her clit to distraction. Master her deep inside, dragging his fingers slowly over her G-spot. Strap her arms to the head of his bed and hold her down, legs spread wide, while he sucked her clit into his mouth and made her beg for forgiveness.
A smile spread across his mouth. Nope, she had no idea what she was getting into.
Serg took the tube from her grasp, allowing his fingers to linger over hers for a second longer than necessary. She shivered slightly as she turned to face front again. Had she seen the slow burn in his eyes? God, I hope so.
With one finger, Sergius flipped the top on the lotion and squeezed a fair amount into his other hand. He tucked the tube into his own jeans pocket and then rubbed his hands together before placing them on both her shoulders at once.
Heaven. Pure heaven. Her skin was warm and smooth as a baby’s. Like silk. He could smear lotion onto her back all day and all night and never tire of it.
The back of her shirt crisscrossed, exposing most of her skin, and he spread the sunscreen liberally over her shoulder blades, even reaching under the elastic of the straps to be sure no crease would get burnt.
Or perhaps it had nothing to do with an altruistic need to keep her safe from the sun’s rays and everything to do with needing to touch as much of her skin as he possibly could. Who knew when he would get another chance?
When lingering any longer would seem plain weird, he let his palms creep up to her shoulders again, spread the lotion over the tops, his fingers reaching under the straps in front, grazing the tops of her breasts and causing his balls to pull up inside his jeans.
There was every chance he was going to come right now without even touching himself. Ecstasy.
With a small amount of lubrication remaining on Serg’s hands, he spread the last bit down her arms and over her hands, his fingers tangling with hers to finish off the excess.
When he reluctantly released her, she turned to him. Her eyes were glazed and half-mast. She was at least as turned on by the erotic scene as he was. He caught a whiff of her arousal as she spread her legs slightly. Her breaths were shallow and brief.
Thank God she needed him as much as he did her. Obviously it was true what they said about mates. Once they met, they couldn’t resist the pull to one another, even if one of them was human.
She swayed slightly. When she tipped her head back and grabbed the front of his shirt for balance, he didn’t even think. He angled his head to one side and dipped down to brush his lips against hers.
A soft moan escaped her parted lips, and he couldn’t resist. He grabbed her biceps and tugged her closer, locking his mouth on hers and plundering her. His tongue didn’t have to work hard to gain entry. Her mouth was already open and begging. She gave as well as she received, meeting him thrust for thrust as they tasted and explored each other’s mouths.
When her hands released their grip and wrapped around his middle, his wandered from her arms to her waist, his fingers spanning her right above her hips.
Serg let his thumbs graze back and forth on the under swell of her breasts until she wri
thed beneath him.
He could have taken her right then and there if his damn conscience hadn’t reared its ugly head and demanded he stop. With one last, lingering taste, he finally pulled back and lowered his palms to a safer section of her stomach. He set his forehead against hers and gazed into the deep green pools of her eyes.
This was not how he was going to start out his life with her. Against a tree in the woods, her hungry and tired and thirsty and impressionable.
And uninformed.
No, he needed her to be fully aware of who and what he was before he claimed her. It was only fair. Taking a human as a mate was delicate. If he did so without her knowledge and consent, she’d never forgive him, and he’d live with that regret for the rest of his life.
Chapter Six
Holy shit. What the heck was she thinking?
And she wasn’t stupid enough to blame this indiscretion solely on Sergius. She’d been as much an instigator as him. In fact, she’d nearly yanked his head down toward hers for that mind-numbing kiss.
And now her brain cells swam inside her head, unable to regroup and get back to the proper lobes they came from. Until that happened, she didn’t think she could move or speak.
She could feel though. God could she feel. His cock pressed against her stomach. His firm abs against her palms. His breath, minty and fresh as it blew across her face. He heaved for air. And she smiled, knowing she caused that.
“What’s so funny?” His voice was hoarse, a near whisper.
“Nothing. Just this.” She stepped back and let him go. “We met like two minutes ago and here we are mauling each other like bears in the woods.” The chuckle she heard didn’t sound like her at all. Strained. Embarrassed. Very low pitched.
“I thought it was wonderful.” He gripped her chin between his fingers and thumb and tilted her head back up to his. “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like this under these circumstances, but I won’t apologize for the attraction I’ve felt since the moment I saw you asleep on that bed of leaves.”
His words flowed over her like honey. Sweet and calm and slow. The urge to pull him back into her embrace and to hell with propriety overwhelmed her.
She sucked in a breath and held it. He smelled so good. Like nature, the woods, spring, a combination with his own personal musk that enticed her like a drug. She could still taste him on her lips. She was hungry for more…and food was the least of her concerns.
“I’m not sorry,” she uttered on an exhale.
“Good. ’Cause I intend to explore that further…after we get you out of the woods.”
“Promises, promises.” What? Who in the world says that? She’d never…ever…come on to a man like this.
She wasn’t a prude, but she’d spent the last six years studying, sometimes squeezing in her love of the outdoors and hiking, but rarely letting men get in the way of her goals. The sum total of three relationships she’d had in six years had amounted to nothing super special. She usually ended up breaking up with a man because she wasn’t that interested. If the earth didn’t shake beneath her, why keep up the ruse? She wanted more than that. If such a thing existed.
Why in the world was she all sweaty palms, damp panties and thumping chest over this guy she’d just met? And what possessed her to slink toward second base with a man she barely knew? She’d never had sex with a man on the first date. Of course, it hadn’t ever turned out to be that steamy in the past either.
What was she thinking? This wasn’t even a date.
If Sergius hadn’t pulled back from her, would she have let him go all the way? Right here in the forest?
If she were perfectly honest with herself, she’d still have sex with him now. It was as though her body was pulled to him of its own accord and she wasn’t controlling anything.
While she gazed into his eyes, nibbling on her lip to keep from jumping him and embarrassing herself, a dark shadow descended over them.
“Oh, great. Just what we need.” Sergius glanced upward and Juliana followed his gaze. “It’s gonna rain.”
Sure enough, the thin overcast had been replaced by a thick layer of clouds. “How did that happen so fast? Were we kissing longer than I thought?”
“I’m not sure.” He chuckled and took her hand.
“What are you doing? We can’t very well outrun it. We have another mile to go.”
“Trust me.”
With a shake of her head, she allowed him to pull her along, climbing over rocks and logs, angling around thorny bushes and plants. What the heck did he have planned?
The first drips fell from the sky, large drops that promised a downpour to follow. Great, now they were going to be soaked and cold on top of lost. Well, not lost exactly. Sergius seemed to know exactly where he was going. But still…
Before she could even finish the thought, her knight in shining armor tugged her around a bend and into complete darkness.
“Where are we?” She grabbed his arm with her free hand, trying to ebb the fear seeping into her. A chill shook her body even though she hadn’t gotten wet yet.
“Cave. Stay right here a minute, okay?”
She shook her head but knew he couldn’t see it. No way was he leaving her alone in a cave. She squeezed his arm.
“It’ll be fine.” He turned her around to face the entrance and only then did she realize she could see out just fine.
The sky had grown quite dark, but enough light peeked through the branches to ease her nerves. She could stare out into the rain and see the branches blowing in the wind, the leaves turning upside down, an indication the storm would be quite fierce in a minute. Water dripped off the greenery and created a small stream on the ground in front of her.
“Where are you going?”
“Just want to make sure we’re alone. The bats in this area are off limits. I’m sure you’ve heard.”
“Right. White-nose syndrome. Humans are banned from the caves and mines until they migrate. Do you think this is a good idea?”
“The danger is really to the bats, not the humans. We can’t catch what they have, unless they also have rabies. Hang on and stay close to the entrance.” He let go of her and moved deeper into the cave.
How can he see where he’s going?
Juliana wrapped her arms around her middle and hugged herself. She was chilled now, when a few minutes ago she’d been hot. Had it only been a few minutes since the heat of the day and then the kiss had singed her skin?
Moments passed and she forced herself to watch the rain as it picked up speed and pelted the forest with increasing intensity. Where is he?
She gasped and let out a small, high-pitched shriek when two arms circled around her and drew her close. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” His lips landed on her still-bare shoulder and nibbled a path to her ear, reminding her she had her perfectly warm jacket wrapped around her waist. “Coast is clear. No unwanted guests here.”
Why did it sound as though he had been looking around for more than just bats? She didn’t even want to know what else he might have stumbled upon. Hiking was her passion; spelunking was not. Even without the bat warning, she’d never had any desire to enter the dark caverns and explore.
She’d stay right here by the entrance where she could see the waning light of day. “How could you see anything in that darkness?”
“Didn’t need to see. I could hear fine.” He released his hold and ran his warm hands up and down her folded arms. “You’re shivering,” he mumbled into her ear.
“Of course I am.” Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, almost unrecognizable to her own ears. “Even if it were a hundred degrees I’d be trembling with your tongue in my ear like that.” Her smile spread from ear to ear, and she felt him do the same against her neck as he moved down to her shoulder.
“Come here.” Sergius turned her so her chest rested against his front. His huge frame surrounded her and warmed her instantly. She grew still and stayed in his embrace, absorbing his incredible body heat
.
“Are you always this hot?” His core temperature seemed higher than anyone’s.
“No, I’m not nearly as sexy when I wake up in the morning.” He chuckled at his pun, a deep sound she was growing quite fond of. It rumbled between them and drew her closer to him, if that was possible.
God, she wanted this man. She squeezed her legs together, attempting to quell the need burning in her core. “Ha ha. And I doubt that’s true. You probably look like you stepped off the cover of GQ first thing in the morning, with your hair all rumpled and hanging across your eyes.” She sucked in a breath. Her mouth was running like nobody’s business.
He laughed, shaking his entire frame and hers too by default. “Only one way to find out.”
Oh my. This banter between them was loaded with innuendo. And so sexy.
“Come on.” Sergius tilted his head away from her, a nod that indicated he was pulling her farther into the cave.
“I’m good here.” She really didn’t want to move from the entrance, even with this hunk of man who would protect her from anything.
“Honey, you’re good anywhere. I’m sure of that. But let’s sit down. It might be a while.” His voice was teasing. “There’s a perfect bench in the rock right over here. We can sit. You’ll still be able to see out.”
Reluctantly she permitted him to tug her arm deeper into the darkness, keeping her eyes plastered to the opening. No way was she going to get herself far enough inside she couldn’t see out.
He finally stopped, much to her relief. His hand trailed down her arm as he sat. “Okay, maybe not big enough for two.”
The next thing she knew she was on his lap, sideways. He wrapped his hands around her body, encompassing her entirely, and pulled her head onto his shoulder.
It felt so…right. Like she belonged with him.
“Warm enough?”
“Yes.” Her breath was shallow. Too warm.
She desperately wanted to pick up where they’d left off. To hell with the rain and the dark cave. To hell with her conscience.
She tipped her head back, and in a bold act that surprised even her, she kissed her way up his neck and found his mouth.
Rescue in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) Page 4