“It was a terrible thing for me to do, and I’m not defending myself. But I honestly think he had me under a spell first. That he had hindered my free will. The way I felt about him wasn’t natural. I see that now. Now that I know what real love feels like.”
Aside from the subtle rise and fall of his chest, he sat motionless. What was he thinking?
“If you want to leave, I understand. You can walk out, and I’ll never bother you again. I’ll be devastated, but I won’t try to hurt you. Not that I could, since my powers are bound, but you know what I mean.” She was babbling. She needed to shut up before she dug this pit any deeper. “Please say something.”
He inhaled deeply, finishing the kiss as if he’d simply pressed pause while she explained. Then he slid off the bed and knelt in front of her, taking both her hands in his. “I love you. I will never walk out on you.”
“I killed a man, Chase. I killed a man because he was cheating on me.”
“He was also draining your energy. You saw the woman in the morgue; he could have done that to you. I don’t buy for a minute that you are capable of hurting someone on your own. I think you were under a spell too. It makes sense. He wanted to steal your magic, so he had to keep you close.”
Another tear rolled down her cheek. “What if I wasn’t? What if I am capable of hurting people?”
He wiped the moisture from her cheek with his thumb. “You’re the kindest, sweetest woman I know. Your past doesn’t define you. I am in love with the woman you are today. And the Rain that’s sitting here in front of me would never hurt anyone.”
She looked at the man kneeling before her, and her chest ached with the amount of love he’d filled her with. He accepted her—sordid past, curse and all—and he loved her.
He sidled closer, spreading her knees apart so his body fit between them. “Who knows? Maybe falling in love will be the selfless act that breaks your curse.”
She laughed. “As much as this feels like a fairy tale, I don’t think true love’s kiss is going to fix my problems.”
A sly grin curved his lips. “It won’t hurt to try.”
“No, I suppose it won’t.” She took his face in her hands, running her fingers through his beard, and pressed her lips to his. The warmth and gentleness of the kiss loosened the tension in her muscles. He ran his hands up her legs, gripping her hips as his tongue brushed hers. His beard tickled her chin, and the softness of his lips sent buzzing energy zipping through her veins.
He moved his hands to the small of her back, holding her close as he deepened the kiss, and she got lost in the moment. In the man. They could make this relationship work. He believed they could, and now, so did she.
Pulling away, she rested her hands on his shoulders. “Still cursed.”
He shrugged. “It was worth a shot.” He rose from the ground and settled onto the bed next to her. “Seriously, though. I will do whatever it takes to help you break this curse. Just name it.”
Her brow furrowed. Not if he knew what he’d actually have to do. And she certainly couldn’t ask him now—when she’d confessed to murder.
The heat from his body so close to hers warmed her from the outside, but the fact that he forgave her for her past chased away the chilling guilt she’d been carrying in her chest since she first told him about her curse.
She couldn’t ask him for his blood. What if he gave it to her and then he ended up in werewolf prison for the rest of his life? Or worse? She’d lived with the curse for seven years, and she could continue to bear it. She had to. “I know something you can do for me. It won’t break the curse, but I think you might enjoy it.” Leaning toward him, she glided her hand up his thigh, stopping half an inch shy from reaching his hip.
He closed the distance between them, lightly grazing his lips over hers. “Are we good now? Can I still call you mine?”
His breath against her skin raised goose bumps on her arms. “Yes, Chase. I’m yours.”
He kissed her, tangling his fingers in her hair as he traced his lips down her neck, across her collar bone, and up the other side, leaving a trail of tingling magic on her skin, lighting her soul on fire.
She wanted to give him everything. To show him the love she felt for him before she said the words. Tugging his shirt over his head, she ran her hands over his firm chest and pushed him onto his back.
He grinned, pulling her down with him as he moved to the center of the bed. She showered his face and neck in kisses, allowing his masculine scent to intoxicate her, reveling in the hungry sounds he made in the back of his throat.
With one more deep inhale, she sat up, straddling his hips and running her palms up his stomach. On his left arm, the tattoo sleeve ended at his shoulder, but on the right side, it spilled over onto his chest. A series of roses surrounding an intricate compass occupied most of his right pec.
She traced the design with her fingers. “Does this one have a meaning?”
He placed his hand on hers, holding her palm against his chest. “I was lost for most of my childhood. Being in the pack helped me find my way.”
She moved her hand to admire the drawing, following a trail of interwoven vines over his shoulder where they created a frame around another tattoo—a wolf head designed from a fleur-de-lis. “Is that why it’s connected to your pack crest?”
“It is.” He watched her with a heavy gaze as she ran her fingers over his tattoos. They were all beautiful. Intricate. Even without the ink, Chase had a body sculpted like a god. The gorgeous tattoos tipped his sexiness meter over the edge.
“Your friend is a talented artist.” She used her thumbs to toy with his nipple rings.
He sucked in a breath. “He is.”
She lowered her mouth to his chest, circling his nipple with her tongue before sucking the ring into her mouth. The sharp, metallic taste of the jewelry mixed with the slight saltiness of his skin, and his chest vibrated as he let out an aroused, “Mmm.”
He caressed her shoulders. “You found my weakness on the first try.”
She moved to his other nipple, sucking it harder as she tugged the other ring with her fingers. Another moan vibrated in his chest, sending her heart into a sprint. She loved that she could do this to him. Make him feel this way so easily. The pleasure it brought her to arouse him was palpable. This man was made for her.
She sat up and pulled her shirt over her head before unhooking her bra and tossing them to the floor. Lying on top of him, skin to skin, the tingle of his magic and the warmth of his body was almost too much to bear. “I’m sure there are other places you’d like to feel my mouth, aren’t there?” As she glided her tongue down his chest, she slipped her hand between their bodies to rub him through his jeans.
His response came out more growl than words.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She moved down his body, kissing, licking, and nipping her way to his navel. His stomach contracted as she reached the waist band of his jeans and undid the button.
He rose onto his elbows and watched as she slowly pulled the zipper down, the teeth coming apart one by one to reveal his dark-gray boxer-briefs. “You do that any more slowly, and I might explode.”
She yanked the zipper the rest of the way down and slipped her hand beneath his underwear to grip his dick. “There will plenty of explosions tonight, wolf man. Be patient.”
He grunted, his head falling back onto the pillow as she tugged off his clothes and dropped them on the floor. He had a sleek, powerful build, defined muscles rolling through his entire body, radiating a raw, primal strength. She sat back to appreciate his gorgeous perfection, her gaze traveling from his hooded, hazel eyes, down the length of him. He was thick and hard, and as a bead of moisture gathered on his tip, her mouth watered to taste him.
Taking his dick in her hand, she dipped her head and circled her tongue around the tip. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and fisted the sheets in his hands. Her own stomach tightened, a giddy sensation bubbling up to her throat, escaping as a gi
ggle.
“Something funny?” He rose onto his elbows again, arching a brow over his passion-drunk eyes.
“I like the way you react when I touch you.” She held his gaze as she ran her tongue from base to tip.”
His eyelids fluttered. “I like the way you touching me feels.”
“Good.” She took him into her mouth, and he let out his breath in a hiss. The weight of his gaze settled on her as she sucked him, and she took him in as deep as she could before sliding up until only the tip remained in her mouth. The taste of him made her heart sprint, and she wanted…needed…to take him all the way. She moved her mouth down and back up again, caressing his shaft with her tongue, and he moved his hips in unison with her strokes.
His hand on her shoulder slowed her rhythm, and when he stilled her head with his other hand, she released her hold. He sat up, pulling her into his lap, taking her mouth in a kiss. Gliding a hand up her back, he flipped her around, tossing her onto the bed, covering her body with his.
His strength amazed her. That he could pick her up as if she weighed nothing and put her right where he wanted made her stomach flutter. This was a man who was used to getting what he wanted. Good thing they both wanted the same thing.
He sat back on his heels and removed the rest of her clothes, his pupils dilating with desire as he caressed her with his gaze. He kissed her stomach, massaging her inner thighs as his lips neared her sensitive center. Her core tightened, anticipation building, coiling in her stomach. She arched her back, silently begging him to taste her.
His chuckle sent a puff of warm air across her clit, just enough sensation to force a whimper from her throat. He rested his cheek against her inner thigh, his beard tickling the delicate skin. “You are so sexy, Rain.”
Her name on his lips. His breath teasing across her folds. It was enough to drive her insane. “Please, Chase.”
“Tell me what you need.”
“I…” Her voice came out in a breathy whisper. “I need you to touch me.”
He slipped a finger inside her, and she gasped. “Like this?”
“Mmm…taste me. Please. I want to feel your tongue.”
He moved his lips closer, a scant centimeter away from their destination. She could almost feel the smile playing on his lips as he made her wait, sweetening the reward. She’d take back everything she’d said about delayed gratification if he would just lick her.
The warmth of his tongue moved across her center, and she held her breath. When he reached her sensitive nub, the air left her lungs in a gush as tingling electricity shot through her core. His satisfaction vibrated across his lips, shooting another electric burst through her body, lighting every nerve on fire.
He knew where to touch, exactly how to move his tongue to drive her wild. He seemed to know his way around her body as if they’d made love a thousand times. When he slipped a second finger inside her, she couldn’t hold back anymore.
Cresting like a wave, her climax crashed into her, tumbling through her core, surging through her limbs. She cried out, arching her back as he continued to caress her, enchanting her senses until they were the only two people left in the world. Softly, slowly, he eased her down, gliding his tongue across her one more time before moving to lie beside her.
She rolled to her side, draping her top leg over his and taking his length in her hand. “You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met.” She nuzzled closer, kissing him gently before catching his lower lip between her teeth.
He rolled to his back, pulling her on top of him, his lip slipping from her grip. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”
She straddled him, sitting on his thighs and stroking him. “You didn’t happen to bring a condom, did you?”
He closed his eyes. “No.”
She spread the moisture beading on his tip over his shaft, allowing her hand to glide up and down with ease. She needed him inside her. Making love. Becoming one. He knew her so well, but she wanted him to know all of her. Body, mind, and soul. “I’m on birth control.”
He opened his eyes and pinned her with a heated gaze. “Werewolves are immune to disease.”
Her stomach fluttered, her pulse quickening with longing. “Sounds like we’re good to go then.”
His mouth tugged into a sexy grin. “I suppose we are.”
Rising onto her knees, she guided him to her entrance, gasping as he filled her, his girth stretching her to a pleasurable ache. With her hands on his chest, she moved her hips, sliding up and down his length, each stroke shooting tingling energy to her womb.
He held her gaze, the look in his eyes so full of passion and love that she thought her heart might burst. Leaning forward, she rested her chest against his and kissed him, putting all of her emotions into the kiss, willing him to understand how much he meant to her.
He moaned into her mouth, and gripping her hips, he drove himself deeper inside her. She held still, allowing him to take her, giving herself to him as the overwhelming sensations of ecstasy drove her over the edge.
Her orgasm ripped through her body, shattering her soul into a thousand pieces that only Chase could put back together. He moved faster, his breath coming in short pants until he found his own release, and he held her tight, a low moan shuddering in his chest as he spasmed inside her.
Relaxing his grip, he glided his hands up and down her sweat-slickened back. She nuzzled into his neck, letting his intoxicatingly masculine scent fill her senses, relaxing her into a state of semi-slumber.
He was her wolf.
She blinked, lifting her head to look at him. Where had that thought come from? Though she’d always been aware of the duality of his being—even seeing him shift into his wolf form—she’d never thought of him as anything more than a man. But something about the intimacy they shared…the fact that she had finally given her whole self to him…created a strange bond she hadn’t felt before. Deep. Primal. It was nothing scary or obsessive. It was rather…comforting. Something about being here with Chase lying in her bed…it finally felt like home.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You look confused. What’s on your mind, cher?”
Resting her weight on her right elbow, she placed her left hand over his heart. “I’m in love with you.”
He smiled and took her hand, bringing her fingers to his lips. “You just made me the happiest man alive.”
“And your wolf?”
He gave her a curious look. “That part of me has wanted you since the moment I saw you. The rest of me had to get over some misplaced anger issues first, but I’m all yours now. One hundred percent. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Her smile widened, and she moved to lie on her side, snuggling next to him and resting her head on his chest. “I like the way that sounds.”
“So do I. You’re way better than a goat.”
She laughed. “You’re not going to let me forget I said that, are you?”
“Not a chance.”
She traced her fingers along the cuts of his muscles, and he let out a contented sigh. She loved Chase, and he loved her. Did that mean she was his fate-bound? When he’d talked about them, he’d made it sound like a werewolf could fall in love with someone who wasn’t his fate-bound. If that were the case, what would happen if he met his fate-bound later? Would he stop loving her to be with the other woman? If Rain married him…if she was his mate…would he even be allowed to leave her?
A sickening feeling formed in her stomach as her mind spun with questions. If she was his fate-bound, none of them mattered, but…wouldn’t he have told her if she was? She could ask him, but what would she do if the answer was no? She’d rather not know in that case. He loved her, and that was the important thing. She’d deal with the fate-bound issue when and if it ever came up.
His stomach vibrated as a deep growl rumbled from inside him.
She lifted her head. “I guess we missed dinner.”
He chuckled. “And breakfast and lunch. I’ve been a little distracted
today.” He kissed the top of her head. “You wouldn’t happen to have food other than cake in the kitchen, would you?”
She rose onto her elbow. “I do live here, you know. Of course I have food. No meat, but I can make a killer cucumber and avocado sandwich.”
He wrinkled his nose.
She rolled her eyes. “Try it. I’ll add extra cheese so it won’t taste too healthy.” Before he had a chance to protest, she rolled out of bed and put on her robe, cinching it at the waist. “You stay where you are. I’ll be right back.” She let her gaze wander over his magnificent body before turning and scurrying out the door. With Chase in her bed, she’d be back again and again. What a man. She grinned. Not gay, nor about to be married like she’d first thought. Lucky her.
Rain wasn’t the type of woman who normally pranced, but she felt so damn giddy, she couldn’t help herself. Happiness bubbled in her chest, its effervescence lightening her steps.
As she pranced into the kitchen and flipped on the light, her happy little heart got stuck in her throat. A man—or what was left of one—stood in the center of the room, toying with something in his hands.
Rain froze. Instinct told her to run or to call for Chase, but an icy flush of dread glued her to the spot, cutting off her ability to speak.
Ashen skin hung loose on the man’s bones, giving him the appearance of having recently crawled out of the grave. His aura, once dark-purple and sparkling with magic, had turned a murky shade of brownish-black, illness dampening even the bluish glow of life. Though his dark eyes had dulled to a death-like state, they were unmistakable.
She clutched her robe together at her neck and forced out a whisper. “Isaac.”
“Good evening, Rain.” His voice came out as a croak, and his lips cracked as they peeled into a smile, revealing his rotted teeth.
Her stomach tumbled to her feet. Her heart pounded against her ribs. This couldn’t be real. Isaac was dead.
Beneath a Blue Moon (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 2) Page 18