by Aline Hunter
Dangerous.
Out of control.
Totally fucking perfect.
Leave it to Mary Shepherd to bring out the beast in him.
Chapter Thirteen
Somewhere deep down Mary knew what she was doing was wrong. This wasn’t the time or place to cave to sexual cravings. Ava was in trouble, Diskant was suffering in her absence and the pack was obviously unstable. She should have focused on the important things and not her raging hormones, but heaven help her she couldn’t help herself.
Not when Emory was looking at her like that.
His beautiful brown irises had become a glorious shade of amber gold, his pupils dilated so the color contrasted perfectly against black. The tic in his jaw was sexy as hell. It had taken all of her control not to jump into his lap in the kitchen and press her lips against his, to tease his lips with hers. Her breasts felt swollen, the ache between her legs increasing with each passing second. If she had been made of ice cream, she would have melted on the spot. Her body felt as warm as liquid caramel, heating from the inside out, leaving her a weak puddle of lust on the bed.
“You want me to show you, huh?” he asked, his voice a hoarse rasp.
Do I ever. “Yes, please.”
He lifted away and shoved his hand behind his back. She watched in awe as he yanked at his shirt, clutching the material between his shoulder blades, and started pulling the material forward. Firm skin revealed itself, inch by maddening inch. Screw food. It wasn’t her stomach Emory had to worry about. What she needed was covered by cotton and denim, a fucking crime as far as she was concerned.
Strands of dark hair covered his brow when the shirt slid free. He tossed the clothing to the ground and looked at her, his irises glowing yellow. Her heart thudded before it started pounding erratically. How had she ever managed to run from this man? She must have been blind or crazy—possibly both, considering their history. As for now? Running was the last thing she wanted. Someone would have to pry her away from his side if they wanted her to turn from him.
He watched as she placed her fingers on his chest. His skin was silken and hot, the muscles hard yet smooth. He closed his eyes, a look of contentment and need on his face. “Don’t stop,” he murmured with a soft growl. “I want to feel your soft little hands all over my body.”
“Like this?” She kept the contact light, running her fingers along his pectoral muscles to his abdomen. She traced the lines of his six-pack, tickling his skin with her nails. The corded muscles beneath her fingers hardened, flexing.
“Just like that.” He didn’t open his eyes, his breathing ragged. “I love your touch.”
In for a penny, in for a pound.
Before she could second-guess herself, she reached down and flattened her palm against the bulge in his jeans. The hard outline of his cock greeted her, the length unrelenting and solid. His eyes snapped open and locked with hers. There was so much desire in his gaze—so much want—it felt as though it scorched her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
“You’re playing with fire,” he warned, brows drawn together, his expression fierce.
She writhed against him, lifting her hips so that she trapped her hand between his body and hers. “Do I look like I’m afraid of being burned?”
“You should be.”
There was that look again—like he really was going to eat her alive.
He didn’t look away as he rocked against her, grinding his cock into her hand. She groaned and grasped the length of him. With a soft squeeze, she ran her fingers upward until she felt the mushroom-shaped tip. His attention slowly lowered from her face and he stared at her breasts. He dipped his head and ran his nose along her collarbone in a breezy motion. Her skin tingled, fire racing from her stomach to her pussy as he nipped a path down her sternum. His teeth caught her shirt here and there along the way.
“You smell incredible, Mary. Are you excited, sweetheart?”
She started to answer when the words caught in her throat, rational thought obliterated by the fingers that shimmied beneath her T-shirt. She gasped when his hand slid beneath the waist of her sweatpants and traveled down. Heat flooded her cheeks. Forgoing underwear had never been so embarrassing—or so arousing. There was no barrier between Emory’s fingers and her skin. One touch and he’d feel precisely how excited she was.
“So soft,” he whispered and stroked her slit. “So hot and wet.”
His cock jerked against her hand, straining into her palm. Emory slid two fingers inside her, thrusting deep. Warmth spread from her stomach and stretched through her torso. She glided her palm along his length as he fingered her, timing it so they moved in tandem. After several seconds she abandoned her efforts and tried not to focus on the fingers teasing her pussy. If he was going to touch her skin to skin, it was only fair she be able to touch him too.
“Mary—”
“Just wait,” she said, stunned at how deep her voice had become. It took both hands to open Emory’s jeans and part the material so she could reach inside. His breath caught when she wedged her hand between the denim and his hot cock, his skin hard but smooth.
He hissed at the contact, pushing against her palm. The muscle in his jaw tightened as he peered down at her. “Remember what I said about playing with fire?”
“Yes.” God, did she remember. She wanted to burn, to crumble like fresh, smoking ash in his arms. “Show me.”
He moved so quickly she barely had time to register the motion. His lips captured hers, his tongue diving into her mouth, no longer tender but aggressive. This time when he thrust his fingers into her, he used enough force to drive her toward the headboard. She cried into his lips, rocking against his hand when his thumb brushed her clit. This is what she wanted, the very thing that had drawn her from the bedroom in search of Emory. She’d been nervous about leaving the safety of the bedroom but not so much she could deny her need for him.
His fingers hit the sensitive place inside her, rubbing with expert motions. She squirmed beneath him, aching for more, rocking her hips so that his thumb applied more pressure to her swollen clitoris. Soon she’d soar to the stars, gone from one reality and sent to another.
If only he’d keep touching her there.
“You like that?” The heat of his breath caressed her lips. The intimacy was almost more than she could take, keeping her trapped on the edge. “You’re so sweet, Mary. So slick and ready for me.”
Yes, she was. Fuck a duck, she wanted this. Her arms shook, the trembling through her limbs impossible to stop. It was as if she had something inside her, an entity that reached out to Emory and begged him for all he could give.
“Please.” The word sounded so raw, so open. “Please.”
“Right there.” His fingers created a glorious friction inside her. “Do you feel how good this is? Can you take what I want to give you?”
She shattered, fragmenting into unadulterated ecstasy. She forgot to continue stroking him to bring him to climax along with her. The feelings were too good, too damn consuming. Her gasp didn’t pass her lips, caught in his mouth. His tongue teased hers, the tip rotating in dizzying circles around hers.
Emory.
How had she ever existed without this?
How did I exist without him?
“You’re so beautiful.” She shuddered at the words, undulating against the clever fingers testing her more tender inner flesh. “So goddamn hot.”
She felt his breath against her skin, the exhalations against her throat fueling her climax. When the ripples of pleasure subsided, she sagged into the pillows. Her hand remained on his hard cock, the warmth of his skin seeping into her palm.
“I warned you,” he growled. “I said you were playing with fire.”
Before she could question him, he’d yanked on her sweatpants. The material swept down her thighs before it seemed to vanish. She whimpered as cool air brushed the lips of her vagina, so cold against her sensitive and heated flesh. The hands Emory placed on her knees t
old her what he intended. He applied steady pressure to part her thighs, leaving her vulnerable and open. She spread her legs, trembling beneath his much larger form. As anxious as she was to feel his mouth against her hammering sex, she was also nervous. She was still new to the games lovers played, uncertain and jumpy.
Emory leaned back, giving her plenty of space. “Take off the shirt. I want to see you.”
In order to do as he asked, she had to let go of his cock, fingers drifting from his satiny length. He watched as she pulled the shirt up her torso and over her head. She tossed the shirt to the ground and he simply stared, his eyes roaming over her body. Her gaze drifted down his chest, until her eyes rested on his engorged penis. The broad head protruded from his jeans, the length beneath thick and straining to break free.
Guided by instinct, she reached out to pull his pants down his thighs. He stopped her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. Lifting her gaze, she looked at him. His eyes remained bright. The tic in his jaw warned her he was struggling for control.
“Touch me again and I won’t last. I want to take things nice and slow.”
He moved from the bed and removed his clothing, starting with his boots and working his way to his jeans. Each inch of skin he revealed made her wetter, his muscular thighs flexing along with the corded flesh of his arms. He was the most stunning thing she’d ever seen, all hard lines and tanned skin. She studied the tattoo on his arm, noting the way the wolf image seemed to come to life as he kicked free of his clothing and returned to the bed.
She expected him to come over her body, to rest on top of her like a blanket. To her surprise, he lowered his head at her ankle. He licked the inner skin, nibbling his way toward her knee. The light bristles on his face tickled her skin, his chin rubbing against her thigh. By the time his breath caressed the folds of her sex she was fisting the sheets.
“Fuck yeah,” Emory growled, his eyes focused on her pussy. “This is what I want.”
His tongue darted out, flicking back and forth across her clit. She arched her back, gasping in pleasure. He abandoned the bundle of nerves and swiped his tongue through the wet and puffy lips beneath, plunging his tongue toward the mouth of her pussy. Emory’s deep growls combined with the slight penetration almost sent her into orgasm.
More. Please more.
As though he heard her, he lifted his head and slid his body against hers. His lips surrounded a nipple, his teeth gently scraping her skin as he sucked. Then he moved to the other breast to do more of the same. She felt his cock jerk against her thigh, leaving behind a trace of wetness. Remembering his warning about touching him, she intentionally reached down to take him in hand. If what he said was true, she was going to force the issue. She wanted him inside her, the two of them as close to each other as they could possibly be.
“No you don’t.” Emory trapped her hands by the wrist and forced them over her head. She met his sultry gaze, unafraid as he positioned himself over her. “I’m driving, angel eyes. Not you.”
She didn’t argue, not when she felt his cock glide against her slit. He penetrated her shallowly, using careful plunges with the tip. She wanted to release a growl of her own. Who needed soft and easy sex? Hard and fast suited her just fine. Her entire body was keyed-up and ready to go. The first orgasm was an appetizer. Now she was ready for the main course.
“Stop teasing me,” she snapped, although the demand came out husky and laughably weak.
“I’d never tease you, Mary.” He rested his forehead against hers, his yellow-gold eyes meeting hers. “I’m only building the heat. Can you feel it? How good it feels to burn?”
With a soft cry, she wrapped her legs around his waist and shoved her hips toward his. He slid deeper inside her, his thickness parting her, the friction and pressure exactly what she wanted. For a moment she wondered if he’d keep taking about fires, dragging things out. Instead he gave her what she asked for, spearing his cock into her—once, twice and a third time.
Stars flashed before her eyes and the room went out of focus. Her muscles quaked, fiery prickles spreading from her pussy through her body. She came hard, her entire body quivering with her release. Her cries were loud inside the room, echoing like a siren in her ears. Emory drove the sensations, thrusting into her, no longer careful or slow but determined and quick.
As the world stopped spinning, she looked at Emory, shocked to discover he was still hard inside of her. The grin he gave her was feral, as though the wolf inside had just come out to play.
“My turn,” he whispered, slowly rocking his hips.
With a sigh, she relaxed.
Who in the hell was she to argue?
His mate was a hellion, without a doubt. Emory wanted to take things slow, to enjoy this moment with his mate. What he hadn’t anticipated was the bond between them or her increasing sexual needs. Now that she’d come a second time, he was going to take her just like she wanted.
He let go of her hands and lifted away. Sliding his arms beneath her knees, he angled her so his cock filled her completely. She groaned and closed her eyes, arching to assist each time he pumped into her cunt. Damn, she was gorgeous. So hot it made him want to howl. His balls slapped her ass, the sensitive sac cushioned by the soft globes.
The connection was open between them, allowing him to sense her desire. Despite her release, she still wanted more.
She still wanted him.
He growled, snapping his teeth together. Claws slipped past his fingers, the tips scraping across her skin as he fucked her at a steady pace. Looking down, he watched his cock exit her pussy, excited by the glistening wetness coating his skin. He wasn’t lying when he said if she touched him he wouldn’t last. Around his mate, all he could think about was how wild she’d be, how wet her could make her.
Harder, his wolf snarled. Mark her with our scent. Warn others to stay the fuck away from her.
He released one of her legs and placed his fingers over her clit, working at the nub. Mary closed her eyes and cried out, squirming against him. He wanted them to come together, to feel her squeezing him like a fist as he shot his semen inside her. It wouldn’t take much, just a few more touches and the right thrust and angle of his cock.
“Is this what you need?” he asked, panting as he held back his release.
“Yes,” she breathed. “God yes.”
He moved faster, in and out of her body, plucking at her clit. Her pussy gripped him, tight and wet. The base of his spine started tingling, electricity shooting through his muscles. He was so close, dangling at the edge of the cliff. Sweat covered his back and chest, cooling the fire under his skin. Just a few more seconds and he wouldn’t be able to stop. She was so wet he slid his finger over the bead at the top of her sex, rubbing frantically.
Come, sweetheart. Come.
The instant he felt her pussy clasp him and heard Mary shout, he let himself go. He threw his head back, shouting as he came, floating in the pleasure of climax. He continued taking her fast and deep, groaning at the ripples around his cock. Pressure in his sac vanished, the bursts of his seed filling his mate. Again and again he slammed into her. A shudder racked him, traveling from his head to his toes.
She welcomed him when he lowered her leg, reaching out with open arms. He slipped into her embrace, resting his head on her chest. Her heart pounded against his ear, her breaths quick and raspy. Both parts of him—man and wolf—sighed in satisfaction. Tension from the day’s events faded. He felt his female’s fingers comb through his hair, her touch soothing and tender.
“That was nice,” she whispered, sounding as content as he felt.
“Nice?” He smiled and brushed his cheek against her breast. “I think I can do better than that.”
Her fingers stilled. “Better?”
“Oh yeah.” He could do better—a whole lot fucking better. He’d given her a quickie. The next time around he was going to make the session last for hours. “Rest up while you can. I have plans for you.”
Her giggle s
wept through him, the sound airy and feminine. He’d never give this up. He’d destroy anyone or anything that tried to take her from him. Mary was the most important person in his life and she always would be.
Only death could keep him from the woman destined to be his.
Chapter Fourteen
“I’ll take the back while you watch the front. If anyone exits the building, take them out,” Diskant said to Kinsley and motioned at the pack members venturing inside with him. He stared at the aging apartment complex, knowing his mate was inside.
“You got it,” Kinsley responded, moving back. “You heard him. Follow me.”
The remainder of the pack followed the feline Alpha, stepping behind him.
The back of Diskant’s neck prickled. His senses were on hyperalert. There was no sign of Trey—not even a hint of his scent—and Ava was too close to home, in a location that wasn’t difficult to find. In fact, had he ventured to the spot she was taken, he probably could have tracked her here. He cursed himself for not doing so, for sending someone else and leaving her alone and afraid in the process. The most powerful animals inside him raged—the wolf growling for vengeance, the grizzly lashing out with its claws, the panther baring its teeth.
No longer.
He scented the air as he prowled toward the building, gazing from side to side, and picked up the unique smells of three males. They had been in the vicinity recently, but since the scents were fading he was certain they’d moved on. Nothing made sense. Why bring Ava here only to abandon her? Why not bring Trey? If Shepherds had made the effort to take the two, what possible purpose could they serve in this capacity?
Memories of the past assailed him—of the bodies of his pack mates who had died months before, some of them literally blown to pieces—and he cleared his nose to take another, longer breath. He couldn’t necessarily smell the components of a bomb but the least he could do was try. The only thing that greeted him was New York air, the scent of a nearby dumpster and the rotten stench of decay from an animal that had died within the last few days.