by Sarah Makela
He caressed his hand over my body and along my curves before he slid to the button on my skirt. Pulling away from the kiss, he unfastened it. I didn’t mind because I wanted both of us to be naked. “Let me get this off you. Lift your hips if you can, baby. I’ll do the rest.”
I arched into the air as much as I could, and he slipped the skirt off. Biting my lower lip, I enjoyed this shared moment. Even though Ethan was becoming a werewolf, he was still the man I loved. He loved me and accepted me, and that was a lot more than Greg had offered.
“Is everything okay, Mia?” he asked, worry sliding into his voice. “I’m not hurting you, am I?” He stopped what he was doing, but I kept my hips up, wanting him get the skirt off. He hooked his thumb into my dainty panties, taking them away as well.
“I’m not hurting. It’s fine.” I smiled, but from the look in his eyes, he knew there was something wrong. But I refused to tell him I’d just thought of how shitty my ex had been while making love to him. That really wouldn’t sit right, not with him or with me.
Seconds ticked by and I wondered if he’d take my avoidance and drop it. And he did.
When he looked back up my body, the agitation had faded from his eyes and he looked wilder and hungrier than before. He nibbled on my leg near my knee, then moved the pillow my foot was propped on so my legs were spread.
I bit my lower lip, wanting to feel his mouth on me. With Ethan in charge, I’d be able to lay back and relish in the delicious torment he drew out of my body when he caressed me with his tongue without worrying about my ankle, even if I’d rather be straddling him.
He nibbled along the inside of my thigh as he carefully crawled between my legs. He lifted my shirt, exposing my stomach and smooth satin bra. His fingertips brushed over the material.
I moaned, enjoying the fact Ethan so clearly savored my body and what he wanted to do to me. He was like a man with a mission, and his mission was my pleasure. Whatever he did was so I’d reach bliss. The fact he dominated and sometimes got wilder and rougher just made these moments much more fun and intense. Of course, I liked being in charge sometimes, but I loved submitting to Ethan’s will while we were in the bedroom.
He slid his lips over my thigh toward my folds, and I spread my uninjured leg wider wanting all he had to offer, both his tongue and his solid erection.
He traced his tongue over my lips before slipping between them. With the hand that wasn’t playing with my breasts, he nudged a finger against my entrance. He probed my core, allowing time for me to adjust before thrusting his digit in and out faster.
I groaned, tilting my head back and staring up at the ceiling. My life was more complete than it had ever been, yet so many things battled me for the small victories I’d won. But I needed to take each day as it came instead of beating myself up for past missteps. Doing that would help no one.
I slid my hands through his short hair, focusing on the sweet sensations tugging between my legs as he circled his tongue over my clit, caressing it in delightful strokes as pleasure buzzed through me.
Arching my back, I placed my hand over his. “Ethan,” I moaned. The t-shirt and bra had to come off. I wanted the press of our nude bodies together. His touch electrified and soothed all at the same time.
He slid his gaze up the length of my body, and he had a relaxed if not slightly feral look in his eyes. The look drew more wetness between my legs and I spread them ever farther. He added another finger to the mix, and I gasped. Pleasure intensified within me.
I wanted so much more, but this was really what I’d needed. With everything going on recently, reconnecting with Ethan was more important than I’d realized. We’d come this far. Nolan, Jessa, all the werewolf stuff; those things would resolve themselves.
He thrust his fingers in deeper and faster, bringing me ever closer to the edge. I bit my lower lip. “Oh goodness, Ethan... You’re amazing.”
Ethan chuckled. The husky rumbling sound reverberated through my body and sent shivers chasing up my spine. He did this on purpose. He had to know how much all of this turned me on. That was the reason he was so confident and sexy, right?
“I want you inside me. Please.” He wasn’t even naked, but I just couldn’t imagine not having him in me.
He winked. “Patience, my love.”
My body burned. If he didn’t do something, I would be flying into the arms of a climax before he even took his shirt off. Or maybe that was the point.
He removed his fingers from me, and my body felt empty without him. I glanced down, but I didn’t have much chance because his tongue slid lower delving inside my core and searing me with desire.
I gripped his short hair, wishing for a moment it were a little longer. “Oh, oh, my goodness. Don’t stop.” Lust toyed with me. Climax grew ever closer, remaining just out of reach but not by much.
He thrust his tongue within me, licking with nearly ravishing strokes of his tongue like a starving man.
The orgasm hit me like a ton of bricks and I cried out. My body shattered as waves of pleasure crashed over me again and again.
Ethan continued teasing me until I was pretty sure I would have nothing left for him. I panted and blinked up at the ceiling, feeling drained and boneless.
What had I ever done to get such a wonderful guy in my life? Oh, that’s right. I’d made a love potion that screwed with my karma, but ultimately I’d won over the man of my dreams.
Pulling back, he grinned at me. “Now that I’ve got you how I want you.” He hopped off the bed with such agility that I’d have thought he was some kind of feline shifter. It unnerved me a little, but I brushed it off. He was a soldier, so he was more athletic than most. It only made sense that he was acquiescing to his supernatural abilities like that.
He slid a condom from the pack in my bedside nightstand before he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. He did it slowly and kept his gaze on me, letting me know exactly how erotically charged he was. I wanted him so much, much more than I’d ever imagined even during my terribly horny teenage years.
My desire for him was one of the reasons why I hadn’t really dated much. My parents had thought I was some sweet good girl who was holding off for the right guy and doing as they told me. They hadn’t really wanted me to date until I was at least eighteen, but I’d known better. I had a few boyfriends, but nothing that had been too serious.
In college, on the other hand, when I pretty well knew any chance of Ethan ever acknowledging my existence was next to nil had been a whole ‘nother story. I may have gone wild but I wasn’t too bad. Some of my college friends had been a lot worse.
After my grandmother passed away, I’d withdrawn from socializing, so those friends were long gone. Most of them had moved away where there were better jobs and better pay. More opportunities.
Not me.
I’d still hoped to catch Ethan’s eye, but when he’d been deployed, my heart had hurt. I’d worried I might never see him again. Watching the news to see what was going on in the Middle East hadn’t soothed my fears, but he’d sent the occasional email to Nolan and made the rare phone call. When that happened, my brother made sure to give my family updates about Ethan’s well-being, so I’d known he was okay.
Ethan dropped his jeans to the floor. He wasn’t wearing any underwear, and I loved knowing he was so excited that we were about to be intimate. He tugged his shirt off, causing his sculpted muscles to flex.
Small beads of sweat formed on my skin. He rolled the condom on his thick, long cock, and I marveled at the sight. I couldn’t help it. I enjoyed being with him, and he knew what he was doing, which made the bouts of romance that much sweeter. He somehow always manipulated my body into doing exactly as he pleased.
He crawled onto the bed and nudged my legs further apart. He helped me up enough to pull my shirt over my head and unhook my bra. The feel of our bodies, skin on skin, was delightful. He pressed me down on the bed and I ran my hands over his chest, kissing him on the lips.
The tip of
his cock nudged at my entrance and I arched my back, wanting to push him inside of me and have him fill my body. But he wasn’t about to let me take his thunder, even though I knew he was more than ready for me. “Just relax. Let me do the heavy lifting.” He nibbled a path down my neck. “I want to make you scream my name. Let’s give your neighbor something to gossip about.”
“If she isn’t too hard of hearing.”
“That’s why screaming might be necessary to get the point…” He thrust in a little, driving himself inside me. “…Across to her.”
While it sounded like a good idea, I wasn’t sure how I felt about trying to annoy my neighbor. If my brother or parents came by, I didn’t want the noisy old biddy to say something that would make them second-guess me, especially if she used any descriptor words like ‘Army’ or ‘soldier.’ We’d be royally screwed and the gig would be up about our relationship.
I only hoped that when the news did come out eventually, everyone would try to be happy for us rather than having their own agenda for our lives, which knowing my family was kind of a stretch.
He pushed his cock completely inside me, filling me up... stretching my body until it molded to his like a glove.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, biting my nails into his flesh and enjoying the pleasure of being this close to him.
“I love the way you feel,” he murmured against my lips.
When I’d accommodated to his size, he began a steady rhythm with his hips, thrusting in and out of me with such restrained gentleness that it made me want to smack him over the head. I had a sprained ankle, but I wasn’t made of glass. I wouldn’t break if he took me with the way we both needed him to.
“Take me. Ravish me,” I whispered. “Love me.”
He pulled away, just enough to look into my eyes. Whatever he saw in them gave him the answer he searched for. He sat up and grabbed my legs by the calves, then slammed into me with a pace and strength that had me clutching the headboard.
My body ached and warmth caressed my womb, even though he’d sapped my strength with the earlier orgasm. My breath came out in harsh pants, and even though my ankle was jostled a little, sending pain through me, I didn’t care.
The pain barely registered in my hypersensitive body. If anything, it added to my insatiable need for more.
He stared at me, watching the emotions flicker across my face. One minute his eyes were their normal gunmetal blue, the next they were wolf amber.
I gasped at the sudden shift. My core clenched, and before I could react in fear, climax overtook all thoughts and reason. A scream of pleasure ripped from my lips, and I smacked my hand over my mouth, moaning as my body erupted with pleasure.
Ethan groaned over me, the sound gravely and guttural as orgasm claimed him too. He teetered like he was near collapse, but he set my foot back on the pillow, before heading off to the bathroom to clean up.
My intention not to scream was ruined, but I didn’t mind. I loved knowing the depth of control he had over my body.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Mia
Darkness blanketed the street. With it being so God-awful early, there was hardly anyone else around, so we had no problem with finding a parking spot in front of Eternally Magick.
“Just a moment, let me come around and help you out,” Ethan said.
Sighing once he left the car, I knew he was trying to help, but it was coming across a bit as if he thought I would fall apart at the slightest bump. After the amazing sex last night, he’d asked a few times if my ankle was okay. Not exactly the kind of pillow talk I’d hoped for.
Besides, the salve Jessa had given me was really good. I couldn’t believe how well it was working. But I’d do as Ethan said, for the most part, because I didn’t want to draw out the healing process even more. I was happy he had offered to drive me to work, but this was way too early for my brain to function properly, especially after all the sexual energy expended last night.
I had no idea how Ethan did it. He looked eager to get the day started, no problem whatsoever. Then again, with all the time he’d spent in the Army, he was probably more of a morning person than I’d realized.
He opened my car door and lifted me out into the crisp morning air.
I pushed at his chest a little and glanced around to confirm the lack of people. Okay, there wasn’t anyone to see him carry me around, but it did make me feel a little self-conscious.
He leveled a stern stare at me. “Don’t do that. I just want to help, babe. You shouldn’t be walking on it.” He shut the car door behind us, then walked to the store. I carefully unlocked the door before he pushed it open. He glanced around the shop, assessing it in a similar way to how Chad had when he’d last been here.
Huh.
“You cleaned it up nicely. There were a lot of broken shelves and statues when I was last in here.” He remained in the entrance for a heartbeat, before heading to the counter. His gaze slid over me, sending a familiar heat through my body.
I licked my lips and leaned into him for a kiss. He tightened his grip on me and I basked in his touch.
He pulled back a little and our eyes met. “If I didn’t have to be at the base soon, I would be finding a spot where I could make love to you.”
“There’s a stool over there behind the counter. Or there’s Jessa’s office.” I winked at him, wishing the same. Glass windows lined the front of the shop, so if he did take me here, we would likely be caught. Then again, there wasn’t anyone around.
“Seductress.” His lips brushed over mine, and he lightly tugged at my lower lip with his teeth. “Remember to stay off your foot if you can.” He set me on the stool, then went into the back room.
My heart skipped a beat. Jessa only allowed me back there. If she knew he’d gone in there, she’d be furious.
I opened my mouth to protest, but he came back with the stepstool Jessa had mentioned. I let out a calming breath. Of course, he was getting the stool. I’d almost forgotten about it. Dang, he was so sweet.
“Do you need anything else while I’m here?” His gaze scanned the shop. “Oh, wait, I have something for you.” He strode out of the store, and I faintly heard the slam of a car door. The store’s chiming bell alerted me to his presence again. He carried a pair of crutches.
At first I wondered where he’d gotten those, especially when we’d spent most of the evening and morning together. But the scuff marks on the beige rubber pads gave them away. They had to be Nolan’s from when he was a preteen. He’d broken his foot playing soccer, so he’d had to sit out the rest of the season and use a pair of crutches he resented.
Mom had caught him not using them a few times, so Dad had grounded him from playing with the Xbox. That meant he’d actually been on top of his classes and his grades were great, until he went right on back to playing too many video games again.
Yet Mom and Dad had hope.
Unlike me, I did great in school, but I always felt overlooked as if I was cursed to be invisible.
Shaking away the thoughts, I started to get up to get the crutches from Ethan, but he gave me a look that kept me on the stool with my foot propped on the stepstool. Although, I had a feeling sitting like this would probably get uncomfortable fast.
“Nolan’s old crutches. I grabbed them from the garage while getting ready this morning. If you do need to get up, you should use these. They might not be the most comfortable, but we can see about getting you some different ones later.” Now it was my turn to give dirty stares. “If you’re not doing any better.”
I loved that he cared this much about me, even if he was fussing over me more than I’d prefer. Just like a mother hen. I smiled, keeping that thought to myself. Somehow, I didn’t think this hunky military man would appreciate the comparison. “Thanks. I’d forgotten about Nolan’s crutches. They’ll be better than nothing, I guess.”
He leaned them against the counter beside me, and I stretched to get one last kiss from him. I couldn’t help it.
“Whe
n does the shop close?” He looked toward the door, but the sign with the hours wasn’t visible from this spot.
“The store closes at seven. So I’ll probably be ready about fifteen minutes after that.”
“Okay, I’ll come straight over after work,” he said. “That way if you need any help with sweeping or closing up, I’ll be here.” He pressed one last kiss on my forehead.
I groaned. That meant he’d be standing around for about an hour, but knowing Ethan, he’d probably head over as soon as he could. “You don’t need to do that, but I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Have a great day, babe. Love you.” With that, he walked out.
“Love you too!” I half-shouted to him, knowing he could hear me.
His car started, and I heard him pull away from the curb.
Sighing, I stared at my ankle then around at the really quiet shop. Eternally Magick didn’t open for a couple hours, and I’d need to lock it up so no one would come in before then. The silence unnerved me. At least when the store was open, there were people walking, cars being driven, the occasional customer waltzing in, sunlight shining through the window. There was none of that now.
I pulled out my phone and played one of my dubstep playlists. Having some sound wouldn’t make me feel quite so nervous since while I knew I was safe, there was the unforgettable memory of finding an injured Jessa on the floor. I glanced back at the exact spot and noticed a few specks of red I hadn’t seen before. Blood. I’d been so careful when cleaning. Normally, I probably wouldn’t have even paid any attention to the tiny drops.
With my foot in the shape it was, I didn’t think scrubbing the floors was in my future. However, I found it hard to look away from the spot. I’d get to it, or maybe Ethan could help me when he got off work. Or I’d put it off for a few days, fingers crossed, when my foot was doing better.
I grabbed the crutches and gingerly lifted my foot off the stool. Something strange set me on edge. I’d never felt anything quite like this before. I hobbled toward the front door with my keys in hand.