Feels too good to be just a dream. Just as the thought occurred, his fangs sprang to life, snapping his eyes open.
Fuck. It wasn’t a dream. Olivia straddled him, her lips on his chest, her tongue tasting and teasing him. And he’d been rough, the force of his kiss and the tearing of her dress.
Stiffening, he fought his desire, shame running through him.
As if sensing his retreat, her glowing golden gaze found his. “I need you,” she said, then as forcefully as he’d kissed her, she kissed him, nicking her tongue against his fangs in the process.
Tasting her blood before he smelled it, he growled. Every muscle in his body clenched, his demon begging to be unleashed. He fought him, fought every fiber in his body, fighting his instincts demanding he claim what destiny granted him. Weakly, he managed to rasp, “Trying to kill me, darling?”
“Just trying to love you, Cain,” she countered, her voice so soft, so sweet.
He didn’t know what it was: the desire he fought for too long, the feel of her naked flesh against his or the sweet way she’d said his name, probably all of it made his control snap, shredding his composure, destroying his will. By the time he realized what happened, it was too late. He couldn’t stop if he tried.
No one could blame him. Aside from her thong and that coral necklace he’d bought her, she sat naked on his lap, offering herself to him. No man could resist, and he wasn’t just a man; he was an immortal, but she wasn’t just any woman, she was his fated mate. Resisting as he’d done for as long as he had was difficult enough. He couldn’t resist this. The control he prided himself with gone, so he gave in, surrendering—to her.
The only thing he could do was hope she didn’t have second thoughts because a bulldozer couldn’t pry him away now.
“I’ll punish you for this later, Liv,” he said huskily.
Materializing them on the large thick area rug in front of the fire, him on top of her, he didn’t hesitate, flicking his tongue over the exposed flesh above her breast. He descended until he met her nipple then grazed it, caressing her other breast with his hand.
She inhaled sharply and arched, his sharp fang cutting her. Savoring her blood once again, her nails dug into his back, egging him on.
Ripping the rest of his shirt, she moaned, “Yes…”
His tongue trekked lower and lower, kissing her stomach, thighs and everywhere in between. Removing his jeans and boxers, he then roughly placed his mouth over her core. Her taste spread through him. Instantaneously, the impact of what she felt struck him, making his cock jerk.
Died and gone to heaven.
“Ah…” she moaned, wrapping those lean legs around his head.
His hands roamed them, his fingers clutching with little restraint.
Don’t turn. Don’t turn, he thought. He couldn’t ruin this moment with his demon. It was their moment—his and hers, and he didn’t want to share with anyone, even if the demon was just an extension of himself, his wicked half.
She unwrapped her legs, then pulled his head away from her core, toward her mouth, and pressed her lips against his. He slid into her simultaneously, then pulled away slightly, hesitating. He hesitated because she was warm and wet and wanting, arching and aching for him, ready to burst. Her face flush; her eyes ablaze in their golden glory, and he wanted to remember all of it. He wanted it seared into his soul.
She pulled away, then met his hips with a force he thought her incapable of. He doubled over her, the pleasure excruciating. Her eyes met his, her nails scored his backside, encouraging him to continue. He obeyed, sliding out then into her again. Gasping for breath, she let out a small startled scream.
Now that he’d started, he couldn’t stop. He thrust into her repeatedly, his demon purring and begging to be unleashed.
Mark her! his demon chanted.
He couldn’t. He just couldn’t, so he dug his fangs into his lower lip hoping the temptation would diminish.
Then it hit him. Overwhelming ecstasy, pleasure beyond imaginable overtook him and her. He felt his release as he felt hers, her body quaking and clenching against him. She cried out his name, and nothing was ever so sweet.
Exhausted and drained from fighting too many desires, he collapsed on top of her.
He couldn’t think, could barely catch his breath, but he knew he’d been less than gentle. He knew he’d been rough.
Removing himself from her, he held his weight on his hands, hovering over her and scanned her body, searching for even the smallest of injuries. None that he could see, yet.
“What…are you…doing?” she asked, fighting to catch her breath.
Shaking his head, breathing heavily, he said, “We can’t do this anymore…Promise me…”
“What?” she croaked. Her eyes trailing the blood dripping his bottom lip.
“I wasn’t gentle…” He paused, staring into her gorgeous blue eyes, interwoven with hues of gold. “Fuck! What did I do? Promise me…”
“You…” Her breathing hitched. She sat up, pulled herself against him until her body was nestled close, her eyes on his. “I can’t and won’t promise you that,” she said. Her expression softened then she said, “I wish you’d stop acting like I’m going to break. I’m not. I’m strong. I’m a werewolf.”
Astonished and relieved, he exhaled. “I didn’t hurt you?”
Smiling softly, she assured him. “No, you didn’t.” She then shocked him when she said, “And we’re spending the rest of our vacation making love.”
Then she lifted herself until she could reach his mouth and ran her tongue along his bottom lip drinking him in. Her eyes imploded gold and glowed.
His mate drinking him, tasting him: nothing could be more pleasurable. He released a deep moan. His eyes of their own accord went to her neck. His fangs throbbed, wanting so badly to sink into her.
Control. Control, he mentally chanted then gripped her shoulders and pulled her away. “You’re trying my control, my darling.”
She smiled. “You try mine all the time.” Again, she said it softly. He knew if her face hadn’t been heated from their moment, she would’ve flushed. “I wasn’t trying to, but I couldn’t help myself, and you’ll heal faster, too.”
No, his Olivia wouldn’t tempt him to do something rash. Her saliva, because she was a werewolf, healed. Combined with his superior healing, the marks he’d made in desperation were now gone. The thing was she didn’t have to try too hard. Everything she did stirred his desire. It would never end, even after his mark branded her.
He laughed humorlessly, then grabbed a blanket sprawled across the couch, laid down, taking her with him and covered them.
Tugging her body closer, he buried his face in her hair and whispered, “Meae deliciae, meus sodalis.”
Chapter 23
Cain and Olivia made love, lots of it, over the next several days. They made love at dawn when their urges woke with them and the sun seemed as if it were merely a mist. They made love in the afternoons when they were tired of pretending it was far from their minds. At twilight when the sun cast an array of colors inside the home they shared, and after dinners that left them both hungry for something more.
They hadn’t left the house, savoring their time together. When they weren’t making love, they were eating at Cain’s insistence. In the mornings, he made breakfast. In the afternoons, she made lunch, and at dinner time, they cooked together or ordered in. It was perfect bliss. Their bliss, but the days were passing, and there were too many unanswered questions in their future that neither one of them could postpone much longer.
Cain had a duty as did she. While he controlled his primal urge to mark her flesh, there would be no denying they tempted fate and desire. She, too, had battled her urge to mark him. During their hours of intimacy, her canines elongated, the predator inside her craving to claim her male as his demon craved to claim his mate.
Tonight after dinner and dessert, they made love and lingered by the fire. She lay in front of him facing the flames. He l
ay behind her resting his weight on an elbow. His front pressed close to her back, his fingers buried in her hair. She stared at the fire, seemingly lost in thought. Sensing her apprehension, he knew her thoughts were right where his were—in New York.
“Darling.” He broke the silence.
She angled herself until her back lay on the floor. Her eyes met his quickly. “Don’t say it,” she said softly. “I know it’s time.”
He nodded and impatiently waited for her to continue. They had only briefly spoken about their situation when he insisted he not mark her until she spoke to her brother, but questions plagued him for days. When would they tell her brother? When they returned, how long would it be before he could hold her again and make love to her? He spent night and day with her for days, was he strong enough to give that up now even for a single day? Even the simplest of questions, such as where they’d live, pestered him. He lived in the city, surrounded by skyscrapers and crowds of people with his king and queen where he could hunt for Malums. She lived in the northern part of the state, surrounded by nature and animals with her brother where she could turn and run and explore. Could he tear her away from the only home she’d ever known, away from her kind? Could she stand to live in the city surrounded by so much? Would she be happy?
She was a loved and respected princess, part of the council of her breed. He was an orphan, second in command to his king, a warrior. When they returned to their lives, would she discover he wasn’t good enough for her, that she deserved a king or a prince? Would she care then he wasn’t of her breed? Would she discover they were polar opposites with lives running in different directions? Would she leave him, again?
She said she loved him, and claimed his breed didn’t matter, but his fear was innate, a threat that could rid him of his greatest gift—her.
He didn’t have the answers and couldn’t answer any of his lingering questions, only she could, when the time came.
One thing he was sure of, if she asked for more time, he wouldn’t deny her. The only thing he could deny her was not seeing and being with her every day because he needed her; he belonged with her. Nothing would ever keep him away.
“I think…you should let me tell him, alone,” she said, breaking into his thoughts.
Tensing, he shifted until his body hovered over hers. His anger spiked. His voice gruff when he said, “No, Liv. We agreed to tell him together. Tell me when, and I’ll be there. We have to do this together.”
Eyes saddening, she whispered, “He’s not going to take this well—”
“That’s why I need to be there. I’m not afraid of your brother,” he reminded her, firmly.
“I know. But what if—”
Cupping her face, he said, “We’ll deal with anything as it happens. The only thing you need to decide is when.”
She paused. It seemed for endless moments, then she said, “I think we should give him a couple of days before we tell him.”
Hopes falling, he nodded. He had no will to hide the disappointment in his expression. So, he lay down beside her, his body facing hers.
Not a second later, she propped herself on her elbow, facing him. Instinctually, his hand went to her hip. Her eyes pleaded when she said, “Talk to me. I know something’s upsetting you. Tell me.”
His gaze darting to her, he was honest. “I’m going to miss you a hell of a lot.”
“Miss me?” she repeated. “Why? Where will you be?” Panic seeped into her voice.
He loved it for what it meant. That she, too, didn’t want to be without him. “I’ll be with you every second I can, Liv, but until we tell your brother, we’ll be hiding.”
She placed her hand over his heart. “We don’t have to hide. Everyone knows, right?”
He nodded.
“We just have to keep it from my brother for a couple of days. We’ll still be together every chance we get.”
Lifting his brows, he asked, “Yeah? Will we get to share meals, make love? Will I get to sleep with your body pressed against mine?” He tried his hardest to keep his voice calm but didn’t accomplish it. Fear seeped through and with it came anger.
“Yes, yes and yes,” she said, smiling then she pressed her lips against his for a light kiss that ended to soon.
He wanted to believe her, wanted to believe going back wouldn’t be the nightmare he envisioned, but he wasn’t so sure.
****
Olivia awoke the next morning as she had for days, draped across Cain’s chest, one leg over his. Her body pressed close, his scent surrounding her, his hand leisurely caressing her back.
That morning, she didn’t want to wake. She wanted to lay with him in bed. She couldn’t. He couldn’t either. It was time to return to their lives—their separate lives: Olivia, the werewolf princess, sister of the beloved alpha; and Cain, second in command to the demon king.
But not for long, she vowed. As soon as she arrived and after Cain left, she’d tell her brother. Just thinking of her deceit, guilt rushed through her. Although she and Cain agreed they’d tell Landon together, she couldn’t. Telling her brother was something she needed to do, alone. After all, Landon was overbearing and overprotective because of her. Because she’d needed him so long ago after their parents’ deaths, because she feared she’d lose him too, she’d changed him. In her heart, she knew it was her fault, and she knew her brother better than anyone. She and she alone would be the one to tell him she’d found her male, a man who would love and protect her forever.
“Darling, are you…”
She turned her head to look him in the eyes, smiled then placed a light kiss on his lips, instantly overwhelmed with desire for him. Willpower allowed her to pull away.
“Don’t worry. Everything will work out,” she said, hoping to distract him from his previous question. “You can materialize us at ten tonight, four in the afternoon New York time, then we’ll eat, head to bed and not sleep.”
His eyes sparked red hinting at his thoughts. “What will we do all day then?” he asked, but he left no time for her to respond. The next instant, his full, soft lips were pressed against hers.
****
His soft lips met hers firmly. She parted hers, letting him in. She needed more than just a touch. He delved in quickly then pulled away. Heaven ended too soon, she thought just as he pressed her body against his and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
“Close your eyes, darling,” Cain whispered in her ear, his cool breath making her shiver.
Wrapping her arms around him, she reluctantly closed her eyes, knowing she was leaving behind precious memories of the time they’d shared.
Everything she hadn’t thought possible weeks ago, was. Her dream came true: he was hers and she, his. Nothing would separate them again. She savored their time alone and knew she was at the cusp of her new life with Cain, yet she couldn’t help but feel sadness, sad to have to leave the memories behind.
When Cain pulled away from her slightly, she knew she was home. The cool, crisp air in Northern New York and the scent of the trees and nature lingered in the air. Slowly, her eyes drifted open.
“Home,” he said, somberly.
The spark of life in his gorgeous blue eyes was gone. It had become too easy to read him by simply searching for that spark. There were worries he kept hidden from her, she knew. She asked last night, and he answered, but not completely. She supposed some things were better left unsaid. What was the use in telling her he was sad to have their time end when she felt the exact same way?
She nodded, unwilling to speak just yet. He placed his hand on the small of her back and together they walked toward the place she called home. Finally, she shifted her attention away from him and toward the large colonial-style mansion with a wraparound porch covered in ivy, equipped with two-story library, game room, several offices, sun room, music room, theater, conference room, wine cellar, and numerous bedrooms. Everything she needed and more. Strange that gazing toward her home inspired no feelings of comfort and security as it
once had.
Once she reached the French doors, she hesitated. With her hand just over the handle, she turned to stare into Cain’s eyes.
“I love you,” she whispered, barely audible so the high tech security system at the estate wouldn’t pick up her words.
He smiled then whispered, “And I love you, darling.”
The door sprung open before she could open it. Jocelyn’s smiling face greeted them. Wearing an empire knee-length dress, she rushed at them wrapping one arm around her and the other around Cain in a group hug, pulling them toward her.
“I’m so happy for you both,” she whispered. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said more loudly, then drew away.
Olivia placed her palm on Jocelyn’s belly, where her niece and nephew currently resided.
“How are they?” Olivia asked.
“Craving chocolate and steak,” Jocelyn replied, cheekily.
“How are you?” Cain asked Jocelyn.
“Oh, it’s been so hard eating all the chocolate and steak,” Jocelyn replied, sarcastically. “Don’t worry,” she whispered in a tone Olivia thought she was incapable of. “I’ll run interference.”
In spite of the dread creeping up her spine, nervous to see her brother again, Olivia smiled then glanced in Cain’s direction. Tense and un-Cain like, he was smiling, but again the glimmer wasn’t there. Without thought, in an effort to console him, she reached for him, grasping his hand in hers and squeezed. At the moment, she couldn’t care less if Landon caught her. Screw her brother, her male needed her.
“Baby! Who’s there?” Landon’s booming voice resonated from inside.
Reluctantly, Olivia released Cain’s hand and exhaled. Moments later, Landon appeared at the top of the staircase. His eyes registering her, his mouth hung open just before a smile tugged at his lips. He launched himself from the second-story and landed perfectly poised at the bottom, then rushed at her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his waist.
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