“Make love?” She inclined her head to the side, revealing her neck in a way that made it nearly impossible to resist. I wanted to claim her in all ways as my mate. “I have never heard a man say that and mean it.”
“Maybe you have been spending your time with the wrong men.” I struggled to stay calm. I wanted her. I needed her. “But you are right about one thing. I mean it.”
“I’m sure I have been with the wrong men.” She put her hands on my shoulders.
“Well, nice thing is that will no longer be a problem.” I looked into her eyes.
“How do you know?” She got a mischievous look. “If the sex is really bad…”
“Not a chance of that. Besides, why are you suddenly worried now? You were calling us a couple earlier.”
“Yes.” She slipped her arms over my shoulders and entwined her hands behind my head. “We are a couple. But that still doesn’t mean this is going to be good.”
“You were anticipating us as mates.” I nuzzled her neck. “Do you really doubt how hot the connection will be?” I ran my lips down her neck. “How good I will make you feel? The levels I will push you to?”
“I don’t doubt it at all.” She let out a soft moan. “But that’s the problem. I hope my expectations aren’t overblown.”
“They are nothing of the sort.”
“How would you know what my expectations are?”
“I imagine they are much like mine.” I cradled her face in my hands. “You are expecting nothing short of life changing.”
“Yet you are telling me to rest.”
“Trust me, love. It is hard to do.” I pulled her into my arms. “Nearly impossible.”
“It’s not the only thing that’s hard.”
I laughed. “You noticed.”
“Yes.” Her hand slipped down my body, and she grabbed me through my pants.
I moaned. She was making resistance nearly impossible. “I ache for you, but not now. Not yet.”
“Lie down with me at least.” She pulled on my arm.
“That’s not going to go well.”
“A few minutes ago you said you would.”
“I know.” That was before we were this close to the bed discussing sex with her hand on me.
“Please.” She looked up at me with her big brown eyes.
How could I ever say no to that? I lay down on the bed beside her. “You can close your eyes.”
She reached for my hand. “It’s going to be so complicated.”
“Resting or sex?” I needed to stop talking about sex. I knew that, but that did not mean it was easy.
She swatted at me with her other hand. “Come on. Be serious. You know exactly what I mean.”
“It does not necessarily have to be complicated. It can just be.”
“Where are we going to live?” She traced circles on my arm with her soft fingertips.
“You have to rule. We will live in Spring Court.” I was glad I had spent time thinking about this very question. It made it easier to give her the answers she needed. I could not let her think I had any doubts. And there were no doubts. We would make everything work out.
“Yeah, but you have a life too. And a job. Right? You have a job?” Her fingers continued their circular pattern.
I laughed. “Worried I am a loafer? Of course I have a job.”
“And what is it?”
“I am a warrior.” Although I spent more of my time on intel than fighting, it did not change what was expected of me and what I was trained for.
“Quite the job title.”
“I think it fits pretty well,” I teased. It had always come naturally to me. Protectiveness for my people was in my blood, and I was more than willing to risk my life to protect our freedom and way of life. Yet, I would leave it all to be with Lacey. I knew that no matter how big of an adjustment it would be, one could not turn their back on their mate. Happiness and fulfillment would be impossible if I did that. Nor would I be able to do my job. I would spend the rest of my life miserable and searching for something unattainable.
“Oh yes.” She squeezed my bicep. “Absolutely. I’m not joking. You know that.”
“What do you call the fighters in your court?” I still knew so little of her world, the world I was eventually going to be living in.
“Soldiers. Guards. Depends on their position.” She stretched. “Thankfully for most of my life there has been no war, so they have spent much of their time training and readying themselves for attacks that might never come.”
I wished I could say the same thing about my own experiences, but peace was hard to come by. I refused to dampen the mood by going down that line of conversation. “Think I may be able to get one of those positions?”
“You could be the head of the guards.”
“Oh yeah?” I ran my thumb over her hand. “Would that not be a case of nepotism?”
“Sure it would, but does it matter?”
I laughed. “You are very cute when you are tired.”
“As compared to when I’m not tired?”
“Hey, I never said that.”
She rolled over onto her side. “You are so handsome.”
“You are so beautiful.”
“No. Really. You are handsome.”
“And really you are beautiful.” Truly beautiful. Not only was it her physical appearance, but also her inner beauty that shone out.
“Do you ever get cold?” she asked.
“Abrupt conversation change.”
“I’m just wondering.” She slipped out of her outer dress, leaving herself in only a light slip.
My heart rate accelerated. I debated whether to stop her. I was supposed to be letting her rest.
“I can feel cold if that’s what you are asking.”
“But do you get cold?” She emphasized the word get. “Like the shivering, please someone warm me kind of feeling.”
“Not really, but I no longer have to worry about someone warming me.” Just being near her raised my temperature. “At least I hope not.”
“You don’t.” She rested her head on my chest. “You really don’t. Well. Unless I get so cold I can’t warm you.”
“You even sound sleepy now.”
“Nope.” She forced her eyes open.
“Oh, you are wide awake?” I smiled at her attempt to act alert.
She gave up trying to open her eyes. “Can’t you do most of the work?”
I laughed. “Exactly what I want to hear.”
“Okay. Maybe I’ll just rest my eyes for a few minutes.” She cuddled up more.
“You do that.” I rubbed her back. I wanted her, but short of that I also loved the feel of her body lying so close.
Within a minute her breathing evened out, and I knew she was sleeping.
I was still worked up, but there was no way I was moving. Instead I closed my eyes and let myself have a little bit of rest.
I listened to the water running, trying to fight my body’s response. She was in there. Naked. And the thought of finally having her drove me wild. I had managed a few hours of sleep, and I knew I would be thankful for it later, but now there was only one thing on my mind. Lacey.
“Creighton.” She called my name. There was no great urgency in her voice, but I refused to keep her waiting.
I was out of bed in seconds, and I knocked on the door lightly before pushing it open. I stayed outside. “Lacey? Do you need anything?”
“Yes.”
“What do you need?” Did she realize what she was doing to me? The effort it was taking not to just walk in there?
“You.”
“Me?” I pushed the door open more.
“Yes. You.” She laughed. “And I hope there is no one else out there to make you question it like that.”
“No. No one else here.” I knew a gentleman would have waited outside. But I felt nothing like a gentleman. And my wolf was being the wild animal he was born to be. He howled, begging to be freed. And begging for me to claim he
r. “What do you need me for?”
“Everything.”
“Everything? That is not very specific.” I struggled to stay back. She was so close. My need grew by the second.
“You can start by joining me.”
Joining her? Was she really asking? “You want me to join you?”
“Don’t you need to get clean as well? This water feels amazing. I will be having one installed as soon as I get home.”
I walked over to where the water ran. “Are you sure?”
“Last night I was too tired. Now you worry I’m not sure. Are you looking for excuses not to touch me?”
“No. Definitely not.” I stripped down. Not willing to ask her to wait again.
I stepped into the steam filled glass room. It was not large, but the two of us both fit. The water cascaded down from a spigot designed like a watering can. The water was hot. It was as pleasant as she described, but my mind was not on the water. It was on her. On my gorgeous Lacey and every inch of her unbelievable body.
I held back at first, taking in the swell of her breasts, the shape of her hips, and her long legs. Her wet, dark hair fell down her back in waves. She watched me with her eyes taking me in much the same way mine were taking in hers.
She stepped out of the stream of water. “You enjoy the water.”
“You sure?”
“Very. I want to enjoy watching you enjoy it.”
“I like this side of you.” I stepped under the water struggling to keep my hands and lips to myself, but wanting to wait until I knew for sure she was ready. Nothing with us could be rushed. It had to be carefully and perfectly timed.
She watched me, a mischievous smile on her face.
“Are you done enjoying the show?”
“Do I have to be?”
“No, but I am not sure how much more entertainment I can provide without audience participation.”
“I am a very willing participant.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” I pulled her under the spray with me. Her bare skin felt so good against mine. My mouth claimed her lips as my hands slid over the curves of her body.
She moaned as I teased her nipple, letting my other hand continue down her body. Her hands slid all over me. Starting with my chest, while one hand mirrored my hands’ descent down her body. She took me in her hand while my hand slid between her legs. We were moving fast, but there was no stopping us. The hours spent lying together in the dark made the urgency that much greater.
We pleasured each other while the water continued to cascade down our bodies. My lips found her breast. I bit down lightly on her nipple, and she gasped. Everything was so new, yet I kept guessing right about what she liked and wanted.
She trailed kisses down my body, and I knew getting out of that water was going to be anything but easy.
Lacey
The knock at the door came at the worst possible time. We were so close to finally truly experiencing each other. But maybe it was for the best. Could we really have sex without mating? Was that even possible for us? The magnetism between us was at a level I had never imagined possible. The answer was no. There would be no sex for sex’s sake. The first time would be committing to a lifetime. That thought should have terrified me, but it didn’t. Not at all. My logical side seemed to have completely disappeared, yet I knew I wasn’t making a mistake. Falling for Creighton was as right as it was natural.
And now, as the men all waited for me in the other room, I wondered how obvious it was. How obvious it was that I’d just spent a better part of an hour exploring Creighton while he explored me. I wanted to tell Wren about it, but I couldn’t. There was no one to share the details with. But maybe that was for the best. I wouldn’t have wanted Creighton to have kissed and told. Double standards weren’t good things. I couldn’t demand the same level of respect for women without expecting the same level of respect from them, specifically from myself.
“Are you ready yet?” Frost called from the other room.
I was glad he couldn’t see me roll my eyes from where I was in the bedroom. It wasn’t my fault that I needed more than two minutes to get dressed, especially when I was getting ready to meet other royals. Like it or not, I was representing my court—well, all of the courts. I pictured Wren’s mom’s reaction to that. Or even funnier, Coral’s or Autumn’s reaction. It was impossible to avoid breaking into a grin.
For better or worse, knowing how much it would annoy Coral and Autumn served as fantastic motivation to get me ready to attend the council meeting. That knowledge worked especially well when coupled with the confidence boost and high from my time with Creighton Still, despite the motivation and energy coursing through me, I needed some time to get ready and to center myself.
“This isn’t a ball, Lacey. Come on.” Frost was getting increasingly annoying. I understood he was impatient to get back home, but so was I. That didn’t mean I couldn’t take two minutes to finish up.
“Leave her be,” Creighton snapped. “She is entitled to time.”
Normally I’d have felt Creighton didn’t need to worry about standing up for me, but I kind of liked it this time, especially as I was in the other room. Defending myself would have required yelling or walking away from the mirror before I was ready.
“I wonder why you are running late.” Frost’s voice was teasing. Evidently he only used the annoyed tone with me.
“We are running late because the clothing was only recently dropped off.” Creighton was earning more and more points. Not only did he avoid revealing personal details, he also used sound evidence to support himself.
“Or so you say.” Frost laughed.
I took one last glance at my reflection in the mirror before walking out. The black dress was big, but when I tied the provided belt around my waist it looked rather cute. That must have been the style. I wasn’t sure how Jared had known what size garments to get me, but I wouldn’t complain. “I heard you, Frost. And I’m going to tell Wren you are giving me a hard time.”
“Lovely.” Creighton’s eyes lit up when I walked in. “You look lovely.”
He looked very different in the jacket and slacks Jared had sent up. He was dressed in a way similar to many of the men from the hotel lobby. It seemed to be a more formal look and matched what the others were wearing. He looked handsome of course, yet he was clearly uncomfortable.
Frost laughed.
I glared at him. “I can remind you how you’ve been acting around Wren if you’d like.”
“No need.” Frost shook his head. There was a deep sadness in his eyes. A worry I’d never seen before, but I couldn’t blame him. His brother was missing, and he was separated from his mate. I truly wished I could help with one or both. “No need at all. And you do look nice. Very royal.”
I let the royal comment fall. I wasn’t sure if he was teasing me or being honest, but it didn’t really matter. He had enough on his mind already. “I just hope they can help.”
“If they can’t you are out of luck.” Jared stood from where he had been sitting at a table. “I have no idea where else to look.”
“Isn’t that encouraging.” I refused to let his negativity get me down. I was ready for this. I would find a way to get Frost and Elron unmarked, or whatever it was they were, and at the same time maybe find someone who could help Wren with the chasms. She wasn’t the first person to create them. I just hoped whoever else had the ability was friendly and willing to help.
“I’m being honest.” Jared adjusted his jacket.
“Then how about we don’t talk until we get there.” I refused to lose my confidence. “How long will that be?”
“Depends how long it takes to get the elevator.” He opened the door.
“It’s in the hotel?” For some reason I wasn’t expecting that.
“Yes. Back down in the basement where you first arrived. You know there aren’t supposed to be basements here. In New Orleans.”
“I did not know that.” Considering I hadn’t hear
d of New Orleans before this visit, that should not have come as a surprise.
“We are below sea level.”
“Oh. I see.” I tried to focus on what he said, but my mind was already moving back to the council and how it was going to go.
“You don’t care, do you?” He stopped to look at me.
“I care. I'm just nervous.” I was honest. I didn’t want to come off as rude, even if I realized he probably didn’t care if I did.
“We can go check out the city later.”
“I’m not worried about sight-seeing.” I stared at the elevator. What was taking so long?
“It’s a busy time. Lots of people using the elevator.” Jared hit the call button for the elevator again. “And it makes total sense you are nervous.”
“Really? That’s what you are going to say?” I knew it wasn’t his official job to reassure me, but wasn’t it kind of his job as he was our host?
“I’m not really into lying, so you are going to get it like it is from me.” He turned from the elevator. “Maybe focus on the reassurance that what I tell you is the truth. I don’t sugarcoat things.”
“Generally I’m a fan of honesty, but I’m nervous enough as it is.” I stared down at my borrowed black shoes. I missed my dainty slippers I left in Icentris, but these fit better than the borrowed boots, and the boots would not have gone with the dress. If I was going to have to meet a bunch of other royals, I was going to at least look decent.
There was a ding, and the doors to the elevator finally opened. It was empty, which made sense as we were only the second floor from the top. We all filed in.
“The nice thing is we will be there very soon.” Jared awkwardly patted my arm. “The nerves are usually the worst on the build up. So you should feel better when we get there. Unless you are one of those who don’t like public speaking. But I guess if you are royal you have to get used to public speaking.”
“I’m fine with public speaking, at least back home where I know everyone. Things are pretty small. Mostly it’s our own court.”
“Well, then view this as good practice. If you can get through this you are ready to get through anything back home.”
Spring's Wolf (A Court of Shifters Chronicles #2) Page 9