She was darn near drooling over the delicious smells coming from the boxes. It wasn’t the protein packed meal most shifters preferred, but she’d heard Rhys ask for triple sausage.
They both plopped down on the bed, and devoured the greasy slices and two-liter soda.
“I’m gonna hit the shower.” Rhys stood and stripped down while Alex unabashedly watched. With one last promising look at her, he disappeared into the bathroom.
Alex pushed the pizza boxes and empty bottle onto the floor, and kicked them over by the garbage. Pulling out the map, she spread it across the bed and lay on her belly to study it.
She had just pinpointed the area where the cabin was compared to the town they were in, when Rhys opened the bathroom door. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that he was completely naked, filling the doorway with his considerable mass.
He was waiting for her to make the first move. The towel slipped from her waist as she rolled over and sat up. She stripped off her shirt, dropping it to the floor. The map was pushed off the bed to fall on top of her discarded shirt.
Reclining on one hand, her knees drawn up so she wasn’t completely open to him, she beckoned him over.
Hesitating a moment, he finally came to the foot of the bed. The burn in his eyes showed her how much he restrained himself.
“I’m ready.” To prove her point, she lay all the way down and held her arms out to him.
Again, he hesitated. While she was fairly sure she wouldn’t hit panic mode again, she could see why he was afraid of pushing her past her comfort zone.
She sat up. The position put her face almost level with his straining manhood, yet she tried to keep her eyes above the navel. Tonight was about connecting, being present. Putting her mouth on him would certainly connect them, but she wanted more.
His gaze roamed her body and returned to unite with hers. Clasping his hands, she pulled him over her as she lay back again. He came down over her carefully, not settling his weight on top of her.
Her legs anchored on each side of him, her knees moved up to cradle him. She let go of his hands, splaying her fingers across his hard chest, reveling in the feel of his warm skin and the way the solid wall of muscle expanded with each breath.
Rhys kept his weight on his hands and knees, no part of him touching her. He was being more than cautious.
Reaching up to cup his face, she brought his head down to hers. The closer his body came to lying on top of her, the more she wanted to feel him pressed against her, head to toe. Their lips met in a tender kiss, and he groaned, leaning in. His rigid length rested against her belly, heat radiating between them, but he still held himself off her.
Swiping her tongue over his lips, she coaxed him into deepening their kiss. At the same time he opened to meet her tongue with his, she tightened her knees at his sides to bring him in closer.
Their tongues tangled, tasted, and caressed, each taking their time. She bathed in his scent, reveled in the feel of him, the heat of him, the pressure of him.
At last, he settled fully on top of her, and instead of freezing or stiffening, she rolled her hips up into him. He rocked his in response, his lips tearing away from hers to move down her face and kiss her neck.
He caressed her sides with his hands as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His lips seared a path down her neck as he moved one hand between her thighs to her center. She was achingly wet for him, a fact that made him growl as soon as his hand cupped her sex.
Loosening the hold of her knees, she gave him more room. His strong fingers found her swollen nub and rubbed languid circles that might seem relaxed, but was anything but. She wanted the pleasure to go on forever, trying not to urge him to move faster.
His mouth crashed down on hers, his tongue starting a dance that mimicked the thrusting of intercourse. If that wasn’t a heady enough experience for her, he adjusted his body so he could use his thumb to circle her clit while he inserted a finger to match the pace of his tongue.
The combination was explosive. She gasped into his mouth and wrapped her legs around him. The pressure was building, the intensity staggering, and when she thought she was going to fall apart in his arms, he abruptly withdrew his finger and removed his hand.
Her eyes flew open when he broke off the kiss, wondering why he would stop. He was gazing down at her with complete need and adoration.
“I want to see this.” The veins in his neck protruded from the effort of holding himself in restraint.
She peered down to him moving his shaft into position at her entrance. Her gaze rose to meet his. Her hips lifted, seeking to be filled with everything Rhys could give her. He could’ve pushed in, buried himself to the hilt. She wanted him to, but he didn’t. His stare anchored hers with the exquisite pressure of his slow invasion. She wanted to use her legs to push him in fully, but it was like they both sensed how monumental this moment was, how long they both had waited to be together.
Rhys pushed in another inch and she couldn’t help it, she rolled her hips up, her body trying to grab as much of him as possible. The green in his eyes flared brightly.
“Does my hybrid like that?”
“I do,” she said, rolling her hips again. “I need more.”
He shoved in completely, settling himself as deep as he could go. A full body sigh swept through her. At last. It was perfect. His massive size filled her completely.
“I had no idea,” Rhys breathed, his head dropping to bury in her neck. “No idea it could feel so good.”
She caressed her hands over his shoulders, down his spine, up to his nape. The short hair of his head prickled against her sensitive fingers, increasing the turmoil of sensations ricocheting throughout her body.
“Me either,” she murmured. Never imagined how much pleasure could be found with the right partner. Getting off and making love were two totally different entities.
He pulled his head up again, so she settled her hands upon on his broad back.
“I want to watch you.” He pulled almost all the way out, giving her a momentary sense of loss.
Thrusting back in made Alex gasp. All of her nerve endings were dying for more. She wrapped her legs tighter around him and held on as he pulled out and lunged forward. He began a steady pounding rhythm that brought her to the brink of another explosion.
She wanted to hang onto the precipice, afraid she’d never get another moment like this again. Rhys had another idea. He moved his hand between them and found her ultra-sensitive nub again. The first stroke had her jacking her pelvis off the bed, an involuntary cry of pure pleasure escaping her lips.
An expression of unfiltered male satisfaction filled Rhys’ handsome face; his pace increased. Alex’s vision splintered apart. She yelled, she cried his name, she clawed his back. The whole time, he watched her. The brief seconds her vision cleared, she saw the wonder in his eyes, glimpsed her own reflection.
He had stilled when her orgasm hit, but now as she was coming down from her high, he thrust once. Twice. His own orgasm hit hard and fast. Throwing his head back, he roared her name. His hips quivered as he jerked his release. His warmth spread through her center, and when his arms gave out, she cradled him in her embrace.
They both lay spent. He was still inside her, still hard, but like her, he also settled into the moment. Let their history lie, kept their uncertain future from clouding the moment.
Rhys propped on his elbows to gaze down at her. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Your eyes get the loveliest burgundy glow within their green depths.”
Confused, Alex cocked her head at him. “My eyes glowed red?”
He chuckled softly. “You are part vampire. Hasn’t anyone ever noticed?”
Uh, no. “Not since I was a kid. If they had, there would have been some serious questions raised. Besides, as little of me was involved with others as could be helped.”
His bent his head to kiss the tip of her nose, an action that made he
r feel delicate, feminine. “Good. I get all of you.”
Yes. She would always be his, even if their moments had to be stolen. She wouldn’t let concerns over her future spoil the night. Tonight was for her. For the last twelve years, she got tonight.
Dropping his head again, he licked the rim of her ear causing a delightful shiver to move through her body. “I want to mark you.”
She rocked into him, her body already wanting, needing, more of him. He desired to mark her. He wanted her permission. Could she give it?
What if she needed to go on the run? Then she’d smell like she was claimed to other shifters. No big. It’s not like she planned to ever be with anyone else again, to use her body as a tool or a weapon. She didn’t even want to leave the option out there. No one could predict the future, but one thing was for sure, she wouldn’t let herself be used again.
So the question was: What did she want? She wanted to be with Rhys. And if the council won and nothing changed, if she lived without Rhys, she wanted to carry his mark.
To show he had her permission, she unwrapped her legs and pushed him away. His expression was guarded, like he wouldn’t show her his disappointment thinking she was refusing his claim.
Her sultry smirk flamed the light in his eyes. He flipped over onto her belly. If he wanted to mark her, then they would do it the way their people had been doing it for centuries. He would also carry her mark before the night was over—because this was only the beginning.
He growled as he caught her hips. With a strong thrust, he buried himself deep. There was no pause as he started a frantic tempo. The closer she got to the orgasm that was building rapidly, the harder she ground back into him.
His hands were digging into her sides, but he released one, almost collapsing on top of her, maintaining his unrelenting pace. She was moaning, panting, the pleasure divine. With one hand bracing the bed, he let go of her waist and wrapped his arm around her middle, holding her while he pounded into her from behind.
Just as her orgasm crested and she cried out, his mouth descended to the junction of her shoulder and neck. The strike of the bite marking her increased the intensity of the orgasm. The cry of his name on her lips turned into a steady, wordless wail.
How could an orgasm have so much power? Her body shook with the force. Sometime during her peak, Rhys found his release, his thrusts slowing as he emptied within her.
His hot mouth disengaged from her, and he leisurely licked along the bite. They both collapsed at the same time, and he pulled out of her. He rolled onto his side and drew her into him.
Putting up no resistance, content for the moment, her need for him temporarily sated, she rested her head on his arm. “For the record, I get to bite you next.”
His cock twitched against her. It had been at half-mast until she spoke.
“God, yes.”
Chapter 14
Alex was his.
She let him claim her. Then she claimed him.
She was his. He was hers.
Rhys was damn near giddy. After meeting his mate, finding out she worked for the bad guys, then finding out she wasn’t evil, then worrying Madame G would kill her, and, worst of all, six months with total radio silence from her, he finally had her. Her body was a paradise. He wanted his mouth on her at all times, he wanted to be buried inside of her any chance he could get. She was addicting, and she was all his.
Oh, he knew, he knew, she still planned on taking off if things with the council didn’t end satisfactorily. No, she wouldn’t be used as a pawn anymore. No longer a weapon at other’s discretion. Rhys knew her too well. She would leave before that happened. She would sacrifice herself. Again. Only she didn’t know that he wouldn’t let her. Wherever she went, he would follow. As much as his duty was to his people, they’d had him for three centuries. It was his turn now. She was his mate. He didn’t even mind waiting until after the mess with the council was settled to have a ceremony to make their mating official. As long as he had her, he didn’t need a dagger and blood bond to eternally bind them together.
Rhys stretched over her and pushed forward, her body rose to meet his. All night, into the morning, they only paused in their lovemaking for a couple hours of sleep here and there. Right now, he was lazily stroking within her hot, tight channel, while his mouth tasted as much of her skin as possible.
She liked hard and fast and, with her, it was exhilarating. What she really seemed to enjoy were the sessions where they took their time, like they were doing right now. He soaked in the rapture on her face when she came, and he could feel her studying his features, watching his body as he spent himself inside her.
Alex sighed into him, he kept up his slow rhythm. Stroking them both to their peak, their tongues tangling until they crested together, easy ecstasy.
He caught his breath and murmured against her lips. “We should flash and meet the rest,”
“All right.”
She gave him a gentle shove. He hated to leave the cocoon of her body.
“I need to shower first.” She rolled off the bed and stood up. Before she disappeared into the bathroom, she threw a coy glance over her shoulder. “Are you going to join me?”
Hell. Yes.
During their shower, they scrubbed each other down, and delayed a few more minutes as he took her in a frenzy against the flimsy shower stall until the warm water ran cold. They rinsed off in a hurry and climbed out. Drying off, he tried not watch her knowing it would cause another delay.
The fangs marks in his neck throbbed with an erotic beat that he treasured, knowing they would be fully healed soon. In companionable silence, they each got dressed and checked their weapons.
“Ready?” She held her hand out to flash them to the cabin.
No. He wanted to stay in this cheap, quaint motel room for another week. Maybe two. Never leave the room and order in nothing but pizza and soda.
“Totes.” His use of her term made her mouth twitch and her eyes light with humor. He wanted to spend the rest of his life trying to accomplish that…when he wasn’t immersed in her lush body.
Rhys took a deep breath to ready himself for the flash and the accompanying feeling that his intestines were trying to climb out of his stomach through his throat. When his hand touched hers, she latched on and the room disappeared.
When Rhys blinked next, he was surrounded by the smell of pine and a subtle scent of lake water. His vision was wonky, his guts twisted, but he sucked in deep breaths until the sensations passed. To help stabilize himself, he concentrated on the logs that made up the wall he was facing.
Alex waited for him to settle before she did anything. He finally nodded. They both cocked their heads, listening for sounds coming through the cabin. He heard amenable conversation and smelled a scent that made his mouth water.
Bacon. A lot of it. It had been months since he’d had bacon.
“Yoo-hoo? Ladies, we’ve arrived!” Alex opened the door and sauntered out from the empty room.
The conversation died as he followed Alex down the hall to the open dining room and kitchen.
“We grabbed extra bacon out of the freezer last night.” Malcolm stood next to the table. “Have you eaten yet?”
Alex was already snatching a fistful of bacon off the heaping pile on the counter and handing some to Rhys. It was gone in two seconds, and he reached around her for more.
At the table, Sylva sat rigidly, her eyes downcast, her body language suggesting she was severely uncomfortable in a room full of males. Alex’s female presence probably wasn’t reassuring since she was strapped with as many weapons as the males and her height put her at least six inches taller than Sylva.
Damon and William flanked her on each side. Rhys guessed they must have become quite protective of the timid shifter during their captivity. The males were rested and fresh, but lines of tension marred their features.
“What now, Boss?” Malcolm crossed his arms and waited for Rhys to finish chewing.
“I’m not your
boss anymore.” Alex handed him some milk that he sucked down.
Malcolm snorted. “We all know Bennett is acting commander under duress. Dude hasn’t quit bitching since you left.”
For some reason, that made Rhys feel better. Bennett was a worthy leader, just because he didn’t feel ready for the position didn’t mean he didn’t perform his duties admirably. Would Rhys jump at the chance to get his old post back? Of course. But only if it meant Alex was at his side.
“What does Bennett know?” Alex asked between mouthfuls of bagel.
“Commander Young is insanely difficult to get information to. Dani keeps finding bugs hidden in the damn walls, clogging up our phones. It’s ridiculous.” Malcolm sneered in disgust while Harrison shook his head. “The newbs Councilman Seether sent to us are quite the spies. The way Master Bellamy rides ’em all day, they should be too sore and tired to lift their arms to plant listening devices.”
That was a complication. His Guardian pack was the only one they could trust. Surely there were others out there who weren’t corrupt and full of deceit. Time was too critical to find out. For now, it was just them.
“So it’s us against the council?” Rhys’ mind spun, searching for solutions. Eventually, they would need to get to Bennett. He would be the one to officially launch a complaint and demand an investigation into the council’s actions.
“Yeppers.”
Alex reclined back against the counter and crossed her feet and arms, looking pointedly at Damon. “But we need to find his Lily first or no one will believe us.”
Damon’s jaw clenched, his fair hair shadowed his eyes. “I’m not endangering her.”
“I get it, I do,” she replied. “But what if we aren’t the first to get to her?”
He swept his hair off his face, his expression defiant. “What if we fail?” He shook his head. “No. My testimony, or nothing.”
Alex narrowed her eyes at him, but Rhys recognized the burgeoning respect their green depths. “Lily is in danger regardless. If we can find her, we can get her to a safe place.”
The Sigma Menace Collection Page 83