“You’re still covered in blood,” he commented. She glanced down at her chest. He wasn’t kidding. Blood from her arms soaked her clothes. She hadn’t realized just how much she bled, but she supposed that was probably why she felt as weak as she did. Between that and the loss of adrenaline, she was downright shaky.
“I need to wash off,” she said, his heavy hand still resting on her.
“I don’t trust you not to fall out in the shower.”
She clucked at him. “No faith.”
Kaleb sighed. “I’m not trying to sound pervy—”
“But?”
“But do you want help?”
She thought about his offer for a long moment. She’d have to get naked in front of him, or at least mostly naked. The idea didn’t really bother her, though. The idea of falling on her face sounded unpleasant, however.
“Yeah, okay.” A quick hose off and then bed. She could manage that. Maybe.
He followed her into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. She went to turn on the water but he stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. “I got it.”
She stepped back and let him do his thing, adjusting the temperature and closing the curtain so water didn’t soak the floor. Leaning against the sink, she watched as he stripped his blood-stained shirt off and threw it into the washing machine. He kept his jeans on, thankfully. She didn’t know what she’d do if he completely stripped in front of her.
Slowly, she lifted her own shirt being careful not to get the bandages snagged on the material. He turned toward her when he noticed her struggling. “Let me help,” he said, stepping forward.
She froze, peering at him from where she was stuck half out of her shirt. Carefully, he untangled her arms and lifted the material over her head. He tossed the shirt into the washing machine with his own. Beth reached behind her to unsnap her bra, but he stopped her again, his fingers feather light on her hands.
“I want to pretend it’s not weird that you’re going to being seeing my tits in about three seconds, but it really is,” she said, her back to him.
Kaleb chuckled as she felt the bra loosen and slide down her arms. “I’ll try to control myself, although I have to admit, it’s going to be difficult.”
“I get that a lot.”
“What? Men staring at your chest?”
“Oh yeah,” she said, unwrapping the straps from her arms and tossing the bra into the washing machine. The poor black bra was covered in blood from where it soaked through her shirt, but at least once it was cleaned there would be no noticeable stains.
“Well, you have great tits. It’s impossible not to notice.”
She slid her jeans down her legs and stepped out of them, leaving her underwear in place. Kaleb’s eyes stay on her face, not her mostly naked form. She appreciated that. At least he was pretending to be gentlemanly.
She wasn’t, however.
“You can look,” she said, slightly breathless. Why she said that she didn’t know, but suddenly, she wanted him to look at her.
He did. Green eyes darted down to her chest and when he reached toward her, her breath caught in her throat. He didn’t touch her skin, instead his fingers went the satchel between her breasts. Blood was splattered on her skin and on the satchel itself.
Taking a shaky breath, Beth looked down at his hand. He withdrew it and cleared his throat.
“You should get in the shower,” he said, his voice thick.
With half a smile, she stepped into the shower and held her arms over her head to keep the bandages dry as she stood under the spray. Warm water splashed on her skin, washing away most of the blood clinging to her skin.
“This isn’t how I imagined the first time I got naked in front of you,” she said to him. Kaleb stood outside the shower. He wetted the washcloth in his hand and poured some of her shower gel on it before swiping it over the spots on her skin where the blood still clung.
“You imagined getting naked in front of me?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t,” he said, his voice low. He was looking at her instead of what he was doing. Her heart thudded in her chest and goosebumps erupted over her skin. He was gentle, the washcloth moving slowly over her skin as he washed away any lingering traces of the fight. The rough texture made her nipples tighten, and still, he washed.
The washcloth slid lower, over her belly, until it stopped just above her panty line. Lord, she didn’t want him to stop. She’d happily allow him to wash every inch of her, reveling in the way he seemed to be drinking in her body as she stood there, head back, breasts thrust forward.
The cloth dropped from his hand and a thick finger toyed with the top of her panties before trailing down, over the saturated fabric. When he touched her, she felt it in her core. Her stomach clenched as a low moan escaped her.
“Kaleb…”
His hand left her and she sucked in a breath. He turned off the water and threw open the curtain, pulling her body from the tub and setting her on the mat in front of him before she knew what was happening. His hand on her upper arms steadied her as she stared up at him, startled.
Those gorgeous green eyes were darker than they were before, staring down at her hungrily. He didn’t mask the want on his face and she reveled in it, longing for more. What she wouldn’t give to have his hands all over her, stroking her to oblivion like she’d imagined.
“Let’s go sit down and watch TV for a while or…something. Something that involves clothing. You’re hurt and this isn’t a good idea.”
She didn’t want to agree with him but the burning and tingling in her arms told her that she needed to just chill out for a minute. “Yeah…”
“Come on,” he said after wrapped a towel tightly around her middle and leading her out of the bathroom by her hand. “Feel like you can get dressed by yourself?”
“I can.” She dropped his hand and went into Gabriel’s bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. Leaning against the door, she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. Lord, that man could make her forget everything, even the nagging pain in her arms.
After drying herself and forcing a comb through her hair, she pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants and a loose gray t-shirt.
“You okay in there?” he asked from the other side of the door.
She opened it then to see him standing there, bracing himself with both hands on the door frame. He’d changed his jeans out for a pair of basketball shorts that hung low on his hips. His chest was still bare, his muscles rippling as he adjusted his weight against the frame. Green eyes found her face and he didn’t hide the worry there. “I’m okay, Kaleb. Really.”
“There’s nothing on TV.”
“I don’t care about the television. Put on whatever. I just want to sit down. Next to you.” She didn’t know what had prompted her to say the last part, but it was the truth. He provided her with a feeling of security she couldn’t find anywhere else or with anyone else she’d ever met before.
He nodded once and pushed himself away from the door. She went to the couch, sat down, and leaned against the back. When he sat down next to her, she curled up and leaned against his side. A tentative arm wrapped around her shoulders. He relaxed against the arm of the couch and turned on one of the old sitcoms playing.
Beth stared at the screen but wasn’t watching it. She was caught up in the way Kaleb’s skin felt against her uninjured cheek. He smelled good, traces of cologne still clinging to his skin.
“You scared the shit out of me,” he confessed after they’d been curled up like that for a little more than an hour. His voice was low but she’d heard him clearly.
She looked up at him and he met her eyes. “I’m sorry for tonight.”
He shook he head. “Don’t apologize. Freddie is a sack of shit and his sister isn’t much better. I should’ve gotten you out of there as soon as they came in.” His thumb stroked over the scratches on her cheek. “Your wounds here have closed over. Do they still hurt?”
>
With a frown, she sat up. “No, not really. They tingle.”
“Let’s see what your arms look like,” he said, catching her fingers and pulling her hand toward him. “I’m curious.”
She allowed him to unwrap her arm, curious herself how she’d healed thanks to Grandma Ruby’s little magic satchel. Her right arm was had two long cuts that had been gaping before but now when she looked, they were nothing more than angry red lines. Kaleb ran his hand over the closed wounds before tossing the gauze on the coffee table and going to her other arm.
It was the same thing there. The once gaping cuts were closed over with the exception of her wrist. Scabs covered where she’d been spurting blood but it probably wouldn’t be much longer before that was completely closed over as well.
“Damn Ruby,” Beth muttered. “She knows her shit.”
“That she does.” He ran his hand over that arm as well, sending warm jolts through her. “How do you feel?”
“Much better than I did a little while ago. Thank you for…for helping me.”
“You’re welcome.” He cleared his throat. “You had a long night. We should go to bed.”
Nodding, she rose to her feet and padded toward Gabriel’s bedroom. Back to the empty bed. After spending that much time cuddling Kaleb on the couch it felt ridiculously lonely to go into the room alone. The thought was almost unbearable She turned toward him when he was a foot away.
“Kaleb,” she said, trying to force herself to sound brave.
“Yeah?”
She reached out and touched his chest, unable to help herself. His skin was hot under her palm and she was just dying to touch more of him. All of him. Her breath stuck in her throat and all the things she’d thought about saying to him fell out of her head in that moment.
Before she realized what he was doing, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and hauled her against his chest. There was a span of about three seconds when she was staring up at him, her hands braced against his shoulders, where she wondered if he was actually going to kiss her. His eyes were heavily lidded, staring down at her as if even he didn’t know what he was going to do.
But then his gaze darted to her mouth and his chest rumbled against her. His mouth covered hers, soft at first as if he was unsure but as soon as she relaxed into him and sucked his lip into her mouth, he crushed her. Fingers splayed against her back, pinning her to his solid chest.
He growled and a hand clamped onto the back of her neck. He kissed her so thoroughly that she wavered on her feet and moaned into his mouth. There was no mistaking his arousal. The thick mass dug into her belly sending a new jolt of heat directly to her center.
He shifted against her a second later, his hands going down to cup her ass. With one smooth movement, he lifted her from the floor and she wrapped her legs around him as he carried her from the living room toward his bedroom.
This was happening. Finally! Beth’s core pulsed with heat as she gasped for air, breaking off the kiss. Kaleb untangled her from him and dropped her onto his soft mattress. She bounced once as she laid out in front of him. Sitting up, she stripped her shirt from her chest and tossed it to the side. When she reached for him, he shook his head.
“Keep your arms above your head. I don’t want to risk hurting you,” he said as he ran his hands up her thighs to the waistband of the pajama pants. With a swift pulled, he stripped her of her pajamas and underwear, leaving her completely bare in front of him.
She complied, leaning back and stretching her hands over her head. He spread her legs wide and his eyes drank their fill. She’d never felt so exposed in her entire life but he looked at her as if she were the only woman he’d ever seen. As if she were the most beautiful thing he’d ever imagined and he couldn’t believe she was allowing him to touch her.
“Tell me what you want,” he whispered, sliding his thumb through her folds. “Do you want me to touch you here? Or maybe here?” His thumb went from pressing against her opening to sliding over her clit. She jumped, her back arching on the bed.
“There. Everywhere.”
“What about here?” he asked, reaching up and tweaking her nipple between his thumb and index finger.
“There too.”
He crawled over top of her and pressed his mouth against her neck. His breath was hot on her skin and she found herself reaching for him again. When she did, he pulled back. “Keep your hands up.”
She did as he instructed and tried to force herself to relax. Not touching him was turning into torture especially when he was cupped her breast, his thumb raking over the sensitive peak. He kissed her collarbone and down, until his hot mouth was on her breasts, suckling her nipple and nipping at the raw flesh.
“Do you know how beautiful you are, Beth?” he asked against her skin. “Do you know how badly I’ve wanted you?”
“Yeah?”
“Oh yeah. If I could’ve fucked you that first night in my truck, I would have. It took everything I had not to take you against the damn steering wheel.”
She smiled to herself as his mouth traveled lower. When he breathed over her sex, she reached for him again, and nearly cried when he stopped.
“Hands up,” he reminded her and with a small whine, she complied.
Only then did his tongue move over her slit.
“Ohhhh …” she groaned when he stroked her folds with his thumbs, teasing her.
“You taste so good.” He delved into her core and she cried out, grinding her hips against his mouth.
His fingers went from teasing her flesh to gripping her hips. He pinned her there as his delicious tongue moved to her clit. He licked once, twice, and then he pressed down with the flat on his tongue, rubbing the sensitive bud until she was bucking against him. She cried out, hands desperately grabbing the bed cover, even though she wanted to have them buried in his thick hair.
“Kaleb,” she moaned.
“Get used to the way my name sounds on your lips because you’re going to be screaming it often,” he said against her flesh. His tongue teased and toyed with the sensitive bud until she thought she was going to explode but then he backed off and ran a single finger over her core.
He didn’t enter her but she found herself trying to push his finger inside of her each time he did it. Each time, he’d take her higher and higher and then pull back just as she was about to fall over. Before long, she was begging him for release. When he growled against her clit, it was enough to send her over the edge.
“That’s it,” he said against her as the throbbing began. “Good girl.”
She was still trying to catch her breath when he gripped her hips again. This time he flipped her over and drug her ass into the air. She waited impatiently for him to enter her but he didn’t. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she saw him watching her.
“Do you want more?” he asked her.
“Yes! Kaleb…”
“Think you could handle it?” he murmured, kneeling behind her. This time one finger pushed against her opening, sliding through her heat and entering her. She sighed at the feel of the stretch. “You’re fucking tight.”
One finger turned into two. Slowly, he worked her, stretching her with one hand while the other found her clit again. She pushed against his hand, needing more than what he was giving her. She wanted his thick erection inside of her, stretching her, pounding into her. The need was overwhelming.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Hurt me!” she cried. “Please, Kaleb! Fuck me. I need you deep inside me, fuck—”
The loud slap on her ass shut her up. There was barely a sting but she heard the sound echo off the walls. His fingers withdrew from her and he did it again, this time hard enough for her to hiss. Her insides were pulsing, juices running down the inside of her thigh as she arched her back, desperate for more. “Oh god, yes.”
His warm mouth touched where he’d slapped her, kissing the flesh of her backside until the sting disappeared. He moved behind her, and she heard the rustli
ng of his shorts dropping to the floor. He pulled her ass toward him. The thick head of his cock slid through her folds, probing her one slow inch at a time.
She stretched around him, a long moan tearing from her throat. He stilled once he was as deep inside her as he could go. With a deep growl, he stayed that way until she began gyrating against him. Once she did, he rocked his hips. Fingers gripped her hip bone with one hand, the other wrapping around her to find her clit. Stroking the bud, he moved nice and slow until she was panting.
With every movement, he hit the part inside of her that made her toes curl. God, it felt good. He stretched her, filled her, fucked her. She was moaning against the bedspread, the pressure building as the slow, tortuous movements drove her crazy.
“Kaleb,” she cried against the blanket and bucked against him.
He growled. “Tell me what you want.”
“Harder. Faster. More!”
He withdrew and slammed into her, heavy balls slapping her clit. “This?”
A loud moan tore from her lips. She clutched the bedspread, hanging on as his fingers dug into her skin. He pounded into her, her tits bouncing beneath her. Watching him over his shoulder, she met his heavy-lidded gaze.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he grunted as he pounded into her.
The orgasm hit her. Throwing her head back, she cried his name and spasmed around his cock. He buried himself in her once, twice, and then again before he howled his own release. Hot jets scorched her insides, prolonging her own pleasure.
He jerked against her before finally pulling back. Sharp nails were digging into her hips and slowly, he let her go before laying down next to her. He pulled her body against his chest and buried his face in the crook of her neck and let out a long, breathy sigh that tickled her skin.
Giggling, she turned just enough to find his mouth. The kiss was a gentle caress at first until she nipped his lower lip. His chest vibrated against her and she smiled at him.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked after a minute. He grasped her wrist and held it up, peering at the scabs.
She shook her head. “No, not at all.”
Wild and Untamed (Netherworld Series Book 4) Page 15