“So then you can’t be Doe’s soulmate.” A flicker of something that felt like electricity sparked in Thea’s stomach. “You never were.” Her voice rose, matching the rush of excitement Thea could feel.
She stilled, chewing on her lower lip. “But you were still with Doe.” Granted, that was partly Thea’s own fault. She’d introduced them, knowing that Blake was the name of Doe’s soulmate.
“It doesn’t make what we felt right.”
“It doesn’t,” Blake nodded. “Or well, it doesn’t make what we did right. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m really sorry that I made things more complicated. But I’m not going to sit here and say that what we felt wasn’t right. What I still feel,” he paused then, glancing away and then back at Thea. She wasn’t sure if she was meant to say something back. Before she could, Blake continued to speak.
Thea watched the way Blake’s fingers brushed over his knee. It was easier not to look at his face, to not see all the raw emotion there. “That first time we met, I wanted to ask you out. But you introduced me to Doe and she was... lovely,” Blake shrugged. Doe was lovely, they could hardly disagree there.
“Then she told me her full name and I thought... maybe? Because I’d never met someone called ‘Dorothy’ before. It seemed likely that the first person I met called that could be my soulmate.”
Thea felt as if all the breath had been knocked out of her. She had to gasp just to get any air past the lump suddenly lodged in her throat. Her pounding heart seemed to expand, pressing too hard against her ribs.
Her thoughts were swirling. She could hardly believe that Blake was telling her what his soulmark said. She didn’t feel as though she’d done anything to deserve it.
And for Blake’s soulmark to be Dorothy . It was almost too much.
She narrowed her eyes, squinting at Blake, trying to work out if he knew.
He must do. Surely he wouldn’t tell her otherwise.
“You know Thea’s short for Dorothy, too?” she asked, feeling almost faint with nerves.
“Doe told me,” Blake said. “I feel like I should’ve realized, but I really didn’t. I’ve never met someone called ‘Dorothy’ and... I guess, I also never assumed that when I did, I wouldn’t even know that’s what the name is.” She could tell from his tone of voice that he felt foolish for not having thought of it.
Giving Thea a small smile, Blake’s hand brushed over his knee again. She had to wonder if that was where his soulmark was. “I definitely hadn’t expected to meet two Dorothys in one night and not realize either of them was called that.”
It made Thea give a startled laugh. “No,” she agreed. “I doubt anyone expects that.” She shifted, moving fractionally closer. She could feel the heat radiating off Blake’s body. His reminder of the night they’d met seemed to bring back all the butterflies Thea had felt then. Now that Blake wasn’t Doe’s soulmate…
“I wanted you to ask me out that night, too,” she admitted. “But then you told me your name. I knew what Doe’s soulmark was, so I tried to pretend I didn’t .” Obviously, it hadn’t worked.
Her hand strayed to her own knee, where the word ‘Frederick’ was hidden under her work pants. If Blake was it, did she want to know? She wanted him to be. It would make the strength of her feelings, and her inability to fight them, a little more understandable.
“Was Doe… okay?” Thea asked. “I haven’t really talked to her. Not since I told you -”
“Yeah, I think so,” Blake nodded. “I mean... she broke up with me.” There was a grin on his lips a Blake said it. “I was going to break up with her. Before I could, she broke up with me. It’s pretty safe to say the feeling is mutual.”
Thea drew in a sharp breath, her heart skipping a beat within her chest. “She what?” She didn’t need Blake to repeat himself. If he said that Doe had been the one to call it off, Thea believed him.
Suddenly, Thea didn’t care whether or not Blake was her soulmate. All she knew was that her feelings for him had been threatening to overwhelm her - and there was no more reason to hold them back.
Twisting on the sofa, she pushed her body against Blake’s, one hand fisting in the front of his shirt as she dragged his mouth down to meet hers.
Blake kissed back instantly, lips parting to let Thea’s tongue in as his own reached to meet it. His hands came to brush over her back, pulling Thea up so she could straddle his lap. It felt so good to kiss Blake, to have him kiss back, with nothing to worry about, nothing to stop them. His hands against her felt so strong and yet his kiss was almost soft. Passionate, but soft.
With one hand cupping Thea’s face and the other still against her hip, Blake broke the kiss so they could breathe . His lips were red from Thea’s kiss and he looked so good. She could feel the muscles of his body, the strength almost radiating off it. Being in his lap like this felt... right . It also felt super good.
“I’d really like to date you, Thea,” Blake said.
“Yes,” Thea agreed, without hesitation. Now that she’d broken the dam, she couldn’t quite bring herself to stop touching Blake. She ran her hands over his broad shoulders, feeling the muscles move under her touch. She pulled back, just a little, enough that she could watch Blake’s face.
“I want that,” she said, more slowly. She was rewarded by a smile - a real smile. She knew because Blake’s dimples winked out on either side. Thea’s heart felt too big, like the happiness at knowing she could make Blake smile like that was too much to contain.
Remembering how slowly Blake and Doe had moved, Thea sucked her lower lip into her mouth. “I want other things, too,” she admitted, almost shyly. Would Blake mind that Thea didn’t want to wait? They had been dancing around each other for weeks.
If he minded, the way his hands traveled over Thea’s body really didn’t seem to indicate as much. The fingers of one of Blake’s hands slid under the hem of Thea’s blouse, sending a shiver down her body as they brushed over the bare skin on her stomach. His touch was still gentle, but it certainly wasn’t shy .
“Tell me,” Blake told her, making Thea’s eyes widen slightly. “I’d like to hear about the things you want,” he added. Then, Blake leaned in closer, running his tongue over Thea’s neck in a way that made her swallow up a moan. “I would very much like to give you things you want,” he told her. His voice was definitely sultry.
Thea hadn’t even known Blake could sound like that, but God was it hot.
She could feel a heat pulsing between her legs already . She wished she was wearing something sexier. Blake hardly seemed to object, not if the way he untucked her blouse from her pants was any sign.
“God.” She swallowed hard, a million different ideas of what she wanted Blake to do filling her mind. “I want to feel your hands on me. They’re so big, so strong. I want you to grab my ass as you pull me against you.” Thea licked her lips, pressing her body harder against Blake’s under her. “I want to feel you get hard for me,” she added, her own voice dropping to a husky whisper.
She wrapped both arms around Blake’s strong shoulders. “But not here,” she said, playfully. Even if Doe was okay with this, she didn’t need to walk in on it.
Blake gave a nod. His hand freed itself from under Thea’s blouse and moved to her ass. He gave it a squeeze, smirking when her breath caught. It was a playful smirk. Thea liked that. She liked how this could be playful. Then , Blake lifted her as he stood like she weighed nothing. There was a lot to be said about the strength of a hockey player.
With ease, Blake carried her to her bedroom. Thea half expected him to drop her on the bed. Blake didn’t. Instead, he sat down, with her still straddling his lap. His hand returned to her blouse. Tugging at it slightly, Blake tilted his head up.
“Can I take this off?”
Running a hand through Blake’s hair, Thea loved the feel of the soft strands. She tangled her fingers in them, giving a light tug to tilt Blake’s head more. Leaning down, she ran her tongue over the sharp angle of his jaw, nippi
ng her teeth lightly against his skin.
Satisfied, at least for the moment, she pulled back. “Yes.” She freed her arms from Blake’s shoulders. By the time Blake had finished with her buttons, all Thea had to do was shrug the blouse off and let it fall to the floor.
Blake’s gaze moved over her, drinking her in. Thea wanted to give as good as she got. She fisted her hand in Blake’s top, dragging it up to expose the rippling muscles of his stomach. “Help me get this off?” she asked, teasingly.
Blake lifted his arms so she could pull his shirt off. He smirked up at Thea when her breath caught at the sight of him. His body was well-toned, perfect lines that she could drag a finger over. Blake’s hands returned to her body, exploring the skin that was heating up so much from his touch.
“God, you’re fucking stunning,” Blake said, one hand brushing over Thea’s back to seek out the clasp of her bra. Blake looked up at her for permission. When she nodded, he undid her bra. She would’ve paused to be impressed with his one-handed approach, but she was too distracted by Blake’s mouth against her lips.
Thea sought out Blake’s tongue, brushing against it with her own. Her hands moved hungrily over Blake’s chest, fingers spanning the perfect contours of his muscles. She rocked her hips down against his, encouraging Blake’s hand on her ass to pull her closer.
He did, Thea’s legs spreading wider to accommodate his thick thighs. They were both wearing far too many clothes. Thea broke away from the kiss to scramble backward. She stood between his legs, fingers teasing at the button of her pants.
Blake’s gaze was glued to her stomach, watching as she unfastened the buttons and revealed the scalloped edge of her mismatched underwear. “Sorry,” she said, smirking right back at him as she pushed the pants down her legs. “I wasn’t exactly expecting this.”
Thea could tell that it took Blake a moment to realize what she was apologizing for. When he did, Blake laughed. “It’s alright, my underwear’s not matching either,” he teased, pulling her closer. Blake’s hands traveled over Thea’s stomach and up to her now naked breasts. His hands felt rough. The touch itself was soft. It made Thea’s breath catch, especially when one of Blake’s thumbs brushed over her nipple.
Leaning in, Blake caught her other nipple with his mouth. His tongue lapped over it and Thea gave an unexpectedly loud moan. Blake took it as encouragement, sucking her nipple between his lips. With one hand playing with her other breast, Blake’s free hand rested against Thea’s hip. His tongue was teasing, urging her to make more sounds as he sucked slightly harder.
It sent pleasure shooting straight between Thea’s legs. She was sure that when Blake finally took her panties off, he’d find them soaked. She rolled her hips, trying to urge the hand on her hip to tease beneath the waistband.
Blake just sucked harder against her nipple, making Thea gasp. “Fuck!” she breathed sharply. She paused, settling both her hands on his shoulders. She pulled back to look down into his face.
“What do I call you?” she asked. If Blake wasn’t really his name, did he want her calling it out when they were in bed together?
The question made Blake blink at her before he honest to God laughed. “Call me ‘Blake’, Thea, that’s what I’ve been called all my life,” he told her, shaking his head. For a moment it made her feel silly for having asked. Then Blake pulled her back into his lap, thrusting his hips up. All her thoughts about silliness disappeared, overwhelmed by her need to moan at how hard he felt.
“I’m going to flip you over,” Blake said. That was all the warning Thea got before he did just that. Blake’s mouth instantly returned to her skin, kisses peppered against her neck. He kissed his way down Thea’s body, stopping to pay special attention to each of her nipples. Blake seemed very determined to make her moan before moving on.
Now his fingers did slide under the material of Thea’s panties. Blake looked up at her. “Yeah?” he asked. Thea’s stomach swooped with butterflies. The way he kept pausing and asking was just so sweet . The way he looked, almost placed between her legs, was a lot more than just sweet.
She nodded, biting down hard on her lower lip. It didn’t keep her from moaning as Blake pulled her panties down her legs, leaving her totally exposed. Thea ran her hands over Blake’s shoulders, shivering under his touch as his fingers trailed up her calf.
“Get back up here,” she ordered. It was thrilling to know she could tell Blake what she wanted, that he wanted to give those things to her. Thea hoped he’d enjoy them just as much.
Blake gave a soft laugh at the order but did also begin to move back up. Then he stopped suddenly. Thea briefly wondered if she’d said the wrong thing. Then she felt it, the soft touch of Blake’s fingers against the sticker that covered her soulmark. Using her arms to prop herself up a bit, Thea looked down at him. Blake gave her a smile.
He leaned down, pressing a kiss just above Thea’s knee. His fingers were still against the sticker. “I think that maybe we’re soulmates,” he told her. “Even if we’re not, I really want this. I want you,” Blake said, the tone of his voice gentle. He gave Thea another smile. “Do you want to know?”
Thea’s stomach gave an anxious flip. She couldn’t ignore the warmth that spread through her. Blake wanted to be her soulmate. More than that, even if he wasn’t, he wanted to be with her. That was what truly mattered.
Biting her lip, Thea looked down at Blake between her thighs. They were going to have to find out eventually, so why not now? That way, it wouldn’t be a question lurking at the back of either of their minds.
“Go on,” Thea decided. She reached out, cupping Blake’s cheek and brushing her thumb across his cheekbone. “It won’t change anything if we’re not . If we are -” If they were, it would make this all the sweeter.
“Yeah.” Blake nodded like he could read her mind. He pressed another soft kiss against her knee and then moved up leaving a line of kisses against Thea’s inner thigh. She felt her whole body heat up as he abandoned her soulmark in favor of kissing towards... “Frederick, my given name is Frederick,” Blake told her.
Thea’s stomach swooped. Never before had the name Frederick filled her with so much joy . She laughed aloud, reaching for Blake and pulling him up her body so she could kiss him. She poured everything into the kiss - the surprise, the relief, the triumph. Wrapping her legs around his hips, Thea moaned.
“It is you!” she exclaimed. She pulled back, studying Blake’s face. His dimples were out in full force. Thea lifted a hand to brush against one of them. “I hope I look as happy as you do,” she teased. Thea felt like she did. Her joy must have been shining out of her.
Thea had all but given up on meeting her soulmate, let alone meeting him and liking him.
Liking didn’t seem quite strong enough a word.
“You do,” Blake confirmed. The smile on his face was so pure . He glanced down, before giving a soft chuckle. “Except you’re a lot more naked,” he announced. He pressed another kiss against Thea’s lips. His hands slid over her body before Blake pulled back, moving off the bed.
Blake’s hands were at his belt, undoing it as he licked his lips. “I can definitely fix that, though,” he promised Thea, making her laugh in turn. This was not what she had imagined finding your soulmate would be like. Yet it felt... right . Blake took very little time in getting his pants off. Thea had to swallow when she saw the way his cock bulged against his boxers.
Her eyes slid lower, stopping when they spotted the sticker below Blake’s knee. It was the same place her soulmark was, just the other leg. He seemed to spot her gaze, giving a nod. “It’s weird that they kind of match.” Blake nodded and then, then he pulled the sticker off, revealing the dark letters that read ‘Dorothy’.
“It’s weirder that neither of us uses our names,” Thea countered. “None of this feels weird, though.” Maybe it should. All Thea could think was how right it felt. They’d had chemistry from the beginning. No matter how hard they’d tried to fight it, it hadn’t gone away.
That mattered, Thea was sure of it.
She reached out, pulling Blake back onto the bed, running her hand down his side. His skin was warm. Thea could see the way he leaned into her touch. It made her feel so special, like he wanted the contact to last as long as it possibly could.
Thea didn’t intend for it to stop anytime soon.
Slowly, she ran a finger across the waistband of Blake’s boxers. “God, you feel good,” she breathed.
“So do you,” Blake told Thea, hands roaming over her body. He kissed her neck again, sucking lightly against the skin there in a way that brought a moan to Thea’s lips. “You also sound so good,” he added, before kissing his way lower. “I want to make you scream.” It was such a blunt statement. Thea almost laughed but instead another loud moan erupted from her when Blake recaptured one of her nipples between his lips.
He tugged against it, the tip of his tongue playing over the soft spot. Thea’s hand slid up to his shoulder and then even higher over Blake’s neck. She tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging slightly. It didn’t at all discourage Blake from what he clearly had set his mind to. He began to kiss his way down her stomach again.
Thea parted her legs, moaning loudly as the cool air brushed against her heated flesh. She had no doubt Blake would make her scream. She felt so sensitive already. He’d barely even touched her. “ Please , Blake,” Thea begged.
His fingers brushed against her thighs, making Thea squirm beneath him. She wanted those fingers to move higher. Blake seemed in no hurry. Not even when Thea arched her back, lifting her hips off the bed.
Her toes curled as Thea tried to drag Blake’s head between her legs. He was too strong. As impatient as she was, that was hot . She already knew Blake could lift her up like she was nothing. He could also hold her down and tease her until he was ready.
Best Shot (Madison Howlers Book 2) Page 17