“That was the coolest damn thing I have ever seen,” Thomas said softly, his voice sounding slightly reverent. He didn’t seem intimidated at all to be standing a few inches away from a two-hundred-pound wolf.
“I know, right?” Tina said, moving up next to her brother to stare at Cash in awe. Another twinge of jealousy went through Liam as she watched his pack mate in wolf form. Cash in wolf form had dark-brown fur the color of fresh hickory, with streaks of ebony black throughout. His dark-brown eyes were clear of the pain-filled fog, and he panted softly. He was a striking wolf, but in human form he had the charm of the angels, and Liam preferred that his mate keep her distance.
“Tina, come here,” Liam said softly, and Tina turned startled eyes to him. She immediately moved to stand in the shelter of Liam’s arms with her head on his chest, and Liam warmed instantly. He wasn’t even sure she realized that she had complied with his unreasonable demand, but he was pleased just the same. He held her, absorbing her comfort as they all waited for Cash to finish healing enough to transport.
* * * *
Once he felt well enough to move, Owen and Rafe helped Cash off of the table in his human form, and Thomas loaned him a pair of sweats to pull on. They all thanked Thomas, and everyone except Tina and Liam left to go back to the den. Once the door closed behind the crowd, Tina walked over to hug her brother.
“Thank you, Tommy,” she mumbled against her brother’s wide chest. She inhaled deeply taking in his chocolate and mint smell. Thomas had always been fond of chocolate and mint, and usually kept a stash in one of his pockets. It was one of the things she loved about him.
“I love you, Tink. You know I will do anything for you. Now how did you two meet? And do Mom and Dad know yet?” Thomas said, tipping Tina’s chin so that she had to look at him. Her eyes shifted over to look at Liam, who stood leaning against the wall silently with his arms crossed over his chest.
“No, I haven’t told Mom and Dad, but I’m not sure that I’m going to. Liam and I are dating. We’re not married,” Tina said defiantly, and she jumped when she heard Liam growl.
“Not exactly, mate. Thomas, I’ll be honest with you. Tina is my mate, and for a wolf that means she is my soul mate. I could never be happy without her, and I intend to marry her as soon as I can convince her,” Liam said, and Tina’s faced flushed angrily.
Thomas on the other hand looked pleased as punch, and hugged Tina a little tighter to his chest. “Good, she needs a man that can handle her. But, Mr. Gray, if you hurt her, I will kill you. Wolf or no wolf. Are we clear?”
Tina groaned out loud at their display of machismo. “All right now, no one will hurt me unless I let them. Tommy, I’m tired and I want to go home. Please promise me that you won’t say anything to Mom and Dad?”
“All right, Tink, you can keep your secrets for now, but if Liam is serious, I expect to see a ring on your finger soon.” He jerked her into another tight hug before releasing her to shake Liam’s hand.
“Thank you again, Thomas,” Liam said, and he took Tina’s hand to lead her out the door and out of the apartment building to his truck.
“You can drop me off at my house,” Tina said as they buckled into the truck.
“Nope. I’m staying the night,” he said, and he threw the truck into drive.
“What? Why?” she demanded, but her traitorous libido jumped into action. She hated that her body responded to him when her mind wanted to fight.
His eyes flashed with fire as he turned to look at her. “Because I want you, that’s why. It’s taking all of my willpower to keep from stopping this truck and taking you right here on the side of the street. Now, stop arguing.” He brushed a rough kiss over her parted lips and turned back to drive them to Tina’s small house.
Chapter 16
“Liam, you have to stop telling people that we are mated, and that we are going to get married. I have told you I won’t be your mate,” she said quietly when they both entered her home a little while later.
“Why? Is there something wrong with me?” he raised his eyebrow arrogantly as he studied her. He took a step closer to her, squeezing her hand between her breasts and his chest. Her hand opened and shut twice before she moved again.
“No, in fact you are too perfect. I thought I had perfect once, and it bit me in the ass,” she said angrily, pulling her arm away from him and taking a step toward the empty living room.
Before she could even blink he was pressed against her back with his mouth at her ear. Her mind whirled at the abrupt change in his mood. Just when she thought she could relax because she had her desire under control, it blazed into a fiery passion that she couldn’t escape. She could feel his heart thudding through their clothes. It matched the racing beat of her own. One of his arms wrapped around her hips to press her tightly against his rock-hard erection while the other slid up the side of her throat to grip her chin and turn her head to the side. Their eyes met, and she could see the banked fire burning deep in them. Her clit throbbed automatically, and her limbs suddenly became ten pounds heavier. His muscular pecks were rubbing deliciously against her shoulder blades. She barely resisted moaning at his arrogant, determined stare.
“I will gladly bite your ass, and kiss it, and lick it, and fuck it until you’re screaming. I’m glad that you think I’m perfect, because I’m beginning to believe that you are more perfect for me than I could have dreamed. I can’t even explain how proud I was to stand in front of your brother and tell him I want you. I didn’t think I wanted a mate, Tina, but I want you. My wolf howls every time I’m close to you, and when I’m not I feel like half of me is missing. I love how your body responds to me so quickly, and how hard you make me. Do you feel how hard I am for you? I bet you’re just dripping for me, so why would you keep trying to fight what we both need?” His voice rumbled as he nibbled and kissed the shell of her ear, across her jaw, and up to her temple.
“I won’t deny that I want you physically, but I can’t make a commitment to you, Liam. I won’t let you claim me. I need more time,” she whispered. She was panting now, and it was getting harder to think clearly. Why exactly did she want to tell him no? Her inner female was screaming,
Hell yes!
He growled against her, and his arm tightened at her waist. He took her mouth in a blazing kiss that weakened her knees. Holding her weight with one arm, he used his free hand to caress her now trembling body. She ached with a need so deep that she felt like she would explode. The vivid fantasies that haunted her dreams were no comparison to being held tightly in his arms. It completed her on some level and turned her on more than anything else in her life. She shivered in anticipated as his fingertips scraped across her ribs.
“Right now I want to make love to you, Sweet Tina. Let me show you again how perfect it is between us,” he whispered against her lips.
She groaned and let her head drop back to his shoulder, leaving her throat exposed, and vulnerable. His tongue licked the tendon that connected her neck and shoulder, and his hot breath tickled her ear. Slipping his hand under the hem of her shirt, he pulled it off over her head, freeing her swollen breasts to his touch. His hips ground against the upper swell of her ass, and his chest rubbed erotically against the naked skin of her back. She moaned and melted into his embrace.
She couldn’t lie to herself. She definitely wanted him. Right now she wanted him more than she wanted to breathe. As his fingers massaged her breasts and pinched her tight nipples she arched her back trying to get closer to him. He gripped them with both hands now and squeezed them up and together using just his thumbs to strum her sensitive tips. At the same time his lips devoured hers, and he licked at her tongue and teeth sending ripples through her body. She moaned into his mouth, and both of her hands grabbed at the arm that banded her waist.
Her blood boiling, she gave into the internal battle raging inside of her and blissfully submitted to his touch. He released his grip on her long enough to pull her tight jeans down her hips, and his quick intake of breath at the sight of her pale, ivory bottom completely naked sent shivers across her skin. His hands slid around her to cup her mons, and she arched to press it against him harder.
She squeaked in surprise when he turned and bent to lift her up with one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees.
“I want you in a bed this time, Sweet Tina. I want to savor every inch of your delicious body.” He bent his neck so that his nose rested against her temple, and she could feel his deep inhalation of her scent. She wound her arms around his neck to steady herself and let her eyes drift closed while she just enjoyed his arms.
She was flat on her back on her queen-sized bed in no time, and she waited breathlessly as he stripped his own clothes off. He paused as she looked his body over from head to toe. Catching his amused grin, she winked and wiggled one finger at him indicating he should turn for her. He did with a small chuckle, and she licked her lips when she got a glimpse of his tight backside.
“Lord have mercy,” she muttered as he stalked back over to the bed and knelt between her outstretched thighs. His golden skin was smooth and almost completely hairless. There was a faint happy trail of hairs from his belly button down and over his balls, but nothing else distracted from his cut muscles. His cock stood proudly thick and long, waving like a red cape at a bull, and she reached for him.
She frowned up at him when he resisted her touch. “If you touch me now, this will be over too fast sweetheart. I want to make love to you nice and slow, so just relax and enjoy it.”
With that he bent over and kissed the top of her pussy, nuzzling at the soft skin and hair there. Her black hair on her head matched the short curls that protected her femininity. He could just barely see the tip of her clit as it poked out from her thick pussy lips. She was so wet he could see it glistening on her skin.
With the heart of a determined man, he set himself to delivering several intensely erotic orgasms to his mate before loving her. She made the sexiest noises as he licked, poked, and sucked at every inch of the skin between her thighs. His fingers teased into her passageway, and he curled his middle finger looking for the textured circle of her G-spot. When he found it, she rewarded him with a small half scream that surely echoed throughout the tiny house.
“Please don’t tease me,” she whimpered, and he paused to meet her lust filled gaze.
“It’s not teasing, because I fully intend to make good on this promise. Show me how you like to touch yourself.” he said, and she blushed. He almost laughed out loud at the shock on her face. “What? Don’t you masturbate, too?”
He cocked his head to watch her as she responded. “Of course, but I’ve never let anyone…well you know…not in front of anyone.”
His grin could have rivaled that of any pageant winner. “For me, please?”
She returned his smile hesitantly, and her own hands went to her sopping-wet pussy. She circled her finger around her clit before slipping it deep inside of her. His eyes followed her every move for a moment before his hand reached to help. Guiding his fingers in the sensual movements that only she understood, she felt the edge of her first orgasm fluttering. Suddenly two of his thick fingers sunk deep inside of her and scissored to stretch her aching muscles. His thumb pressed firmly against her puckered asshole and pressed in just as she fell off the edge and climaxed. Her whole body shuddered and trembled violently as he continued to move his fingers in and out of her, drawing out the ripples.
She felt his thick cock press against her now-clenching wet opening. His body pressed over the top of hers with his chest rubbing erotically against her swollen breasts as he slowly entered her. Electricity shot through the nerves of her wet pussy as his thick length filled her, bringing thighs up tightly around his hips and her clit against the shaft of his cock.
“Damn, you feel amazing,” he said breathlessly into her ear as he paused for her to adjust to him. The hesitation just made her writhe harder against him.
“Liam, please!” She moaned, and her hands gripped the edge of the headboard behind her to brace herself. She could feel her fingernails digging into the softer wood underside of the bed frame, and she could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. She felt like she was going to die if he didn’t start moving soon. She could feel the need in his tight muscles as he slowly thrust against her. He murmured to her, encouraging her and praising her as he gently kissed her naked breasts and throat, his tempo steadily getting faster and harder.
“Mmmm, I love being inside of you, Sweet Tina. It’s like heaven.” His voice was thick with desire, and it had a rougher edge to it than normal. Their eyes met for a second, and the glowing icy-blue of his wolflike eyes made her cry out. He pressed his face back against her shoulder, and she could feel his deep inhale of her scent. A snarl escaped his throat before she felt sharp teeth press against the soft skin between her throat and shoulder to hold her still. The sharp stab of pain was followed by an intense wave of pleasure as his canine teeth scraped against her flesh. A throbbing pulse of heat shot from the spot where his teeth broke the skin straight to her clit, curling her toes.
Having him holding her in place, with no control over any part of their movements, turned her on more than she could have ever imagined. It felt natural that he dominate her every sense. She felt delicate in his arms and cherished. The massive feeling of need overwhelmed her senses, and she whimpered as hot tears ran down her cheeks. She could feel a building orgasm, and her whole body felt like it was on fire as she lost herself in the plunging motion of his thrusts.