Rescuing Their Virgin Mate[Pack Wars-Book 3] (14 page)

“Mind if we eat inside?”

“Anything you wish.”

The glimmer in his eyes made
being with him easy. They ordered scrambled eggs from a limited menu at the
bar. The waitress pointed to a table in the corner of the cramped but cozy café
and told them she’d bring their breakfast to their table.

They wove around the tables,
half of which were occupied. They sat facing each other.

She placed the paper napkin
on her lap. “So tell me what it was like growing up with such, how should I put
it, potential?”

He laughed. “In one
word—hard.”

“Why? Because you had to hide
your multiple talents?”

“In a way. I grew up in
Washington State where wildlife was plentiful. When I was about three, my dad
taught me how to explore my other side.”

“Didn’t that freak you out?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think I
knew any different. My dad could run and howl, so why not me?”

That made sense. His life sounded
almost idyllic. “Were there others like you nearby?”

“Some. Dirk was my best
friend growing up. We tried to share our experience with our human friends, but
they just ran.”

“They rejected you?” Her hand
flattened on her chest.

He laughed. “You seem
surprised.”

“But you had a lot to offer.
Couldn’t they see how being friends with such a talented person would benefit
them?”

He shook his head. “When a
real wolf killed a young boy in town, my parents decided it was time to move.”

“Did someone blame you?”

He swallowed and looked off. “Yes,
only it wasn’t me or anyone else like me. It was an honest-to-goodness wolf.”

The server came over and
placed their order in front of them. “Can I get you anything else?”

Clay smiled. “We’re good.” He
pointed his fork at her. “Let’s eat.”

Her stomach grumbled, but she
needed to digest what he’d told her. Being different would be hard especially
if you thought defending your kind might make things worse. When she finished
spreading most of the food around, she pushed her plate to the side. Her
appetite had waned after hearing his story.

“Where are you parents now?”
She hoped they were still alive.

“In Wyoming. They bought a
large spread a few years back and took up ranching.”

She leaned close and whispered.
“Does your dad ever shift and herd the cattle himself?”

His eyes widened. “I have no
idea, but it sounds like a great idea.”

“Did you move a lot?” There
might have been other incidents to prompt the family to change locations.

“Only every year.” He held up
a finger. “And before you ask, our family kind of adopted Dirk and his mom.
They came with us wherever we went.”

No wonder they kept no
secrets between them. A twinge of jealousy surfaced. Even if she decided to be
with both men, she’d never play a role as important as the one they’d played in
each other’s life.

Clay slipped a hand over
hers. “Something wrong?”

“No. Just thinking.”

“Are you worried there isn’t
a place in our lives for you because Dirk and I are like brothers?”

Her jaw dropped. “You can
read minds.”

He threw back his head and
guffawed. Tears brimmed on his lashes. Her comment wasn’t that funny.

He finally straightened. “Oh,
sugar, you have no idea about my many talents.”

#

They didn’t linger because
the impending storm arrived.

As soon as they stepped
inside the beach house, Elena held out her palms. “I really, really need to
shower. I have sand everywhere.”

He lifted his arm. The
underside was coated in sand. “Me, too.”

He held his breath hoping
she’d ask if they could shower together. Dirk’s words came back to him about
being his usual aggressive self and seeing if she stopped him.

“You know we have a water
shortage in the state.” She’ll never fall for that line.

She laughed. “It’s raining
outside.”

That wasn’t a rejection. “True,
but not enough to replenish the aquifer.”

Maybe Clay shouldn’t have
snapped those photos of Elena, but if she decided she wanted nothing to do with
either of them, having her picture might help. Who was he kidding? Staring at
her photo when he couldn’t touch her would make him go crazy. His attraction to
her wasn’t because she was his mate. Elena was pure of heart, open to accept
others, and eager to learn.

She moved closer and his
balls turned to steel. “Are you suggesting we shower together?”

He mentally pumped his fist.
His normally calm body betrayed him once more with the sound of cracking bones.
“Yes.”

Making love with Elena might
prevent his body from going haywire every time he was around her, but that
wasn’t why he desired her. He was falling in love with this resilient, kind
woman.

Her smile nearly did him in,
and thoughts of Kurt and Drake’s playroom surfaced. She’d freak if he brought
her into a room that had chains coming down from the ceiling and more toys than
any local sex shop.

“Clay?”

He had to stop daydreaming.
“Coming. Let’s use the shower in the room where I’m staying. It’s bigger.”

“I’m game.”

She’d basically handed him an
open invitation to make love with her, and he prayed he didn’t mess it up.

Chapter Ten

Elena hoped she wasn’t making
a mistake, but when Clay was photographing her, she swore she saw not only
compassion in his eyes, but also a strong yearning ready to burst out of him.
He was a good man. Learning about his life growing up shed a new light on the
kind of obstacles he’d had to face. She admired a man who made something good
out of a bad situation.

“Right this way.” He opened
the bedroom door.

While the room was smaller
than hers, it had a more comfortable feel, especially since the bed was on a
diagonal. She brushed against him and sand trickled down her arm. “Whoops.”
They hurried into the bathroom and she held her palm under the sandier of her
two arms. She halted. “Wow. This is nice.”

He clasped her hand and led
her into the shower stall. “We should undress in here so we don’t track sand
everywhere.”

“Good idea.” She liked he was
considerate about his friend’s house.

While Clay had already seen
her naked, she was still a little self-conscious about removing her clothes in
front of him. As if he could sense her unease, he turned to the side as he took
off his clothes. The more she got to know him, the more she found him
attractive. His appeal wasn’t just his good looks or that he’d saved her twice,
but his ability to moderate his hidden aggression and be gentle.

She tossed her clothes over
the rim of the shower and placed her sneakers outside the stall. There were two
showerheads, and once Clay’s clothes were safely out of the reach of the water,
she turned hers on. Instead of using his side of the shower, Clay stepped over
to her half.

“You’re a very dirty girl.
All this sand will be hard to get off.”

She faced him and let her
gaze drag down to his huge penis.
Wow
.
Little doubt remained about his interest or what they would be doing later.
Several objections over what she was ready to do came to mind, but she refused
to dwell on them. Clay Demmers was too good to turn down.

“I think you’re sandier than
me.” She brushed a clump from his shoulder.

He pulled her near, and his
demanding kiss made her melt against his body. She loved how the planes of his
chest pressed hard against her tits. When he threaded his fingers through her
windswept hair, she plastered her palms against his
pecs
and returned his kiss with passion. Desperation clawed at her. This was no slow,
sweet seduction like when she’d made love with Dirk. Clay was forceful to a
point where even he seemed unable to stop the sexual train.

Water pummeled his back. He
stepped away from the spray and rotated her around.

“I want to sample every inch
of your body.” He lowered his head and drew a nipple into his mouth.

Streaks of delight rushed
through her veins. The strong tug sent her core screaming for more. Unsure
where to place her hands, she kneaded his shoulders, enjoying how the muscles
bunched with every movement. When Clay pinched her other nipple, the pain
brought out a gasp, but instantly her inner walls clenched. Her stomach
fluttered when he rolled her nipple and joy sped into her veins.

He knelt in front of her and
looked up. “Spread your legs for me.”

She didn’t hesitate. Her
muscles tightened, waiting for the wonderful assault to begin. Every touch and
lick had her reeling, and she could only imagine what he would do next.

Clay ran his tongue up her
inner thigh and the anticipation alone made her hot—bubbling in fact.
Fire streaked up her body, and he had yet to lick her most intimate region.
Clay looked up and straightened his shoulders. “I don’t want you to come until
I tell you.”

What kind of request was
that? Being so inexperienced, she had no idea how to stop the inevitable
climax. The timing was wrong for a discussion, but she didn’t want to get this
relationship off to a bad start. “Why?”

He grinned. “Trust me. When
you do climax, it will rock your world.”

He dipped his head before she
had a chance to figure out how to respond. His thumbs pressed against her inner
thighs as his tongue opened her lower lips.

All words flew out of her
head as strong sparks of need grabbed her and made her dizzy. She clasped his
head and moaned.

He stopped. “Put your hands
on your head and don’t move.”

Where were all of these
commands coming from? Her first instinct was to deny his request, but they
actually turned her on. How strange was that? The few men she’d chosen to date
weren’t dominant, but Clay’s aggression worked for her.

She planted her hands behind
her head while keeping her gaze on him. Once more, his tongue swiped a wide
path over her opening, and her belly coiled so tightly her thighs tensed. Then
he hit that super sensitive spot Dirk loved to play with. It might be called a
clit, but to her it was her instant lust button. Clay continuously flicked his
tongue over the tiny bud then slipped a finger into her wet hole. Her womb
spasmed
and she milked his fingers.

He leaned back. “If you do
that when I make love to you, I’ll go off like a rocket.”

“That wouldn’t be good.”

If his head hadn’t been in
the way, she would have enjoyed watching his penis bob and expand as she
traveled her path to heaven. If he’d let her use her hands, she’d give as much
as she received.

He stood. “I miss your tits
too much. Turn around and lean against the wall.”

Confusion clouded her brain,
but
excitement made her do
as he asked. She palmed the
wall, and Clay nestled his sex between her legs. When his penis bumped against
her clit, she drew her legs together. In a flash, he stepped back and slapped
her rear. It wasn’t real hard, but it was enough to sting. She jerked around
and puffed out her chest. “Why did you do that?”

He lowered his gaze and moved
in close. Her back pressed against the wall. “Because you moved.”

She didn’t know that wasn’t
allowed. “You touched my clit.”

He cupped her face and
grinned. “When we make love, there are no boundaries. I touch you wherever I
want, and if I give you permission, you can touch me wherever you want. Does
that seem fair?” His mere presence jumbled her thoughts.

“Yes.”
Not really, but reason evaporated.

“Good.” He kissed her, but
this time their lips barely touched. “One more thing. If there is anything I do
that you don’t like, you can use a safe word.”

“You want to tie me up and
blindfold me?” She had a good friend, Janice, who loved BDSM and had regaled
her with a lot of stories. But that was for Janice—not her.

“Not tonight.” He drew her
hands to his lips and kissed them. “Maybe not for a long time. Wearing a
blindfold and obeying is all about trust and love.”

Love?
Is that what this was?

“I don’t know if I’d like
that.” Heck, everything was too new for her to know anything for sure.

“Do you trust me?” He sucked
one of her fingers into his mouth and wicked flames of desire lapped her
insides.

She didn’t have to think.
“Yes.”

“Good. I want you to be
comfortable with me and with who you are as a person.”

His words sounded warm, rich,
inviting.

“Okay.”

“Your safe word will be
brown
.”

That was ridiculous. “Why
brown
?”

“Because you have the most
beautiful brown hair and deep chocolate eyes.”