The Calling (16 page)

"Close to home," he said. "Or wherever my campsite is."

"You camp?" She looked up and watched him smile.

"It wouldn't be a great idea to run through Bluff's Point while in wolf form, now would it?"

"No," she said, before taking the first step with him toward the creek. "I guess that explains all the camping gear in your truck." They reached the creek bank and he nearly fell in face first as she tried to lower him back to the ground. He was sitting half in and half out of the water and she let go of him to remove her shoes and socks and roll her pants legs up. She stepped into the creek and gasped as the water hit her skin. "Shit this is cold."

Garrett leaned over, propping his weight up with one arm and reached out with the other to scoop a hand full of water up and splashing it on his face. Rayna bent her knees, washing her hands and arms free of the slime before walking to him and helping him wash. His skin was impossibly warm and slick and the more she rubbed her wet hands over him, and felt his muscles under her palms, the more she wanted to touch him. She pushed the thought away, helping him to wash away the remnants of the wolf. When his skin glowed, he looked up at her.

"I have spare clothes in the truck, behind the seat. Can you grab them for me?"

She smiled and walked out of the water, slipping her shoes back on before running back to the truck. She saw Jacob lying by the fire, his eyes closed. A quick search of Garrett's truck and she found several sets of clothes and an assortment of shoes. "His clothing bill must be outrageous," she said to herself as she grabbed a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, socks and boots.

When she made it back to where she'd left him, he was gone. "Garrett?"

"Over here."

She turned to the sound of his voice. He was hidden in the shadow of the trees, lying on the blanket she'd dropped earlier. Making her way to him, she sank to her knees beside him. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he said. "Just tired."

She reached out, brushing his wet hair away from his forehead. His eyes were closed, his breaths taken quickly as if he were winded. He looked up at her before raising his arm, taking her hand and kissing her palm. "Come here," he said, tugging her down to him.

Rayna lay down beside of him, molding her body against his. He sighed, his eyes once again closing before he nuzzled the side of her neck. His lips were warm as he brushed them against her skin and she realized then how hot his body was. He felt feverish. She touched his forehead, the side of his face and his chest, feeling the heat. "You're burning up, Garrett. Are you sure you're all right?"

He nodded. "Hmm. My body temperature elevates in wolf form. It'll return to normal soon." She wasn't sure she believed him. She'd never felt anyone's skin so hot. He opened his eyes to look at her and smiled. "I'm fine, Rayna. I couldn't catch a cold if you sneezed in my face, let alone get sick from anything else. My metabolism and body temperature make it damn near impossible to be infected with anything. I'm already infected, remember?"

"You can't get sick?"

"No."

"Never?" He shook his head. "No flu bugs or stomach virus?"

"No."

"STD's?"

"What part of no aren't you getting?" he asked, laughing, pulling her body closer to him. "I can't get sick, ever, so stop worrying."

She grinned and ran her hand over his chest, fingering one nipple and smiling as it tightened. He made a small noise in the back of his throat before brushing her forehead with his lips. His hand slid down over her ribs, resting on her hip before sliding behind her to her bottom. He pulled her to him, pressing her into his body. She felt him then against her leg, thick and hard. "I thought you were tired," she said, smiling.

"Never too tired for you."

Rayna ran her hand down his stomach and glanced up at his face. He was watching her, his gaze penetrating. She leaned back enough to get her hand between them and he sucked in a harsh breath when her fingers skimmed the head of his cock.

His eyes fluttered closed as she wrapped her hand around him, fisting his hardened length in her palm. He moaned and threw his head back, his neck impossibly long. "Christ, Rayna, don't stop."

Chapter 10

Rayna stroked him from base to tip, watching his lips part before she leaned forward, burying her face against his throat. She sucked his flesh into her mouth, using her teeth on him lightly. His fingers wound in her hair, holding her head to him and she kissed her way to the side of his neck, up his jaw and across the stubble on his cheek. When he turned his head and opened his eyes, she smiled. "I take it you're feeling a little better."

He made a sound deep in his throat before his mouth covered hers, his tongue slipping past her lips. Desire burned through her limbs, tiny sparks of need firing off nerve endings that caused her body to ache. She worked her wrist, continuing to stroke him as his kiss became more aggressive. His hold on her tightened, his fingers in her hair pressing into her scalp. When he reached down and grabbed her wrist, he broke the kiss.

"Another minute of that and I'm done for," he said. "It's been too long."

She looked up at him through her lashes. "How long?"

He smiled. "Since you," he said. He pushed her hair away from her face, his fingertips brushing her cheek. "I didn't leave you for someone else, Rayna. I left you to keep you safe. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"You could have told me."

"And then I would have lost you forever. I may not have been able to be with you after I broke things off but you were still there. If I had told you what I was..." He sighed. "I couldn't take the chance. I would have rather loved you from a distance than not have you near me at all."

Rayna's heart skipped a beat at his words. Did he just say he loved her? He kissed her cheek, the side of her mouth and chin before peppering kisses across her face. He didn't say another word and she knew then he didn't realize he'd said it. Did he mean it the way it sounded, though? Did he love her?

He kissed her again, his tongue slipping between her lips, licking and tasting. He kissed her until her body burned and throbbed with need, heat pooling between her legs. His hand slid under the back of her shirt, his fingers dancing along her spine until he reached her bra strap. With one flick of his fingers, the material parted.

"Let me see you," he said.

She leaned back, pushing to her knees and lifting her shirt over her head before slipping her bra off. He smiled and made a small noise in the back of his throat before lifting his hand, his fingers teasing her nipples. When he looked up at her, she could tell by the look on his face what he wanted. "We don't have any protection, Garrett, so don't go getting any ideas. You can play. That's all."

The smile widened. "Are you still on your birth control?"

"Yes."

"Then we're fine," he said, sitting up. He kissed the side of her neck, his fingers tormenting her nipples until her entire chest ached. "I can't catch anything, remember? No colds? No STD's?" He grinned as he palmed her breasts and looked up at her. "As long as your birth control is in order, we're fine."

"Then why did we always use condoms?"

He laughed. "You asked, so I wore them. It wasn't exactly something I could explain away, now was it?"

"No."

He lowered his head, nibbling her breasts before sucking a nipple into his mouth, his tongue flicking across it and shooting sparks straight to her core. "I know you want me, Rayna," he mumbled against her skin. "Take these jeans off. It's been months since I've had you."

She stood without hesitation and unfastened her jeans. He was propped up on one arm, watching her. The trees filtered the moonlight here but it was bright enough to cast him in silvery shadows. His gaze was intent on her, watching every move she made, and her pulse leaped as he raised his eyes to hers. No matter how awful he'd been to her in the past, she still wanted him. Had wanted him when he left her near tears and her heart aching for a kind word. The thought of those months made her pause as she stared down at him.

"What is it?" he asked.

Her shoulders drooped and her chest felt tight all of a sudden. She glanced away from him, staring at nothing, before looking back. "You're not going to decide I'm better off without you and chase me away again are you? Because I don't think I can handle giving myself to you only to have you hurt me again when this is all over."

The look that crossed his face caused tears to burn the back of her eyes. "I'll never hurt you again," he said, softly. "And you'll have to beat me away with a stick to get rid of me." Rayna smiled. She could tell by the look on his face he meant it. When he tugged on the waistband of her jeans and helped her pull them down, she stepped out of them and sucked in a breath when he leaned forward, kissing her thigh before pulling her to stand between his upraised knees. His hands slid up the back of her legs, cupping her bottom as his mouth climbed higher. He nuzzled her through her panties, his breath hot against her.

He looked up at her before pulling the front of her underwear down enough to expose most of her to him. He lowered his head again, his tongue working into her folds and she moaned as her limbs jolted with fire. She helped him push her panties down and spread her legs for him, closing her eyes as his head went back between her thighs. He lapped at her, his tongue teasing her clit and she gasped when he sucked it into his mouth. Her fingers wound into his hair, holding him to her and a glance down at him was all it took for her body to ache with need. She moaned and threw her head back, her hips slanted toward him. A soft growl was heard moments before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her forward. She yelped as they fell toward the blanket. She ended up on her hands and knees, straddling his face, and not once had he lost contact with her body.

Her eyes rolled and she gasped as his tongue entered her, his hold on her tightening as he fucked her with long, even strokes. Her arms shook and the desire to roll her hips was too much. She sat up on her knees, staring down at him and swallowed a gasp when she saw him staring up at her.

His eyes had bled to wolf amber.

She couldn't look away. Although it was Garrett under her she knew the wolf was there. Staring at her with those bright, alarming eyes. She watched him, seeing the creature she'd feared take her and her pulse raced faster. This was the beast that wanted her. Wanted to mark her as his, to claim her as his own, and as Garrett drove her half mad with his mouth, it was the wolf's penetrating stare that caused her body to shatter, to come undone under the knowledge that some tiny part of her wanted it too. She grabbed his head with both hands, threw her head back and bit her lip to keep from screaming, her hips moving against Garrett's face while he held her to him and sucked her clit into his mouth. Her body convulsed, her veins burning as every muscle blazed with her release.

When the last of the tremors faded, she leaned back, sitting on his chest and tried to catch her breath as Garrett peppered kisses across her thighs. The stars winked in and out of the tree limbs above her and she tried to focus on anything other than her pounding heart. When her breathing had returned to a more normal pace, she looked down.

The wolf was still there, watching her.

She smiled and slid down the length of Garrett's body, settling over him and impaled herself on his cock without a word. He moaned, his eyes closing briefly as he grabbed her. When he looked back up at her, she moved her hips and leaned down, brushing a kiss across his lips. "Has the wolf ever been in our bed?"

He licked her lips, his tongue darting into her mouth. "The wolf was always in our bed. I just never let you see him," he said. He grabbed her around the waist, lifting his hips to meet her downward strokes. "He wants you as much as I do."

There was nothing gentle about their lovemaking. Months of being denied each other erupted in hard, grinding movements. In hands and fingers grabbing the other hard enough to bruise. The wet sounds of undulating flesh and their harsh breaths pierced the silence of the forest. Rayna gave in to her desire and rode him until her legs trembled, until her lungs ached and every nerve in her body fired off sparks through her limbs. When she felt her stomach clench, her breath catching in her throat, she pressed her face to his neck, her nails digging into the blankets while she gasped out his name.

The world exploded in shards of bright light, her body shattering as she yelled and ground her hips into Garrett. His grunts increased, his hold on her tightening as he met each stroke with one powerful enough to force a sharp cry from her throat. His body jerked once, twice, before he climaxed, a throaty growl filling the air that sent goose bumps dancing along her limbs.

When he stilled, she could do nothing but lie there and try to catch her breath. He kissed the side of her face, his hand resting on the back of her head as he blew out a long breath, his chest rising and falling quickly under her. The minute she was able to talk she said, "Is it because it's been so long or was sex always that good before?"

He chuckled and wrapped his arms tighter around her. "It was always that good for me." He kissed her cheek again, his lips brushing the side of her face before he paused. "Wait? Wasn't it always that good for you?"

She leaned up and smiled at him. "I don't know," she said. "It's been way too long for me to remember correctly. I may need more of a comparison. I can't base all sex on one act."

"The night is young," he said, "And lucky for you, I have the stamina of five men." "Just five?" She squealed when he flipped her onto her back, his hips fitting between her parted thighs. He was still hard, she noticed, and smiled up at him. "Do you have the strength to prove that statement?"

He slid back inside her, the length of him filling her until their flesh met. "And then some," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "You'll be lucky to walk when I'm through with you."

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