Authors: Morgan Fox
Moving to stand across the bar from her, he poured her a glass and slid it to her. Still grinning, he told her, “I was just thinking about the night I bought this.” He held up the amber liquid. “Sebastian was with me.”
Her eyes perked up at the mention of Sebastian’s name. “I keep forgetting how good of friends you are with Sebastian.”
He gave a slight nod. “We spent much of our youths together. I was being trained as a guardian soldier, and he was being groomed into the next leader of our pack. A lot of our teachings overlapped, giving us plenty of time to be rambunctious children together.” His smile widened at the memories of his past. “I was an only child, so as you can image I was thrilled to have a friend like Sebastian.”
Reyes studied her wondering expression and felt her need to ask more about his past, so he quickly stole the worry from her and continued, granting her insight to his life, something he’d always intended to do with that someone special.
“Once we were old enough, Sebastian ventured into law school and I studied political science and communications. Since I really didn’t have a choice in occupations, thanks to my father”—he winked at her, and she smiled in response—“my path was not hard to figure out.” He moved to the refrigerator and extracted a bottle of water and a block of cheese. Meeting her gaze once more, he asked her, “Did you finish school in Texas?”
Swallowing back a gulp of her drink, she told him, “Yes, I grew up here and moving far away from my family and friends was just too hard for me.” He considered her for a moment, hoping she wouldn’t stop there. “I met Sebastian and Jonah in college.” She finished off the glass and held it out for a refill, which Reyes did. “It’s also where I met Dominic. He was getting his law degree, too.”
Narrowing his eyes, Reyes asked, “Did he finish?” His words were muffled with surprise.
“Yes, but he doesn’t like to tell people he received a law degree. Thinks it will hurt his street cred.” She giggled, and the sound warmed him. He couldn’t help but be affected by the lighthearted energy they shared. He found himself laughing right along with her as if they had been friends for ages, so comfortable in each other’s presence.
As Reyes gazed at her, he felt his chest tighten, and suddenly he knew without a shadow of a doubt he could love this woman if given a chance. He genuinely liked her. She was brilliant, beautiful, and beyond charming. She was everything he had ever desired and dreamed of having one day but honestly never believed would happen.
Slicing several pieces of cheese, he offered her some, and she gladly accepted. She nibbled on them delicately, and he marveled at her gentle nature. Her unique calm had to be one of the reasons she was such an incredible doctor. Sebastian had always spoken highly of her, praising her whenever she came up in conversation, but he never imagined the woman would turn out to be his chosen mate. Life was often a funny thing.
His voice was perfectly soothing, soft as silk, as he opened up with her just a little more. “My father raised me, well, technically, the school did, but after I was born, my father sent my mother away.” He was being too hard on his old man. “Okay, perhaps that’s not fair.” He stroked his chin, and the coarse hairs of his goatee tickled the palm of his hand. Finding the right way to paint an image of his father was a challenge without making the bastard sound like a cold-hearted snake. The truth hurt.
He gazed up at her as she studied him with interest. So he went for a more factual approach. “I was told that my mother had become ill during childbirth and that she had gone home to recover with her family, but I’d never seen her again and my father never spoke of her. I’d asked about her, but he would simply quiz me about my studies or send me out with the other soldiers to practice my skills. It wasn’t until later that I learned that truth about what happened to the birth mothers of guardian soldiers.” He saw her eyes fill with sadness, and he realized his attempt at sharing more about him had taken an unforeseeable sentimental downturn. He didn’t have enough practice talking with women, and it showed. Get back on track, dummy, he inwardly scolded himself. “Sebastian was truly the only friend I had growing up, and thanks to him, I don’t think I turned into the cold man my father was.”
“How do you mean?”
“My father was all business. He never laughed, never found time to sit back and have a drink with a friend.” He winked at her and raised his glass, swallowing back the contents, and with a smile, so did she.
The air charged between them, and he knew it was because the bonding connection was fueling desires he shouldn’t be having considering he’d just rescued her from a near-death experience. He grabbed his glass, filled it to the brim, and chugged back another gulp of whiskey. The liquid fire tingled as he blew out a harsh breath.
Megan stared at him. “Are you all right?”
Gasping as the heat of the liquor continued to slap against the walls of his throat, he said, “Yes, I’m good. I think it’s just the stress of a long day.”
Or perhaps it’s just the burning need to make love to you all night long.
She nodded. “I agree. I think I’m ready for bed. I’m kind of tired myself.”
He groaned, willing his cock to behave at the mention of the word
bed
. “Would you like to settle in for the night? Your room has a full bathroom and all the amenities you could need.”
She slid off the barstool and stood staring at him, a quivering smile tugging at her supple lips. “That sounds wonderful, thank you.”
Reyes gave her a quick tour of his home in case she wanted to go exploring in the night and then showed her to her room, dropping her suitcase beside the door. “I’m just down the hall if you need anything,” he told her, unable to stay a moment longer for fear of the desires pulling his mind and cock in opposite directions. Hiding his erection would be much harder without the suitcase helping to camouflage it.
* * * *
The moment the bedroom door closed, she sighed and dropped the weight of her body onto the edge of the remarkably soft king-size bed. Falling back onto the luxurious mattress, she covered her face with her trembling hands. The attraction she felt toward Reyes was lethal and intoxicating and was a dangerous blend for a woman choosing not to embrace the allure of the mating ritual.
Reyes was the perfect gentleman and soothed her so tenderly that she couldn’t image any other man holding her and comforting her, not even Dominic. Things were different with Dominic. He had surprisingly manifested into her powerful protector, where Reyes had become her wall of comfort and emotional strength. The idea of losing them, for whatever reason, had her gut twisting and rolling with waves of churning acid.
She groaned miserably as the confusion of their situation weighed heavy on her mind. What was a woman to do in a case like this? Was there even a solution to their dilemma?
The attraction she felt toward these men went well beyond anything she’d ever felt for any other man, including Jonah McCarthy. Somehow, Dominic and Reyes made her body respond as if every nerve ending, from her head to her toes, suddenly sparked and pulsed with vigor.
Megan was aware that casual sex with them with no commitment was going to be near impossible since she’d already started looking at them as long-lasting figures in her life. Any other outcome seemed unacceptable, even to a woman like her desiring independence. They were both simply too hard to resist.
Men like Dominic and Reyes might be able to modulate their personalities now, but what would happen if she accepted them? Would they feel compelled to dominate her, possess her like the other mated couples she’d treated over the years? Could they find a way to truly be together without the instinct commanding them to mindlessly thrive for each other? Would she have a choice? She needed a choice.
If she was having these thoughts, surely they did, too. Would they be willing to settle for a relationship where she wasn’t a hundred percent committed to the mating instinct? She highly doubted it. Neither man would accept those terms. Pride wouldn’t allow it. Lycans were governing and possessive creatures by nature. Telling them what they couldn’t have only made them try harder to obtain it, and they usually did, no matter the cost.
She closed her eyes, and the glassy shine of hypnotic blue eyes overflowed in her mind, warming her soul. Reyes was haunting her, his face so perfect in her mind it was like she was staring down at him. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes.
Sensing that the warrior god lay awake in the room down the hall, she couldn’t do much more than think about him, craving him with a maddening obsession. Stroking her finger over her bottom lip, she remembered the salty, masculine taste of his cock on her tongue, and her pussy immediately clenched. Pleasuring him had given her a great deal of satisfaction and knowing that no other woman had ever caught his attentions the way she had made her feel powerful and sexy. The awareness was alarming.
After everything that had happened today, the last thing she wanted was to be alone. Her hands dropped like dead weights at her sides. For the first time, she felt safe being in Reyes’s home, with him. She knew she’d feel even safer resting in his strong arms, in his bed.
Stop it!
She frowned. Straining against temptations, she consciously set out to shake the hormonally charged images from her mind. As she scooted off the edge, she picked up her suitcase and flung it on the bed. Opening the green bag, she yanked out her green silk bathrobe and moved into the private bathroom. Maybe a shower would help to ease the cravings burning in her belly, flaming her to the point of combustible lust.
Her thoughts should be on Lilly, the bitch that had kicked the shit out of her. However, no matter how many times Megan reminded herself of her earlier attack, her thoughts continued to wander to the warrior down the hall, a warrior with the most gorgeous eyes she’d ever seen.
Once she’d gotten the water to its perfect temperature she stepped under the stream and stood there enjoying the massaging rhythm. There was something about the warm pulsating beads that soothed her weary mind and body, allowing her a moment of clarity. All too soon, reality slammed back into her, reminding her that escape from her chaotic life was unachievable. So she washed her hair and body, shut off the magical water, and exited the tan marbled shower.
Drying off, she felt the primal calling of Reyes from the other room. She could hear his breathing, envisioned his hard-as-steel body, and knew he desired to be with her. She smiled coyly at his remarkable job, restraining himself in the kitchen and again as he walked her through his home.
Closing her eyes, she bit her bottom lip, wondering if he slept naked like she did. The crisp linen always caressed her skin so sinfully well. She wrapped her silky robe around her body, and her thoughts raced to the kiss she’d shared with Reyes earlier that morning. The fast beat of her heart thundered in her ears. Her pussy grew wetter as the hunger for satisfaction beat like a drum at the back of her head.
Compelled by need, she found her feet moving with determined strides toward Reyes bedroom, halting at the door. She didn’t bother knocking before twisting the doorknob and stepping inside.
Staring at the ceiling, Reyes was lying flat on his back, his hands resting behind his head, arms and chest rippling with defined muscle. His eyes locked with hers. A silver flicker in his gaze alerted her to the lust burning inside him. She licked her lips, quivering at the mouthwatering sight.
Sauntering to the edge of his bed, she unfastened the robe and let the soft fabric drop from her shoulders and land on the floor at her feet. He watched her every move, taking her in with fevered interest. Her pulse quickened, and her nipples hardened as he surveyed her naked body.
She ripped the sheet off of him with haste and gasped, discovering he not only slept in the nude, but was hard and ready for pleasuring. She didn’t hesitate to crawl on top of his body to straddle him. His swollen cock rubbed deliciously against her clitoris, and she bucked her hips, sliding up and down his magnificent length. Her fingers slowly traced the hard ridge of muscles on his chest, shoulders, and arms, circling his tight brown nipples. She reached down and took his cock into her hand and guided it to the entrance of her sex, but before she could feel his cock stretching her, he bucked her up off his lap so she now straddled his corded stomach.
“No,” he growled, holding her wide-eyed stare, shifting his weight beneath her.
Surprised by his feral tone, she narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean no?”