“You aren’t the only one who’s thought it, baby,” Reed finally answered.
Wait. Was he regretting everything? Her heart pounded, and her eyes widened.
Reed held her close and shook his head against hers. “That isn’t what I meant. It’s just with the fire, the war, Adam, you, Josh, the demon…” Reed pulled back and shrugged. “Everything.”
Reed leaned down, and she rested her forehead on his. “I know, I’m happy. Really.” Wow, she seemed to be clarifying that a lot recently. “Any doubts I may have, I’m overcoming them. And I feel as though I know both of you so much better. But, Reed, you have so much history. I need to know more. You know?” Geez, first Josh, now Reed. She kept pulling and prying. Pretty soon she’d poke where she shouldn't, and she just might lose them. But she needed to know.
Hannah put her fingers on his lips when he tried to speak. She needed to get this out before she lost her nerve. “Not now. The three of us will get it over time. But I was a shop owner and a potion maker with my mom.” Her voice caught, but she pushed down her pain. “I lived with my mom for most of my life. That’s what I thought I would do. I would live a normal life span and maybe find a witch husband and grow old. I’m not sorry I didn’t get that—I’m blessed. But I need to be more independent of the two of you and still be intertwined.”
Reed kissed her softly. Heat pooled in her womb, but her mind whirled. “That’s what a relationship is. Independence and connection. We will find the balance. Our bond is different because there are three of us and also because we aren’t human. We are putting in three different types of people and melding them. Everything will calm down, at least with the three of us.”
“And what about the outside world?” she asked.
Reed sighed. “Well, that’s usually Adam’s responsibility. But he’s not here. Dad and the others say they can still feel him, so we know he’s alive. But he’s hurting. I hate that he’s in this position, in so much pain.”
“But there’s nothing we can do about it,” Hannah said softly. “We can only care for him when he gets back.”
Reed choked, “I don’t know how Adam can do it. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost the two of you.”
“I guess the best we can do is don’t think about it. Submerse ourselves in the time we have and protect the Pack from what could come; it’s all we can do.”
“I love how wise my mate is.”
“Well, it’s true. I pretty much rock.”
“That you do.” He leaned down, kissed her nose, then trailed his lips on her cheek and found her mouth.
He tasted of sandalwood, wolf, and that special something she couldn’t describe but was all Reed. She melted into his arms, worries and stresses of their conversation fluttering away as their kiss intensified.
Reed pulled back, his pupils dilated with passion. Goddess, she loved that smile. In it she could see their future, their love, and his nature, everything she never thought she’d wanted but everything she so desperately needed.
“Stay right there,” Reed whispered. “I have plans for you.”
Intrigued, she followed his path with her gaze as he carefully laid out a large drop cloth on the floor then went to a drawer and pulled out paint.
What was he doing? Weren’t they going to make love? Why was he going to paint her?
Now?
“Hey,” he said, then kissed her softly. “Don’t look like that. I told you I had plans for you.” He picked her up and set her down on the cloth, then stripped her of her clothes, his fingertips tracing warm circles on her flesh as he did so.
Okay, this could be interesting.
He stood there, fully dressed, looking sexy as sin and undeniably hers.
“I love you, Hannah.”
She didn’t get a chance to respond because he crushed his mouth to hers, her nipples rubbing against the soft cotton of his shirt, sending tingles down her spine. He gripped her sides, rocking against her, then lowered them both to the ground. Kneeling, he stripped off his clothes quickly, then bent over to get a paintbrush.
Her breath quickened at the look on his face. His eyes had lowered and looked of molten heat.
“I’ve always wanted to paint you,” he whispered.
“I thought that’s why you sketched me.”
“Oh, I’m going to paint your portrait, no doubt. But right now, I’m going to use these edible paints I bought and stroke you until you come. What do you say to that?”
She moaned. “Yes, please.”
Reed smiled and picked up a brush and dipped into the blue. Her pulse raced as he slowly teased her stomach with the tip, and she shivered.
“It’s cold.”
“Let me warm you up then,” he purred.
That was the response she was hoping for.
He leaned over and kissed her stomach, licking around the paint, nibbling her flesh. He raised his gaze, his long lashes utterly erotic surrounding his jade green eyes. Then he took one long lick in the paint, spreading it over her stomach.
Dear goddess.
“Tastes like sugar.” He dipped the brush again, painting swirls and leaves along her torso, arms, and legs. Every time she wanted to move because he teased her so well, he tapped her with the end of the brush.
“Stop moving,” he scolded. “I’m concentrating.”
“But I want you. Please.”
“You’ll have me soon, I promise.”
He changed brushes, this time using the silver paint. She bucked off the cloth when he bent and took her nipple in his mouth. He suckled and bit down, sending shockwaves of heat down to her core. When he released her, he trailed the tip of the brush around her areola, and she gasped.
She’d die if he did any more foreplay. She was burning up from the inside out, basking in her need of him.
But he didn’t relent; he merely painted her other breast until she squirmed with need.
“There. My masterpiece is complete.” Reed sat back on his haunches, looking like a cat with a big bowl of cream.
“Are you just going to look at me? Touch me. Please.” Who was this girl begging for attention?
“Oh, I’ll touch you. I’m going to lick every inch of you, then I’m going to take you,” he promised.
“Can we skip the licking part? Not that that doesn’t sound amazing, but I want you. Now.” She moaned.
Reed gave a throaty chuckle, and she wanted to hit him. “Patience.”
“Screw patience. Screw me.”
He lifted a brow. “I like that mouth on you. I’d like it better on me. But that’ll be later.” Then he proceeded to lick every square inch of paint off her body like a starving man. She moaned and ached at every touch, every nibble, his touch sliding in every crevasse.
When he sucked her nipples into his mouth, she grabbed his hair to keep him there. Tendrils of heat curled around her body, soaking into her skin, bringing her closer and closer to climax. But every time she reached the edge, he pulled her back.
Damn frustrating man.
She closed her eyes, climbing to reach her peak, until she felt something blunt circle her lower lips and flick against her clit. She opened her eyes, wondering what it could be, and froze. Reed kneeled between her legs, a clean paintbrush in his hands and the rounded end without the brush playing with her pussy.
“These are clean, ready for you. I wanted to paint you, and I will,” Reed growled.
She smiled and shook, then he dipped the end all the way in. The brush wasn’t as wide as Reed or Josh, but felt so wonderful and smooth in her swollen channel. He slowly moved his wrist in a small circle, the edge of the brush rubbing against her g-spot. She almost came right there, but he pulled back, teasing.
“Please, Reed.”
“Soon.”
The brush rubbed again, but this time, he used another brush and painted her clit. She came hard against both, a scream ripping out of her throat. That had to be one of the hardest orgasms she’d ever had, and he hadn’t even touched her with his hands—just his brushes. Talk about a new appreciation for art.
“Jesus, Hannah. The way you blush when you come, you’re gorgeous.” Reed leaned down and took her lips with his.
Her tongue danced against his, and she pulled him closer, wanting him inside. He cradled her face then moved his hands down to spread her thighs and slowly entered her.
Oh. My. Goddess.
How she loved this man.
She looked into his eyes, never breaking contact when he sank deep inside then pulled out and repeated it in a never-ending rhythm. With each pulse, she rose higher and higher, until she crashed down, falling into an abyss of pleasure, Reed following soon behind.
Breathing heavily, her mate collapsed on top of her, paint spilling around them. She held him close, soaking in his heat and scent.
“I love you,” she said. “I never thought of playing with paint that way.”
Reed growled in what could only be pure satisfaction. “I’m an artist; what can I say?”
Chapter 23
Reed sighed. Dammit, that still wasn’t the right color gray. No matter the blacks, whites, and silvers, nothing could blend together correctly. It looked drab. Boring. Not at all like the eyes of his mate that stared up at him with love and adoration. He growled in frustration, the sound echoing off the walls. No one was home to hear his annoyance, but it still felt good to release it.
It’d been a couple of days since their painting pleasure. Josh was out with Maddox, learning more about the Pack and what it meant to be an enforcer since Adam wasn’t around. Josh had been gone most of the day, and Reed missed him. How silly was that? Like he was a teenage girl waiting by the phone for the quarterback of the football team to call. Josh worked hard at what he did, and according to his brothers was frankly a natural at it. He fit in to the Pack like he was born for it.
Hannah wasn’t even here to watch him work or do her thing around the house. After their talk the other day, they’d decided she needed to do something on her own to feel like she was contributing to the Pack. Not to mention the fact that she needed to learn how to use her elevated Healing abilities. A friend of the family, Larissa’s little girl, Gina, had a terrible cold that wouldn’t go away, and Hannah had gone to help.
He shook his head. Since when did he need people in his house to keep him company? He’d spent nearly a century alone and lived just fine. Well, he had the numerous members of his family, but that wasn’t the same. Despite himself, he missed that growly ex-SEAL and the curly haired gray-eyed beauty. They completed him.
Reed gagged.
He had
not
just quoted
Jerry Maguire
.
Okay, he needed to get back to painting.
Hannah’s face stared at him from his canvas. Well, most of her face. He still couldn’t get the gray right. The others hadn’t seen it yet, and they wouldn’t, not while it was still in the beginning stages. It felt too personal when it wasn’t finished. Like he was a piece of a puzzle not fully formed, one that wouldn’t match up with the others yet.
He added more silver to his mixture. At this point, it felt like a pointless waste. Could he even capture her spirit with a paintbrush? The way she laughed with a stroke of paint? The way she cried with a flick of the brush? The blush on her face with the blending of colors?