Natasha nodded in understanding. Sleeping together wasn't enough, she would need his protection if she wanted to stay.
Roland could see thoughts floating across Natasha's face, each one moving too fast for him to guess at. She appeared to be considering his offer, which gave him hope.
"Stay," he urged, "at least until Nafarius has time to check with the other packs, then you can decide what you want to do."
Natasha understood Roland's offer was a temporary fix, a chance for them to enjoy each other while she waited to decide what to do.
"Stay with me," Roland said, once again offering her his hand.
Heart pounding, Natasha slipped her fingers into Roland's, anticipation tightening in her belly as he led her back into his burrow.
****
Roland didn't let himself think about what was to come, his desire temporarily diminished with dread. Turning, he put some distance between them.
"There's something you should know," he said, carefully watching her face. He'd carried his scars for years, a physical reminder never to let anyone get too close. "This isn't all there is," he said, gesturing to the ruined side of his face. "There's more, a lot more."
"I don't care," Natasha said, her honesty heartfelt. "Why is it so hard for you to believe that I want you, just the way you are?"
Roland's response was to pull his t-shirt over his head. Tossing it aside, he stood bare from the waist up, revealing a broad chest bisected by a furrow so deep it made the scar on his face seem but a scratch.
"And it doesn't end there," Roland said, his voice barely audible.
Natasha kept her face carefully blank, her eyes following the river of scars from left shoulder to right hip. His neck was surprisingly unmarred, giving the impression that the damage was restricted to his face.
His face...his face was closed off, his body already turning from her as if he expected her rejection. Natasha wondered how many females had rejected him, or worse, turned him into some sort of freak show to be experienced, a thrill ride to tell their friends about.
"What..." Roland had to clear his throat. "What are you thinking?"
"I was wondering..." Natasha moved closer, resting one hand on his chest as she reached for him, not surprised when he caught her wrist. "I was wondering what you would look like with your hair down."
Roland grunted. "It's not long enough to hide this."
Natasha pulled a face. "That's not what I was going for," she said, tugging gently at her hand until he willingly released her.
Reaching behind his neck, Natasha pulled the tie from his hair, sighing in appreciation as a cascade of black silk rushed forward to frame Roland's face. All one length, his hair hung in a curtain of thick curls, brushing the sharp line of his jaw.
"So beautiful," she whispered, unable to stop herself from running her fingers along the ends.
Roland jerked back. Grabbing her wrist, he spun her around, pulling her back against his bare chest. "It's not nice to lie," he growled in her ear.
Natasha struggled. "I'm not - "
"I know what I look like." Roland captured her other wrist, wrapping their arms around her, stilling her struggles.
"Not everyone sees your scars first when they look at you," Natasha said. Her heart was beating hard, Roland large and demanding behind her. She could feel the heat of him pressed up against her, his chest spanning the width of her shoulders.
Pressing the unmarred side of his face to her neck, Roland nipped at the skin behind her ear, his body tightening when she tipped her head to the side, giving him the tender skin at her throat.
Natasha shivered at the feel of Roland's teeth, her nipples hardening when he licked at the heartbeat in her throat. She liked him like this, slightly angry and demanding. Arching her back, she pressed herself against him, feeling the pulsing of his cock between the cleft of her ass.
Roland growled, his cock surging in the tight confines of his jeans. She felt right in his arms, her body curving into his embrace. But he wanted to get closer, wanted to see and touch all of her. Tightening his grip, he bent his legs, easing her down as he knelt on the rug.
Natasha found herself sitting on Roland's lap, her body open and exposed as she reclined against him, her head resting on his shoulder. She could feel him looking at her.
Roland gazed hungrily down the length of Natasha's body, his eyes brushing over taut nipples to the slight curve of her belly. Shifting her slightly, he settled her more securely on his lap and tried to decide where to start.
Natasha couldn't take her eyes off Roland's hands as they slowly lifted. He still held her wrists, spreading her arms wide and pressing her hands to the floor.
"Don't move," he growled against her ear.
The urge to ignore the quietly-issued order tingled in Natasha's fingertips, causing them to curl into her palms.
Roland could feel Natasha's tension rising, her body stiffening slightly as he held her hands immobile. Brushing his lips along her earlobe, he bit down sharply, at the same time pressing her fists more firmly against the ground. "Stay."
Natasha whimpered as the small bite of pain shot down to her core, but pressed her palms flat to the rug beneath them.
Satisfied with her response, Roland released her wrists. Sliding his hands down the outside of her thighs, he hooked his fingers under the hem of her dress, drawing it up to her hips slowly, revealing the creamy skin of her thighs and the bright curls covering her core.
Natasha felt the cool air brush across her heated flesh and sighed.
"You're wet for me," Roland growled as the intoxicating scent of her desire blossomed on the air. Already, her coppery curls were damp with desire, moisture glistening in the low light.
Needing to touch her, Roland slowly slipped his fingers into her curls, swirling the tips and sliding them over slick skin.
Natasha groaned, her body bucking against Roland's hand.
"I was wrong," Roland said, delving deeper, his fingers searching out and finding her clitoris. The small bud was swollen, the tip peaking out from its hood to throb against his fingers. "You're soaking."
Natasha quivered at the truth of his words, the sensation rippling down the backs of her legs where she still sat pressed against Roland's thighs. Giving in to the driving need to touch him, she reached up behind her.
Roland caught Natasha by the wrist, drawing her hand back down and pressing it firmly between her legs. "I want to watch," he whispered.
Natasha groaned, her body twisting towards him as she replaced Roland's hand with her own, her fingers circling her clitoris in a familiar rhythm that never failed to finish her off.
Roland watched Natasha's hand moving between her legs, her thighs falling open as she worked herself towards climax. He had no intention of letting her finish, at least not yet. He was enjoying the feel of her in his arms too much, her body moving restlessly against his.
Never taking his eyes from her, Roland grabbed Natasha's dress and pulled it over her head.
"Roland," Natasha moaned as he resettled her on top of his thighs, the stiff denim of his jeans a tantalizing abrasion against the curve of her ass. He remained steady behind her, his body stiff with control. She would have thought him unaffected except for the throbbing pulse his cock maintained where it lay pressed between them.
Roland wasn't nearly as controlled as he led Natasha to believe, his cock so hard he hurt, each throb pushing him closer to the edge. Inside, his wolf was pacing furiously, for once unwilling to remain in the background when a female was near.
Natasha was stretched out gloriously naked, Roland feasting his eyes on yards of creamy skin, full breasts and pale, pink nipples that hardened under his heated gaze. He decided right then that he was going to make it his mission in life to lick every inch of her. Twice.
Experimentally, he ran his hands down between her breasts, sweeping across smooth skin, fascinated by the contrast between her pale flesh and the caramel color of his skin.
"Roland, please," Natasha pleaded, arching her back and offering him her breasts.
"What is it, love?" Roland asked, his voice low and gravelly.
"Touch me, please." Natasha still worked her fingers between her thighs, desperately seeking the climax that hovered just out of reach.
"Like this?" Roland teased, running his hands over the flat of her stomach, watching her muscles tighten and quiver.
Natasha gave a grunt of frustration, reaching for his hand and drawing it to her breast. Roland chuckled and obediently wrapped his fingers around her breast, squeezing the plump flesh before plucking at her nipple.
When Natasha moaned it was low and long, the sound coming from her core as her nipples hardened and her clit pulsed. "More," she demanded, her fingers rubbing harder at her clit, working the tender nub as her hips rocked against her hand.
Roland growled as she worked herself with wild abandon. She didn't hold anything back, giving herself over as she sought her release. Wrapping both hands around her breasts, he plucked at her nipples, twisting and pinching them as she withered against him.
"Yes!" Natasha cried as her body tightened and arched, muscles clenching and contracting in a rippling release.
Roland felt Natasha shudder against him, the scent from her climax snapping his control. Reaching between them, he ripped open his jeans, groaning as his cock sprung free and brushed up against the small of her back.
Natasha felt the steel length of Roland's shaft and instinctively pushed back against him, trapping him between them. Roland grabbed her hips, his fingers leaving bruises as he held her tight and thrust his hips, his cock sliding along skin slick with sweat. He thrust once, twice before lifting her from his lap, his cock slipping between her thighs and finding her entrance.
Natasha moaned as the wide head of Roland's cock pressed between her swollen folds with short, shallow thrusts.
He was teasing them both, flexing his hips as he edged in and out of her body.
"Oh, god," Natasha moaned, her body already tightening again. Wanting to touch him, she tried turning in Roland's arms.
Roland growled in protest. Grabbing her hips, he held her as he flexed his hips and fucked up into her body.
"I want to touch you," Natasha said. She ached for the contact, the press of him against her chest as they joined in that way only lovers achieved.
"I want you like this." Roland hadn't fucked a female face to face since his was ruined.
Natasha turned her head. They were pressed together, Roland's body wrapped around her back, his hips still moving in shallow thrusts between her legs. He didn't look at her, only showing her the perfect profile of his face while he fucked her.
Understanding dawned, wanting to reassure him, Natasha reached out to touch him, whimpering in frustration when he captured her wrist once again.
This time, Roland guided Natasha's hands to the floor, their bodies bending together until he covered her back with his front.
Natasha moaned, momentarily distracted by the deep thrust of his cock between her legs. No longer short and shallow, his strokes shifted to long and hard, his body buried to the base of his shaft.
Leaving Natasha on her hands and knees, Roland leaned back and watched as he disappeared into her body, her passage wrapping him with wet heat.
Natasha felt Roland leave, her body momentarily chilled where his heat had been. Then he started to move, his cock sliding in and out of her body, each stroke slow and controlled, making sure she felt every inch of him.
Roland emerged slowly, the length of his shaft glistening in the light with her juices. He thrust forward again, holding her hips and digging his thumbs into the twin orbs of her ass.
Balanced on her hands and knees, Natasha urged him on, sliding herself back and forth, growling in satisfaction as his thrusts picked up speed, moving from controlled strokes to the wild thrusts of their animals.
Roland felt her thrusting against him, her body rocking as Natasha met him stroke for stroke. Inside, his wolf strained forward, snarling in protest when Roland forced him to back away from the female.
Natasha felt Roland's wolf, a restless energy calling to her animal. Feeling her wolf surface in response, the animal tried to move closer to Roland and his wolf, confused at finding only the male, his animal out of reach.
Roland felt her call but couldn't answer. His wolf had never taken much notice of the females Roland fucked and he had no idea what the animal would do if allowed free. Roland's wolf was just as likely to try and rip Natasha's throat out as claim her wolf as his own.
Natasha felt the emptiness where Roland's wolf should be, and knew that he held his animal back. Something inside her ached at the loss as her wolf slipped away.
Roland felt her hesitation, the slight cooling of her ardor. Sliding himself deep into her body, he covered her back, wrapping himself around her once again.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, entwining their fingers and squeezing her hand gently. "I can't - " he couldn't risk letting his wolf go. The animal was still feral and unpredictable. Even when he shifted, Roland was careful to maintain tight control.
"It's okay," Natasha assured him, turning to press her forehead against his cheek. "Just don't stop."
"Never," Roland growled. Using his knees, he pressed Natasha's thighs further apart, slowly sliding her forward until she lay flat on the ground, her ass pressed firmly against his groin.
Natasha groaned at the intimacy of Roland pressed against her back. He covered her from shoulder to shin, his body driving slowly between her legs.
The new angle stroked Roland across Natasha's g-spot, the tight bundle of nerves a new sensation rubbing down the length of his shaft. Twin groans of pleasure echoed in the small space as Roland shortened his strokes, the head of his cock rubbing at the spot again and again. This time, he didn't stop, his thrusting steadily driving them both towards climax.