Winter of the Wolf (31 page)

Panting, despairing, she looked down into his confident…

unrelenting…eyes.

“Trust me to take you through this, little wolf,” he said.

So much was swirling inside her, heat and fear tugging at her. And he knew. Between one breath and the other, she surrendered to his knowledge, his command. As he watched her steadily, her terror eased back, as if he’d stepped in front of her.

“Brave Breanne,” he murmured, kissing the inside of one thigh and the other. He puffed a warm breath over her damp curls, making her jump, then slowly puled his finger out. Slid it back in. No pain, she realized. She was so wet.

As he moved it in and out, his lips closed on her clit, sending a spear of pleasure zinging through her. This time, his tongue flicked her roughly, and her pussy clenched on his finger, sending tiny cascades of sensation though her. Her fingers puled his hair.

“Good lass.” His voice was deeper than normal, hoarser.

His finger moved in and out, slowly, so very slick, not hurting His finger moved in and out, slowly, so very slick, not hurting at al. Then he added another. Filing her, stretching her.

Oh God, her clit felt even more swolen as everything he touched turned to seething tension. She was panting, not from fear, but arousal, and the room felt like a sauna. Sweat broke out al over her body.

As pressure coiled low in her pelvis, she moaned, unable to think as her world narrowed to his touch, his mouth.

His fingers moved faster, plunging into her, puling out. His heavy knuckles added extra sensation. And then he sucked on her clit, roling the sides between his lips and tongue. As the vise of pressure around the nub tightened so did the one inside her. Every thrust of his hard fingers, every flicker of his tongue, sent briliant colors shooting through her, and she needed.
Needed
. Every nerve strained to come.

He growled and wiggled his tongue on the very top of her clit, pressing the hood back and forth. Like a fist, her insides gathered tight, tighter, and her muscles turned rigid, as she hovered on the precipice. And then the tension exploded. A milion pieces of pleasure burst outward in a storm of sensation. Oh God. Another wave folowed as she spasmed around his hard fingers. Another…

Her muscles released suddenly, and her hips dropped to the blankets.

He licked over her one last time, slowly puling his fingers out, sending a smaler ripple of pleasure through her. The out, sending a smaler ripple of pleasure through her. The room seemed to shimmer with heat as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart pounded so hard that her breasts shivered with each beat.

Sliding his hands down her thighs, he pushed back to kneel between her legs. “You’re a delight, little wolf,” he said, smiling slightly, studying her face.

Half stunned, she stared up at him. Was this what normal women felt when they made love? No wonder Ashley had pitied her. Little shudders stil rippled her muscles in tiny waves of pleasure. “That was…”

“Next step then, Breanne.” He leaned forward, running his hands up her body, and slowly lowering his body onto hers, covering her like a warm blanket.

She had a couple seconds of pure happiness, and then the reality of his weight and size hit. A storm of fear ripped over her, tearing her breath away, her mind…

She shoved against his shoulders, knowing only the weight.

“No!”

He roled off, but before she managed a complete breath of relief, he’d straddled her hips, resting on his haunches, not touching her anywhere. “Breanne. Look at me.” He grasped her chin. “
Look
at me, mo leannan.” Filing her vision, his eyes were the color of the tiny lake he’d shown her one afternoon. Under his steady gaze, her panic slowed. Receded.

panic slowed. Receded.

“Am I hurting you?”

She puffed out a breath, not sure if she was more exasperated with herself or the question. “No.”

“I’m going to lie on top of you again. You tel me if anything hurts.”

This time, she waited for the panic, but felt only pleasure as his legs fitted between hers and his hot body covered hers.

He took her mouth in a kiss, his lips demanding a response. “There’s a lass,” he murmured, propping himself up on one elbow. “Now we’re at the cliff. I’m going to enter you.” His eyes captured hers again. “Tel me if it hurts. What do you say if you want me to slow down?”

He waited patiently as she fumbled for the right word.

“No.” Oh—she’d already said that, and he’d sat up. Talked.

“Thank you.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled. “You’re welcome.

What’s your word if you need to stop completely?”

“Elvis.” She frowned. “I stil need to pay you back for letting me think you were a dog.”

“A
wolf
.” He gave her a wry smile. “After tonight, I’m not sure who wil owe who. I need you so badly I hurt.” Realy? The truth showed in his strained expression. Yet he wasn’t moving. Warmth filed her chest, not from the heat of sex, but his gentleness. Her heart ached with the need to satisfy him in return. “Can you kiss me and …”
Go ahead
before I chicken out
.

before I chicken out
.

He leaned down, his mouth covering hers, warm against her cold lips.

She felt his cock between her legs. Huge, thick, demanding entrance inside her. Her whimper sounded thin in the quiet room.

“Breathe, Breanne.” He reached down, swirling his fingers in her wetness. As he slowly stroked over her clit, sensations started to waken within her. She arched against his hand.

“That’s right,” he whispered, tracing lines of fire over her clit, and then she felt him entering her. Huge, surging slowly in, deeper. Stretching her…too much like… A vise closed around her ribs.
Can’t
.

“Little wolf.” He cupped her cheek with one big hand, tilting her face up, forcing her to see him. “Am I hurting you?” She shook her head, panting a little, balancing on the edge of panic. She felt so ful, stretched. Helpless.

His hand swept up and down her body, his hips not moving. Just petting her. Slowly she relaxed, and she realized his groin was against hers. He was al the way in.

“Brave little wolf,” he murmured. “You feel good, Breanne. Tight. Wet and hot. You’re squeezing me in a way that makes me want to howl.”

His fingers ruthlessly stroked her center back into need.

As arousal pooled low in her bely, he puled out ever so slowly before thrusting in again, each move slightly faster than slowly before thrusting in again, each move slightly faster than the one before. Her thighs tightened. Her hips tilted up against his fingers, and he went deeper. Each stroke of his cock, of his fingers, heightened the sensations bombarding her until her hips were bucking under him, her fingers clenching his hips.

His speed increased, and it felt good, ever so good. Each plunge was accompanied by a rough finger teasing her clit—

she couldn’t tel which was driving her higher.

As her insides clenched around him, she met his thrusts with her own, and then it was too much. She needed more.

Something more. She lost the rhythm.

Frustrated, she whined, her hips wiggling uncontrolably—

sending his fingers sideways over her clit. “
Oooooh
.” Her core burst into a firebal of sensation that turned the entire room white. Heat surged in waves from her center outward, zinging al the way to her fingers and toes.

He hummed in pleasure. Then his hand slid under her, and he puled her hips up as he thrust hard and fast, hammering into her. Pressing deep. His low groan and hot release sent her into another spasm of pleasure.

Before she could catch her breath, he roled them over, putting her on top. He was stil inside her and she felt close, so close to him.

As her muscles turned to melted butter, she sprawled across his body, feeling her heart thumping inside her ribs.

across his body, feeling her heart thumping inside her ribs.

Her head fit into the holow of his shoulder. As she inhaled, she could smel sex and their scents mingling together. It made her smile.

With an effort, she pushed herself up, her sweat-soaked hair faling between them.

He ran his finger down her cheek. “Thank you for your trust, little wolf. It’s a precious gift.” His expression was serious, with not a trace of laughter.

He meant it. The feeling shook her. He’d been incredibly careful with her. And yet, he hadn’t let her back out.

And she’d wanted him so much. Had climaxed, and it was amazing. “I never felt that before.”

His eyes narrowed. “Felt what?”

“Um. Getting off,” she confessed. Even with herself, she’d never been able to, probably because of the pils and a shifter metabolism.
I’m not asexual after all
. The knowledge shifted her emotions as surely as trawsfurring to wolf did her body.
I’m not the person I thought I was at all
.

He gave her a very satisfied, very male smile. “I’m happy to be of assistance.” He pushed her hair behind her shoulder.

“Maybe we should make sure you’ve got it mastered.” As he started to harden inside her, she grew very aware of the way his hands were fondling her buttocks.

“By the God, you feel good. You can stay on top this time.”

time.”

* * *

After caling it a night and sending the young males on their way, Zeb walked back to the lodge. When he stepped inside, he stopped, inhaling the scents of wine—and sex.

Bree and Shay. Hope and anxiety rose inside him. Was she al right?

He found Shay in the kitchen, eating directly from the container of potato salad.

“Don’t let Bree catch you.”

Shay only grunted.

Zeb grabbed a beer from the fridge and took a chair at the table. “How’d it go?”

“I’ve never been that scared in my life.”

“And Bree?”

“She’d sucked down a bottle of wine before I got home.

When I walked in, she asked me to have sex with her. Like a dream come true.” His grin faded. “And then I sent her into a panic attack half a dozen times, even after the first mating.” Zeb winced. “Brave cahir. Did you figure out what sets her off?”

“Some. Don’t stand over her if she’s on the ground.” Shay paused. “That might be what Evan did at the Gathering. She needs to see your face. And she does better if she’s on top.” needs to see your face. And she does better if she’s on top.” Zeb stared in disbelief. “You let her be on top?” Very dominant wolves rarely permitted that position, and they didn’t come any more dominant than Shay.

“Wasn’t easy.” Shay gave him a rueful smile before his mouth flattened. “I’d have done anything to keep from scaring her again.”

“You did wel.”
And I want her so bad that my bones
ache
.

“She’s damned brave.” Shay put the container back in the refrigerator. “I look forward to sharing her with you.” Together. Like brothers would. Warmth filed Zeb, folowed by cold. “No. We won’t. She was raised human.

One male, one female.”

“Now listen, she—”

“Brawd, we can’t keep her.” No matter how much they wanted to. His throat tightened as he remembered the way she’d laid her hand over his to give comfort. She gave of herself so freely, holding nothing back. But she was also fragile. Hurt. “She needs no more upset.”

“You’ve got the brains of a gnome if you think she doesn’t care for you.”

Zeb’s spirits rose at the certainty in Shay’s voice. How would it feel to have a female desire him outside of a Gathering night?

“Get some sleep. I’m going to try to crawl back in bed with her without terrifying her.” Shay looked at him with her without terrifying her.” Shay looked at him unhappily. “I’d kil anyone who scared her…only this time it was me.”

Chapter Twenty-two

Two nights later, Bree roused when the door opened. The draft brought her Shay’s scent, so she snuggled back into the covers. Another shifter perk—being able to tel who was who without turning on a light.

He undressed quietly and slid into bed. His legs bumped into hers, and he jerked away. “By the God.

“What?”

The big brute threw the covers back. “You have icicles for feet.”

“And taking the blanket wil help?” She sat up and grabbed for it.

With a low laugh, he shoved her down and bundled her up with her legs sticking out. Seated at the bottom of the bed, he puled her feet onto his lap and wrapped his big hands around them.

Warmth surrounded her cold toes. “Oooooh, that’s nice.”

“You aren’t eating enough, mo leannan.” His fingers massaged her heels, the arches, her toes. “Your circulation massaged her heels, the arches, her toes. “Your circulation needs better fuel. You cook for everyone else, but yourself.”

“Mmmhmm.” Her eyes almost crossed with pleasure.

“You shouldn’t run around barefoot—we don’t keep the lodge warm enough for you to do that.”

She snuggled deeper in the blankets, immersed in comfort.

He could lecture al he wanted as long as he didn’t stop holding her feet.

“Of course, there’s a quicker way to increase your circulation.” He lifted one foot, and his lips closed over the little toe. His tongue slid over her skin, incredibly hot, and reminded her of how he liked to lick other places. When he moved to the next toe, and the next, sucking on each, arousal flickered to life. Her pussy throbbed, wanting attention.

By the time he finished her other foot, al of her was toasty warm. With ruthless hands, he puled the blankets away and pushed her legs apart. His fingers opened her, and she saw his grin flash for a second. “This area feels warm enough, but I should check.”

“I was asleep, you creep. Aaah!” His light nip on her clit jolted her right into serious need.

“You’re not sleeping any more, now are you?” He sucked on her clit, teasing with his tongue until her hands fisted in the discarded blankets. Everything inside her gathered hard and tight as she teetered on the precipice of an orgasm, and then he deliberately pushed her over the edge.

he deliberately pushed her over the edge.

“Oh, God.” Pleasure blasted through her, sizzling through her veins al the way to her fingertips.