Chapter Seven
How did I get here?
Naked, feeling a little anxious and embarrassed, she sat in the passenger seat of Jay’s truck with no idea what they were doing or where they were going. This was a huge step for a girl who only a few weeks ago used to hide beneath piles of clothes and long hair.
Once she’d untied him from her hold, he’d turned to her, asking if she was willing to act out a little fantasy of his. Nervously she’d agreed. He’d then tied her hands with one of the scarves and wrapped a sheet around her before he’d placed the sleeping mask over her eyes and carried her outside, placing her in his truck.
At least she thought it was his truck, she couldn’t actually tell, being blindfolded and all.
A scarf in her mouth stopped any complaints she may have voiced as he threw away the sheet, leaving her naked in the front seat of his truck.
Had she known he was going to take her outside, she probably wouldn’t have been so quick to agree.
Please don’t let anyone see me.
She did not need anyone looking at her cottage cheese thighs and rounded stomach. Thank God she’d shaved her legs this morning.
About ten minutes passed before he slowed down and then stopped. Hearing his door open, she sat impatiently as he came around to her and undid her belt.
Silently, his hands slid around her waist—but instead of helping her down as she’d expected, she was turned around in the seat, her legs resting off the side, her thighs forced apart as he stepped between them. He’d dressed in jeans, and rough denim rubbed against her thighs and tender inner core as he moved back and forth.
For a moment, she worried about being seen. But the only sound she could hear was the wind coughing and soughing, along with her own breath moving in and out of her lungs.
“You are so incredibly sexy. Sitting here naked, bound, willing.” He ran firm hands over her curves, holding them over her stomach, making her blush. Her stomach was not her favorite body part.
“Uh-uh, no sucking in, Cassie. I want every part of you on display, every dip, every curve, I love them all. You’re everything I could have hoped for, my love. Curvy, feminine, sweet.”
She felt him lean in, the heat of his body covering hers. He always ran so hot, scorching. His cheek brushed hers, his breath bathing her ear.
“Will you trust me to look after you?”
She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t. She nodded. She knew he wouldn’t do anything to harm her deliberately. The scarf was removed from her mouth, and her reward was a mind-mushing kiss.
He lowered his hands to her bottom, lifting her up against him.
“Put your legs around my waist.” He sounded impatient, curt, eager.
She obeyed the order as he carried her, setting her down on the ground. Then he moved away, and she heard him open then shut the truck door.
“Jay?” she queried.
“It’s okay, just getting a blanket. Don’t want you sitting on the hood when it’s hot.”
He picked her up and set her on the blanket-covered hood. Then he was kissing his way down her jaw and neck. No longer teasing or wooing, this was all heat and passion, rough, and raw.
A bite to her nipple had her screeching, but the slight pain was soon soothed with a lapping tongue while he pinched her other nipple softly.
Feet dangling, her thighs wide apart and hands still tied, Cassie relied on him to keep her balanced.
She could do nothing but lie there—trust, feel, and enjoy.
He circled his finger around her entrance, sliding inside her, smoothly thrusting—then his finger was gone, leaving her gasping and she found herself lifted and turned. Now standing, she was pushed forward until her bound hands rested on the still warm hood, her bottom protruding.
He didn’t touch her. She couldn’t tell if he was moving, all she could hear was his harsh breathing behind her.
“Dear Lord, that’s a beautiful sight.” His hands skimmed her buttocks as she trembled. “If you only knew how I’ve longed to have you like this, mine to do with as I like. This isn’t going to be slow. It’s not going to be easy or tender. It’ll be hard and fast. Are you with me?”
“I’m with you.”
A sharp, stinging slap to her ass was her only reply before her legs were spread, her forearms balancing her against the hood of the car.
“Don’t move.”
With no further warning, he slid inside her. She barely had time to savor the feel of him before he pulled out, leaving only the head of his cock inside. Plunging within her once more, he tormented her, driving her higher, making her crazy with each full, firm possession.
“Come for me, baby. I love to watch you come, love to hear you scream as you find heaven in my arms. Come for me, now.”
Unable to hold back, even to think about muffling her reaction, she screamed as she clamped down on him, coming in a shivering rush. He bit down on her shoulder, his orgasm barely registering in her lust-soaked mind.
Exhausted, she collapsed. Despite the fact she was sandwiched between the hood and a hard male body—tied, blindfolded, and naked—she felt completely content. A grin crossed her face as she basked in the aftermath.
Jay moved. “Better get you home. Much as I’d love to keep you this way, I don’t want you catching cold.”
No, that would totally go against those protective instincts of his.
She found herself turned and carried until she was sitting once again on the front seat. When the ties and blindfold were removed, she discovered they were in the middle of the forest on what seemed to be an old four-wheel-drive track.
“Ahh,” she sighed as he started the truck and turned the heat on. “I did hope we weren’t in the town square.”
He grinned over at her. “Maybe another day, huh? Perhaps when it’s summer, though. I didn’t realize it would get cold so quickly.”
“I’m not fragile, Jay.” She smiled. “A little cold won’t hurt me.”
He continued to frown, his hands tightening around the steering wheel. “You’re fragile to me. Colds, viruses, disease—you’re so vulnerable, and I must remember that.”
She could hear the self-flagellation in his voice.
“Jay.” Reaching over, she grabbed his hand, staying him as he started to put the truck into gear. “You can’t worry about me constantly. Yes, I’m human. And yes, I’m weaker than you, but that doesn’t make me fragile. I’ve managed to survive on my own until now. So stop worrying, okay?”
He smiled in acknowledgment. “I’ll try. No promises, though.”
* * * * *
Cassie shut the cupboard door and smiled as it slid smoothly into place. It had been stuck since she got here, but Jay said he’d fix it. And he had. He hadn’t once promised to do something and not followed through.
She had called in some favors at work, and they’d spent the last four days together, most of it in bed.
“You fixed the cupboard.” She plopped down on the couch beside Jay. He immediately pulled her under his arm.
“Of course, I said I would, didn’t I?”
“Yes, yes you did.” She stared silently at the TV screen for a long moment.
“What are you thinking about?” She wasn’t surprised he’d picked up on her disquiet—at times he seemed to be so tuned into her that it was almost creepy scary.
“Umm, well,” she hesitated, cursing herself for being a coward. Why couldn’t she simply talk to him? He hadn’t mentioned the future, hadn’t pressured her for any sort of commitment.
“Hey, Cassie.” He turned them so they were facing each other and, tucking a finger under her chin, raised her face so she was forced to stare up at him. “You can talk to me about anything.”
She took a deep breath. She needed to learn to talk about things. Not to bottle things up. “I guess I’m still having trouble believing that you want me. That you broke your vow not to get involved with another human woman for me.”
He smiled and ran his thumb over her mouth.“Cassie, you make my blood boil, you’re what I think of when I first wake up, you’re who I go to sleep dreaming of. You make me feel complete. After sleeping with you that first night, I knew I desired you, but even then, I didn’t fully realize how much I needed you. When you were injured, and I had to leave…” He took a deep breath. “It was terrifying, and I realized then that I didn’t ever want to be without you. When I got back to Landon and you were gone, I went a little crazy, I even yelled at Laney.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Cooper had every right to reprimand me. But he let me come after you. If I’d just listened to my wolf in the first place, I could have saved us both some heartache. The wolf has always known that you were the one for me. My mate.”
“Y-your what?” she stuttered.
“You’re my mate, Cassie.”
She frowned. “But how? I’m human.” The longing was deep. She found herself wishing with every fiber of her being that she was his mate.
“Werewolves take human mates.”
“I know that,” she replied. “But not many and none in your pack.”
He shrugged. “Zachary hated humans, no one would dare bring one back to live with us when he was Alpha. But that’s all changed now. It took me longer than I liked to work out you were my mate because I was a fool. Because I didn’t listen to what my wolf was trying to tell me. We’re meant to be together. You may not believe it yet, but I know it.”
There was such a wealth of certainty, of pure belief, in his voice that she found herself melting. She longed for what he was promising. But she had to look after herself.
“You’re my mate, Cassie. That doesn’t just go away. It’s forever. You mean everything to me. Werewolves take mating seriously, far more seriously than humans do marriage. A mating can’t be broken.”
He crouched in front of her, taking her hands in his. “I only hope you believe me.”
It came down to believing what he said or not. If not, she should send him on his way. If she did, though… Something settled in her chest, easing her anxiety. Hope unfolded within her.
She took a deep, settling breath. This was right. “I’d like to give this a relationship a try. Give us a chance. That is if you’d still like to have a relationship with me.”
He grasped her face with his hands and took her mouth in a deep, searing kiss. Leaning back, he stared down at her sternly.
“Cassie.” His voice was firm. “Of course, I do.”
“I’m not very experienced with relationships. Actually, I’m not experienced at all. But I’d like to learn. I’d like to try.”
He swept his arms around her. The lips that possessed hers were hot, hungry, and filled with sensual promise.
When he let her go, she swayed, shaken by the intense longing that rushed through her.
“You’re sure?” The vulnerable note she heard in his voice amazed her.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“You won’t regret this, I promise.”
He kissed her again, a sweet little peck that soon turned carnal.
He drew back, his gaze sizzling as it roamed over her body.
“Strip me, baby.”
She moved frantically, desperate now to touch his bare skin. When he stood before her, her breath caught in her throat at how truly gorgeous he was. He winked at her, not in the least bit self-conscious as her gaze roamed over his smooth, muscular chest down to his tapered waist. His shaft was fully aroused, and she became fixated, unable to look away as the urge to taste him overrode every other thought in her head.
“Uh-uh,” he said, and she looked up at him, startled. “I know what you’re thinking and not yet. You take me into that sweet mouth of yours, and I’m a goner.”
She smiled and licked her lips, watching as his cock twitched.
“Brat,” he growled as he reached for her, quickly stripping her before he picked her up in his arms.
Carrying her into the bedroom, he tossed her on the bed. Lying beside her, he brushed his hand over her forehead, down her cheek, tracing her features as though he were trying to memorize her by touch. He laid light kisses on her cheeks, her nose, her lips. His mouth lingered on hers. Feverish bliss overtook her. She thrust her hips against him, inviting him to touch her elsewhere, to ease the delicious pain that came with wanting him so much.
“Don’t make me wait,” she ordered as his mouth left hers to kiss along her collarbone, eliciting sensual waves of pleasure that rolled straight to her clit as she whimpered in delight.
“But what if I want to play?” he asked huskily.
“Jay,” she cried. Suddenly he rolled onto his back, drawing her on top of him.
“Take me then, my impatient love.”
She reached down, circling his shaft, pumping firmly, enjoying his groan as he drove his hips up. But she was too starved, too desperate, to tease him. Kneeling, she held the base of his shaft and directed him toward her pussy.
They both moaned as the tip of him kissed her warm, moist folds. Instead of immediately directing him to her entrance, she guided his cock to her clit, rubbing the head over the swollen bundle of nerves, watching him as he watched her, each feeding off the other’s joy.
“Jesus, Cassie, you’re so hot. Look at you, a goddess. How did I ever get lucky enough to find you?”
She whimpered as he cupped her breasts, his thumbs grazing her nipples. It was too much. She had to have him, now. Moving the head of his shaft to her entrance, she drove herself on him in one smooth, clean thrust. Then she dropped forward, placing her palms flat on his chest, staring down at him once more. Passion was etched into every line of his face, while his eyes seemed to glitter with burning need.
Thighs quivering, she couldn’t seem to move fast enough, to take as much of him in as she needed.
“Easy,” he moaned, resting his hands on her hips as he slowed her down.
“I want,” she panted, “I want—”
“Shh, baby, I know.” He rolled onto his side, taking her with him, his cock still lodged firmly inside her. Clasping her thigh, he raised one leg up, so it rested on his hip before dipping his hand down between them, his finger homing in on her clit, giving her exactly what she longed for.
“Oh, oh, ohhh,” she cried as she came, her orgasm rolling through her. He drove into her harder, this position making him feel even bigger, filling her even more. Cassie clasped his shoulders, clamping her muscles around his shaft until he gave one final deep plunge and exploded.
Relaxing, he pulled out of her and rolled onto his back, gathering her against his side.
“Wow, who knew it could get better?” she marveled as he chuckled. He ran his hand down her back, slapping her bottom lightly.
“We’ll have to start packing,” Jay murmured as she snuggled into his chest. “Although we’ll wait for the morning.”
“Packing?” She stiffened.
“I take it you want to bring some of this stuff with you?”
“Ahh, well, most of my gear is still in Landon, this is the landlord’s furniture.”
“That’ll make it quicker then.”
“Jay?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
He leaned up on one elbow. “Of course you’ll move in with me.”
“Onto the estate?”
“Yes.” He was looking at her a little quizzically.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Not quite yet. Moving onto the estate is a big step.” Her stomach tied into a knot, making her feel ill.
“Cassie.” He took her hand, squeezing it gently. “You’re my mate. Being apart from you was hard. I don’t want to waste any more time apart from you.”
She chewed her lip. She didn’t want to be apart from him either. She just wished they could spend more time together, away from the pack. She wasn’t at all certain how they would react to having a human live with them. The pack members she’d met were all nice, but most of them had been distant. God, she wished was braver than this.
“I have to work out two weeks notice. Jimmy took me on with no experience. He took a chance on me. I can’t leave him hanging.”
Jay snorted. “Oh yeah, he took a real chance. Come on, Cassie, the guy snapped you up because he knew how lucky he was that someone as classy and hardworking as you wanted to work in that dump.”
“It’s not a dump.”
“Yeah it is, and you owe that guy no loyalty. I bet he works you long hours for crap pay and with little thanks.”
Well, she couldn’t really argue with that, but still…
“I’m not walking out, Jay,” she replied, crossing her arms. “I do have some work ethic, you know. I need some time to get used to the two of us before I have to get used to living with the pack, to sharing you with them. I know it’s selfish when you need to go back—”
“You're not selfish,” he interrupted her. He ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it even more. “Okay, two weeks it is. You can get used to living with me before you have to live on the estate. I must admit, I like having you all to myself.”
“Are you sure? I’ll understand if you have to go, I can follow…”
He shook his head. “They’ll manage without me.”
But she saw the frown flutter across his face, and she wondered how long he could, and would, stay away.
* * * * *
“That was one hot kiss.” Ella fanned her hand in front of her face as she stepped into the kitchen of Fat Eddy’s. “I take it you and Jay are together now?”
Cassie blushed. Jay had walked her into the bar, kissing her lingeringly before he’d taken a seat in her section. She’d tried to convince him to stay at home, but he’d told her he could make his calls as easily from the bar as he could from her apartment, and here he could keep an eye on her. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that but didn’t feel it was something to argue with him over. Yet.
“Yeah, we are.”
“About time, any fool can see he loves you.”
“He hasn’t said it,” Cassie replied, surprised by how much she longed to hear the words from him. “I didn’t think you liked him.”
Ella shrugged. “I was prepared to hate him after he hurt you. But he’s not so bad. You know, for a man.”
“He wants me to move back with him.”
“So, do it. Life’s too short. You love him, right? Even my jaded, disillusioned eyes can see he makes you happy. Life is what you make it.”
The taller woman turned her face away abruptly as Cassie gaped, taken aback. Ella always seemed so tough, yet Cassie was sure she’d seen her eyes glitter with tears.
“Of course, it could be that he enjoys the chase. Some guys are like that, they like to chase, and when they catch you they dump you like last week’s rubbish.” The words were bitter, but the pain was real.
“Ella—” Cassie reached up with a tentative hand, but Ella shrugged it off, walking to the door.