Chapter Seven
Henri led her back to his room. The feel of his strong hand in hers chased away the last of the fear and uncertainty that had plagued her in the darkest corners of her mind. Being with him felt more than right. It was perfect. He was perfect.
They didn’t pass anyone in the corridor, and as soon as they dashed in the room, Henri scooped her up with such a speed that she giggled. Tessa surrendered to his kisses. How could she have thought she could live without knowing this? He laid her down on the bed, following her down. The feel of his hard body against hers, so tight there was no space between them, was maddening. Her clothes created an unwanted barrier, but she didn’t want to end the kiss. As if he read her thoughts, Henri tugged her top up. The cold air made her shiver, but his touch chased the chill away.
Tessa wasn’t a virgin, well, not a complete one. A drunken fumble was as far as it went, and that paled in comparison to the moment she now shared with Henri. She let herself touch him, and he groaned in approval as she tentatively ran her hands over his chest. Emboldened by his groan, she moved her hands over his shoulder and played with the loose strands of hair at the base of his neck. The feel of his lips on hers was distracting as hell, but she didn’t want it to stop. He tickled her back, stopping when he reached the clasp on her bra. With a skill and speed that surprised her, he unclasped the bra and pulled down the straps. Tessa didn’t bother to look to where he threw it. She would gladly spend the rest of her life in bed with him, naked.
Not that long ago the thought of being naked with a man would have sent her screaming in terror, but as he pulled away and gazed at her body with wonderment in his eyes, she didn’t worry about being different from the other girls she knew. The way he looked at her chased all the doubts out of her mind. He liked what he saw. He liked it a lot. Any thought of telling him she’d never had sex before disappeared. Maybe he wouldn’t notice?
He moved lower on the bed until he faced her chest. A gasp escaped her lips, and he took her nipple into his mouth, sucking and teasing it. The sensation seemed to shoot straight from her chest to her clit. “Oh God.”
Her words spurned him on. Slowly he unbuttoned the button on her jeans and tugged the zip down. Tessa could barely breathe as he pulled them down. The cold didn’t touch her. Her body ran hot, and she bit her bottom lip as he discarded them on the floor. She watched as Henri stood up and glanced down at her. Moonlight crept in through the window. It cast his face in shadow, but there was no mistaking his powerful body or the possessive look in his eyes.
Slowly he took his jeans off, and Tessa could practically touch the tension. Her mouth went dry as she realized that he’d taken his underwear off as well. His cock hung heavy between his legs, and the ache between hers became unbearable. For a second they watched each other, and Tessa couldn’t move. She didn’t want to be the one to break the moment, and she didn’t have long to wait as Henri knelt at the edge of the bed and caressed her ankles before he pulled her down, until her feet touched the floor on either side of him.
The thin material of her underwear was the only thing between them. “Henri?”
“It’s going to be all right,” he whispered against her thigh. “Trust me.”
****
A delicious scent drifted from her body, sweet with a desire so strong that it sold his breath. He carefully pulled her panties to the side. The darkness didn’t mean much with his shifter sight, and every curve was visible to him. Her lips glistened with her need, and he tasted her. She shuddered as a soft moan escaped her, whispering his name. As soon as he delved into her body he’d be lost. Tessa deserved more than that.
He reached underneath her butt and lifted her higher. “Let your legs drop open wider, sweetheart. Show me your pussy.” She followed his instructions, and he smiled as he touched the sides of her underwear and snapped the straps. With his teeth, he carefully removed the offending garment and dropped it to the floor.
“Are you planning on torturing me?”
He smiled, even if he knew that she couldn’t see it. “You’ve been torturing me. It’s only fair that I pay you back for that.”
“What do you mean by, pay me back for that?”
His mate's voice was breathless, and he liked it that way.
“What I mean, sweetheart, is I haven’t even started yet. Your pussy is already so wet and ready for me.” He lowered his head until he was only inches from her. “Do you want me to taste you?” Tessa moaned, her body rising, offering herself. “Use your words.”
“Please, Henri.”
He rewarded her with a swirl of his tongue on the tight cluster of nerves at the crux of her pussy. Her desire coated his lips and tongue, and he moaned, enjoying her taste before he went back to playing with her. With his lips on her clit, he teased it with the tip of his tongue. Her breath was deeper, her heart racing in her chest, and he listened to it, letting the beat of her heart to guide his movements. The faster her breathing got, the more pressure he applied. When he was sure that she was on the cusp, he built the rhythm.
Her body moved against him, rising and falling, faster and faster until she suddenly froze. A sigh, sensual and incredibly sexy, hit him like a ton of bricks. He traveled up her body, kissing her, letting her taste herself on his lips. There was a dazed look in her eyes but she looked satisfied, and she gently touched his face. There was no real fight or doubt in her body. Hell, he’d managed to rob her entirely of her strength. Henri grinned.
The kiss morphed from sweet to hot again in an instance. His mate reached between them and took him firmly in her hand. “Do you have condoms?” she asked him breathlessly.
He nodded. There wasn’t any point in telling her that shifters didn’t catch sexually transmitted diseases. The virus had its perks. She squeezed and robbed him of his train of thought. With one hand, he removed freed himself from her grasp and pinned both of her hands above her head. She watched him from underneath hooded eyelids. With his free hand, he pulled open the bedside drawer and retrieved a foiled pack. He ripped it open and pulled the latex free, then rolled it down the length of him.
Tessa moved underneath him, rubbing her chest against his. He didn’t realize that she was such a minx, but she dropped her legs open further until he nestled perfectly between them. The tip of his cock brushed against the lips of her pussy. He could feel the hot wetness against his cock, even through the protective barrier of the condom.
“I want you, Henri. I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you and this moment.”
“I want you, too. How couldn’t I know that you were just a hundred feet away from me?” Would their paths ever have crossed if she hadn’t been attacked? Goddess, was there a chance they could have both lived out their lives without knowing?
A smile curved her lips. “I didn’t know that you were such a romantic.”
He brushed a kiss against her lips. “Are you okay?”
“Henri…” She nipped the bottom of her lip, but whatever she planned on saying disappeared as he thrust inside of her, her eyes going wide in sudden pain. Henri froze in place. His wolf roared inside of him satisfied he’d been the first one to claim his mate. Henri, on the other hand, couldn’t move at all. Tessa moved her hips up, urging him on. “Please don’t stop.”
“You’re a virgin?” Panic settled in her eyes, and her hands, which she placed on his ass, went to his chest. There was no real strength in her arms. Henri didn’t move, and he dropped lower and brushed a kiss against her lips. “I wish you’d told me.”
“What difference would it have made?” Tears pooled in her eyes and trickled down the side of her face. She turned away from him, and he caught the flash of worry and the tension that shot through her. He guided her face back towards him.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He brushed the dampness on her cheek with his thumbs. “I would have been gentler. It doesn’t make me want you any less”
“Please don’t stop. Henri, please, I need you.”
****
Tessa shivered as Henri traced a path down the side of her body. She’d never given her virginity much thought. It was easier that way. In truth, she never thought she’d lose it. She never went out, so the chances she would have gotten a boyfriend were pathetically low.
Being with Henri made that inner voice quiet. The way he touched her made her feel loved, and the look in his eyes? The intensity in his gaze left her breathless. Tessa’s sigh turned into a moan as Henri kept kissing her. The discomfort quickly blossomed into pleasure. It helped that Henri moved slowly, helping her to adjust to his size.
She knew that it took a lot of control on his part that he didn’t end up hurting her by mistake, and that knowledge made her love him more.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. Desire spiked through her and reached a tipping point. An involuntary cry escaped her, and Henri kissed her, muffling the sound of her release. His body now glided inside and out effortlessly. The feelings inside of her rode her hard as Henri’s pace quickened, built, and hit as he held his body still. He opened his eyes, and Tessa found herself trapped in his gaze. It was he who broke the connect as he kissed her again before he rolled off her and disappeared into the bathroom. Tessa pulled the covers up to the top of her chest and listened to the sound of running water. After a few moments Henri reappeared, naked and smiling.
A part of her wanted to talk, but she had a feeling that words would ruin the moment. There was nothing that could be said that needed to be said. Henri climbed back into bed and as if he read her mind, he pulled her into his arms and Tessa gradually fell asleep.
Tomorrow could wait.
****
The first thing Tessa laid eyes on when she woke up was the incredibly manly chest she half lay on. With the utmost care, she untangled her body from his. The bedsheet slipped down, and a blast of cold air reminded her she was naked … very naked. She snatched up the top sheet, wrapped it around her chest and stood. The makeshift dress pooled around her feet. She moved from the bed to the window. Warm light came in, and she smiled. In that moment, she didn’t think about tomorrow but the man who still slept in the bed behind her.
She glanced across at him. With one arm positioned over his head and most of that wonderful chest on display, he looked peaceful. It was more than sex with a handsome man who seemed to love her, even with her uncertainties. It was a closeness she’d never experienced until last night.
Tessa perched on the edge of the windowsill and looked out of the window again. It really was beautiful here.
She didn’t want to leave.
The realization hit her like a bag of bricks. Suddenly her eyes burned, and she wiped the tears away as they ran down her face. “I don’t want to die.”