Dreaming of the Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #8)(58)

“I wanted to be with you so badly,” she admitted, and Jake swept her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to a bedroom of dark, rich burgundy.

He caught her astonished look at seeing the photographs of predominantly purple wildflowers on the walls.

“I love it,” she whispered.

He pulled away the bedcover. “If it wasn’t so late and I didn’t think you were a bit tired, I’d take you to the lake where we could do some skinny-dipping.”

She laughed, the first true expression of happiness she’d made since they’d found each other again.

Fully clothed, he laid her down on the mattress, then pressed his body against hers onto the soft bedding. He fanned his fingers over her nipples in that delicious way that made them tighten with need.

He smelled so good, like the pines that they’d run through as wolves, when he renewed his probing of her willing mouth with his insistent tongue. His arousal pressed hard against her parted legs, and she stirred against him, rubbing him, inviting him in.

“Alicia,” he mouthed against her lips, his hand sliding up her T-shirt and pushing down the lace cups of the push-up bra. His hands swept over her breasts gently, almost reverently. Her fingers slid up his T-shirt and combed through the dark hair on his chest, more desperate than anything as she felt the muscles flex beneath her fingertips. His warm breath tickled her breasts, caressing the flesh, his hot tongue teasing a highly aroused nipple. He rubbed his erection against her thigh as if showing her just how turned on she’d made him.

Fire consumed her as she tugged at his shirt to get it off. And when he yanked it over his head, he was again kissing her throat, his hand pressed gently down her belly, slipping under the waistband of her jeans and lower until he was stroking her through the red satin panties.

She writhed under his fingers’ skillful touch, tugged at his belt, which he quickly jerked free, then pulled her hand across his rigid length and pressed hard. She caressed him through the soft jeans, and he quickly yanked off her T-shirt as if he’d lost any restraint he’d managed to have until now. Until he saw the red lace push-up bra beneath her breasts, now reddened from his lightly abrasive two-day growth of beard and all the kissing he’d been giving them. He unfastened her jeans and pulled them off. Then he removed his own jeans in haste.

She tsked as she saw his nakedness.

He smiled. “I was in a hurry to rescue you.”

“I nearly died when you came for me as a wolf,” she whispered.

“It was the only way I could catch you.”

But then he feasted his eyes on the red bra and the red silk panties, groaned in needy approval, and slipped her panties off.

She felt irresistibly beautiful to him, loved and desired, just as much as she felt about him.

His fingers found her wet and willing, and his strokes made her wild. The feel of his touch was so much more pleasurable than in the dreams, so much more real and exquisite, reminding her of their love bouts before she’d left him. Without being able to cling to the moment, the climax crashed over her with ecstatic fervor, and she felt that elusive high she always had with him. Before she could cry out, his mouth was on hers, and he was pressing his erection inside her, thrusting, savagely claiming her as much as she was taking him in deeper, holding him, wanting him, claiming him back.

Her senses were revved, she realized with blissful shock. Because of the wolf in her, every sense she possessed was stronger, more alert, more attuned. The musky male scent of him, the sound of his heart beating rapidly, of his breath coming hard, the feel of the hairs on his chest and his chin brushing against her sensitive skin—and she felt the earth-shattering climax hit her once again. She moaned with pure pleasure as he thrust one last time and sank against her, spent only for the moment. Because with Jake, once was never enough.

***

Late the next morning, Alicia woke to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and eggs and ham cooking in the kitchen. She looked up at Jake, whose arms and legs were wrapped around her, but she wasn’t sure if he was being protective or purely possessive.

She loved being with him like this, yet she felt an odd sense of disquiet. She thought it might be because she still worried about Mario and his men causing trouble for Jake and his people.

Jake smiled sleepily down at her and kissed the top of her head. “I think they finally gave up on waiting for me to cook breakfast for them this morning. You were sleeping so soundly that I wouldn’t have disturbed you for the world.”

She sighed. “They’ll be annoyed with me then.”

He chuckled. “No. We all love to cook. I just tend to get up earlier than anyone else.”

She slid her hand between them and touched his rigid erection. “I know,” she said coyly.

He grinned at her. “Waking up to you has been my fondest desire.”

She stroked his chest with her fingernail and looked up at him. “I didn’t dream last night about you. The first time in seven weeks. Did you dream about me?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t need to.” He kissed her cheek.

“What time is it?”

“Late morning. Everyone will be heading to work—should have been already—all except Lelandi. She’s working on a psychology degree through an online college program so she can study at home. Sheriff Peter and some other men are hanging around outside in the event Mario or his men learn you’re here.”