-Ember-
"Tell me about your family?" I ask softly, the question hanging between us like a delicate thread. I'm not really expecting an answer, just testing the boundaries of our strange intimacy.
"It's just me," he says after a moment, his voice carrying a weight I can't quite decipher.
"Oh..." I breathe, hearing the loneliness in those three simple words.
"What about you?" he asks, his fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin, each touch leaving a trail of heat.
"All I have are my friends," I say, thinking of Ainslee, Stella, and Oaklynn—the family I chose when my blood relatives were no longer there. "They're everything to me."
"You seem close," he observes, and I can hear the smile in his voice.
"We are. I would be lost without them," I admit, the truth of it settling in my chest. They've been my anchors through everything. "They drive me fucking crazy sometimes, but they're the only people who've never let me down."
He drags his finger over my breast then rolls my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching just hard enough to make me gasp. "I'm glad you have them. Everyone needs someone to count on."
My back arches involuntarily as he continues his delicious torture. "God, that feels good."
"I know," he says, his voice smug and sexy. "I can feel how much you like it. Your body doesn't lie."
I take a deep breath, trying to focus despite his distracting touch. "Are you close with your friends?"
"Extremely," he says without hesitation. "They're the brothers I never had."
"That's nice," I murmur, genuinely glad he has people in his life who matter to him.
He slides his hand away from me, and I almost protest until I feel something pressing against my lips. "Try this," he says, his voice low and intimate.
A chocolaty scent flares in my nose. I bite into the hard shell, and juice from a strawberry drips down my chin. The sweet and creamy flavors mix, melting in my mouth.
"Mmmmmmm," I can't help the moan that escapes me, the taste exquisite.
"Fuck, that sound," he growls. "Do you have any idea what it does to me when you moan like that?"
He leans forward and licks the juice off my face, his tongue hot and wet against my skin. I think he might finally kiss me, but his lips only hover near mine, teasing me with their proximity.
"Are you dangerous?" I blurt out, surprising even myself.
I'm not sure why I ask or choose this moment to do so, but everything about him screams power and dominance. Yet, I also feel protected with him. As soon as the words leave my mouth, my cheeks flare with embarrassment.
"Sorry, I-I... you don't have to answer that," I stammer.
"Yes. I am," he says without hesitation, his voice dropping to a register that makes my core clench. "You can feel it?"
His admission and question surprise me. I bite my lip and nod, my heart pounding faster in my chest.
"But you're not scared of me?" he asks, his voice a mixture of curiosity and something else—concern, perhaps?
"No," I answer immediately, the truth flowing out before I can even process it. "Maybe I should be, but I'm not. I feel... safe with you."
"You shouldn't," he warns, but his hands continue their gentle exploration of my body, contradicting his words.
"What makes you dangerous?" I press, unable to help myself.
He lowers his voice, his lips still near mine as he continues stroking my cheek. "I'm not going to answer that. But I'll admit if we hadn't made this arrangement, I would have stayed away from you even though I wanted you from the moment I saw you across that fucking club."
My stomach flutters with a combination of nerves and excitement. Tanner might be an alpha, but he never seemed like one of those dangerous alphas. His cruelty lay elsewhere. I can't believe my mystery man wanted me from afar.
"Why would you have stayed away?" I ask, drawn deeper into his mystery.
His lips brush against mine, not quite a kiss but close enough to make my breath catch. "You're too good to be drawn into the things my pack deals with. Too pure. Too fucking perfect."
I wonder what pack he is from, what they do that makes him consider himself dangerous. Is he from one of those notorious packs I've heard whispers about? The ones that operate in shadows and leave fear in their wake?
"Maybe I'm not as good as you think," I whisper, surprising myself with my boldness. "Maybe I've got a dangerous side too."
His laugh is dark and rich. "Little wolf, you have no idea what real danger is."
Neither of us moves, and the tension in the air increases. The longer we stay frozen, the harder it gets to fill my lungs with air. I curse myself over and over again for asking him. After tonight, I'll never see him again and don't even know what he looks like.
But my desire for him doesn't waver. It grows, burning hotter until every ounce of my blood pounds in my veins.
He finally breaks the silence, mumbling something under his breath that sounds like "fuck it" or "fuck me," too low for me to make out even with my wolf hearing and being so close to him. His erection grows under me, pressing insistently against my core. Then he moves me so fast, I don't realize what's happening until we're out of the water and I'm straddling him on the ledge of the tub, my heart beating wildly.
"I need to be inside you again," he growls, his voice thick with desire. "Need to feel that tight pussy gripping my cock."
"Yes," I breathe, eager for him. "God, yes."
He quickly slips a condom on and yanks my knees past his hip bones, positioning me over him.
"I need you again," he growls, his voice thick with desire. "Right fucking now."
"Yes," I breathe, eager for him.
I moan as I sink down on him, taking every inch of his glorious cock as it stretches and fills me. I wrap my arms around him, using his shoulders as leverage, and get as close to him as I can.
"That's it," he encourages, his voice strained. "Take all of me. Show me how much you want it."
His large palms squeeze my ass, guiding my circling hips with a possessive grip that makes me dizzy with want.
"Fuck, little wolf," he growls, his voice strained. "You feel incredible around me. So tight, so wet, so fucking perfect."
I don't know why the nickname, but I like that he calls me that. It makes me think I am special to him. I shouldn't want to be. He just admitted to me he's a dangerous type of wolf. I'm not even sure what he's done to define himself as such.
All I know of him is how he's treated me tonight and made me feel right now at this moment. The only thing I have with him is intense pleasure and unexpected kindness.
"You're perfect," he murmurs against my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. "So fucking perfect. Made for me."
He thrusts me faster on him as our chests beat into one another, skin slick with water and sweat. The bathroom fills with the sounds of our pleasure—sighs, moans, and the rhythmic slap of skin on skin.
"That's right," he growls, his hands guiding my movements. "Ride me like you mean it. Show me how bad you want it."
Pleasure pools everywhere, with every slide of his body against mine. I feel myself building toward another climax, even more powerful than the ones before.
"I love how you make me feel," I whisper, the words barely audible even to my own ears.
"So fucking good, little wolf," he responds, deep and gravelly. "You have no idea what you do to me. How much I want to keep you."
His words send a thrill through me that has nothing to do with physical pleasure and everything to do with the dangerous connection forming between us.
"Tell me you're close," he demands, his rhythm becoming more urgent. "I need to feel you come on my cock again."
"I'm close," I gasp, my nails digging into his shoulders. "So close. Don't stop."
"I wouldn't dream of it," he says, his voice rough with desire. "Come for me, little wolf. Let me feel you."
His arms tighten around me, pulling me impossibly closer. His lips brush against mine but still not kissing me, maintaining that one frustrating boundary. We erupt together, our cries of pleasure echoing against the walls, our breaths labored and bodies trembling.
"Fuck, yes!" I cry out as my orgasm crashes through me, more intense than anything I've ever experienced. "Oh my god!"
"That's it," he growls, his hips jerking up into mine as he finds his own release. "Take everything I have to give you."
As the waves of pleasure subside, I rest my forehead against his shoulder, trying to catch my breath. It's a good thing I won't see him again after tonight. Our chemistry is too hot, too consuming. The potent attraction I feel toward him isn't something I would be able to turn off. I realize I could easily become obsessed with him, which is why it's a good thing I won't have contact with him ever again. Because if I had to tear myself away from him after tonight, I wouldn't be able to.
"You're trembling," he murmurs, his hands stroking my back.
"That was... intense," I admit, my voice shaky.
He chuckles, the sound vibrating through his chest. "We're just getting started, little wolf. The night is still young, and I plan to make you come at least three more times before the sun rises."
Despite my exhaustion, I feel a renewed spark of desire at his words. "Promise?"
"Oh, I promise," he says, lifting me effortlessly as he stands. "And I always keep my promises."