Chapter 19

Denny

I wasn’t trying to freak Lauren out of anything. I just couldn’t see a future without her in it. I wanted to build a life with her. It was easy to imagine her belly all swollen with my child. She would be a great mother. I had no doubts about that. But I probably shouldn’t have said it.

She might as well know that I didn’t always get things right. I was the guy that always had something to say, but it wasn’t always the right thing to say. My actions weren’t always much better.

“Want to change and head back out to the party or just hang out in here alone?”

Her cheeks flushed, just as I knew they would.

“I thought you said you had to make an appearance at the party.”

“We did.”

“You didn’t even go downstairs. They said the majority of the party was there.”

“I don’t want you to go down there.”

“What? Why not? I thought you wanted me to go to the party.”

I did, but that was before I realized there would be a house full of drunk unmated males. I’d managed to get us back to our room without freaking out or causing a scene, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t feeling the stress.

“I, uh, I changed my mind.”

“What’s going on, Denny?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Oh.”

She looked so sad.

I sighed. “If you really want to go to the party, then we’ll go.”

“You just seemed excited about it and I was kind of getting excited about it too.”

She’d never been to a party before. I knew that and felt like an ass for keeping her from this experience.

I’d already experienced a few of her first moments. And I knew I wanted to be there to experience all of her firsts from now on.

As the thought popped into my head, I grew uncomfortably hard.

What was wrong with me?

I knew the answer to that already. I wanted my mate. I wanted her so badly that even an innocent thought sprang to mind that I would hopefully get to be her first lover, too.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking how I was your first kiss, your first make-out session, your first date, and I’ll damn well take you to your first party. I want to experience all your firsts with you from here on out.”

“So we’re going to the party?”

“Fine, but you have to promise me something.”

“Sure, anything.”

“I need you to promise me that you will stay by my side, no matter what. I need you right there within arm’s length.”

She looked confused. I huffed, hating to admit just how much it bothered me having her around drunk, unmated males. I wasn’t even certain I could control my wolf for long in the thick of it.

“It’s my wolf. He doesn’t like the thought of you around all that.”

“Around a party?”

“A party of drunken, unmated males,” I clarified.

“Oh. I hadn’t thought about that. We don’t have to go. I’m sure there will be other opportunities.”

“No, it’s fine. I can handle it.”

I wasn’t sure that was true, but at least I could try.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure it’s okay to change? Because I really didn’t look out of place in there in this dress.”

“I warned you of that, but it’s fine. I just want you to be comfortable.”

“Surprisingly, this dress hasn’t been all that bad, but I won’t feel as self-conscious in my jeans.”

She didn’t seem to wear shorts, at least not in the time I’d known her. Maybe if she spent enough time in California that would change, but at the moment I wasn’t even sure she owned a pair of shorts.

“We can wear sweats or pjs if you prefer.”

She laughed, and then she pulled the dress up and over her head.

The underwear she wore was basic white cotton, nothing fancy, yet I’d never seen anything sexier.

“I think I’m stuck. Can you help?”

She’d gotten it up to her head but was struggling to get it up and over. It gave me the perfect view of her gorgeous body. My mouth watered to push her bra aside and feast on her luscious breasts.

Mine! my wolf growled.

“Denny?”

“Yeah?”

“Help?”

She pulled the dress back down enough to look at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Just enjoying the view.”

She laughed. “I’m stuck in this thing.”

“Maybe next time unzip it first.”

“There’s a zipper? I don’t remember that.”

I shook my head and walked closer to help her. I wasn’t certain I fully trusted myself in this aroused state.

She looked like temptation on a stick, just waiting for me to take a bite.

I helped her ease the dress back down and then slowly unzipped it. She could have taken over easily from there. Instead, I ran my hands up her sides, feeling her smooth, silky skin as I helped raise the thing and remove it from her.

More, my wolf urged.

More than anything, I wanted that too.

I couldn’t seem to stop myself as I stood behind her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her back against me. My lips trailed kisses along the slender column of her neck.

There was no way I was going to claim her in this position. Not when she couldn’t bite me back. Still, just the thought of it made my mouth water.

“So beautiful,” I praised.

She gasped when my hands cupped her breasts.

I worried maybe it was too much, too fast, but then she moaned and pressed them further into my palms. Her nipples pebbled, begging to be sucked. My thumb skimmed over each of them at once, eliciting a needy mewl that made me lose all sense.

Quickly, I turned her and pressed her back up against the wall. I captured her mouth with mine. Her fiery core was right where I wanted it, if only these damn jeans weren’t in the way.

Why hadn’t I thought to take my clothes off first?

I wanted to kick my ass for that missed opportunity.

Even through the material, I could feel her heat. I knew if I touched her, she’d be wet and ready for me.

Her legs wrapped around my waist and pulled me even closer. I ground myself against her core, making us both moan in pleasure.

I wanted this.

I wanted her.

Kissing my way down, I shoved her bra aside, freeing one breast to dip my head and taste as I rubbed against her some more.

I was so hard it was bordering pain.

“Oh. Oh!” she cried.

This wasn’t how her first time should be, I reminded myself.

Slowing things a bit, I carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. Her legs spread for me, hiding her with only the thin barrier of her panties.

Growling, I bent down and covered her with my mouth. She wasn’t yet bare to me, but I could still taste her. She bucked against me, so close to her own orgasm.

In that moment, I knew this needed to be about her. Some day soon my time would come, but for now, her needs were what mattered most to me.

I’d never felt that way about any other woman.

I liked to think I was a generous lover, but nothing had ever compared to the pleasure I received from pleasing my mate. I needed to make her feel good even more than I needed it for myself.

“Denny,” she whimpered.

“I know, babe. You’re so close. I’m going to make you feel so good.”

Backing up only long enough to remove her underwear, I enjoyed a few seconds of just looking at her bare, wet, and filled with desire. It was the hottest thing I’d ever seen.

And I’d done that to her. The thought was a powerful aphrodisiac. I feared I might just come in my pants while pleasuring her.

Dipping my head once more, her hips raised to meet me halfway. And I feasted on her until her hands fisted in my hair and she was crying out my name. I felt like a god.

My ministrations didn’t let up until I felt her whole body stiffen, ready for release. And then I kissed her there and sat up to watch her face as she soared.

“I’m never going to get enough of you,” I confessed.

“That was insane,” she panted.

She reached up and pulled my face down to hers. Then she kissed me.

“I want you so badly,” I told her.

Feeling her stiffen, it was just as I thought. She was okay with making out and letting me touch her, even taste her, but actual sex was still a hesitation. I was glad I hadn’t tried to push for myself. It would come. She wasn’t shy or awkward this time. She hadn’t tried to hide herself. Every time we came together intimately, she seemed to blossom a little more.

I could be patient when I knew with absolute certainty it would be worth the wait.

We snuggled in bed for a few more minutes before I forced myself to rise and excuse myself to the bathroom.

Damn, I wished I could have just jacked off in front of her, but I was worried about scaring her off. So instead, I turned on the shower, stripped, and stepped into the cool water. It did nothing to calm my boner.

I had to take things into my own hands, quite literally.

With the fresh image of her in my mind, it didn’t take long before I was biting back the urge to cry out her name as I came hard.

It wasn’t as satisfying as I knew it could have been, but it would have to do for now.

Grabbing a towel, I dried off and stepped out into the bathroom. I hadn’t brought any clothes with me and honestly didn’t think anything of it as I walked back into the room completely naked with the towel on my head drying my hair instead of covering anything.

Lauren gasped.

“Sorry,” I muttered, trying to wrap the towel around my waist.

“Don’t be. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

She was eyeing me with open curiosity now, so I left the towel around my shoulders. At least I wasn’t standing at full attention for her. Though, if she kept looking at me like that, I just might be soon.

We were making progress. She hadn’t shied away when I touched her this time. She hadn’t put the brakes on us getting intimate. I’d call that success.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.

She seemed distracted, continuing to stare at me.

For just a second I understood the old saying, “Hey, my eyes are up here.” I almost chuckled at the thought. I certainly didn’t mind her staring at me. I loved it even.

But when she licked her lips, my dick sprang into action before I even knew what was happening and I was suddenly hard as steel again and at full attention.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

I quickly covered myself.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

I needed to get dressed quickly before I did something stupid and pushed things too far.

Grabbing a pair of boxers from my drawer, I pulled them on before turning to face her again. However, she was still nearly naked, wearing only her bra while lying on my bed.

“I want you so bad right now,” I admitted.

She gave me a sly grin. I wasn’t so sure she’d tell me no this time.

“Are we still going to the party?” she asked.

“Party. Yeah, right. We should go to the party.”

She got up and walked over to her bag to pull out fresh panties and a change of clothes.

I didn’t dare approach her, or we were never going to leave this room.

“Are you okay?” I tried asking her once more.

“I’m fine.”

“You didn’t stop me this time.”

“I didn’t want to stop you the first time,” she confessed.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Do you want to go to the party still?”

She actually looked torn, but slowly nodded her head.

I made sure we were both presentable, taking a second to fix her hair and give her one final chaste kiss before opening the door.

Before Lauren followed, she grabbed the beer she’d been handed at the door and downed it quickly. I was shocked. Plus, it had to be warm and gross by now. The look of disgust on her face told me I was right.

“How about we get you something better?”

“You don’t have to get me drunk to go back to your room. I’m staying here, remember?”

She was nervous again, but trying to play it off as if it were no big deal. It was cute.

“I definitely do not want you drunk. Not if I’m to ravish you again later.”

“Oh,” she squeaked.

I smacked her on the butt to get her moving.