13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

C ourage

I'm deep in uncharted territory. This compelling, animal-brained, near-feral need to protect her—I've never felt this urge before. The insistent, primitive desire for her—the intrusive thoughts, complete with moving pictures, of all the things I want to do to her; the ways I want to take her; the filthy words I want to husk into her ear—I've never wanted a female the way I want her.

Two opposite emotions war within me with the ferocity of a T-Rex and a Triceratops battling to the death. If I give in to her request for a single kiss—though it's clear one kiss will never be enough—it means I'm slacking on my mission to keep her safe, because we both know sharing a bed with a wolven is the most dangerous thing she'll ever do.

No. That's not right. Sharing sex with me isn't necessarily dangerous for her. I might just be one in a long line of lovers. There's been a lot of online speculation, not to mention accusations in stories most likely planted by KEN. To listen to the tabloids, Candy's past is littered with jilted lovers.

Of the two of us, the one in the most danger right now is me. I'm a wolven. We can have all the sex we want, but if we meet our soulbound—if we fall in love—we're mated for life. I'm not just in danger of losing my heart, I'm in danger of being bound forever to a woman who's moved on and slated me for a lifetime of loneliness.

But when I look at her, her green eyes guileless, her perfect lips in a soft pout, her expression open and filled with wanting, I can't stop myself from breaching the gap between us. With one hand cradling her skull, the other tucked around her waist, I lean in. If this is to be our only kiss, I want to make it a good one and I want to make it last.

Before my lips reach hers, I breathe in her scent, an assortment of flowers bathed in sunlight. I trail my nose from the collar of her white bathrobe up the fragile column of her neck, memorizing the velvet feel of her skin and the way she leans into my gentle touch.

After lapping at the sensitive skin behind her ear, I nip there and allow her to feel my lips curl into a smile at her almost silent gasp of pleasure. I gnaw there with my flat front teeth, then surprise her when I scrape the points of my fangs against that spot. My lips haven't even grazed hers yet and her body is melting into me as her fingers grip my pelt more tightly.

Pressing my lips to the same spot, I suck air in through my teeth, then revel at her shiver as she breathes my name into the quiet room. My fingers tighten in her silken hair as I tip her head to get better access to her jaw, then I nip slowly from the hinge to her chin. All four of my fangs sliding along her tender flesh cause her to gasp and wiggle, but instead of trying to escape my touch, she tips her head in invitation for me to continue.

" Ahkton rosh. Merwah rosh ," I breathe against her skin, knowing that if she knew what I said, it would send her running—I want you. All of you.

"Whatever you said." She gasps as I nip her cheek. "I agree."

I tip her back, holding her tight, yet pushing her slightly off balance. It's only now, with her looking up at me as though I hung the moon and stars in the sky above, that I descend on her mouth.

I wanted to give her soft brushing kisses until she was moaning, writhing for more, but I'm only made of flesh and blood and fur. Unable to hold back, I nip her bottom lip, pulling it into my mouth to suck it. Although I was too impatient to follow my own game plan, I'm rewarded nonetheless with her stuttered moan as she opens her mouth to me.

Delving in, I taste her for the first time. Goddess! All her emotions are right here on the tip of my tongue. I can taste her raw desire, her affection, and her need. If I were a different male, I'd be planning my next five steps to get her naked and into my bed within a minute. Without a doubt, she's ripe and willing.

But I'm not a different male. I'll just have to work harder to stay seated in this chair, to limit myself to what we agreed upon—one kiss—even though my cock is jerking under my thin sleep pants, demanding to bury itself in her tight heat.

Candy gasps as my tongue delves deeper, and a rush of pleasure courses through me as our tongues dance in a slow, sensual waltz. My soft fur grazes her cheek, and she presses closer, moaning into my mouth.

I navigate cautiously to ensure I don't cut her with my fangs. Exploring her mouth, I find it odd to encounter her blunt teeth, but soon discover how easy it is to probe her depths.

As our tongues collide, I keep my palm molded to her skull, moving her in the perfect position to penetrate even deeper.

I explore every curve of her mouth as though it's the last time I'll ever have this heavenly experience, savoring every nuance. Our kiss deepens, and soon we're lost in a haze of sensation—the rustling of our clothing, Candy's whimpers and sighs.

Her hands are restless, carding through my pelt, then sliding to my chest, her fingers finding my nipples and plucking. I have to stifle a desperate moan as heat lightning flashes through my body, jolting straight to my cock.

"Mmm. I love your noises." Her voice is slurred, lust-drunk.

I'd thought I needed to hide my primitive wolven responses from her, but they're whipping her into a frenzy.

She cups my cheeks to keep me from terminating the kiss, to keep me close. When she pulls me closer, I'm lost in the taste of her. Her lips are soft against mine, teasing with a gentle nip now and then, while her tongue dances with mine, in perfect sync.

The soft brush of her fingers against my skin is heavenly, and I'm tempted to remove the belt from her robe and explore more, but I hold back. It's a testament to my self-control that I restrain from ripping off her clothes, tossing her on the bed, and sheathing myself in her.

As our kiss lingers, I can smell the sweet scent of her arousal mingling with the flowers of her shampoo. Each breath I take fills my nostrils with her intoxicating fragrance, making it difficult to focus on anything else. Her pleasured noises vibrate against my lips as she matches me stroke for stroke, moan for moan.

Higher thought has slipped away, and all that matters is the feel of her soft body pressed against mine. Her hands slide down my chest, over my abs, and lower still, to gently paw at the knot at my waistband.

Groaning into her mouth, I realize if we don't shut this down now, it will become impossible. Each brush of her fingers sends jolting shockwaves through me. My desire is dizzying. But I remind myself it's just… one… kiss.

Reluctantly, I break the kiss and pull back, breathing heavily. Candy's eyes are half-lidded with lust. She pants softly, looking up at me with desire in her emerald depths. Her gaze collides with mine, a confused, accusing look in their depths until she manages to banish it. She's as affected by this as I am.

Her trembling hands trail up to cup my cheeks once more, her fingertips grazing the trimmed beard at my jawline. The soft rustling of our clothes is like the gentle brushing of leaves in a breeze, as our bodies sway and press against each other with unspoken desire.

I may have stopped the kiss, but I let her see how wrecked I am that I had to force myself to pull away.

She swallows hard before she speaks, her voice husky. "That was…"

As she casts about for the perfect way to end her sentence, words pinball through my mind as I fill in the blank for her: amazing, overwhelming, life-altering…

"My worst idea ever, Courage." Perhaps she sees my eyes blaze with disappointment because she hurries to add, "One kiss? How did I ever think we could stop after a kiss so… perfect?"

"I agree. It was madness. Which is why I'm not going to offer you to spend the night in my bed, although I imagine you would feel safer with my arms around you."

"You're right." Her voice is laced with reluctance. "Safe is the last way to describe what would happen if we shared this bed. I fear we'd set the sheets on fire."