Chapter 9

9

JONAH

B rooke rolls her eyes when I bundle her up on the couch in a blanket and a heating pad before I will allow her to eat dinner. It feels like she's getting a little frustrated at my overprotectiveness, but at least she's still laughing about it. I'd rather annoy her slightly than delay her healing.

I wait until she's taken a few bites before handing her a painkiller, which she accepts with another exaggerated eye roll. I'm not sure if she's aware of how carefully I've been timing her pills all day, giving her just enough to keep her from wincing and walking too stiffly, but not enough to make her the slightest bit groggy.

I've been observing her reaction time just to be sure. Unobtrusive things like darting my head to the left as if I've seen a bird flit past the window, and noting how long it takes her to look as well. Or when I pass her something, making sure there's no delay in her motor functions.

I've always been very observant with my patients. Many of them lie about their levels of pain or try to hide injuries. Especially if their spouse is there.

Hell, I had one guy who raises horses come in because his wife was concerned about his sprained ankle. It wasn't until he tried to open the door for them to leave that I spotted his broken wrist. He hadn't wanted to bother me with it, figuring it would just take a few days to "shake off".

There's no way I'm going to allow Brooke to be in pain if I can help it. It actually hurts me to think she might be uncomfortable.

By the end of our after-dinner movie, we're sitting with her legs stretched across my lap, casually cuddling. She turns to me with an adorable smile. "You know, I've been rolling my eyes at your fussiness, but the heating pad really does help. Check it out." Her left arm stretches in a slow circle forward, then up and back as if she were doing the backstroke.

"That's great, I'm glad." I take her hand in mine to prevent her from doing it again and fix her with a stare. "But the whole immobilization thing means that you don't stretch like that very much."

" Grr ."

There's something about her adorable soft growls of annoyance that makes my pulse…and other things…surge. I'm at least half hard every time she's in my arms, but now, with the way she snuggles against me, her knee brushing across the front of my pants…

I've never wanted a woman like this. No, not want. Need . For the first time in my life, this Wolfe really feels like an actual wolf, wanting to stalk and capture my prey. Yet here she is already in my arms, those big, soft gray eyes staring up at me as if she already knows exactly what I want.

I should not be this hard, with my long-neglected cock pulsing in my jeans. I should not be thinking of making her cry out like she did last night, coming so sweetly in my hand.

Swallowing hard, I clear my throat. "Coffee? Or maybe herbal tea?"

She fists the front of my t-shirt, pulling me closer. "Ah-ah-ah. I'm pretty sure you were thinking about something else two seconds ago. What was it?"

"It's much too soon to be thinking like that."

"Says who? I thought one of the perks of being a wild mountain man was that you lived by your own rules and all that good stuff. Right?"

"I guess you might have a point."

Our lips meet softly, and the gentle kiss is all it takes to ignite our desire. Her sensual mouth moves against mine, opening to help me delve deeper, the kiss taking on a life of its own.

I shove the coffee table out of the way with my foot, holding her against me as I gently roll onto the floor. I stretch out with Brooke on top of me, my hands now free to caress her back, her voluptuous ass, the back of her thighs. Everywhere.

Her tongue dances with mine as her body weight settles over me. The rush of possessiveness is mind-blowing. This precious girl already means so much to me. I can't possibly do the gentlemanly thing and wait any longer.

"I want to see you naked, gorgeous." I feel her shiver at my murmured request. Or was it a command? Either way, she nods.

I help her carefully slip off her tank top and long sleeve t-shirt together. Then I roll her gently onto her back on the thick carpet, shoving the coffee table further away. Her auburn hair fanned out against the forest green area rug is so beautiful that it makes me want to take a photo of her in this perfect moment.

Maybe next time.

She lifts her hips as I pull down her yoga pants, and I'm relieved to notice that she doesn't flinch when moving her side slightly.

It feels like I can already read her, that I can tell what she needs, but I'm not going to make any assumptions, just in case.

Staring at her pale, delicate skin stretched out underneath me, my breath is ragged. "Luscious," I growl, as my palms coast up her thighs, spreading them apart. "Can I lick your sweet little pussy? I'll be so nice and slow, promise."

Brooke looks deeply into my eyes, like she's lost for a moment. Then she nods. "Please."

Remembering what she said last night, I pull off my t-shirt and toss it behind me. I have to admit to a certain bit of self-satisfaction as I watch her eyes drift hungrily across my chest. "How is a medic built like a lumberjack?" she whispers as I settle between her thighs.

"I have lots of lumberjacking to do on my own property," I say with a chuckle. "Plus there's a really good gym in town."

I don't mention that the gym is a great place to blow off steam if you haven't been with a woman in years, and have a lot of pent up… energy .

I kiss an arc from hip bone to hip bone. Brooke's knees bend up slightly as I spread her wide, my warm breath whispering across her delicate skin. Her pussy is perfect – pink and fresh and sinfully sweet. My fingers are already caressing her, my tongue gliding straight through her crease as she gasps, her nipples tightening immediately. As I pull her clit between my lips, I reach a hand up to fondle her breast, grazing her nipple with my thumb until her head rolls back.

"Look at me." I don't know why my voice is so dark. "Look into my eyes, baby. Let me see you come." She nods, then giggles when I rub the scruff of my beard against her inner thigh.

Brooke looks like an offering stretched out on the dark rug, her pale skin luminous, her curvy figure undulating slightly. As I plunge my tongue deep inside her, she lets out a low hoarse "Oh!" Then she sighs contentedly. "Wowww…"

My fingers tease at her sensitive peaks, her breasts growing warm under my left hand as I alternate back and forth. My right fingertips are busy gliding in and around her soft folds, listening to her breath hitch as I explore every sensitive nook. My thumb grazes her clit and she gasps, her shoulders lifting up and forward as she grips the top of my hair. I'm happy to see she doesn't wince in the slightest.

I meet her eyes, silently encouraging her to pull and push me in whatever direction she pleases. As soon as she begins to pull me closer, I feel her juices begin to flood my tongue.

Her thighs tighten around my shoulders, ankles crossing behind my back as her body closes in. "Delicious," I groan. "That's it. Come on my tongue, baby. Let me feel you. Please."

"Yeah," she moans softly. "It's… so…" She loses her train of thought as I trace around her clit gently, then bump my thumb flat against the sensitive point.

"Hot," I growl into her soaking pussy. "That's what it is. Hot, and sexy as hell."

Her fingers tighten in my hair, and I feel the prick of her fingernails against my scalp. "Mmm," I groan, feeling how close she is. Realizing that my gorgeous girl is hovering right at the point of no return and that I brought her there is wildly satisfying to me.

I hum again, plunging my tongue as deep as it will go, fucking her with it as my thumb bears down, rubbing her clit in tight little circles. Brooke's eyes blaze, her mouth falling open, then she cries out, frantically clutching at me as her entire body trembles.

It's the sexiest thing in the world to feel her ankles shaking against my back. Her pussy dripping on my lips. Her fingers spearing through my hair as I pull every drop of bliss from my beautiful woman's body.

After she stops twitching, she lies back, looking almost sheepish.

"So beautiful," I murmur. She looks lost and vulnerable now, naked and satiated, but perhaps also nervous about what's next.

I kiss my way up her body, paying special attention to her nipples before lying beside her, propped up on my elbow.

"That was amazing," she breathes.

"The important thing is, did you pull your side at all?"

She smirks. "Grr. No ."

"Do you think that lying here flat on the floor is the best place for healing, or should I pick you up and take you to my bed?"

Brooke's eyes dance. "You know, I think a small amount of movement might be good for me. Maybe if we snuggled in your bed for a while, it would help me heal?"

My thumb drags across her bottom lip. "Definitely snuggle."

Sometimes when Brooke is thinking, her eyes twinkle and her lips pull to the side in an adorable cross between a smirk and a smile. "Except, since I'm all naked, I might get cold…"

"Are you saying you might need a heating pad?"

"I'm saying I might need"…her hand trails slowly from my collarbone down my chest, then down my abs…"you to be naked as well. You're very warm."

Leaning in, I breathe against her ear, "if we're both naked, I'm going to get very filthy and inappropriate ideas."

Her chin tips up and down immediately. "Good. Those are the kinds of ideas I want you to be having right now."

I scoop her up quickly, cradling her against my chest so there's no pressure on her side.

After just two steps toward the bedroom, my cock feels like it's going to burst just from looking at the incredible woman in my arms. No matter what happens, I already know that this is the hottest night of my life.

It feels like Brooke was sent to me. The dream woman I've always longed for. The partner I've always needed. It's too soon, and the ideas are too big, but sometimes when you know, you know.

Brooke is the one for me.

Assuming, of course, that she wants to become a mountain woman.

And assuming I can figure out how to be the right man for her.