22. Willow

TWENTY-TWO

Willow

I closed the gap between us, our mouths crashing together as my desperate need became unbearable, our kiss hot and full. His lips were as demanding, his control gone. My jeans were unsnapped and I moaned with appreciation as his rough fingers caressed over the bare skin of my ass before slipping lower. My head tilted backward, exposing my neck when he found my wetness, a finger, then two, sliding between my thighs, caressing me exactly where I needed.

In an inhuman show of strength and speed, I was lifted off his thighs, and my jeans were yanked down my legs, my foot helping to push one leg free. Caleb pulled me down over him, and the feeling of only his jeans and my panties between us had me almost seeing stars as our bodies were now fully locked into a rhythm that neither of us wanted to stop.

I felt the sting and heard the rip of fabric as he tore my panties, but it was a secondary feeling, dull compared to the heady feel of his finger pushing into me. My fingers tangled in his hair. “Caleb.” My whisper was swallowed as he claimed my mouth once more.

“Ride my hand.” He sounded guttural, exposed, wild.

He watched me with an intensity that only made my need for him grow. His thumb traced over my clit, rubbing circles with gentle pressure, while his other finger moved inside me. My eyes were fixed on his, silently begging him not to stop, and the burn of another finger sinking into me had my eyes rolling back in my head as I pumped my hips over him.

“Fuck, Willow, I want you. You’re so fucking beautiful like this.” Caleb’s voice was low and rough, a confession that seemed to be dragged from deep within. His teeth nipped at my exposed neck, and I felt my blood soar as he continued to rub just right.

My hands were desperately reaching for the button of his jeans. I moved off him slightly, giving him time to shove them down while I had him in my hand. Our moans were mixed as I started to stroke him. Caleb pulled me back into him, his length sliding between my legs, my wetness lubricating us both.

My hands wrapped around him, relishing in his ragged breathing as I took control. Placing him at my opening, I held his stare and hesitated. Caleb’s eyes were black with desire, his breathing short and tortured, my fingers flexed around his heavy cock, and he gave a throaty groan that made my insides clench.

“Okay?” My whisper sounded loud in the silence of the car, and it was my turn to moan when Caleb’s hips rose slightly, pushing the tip of him inside. “Caleb?”

“Yes,” he growled, “Goddess, yes.” His hands on my hips pulled me down over him as he slipped inside. My eyes widened as I felt him stretching me, and I tried not to cry out. My own wetness helped him, but it still made me gasp as my body adjusted to accept him. Caleb’s thumb was back on my clit as our bodies started to move together, and I completely forgot where we were.

Our mouths fought against each other as we set a hard and unrelenting pace. Caleb’s fingers on his left hand would leave bruises on my hip, I was sure, but I didn’t care. This was everything. Having him inside me, filling me, it was addictive. I needed more. So much more.

“I need more,” I groaned into his mouth.

“Greedy,” he teased, pulling my sweater aside and kissing along my collarbone. Sitting straighter, holding me tighter to him, he pushed the button that lowered his seat back. The flat of his palm rested between my breasts. “Lean back.”

I did so, my back hitting the steering wheel, but it was an insignificant pain as my body took more of Caleb’s cock into me. Seeing him lying out under me made me want to touch all of him. From this angle, he took over, pulling and pushing me over his hips, my back arched as he delivered infinite pleasure, and all I could feel was him moving inside me.

“Oh shit,” I breathed as my core coiled in anticipation. “Caleb!” I sounded like a stranger, my voice hoarse and broken, and when his thumb dropped back to press lightly against my clit, I cried out as I came undone around him. He let me ride out my orgasm, and then he pulled me forward. My hands fell to his abs, supporting myself shakily as I leaned over him. His hands on my hips were tight as he moved me over him at a relentless pace, his hips thrusting upwards as he chased his own release .

Caleb’s head tipped back, his eyes heavy-lidded with desire as he watched me, and I watched him as his movements became more and more urgent until I saw him reach his peak. With a roar, he came inside me, his body sitting up smoothly, arms slipping around my waist and sliding up my back, gripping onto my shoulders as he pulled me down, pumping into me with a heady groan. Teeth grazed against my throat, nipping and sucking as my thighs clenched against his hips. Seeing him come undone had triggered another release for me, and I shuddered around him once more.

We stayed like that for a long moment until the sound of passing traffic penetrated our bubble, and I realized I’d just had sex in a car in the bright morning sunlight at the side of the road.

Caleb realized the same thing at the same time. “Shit.” My sweater was pulled over my ass, and while I dropped my head to hide in the crook of his neck, Caleb was making sure we hadn’t been seen. “The windows are fogged,” he assured me. “No one would see inside.”

He didn’t mention that it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to know what we had been doing, and as we shuffled off each other and fumbled to get dressed, my cheeks burned with embarrassment.

I avoided looking at him while I tried to pull my jeans on, quickly coming to the uncomfortable realization that I had no underwear and was full of Caleb.

“Shifters don’t have STDs right?”

Well, that’s how you make the moment awkward.

“We don’t.” His voice was low, his breathing still uneven like mine, and that made me feel better. “You doing okay? ”

“Just got screwed at the side of the road, and now have no underwear, and I am full of…”

“Cum.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded. I felt him move and then he was bringing a pack into the front seat. I heard him rummage through it and was handed some napkins from a fast-food restaurant and a used shirt.

“Best I got,” he told me apologetically. “Use them to clean yourself up. You have clothes in your backpack?”

Nodding, I twisted in my seat and, after a quick search, secured a clean pair of underwear. “And how do I do this?”

“I’ll open the front and back door, and I’ll stand in front of the car so no one can see through,” he assured me.

I had nothing to offer, so I simply did what he told me, and using his shirt as a towel, all the napkins, and some hand sanitizer as carefully as I could, I cleaned myself as much as possible and then pulled on clean panties and tried not to think negative thoughts about my being a wanton hussy.

When I was done, I stood up and tried to work out the knots in my body. Caleb came around to stand beside me, and with no hesitation, he reached out for me, tugging me into his body, and kissed me soundly.

“I’m sorry that got awkward,” he said softly against my lips. “If we ever do that again, I’ll make sure it’s in better surroundings.”

I was finding it hard to speak. What did he mean if , shouldn’t it be when ? “No audience would be better,” I said instead of demanding answers. I couldn’t be that girl who thought a fumble at the side of the road meant more than it was .

Actually, screw that. “If? What do you mean if ?”

Caleb’s smile was slow and sinful. “Good girl,” he murmured before pressing a light kiss to my lips. “You ready to move?” he asked, pulling back.

“Yup. Bring on the mountain.”

His smile was infectious, and with another quick peck, he waited for me to get back in the car, quickly following me.

“You need to sleep?” Caleb asked as he started the car.

“You said a few hours before…” My cheeks were red again.

“Yup. Sleep if you can, you’ll need it.”

“You don’t need to sleep?”

Caleb’s grin was wicked. “Nope, I have a sudden burst of energy this morning.”

Laughing at his playfulness, I shoved at his arm. “Shut up.” As I settled in the seat, we fell into an easy silence while Caleb drove. I tried not to look at him all the time as I replayed every touch of his on my body. Eventually, the excitement of the morning caught up with me, and I fell asleep.

“Hey, Willow, wake up.” The gentle touch on my shoulder was interrupting my lovely dream. A dream where I was wrapped up in the cocoon of Caleb.

“Go away, I’m still sleeping,” I mumbled.

“Yes, you are, but you need to wake up.”

I knew that voice. That amused lilt in his tone, which I never knew if he was laughing at me or with me. Opening an eye, I saw Caleb leaning over me. “Hey?”

“Hey,” he greeted. “You can wake up now.” Stepping back, I saw the high mountains surrounding us, and a streetlight, and looking past him, I saw a store and more. “Thought you might want to eat?”

My tummy rumbled at the thought, and within a few minutes of waking up, I was brushing my teeth in a diner’s bathroom with my toiletry bag from my backpack open beside me. I’d also taken the opportunity to do a better job of cleaning up. I still wasn’t shower clean, but it was better.

When I eventually came out, Caleb was seated and eating his breakfast sandwich. Men had it so easy.

“Took your time,” he commented as I slid into the booth.

“See you didn’t wait for me,” I replied, but whatever he was going to say was cut off when a plate of food was placed in front of me.

“There you go. We kept it warm for you,” the waitress told me. “Your man get it right?” she teased with a smile at Caleb.

Looking down at my breakfast, I nodded. “Looks good.”

“Your tea’s just coming,” she told me.

“Thanks.” I looked at my plate and back to Caleb. “Should it surprise me that you ordered for me?”

He took a bite of his sandwich. “Anything I got wrong?” he asked with a smirk.

He knew he hadn’t, and for that reason, I picked up a slice of toast and began buttering it without replying, ignoring his wide grin as he ate.

He watched me intently as I focused on the toast, his smile lingering as if he was savoring more than just his breakfast. I could feel Caleb’s eyes on me, waiting for me to react, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right. Instead, I slowly buttered my toast, pretending I wasn’t noticing him at all.

“That’s how you want to play?” he asked with genuine amusement. “Nothing to say?”

I kept my attention on the task, not allowing myself to meet his gaze. The warm buttery toast did little to distract me from the heat in my cheeks. He knew how to get under my skin, and that smirk he was wearing, while charming, was infuriating.

“You missed something,” I finally said, setting the toast down on my plate and scooping up some eggs.

“Did I?” I could hear his amusement, and I knew he was laughing at me. “Enlighten me.”

The waitress placed a pot of tea and a cup down on the table, and I murmured my thanks through a mouthful of eggs. When I met his gaze, he was watching me in that cocky, expectant way he had.

“Well?” Caleb gestured to my plate with what was left of his breakfast. “Tell me.”

Swallowing, I met his stare. “You forgot to mention how obnoxious you can be.”

His low, rough laugh did something to my insides that I didn’t want to explore so quickly after what we had just done at the side of the road only hours before.

Caleb leaned back in his seat with a wide smile as he watched me. “Maybe it’s part of my charm?”

Picking up a piece of bacon, I bit into it. “Maybe you need to learn the definition of charm.”

“Maybe you like my charm just fine.” Reaching over, he snagged a piece of bacon, avoiding the swat of my hand with ease .

“Ass.”

Caleb chuckled and I realized I’d so rarely seen this lighter side of him. Maybe he needed to get laid more often? Maybe I could help with that? My cheeks flared as images flashed through my mind, and I pressed my thighs together reflexively. Berating myself for being foolish, I didn’t notice his hands were still on the table, his smile faded.

“Whatever you’re thinking about,” he spoke to me, an undercurrent of strain marking his tone, “and if you don’t want a replay of this morning in the diner’s lot, can you stop?”

Looking up, I knew my eyes were wide with surprise, and when I saw the heated look he gave me, my mouth was suddenly dry. “I… What?”

“I can smell you,” he told me, his voice low. “And my scent is still on you.” His hands gripped the table. “And it’s taking a lot not to drag you out of here, press you up against a wall, and slide right back inside.”

Holy shit.

“Um…” I saw his pupils dilate, and I cursed myself for reacting to his lusty threat. “Don’t make promises like that, and I won’t react.” My rushed whisper had him pushing himself out of the booth. “Caleb?”

“I need to walk it off,” he muttered. He hesitated for a moment more, then dipping down, he caught my chin and delivered a punishing kiss. “Eat quickly.”

It wasn’t until he had left me that I saw he’d stolen all my bacon.

“You complete ass,” I grumbled, stabbing my eggs with my fork .

I was finishing my cup of tea when he came back. Sliding in across from me, the earlier playfulness was gone.

“What happened?” I asked, instantly looking around.

“Need to find a new method of transport.”

“Have the police…you know.”

“No, I noticed a tag on the car. I should have seen it earlier. Stupid.” He glared at the outside, and I reached over, taking his hand.

“You can’t see everything,” I told him. Trying to lighten his mood, I made a joke. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”

He grunted but said nothing.

With a sigh, I withdrew my hand, but his hand snapped out, catching mine and pulling my arm back across to his side of the table. “No.”

Good grief, I was melting like butter here. “What does the tag do?”

“Tracks us.”

Oh. Well, now I knew why he was so pissed. “Then we ditch the car?” His grunt was one I roughly translated into obviously . “Is it far to walk? You know, to the…place.”

His eyes flicked to mine, the corners crinkling with amusement. “We’ll take the bus.”

“You have a bus stop?”

This time, he laughed. “No, we’ll get off at the closest point.” He raised my hand to his mouth, placing a warm kiss on the tips of my fingers. “I’ll help you, okay?”

I nodded, letting the warmth of his words settle in, the simple reassurance easing the tension in my chest.

“Who is it?” I asked softly. “Who’s after us? ”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his eyes darkening with unreleased anger. “But I’ll find out.”

“I’m scared.”

Caleb gave me a look of understanding that made me want to reach out to him. “I’ll keep you safe,” he assured me.

We paid for breakfast, I didn’t want to ask where the money came from and Caleb led me outside, unpacking the car quickly, leaving the keys inside, telling me that’s how he found it.

We started to walk into the town, Caleb’s arm brushing mine, giving me some comfort.

But I could sense the storm building around us. Something was happening, and I had the feeling that it was much bigger than either of us fully understood.

And I didn’t know if we were ready for it.