For the first time, he wanted to go slow and control the outcome, not wishing to hurt her when he broke through her barrier. He spread her thighs wide and entered her carefully, stretching her to accept his engorged erection.
“You... are... huge.”
He smiled, but slowed his penetration. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, but I was supposed to be in charge.”
He chuckled, his voice drenched in lust. ‘You were taking too long,” he rasped, then paused to take her nipple between his teeth, scraping gently.
Her Inner muscles clenched him tightly, but he gently pushed forward. For a moment he paused, then he watched her face, flushed with arousal, and with a sudden thrust, he breached the maidenhead. She opened her eyes and he worried he’d hurl her.
“Are you all right?” he asked again, caressing her cheek with his thumb.
Her muscles clenched again, and she nodded. “I’ve... I’ve never felt anything like this... not even in the dreams.”
He gave a wolfish grin and brushed her hair away from her cheek. “I don’t doubt it. Not when you were a virgin.”
With slow, deep thrusts, he plunged into her over and over again, loving every inch of his dream mate in the flesh. She was his, now and forever.
Lelandi couldn’t catch her breath as Darien pushed her toward the peak. Julia Wildthorn was right. Sex with a lupus garou who was your soul mate was nothing short of miraculous.
Darien’s heated gaze swept over her again, his body desiring her with an urgency she felt, too, and she wanted to heighten the pleasure as her body shouted to reach climax again. But he pinned her shoulders down, claiming her, possessing her, making her his for as long as they both lived. She loved what being lupus garou meant—the intensity of the lovemaking, the unbreakable bond between them, stronger even than the familial one, the craving so great, it couldn’t be denied.
“Thor almighty,” Darien groaned, filling her womb with his hot seed, spasms of orgasm rocking her body, washing through her like a rogue tidal wave. For a moment, he lay heavily against her, his and her breathing hard, their hearts pumping at breakneck speed. “Life will never be the same,” he said, huskily, trying to lift his weight from her, but she held on tight. “I’ll crush you.” His eyes smiled.
“You feel so good against me, I don’t want you to ever let go.”
He kissed her cheek and let out a tired breath. “It’s about time you knew where you belonged.”
She bit him on the shoulder, hard this time. He laughed and moved off her, then pulled her on top of him and caressed her waist with a gentle sweeping touch. She cherished the way he could be so loving.
But then he was back to business. “What did you talk about with Silva last night?”
“Didn’t Trevor tell you everything?” Lelandi asked, feeling peeved.
They were supposed to cuddle for a while, luxuriate in the feel of one another, the bond they’d just created. She realized tangling with a pack leader meant business was a heartbeat away.
Darien could see convincing Lelandi that as soul mates there would be no secrets between them, he would have to wear her down on that issue, too. But as much as he wanted to hold her tight and enjoy her heated little body, he had to protect her from harm. That meant knowing all he could about Lelandi and her sister. “I’d rather hear it from you.”
“I don’t remember. Must have been the medicine.”
Darien humpfed under his breath. “Guess you’re as good a liar as your sister.”
Lelandi gave him a half smile and licked Darien’s nipple.
He’d expected her to come out fighting. He was quickly learning she was like her sister—totally unpredictable. It sure as hell kept him on the edge of his seat.
“He’s going to miss the opening ceremony,” Jake said downstairs in the living room, loudly enough for Darien and Lelandi to hear.
“Considering the importance of what he’s doing, don’t you think this takes priority over the fair?” Tom asked.
“Hopefully, he won’t be so grouchy anymore,” Jake added.
Tom laughed.
Glancing up at the canopy over the bed, Darien rolled his eyes.
Lelandi kissed his cheek. “I’m sure Sam’s waiting for me to go with him to serve drinks.”
“I’d rather keep you here with me for the rest of the day.”
“Was it ... was it better for you than In the dreams?”
He twisted a curl of her hair around his finger. “You have to ask? I can’t begin to describe how it made me feel, like a joining of our souls, the consummation of a lifelong search, the dream I’ve been trying to make real for months.”
She sighed heavily. “The same for me. Only I thought you’d be less—big.”
He chuckled. “The real thing feels more...”
“Real.”
“See you at the opening ceremony,” Tom hollered. and slammed the front door.
Darien groaned. “Got to go. But we’re leaving the festivities early so we can return here. Sure you don’t want to stay here until I return?”
“Nope, you’ve promised to let me out of confinement, and I’m going to the fair.”
“I want to keep you safe. Lelandi.”
“I’ll be safe, and thinking about the festivities after the ceremony.”
Darien rose from the bed and looked down at Lelandi‘s nakedness. “You’re beautiful. Absolutely god sent.”
“You’re not half-bad yourself.”
“Adonis, remember?’ he said grinning.
“I hear them stirring, Sam,” Jake said. “But if they don’t hurry, you can take Silva to the tavern, and I’ll bring Lelandi later. Unless Darien has decided to skip the opening ceremony.”
Darien shook his head and dressed while Lelandi watched. Her eyes held his hostage and he growled. “Come back early, vixen.” Then he gave her body another long look of approval, groaned, and shut the door on his departure.
The smoldering gaze in Darien’s eyes made her want to tackle him and return him to bed, forget about the fair or her freedom for a few hours.
Silva soon joined her, her face unreadable, although Lelandi thought something was wrong. Then Silva said, “Darien must have woken on the wrong side of the bed again. First, he ordered Jake to take Peter to task for sleeping on guard duty. Then Darien told me I had to give you a more decent shirt than what I bought you to wear.” She shrugged. “I don’t see anything wrong with what you were wearing.” She gave a sly smile. “But I guess he doesn’t want the rest of the guys to see. I really can’t believe he’s letting you out of the house to work with us.”
“I think he’s feeling better now. I guess he trusts Sam to keep a good eye on me.”
“He will.” The look Silva gave and the way she said the words was a warning. Don’t plan on slipping away.
Lelandi pulled a cashmere sweater out of her bag. “He found my suitcase.”
Silva stared at the bag. “Who had it?” She walked over to it and smelled It. “The guy in the copper coat.”
“It smells like several grays.” Lelandi finished dressing. “Even Sheriff Sheridan’s paws have been on it.”
“They should be. He’s the sheriff. Ready to go, sugar? Sam’s waiting downstairs. Doc Mitchell, our local veterinarian, will be the guard on duty.”
“Veterinarian?”
“Yep, horse doctor during the Civil War. He’s been a practicing vet forever. Does a super job when we’re in our wolf forms. And he’s one of the best shooters we’ve got.”
“Like, good enough to have killed the gunman from a distance?”
“Among the grays quite a few are like that.”
Great.