No way was he leaving without checking on Meredith. The thought of her being ill was unacceptable. He wanted her to be healthy and happy all the time. An impossible feat, but he wanted it nonetheless.
Isaiah kept all his senses on high alert at he circled round the back of the building. The cool air did little to disguise the smell of garbage emanating from the dumpster, or the stench of fuel and exhaust fumes as vehicles of every description traveled up and down the road.
Then there was the noise. The constant hum from the electrical wires, cell phones ringing, music from the club, people talking and the rumble of traffic. There was never any peace to be found from the constant din.
He worked his way closer to the building, his sneakers making no sound on the dirt and gravel as he walked with care and purpose. A metal fire escape sat near the back on the right side of the building. It suited his purpose just fine. He bent his knees and then leapt. The muscles in his thighs and calves bunched and stretched as he jumped. He extended his long arms, hands ready. He hoped the bottom rung of the stairs was strong enough to hold his weight.
Metal bit into his palms as he made contact. Closing his fingers around the rung, he didn’t wait until he was steady, but reached for the next one and pulled his body up. In seconds, he was on the first landing, crouched next to a window.
He paused and listened. The noise of the city continued on around him. There was no indication that anyone had seen or heard him. Still, he waited another ten minutes before he was finally satisfied he was alone.
Easing forward, he peered through the window. The room was dark, but that was no barrier for him. He could see as well in the dark as he could in a clearly lit room. It was obviously a living room. The sofa and chairs were a chocolate brown and grouped in a conversation area. A flat screen television perched on an entertainment center.
He shifted and looked further into the room and could see the kitchen. It was neat and tidy, but comfortable and homey. Much like Meredith.
His ears perked up as a low moan reached them through the glass. Meredith.
Placing his hands on the window, he applied a steady pressure until the lock gave with a pop. It would have been quicker to break the damn glass, but that might have brought someone running. It would also piss off Meredith if she had to replace her window. He’d fix the lock himself before he left.
Isaiah shoved the window up and threw one leg over the sill. He pulled his body inside and staggered, his back hitting the wall as a blast of erotic perfume assailed him.
Meredith was in full-blown heat.
As though dragged by an invisible rope, Isaiah headed toward the bedroom, his keen sense of smell leading the way. The door was closed, but he shoved it open. The panel hit the wall, bounced and started to close again, but he put out his hand to catch it before it hit him in the face.
The rest of the room faded around him as his gaze zeroed in on the woman writhing and moaning on the bed. The forest green comforters had been kicked to the floor and she was sprawled naked on her back, her hips undulating, her legs moving restlessly. Her fingers tugged on the sheets as her head rolled from side to side.
Her hair was a black curtain across the pale green sheets. Her skin was coated in a light sheen of sweat, making her skin glow in the light from the street lamp drifting in through the window. Her nipples were pebbled and her pussy glistened with cream.
Isaiah licked his lips in anticipation of tasting her. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight in his life.
Finally sensing his presence, she opened her eyes and stared at him. He didn’t move. It had to be her choice. She had to invite him.
Even if it killed him.
His cock was jerking and throbbing, wanting out from his confining jeans. His lungs worked hard to suck in much needed air. His nostrils hummed with her unique scent. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
“Let me help you.” He almost didn’t recognize his own voice. It was guttural, almost animalistic.
“I won’t let you claim me,” she gasped, panting hard between each word.
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t. Not like this.” And he realized it was true. As much as he wanted her to belong to him, he wouldn’t claim her when she was in heat, when biology was pushing them both toward it. He wanted it to be her choice.
He shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? He didn’t want a mate. There was no place in his life for one. Let alone one who came with so many built-in responsibilities. He’d proven when he’d allowed his sister to be taken by bounty hunters that he wasn’t fit to protect anyone. It was why he’d never taken the mantle of Striker with his pack. Why he’d devoted his entire life to protecting what family he had left, to the exclusion of all else.
Just the mere thought of tying himself down to a female, of staying in the city permanently, should have sent him running.
He took a step toward the bed.
She licked her lips, her hips arching. She moaned and Isaiah couldn’t hold back a groan as he was bombarded with another wave of sexual desire. Her scent was so thick in the air he could almost taste her on his tongue.
“Meredith?” He couldn’t wait any longer when she cried out. Pain tinged her cry of longing.
Isaiah yanked his shirt from the waistband of his jeans, dragged it over his head and tossed it aside. His lungs were working like a bellows now. In and out. In and out.
He kicked off his sneakers and tugged at the button of his jeans, but his hands paused on the zipper. Damn his misplaced sense of honor.
He strode to the side of the bed and reached down, cupping her face with his hand. “Look at me.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. He gave her a small shake. “Look at me,” he commanded.
She swallowed hard and opened her eyes. They were blue-gray pools of need. Like an ocean in the middle of a storm.
“Let me help you. I promise I won’t try to claim you.”
He could sense how torn she was. He slid his fingers down her neck, tracing her delicate collarbone. His hands hovered over her breasts, her nipples straining toward his palms.
“I won’t let you,” she panted.
He withdrew his hand. Pain tore at his gut and his heart ached at her rejection. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat but it was too large. He took a step back even as every instinct screamed for him to stay. His wolf growled and pushed against his skin, struggling for release.
Isaiah gripped his hair with his hands and tugged. He had to get out of here before he did something he’d regret for the rest of his life.
“Won’t let you,” she said again. “Not claim me.” She held out her hand to him. “Help me. Be with me.”
Happiness surged through him. She wasn’t rejecting him, just being permanently claimed and mated in the way of their kind. He could live with that. The happiness was followed by a bolt of lust so great it almost doubled him over.
He didn’t need to be asked twice. He dragged down his zipper and stripped off his jeans and socks. Since he didn’t wear underwear, he was now naked.
His cock rose up from the nest of curls at the base, strong and proud and more than ready to pleasure her. The thick veins pulsed and his shaft jerked as he crawled onto the bed. He kept going until he was straddling her on his hands and knees.
Reaching her hand up, she grabbed a hank of his hair and yanked him down to her. He gave a sharp laugh, her enthusiasm pleasing him no end. It quickly died when their lips met. Laughter faded, replaced by an overwhelming need that would only be assuaged when he had his cock buried in her hot sheath, fucking her until neither of them could stand it any longer.