“Oh.” She bit back her disappointment. At least he was speaking to her.
“I’m at the airport.”
What? “Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s…different.”
That didn’t sound good. His voice sounded weary and strained, not surprising considering what had happened a few days ago. “Different how?”
“I’m going away for a little while.” She could hear the noises of an airport in the background and assumed it was Philadelphia International.
“Oh.”
“Sarah. You know you’re mine, right?”
Yes! “I know.” She’d known the moment she’d seen him. Everything in her had yearned towards him, but she’d understood why he’d held off on claiming her. He’d needed all of his focus to be on Sheri, not Sarah. She’d been proud of him for it.
“I can’t claim you yet. It’s complicated. I won’t be able to claim you for a while.”
Her heart sank. She’d been looking forward to having someone of her own, someone who might understand some of the strange things that had been happening to her lately. “Why not?”
“I’ve been tapped to replace a Hunter for our region.”
Pride swelled within her, along with fear. Being a Hunter was no easy job. “Oh wow. Gabe!
That’s…scary. Incredible, but really scary.”
He laughed. “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Seems a rogue took one down in our area and the Senate’s decided I’m the one to replace him.”
“Is the Pride in danger?”
“No, baby. Halle is safe. He’s operating out of New York state.” The warmth in his voice went far in melting the chill that had enveloped her.
“You’ll do fine, Gabe.” She blinked. That hadn’t been what she’d wanted to say at all.
But it was the right thing to say from the relief in his tone. “I’m glad you understand, baby. This means a great deal to me, more than I thought it would when I got approached. It means when something like Parker happens again I can act without any fear of reprisals from Packs, Prides or Dens.”
She settled back down on the bed. No point in getting up early on a Saturday if there was no one she had to see and nowhere to go. “How did Adrian and Max react to this? Are they all right with it?”
“Once they got away from their mates for a few seconds they were okay with it. Max actually drove me to the airport.”
She stifled the hurt that he hadn’t asked her to drive him. “I could have taken you.”
Silence. Not good. “I couldn’t let you do that, Sarah.”
“Why not?”
“If I had been in a car with you for two hours I would never have gotten on that plane.”
The rough rasp of his voice played over her senses. It was nice to know that he wanted her just as much as…she… “Where are you?”
“Right now? Somewhere near Chicago.”
“Somewhere near Chicago. Not actually in Chicago.” Liar. She just knew he was in Chicago, not that it mattered.
He gave another rough sigh. “Sarah. Please. Tell me you understand why I’m doing this.”
She rubbed her hand over her eyes wearily. “I do understand what you’re doing, but I don’t like that you wouldn’t even see me before you left.”
“I told you why. I didn’t think it was fair to either one of us to be marked before I left. I have to have my mind in the game, not on my mate.”
That hurt. She understood, really she did, but it still hurt. “All right.”
More silence. “That’s it?”
“What do you want me to say, Gabe? I understand. I don’t agree, but I understand. What’s going to happen the first time you go on a hunt though? Are you going to regret leaving me behind then, too?”
“I’m hoping the first time I have to go on a hunt the first flush of mating will be over and we’ll be long since settled.”
She thought about that for a moment. There wasn’t anything more she could say about it. What was done was done. “When will you be back?”
She was beginning to hate those little silences. It meant she wasn’t going to like his answer. “Six months, roughly.”
She was right. She didn’t like the answer. “Damn.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I did what I thought was best.”
She suppressed a growl. If he’d spoken to her before leaving she could have corrected that little assumption, but it was too late now. “Call me.”
“I will. I promise.”
January
“Shhh. Not a sound. Do you understand me?”
She nodded, her eyes lowered submissively as she knelt before him.
“Good girl.” Gabe reached out and ran his hands over Sarah’s soft, short hair lightly enough to cause a shudder to run through her. He smiled and tilted her chin up, loving the wary heat in her deep brown eyes. “You’re going to do everything I tell you to do. Aren’t you?”
One brow rose in mild challenge before a sassy smile crossed her full, pouty lips. He growled and tapped one finger to his thigh, pleased when she once again lowered her eyes. Her smile changed, becoming mysterious and feminine. It intrigued him. Everything about her intrigued him.
“Put your hands behind your back.”
She complied slowly. Her lashes fluttered and her breath quickened. They’d done this before. She knew what it was he wanted. He slipped his cock out of his uniform pants, stroking it slowly. A groan nearly escaped his lips when she licked her own, moistening them and making them gleam in the candlelight. He painted her lips with the tip of his cock, the drop of pre-come glistening there like gloss. “Open up.”
She opened her mouth, her tongue darting out to lick just the tip of his cock. He put his hand on the back of her head, holding her steady as he fed her his dick. He began fucking her mouth, losing some of his tight control and groaning at the wet heat. “That’s it, baby.” She choked a bit and he backed off a little, proud of her for holding steady despite it.
He was close, so close, but he didn’t want to come in her mouth. Not tonight. Tonight he wanted that sweet, hot pussy wrapped around him, pulling his orgasm out of him.
He withdrew from her mouth, stroking her hair as she pouted up at him. “Stand up.” She complied, lowering her eyes once more, her hands still behind her back. “Lie down on the bed.”
She looked up at him, startled. He lifted his chin, pointing to the big, dark bed right behind her.
He didn’t understand how she could have missed it. It dominated the room they were in.
She crawled onto the bed on all fours, giving him an amazing view of that incredible ass of hers.
He halted her, hands on her hips, and nipped one of her white globes, loving the shiver that ran through her. He slapped her lightly on the ass, smiling wickedly as a pink mark rose up. “Middle of the bed, on your back.”
She moved the way he directed, settling down with a final shimmy that caused her breasts to dance.
“Spread your arms and legs.” She bit her lip but complied, slowly showing him the liquid heat between her thighs.
He reached down and tied each one of her limbs, careful to make sure none of the bindings were too tight on her slender frame. When he was done, he looked at her, knowing exactly what the feral look on his face would do to her.
He watched as she swallowed nervously. She tugged at the restraints, testing them.
He began a slow exploration of her body, stroking her soft flesh until goose bumps rose on her skin. He licked at her pert nipples, watching her squirm under him. When he sucked her clit into his mouth she bucked against him. She was lucky he hadn’t told her to hold still, or that would have earned her a spanking.