“Why did you stop earlier?”
“You were drunk. I’m not going to take advantage of you.”
His sincerity seemed real, and if that had been the only thing holding him back…
“I’m not drunk anymore.” He stared at her for a long time, searching for something. Julie didn’t know what he looked for, so she stared back, telling him with her eyes this was what she wanted. Finally, his gaze released hers and trailed down her body, causing her to blush. It wasn’t as if she’d expected guests. She knew her gray sweat pants and baggy sleep shirt weren’t suited for seduction.
Julie in her comfy clothes was sexier than any woman he’d ever seen in lingerie. Which admittedly hadn’t been too many, but not for lack of offers. After he’d discovered Julie was the one for him, he’d lost interest in other women. Even if he and Julie weren’t together, dating and sleeping around felt disloyal. The one time he’d relented had been last Christmas, after he’d caught the scent of another man on her clothing. Afterward, he’d felt guilty for weeks. They hadn’t been together, he hadn’t even told her his intentions, but it still felt as if he’d betrayed her.
“Are you sure this is what you want? Because, baby, once we start, I’m not sure I’ll have the willpower to stop. And there’s no way in hell I’m letting you get away from me afterward.” As her chest inflated with a large breath, he braced himself for disappointment.
“I’m sure.” The words had scarcely left her mouth when he pounced. He saw her eyes widen in surprise and searched their depths for fear–of him, of his beast–but there was none. Only the slow kindling of desire’s flame.
He had her right where he wanted, her legs wrapped around his waist, close enough to feel her chest rise and fall with each breath. He brought a hand up and swept it over her face, following the movement with his eyes and memorizing her features.
“I’ve waited for this for the longest time.”
“Stop. I don’t need flowery words. I need you. Just you.” She grabbed his hand, stopping its exploration and brought it to her breast. There was something in her voice. Something troubling. But as her nipple hardened underneath his fingers, the weight of her breast settling in his palm, he tucked the concern away for later. Right now, he had more important things to discover. Like what color her nipples were, and if they tasted as good as they felt.
He whispered her name before closing his mouth over hers, the need to taste her overwhelming him. He watched her eyes close before allowing his own to follow. The feel of her hands reaching up, clutching his back like a lifeline, forced a growl past his throat. He worried for a moment whether it would scare her, but her hands gripped him tighter, assuring him it hadn’t.
Skimming his hands down her stomach, Brendan clutched the edge of her shirt. He pulled it up and over her head, breaking the kiss.
Intent on getting back to her mouth, he cast a quick look down, but was brought up short by the sight in front of him. Julie was perfection. There were no other words. A black and beige bra cupped her breasts, the round globes offered to him on a lacy platter. He took back everything he’d thought earlier about lingerie. Julie was sexier in sweats than any other woman in lingerie. But Julie in lingerie was downright deadly. He couldn’t wait to buy her more.
His gaze was glued to her breasts. They were perfection. With reverence, he ran his hands over them, watching as she arched into his teasing touch. Her head fell back as her hands on his waist pulled him forward. He leaned down, placing a kiss at the top of each peak before letting his teeth scrape along the edge of the fabric.
“Oh God.” The breathy words filled him with pride.
“Nope. Just me. But I’m flattered.” He stopped his exploration to smile. Her glaring gaze met his teasing one.
“Did I tell you to stop?”
“Ordering me around again, beautiful?” He thrust his hips against her, letting her feel his erection through his jeans. “I love it when you get all bossy.”
Her head fell back on a groan, making him smile as he got back to work. The combination of submissive and dominant in one perfect package turned his wolf on more than he cared to admit. She might not be shifter, but she was stronger than the average human in heart and spirit.
He thought about how her family shielded her, protecting her from the world. Was he the only one who saw Julie for the strong and vibrant woman she was? Her family knew she was special, but did they realize how much?
Her moan dragged his mind back to the task at hand. Using his teeth, he pulled the cup of her bra off one breast. Her rosy nipple proved too much a temptation to resist, and he covered the peak with his mouth, sucking hard. Her nails scratched down his back as he feasted, moving downward to cup his butt and pull his hips forward.
The need to see if her panties matched her bra drove his hands downward. He hated letting go of her nipple to accomplish the task, but the thought of Julie nude before him was too tempting to resist. He steadied her with one hand as she lifted her hips, a clear invitation.
He struggled for a moment to get the sweatpants past her hips, but was rewarded for his troubles by the sight greeting him. She was indeed wearing a matching set. Groaning, he leaned down and placed a heated kiss against her stomach, using his teeth to scrape downward. Her breath hitched as he grazed the sensitive skin along the edge of her underwear.
“God, you’re going to kill me,” he whispered, urging her up with his hands so he could remove the panties. As soon as they were off, he went back to work, trailing his lips over her mound and past her outer lips. He reveled in her throaty moan as he took the small bundle of nerves gently between his teeth. Her hands became rough in his hair, but the spark of pain drove him forward.
The scent of her desire filled his senses as his tongue swept downward, tasting her. She filled his every sense, her taste driving him crazy. As his tongue plunged inside her, she thrust her hips forward, and her moans broke as she rode out her climax.
After her hands fell limply to his shoulders, Brendan stood, his lips coasting across her skin on the way up. She shuddered as he nibbled her stomach, the scent of her renewed desire floating up. Reaching behind her, he unclasped the bra, pulling it off and throwing it to the side. He moved back just long enough to pull his own shirt off before returning to press against her, wanting to feel her, skin to skin. He needed the tactile assurance this was real, that he was actually here exploring the edges of pleasure with Julie, his mate.
She pushed against his chest before his mouth connected with her breasts. Her gaze ran up and down his bare skin with her hands following the path, tickling the sprinkling of hair. The look of awe on her face when she raised her gaze to his was humbling.
“Brendan, you’re beautiful.”
Tilting his head to the side, he smiled. “While I’m glad you like what you see, I would have preferred sexy or handsome–much more manly than beautiful. Besides, you’re the beautiful one. Looking at you hurts my eyes.”
Her hands left his chest, and he squashed the urge to grab them back. A half-frown, half-smile curled her lips. “Looking at me hurts your eyes? Not really a compliment.”
Wasting no time, Brendan pulled her forward until she was barely on the counter, supporting her as he stared into her eyes.
“It was a compliment. You’re stunning. So much so the brilliance of your beauty is more than my mere mortal eyes can stand.” Her breath hitched.
“You artists. Such poetic souls.” Her gaze dropped to his lips, and her chin rose in invitation.
But their conversation had cooled his ardor enough to remember the one thing he couldn’t forget. Frustration followed the insight. Fuck! He almost said it aloud, realizing they couldn’t go any further. Never had he imagined the evening would end this way, so he hadn’t bothered to bring any protection with him. He hadn’t come here tonight with the intention of getting in Julie’s pants.