“Julie. We have to stop.” Anger flashed within her eyes as they snapped to his.
“What the hell do you mean ‘we have to stop’? What is this, some game to you? You lose a bet?” She slapped her hands against his chest and pushed, but he refused to budge. He reached up and grabbed her hips to prevent her escape as she tried to jump off the counter. The need to make her understand propelled him onward.
“Of course not.” Anger built in his gut. How could she think he would use her that way? “I didn’t bring protection with me. It’s not as if I carry condoms around in my pocket.”
After a minute, the anger drained from her eyes and stiff posture. “Well, you’d better start. But lucky us, I saw some in one of the drawers. Samantha must have left them when she moved out. So–” Her hands trailed down his chest, playing with the button on his jeans. “If that’s your only excuse…”
Her persistence sure did make him smile, even as his wolf howled with satisfaction. Tonight she would be his. Nothing stood in his way.
“Don’t move a muscle,” he ordered, disentangling her limbs from his waist. The intensity of Julie’s gaze fired his blood. It took three strides to reach the dresser, thanking his lucky stars when he found the box on his first try. Grabbing two, he didn’t bother opening them as he strode back into her arms.
“Two? Feeling ambitious are we?”
“What can I say, I’m a boy scout. I like to be prepared.” At his words, her gaze drifted to his erection, the bulge obvious behind his zipper.
“Boy scout, huh?”
Without another word, he eased his zipper down, not an easy task considering the size of his erection and the fact his claws kept trying to extend, his wolf close to the surface. After what felt like forever, he freed himself, tore open the packet and slid the condom on. Julie’s gaze, which had been fixed on his eyes until now, drifted downward. She sucked in a breath as she took in his size.
“Uh, Brendan, not to spoil the party, but I’m not sure you’re going to fit.”
He laughed. He couldn’t help it. The way she said it with such hunger and apprehension at the same time was too endearing.
“It’ll fit. Trust me.”
“I do.” The naked trust in her gaze took his breath away.
That was it. The tenuous control he’d held onto all evening snapped. The world took on an altered hue as his eyes shifted to his animal’s.
Without another word, he pulled her hips forward, balancing Julie on the edge of the counter, and plunged forward, entering her in one thrust. The sensation of her tight sheath clasped around him was almost more than he could bear. Concern for her made him pause. But even as he worried, her eyes clouded with pleasure and a fractured moan slipped past her lips. He knew at that moment, he was the luckiest man on the planet.
Her nails dug into his shoulders as he slid out. Her hips moved forward, meeting his as he plunged back in. He wasn’t going to last long. Already he felt his release gathering at the base of his spine. The only sound in the room was their harsh breathing and the glide of his cock into her wet heat.
He grunted, changing the angle of his thrusts, driving deeper into her and increasing the pace of his strokes. Her back arched at the increased tempo, and he sensed her growing pleasure. Knew the smallest push would send her over the edge.
He ran one hand down her thigh, coming back up and pressing his thumb against her clit. The small pressure was all she needed. As her strangled cries filled the room, Brendan gripped her hips and thrust forward, grunting with each jerk of his body.
His own release crashed over him, drowning all conscious thought in its wake. His world exploded, and he jerked inside her until he was spent. All he could do was shudder as the sensations swamped him.
When conscious thought returned, his lips were wrapped around her shoulder. Thank God his fangs had retreated. He couldn’t begin to imagine her reaction if he’d mated with her without discussing it first. Julie was not someone he ever wanted to see truly angry.
When he glanced up, her eyes were closed. A tear streaked from the corner of one as he watched.
“Julie? Oh God, Julie I’m sorry. If I hurt you…” Before he could finish, her eyes opened to stare at him. Awe, not pain, was the only emotion in their depths.
“Hurt me? You’ve done more than hurt me. You’ve ruined me for all other men. There’s no way anyone could top that.”
Relief thundered through him, leaving amusement in its wake. He choked on a laugh as he considered her words. Only Julie would admit something like that.
“I do love a good challenge,” he whispered, wiping the tear from her cheek.
“What challenge?” she muttered, her gaze dipped to his mouth.
“You said nothing could top that. That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull, because, baby–” he waited until her gaze rose to his, “I fully intend to try.”
Chapter 6
Julie jerked awake at the pounding on her door. What the hell? The crisp hair on the naked chest beneath her palm ticked her hand. Her head fell back to Brendan’s shoulder with a groan. Apparently, the pounding didn’t disturb him in the least. How he could sleep through that racket was beyond her.
“Julie, damn it. Open this door before I break it down.” Danny’s frantic voice boomed from behind the panel.
“Hold your horses will you?” she called back.
Brendan grumbled at the sound of her voice, opening his eyes at last. When he saw her, the corners of his mouth curled into a smug smile, causing her heart to trip. His hands reached for her, trying to roll her under him. The man was insatiable. Anyone else would have been worn out for a week after their sex marathon the night before.
“Stop. You have to hide. Into the bathroom,” she whispered. The last thing she needed was Danny catching them together. She’d never hear the end of it. Her family still viewed her as the poor little human girl in need of protection.
“Huh?” Sleep still clouded his eyes, and she watched him shake his head to clear it.
“Who are you talking to?” Danny demanded from behind the door. Damn his wolf hearing. He sounded angry, but Danny never got angry. Not since he’d broken her arm by accident during a fight when they’d been kids. From that day on, he’d never let his emotions get the best of him.
At the sound of her brother’s voice, Brendan’s gaze flew to the door. He looked as if he wanted to call back, but Julie shoved him out of the bed before he could. Grabbing his hand, she tried to tug him into the bathroom. Brendan just stood there, staring at her with a confused smile on his face. Exasperated, Julie dropped his hand and walked behind him, shoving him inside.
“You could at least pretend to cooperate. Keep quiet until I get rid of him.” She grabbed a robe from the hook before shutting the door.
Flinging it over her shoulders and tying it, she moved to the door and yanked it open. A hassled Danny stood on the other side, glaring.
“What the hell, Danny?”
His gaze ran over her from head to toe before trying to peer behind her. She closed the door tighter around her frame, blocking the mess within. No way would she let him see the clothes and condom wrappers scattered throughout the room.
“Why the hell is the lock broken on the door downstairs? You scared the daylights out of me.” He seemed calmer now, seeing her unharmed.
Her lock was broken? Shit. She’d forgotten Brendan had broken in last night. Frantically, Julie searched for a reasonable excuse.