Page 36 of Cursed Wolf

Need him. Need his bite, his claim. Need his teeth and his cock inside me now.

“Wait.” I braced my hands against his shoulders, not pushing him off but freezing up in that position. There was that voice again, that weirdly detached sense that felt like me but not me.

“You okay?” Tryn pulled away, his brow was pinched with concern. “Too fast?”

“No. I mean…” Why was I already panting? My body felt tightly wound up like I was building up an orgasm already. And apparently I had some kind of biting kink, which probably wasn’t appropriate to broach right before our first time.

Oh God, our first time.

Reality hit me like a bucket of ice water to the face. We were about to have sex. I knew on some level all my horniness and desire for touch was about that, but I was firmly not in fantasy land anymore. Real sex came with consequences, and not just STDs and surprises nine months later. It came with feelings and vulnerability and being seen naked. And sometimes, never hearing from the person you risked all those consequences to be intimate with.

Gee, was it obvious that I hadn’t had sex in years and why?

“Emmaline, we don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.” Tryn grazed my cheek with his knuckles, the gesture so achingly tender I wanted to melt. “I’m more than happy to just be with you. Doesn’t matter what we’re doing.”

Jesus, he was so good. It was like he could see directly into my brain and knew exactly what to say to put my fears at ease. I was terrified of being that vulnerable again, but I also had a deep gut feeling that I could trust him.

“I want to, it’s just…been a long time.”

“It has for me too.” His hand cupped my cheek, fingers trailing along my neck where he’d just been kissing me. “I don’t mind waiting, if that’s what you want. I’m, uh,” he sucked in a breath like he had to prepare for what to say next, “I’m not seeing anyone else but you.”

“Oh.” I blinked, having forgotten that people multi-dated. “Okay. Neither am I.” As if it wasn’t obvious. I wasn’t exactly a woman in high demand.

He laughed sheepishly. “It feels weird to say that, but I wanted to make sure you knew. I mean to me, it’s obvious.” His forehead touched down to mine. “You’re so incredible, how could I imagine being with anyone else?”

“Me?” I couldn’t stop the shocked laugh that came out.

“Yes, you.” His lips brushed my forehead. “I don’t know if you’re feeling all the same things I am, but this feels right to me. You’re brilliant and sweet and I love listening to you. You make me feel lighter, more at ease. So whatever pace you’re comfortable with, I’ll be here.”

In my stunned silence that followed, his hands dropped away and he took a few steps back, a wry half-smile on his lips. “Now, that was definitely too much.”

“No.” I closed the distance between us, reaching on tiptoes to wrap an arm around his neck and kiss him urgently. “No, it wasn’t.” I kissed him again and again, in between speaking quickly against his mouth. “This feels…amazing. Almost too good to be true. I want you, and I trust you. But I…” I paused for a breath, my lips parted against his. “I think I’m scared of how much I want you. I’m not very experienced, and the last time I did this with someone, it was…not great.”

The warm touch of his hand returned to my cheek. “I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. “Not particularly.”

The experience wasn’t particularly traumatic, just bad. I pushed myself to go to a party in college and hooked up with a guy. He shoved it in with barely any foreplay, never mind any tenderness or care for my pleasure. When he was done, he just…left. And that was the end of it.

Tryn hesitated. “Do you want me to go?”

My lips grazed his with another shake of my head. “No.”

Tryn lowered into a crouch, wrapped his arms around my thighs and stood again like I weighed nothing at all. We kissed again while he secured my legs in a straddle around his waist. “Then tell me what you need, beautiful, because as far as I’m concerned, I was put on this earth to please you.”

I was so lost for words and floored with emotion, I just poured it all into another kiss. How can you be real? I wondered.

“We can take it slow, and just stay cuddled up like this,” he suggested. “You can take the lead and tell me exactly what you’re craving right now. Whatever you need, I’ll give. Or…” he paused and the start of a growl rumbled in his chest. “You can let me take the reins, and I’ll do what I’ve been dying to do since the moment I saw you.”

Yes, that, the foreign voice inside me yelled. Show me your prowess, how strong your animal really is.

I’d been in a constant push-pull with my desire, my self-control, and this other side of me since Tryn first kissed me. I was tired of fighting my own wants, tired of thinking too much and being afraid to take a real risk.

Despite the voice in my head, the answer I gave was all me.

“Take control of me, Tryn.”

Chapter 12

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