Page 41 of Wandering Closer

“Fuuuuck, baby.” Both of his hands run through his curly hair, pulling at the ends. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“No?” I ask coyly.

He is on me in an instant, his broad chest hovering over me, hands on either side of my head. There’s a wild look in his eyes, and I revel in it. Sweet and submissive, if not dismissive, is allI have ever known. This feral, demanding side of Thoren is a mystery to me, and it’s one I want to explore.

“You don’t think I’ve been saying your name every day since you walked into the shop? That your blue eyes don’t meet me in my dreams every night? That I don’t wake up aching for you, my cock wrapped in my hand wishing it was yours? That it's your hand, your soft mouth, your pretty pussy that I know is dripping for me? I’ll say your name, like I always do. Just know that one day very soon, I am going to make you mine. And when that day comes, it’s my name you’ll be screaming.”

Just as quickly, he pushes off and heads straight to the bathroom. I lay in stunned silence, fanning my face that has to be beet red. My panties are soaked, and all I want to do is follow him into that shower. Something he said stops me, though. He said he was going to make me his first, and after that little show, I will happily wait for that moment.

Pulling myself together, I try not to focus on the fact that Thoren is less than ten feet away, stroking himself to thoughts of me. Instead, I busy myself with ordering a mix of healthy and sweet breakfast foods for us through room service. With the food ordered, I have two options; stand at the bathroom door and drool over the man behind it, or enjoy the views from the balcony far from the object of my desires.

I decide on option two, reveling in the city’s noise below to distract my thoughts. The soft whir of the balcony doors sliding open alerts me to Thoren’s presence, but I didn’t need the noise. I felt his heated gaze the moment it landed on me. His hands grip the railing on either side of my elbows, where I’m leaning over the railing. The scent of a warm forest day radiates from him, enveloping me like a hug.

His hot breath tickles my ear as he whispers, “When I saw you standing here yesterday, just like this, all I could think about was how good you’d look bent further over with my face buriedbetween your thighs. Watching the world below you like the queen you are.” He stands up, giving my ass a sharp smack. “Go get in the shower before I do just that.”

I turn to face him, taking in his black tee, fitted tight around his shoulders, and jeans that hug his thick thighs. “What if I want that?”

“When I finally get my mouth on you, I won’t want to come up for air. Our breakfast is already getting cold, and you need to get ready for the day. Please, baby, I’m hanging on by a thread here,” he pleads.

“Okay,” I relent, walking past him toward the bathroom. At this point, I might need to do some stroking of my own in the shower. I know I’m pushing both our boundaries and limits, but I never knew it could be this fun. It's thrilling to see what he might say or do next. “Only because you begged so sweetly.” His groan is deep as I slip into the bathroom, laughing as I shut the door. I am giving him one week to make his move before I incinerate.

After I finished getting ready in jeans, some comfy sneakers, and a blue tank top, we ate breakfast together. The food was a little cold, but still delicious. Thoren told me about his plans for us to explore downtown for a bit, checking out the widely known Pike Place Market and going to ride the ferris wheel by the water before we would have to make our way to the stadium.

It was everything I wanted out of the trip, and the fact that he listened and delivered was not lost on me. With our breakfast finished and our teeth brushed, we packed up the last of our things to head out. I grabbed the jersey River had bought for me and threw it on over my tank as we walked out the door.

Thoren looked down at me when we got to the elevators, doing a double take at the jersey.

“What?” I ask. “Does it not look okay?”

His eyes softened as he picked up my hand, brushing his lips over my knuckles. “It looks amazing. I like seeing my last name on you.”

With that, he dropped my hand to grab the bags, stepping into the elevator. Thoren can say what he wants, but if that statement isn’t him making me his, I don’t know what is.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

lily

The morning flew by as we explored downtown. I loved getting to see all the unique things Seattle had to offer, but the hustle and bustle of the city solidified my decision to move to the mountains. There’s no serenity in all the chaos, like there is alone in the woods. Thoren’s hand never left mine as we looked through the little shops at Pike Place and walked on the pier below. We even got to see the iconic gum wall, which I was more grossed out with than anything.

River told us to meet him at noon, and we parked at the stadium right on time. The Rainier’s stadium is newer and open at the top. I’ve never been to a professional sports game, so to get to see behind the scenes for my first one is wild. He meets us at the entrance and ushers us in. We walk the halls as he tells me about his typical game day routine which varies depending on the start time of the game, but seems generally consistent. He eats the same general foods, stretches the same way, and plays the same playlist. I didn’t bring my binder, but I have my notepad out, writing down every tidbit of information that I can.

“This is our locker room. I told the guys you were coming and to behave, but I’m going to peek in and make sure everyone isdecent,” River says, opening a door letting loud chatter filter out into the hall.

Thoren has given me space so far, mostly to give me room to write while we walked, but is pressed up against me now. “Marking your territory?” I joke.

“Claiming what’s mine,” he quips back, placing his hand on my hip. Goosebumps erupt down my arms as his hand splays wide over my hip bone. I turn to look up at him, a smile on my face. He leans down, placing a soft kiss on my lips when River pops back through the door. Thoren doesn’t rush to pull away, lingering just a touch before nodding at his brother and giving my hip a squeeze.

We follow River into the locker room, which is a lot cleaner and nicer smelling than I expected. There are half-dressed men everywhere, but they all at least have their baseball pants on. I try not to let my looks linger, but I think I might enjoy watching baseball if these are the pants they wear. I glance to my side at Thoren’s tree trunk legs and ass that is molded to his jeans and now all I want is to see him in baseball pants.

“We each have our own locker space,” River points, walking us around the open room. Wooden shelves line the room, each filled with jerseys, bags, and photos. In the center, there’s a couch and some chairs spread out, filled with guys relaxing before the game. “There’s a room here for PT and for us to get worked on. We have some bikes over here to get our bodies moving, some mats and tools for stretching here,” he continues, pointing as we move along.

“Damnnn, she looks good in a jersey. Want my last name instead, sweetheart?” someone calls from behind us.

“She’d look even better in just the jersey,” another guy calls out, high-fiving the first.

“Hey River, you letting your brother take the hot ones now? Does he share?” comes from the other side of the room.

Thoren’s jaw ticks, and I don’t miss the smirk on River’s face. I have a feeling he told them to heckle me to mess with his brother. After some of his comments last night, hinting at us being a cute couple, and asking when Thoren was going to lock me down, this seems like something he’d do. He gives me a wink before he elbows Thoren’s side. “Sorry bud, they asked if Lily was single and I didn’t want to lie.”

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