Page 38 of The Healer and the Wolf: Part One

“You’re gorgeous,” I practically growled, and the little hitch in Ven’s breath pushed me close to the edge of losing it. But I clamped down with all of my control, not wanting to waste or rush a single second.

“You don’t mean that,” Ven said on a shaky breath, and the vulnerability in her voice struck me. Ven was so strong, and I was sure she’d gone through impossible things and had beaten it at incredible odds. I was honored that she was willing to show her insecurities around me, but at the same time, it baffled me that she couldn’t see what I did.

“I assure you, I do,” I said, cupping her face with my free hand. When she pressed her cheek into my palm, like she was seeking my assurance, my heart nearly melted in my chest.

I was so close to being a goner, and I knew that, but I didn’t stop. Didn’t withdraw. Even if this was a one-time offer and I spent the rest of my life craving another moment with her, I would rather know the bittersweet sting of eternal longing than deny myself anything Ven was willing to give me.

No more words were needed as I made sure to pay attention to every single inch of her. She looked ethereal, covered in white, foamy bubbles.

The need to kiss her overwhelmed me. So I did.

I dipped down and pressed my lips to hers, featherlight and cautious, just as much of a ghostly presence as when my fingertips first slid over her. I wrapped my arm around her soft, plush waist, and dragged her to me, pressing our bodies together.

Fuck, fuck,fuck. The feel of her against me was unlike anything else I’d ever experienced; all cushion and silk with the steel of hard-earned muscle along with it. She was womanly. She was strong. A healer, but a warrior, too. Ven was a complex mix of things I adored more than I could ever articulate.

Which was fine, because my mouth was quite busy moving against hers, growing more and more intoxicated off her scent, her body, hereverything.

It was a herculean effort to break away, but eventually, I did. The heat in Ven’s eyes was almost my undoing. I had a sudden, desperate urge to bend her over right there and then, but I pushed it down. All in good time.

All in good time.

Instead, I detached the showerhead from its holder and ran it over her body to wash off soap. Ven’s very presence made something quite simple into a work of art I could watch forever. An entire spectacle I could watch forever.

But she was fully rinsed long before forever happened and gently took the showerhead and loofah from me.

“My turn,” she said, voice so full of heat that my cock jumped again. If she noticed, she made no mention of it as she lathered me up.

Not for the first time, my every sense was full of her, leaving room for nothing else. The gentle rasp of the loofah, the water cooling across my body, her silken skin sliding across mine every so often depending on where she was lightly scrubbing. If I never knew another day as a man, I would die happily because this woman caring for me was so far out of my league it was laughable.

God, I really was falling for her, wasn’t I?

Well, there was no stopping my descent, so why fight it? Instead, I kissed her again. That seemed like a much better use of my time.

The world around us became hazy between her touch, the thick scents of our arousal and the bodywash, the steam, and the water. Before too long, Ven rinsed me off, her hands gliding down my body to encourage all the soap to slough off.

It was so much—toomuch—and I couldn’t contain myself anymore. My inner wolf was howling with desire, throwing himself at the barriers of my mind that had kept him contained ever since Ven had broken my curse.

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to let him out a little.

Reaching past Ven, I turned off the water and stepped out of the tub, then carefully helped her out as well. Once I was sure we both had stable footing, I picked her up, not wanting to waste time with both of us walking.

Ven let out a surprised gasp and a giggle, and I swore the happy sound could make me float. A rumble shuddered through my chest, and I knew she felt it by the way her heart skipped a beat. I carried her down the hall to the one room in the house I had never been in.

Her bedroom.

16

VANESSA

Icouldn’t believe what I was doing—couldn’t believe what I haddone.I wasn’t a virgin, but I wasn’t the most experienced, either. I’d had a total of three partners in my life—two in college and one after—but nothing for the past three years. In fact, my last rather-milquetoast breakup was part of why I’d dropped out of college and moved to the country. I was much happier here.

Did I regret it?

Not one bit.

That intense way Leo liked to look at me was exaggerated ten times over now, all heat and desire that made my head swim. I couldn’t quite compute that someone likehimwould look at someone likemethat way,yet he did.

I was so turned on it was a miracle I hadn’t spontaneously combusted yet. Although I’d seen him naked before, this was completely different. That had been innocent and non-sexual. Me helping someone who desperately needed a kind hand to guide them. But this? This was about as far from innocent as it could get. The intense desire between us was so thick, I was surprised we weren’t choking on it. It felt like there was no world outside of us. Just Leo and me, experiencing each other in our totality.

---