Page 65 of Strelitzias in Spring

“You know that wasn’t why. Now say it,” he orders, flattening his hand and applying light pressure, just enough to feel the embers of panic without a full-fledged meltdown.

“Because you wanted it to be more than one time.”

He nods, emphasizing his agreement with a squeeze. “Good girl. Now tell me why you wanted me to stay.”

I meet his eyes, looking directly into the green orbs as I whisper, “Because I wanted it to be more than once.”

“Hmm,” he mutters, bringing his free hand up to wipe at the remnants of tears on my face. “We seem to be at an impasse then.” His fingers slide up and down my neck, never venturing lower than my exposed collarbone, and I can’t stop the shiver that overtakes my body. Still clothed in my shirt, puffer, and Wolf’s thick leather jacket, I shouldn’t feel anything other than the warmth of the fabrics. But somehow, Wolf’s touch defies logic, and instead of leaving trails of heat with his touch, I feel cold and in need of his body heat to warm me up.

“Wolf,” I whisper his name, though it sounds more like a plea. A plea for more, for less, for something other than the torture of his scent wrapped around my body and his fingers playing with my airflow.

“Just one more time, princess? Is that what you want to ask me?” I nod my head, but he scowls, disgust on his face. My eyes widen, and I start to pull back, but he stills me with his grip. “You think I can have you one more time, and then, what? Forget about it? We tried that, but it didn’t fucking work.” Both hands move to cup my cheeks, and his expression softens. “Princess, Serena, if I have you again, it’s not going to be a one-time thing. I have thought of you every fucking second of every goddamn day since I left your apartment. Seeing you tonight with that skinny fucker? I damn near lost my mind. I don’t know what this means or where this will go. But I’m a selfish bastard, and I don’t think I can stand by and watch as you find another man.”

“Jack’s a nice guy, he—”

“Serena, I suggest you stop talking about Jack.”

“Why, are you jealous that I think he’s nice?”

“As fuck.”

“Wolf,” I sigh, straining against his hold. “What does this mean?”

“We see where this goes; that’s what this means.”

“And what about Celeste? What am I supposed to tell her?”

Wolf quirks a brow at the mention of his cousin, a sardonic smile ripping across his lips. “Are you afraid of my little cousin, princess?”

Truthful answer: yes. The answer I give is, “Of course not.”

Wolf laughs, rolling his eyes at my lie. “She’ll survive.”

“Yeah, but I may not,” I mutter, unable to keep the words inside.

“I’m going to kiss you now, princess. If you don’t want it, don’t want this, tell me now.”

“I thought you said to stop kissing you,” I challenge, throwing his previous words against him. A deep chuckle is the only warning I get before his lips claim mine.

His kiss is soft, a caress that melts all pretense, all resistance out of me. I throw myself into the kiss, meeting each pull, each bite with one of my own. Wolf kisses like it’s a fight, a battle for dominion and an opportunity to dominate. I don’t let him lead or dictate how the kiss will progress. When he captures my bottom lip between his teeth, I lick out my tongue, hooking his top lip until I’m able to draw him into my mouth.

Food forgotten, long minutes pass as I vent out all of my frustration in this kiss. Throwing my arms around Wolf’s neck, I hug him closer, pulling him down further until his body is pressed against mine, pushing me back into the seat.

Wolf’s hands drift from my face, removing both of my jackets, and traveling until one wraps around my back and the other grips my thigh, guiding it until it’s wrapped against his waist. Breaking the kiss, Wolf’s mouth travels from the outer corner of my lips down to the pulse at my throat, sucking the skin into his mouth.

“Wolf,” I pant. “The bruises just faded from my neck.” It took five days, ice, and a soft bristle brush to work the marks out of my skin.

“Good, then you need more.” I gasp as his mouth attacks my skin, drinking at my pulse like a vampire hungry for his next meal. His teeth bite my flesh, lapping at the sting before repeating the process over and over again, making my head spin by the pain, the pleasure, and the wetness pooling between my thighs.

“Oh my God,” I moan, raising my hands to press him more firmly into my neck. I may have complained about the marks he’s leaving on my skin, like a tattoo of ownership, but I can’t deny that they feel good as he gives them.

He breaks from my neck, breathing heavily as he stares down at me. “I’m not your God. I’m your Wolf, and I’m going to fucking swallow you whole.” Without warning, he reaches for both thighs and lifts, plastering me to the front of his body as he weaves out of the kitchen and through his house.

“Wolf!” I yelp. “I can walk. You don’t need to carry me everywhere.”

My words must piss him off because a grunt is the only reply I receive until my back is pressed against a hard wall, and his mouth attacks me, drawing my lower lip inside and biting down hard until he soothes the pain with gentle suction. I fall into the kiss, not gracefully like the kiss from minutes ago, but in surrender. My proverbial white flag waves, and I follow his mouth as he licks into me, opening as wide as I can to have him infiltrate every part of me.

We start to move again, our mouths still connected. The hands on my thighs travel, one moving to the curve of my ass and the other to my neck, angling my head so that he can dive deeper. The hand at my bottom shifts and grabs one cheek in a rough squeeze before releasing. His fingers coast lower, grazing the inside swell of my cheek before resting them just next to my pussy. Even through layers of clothes, I can feel the heat and pressure from his fingers, a promise of what’s to come.

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