Page 26 of Marked For A Bite
Zoe's laughter bubbled up, soft and breathless, as his tongue flicked against the arch of her foot. "Logan," she murmured, her voice teasing but tinged with something deeper—something needy. "What are you doing?"
"Claiming every inch of you," he growled against her skin.
His wolf was restless, urging him on, but he forced himself to maintain control and to savor this moment. He worked his way back up her body, his mouth leaving a trail of fire in its wake, until he settled between her thighs. Her scent hit him first, sweet and heady, and he groaned, burying his face in her warmth.
"Logan," she gasped, her fingers tangling in his dark auburn hair as his tongue found her center. He lapped at her slowly and deliberately, savoring the taste of her as she writhed beneath him. Her thighs tightened around his head, her hips lifting off the mattress as he sucked gently at her sensitive folds. Her moans were music to his ears, each one driving him closer to the edge of his own control.
But just as he felt her teetering on the brink of climax, she tugged at his hair, pulling him away. "No," she breathed, her voice shaky but insistent. "Not like this. I need you inside me. Now."
Logan's wolf growled with approval, the primal urge to claim her and to make her his, nearly overwhelming him. He surged up her body, his hands gripping her hips as he positionedhimself between her thighs. His large cock brushed against her entrance, the heat and wetness of her nearly undoing him. He paused, his eyes meeting hers, searching for any hint of hesitation. There was none—only raw, unfiltered need.
He pressed into her slowly, inch by agonizing inch, until he was fully sheathed inside her. Zoe's head fell back against the pillows, a loud moan escaping her lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper.
"You feel so good, Zoe," Logan growled, his voice rough with restraint. She was so tight and so warm, her body clutching him in a way that threatened to shatter his control. He began moving slowly, savoring the feel of her around him, but Zoe was having none of it.
"Faster," she demanded, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Please, Logan. I need more."
His wolf surged forward, primal and demanding, and Logan obeyed, thrusting into her harder and harder, until the sound of their bodies slapping together filled the room. Zoe's moans grew louder and more desperate, her hands gripping him as if she were afraid he'd pull away.
He could feel her climax building, her inner walls tightening around him, and her breath hitching with every thrust. “Logan,” she gasped, her voice breaking as her orgasm hit her hard. Her body convulsed beneath him, her pleasure rippling through her in waves that nearly dragged him over the edge with her.
But Logan held on, his teeth lengthening, his wolf clawing at the surface demanding he claim her fully. His mouth found her neck, his teeth grazing and starting to sink into the sensitive skin as the pressure inside him built to a breaking point. He was so close, so close?—
And then he froze.
Stop.His tactical mind snapped back into focus, slamming the brakes on his instincts. He'd never asked for her consent—never explicitly sought her permission to mark her right now. The realization hit him hard, and he pulled away from her neck just as his release crashed over him. He spilled inside her, his body shuddering with the force of his orgasm, but his mind was already reeling with guilt.
"Fuck," he muttered, pulling out of her quickly and rolling onto his back. He ran a hand over his face, his chest heaving as he struggled to regain control. "I'm sorry, Zoe. I didn't—I didn't mean to start biting you. I didn't ask first."
She propped herself up on one elbow, her hazel eyes searching his face. "It's okay, Logan," she said softly, her hand reaching out to brush against his arm. "You could've completed the mark. I wanted you to."
Logan shook his head, his jaw tightening. "No. I didn't ask. It wasn't right." He glanced at her neck, where the imprint of his teeth and some drops of blood lingered—a half-mark, unfinished. The sight made his stomach churn with guilt. He'd let his control slip and let his wolf take over. He'd almost tied her to him forever without her full consent at that moment. That wasn't him—at least, it wasn't who he wanted to be.
He got up abruptly, grabbing his clothes and dressing quickly. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I shouldn't have—" He cut himself off, shaking his head as he turned away. Without another word, he left the room, his mind a whirlwind of frustration and regret.
ELEVEN
ZOE
Zoe sat up in Logan's bed after he rushed out of the bedroom. The cool air hit her naked skin as the reality of what had just happened settled over her. Her fingers drifted to her neck, finding the tender spot where Logan's teeth had broken the skin. The wound was small but distinct—two tiny puncture marks that throbbed with a strange warmth. When she pulled her fingertips away, crimson droplets stained them.
A half-mark,her wolf whispered, restless and frustrated.He could have completed it.
The bite site tingled with an electric sensation that seemed to pulse in rhythm with Zoe's heartbeat. More startling was the sudden awareness of Logan's emotions bleeding through what felt like an invisible thread connecting them. His guilt crashed over her in waves, followed by self-recrimination so sharp it made her chest ache. The bond between them hummed stronger now, even incomplete, and his pain was becoming her own.
He's suffering,she realized, distress flooding her system. The need to comfort him and to ease his torment overwhelmed every other instinct.
Zoe quickly slipped into her dark jeans and cream sweater, her movements urgent as Logan's emotional turmoil continuedto assault her senses through their bond. She found him in the living room, pacing like a predator trapped in a cage too small to contain him. His white henley stretched across his broad shoulders as he moved and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.
The sight of him—powerful, deadly, yet consumed by guilt over wanting her—made her heart clench. He'd obviously spent years building walls around himself—literally and figuratively—and she'd managed to crack them in a single day. No wonder he was spiraling.
Zoe approached cautiously, studying the rigid line of his jaw and the way his green eyes avoided her gaze. When she placed her hand on his forearm, he went completely still, as if her touch had short-circuited his system.
"Logan." His head snapped toward her, surprise flickering across his features as if he genuinely hadn't expected her to seek him out. The look on his face—vulnerable and almost bewildered—told her everything she needed to know about how alone he'd been. "Everything is okay. I'm not upset."
"You should be." His voice came out rough and strained. "I lost control. I almost marked you for life without asking first."
"But you didn't." She stepped closer, her thumb stroking over the corded muscle of his arm. "You stopped. And Logan? What we just shared was the best experience of my life."
