Page 40 of Sweeter Than Honey
She was going to have this baby alone.
She was going to raise this baby alone. Inside a shifter compound. In California.
Growing her business had taken all her effort in the past three years and she’d never worried about creating a life outside of it. But now, her work was at a standstill, and she was facing a huge life change with no one to lean on, or call when it got rough. No one to be there when she gave birth, or to vent to when the baby stayed up every night for a week straight. She’d cultivated millions of dollars in her business bank account… but at the cost of a lonely, solitary life.
With a sigh, Cara opened her laptop. Work would help center her thoughts and calm her down and there were more than enough emails to take care of. Frustrated when she couldn’t get a good internet signal, she moved back downstairs to the kitchen table and sat in the chair closest to the window where the connection always seemed to be the best. Losing herself in her work, Cara relaxed a little to be mostly caught up. But then her stomach churned and launched bile into her throat. A slice of pain began to throb at her left temple. With a groan, she crossed her arms on the table and leaned her head on them.
Not now, baby. I have too much to do.
What she wanted has changed. Cara opened her eyes. She wanted different things than she had before. Since the moment she’d hit Jett with her car, she’d wanted something more. She wanted him.
Of course, she wanted her business and all the creative and marketing aspects that went with it. But she wanted a family. A real family, and a way to fit all the things that made her life important into it.
But he couldn’t imprint her baby because he’d already had a child. They couldn’t be true mates because he’d had one of those, too. There was no hope for a life for the two of them.
“Cara?”
Jett’s concerned voice washed over her, raising goosebumps on her arms. She was going to miss that rich, deep sound.
Suddenly, he was there, standing behind her. The back of the chair vibrated as he gripped it, his fingers working the wood. Was he trying not to touch her?
Did he want to?
The kiss replayed in her mind. Oh, it would have been so easy to let him take her to bed. She could have had him several times by now. Maybe he couldn’t imprint her baby, but he could imprint on her heart and give her memories for when the days and nights got tough.
“Are you all right?”
The wood creaked again as he moved his fingers along the back.
“Just getting a little headache.”
His big hand slid over the base of her neck and rested there, his body heat seeping into her muscles and nerves. She sighed from the comfort of it.
“Let me help you?”
Her eyes suddenly stung with unshed tears. How could she say no? These were some of their last moments together. Cara nodded, wet her lips, and tried to relax as his hand moved to the side of her neck, then back down. Then he used both hands to slowly gather her hair to the nape of her neck, his fingers sliding lightly across her flesh to collect stray strands. He stroked and smoothed the length of her hair and then gathered it on top of her head.
“Hold this up here.”
Taking her hand, he placed it on top of her hair. Cara’s muscles felt like jelly, but she did as he said. Jett cupped her shoulders and gently repositioned her, so she was more squared up with the table, then helped her sit tall.
“Just close your eyes, relax.”
Oh, how she wanted to. As his hands began a slow, firm up and down along the sides of her neck, it was impossible to relax. Her body went tense with desire. Jett lightly raked his fingers through her hair at the back of her head to where she held her ponytail, then applied firm pressure as he streaked them back down. Tingles exploded over her scalp. Repeating the touch, Jett stepped closer, and she wished there wasn’t the back of a chair between them. His body heat warmed her bare skin.
Cara felt her mind growing hazy as he repeated the strokes against her scalp, then turned to drag his fingers up and down her neck. His touch fanned out to her shoulders and back again, fingers sliding up to her ponytail, slowly back down. Again, and again until she was putty. A moan worked free from her throat, her body lax and languid. Jett guided his fingers around her head to her temples and moved them in slow, gentle circles until her neck lost all ability to hold up her head.
“Oh, God, you have magic fingers,” she moaned.
“Magic fingers, huh? I take it you’re feeling better.”
If he counted horny and tightly strung feeling better, then she supposed she was.
He continued massaging her temples, easing the pain inside her skull until it was faint. If she wasn’t so aware of him, she might just fall asleep.
Taking the ponytail from her, he gathered it in his hand and gave a little tug. Her scalp exploded in pleasure-tingles. Letting her hair fall, he maneuvered her forward, so she leaned over her folded arms on the table again. His thumbs traced the length of her spine all the way to her lower back, then methodically back up. He used just enough pressure to mix pleasure with soft pain and she found herself drifting into a blissful state. Time passed and she had the sensation of being in a boat and drifting on gentle waves. Her mind wavered between wanting to sleep and hyper awareness of how sensual and needy his ministrations made her feel.
Her headache and nausea were gone, leaving space for desire to take control. Blinking, Cara sat straight and started to rise. Jett moved to her side, a hand on her shoulder. Their eyes met. She stayed in her chair, suddenly unable to stand on weak legs. His gaze was so intense, so filled with a storm of emotions.
