Page 42 of Marked
I know I may be a little biased, but Chey has a real talent for photography. She finally showed me her portfolio, and I was blown away by the shots she’s captured. I told her I need to get some of them printed to hang in my office at the packhouse. Hell, we can cover the whole place with her pictures– each one is a little piece of her, and I can think of nothing better than living in a landscape of her making.
It isn’t long before the rumble of thunder in the distance has us picking up our pace to beat the rapidly encroaching storm. Chey’s cabin is only a short hike from where we’re at, but these summer thunderstorms come in fast and furious, and I’ve got a bad feeling we’re about to get caught in it. The leaves rustle as the wind picks up, the first raindrops falling just as the roof the cabin comes into view up ahead.
I tug Chey’s hand to encourage her to move faster as I lengthen my stride, intent on getting inside before it starts raining harder. Of course, mother nature has her own plans. In the blink of an eye, it goes from a drizzle to a downpour, Cheysquealing and clutching her camera to her chest as the two of us book it toward her cabin.
Though we make it to her porch in two minutes flat, my t-shirt is completely drenched, sticking to my skin and dripping from the hem. Wet strands of hair cling to Chey’s face as she moves to unlock the front door, and I slick my own back with a palm as she pushes it wide, the two of us stumbling inside to take refuge. I quickly kick it closed behind us, shutting out the storm.
Chey heads straight for the kitchen, grabbing a dish towel to dry off her camera. Her gaze lifts as she works the cloth over the lens, and the moment our eyes meet, we both burst into laughter.
“We have to get out of these wet clothes,” she says between giggles, pointing at me. “You’re dripping on the hardwood.”
Grabbing for the hem of my shirt, I peel the sopping cotton from my body, pulling it off overhead and dropping it to the floor. It lands with a squelch, and I glance back toward Chey to see her tugging off her own shirt. The white bralette she’s wearing beneath it is soaked through, turning the fabric translucent, and my cock instantly thickens at the sight of her hard nipples. Our laughter fades as we watch one another strip, silence falling when we’re both down to our underwear.
Goosebumps pebble up on my damp skin, but I’m not cold. Every inch of me is burning up as I take in Chey’s rain-slicked body, my gaze greedily roaming over her soft curves. Her teeth sink into her lower lip as her own eyes roam the muscular planes of my chest, irises swirling with coppery shimmers when they bounce up to lock with mine.
Time stands still.
My heart thumps harder.
Then like the snap of a rubber band, we come together, rushing toward one another as if pulled by gravity. Chey throws her arms around my neck, our lips colliding. I scoop her up bythe backs of her thighs as our mouths fuse, her long tan legs parting to straddle my waist, ankles hooking together at the small of my back. The heat of her center rides against my abs as I kiss the hell out of her, sparks tingling at every point of contact between our bodies. Her hard nipples scrape against my chest through the thin fabric of her bra as I start carrying her down the hall toward her bedroom, kicking open the door and heading straight for the bed.
My shins hit the edge, and I catch myself with a palm as we fall down onto the mattress, my body landing on top of hers. I quickly push up, my lips leaving hers to trail down her jaw to the column of her neck. Licking the rain from her skin, I peel away her wet bra and suck one of her nipples into my mouth, her back arching on a breathy moan.
Working my way down her body, I trail kisses down her stomach and around her belly button as I peel her panties down her legs, tossing them away and pushing her thighs apart. Her fingers sink into my hair, tightening in the damp strands as she tugs me toward the apex, lifting her hips and showing me exactly what she wants.
I’m all too eager to give it to her, diving in to lick her from opening to clit. She cries out, bucking her hips, and I press a hand to her belly to hold her in place as I ravage her with my lips and tongue and teeth, completely insatiable when it comes to my mate.
It wasn’t that long ago she shied away from intimacy, but now she’s sinking into her sexuality, becoming more emboldened with each encounter. It’s truly a thing of beauty to see her let go and banish her inner demons. I count myself lucky to be a witness to her metamorphosis– even luckier to have played a small part in it. She’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes of her past, and I’ll burn the whole damn world down before I’ll let anyone hurt her again.
Chey’s thighs quake against my ears as I suck her clit hard, pushing her over the precipice of release. Her moans fill the room as she comes undone, hips jerking as she rides out her orgasm against my face. When her body goes slack against the mattress, I shove my boxers off and crawl up her body, resting my hips in the cradle of her thighs and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
“You good?” I ask, checking in with her.
“Mhmm,” she hums, wrapping her legs around my waist to pull me in closer.
Bracketing her head with my elbows, I circle my hips until my tip notches at her entrance, a low growl rumbling in my chest as I push inside. Her inner walls grip my cock as I sink into her tight heat, my eyes rolling back at the sensation.
“Fuck,” I grit out, pulling out halfway, then punching in deeper. “This pussy is too good.”
Her fingernails sink into my shoulders, a breathy moan falling from her lips as I bury myself to the hilt.
“Never wanna leave,” I babble, circling my hips to feel every inch of her.
“Iver!” she gasps.
The sound of my name on her lips is my undoing. I start pistoning my hips, riding her body hard as she pants and moans beneath me. With every forward thrust, I grind against her clit, her thighs tightening around my waist as I pick up my pace.
I swear, every time with her is even better than the last. I’ve committed each inch of her body to memory; catalogued every response and reaction. As good as it feels for me, I want it to be twice as good for her.
Sweat slickens my skin as I rut into her harder, deeper, trying to imprint myself on her until all she knows is pleasure. “Mine,” I growl as I gaze down into her eyes, the low vibrato of my voice sounding more beast than man.
My inner wolf is dangerously close to the surface. I’ve had to actively fight him back every time we’ve been intimate, battling against the instinct to mark and claim my mate. It’s been an extreme exercise in self-restraint, and right now, it’s more difficult than ever to keep those instincts at bay. My gums tingle as my canines descend, everything in me screaming to sink them into her flesh and complete our bond.
Chey’s eyes round as they drop to my mouth.
“Sorry,” I grumble, sucking in a sharp breath, pausing my thrusts to get myself under control.
Her gaze pings up to meet mine, but there’s no fear in it. The look in her eyes is confident as she whispers, “Mark me.”
