Dimitri (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6) (23 page)

“Yes,” she acquiesced, unable to deny the urge to press back into his hand. She’d never explored anal play, but her body ablaze, she craved to experience everything.

“Don’t you worry…we’re gonna do everything…I’m gonna take you every way possible…including here,” he promised, probing her with his thumb. Dimitri took his throbbing dick in his hand, sliding it over her entrance, moistening it with her juices. She heaved a breath, impatiently pushing back into him. But he held her still, slowly pressing into her anus. “We’re gonna make love soon enough, cher. Feel me in you.”

“Ah…it’s so tight,” she whispered, her head lolling forward.

“Relax now…here we go,” he warned. Guiding his hot flesh into hers, he slowly entered until he was fully seated, his digit all the way into her ass. “That’s it…give in to me, Gilly.”

“Yes…please,” Gillian breathed. The overwhelming sensation rippled through her body.

Dimitri began a slow pace, in and out, making love to her, but soon the craving to mark his mate overrode everything else. He withdrew his finger, cupping both sides of her bottom. Using her for leverage, he increased the pace, moving deep within her. In rhythmic fashion, he pounded in and out of her. Gillian rocked back into his thrusts, the sounds of flesh meeting flesh sounding throughout the night.

In a frenzy, Dimitri leaned over, his weight forcing them both onto their stomachs. She tightly gripped the sheets as he surged into her from behind. Wrapping her hair around his hand, he guided her head to the side, exposing the tendons of her neck.

“Do it,” she cried. In the midst of their fervor, clarity struck and she willingly sought his bite. She was tired of being afraid of what she’d lose, and focused on everything that she could gain.
A partner. A life. A family. Perhaps even love.
The stakes were high. A risk to be certain, yet she refused to cower from fate.

Dimitri’s wolf went wild at her call. His fangs descended. Pumping hard into her heat, he struck, clamping down on her creamy flesh. She cried out, and he held her still, careful not to puncture or tear Gillian’s skin. With a final thrust, he came hard, flooding into her. Shuddering, he let the remaining tremors claim him.

Releasing his jaw, Dimitri licked over where he’d bitten. She moaned and he lifted off her torso. He lay on his back, bringing her with him, resting her onto his chest. Embracing her, he kissed the top of her head and sighed.

While he’d initially been consumed by the lust and urge to mark his mate, he now reflected on what was in his heart, which felt tight with emotion. It wasn’t just that he mourned the eventual loss of her tiger, although the thought weighed heavily upon him. For the first time in one hundred and twenty years, he’d developed strong feelings for a woman, one he wouldn’t give up without a fight to the death.

Gillian awoke, the sun shining through the window panes. She moved to reach for Dimitri, her hand fondling the sheets. She realized he was gone, but in surprise, her fingertips touched a fragrant object that lay on his pillow. Her vision came into focus and she gazed upon the beautiful bouquet of irises. Each flower was unique with its silky purple and gold petals. She brought them to her nose, taking a deep sniff, and a broad smile broke across her face.

Holding them to her chest, she looked up at the cathedral ceiling, remembering how they’d made love the night before…twice. But it was recalling his bite that generated her deep sigh. Without even looking, she knew it was there. In the limo and then again in the house, she’d given him approval, given herself permission to accept his mark.

Her stomach growled and she marveled that she was more concerned about eating than the fact that she may soon not be able to shift. It wouldn’t be decided until they’d mated, but what they’d done last night was the first step. She tried to conjure up a thread of regret. After all, she’d spent so much time trying to avoid the very thing she’d just thoroughly enjoyed. Yet nothing came to her. The excitement of seeing him again was the only thought spinning through her mind.

The sound of a piano startled her, and she jumped to her feet. Altogether nude, she found her way into the bathroom and spied a note on the mirror
: Robe is on the door and toothbrush is in the drawer. Come downstairs when you’re ready, my lovely mate.
And he’d drawn a heart…a big ass freakin’ heart. No one had ever written her a note. She laughed, thinking that her dominant wolf was a romantic; the more she knew about him, the more fate was convincing her that it knew what it was doing.

Gillian turned her back toward the mirror, and lifted her hair. As she’d suspected, a light pink pattern had appeared on her shoulder where he’d bitten her. Like a fine tattoo, its intricate design colored her skin. Exhilaration mixed with trepidation filled her heart. She could hardly believe she’d chosen Dimitri, that he was hers.

She considered that after it was all said and done, neither of them might be able to shift. Despite it all, the happiness in her chest refused to be thwarted. Though she’d detected his injured wolf when they’d made love, she hadn’t thought about the consequences of her actions or the taint on his beast. Her only focus had been on the strong man holding her in his arms. She knew that today serious conversations needed to be had. As she traced the contours of the lines on her skin, pride in his mark superseded every other emotion.

After freshening up, using the bathroom, she tied the robe around her waist. Making her way to Dimitri, she heard classical music. It grew louder and more intense, and she found it interesting that he liked the genre. She’d expected him to listen to zydeco or rock n’ roll, with his bad boy good looks, but this was a surprise, reminding her that she still didn’t know him very well.

Quietly, she padded down the hallway, taking note of the colorful modern paintings on the wall. Holding tight to the banister, she descended into a bright, airy great room. She smiled at the sight of Dimitri sitting at a grand piano. Shirtless, the corded muscles of his back curved down into his shorts. Even though she was certain he’d heard her enter the room, he continued to play. His body rocked in rhythm, his fingers moving up and down the keys with the fluidity and ease of a concert pianist.

She came up behind him, placing her palms on his shoulders. His muscles tensed as he continued, lost in the piece. Energy flowed through him to her hands, and it was as if he were creating power via his connection to his instrument. As his fingers came to a rest, she pressed her lips to his back.

“That was beautiful,” she said.

Dimitri quickly reached around to his mate. Before she knew what had happened, he’d lifted her off her feet and had her cradled in his lap.

“Good morning…or good afternoon, should I say?” Dimitri kissed her shoulder with small pecks until he reached the sensitive area behind her ear.

“You play the piano?” She giggled from the sensation.

“Hmm…yes but I’m more interested in playing with you,” he replied. Tugging on her loosely tied belt, he slipped his hand over her skin, laying it on her belly.

“You were amazing.” She smiled.

“Why thank you, cher. You were quite the little minx yourself. You ready to go for round two or is that round three? The courtyard counts, right?”

“Stop it.” She slapped him softly on the chest.

“What? Is my count off?” Smiling ear to ear, he cupped her breast.

“Is sex all you think of?” she asked.

“That’s a loaded question that I refuse to answer. Besides, your nipples don’t lie.” He gently pinched her pebbled peak. “I’m not the only one thinking of sex.”

“Maybe, but that’s only because of you. Now come on. Tell me about this.” She gestured to the keys.

“This,” he leaned forward and took her rosy tip into his mouth, sucking until she moaned, “this is soft and delicious.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed. Crossing her legs together, she tried to thwart the ache that throbbed between them.

“I smell you, darlin’ and it ain’t the bacon that has my mouth waterin’.” Dimitri pressed his face into the hollow between her breasts and kissed her skin.

“The….the piano,” she stuttered, attempting to focus.

“You are tenacious.”

“I am. Please, tell me.”

“Mama insisted I learn how to play. ‘The classics’, she’d say. So the classics I’d play. Bach. Chopin. Beethoven. Once I shifted, well, I took up the squeezebox. Mama wasn’t crazy ‘bout it but she got used to it. Bought my first les tit noirs after the turn of the century…1910, it was. I’ve got a small band I play with sometimes. But at the end of the day, I always return to the eighty-eight.”

“It’s beautiful,” she remarked, stroking her fingers over the ivories.

“Oui, ma chérie.”

“French?”

“Ah, we’re a bit French here, all right, but I’m afraid I’ve been hangin’ out with Leo too much.”

“And your parents?”

“Are in Philadelphia. Mama and Papa joined Tristan after he became Alpha up there. They come down from time to time.”

“And how do you think they’re going to respond to having their son mate with a tiger?”

“After a century, cher, they’re happy to see me mate with anyone who makes me happy. Ya’ll don’t know how fast a rumor spreads ‘round here. I’m sure the entire city of brotherly love was ablaze with the news after my announcement last night. I already got a call from my mama this mornin’ wanting to know everything about you. I promised we’d come up there next month.”

Gillian laughed. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“How do you think your mama’s gonna react to you matin’ with a wolf?” Dimitri asked.

“Not fair. She can’t shift. Not to mention that my father was an Alpha who’s no longer alive.” She averted her gaze and sighed. Raising her eyes to meet his, she continued. “Truth?”

“Truth.”

“She’s not going to be too happy. She didn’t exactly encourage me to get to know Jax, and he was my own brother. I love my mom dearly, but I’m thinking it may be best we break it to her after we mate. You know the saying about asking for forgiveness? Let’s go with that plan.”

“Are you upset with your mom? About Jax?”

“I don’t blame my mom for not wanting me to see my brother. At the time, I was the one who made the decision to cut off contact. She had me so scared about what could happen. She’s worried I won’t be able to shift. But at the same time, I want to be with you. No one’s going to stop me from doing what I need to do.”

“All that Alpha in ya…oh my.” He laughed.

“What?” she asked with a grin.

“Submitting’s not gonna be easy.” He shook his head.

“Are we back talking about sex again?”

“Let’s just put it this way.” Dimitri paused, considering how she’d get along with everyone. She’d have to fall into the natural cadence of life within a pack. “When we mate, I think you’re gonna still shift, but you may be wolf. Even if you’re not wolf, you’re gonna have to learn how to integrate into the pack. In the end, all wolves must learn to submit, to have discipline. We do it to ensure order. Order keeps peace. Peace keeps us safe, well organized.”

“Last night with you was great and all. But I’m not that experienced with submission in any part of my life. I’m feline. I don’t think I can do it,” she confessed.

“Last night was beautiful.” He winked and took her hands in his. “You need to look at it this way, cher. Submission is about trust. In bed. In life. Take Logan for example. I trust him to do what’s best for us. Now that doesn’t mean I don’t advise him or disagree at times. But when push comes to shove, his word goes. I support him in the same way the rest of the pack submits to me.”

“I guess it’s hard for me to understand. It’s not like I don’t know that my DNA has wolf in it. Technically, I was born into a pack. But my life with my mom…we were isolated. It’s not just about having anyone to submit to. It’s so much more. I’ve never had anyone, period. No one to trust. No one to rely on. Sure I have friends, but the kind of thing you’re talking about…it’s not the same.”

“Which is why we’ll go slow with the pack. You felt it with Logan, though…the power. I saw it on your face when you met him. Humans can’t feel it, they just have a sense that he’s dominant. Leo, on the other hand, he acknowledges Logan’s power but damn if that old ass vamp isn’t putting out some serious high volt wattage of his own. What you felt with Logan is the natural order calling you.”

“I felt it…he was strong, but I wasn’t afraid.”

“It isn’t about being afraid. It’s about trust, respect and knowing without a doubt that he’s in charge. That he’ll keep you safe.”

“And you?”

“Look, Gilly, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you not submitting is an option. I think you know that being in the pack…it’s a team…a family. My family. And I hope someday yours, too,” he said, brushing her hair from her eyes.

“And what if we can’t shift? What if we mate and I lose my ability? What if we can’t get rid of this thing…whatever it is inside you?”

“We’ll face it together, that’s what. But I’m a fighter. You don’t get to be in my position without battlin’ it out every now and then.”

Gillian didn’t want to know what he meant by that. She wasn’t sure she could handle watching him in a challenge.

“We’ll get through this,” he reassured her. “Besides, I have a feelin’ you’re going to come through stronger than ever.”

“Why hasn’t the witch healed you? Last night…when we were together, I could feel it…that evil. But when I concentrate, letting my energy out, I know I can heal you. Why can’t we just do that? I’ll be there for you…every single day if that’s what it takes.”

“I wish.” Dimitri kissed her forehead and took a deep breath. He hadn’t wanted to admit that his wolf had grown weaker. Their recent interludes had done little to help. “Ilsbeth needs to purge this. It can’t be done without magic.”

“But maybe I can…” Gillian knew of her gifts. She wasn’t certain that like her father, he’d be given them when they mated. Her mother had told her stories about how her father had shifted into a tiger. Like a childhood fairytale, she found it difficult to believe. She’d never seen it with her own eyes and didn’t want to raise his hopes. But in the back of her mind, it remained a last resort.