Nic (13 page)

Mindy’s brown eyes dilated. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She pressed her swollen lips together and swallowed hard.

“Please don’t go,” she murmured.

“I don’t want us to regret this, this time,” he said.

Her long lashes fluttered to conceal her eyes. “I don’t regret the last time.” She ran a hand over her arm and bit her lip. “Do you?”

Nic’s denial was swift and fierce. “Hell no!”

* * * * *

If she told him to leave this second, Nic would. His stern expression said his offer was real. If that happened, there was a very good chance she wouldn’t see him again. Panic hit, squeezing her throat. That was the last thing Mindy wanted.

Still, she didn’t know much about this man. Was she really going to invite him into her bed?

He saved you from Marco twice. He fixed your car. He let Tart hump his leg. And he didn’t run away.

That said a lot about his character. She stared into his dark blue eyes, watching the waves of passion wash over them. She could get lost in those eyes. It wouldn’t take much to be swept away. Mindy was already halfway there.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight,” she said. “I’m tired of feeling lonely.” This time it wasn’t her wild side talking. This time it was the
real
Mindy baring her soul.

Nic shuddered as her words struck their mark.

“Me too.” Nic cradled her face between his large hands and slowly tilted her head to capture her lips once more.

The kiss was so devastatingly tender that it brought tears to Mindy’s eyes. With that one kiss, Nic conveyed all the emotions he kept bottled inside. Mindy tasted his fear, his need, his compassion, and his loneliness.

She also discovered a deeper, darker, wilder undercurrent. The last should’ve scared her, but instead she was drawn to it, drawn to him. Mindy savored every one of his emotions, grateful that he’d been willing to leave himself so utterly exposed.

He walked her backwards toward the hall, never breaking the kiss. Nic reached for the first doorknob he came to. Mindy stopped him before he could open the door.

“That’s Izzy’s room,” she murmured against his lips.

Mindy grabbed his shirt and kept moving, taking him farther down the hall. The second door they encountered was cracked.

* * * * *

Nic pushed it open. A neat bedroom came into view. The only thing he cared about at the moment was the queen-sized bed with the rose-colored comforter and pillows piled high. The room smelled like Mindy. He flicked the light on and guided her inside, then kicked the door closed with his foot. As soon as he heard it click shut, Nic stripped her clothes off.

The sweater went first. It was followed by her jeans. By the time he finished, all Mindy had on was her lacy white bra and matching panties. She toed her shoes off, then stepped out of her pants.

Nic ran his fingertips over the swell of her breasts and watched her nipples tighten beneath the material. “I didn’t get to see these last night.” He slipped one finger under the strap and slowly slid it off her shoulder. “I dreamed about them. About you.”

Gooseflesh rose on her arms.

“Cold?” he asked, knowing she wasn’t.

Mindy shook her head. “Hot,” she said. “If I get any warmer, I will be scalding.”

“Then I hope you like the heat, darlin’, because you’re about to get a lot hotter.” It was a vow Nic intended to keep.

He cupped her fullness, feeling the heavy weight of her in his hands. He brushed his thumbs over the front of her swollen flesh, loving the sound of her breath as it caught in her throat.

His lips found hers once more and he reached behind her. With a flick of his wrist, her bra gaped open and fell to the floor. Nic broke the kiss to look at her.

“Oh, have mercy,” he said, then ran his tongue over the soft swell before capturing her nipple between his teeth.

Mindy gasped and clutched his head. Nic feasted on her flesh, turning it bright red. She was even sweeter tasting here. He latched on to the other nipple, making sure to give it equal attention. Mindy swelled before his eyes, ripening like a summer berry.

Nic sucked and nibbled until her knees threatened to give out, then he coaxed her onto the bed. Her blonde hair spread across the rose comforter, haloing her head. “I didn’t get to explore you the way that I wanted to. I intend to make up for that oversight right now.”

He grabbed Mindy by her ankles and pulled her forward until her bottom rested at the edge of the bed. He grabbed her panties and yanked them off, then dropped to his knees and inhaled. His head spun as her delicious aroma ensnared him.

Drool threatened to drip from his mouth as he carefully parted her legs to reveal her hidden cleft. She blossomed before him. His incisors lengthened and his eyes glowed. Nic’s gaze dropped to keep her from seeing the effect she had on him.
On his wolf.

Nic settled his wide shoulders between her thighs and slowly took his first real taste of her. Spice and honey exploded on his tongue. Nic’s body instantly hardened to the point of pain. He dipped in again and her juices ran down his chin.

Nic wanted to bury himself inside her, experience the warm, tight embrace he’d felt the other night. But he wouldn’t. Not yet. He wasn’t finished tasting her, feasting on her yet. He wanted to sup on Mindy’s flesh, devour her sex until all that remained was a deeply sated woman.

Nic stopped his gentle exploration and dove in with gusto. He licked, stroked, and worried her flesh with his teeth until she plumped beneath his firm lips.

Mindy’s knees locked around his head and her thighs quivered. She tried to squirm up the bed when the sensations got to be too much, but Nic wasn’t having it. He held on to her hips and slid his hands beneath bottom, tilting her to give him better access, then continued to feast.

* * * * *

She couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Her entire world was centered on his amazing mouth and what it was doing to her. Pressure built inside her. A pressure the likes of which she’d never experienced before. Her hands clenched the duvet as she tried to hold on to her world, as it rotated faster.

Nic swirled his tongue around and around her until lights flashed behind her eyelids. Mindy’s body bucked and she pressed her lips together hard to keep from screaming. She tasted blood and didn’t care.

He sucked her between his teeth and bit down. The flare of pain amidst all the pleasure sent her spiraling over the edge, as the mother of all orgasms roared through her, engulfing her in flames. This time Mindy did scream Nic’s name.

* * * * *

Mindy’s cries rang in his ears as she rippled around his tongue. Nic couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. Mindy’s legs dropped open and her body liquefied. She was everything he’d remembered and more.

Nic grabbed his shirt off the floor and wiped his mouth, then slowly climbed to his feet. He stared down at her. Mindy’s pale flesh had turned a delectable shade of pink. Her nipples jutted toward the ceiling, all but begging to be nibbled on again. He watched her body quake. Nic would remember this moment for the rest of his life.

He repositioned her until she was further onto the bed, then Nic settled on top of her. He kissed Mindy tenderly and brushed the damp hair away from her face.

“You aren’t finished yet. Are you?” he asked.

Mindy licked her lip and tried to speak. After a minute she gave up and shook her head.

“Good,” he said. “Because I’m just getting started.”

This time Nic didn’t sheathe himself. He wanted to know what—if anything—would happen when they had sex skin to skin. He didn’t expect a repeat of the other night. With his wolf firmly leashed, Nic didn’t feel as out of control.

“I don’t have any diseases,” he said, kissing her again. “Are you on birth control?”

Mindy nodded.

“I know I’m asking you to trust me with your life, but I swear to you that I’d never do anything to put you in harm’s way.”

She stared at him for so long he thought she was going to reject him, then finally she answered. “Okay, but if you’re lying, I will cut you up into little pieces and feed you to Hannibal.”

“I’m not. Thank you for your trust.” The words had barely left his mouth, when Nic surged forward burying himself inside her molten core. The sensation shocked his system, leaving him winded.

It was the first time he’d
ever
gone bareback in woman. That he’d done so with a human wasn’t lost on him. It was...it was...
incredible
.

Nic held himself still and tried to catch his breath. Mindy’s legs rose and she wrapped her knees around him, holding him close. Her level of trust made his heart soar. It also terrified him.

So far, so good. No odd reactions. No internal swelling.

For some reason, the thought that the whole thing might’ve been because of the full moon left him oddly disappointed.

You should be elated. This is what you wanted.

Nic rolled his hips and thrust forward, feeling her velvet muscles grip him. Fire burned down his spine and he had to fight the urge to rut like a beast inside her.

He found Mindy’s mouth and continued his carnal invasion while he glided forward, embedding himself to the hilt. Nic shuddered. She was perfect. Everything about her seemed to fit. He pulled out until only the tip of him remained inside her.

Mindy whimpered and pushed down upon him, seeking more.

Nic’s lips slid over her jaw as he easily slipped in and out of her fiery sheath. “I didn’t think it would be possible, but it’s even better tonight.”

He concentrated on keeping a steady rhythm, so he could build the tension inside of her. He wanted to hear her scream his name again. Mindy tightened around him. Nic found her earlobe and sucked on it, feeling her core pulse in response.

He sucked harder until Mindy writhed beneath him and rocked her hips to meet him thrust for thrust. Her choppy breathing told him she wouldn’t last much longer.

Nic hooked his elbows under her knees and lifted her legs higher. The position allowed him to go deeper. Mindy mewed, and her head thrashed from side to side as he pounded into her.

“I can’t. I can’t,” she gasped. In the next breath, she convulsed, her body doing its best to milk him dry.

Nic kissed the side of her neck and felt a deep, primitive tug. His tongue swirled over the spot where her neck met her shoulder. While Mindy was coming apart in his arms, Nic was being pulled under by something far stronger.

He continued to surge into her as she thrashed beneath him. Nic nibbled on her neck, then sucked on her skin. Mindy’s entire body stiffened and she let out a keening cry as a second release hit close on the heels of the first.

Nic’s world narrowed. All he could see was her pulse fluttering in her neck. He rolled his hips and nudged her cervix. The second it kissed her center, he swelled. The change swept over his body. Nic couldn’t stop it. In truth, he didn’t want to.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t resist,” he murmured, then bit down on Mindy’s neck.

Blood poured into his mouth. Nic swallowed it, greedily lapping her up, taking her essence into him. He was careful not to lose a drop.

Mindy whimpered and tried to pull away.

His growl stopped her. It was far too late to escape. His wolf had her now. It was determined to mark her,
inside and out
. But first it demanded her submission.

Mindy’s body tensed.

Nic tightened his grip on her neck. A few seconds passed, then she stroked his head and relaxed beneath him. His wolf howled in triumph as Nic took more of her blood.

Instinct told him when he’d had enough. Nic stopped drinking and licked the tender bite until the blood quit flowing. Mindy was going to have one hell of a hickey, but it couldn’t be helped.

Nic wanted her to taste him—to complete the mating ritual—but he knew she wasn’t ready. His ragged breathing finally returned to normal, but his hips continued to flex as he spilled his seed inside her. Nic kissed her neck and nuzzled her cheek.

* * * * *

“Sorry, I lost control again. Being inside you makes me crazy with desire,” he said.

Mindy touched his shadowed cheek. “I feel the same way,” she whispered. “You make me want things I’ve never thought about. It’s like a part of you is inside of me.”

He glanced down and grinned.

Her heart flip-flopped. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I know.” He rubbed his nose against hers.

“I guess this means we’ll have to figure all this out together,” she said.

“It won’t be easy,” he said.

Nic was still hard and heavy inside of her. She’d never known a man could have such endurance. That hadn’t been her experience in the past. Of course Mindy only had her ex to compare him to, and it wasn’t a fair comparison.

“We seem to end up naked every time we get together,” she said.

He kissed her throat. “There are worse ways to end up. Take my word for it.”

Mindy shoved at his chest.

Nic laughed and sat up, taking her with him since their bodies were still connected.

“I think you’ve ruined me for other men,” Mindy joked, though it was the truth.

Something dark crossed Nic’s handsome features and his eyes glittered. “It might be best if you avoid other men for a while.”

Mindy arched a brow. “Is that so?”

His smile returned in a flash, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We need time to get to know one another. Can’t really do that properly if you’re seeing other men.”

“Are you going to date other women?” she asked.

“No!” The certainty in his tone surprised her.

“So are you saying you want us to be exclusive?” Mindy couldn’t conceal the hopeful note in her voice. She’d never been one to date around, or sleep around for that matter.

“If that’s okay with you,” he said, suddenly sounding less confident.

Mindy kissed his chin. “We could always give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, at least we’ll know for sure.”

“Glad you see it my way.”