Mentally chanting that it's my wolf's heat that got me into this mess, I instantly pull away, removing myself from the intensity of his proximity, but not escaping the cruelty of my heat that has me wanting to rip my clothes off.
I can't stop the moisture between my thighs from dripping into the crotch of my panties, but I'm too embarrassed to face Dominic. Tearing my gaze from him, the ruthless lump forming in my throat has me spinning around to find an escape, and I bolt for the bedroom.
“Cecelia!” Dominic calls from behind, but the torrent of emotions that flood over me is too much to bear, and I can't weaken myself in front of him.
Did I imagine everything that happened tonight? Did I imagine that his eyes spoke volumes that his lips couldn't speak while we danced? Did I imagine that he was protecting me and defending me, and making a conscious choice to be different from what he was in the past?
Oh, Goddess! I was so wrong!
Just as I'm about to reach the threshold of the bedroom door, a large, powerful hand grips my wrist and effortlessly spins me over until my back hits the wall. Dominic's sheer size engulfs me as he leans in, shaking his head slowly as he levels his eyes with mine.
“I can sense your heat, Cecelia,” he drawls as he comes closer, his voice gravelly as if his throat is dry. “And Goddess knows I want to pleasure you.” He strokes my cheek with the back of his hand, his knuckles cruising over my heated flesh as his eyes find mine again. “But I need you to know that I didn'tdefend you in that hall to get something from you. I didn't even do it because I thought I'd win the test. I did that because Icareabout you.”
My heart skips a beat as I stare more deeply into Dominic's dark eyes that are softened now, finding sincerity in them and discovering that he truly means every word he says. Calming down, I reach up and touch his face, recalling what it felt like to do this when we'd spent our first night together in the woods. His olive skin is warm and taut against the sharp contours of his gorgeous face, and I find myself tracing the prominent outline of his jaw.
“I may be in heat, but I don't want you to just pleasure me, Dominic,” I whisper as I bat my eyes suggestively. “I want you to be pleasured, too…I want you to go all the way this time…”
A moment of intense silence passes as Dominic pauses, searching my eyes as if he's reading an invisible scroll that has these words printed on them before he nods slowly and closes the little distance between our faces.
Our lips meet in a soft, unhurried kiss that has my toes curling inside the red heels I'd worn to match the ball gown. I slide my hands over his chest, feeling tight muscles flex through his suit jacket as I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. My heart follows a steady, rhythmic beat that seems to match his gentle movements as he hooks his arm behind my thighs and lifts me off my feet, cradling me to his chest as our lips remain locked in the sweetest kiss we've ever shared.
When he carries me into the bedroom, he sets me onto my feet near the foot of the bed, breaking the kiss gently with a soft sigh escaping his lips.
“So beautiful…” he praises as his eyes travel down my body, sliding his hands down my arms where they're drapedover his shoulders. His hands whisper across my exposed collarbones until he cradles my face and kisses me again, this time seeking permission to enter my mouth with a soft flick of his tongue across my lips.
I part them on a soft moan when I feel his hands on my back, working on the strings that keep the bodice against my chest. He tugs on the knot, releasing the bodice and pulling it down to let my breasts spill out.
He pulls back to gaze appreciatively at the mounds, sucking a breath through gritted teeth as he begins kneading my breasts, dipping his head to flick one nipple that sends sensation coursing through my body. My heat is far from painful; it was long gone the moment he admitted that he wanted to pleasure me. Without any pain, all that's left is pleasure, and I find it in the subtlest ways.
Like the way he stares at me as he begins peeling down the rest of the dress from my waist, his eyes sending shivers of awareness through me as he undresses me and then steps back to ogle my body in nothing but black lace panties. He strokes his bottom lip with his thumb as he stares as if etching my curves into his memory before he begins peeling off his suit jacket.
His devilishly hungry eyes remain on mine, but it's impossible to maintain eye contact when his chest is revealed as he pulls off his shirt. I gulp hard when I'm met with his perfectly sculpted chest, cloaked in tattoos that pique my interest and have me stepping forward to assist with his belt.
I press my lips to one peck, planting an open-mouthed kiss on the tattoo of the tree he had inked to signify his special spot in the woods. For him, it's symbolic of a time when his father trained him to become the wolf he is now, and for me, it'sthe special place where I gave up my virginity to him and carved out a spot in my heart for him.
Even now, as he strips down into nothing but his briefs and continues to be gentle with me, I realize that Dominic has never left the abode I built for him in my heart. I might have covered it with walls and darkness when he rejected me, but that spot was always reserved for him. Now, it becomes a fortress, built by his very own hands with each tender kiss as he leads me onto the bed, fingers caressing my body with praise.
The kiss slows down as Dominic's hand whispers over my midriff, casting spells that have my body reacting as if he's already touching my core. His eyes are dark pools of heady, hungry desire as he turns his face toward his hand, watching his movements.
He slides one arm under my head, keeping my gaze pinned to his face as if I'm meant to watch him as he administers pleasure with his fingers between my thighs. His hand slips beneath the waistband of my panties, his middle finger connecting with my bundle of nerves as he circles and strokes the delicate nub to ignite my fires of pleasure. It's so intense as it courses through me, forcing me to throw my head back in a moan.
“Oh, Dominic!” I cry out in ecstasy, gripping his shoulder and digging in with my nails when he applies more pressure. He's hot and hard against my thigh, grinding his cock to match the rhythm of his finger as it enters my aching hole.
“Oh, my Goddess, Dom! That's so good…” I moan, meeting his eyes when he lifts them to my face and carefully inspects my reaction. He smirks as he pulls his hand away from my core, chuckling when I protest with a whimper. He lifts hisslick-coated fingers between our faces and wickedly grins before parting his lips and placing his middle finger on his tongue.
Watching the sinful act sends me over the edge, and as soon as he's done licking his finger clean of my arousal, I grab his face and kiss him, wanting to taste myself on his tongue. He uses the distraction of our tangled tongues to climb over me and settle between my thighs, skillfully removing my panties and his briefs until I feel the thickness of his hot erection pressed against my folds. The utter relief of the skin-on-skin contact has my body relaxing as much as it can, but holding my breath when he stops kissing me and turns his attention to gripping his cock and stroking the swollen tip against my folds.
Biting my bottom lip with anticipation, I relish in the pleasure that comes with just having him gather the copious amounts of my slick on the tip of his cock, stroking my folds and delivering sensation to my swollen bundle of nerves. That toe-curling pleasure spreads through every nerve in my being, delightful and intense. When he finally pushes the tip at my entrance, a gentle nudge before he thrusts in all the way, I'm spiraling into mindless bliss until all I can see are stars behind my eyelids.
Dominic's kiss springs me back to life, and I open my eyes just as he draws back to stare into my eyes with a softness I've never seen before. His thrusts are slow and gentle but meaningful, and his eyes are full of a tenderness I hadn't even seen on our first night together.
That's when I realize that this is different—Dominic is different. Whatever happened in the past isn't like what I'm feeling now, and it's because I've just opened my heart and my body to a man who'd changed himself while he was away at black ops. Seeing no reason not to trust myself, my body blooms with the watering of pleasure as he makes sweet, tender love to me.I might not know what the future holds for me and the future alpha of the Lunaris Pack, but we have this moment that feels so right, it feels perfect, and I'm allowed to lose myself in it.
I hated having to hate Dominic. I'm only capable of love.
Chapter 18 - Dominic
Standing on the edge of the field for the last test in the trials, I feel confident. I'm leading the scoreboard, but most importantly, I'm leading the way with Cecelia.
