A breath huffed out of me at the same time as I nodded. That was what I should be asking her, not the other way around.
Keeping my arms under her thighs, I stepped away from the counter and lowered her to her feet. My cock slid out of her. She whimpered, reaching for me in the next instant.
I swept her up into my arms and carried her to the bed. For the brief trip, she leaned her face against my bare chest. I only set her on the floor for the second it took to throw back the covers, then tucked us both inside.
I stared down at her, my heart in my throat. I couldn’t even describe what we’d just shared. Nothing compared. With her eyes closed in bliss, I had all the time in the world to stare at her, studying the way her eyebrows arched, her lashes fanned her cheeks, and how her lips parted slightly, pretty and plump.
It wasn’t until the sound of Brooke’s soft snore filled the cabin that I realized something.
We hadn’t even kissed yet.
16
BROOKE
My dreams woke me.They were vivid and eerie, and so very real they startled me awake. Images of a lake, a mountain range blanketed in forest, filled my head.
I sat up, pushed my hair out of my face, and glanced around. I was alone in bed, naked. The cabin looked the same but felt different. Kane had cleaned up the dishes and tidied up everything else.
The scent of sex permeated everything.
I flopped back, my arms spread wide. The flesh between my legs was tender and stretched. My nipples were sensitive from his love bites and the abrasive stroke of his beard. When I’d woken up in the middle of the night, reaching for Kane, I’d asked him to fuck me senseless, and he’d obliged. And every time I’d woken up with my body throbbing for more, he’d gone down on me until I came, then fucked me until I came again. I couldn’t remember having so many orgasms in one night. He’d played with me, teased me, licked me, made me beg for more. He rode me hard, then reversed our positions so I was on top and controlled the pace. Was it possible for a clit to get tired? He’d satisfied me enough that my skin no longer itched and my tongue wasn’t overly swollen. My need was still there, but manageable.
The sun had risen steadily throughout our last interlude. I’d watched his face, his expressions, as he gave what me what I needed, studied his look of bliss as he came inside me.
The way he lost himself that first time on the kitchen counter hadn’t happened again. I couldn’t explain it. It was like he was there one moment and gone the next. I’d said his name. I’d shook him. He’d been frozen for a time, his eyes glazed like he’d been in another place. It had been the same look he’d given me after he’d shifted. Had his animal taken over again? The thought disturbed me on a base level. I had no similar experience to relate to it. My animal and I were the same. We wereshifter.
I hadn’t known what to do except hold him and stroke his back. Only a few minutes passed, but it had scared me. I’d tried not to show it.
A scraping noise made me sit up again. Kane might not be in the cabin, but he was near. I could feel it in my chest. The noise came from the other side of the wall, like someone scratched it.
Swinging my legs over the bed, I rose to my feet. My inner thighs were sensitive, rubbed raw from his beard. After a brief hesitation, I opened the top drawer of his dresser and found a bunch of shirts folded and stacked neatly inside. I grabbed one of the plaid button-up ones and put it on. I didn’t bother with anything else since it went all the way to my knees. I adjusted the collar, then paused when my finger brushed over a slight bump in my neck.
What the?I opened the shirt, trying to see my collar bone. The bite marks Kane had given me were still there, healed, but scar tissue remained. They should have disappeared when I shifted, just like the rest of the wounds on my body. Instead, they remained.
Why?What was happening? Nervous energy rolled through my stomach. I pressed my palm against the bumps, covering them. My instincts reared up, liking the marks.What is going on?I needed to ask Kane, to see if he knew why they hadn’t disappeared.
That scratching sound again. This time it made me jump. What was he doing?
I finished buttoning up the shirt, rolled up the sleeves so I could use my hands, and opened the door.
The air outside was crisp and cool, but slightly warmer than the day before. With me being in heat, the chill felt nice, even with the goosebumps forming on my legs. I shut the door behind me and walked to the side of the cabin where I’d heard the noises.
I stopped when I caught sight of Kane. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, only his jeans and work boots. A toolbox sat on the ground by his feet, surrounded by a bunch of other stuff: a bright blue tarp, some pipes, and a two-by-four. He was drawing lines on the outside wall of the cabin with a pencil and a level, hence the scratching noise.
His jeans rode low on his hips, exposing the dimples in his lower back. My heart rate accelerated. God, he was a good-looking guy. Despite the tenderness between my legs, I was ready for more. A purr started in my throat, and I tried to smother it. My core began to pulse.
He turned, caught sight of me, and smiled.
Whatever sanity I’d been trying to hold on to, whatever I’d come out here to ask him, flew right out of my head.
Had he ever smiled at me before? It had some sort of magic in it, made me walk straight to him. I ignored the rocks, and moss, and pine needles that pricked my bare feet. His expression became alert as I neared, his smile faltering.
My breaths came out short and ragged. I needed him. As soon as I was close enough, my hands were up his chest, feeling the sweat on him, then back down, fumbling with the top button of his jeans. It came free. He dropped his tools. When I nudged him backward, he didn’t resist, his own breaths coming out fast now too.
His ass hit the big rock beside the wood chopping rock. Keeping his gaze, I undid his zipper and peeled down the fabric of his jeans and underwear enough for his cock to spring free. With it thick and hot in my hand, I bent forward and gave it a lick.
He hissed out a breath mixed with a growl.
