Текст книги "Big Bad Wolfe"
Автор книги: Danielle Doolittle
Соавторы: Elle Doolittle
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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 10 страниц)
Chapter Nine
Sarah slowly opened her eyes as the waves of pleasure died down to a gentle humming. Her bones felt like liquid and her body electrically charged. Falon was still deep inside her and in her state she couldn’t deny she liked the feeling of him there, inside her, surrounding her, a part of her.
It felt like coming home and that scared the life out of her. Falon Wolfe wasn’t supposed to feel safe. He was the reason she spent three years of college holed up in her dorm studying and not having a social life. He was the reason why no man ever seemed worth the effort. If she were being completely honest with herself—which she wasn’t—he was the reason why, next to the loss of her parents and brother, there was a gaping hole in her heart.
When he rolled to her side, she immediately missed the weight of him, the feel of his skin against her own had been a tactile experience she hadn’t known existed. Falon had pushed from her a pleasure she hadn’t known was in her. And yet. And yet, he held himself back. She could feel it. While he played her body like a finely tuned instrument, discovering erogenous zones she had thought impossible he had been rigidly in control of his responses.
Oh, she had no doubt that he enjoyed himself. His labored breathing was testament to that fact. He just didn’t let himself fall into the sensations that he forced her to accept. Why? What was he hiding? More importantly, what was he afraid of?
Her body started to cool and her breathing evened out and still she didn’t move to cover her naked body. She didn’t want to risk startling Falon. He was like a wild animal. Any sudden movements and he would disappear into the darkness.
When she felt his body shift on the mattress, she thought their time was up. He was sure to make some excuse and vanish. The back of his hand down her arm startled her.
“Come with me,” he whispered as the mattress shifted under his weight. Sitting up she tracked his dark form as he disappeared into her bathroom. Seconds later the sounds of the shower filled the room. Anticipation filled her. It would seem their night was just beginning.
***
The hot water felt like heaven against her sensitive skin, but it was Falon slowly spreading fragrant bubbles across her body that was turning her muscles into mush. She gave in and followed the temptation of his naked body covered in nothing but cascades of water and curling steam.
When he passed the oversized sponge across her collarbone, she stopped him with a hand over his. “My turn.”
Meeting his eyes, she noticed he looked stunned and a little frightened and she wondered if this had ever happened in his compartmentalized lovemaking before. Would he allow her to pay back some of the pleasure he had given her? He released a shuddering breath and removed his hand, leaving her holding the sponge to her skin.
“Close your eyes,” she whispered, hoping he would play along. He studied her for a moment before reluctantly letting his lids fall. The firm set of his jaw told her that she was very close to pushing things too far.
The problem was she wanted to keep pushing him. She wanted him over the same cliff he took her to and she wanted to see him fall. She plain wanted the man.
Running the soapy sponge across his broad chest, she watched the bubbles disappear down his rippling stomach. Watching them slip lower, she suddenly wanted to follow their trail. Trace it with her tongue.
Dropping the sponge, she began to spread the soap with her hands. The feel of his muscles quivering under her touch empowered her to angle her fingers over his chest and down his abdomen. His breath hitched as her hands brushed lower, nearly touching the throbbing evidence of her effect on him.
Her lips connected with the hard muscle of his shoulder and suddenly she found herself being held at arm’s length.
“The water’s getting cold,” he said before twisting to shut off the shower.
He stood dripping on the tile floor extending a towel to her. She blindly reached to the plush terry cloth while trying to catch up. What just happened? She was about to follow the treasure map of tiny soap bubbles down his body when he went from white hot to zero in less than a nanosecond.
Falon barely took the time to dry himself before leaving her stranded in the wake of the storm they had been building. Wrapping the towel around her cooling body, she felt like she had run against a brick wall and the rejection she found there came with quite a sting.
Taking a few minutes to gather her wits, she fully expected to find her bedroom empty. To say she was surprised to see Falon standing in nothing but a low-slung towel by the windows would be an understatement.
She stood for a moment just taking him in. God he was a beautiful man. The light from the night sky barely outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. In that moment, it hit her. He was a fantasy. He was that thing every woman dreamed of holding onto for a fleeting moment. That thing that made them feel alive. A challenge that could never be won. Because Falon Wolfe was untouchable.
In that moment, her heart ached for him. It must be lonely in his world of ice. But it wasn’t a world meant for her. He had proven that nine years earlier so she would stick to her plan to let a little warmth in and leave it up to the next woman to ignite those embers.
“Aren’t you going to get into bed?” His smooth voice startled her.
“Aren’t you?” she countered, voice cracking under the stress of her thoughts.
“Just get in, Sarah.”
When he didn’t turn, she decided to give both him and her pride a break. He was obviously done with her. The man couldn’t even turn from the window to talk to her. Not one for subtlety, among the many things he had taught her, she had learned that meekness got you nowhere. She couldn’t hold her peace for long.
“I suppose you’ll be leaving then?” she asked, forcing as much bravado into her voice as possible.
“If that’s what you want.”
“Oh, so now you’re worried about what I want?” She could feel anger replacing her earlier hurt. Who did the great Falon Wolfe think he was anyway?
“Not particularly.” He turned to study her. “Just wondering if I’ll be facing any threat of law enforcement.”
Sarah stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. What had happened to the man who commanded her body so sweetly just an hour earlier? Instead of that man, Falon stood across the room as welcoming as an arctic storm. His eyes took in every subtle nuance of her, assessing her reaction, projecting his next step. The man planned everything three moves in advance and it made her want to scream and throw something at him, anything to get him to respond with some spontaneity.
“I see I have overstayed my welcome.”
He began gathering his things with a clipped efficiency that undermined his cool façade. Sarah could only look on as he dressed quickly. When he slipped his feet into his shoes, he seemed to hesitate before approaching her on the bed.
“Thank you, Sarah,” he whispered before brushing a fleeting kiss to her brow and disappearing. She couldn’t help drawing a picture of a lone wolf slinking away into the night as she watched his retreating form.
***
For the second day in a row, Sarah found herself lounging around the house at an ungodly hour in ratty old pajamas. After Falon left, she had pulled the flannel around her body like a comfort blanket. It had taken over an hour to shut her mind off and force herself to sleep only to be plagued with dreams of hot kisses and callused caresses.
Blowing the steam off her coffee, she had to face the fact that what was truly bothering her wasn’t the thrills of pleasure that still cascaded through her body at inexplicable moments. It was the emotions that ambushed her alone in the dark. The same old feelings she got nine years earlier whenever thoughts of Falon would take root.
Dear Lord, she was falling for him … again. How was that possible? Sure the man was a living, breathing sex god but that didn’t mean that she actually liked him. She felt sorry for him. Missed the piece of him that had so attracted her younger self. She just wanted to know she hadn’t imagined the man she thought he was. She needed to know she wasn’t that gullible.
She had to get a handle on this before it got out of control. It was about proving a point and that was it. She had to remember to keep her emotions out of the mix while forcing him to acknowledge his. Tall order.
Perhaps she was going about this all wrong. While getting him into her bed had been great, mind-blowing really, maybe she needed to try a new tact. Could it be as simple as getting the man to talk to her? Taking another careful sip, she laughed at herself. Nothing was ever simple when it came to Falon Wolfe.
***
Falon ran a hand over his face as he held his phone to his ear. Listening to his grandfather drone on about how glad he was Falon was helping out such an old friend and informing him he would be in the city next week and would like to get together set his teeth on edge. But at least he wasn’t apologizing, yet.
The old man had called just as he had decided to go charging back to Sarah’s place and finish what she started in the shower. In a way, he was grateful because he saved him from making what was probably a big mistake.
“Look, Falon.” His grandfather’s voice took on a gruffer tone causing his Italian accent to thicken. “I know you’ve said that you don’t want to hear this. And you would think an old man would have learned by now but I want you to know how terribly sorry I am. For everything.”
“I can’t do this right now.” Falon sighed. When would the man stop? “I’ll see you in a week.”
Disconnecting the call he was filled with an energy that felt too familiar, too raw. Too uncontrolled. He had to get out.
He found himself in his car speeding across town in the direction of one red-haired temptation he should stay far, far away from. She made him feel and that was dangerous.
Knocking on her door he could have sworn he heard muttered cursing before the panel was thrown open.
“Wha—?”
“Please tell me that’s coffee I smell.” He interrupted her and brushed past into the house. Leaving her to stand with one hand holding the door and the other picking up her retort from the floor.
The door slammed behind him as he made himself at home in her kitchen searching for a mug.
“To your left.” Sarah’s voice guided him.
Opening the correct cupboard, he pulled down a pewter mug and filled it to the brim. Turning, he took his first real look at her. She stood leaning in the doorway, arms pulling her ratty robe protectively around her body. She looked nervous and homey and he never wanted her more.
Something in his face must have tipped her off because she straightened from her feigned relaxed position.
“What brings you here?” she asked, licking those lush lips that were just his a matter of hours ago. He couldn’t have stopped himself from stepping in her direction if she tried.
“Come here.” His voice was low and harsh and he did nothing to disguise what he wanted.
***
Sarah stood frozen for a moment stuck in the heat of his command. When she opened the door to find Falon on her steps, she wanted to slam it in his face. She couldn’t deal with him right now. Not with so much still up in the air. But here he was, stalking her across her kitchen looking like a hungry jungle cat ready to pounce.
“What are you doing, Falon?” she managed to squeak out.
“I would think that’s obvious.” He reached for her and she was under no illusion that he didn’t allow her to dodge it. He was enjoying the chase. Her breath hitched when she realized it was working for her too.
“Seriously, Falon, what’s going on?” she asked when she had the safety of the table between them. When he left last night, he had been so cool. Looking at him across the scratched surface of the table she could see something burning behind his eyes that looked nothing like the fires of lust she had been expecting.
“What happened?”
He stopped his advance around the table and searched her face.
“This was a mistake,” he ground out.
“Was it?” She arched a brow. This was as good a time as any to test her new theory. “You came here for a reason. Talk to me.”
He signed and for a moment she thought she had gotten through to him. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. It had taken years to build his walls and when he moved into her personal space, running his hands through her hair, Sarah admitted she should have known it would take more than a simple request to get him to talk.
“There are so many more … interesting things … we could be doing.” He punctuated his statement with seductive kisses that just grazed the corners of her mouth. When he pulled back, the swirling fire she had seen when he arrived was replaced with the overpowering cool burn of his intentions. Intentions her shameless body remembered all too well and wasn’t even putting up the pretenses of fighting.
“What do you say?” He was millimeters from her lips. So close he brushed them, forming each word and Sarah felt herself begin to melt into a girl puddle at his feet. He turned off all her inhibitions and it felt so good to let go she didn’t fight when he claimed her mouth in a kiss she could feel down to her toes.
Pulling back from the kiss he released the tie of her robe. “As charming as this is.” He slid the garment over her shoulders. “I think I prefer seeing you with a little less on.”
Arrogant man. She was going to tell him what she thought of his misogyny as soon as he stopped doing those delicious things to her breast. Holy Hannah Handbasket but the man had talented fingers.
When he loosened the buttons of her pajama top and pushed the material out of his way, she figured they would get around to that talk later. Right now, she needed to feel more of his skin on her, in her.
Pushing her body into his, she made her demands known. That’s what he reduced her to, a bundled of nerves demanding he appease them any way he wanted. How could one man turn her into such a base creature?
As if sensing the danger in her urgency he gentled both the kiss and his caresses, leaving her panting, but not teetering on the sharp edge of release. Sarah felt her hands ball into fists at her sides. Damn the man and his control.
“Don’t stop now,” she breathed against his lips.
Taking a small satisfaction at the tremor that worked its way through his body as she lightly ran her hand over his chest. For whatever reason, he wasn’t as impenetrable today. Sensing an opening, she moved in. She pulled his mouth down to hers and forced all her will into the kiss. She wanted him to be as lost in her as she was in him.
Falon allowed her to deepen the kiss and she reveled in the play of muscles beneath her hands as she explored his back. She needed to feel more than the slide of fabric over skin. When her hands made contact with the skin beneath the soft cotton of his shirt, she felt the energy shift. She had reached the end of the tight leash of his control and now he was reeling her back in.
Taking control of the kiss and dominating her senses, he backed her up until her thighs made contact with the table. He took a firm hold of the nape of her neck and bent her over its surface. With his other hand, he spread the lapels of her pajama top, working his talented mouth over her heated skin.
He lifted her so she was sprawled out on the table before him. Like a feast for his taking, she burned for him. When he pulled her hands together over her head, her breath hitched as she relinquished control to him. She couldn’t hold out against the onslaught of sensation he was flooding her with.
Lying there, chest bared to his ministrations, Sarah released a groan she felt building in her toes. He systematically paid homage to her breasts. Bringing her a sliver away from release from just the sensation of his lips, tongue, and teeth on the sensitive puckered skin. Every movement he made was for the sole purpose to bring her body to screaming pleasure. By the time he worked his way to the elastic band of her bottoms she thought she would explode if he didn’t give her some release.
“Please, Falon,” she begged as his tongue danced along the skin he was slowly revealing.
“Now, now Sarah—” he pulled back and blew cool air across the skin he just dampened with his kisses “—there is pleasure in the anticipation.”
She ran a leg up the back of his thigh and hitched it behind his firm backside, pulling him closer to where she needed him. “There is also pleasure in instant gratification.”
He growled and took her mouth with his again. Tongue working in a controlled movement designed to heighten her awareness of the act it imitated while his hips pulsed against her in an uncontrollable motion as instinctive as breathing.
Arching into the pressure of his arousal, her bare chest came into contact with the soft fabric that still covered his.
“So impatient.” He laughed into her shoulder. “Suppose you have suffered enough?”
Sarah couldn’t answer because somewhere in the time it took to ask his question, Falon’s hand found its way under the elastic of her bottoms and right to the center of her need. The pressure of his fingers sent her flying over the edge. Her nerves exploded under her skin like so many fireworks.
He brought her down slowly. Talented fingers keeping her as a slow burn as she began to feel her body once more.
“Why … are you … still wearing … so many clothes?” she asked when she could pull enough oxygen into her lungs. Her eyes were still closed in an attempt to savor as much of the fading sensations as she could so when Falon’s laughter bounced around the room and off of every deliciously sensitive nerve ending she nearly jumped off the table.
“You’re really going to give me a run for my money,” he said before stripping her of her remaining clothes before pulling off his own.
Still startled by the sudden uninhibited sound, Sarah missed the crinkle of the little foil packet. When she felt him hot and ready at her entrance, the passion Falon had kept smoldering roared to life. She cried out as he powerfully filled her. Never wanting the feel of him stretching her inner walls to end, she wrapped her legs around his waist and held on tightly.
***
An hour and another bout of lovemaking later, Sarah found herself sprawled half across Falon’s fabulous body. He had somehow found the strength to carry her upstairs after bring them both to a shuddering release on the kitchen table. Once there he had brought her to heel again with his slow seduction of her body, completely drowning out that inner voice warning her to beware.
When her breath evened out and her body began to cool, her nagging inner voice could no longer be silenced.
“Falon?”
“Mmm?” The rumble of his response reverberated through her and she closed her eyes against the impulse to forget her question and climb the rest of the way onto his body and take them both to that peak again.
“Not that I’m complaining with the current chain of events, but what really brought you here?” She forced the question out and the hand that had been drawing lazy circles on her exposed hip stilled. She held her breath hoping he would tell her something instead of taking off.
She kept her eyes on the fading light visible through the window and waited him out. When he let out a gusty sigh, she relaxed a little.
“I received a call from my grandfather this afternoon.”
“And that sent you running to my house for … coffee?”
“Something like that.” He resumed the play on her naked hip. “We don’t exactly see eye-to-eye.”
She didn’t say anything in hopes he would provide more details. When he stayed silent, she fought the urge to fidget.
“What do you mean?” She couldn’t hold her curiosity back if she tried.
“Let’s just say that we have conflicting views of the past.”
“You’re going to have to give me something more than that.” She jabbed an ineffectual finger into his solid chest. “I did let you have a little more than coffee this afternoon.”
While she hated to draw attention to her easy capitulation to his demands, she would use whatever ammunition she could to get him to talk.
“When I was sixteen my parents were killed in a car accident.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Yes, well it seems we have more in common than the desire to be naked in the other’s company.”
Sarah fought the urge to pinch the skin beneath her palm. She was afraid to do anything that might distract him from his story.
“That’s always nice to know …” She let the statement trail off.
“But what does our respective nudity and orphan status have to do with my grandfather? CliffsNotes version … a relative couldn’t be located to take me in at the time of the accident. So I was placed in a foster home. Then another, and another until I graduated high school and left for Northwestern.”
But how? She wanted to ask but was too caught up in fitting this new information into what she knew of him to utter a word. How could a man abandon his grandson to the foster system of Chicago? There had to be something she was missing. If the man was a friend of her grandfather’s, he couldn’t be that callous.
“Anyway, he found me junior year. Apologized profusely. The past is the past. If only the old man would realize it.”
She had a feeling the past was alive and well for them both, even if Falon was unwilling to admit it.
