"I've gotta get this off me. What I did … " She held her breath as Jake slowly released the fabric and tossed it aside. "Jake … I … "
"Shh … it's going to be all right." Jake made quick work of removing her skirt, the lace pooling around her ankles. His fingers teased the edge of her panties, and as he dragged them down her legs, his eyes flashed to her perfect breasts. Exposed, her nipples hardened as the cool air touched her delicate skin.
"Jake … " She lost her words as her eyes fell to his chest; a lingering silence filled the air.
He swiftly lifted Kai into his arms, cradling her. His cock hardened as her cheek settled against his chest, the warmth of her tears on his skin. His wolf stirred, again urging him to take her. It mattered little she wasn't lupine. Kai. Pixiu. If he was her master, she was his mate. It warred with logic but his gut told him there was no other way.
As Jake entered the bathroom, a thick steam poured around him. He set her gently on her feet inside the marble shower enclosure. She went to reach for the soap, but he wrapped his fingers around her wrists.
"Don't move," he told her, pleased as she stilled.
"Jake … tonight … I was out of control," she admitted, her voice shaking.
"You were fierce." Jake took her hands, his eyes locked on hers.
"I would have killed him. My beast … she has no limits."
"I will give her limits."
"But Jake … this cannot be. I can't … "
"I didn't say this makes sense. But the creature you are … the one you will be … " Jake's eyes narrowed on hers, his expression heated. Mate. He couldn't say the words aloud that passed through his mind. But his wolf growled, insisting he claim her. "You're mine."
Jake detected her heart race at the sound of his statement. He plowed his fingers into her long locks, gently tilting her head back into the hot spray. His cock lengthened as her lips parted slightly.
"Tonight you were my responsibility. My creature. My woman."
Jake reached for the shampoo, lathering her hair. Her eyes remained on his as he rinsed the bubbles away, his fingers massaging her scalp. She moaned, her hands sliding up his wet chest. As she did so, he gently turned her toward the wall, placing her palms against the tiles.
"I want you like this," he whispered in her ear. He slid a knee between her legs, widening her stance. She'd learn to submit. "Open for me."
"Jake," she breathed, her head lolling backwards.
"Tonight you were … " His eyes traced over the contours of her body. Goddess, she was beautiful. A dangerous treasure. "Lethal. Wild. Magnificent."
"Ah … " Kai arched her back as Jake ran a soapy hand down her skin. "I don't want this thing between us to end. I've been alone for so long."
"It's okay," he whispered. Jake had been single for over a hundred years. He'd only known Kai a few days but his wolf drove him to her, the attraction to her escalating by the second.
"You don't understand," she sighed. Kai shivered under his touch and he smiled as she shifted her hips.
Jake closed the distance between them. His hand found her breast, teasing its tip. His dick brushed the crease of her ass, and he sucked a breath, her warmth radiating against his chest.
"There's nothing to understand. Something's brought us together. I don't know how. I don't know why. But I know what happened tonight." He grazed his hand over her hip and onto her stomach.
"I've never … " Kai hesitated as Jake's slippery fingers teased her bare mound.
Jake smiled, his lips pressed to her shoulder. "I'll keep you safe, Kai," he promised.
"You are the first supernatural I've ever been with," she confessed. "What if I hurt you?"
"You'll never hurt me, sweetheart. Not now. Not ever." He contemplated his next words. The Alpha rose inside, and he claimed his place. "I'm your master, my sweet girl. And now, I'm going to taste you, have every part of you as my own."
As he slid his finger through her folds, he rocked his erection into her bottom. The temptation to take her quickly speared through him but Jake exercised control, teasing his dick between her thighs. Withdrawing and brushing between her legs, he lamented the sweet torture of delaying their gratification.
"I don't scare you?"
"I'm Alpha, Kai." The declaration came as natural as breathing. Claiming his role in her life, he let his power emanate through her. He couldn't say how the rest would pan out, the wolves he'd lead, but she would be his.