He chuckled, and his smile flushed a warmth through her that had nothing to do with his blazing hot body pressed against her, taunting her. Okay, maybe a little, but dammit… she really was falling for this man. This shifter.
His smile dimmed to seriousness. “I don’t want to hurt you, Grace. I’ll go slow. You tell me if you need me to stop, all right?”
She dug her fingers into his shoulders. “If I have coherent words, they’re going to be of the form don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.”
He flashed a grin again, then it smoldered into a wicked look. “That’s my plan, sweet Grace.” But he still didn’t enter her. Instead, he dropped his head down to give slow, nibbling kisses along her neck. She tilted her head for him, because God, that felt good. One of his hands held the weight of his body off hers, but the other was now roaming her, squeezing her breasts, toying with her nipples, then dipping down to brush her sex. His touch sent small electric shocks of pleasure through her—the circles he was drawing over her sex were quickly ramping her heart rate. Then his body started slowly rocking, and she felt the pressure of him easing inside her—one inch at a time, slowly stretching her, then retreating, forward then back. It was slow and hypnotic and intensely erotic as he teasingly filled her body with his. Her panting turned to moans, then to small cries as he took her.
“Oh, God, Jared,” she managed to get out when he finally sunk all the way inside.
He stilled. “Am I hurting you?” His voice was hoarse, and she loved the sound of need inside it.
“No… just… please move!”
He groaned, pulled back, then pushed all the way into her in one swift stroke. She cried out with the shock and pleasure of it and clenched his shoulders tighter. He pulled back again and took her harder. Then harder. Each stroke was stronger than the last, and she clung to him like she was riding a hurricane, his body owning hers, possessing her with his groans and thrusts and body.
“Grace, you’re so damn tight,” he said as he thrust into her again. “I can’t… baby, come for me!”
She couldn’t even respond—she just whimpered as her pleasure grew stronger with each pound. He shifted position, pulling away, lifting her hips, and angling deeper—she shrieked as he plunged into her again, reaching farther than he had before. His hand slipped down to her nub as he thrust into her again and again. A scream erupted from her lips as that extra touch hurtled her right over the edge. Her body bucked furiously against him, wave after wave of pleasure possessing her like the most delicious of demons. He was still thrusting through it all, and just as she thought she couldn’t feel anything more, he slammed deep and held, groaning and growling in pleasure. She could feel his cock twitching inside her, pumping out his release.
Then he collapsed down on top of her, his body pressing against hers, still buried inside her. Leftover shock waves were twitching his body. She held onto him fiercely. She’d never felt anything like this—not just the pleasure, but the intimacy. The utter completeness of sharing everything she was with another person. The warmth that suffused her wasn’t just afterglow… it was very much like love.
How had she fallen so fast and so hard for this man she barely knew?
But that wasn’t the truth—she knew everything she needed to know about Jared River. Even in these hot, sticky moments just after they’d both climaxed, he was showing the kind of man he was—gently kissing her and asking if she was all right; carefully keeping his massive weight off her body while lavishing attention on it with his hands and mouth and hot, hot gaze; even the tender way he eased down to the bed next to her and brushed a tendril of hair from her face. All of it spoke of the man who was claiming her heart.
“You’re so beautiful, Grace,” he whispered, reverently, and her heart filled to overflowing. If she could have this man, even once, her life would never be the same. If she could hold onto him for longer… but she tried not to think of that, for the moment. This was just one time, one act, and there were so many unknowns lying ahead. She couldn’t know what the future held, not yet.
She turned to face him on the bed, both of them lying on their sides. She touched the slight stubble growing on his cheek. His smile in return made her glow inside. Then she realized…
“My wolf didn’t come out this time,” she said with awe.
His eyes sparkled. “Because you’re not fighting her anymore.”
He was right. Her wolf was humming with the pleasure they’d both had at the hands of their alpha. Wait… what? Her eyes widened, and she peered into his. “Are you an alpha wolf?”