Reluctantly, he agreed Dean might be on to something. Maybe it was just the nature of the beast to want its mate close where it knew she was safe, protected. He’d need to mull that over.
Much sooner than he expected, he felt the gentle tug of sleep pull him under.
It might have been minutes or hours later when Ben’s eyes snapped open. Willow was moaning in her sleep, her breath ragged and face wet with tears. “Nooo.” The soft wail of distress broke his heart. “Don’t shoot. Oh God. Ben.” She clawed at his arm, her head thrashing on the pillow as if frantically fighting off an attacker.
“Sweetheart. Willow, honey. I’m right here.” He ran his hand soothingly up and down her flank, pressing kisses to her neck, shoulder. “You’re safe with me. It’s just a nightmare, Will. You’re safe.”
Her choked sobs undid him. Fighting the savage need to rip someone’s throat out, he gentled her body with long, smooth strokes, whispering words of affection and his unwavering presence.
“Ben?” She whispered his name in disbelief, her hand coming around to rest on his hip.
He licked the tender skin just below her ear. “See? I’m right here.”
Her fingers squeezed as if in reassurance. “I thought you were dead.”
Brushing her hair, her cheek, he kissed her temple. “As you can feel, I’m not. It was just a nightmare, sweetheart. It’s all gone now.”
Her hand moved down between their bodies, curled around the erection that didn’t understand now was not the time, and he went very, very still. “I need you.”
Pleasure warred with pain. He grabbed her wrist to still the awkward short pumps of her fist that were driving him crazy. “You’re too sore.” And hurting her to soothe his raging lust was not an option.
“Not that sore.” She wiggled, her ass rubbing against his cock, causing his eyes to nearly roll back in his head. Her head angled to look in his eyes. “Kiss me.”
He hesitated for a moment, knowing full well that if he kissed her, he’d lose control. Hell, who was he kidding? His mate was warm and naked in his arms, her arousal perfuming the air like the most seductive of elixirs. Her lips were parted and wet and he did the only thing he could. He bent his head to claim them.
One hand slid under her neck, holding her as he devoured her mouth, seeking and taking everything she was giving. He ran his other hand along the side of her body, from her knee, over her hip, up the smooth skin of her belly to brush the underside of her breast. Repeating the journey, he kept his mouth fastened on hers, his tongue plunging deep with possessive dominance.
Moving over her thigh, he dipped his hand between her legs, finding the folds of her pussy slick and soft. He had to grit his teeth to hold back the groan rumbling in his chest. “I love the feel of you against my fingers.” He plumped her clit between two fingers, stroking the swelling knot with his middle.
Her legs shifted, parting, her little whimper igniting his rising hunger, making his words thick and raspy. “I loved how you felt against my tongue, too,” he said. “So creamy and sweet.”
“Naughty. You’re so naughty, Ben.”
His fingers slipped lower and he eased one inside her liquid-hot flesh. She was tight, so damn tight. “Nothing between us is naughty, sweetheart.” He added a second finger, her silky juices gathering to aid his penetration, stretching her for his throbbing cock. “It’s sensual.” He nuzzled her neck. “Erotic.”
Her hips churned against his hand in jerky movements, the ripple of tiny muscles around each thrust making the clawing need in his cock almost more than he could handle. Already his gums burned from descending fangs as he fought the instinctual need of his wolf to claim its mate. Before he lost all reason he eased his hand from her body, calming her protests with a soft kisses as he reached for the strip of condoms he’d tossed on the nightstand.
“I need to put this on, baby.” Once he had the latex in place, he kicked back the covers, lifting her leg high. He rubbed his engorged shaft along her swollen folds, coating himself in her slick cream before angling his hips.
Easy, he reminded himself. So fucking easy. Sweat beaded at his temples as he guided himself to paradise. As if aching to be filled, her body sucked at the crown of his dick, milking his throbbing flesh. He pulled back, thrust in slowly, stretching her tender flesh carefully until he was buried as far as possible from this position.
Tilting her body, he latched on to one smooth breast with his mouth as he rocked his hips against her ass. Alternately, he flicked her pebbled nipple with his tongue, then suckled the creamy mound, keeping her senses on edge.