Winter Wolf(72)

“With him?” He pointed stupidly at Bass.

“Yes, him! Mated, remember?”

“I’m not sure a father should approve of this.”

Katalina was already half out of the kitchen, pushing Bass ahead of her. She looked back at him, a sweet smile coating her lips. “Good job you don’t act like a father then.”

She’d gotten halfway up the stairs by the time Jackson thought of a retort. Katalina didn’t listen. She wasn’t about to make Jackson’s life easy. He had a lot to make up for.

“That was a little uncalled for,” Bass muttered when Kat pushed him into the room she’d been staying in and shut the door.

She stood with her back to the door, hands cupped behind her. “Oh, stop. I’m not about to start calling him Dad and play happy family just because he’s decided to be a little less of an ass.”

“Yes, but, Katalina, we need him to accept us. Do you not think treating him with a little respect would go a long way? He’s an alpha after all.”

“Honestly, I don’t care. He could be the freaking president and I’d still treat him the same. Now, stop with all the words. Go away Sebastian Evernight and bring me my big, bad Shadow Wolf.”

“Big bad wolf?”

“Yes,” she smiled, reaching up for a kiss.

Bass pulled back, a little breathless. His eyes filled with the hunger he felt for Katalina. “I’m not sure you’d like him tonight. He’s feeling rather territorial surrounded by all these River Runs and that pup who can’t keep his eyes off you.”

“Pup?”

“Cage.”

Katalina laughed. “He’s a year younger than you, hardly a pup.”

“Hmm…” he growled, “I’m not in the mood to be sweet and gentle.” He pushed her against the door, kissing his way down her neck. “I could do with a run actually,” he murmured against her skin.

“No!” She pulled his mouth toward hers, claiming another kiss. “You are not going anywhere tonight. Make me forget, Bass. For one night, I don’t want to think about what you’ve got to do, or how it felt to fight and taste the enemies’ blood in my mouth. I just want to forget it all.”

Bass reached out, pulling her against him with the speed of his wolf.

Katalina squealed and laughed as she melted against the hard contours of his body.

He kissed her roughly, invading her mouth, filling her mind with only him. Katalina broke away with a gasp, desperate for air.

“You want to forget. I can make you forget.” His voice brushed against the sensitive skin on her neck. He kissed and nipped and she could do nothing but surrender to him.

He kissed her softly at first, his hands gentle as they explored the curves of her body. He invaded her every thought; the feel of him, the love she felt pouring from him, the taste of him in her mouth. As his kisses grew more urgent, his hands gripping her tighter, Katalina’s brain started to kick back into drive.

Am I ready for this? Has he done this before? OMG, what am I doing?

Bass pulled back, a little breathless. Katalina looked into his heated eyes and saw the love, the desire within the dark depths.

“Kat, what’s wrong?” he asked softly.

She stared at him, unsure what to say. Despite a million thoughts running through her brain, not a single coherent line left her mouth.

“I, I…”

“Hey,”—he brushed a thumb over her cheek—“we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“No, no, I want to. It’s just, I…I’ve never done this before, and well, you know, we need…” Katalina felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She dropped her eyes to the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow her.

His finger brushed under her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Neither have I.”

“Oh,” was all she could manage.

“And I’m guessing you’re referring to needing this?” He pulled a condom from his pocket and held it up for her to see.

Katalina nodded yes; her eyes glued to the condom, the blush on her cheeks spreading down to her chest.

“Kat, I’m not pressuring you into anything.”

“I know.” She reached up and kissed him, gently, then firmer as she wrapped her hands into the silk of his hair.

He kissed her back and led her toward the bed. Bass lowered her gently, never taking his eyes off Katalina, his love never wavering as they slowly lost their clothes.

“Wait!” Katalina pulled back. “How long have you had that?”

Bass shook his head and smiled. “I picked it up on the drive back here. You know, just in case.”

“So you’ve been expecting this to happen?”