Page 18 of Alpha’s Secret Baby Girl (Nightfall Island Alphas #1)

For the first time since they had come to the island, Rafael felt a twinge of annoyance toward his daughter.

He pushed that away, chastising himself.

The interruption had come at the worst time, just when he could see Gwen starting to soften toward him, but wasn’t one of the reasons he wanted them to stay with him, because he wanted to get to know her better.

Gwen, her cheeks flushed and eyes still too wide, turned slightly. “You’ll have to ask Raffie, honey.”

“Raffie?” Rafael repeated. Gwen shot him an almost guilty look. Ahh. She was trying to piss him off so he’d let the subject of desire and longing drop. He wasn’t so easily dissuaded.

Lianne wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like that. His name is Raf-el.”

“Yeah,” Rafael repeated, teasing despite this lingering tension as he gazed at Gwen. “My name isn’t Raffie. And I will read you a bedtime story.”

Gwen smiled, shrugging. Lianne grabbed Rafael’s hand and dragged her to his bedroom, where she pressed a book into his hand before she jumped onto the bed, not looking the least bit tired.

Once he started to read, though, she settled.

She watched him as he read, her eyes slowly growing heavier.

Rafael kept his voice even and low. He would always mourn the fact that he hadn’t had the opportunity to do this for the last six years, but now he had the chance.

But what if Gwen decides she does want to divorce me after the year is up?

He tried not to dwell on that thought. He’d have partial custody at the very least. And he was certain Gwen wouldn’t try to keep them apart now that she knew why he’d said what he said seven years ago.

She could see that he was changing, even if he hadn’t changed enough for her to trust him.

She knew he’d look after their daughter, didn’t she?

He didn’t realize that Gwen was watching from the bedroom doorway until after Lianne had fallen asleep.

She leaned into the doorframe, resting her head against it as she wrapped her arms around her middle.

She’d changed out of her dress and into a t-shirt and a flowy skirt.

Their eyes met. Gwen’s gaze was soft, conflicted but calmer than she had been before.

“Let’s talk,” she whispered.

Rafael nodded. His throat was dry from reading so many stories.

He turned on the nightlight, turned off the big light, and followed Gwen down the hallway.

She glanced at him, biting her lip, as she rested her hand on her bedroom door.

Rafael’s heart thudded. He tried to remain calm and not have expectations.

Whatever she saw in his face decided her.

She pushed open the door and led him inside.

Rafael shut the door lightly behind him, his heart hammering, and his wolf perked up in interest.

“So. Boundaries?” he asked with a small, teasing smile.

“You can’t do what you did tonight again.”

Rafael cocked his head to one side. “What do you mean exactly?”

Gwen slid her fingers into her hair, her gaze not leaving his. “What you did with Daniel. I had it handled. And if you don’t trust me to talk to men, then there’s no point in waiting a year until the divorce.”

“It’s not about trust.” Rafael stepped forward.

“I didn’t think you were going to do anything.

Or him, for that matter. I wanted to dance with you.

I got jealous, sure, but not because I thought anything was going to happen.

I got jealous because you’ve only given me a year, and I want to spend every second that I can with you. ”

“Rafael—”

He stepped forward again, lifting one hand to cup her cheek.

“I know you don’t believe me. That’s fine.

I can’t expect that you’ll be able to forget the past seven years and all the pain you went through in this pack.

I’m not going to pretend like you weren’t badly abused and that those memories don’t live in your body. ”

Gwen let out a shuddering breath. “You’ve had therapy, haven’t you?”

“With a dad like mine? I couldn’t have healed this much on my own,” Rafael admitted, searching her expression anxiously. What if she thought less of him for saying it?

Instead, she pressed her hand to his chest. “Maybe I need therapy.”

Rafael let himself move, slowly, so she could pull away if she decided to.

He wasn’t sure what had changed in her mind since they stepped into the house, but he saw it in her eyes.

She wasn’t just afraid. She had enough to fear with the demons, the pack turning against her, and the uncertainty in their relationship. But she was also tired.

He thought he understood that. It was exhausting, being alone.

Well, tonight he was going to do his best to let her know she wasn’t alone anymore.

And with that thought, he dipped his head toward hers.

Their lips met, and Gwen shivered. Her fingers pressed into his chest, and he thought she was going to push him away, but then they shifted.

Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck, and she pulled him closer.

Her breathing grew ragged as she kissed him again and again.

“I want to be wanted,” she whispered against his lips. “I want… I want to feel the way I used to feel. I’m so tired of being angry with you.”

Surprise rippled through him, but her hands were moving, caressing his chest, sliding over his torso, running across the planes of his lower back.

There was a desperation in her touch that Rafael answered, his fingers brushing over her skin.

She was soft and warm. Goddess, he’d missed how soft she was.

And now there was even more for him to love.

“I want you,” she whispered as he broke from her mouth. “Rafael… please… please understand—”

“Shh.” One more kiss on her lips. He smiled. “We don’t have to talk right now. Tomorrow will come. Tonight, let me give you this.”

She clung to him, lips swollen already from their kisses. “The magic D?”

Rafael snorted. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“Um… yeah.” Gwen started to flick open the buttons on his dress shirt. “That’s what we can call it. Or we don’t have to call it anything. We could just—”

She leaned in, nipping at the skin she had just exposed.

Rafael shuddered as pleasure sprang from the sharp point of pain.

His cock throbbed. Goddess, he needed to taste her.

He traced the column of her neck with his tongue, finding the soft flare of her collarbones.

One hand moved under her skirt, searching for the line of her panties.

She wasn’t wearing any. Rafael’s pleasure surged. So this wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment thing. He tugged the t-shirt off over her head and reached to undo her bra.

“Wait.” Gwen pressed both her hands to his chest.

“Are you alright?” Rafael’s brows pinched together with concern.

Gwen’s flushed cheeks darkened further. “I think you should leave it on.”

“I want to see you,” Rafael said. He slid his hand along the wide purple band but stopped again when Gwen shook her head.

As he tried to figure out why she was denying him such a delightful part of her body, he was struck by the placement of her skirt, just below her ribcage, positioned perfectly to hide her belly.

Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to him that she would have body image issues.

Rafael calculated his next words carefully. He didn’t know how deep these issues ran and didn’t want to make her think as though there was something to be ashamed of by laying it on too thick. So he smiled and leaned forward, kissing along the top of her bra.

“Gwen Parker. I have been trying my best not to think about you naked ever since I saw you had come back. And do you know why?”

“Why?” she sounded hesitant.

“Because I knew if I even thought about how you look now, I wouldn’t be able to hold myself back. Your curves just do it for me. And now you’re saying I can’t even unwrap my present?” he gave a mock groan of pain. “This is an assassination attempt. You’re trying to kill me.”

Gwen lightly hit his arm. “Jerk.”

“Cruel, cruel mistress,” he purred back.

This time, when he found the clasps of her bra, she let him undo it.

He dropped the bra to the side, gazing at her lovely breasts.

They were too tempting; her cupped them in his hands and swept his thumbs over her nipples before leaning to kiss one, then the other.

Gwen’s back arched, pressing them into his face.

Need was riding him harder now. The tension in his low belly was like liquid heat, pooling and throbbing in waves.

His hands wandered greedily while she clutched his shoulders.

With a sharp tug, he’d removed her skirt and kissed down the length of soft skin, over the curve of her belly.

Gwen panted above him but let him guide her back two steps until she sat at the edge of the bed.

He gripped her thighs as he kissed up her leg. Gwen tensed as his mouth found her clit. He delved in, greedily drinking in the sounds of pleasure she made while his tongue and mouth worked. Soon, she was trembling. He tested her with two fingers; they slid in easily into her wet heat.

“Gwen, I want—” he started.

“Yes,” Gwen panted. “Rafael, yes. I’m ready. Please.”

He groaned as he straightened, holding her to the edge of the bed.

Her legs wrapped around him. His cock pulsed as he pressed into her entrance.

He moved slowly, giving her time to adjust. Gwen’s lovely flush crept down her neck into her chest as he found his home inside of her.

She felt amazing, and his cock seemed to swell, the pressure almost too much to bear.

He started to move, tentative at first but with an increasing rhythm that quickly picked up.

He felt her hips opening a little more every time he thrust into her.

Her muscles contracted against him, and the pleasure was nearly blinding him.

Her pink cheeks and bright eyes remained locked onto him, her soft cries growing louder.

She was holding herself back. Rafael grunted, reaching between their bodies.

He found her clit and stroked it with firm, even pressure.

“Raf,” she gasped, her back arching into him. “Raf, stop. I can’t—I can’t—”

He grew still, panting. Need pounded at him, his cock throbbing inside of her, but he ignored his own desire. “Did I hurt you?”

Gwen released her death grip on the sheets, staring up at him. “N-no.”

Rafael searched her face, wanting to make sure that she was telling the truth. “Do I need to slow down?”

“I…” Gwen let out a shuddering breath. “I didn’t actually mean to say stop.”

Rafael ran a hand through his sweaty hair. It would be easy to laugh it off, kiss her, and pick up where they had left off. But… “Don’t say stop unless you mean it. At least until we have the chance to discuss things and get a safe word in place.”

Gwen giggled, then tilted her hips in an experimental thrust. The motion made Rafael tense and moan.

She reached for him, pulling his hand away from her clit.

Together, they started moving again. Rafael’s breathing was ragged, the brief pause in sex increasing his desire for her.

The pleasure was nearly too much as he thrust harder now, angling himself as Gwen responded with movement of her own.

Their hands pressed together, fingers twining.

When her eyes slid to half-mast and she held her breath, Rafael knew she was close.

He increased his pace, seeing the way it affected her.

Her back arched, her head went back, and she let out a sudden cry.

Her thighs trembled around him, and she tightened, squeezing almost to the point of no return.

Shockwaves rushed through Rafael’s body, and he collapsed over her as his completion found him.

As he came down from his orgasm, he held her close and kissed her. That had been even better than he remembered.

***

Rafael woke the next moment with Gwen’s soft body curled into his.

He reveled in the warmth, grinning to himself.

She had let him spend the night in her bed.

His body was sore from the number of times they’d woken—sometimes him first, sometimes her—and had made love.

It tethered him to her in ways he hadn’t expected.

He kissed the back of her neck as she started to stir. She moaned, but instead of pressing back against him as she had throughout the night, she pulled away.

Rafael let her go. No doubt she was tender as well. But when Gwen pulled herself up, she brought the blankets with her, covering herself. Her eyes flashed with guilt as she looked at him.

“This doesn’t change anything.”

Rafael frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it doesn’t change anything. I’m not staying. Last night was… was because I needed something. I’m sorry that I didn’t communicate it better. But this…” she shook her head. “This was just sex. It doesn’t mean anything. And it doesn’t change anything. And it can’t happen again.”

Which was exactly what she’d said when he’d fingered her. Part of him wanted to point that out. To pull her back and show her how much she could enjoy throwing out her boundaries. Instead, he nodded seriously. Pushing wouldn’t get him nearly as far as showing her that he could be patient.

“Alright.”

Gwen narrowed her eyes. “Alright?”

“I’m disappointed,” he said honestly. “But I’ll respect your choice.”

Gwen chewed her lip. “I mean it this time. It can’t happen again.”

Rafael nodded, not taking his eyes from her. “Alright.”

“I… thank you.” Gwen slipped out of bed. She let out a shuddering breath. “That’s all I need.”