Page 19 of Chasing the Wolf (Dark Wing #7)

Chapter 19

Mackenzie

N ow what? It echoes in my brain. My head, heart, body, and wolf have never been less unified. And I have no idea what to do about it. But then my body takes over and my fingers are in his hair and I'm up on my toes staring into his deep amber eyes. I'm lost. My heart has wanted him since before I knew what want was, and it's gone numb to the damage his words caused. My body... yeah, it's never had doubts.

Our lips touch, softly at first. Xavier's hands skim down my back. One rests on my ass, while the other pulls our chests close together. He lifts me from the doorway and slams the door behind us with his foot. I'm carried across the room. My lips tingle as our kiss changes from tentative and tender to wild and forceful. Every nerve ending in my body is on fire. When his lips lift from mine, I can't speak.

"I want you, Mackenzie Taylor Northwood."

My full name on his lips is erotic.

"I don't care if we're fated or not."

Do I care?

"Do you want to try washing the potion off first or after?"

"After. I can't wait."

"That's my girl." His smile fills his face. I'm so turned on by his simple smile. Scratch that—I'm turned on by everything he does. "You make this dress stunning. But I've been thinking about how it's going to look as a pile of blue fabric on the floor since before you ever put it on. Spin, Mackie."

I turn around and twist my neck, taking in Xavier. "I feel the same way about your tux."

A slow, steady hand tugs at my zipper. So slow. My wolf growls, and Xavier laughs. With the zipper down, I'm tugging on my sleeves.

"No, let me." He twists my hips, turning me to face him. Cool air hits the bare skin of my back. Xavier slides a finger under my neckline and pushes until the dress hangs around my waist. I took my bra off in the changeroom since the dress has a built-in corset.

Xavier's wolf flashes behind his eyes, and mine is answering. His fingers slowly trail around the tops of my breasts to my sides. He pushes the fabric down until it pools around my feet. He lifts me from the center of my dress, laying me down on the side of the bed in a quick, fluid motion. My white panties and black kitten heels are all I have on. One hand wraps around my ankle, and the other slips underneath me. He pulls me back to the edge of the bed. His fingers make quick work of removing my panties. His tongue trails down my leg until he's so close to where I want him to be. My brain buzzes.

"You're so wet for me," he says, driving one and then two fingers into me. He's got a rhythm set out—his fingers and his tongue working in unison. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before. He hums and chuckles, and I arch my back, lifting myself into his mouth more. His fingers grip at the side of my hip, and the pinch of pain has me gasping for more.

He plays with my clit, deep circles, round and round. I'm spinning with his tongue. I'm nanoseconds away from begging for harder, faster, when it's like he reads my thoughts. He turns up the speed, fingers, tongue, and thumb all working together.

"So good," I whisper. It's so good it turns into a cry.

He holds me to the bed and sucks on my clit. His mouth is hot and warm, and when he swipes his tongue around my nub, my spine bounces on the mattress. But he grabs my hips and holds me to him. I grasp at the comforter with one hand; the other is in his hair. I don't know if I'm trying to hold him closer or pull him off. I'm so close. And I want more.

Xavier lifts his head, his eyes glowing. "Mac?"

"What are you doing? Don't stop." My clit is swollen and aching for more of his touch. I'm about to explode. Xavier's tight grip on my hip is keeping me from sliding onto the ground.

He laughs. "You're even prettier when you're needy. I didn't think it was possible. Do you want my mouth back, or do you want me to fuck you?"

Garbled noise erupts from me. It's a scream of complaint and ecstasy. I want both. I want both now. But then his mouth is back on me. My nipples are tight and painful. I'm so close. I'm on the verge of coming, but he stops. That laugh again. I've heard of edging but never experienced it. Whoever said it was a good thing was full of crap.

"Xavier!"

"I'm being greedy, Mac. I'll give you what you?—"

"Now, I want it now. Now."

More laugher. How did that turn me on a second ago? He sucks in my clit, and his finger finds the spot I didn't know existed inside me, and there's no stopping me now. I'm off. Firing into a space that was imaginary to me until a minute ago. One where a male—or at least this male—can make me shatter at a height I didn't know was possible. I’m without thoughts.

I'm slow to open my eyes, and it takes me a minute in my haze to realize he's still in his tux. Adrenaline resurges from somewhere deep inside me, and I shoot upright, reaching for Xavier.

"How do you still have all your clothes on?" I yank at his shirt. But my brain and hands aren't working together, and nothing's coming off.

"My bowtie's gone." His deep chuckle has tingles spreading over me again.

"Not enough." I fight with the buttons on his shirt. But the jacket has to go first. So I push up onto my knees and tug at his coat. He's not helping. Why is he not helping?

My eyes roll into the back of my skull. He's not helping because I've placed my breast in his mouth and his tongue is twirling around my tight nipple. Just like he was doing to my clit a minute ago. It's like he's hit my pause button because I stop moving. My eyes slam shut, and a sigh shudders out of me. I've never liked my breasts being played with. What in the hell is going on with me?

I shake it off, and my breast pops out of his mouth. "Coat, now!"

"Yes, ma'am." He has it off in two seconds.

"See, that wasn't too hard to do. Take the rest off, now!" I can unwrap him like a present later. Later echoes in the back of my head. Speed is more important right now. When his shirt lands on the floor, covering my dress, I bite at my lip. Sure, all shifters—or at least most shifters—have those abs, the ones that sell magazines. But Xavier's are even better, lickable really.

I lunge for his chest, but his hand catches my neck and pushes me onto my back. He grabs me, a quick twist and throw, and he's got the two of us in the middle of the bed, heads right below the pillows. I have no idea how he's done it.

But then, I don't know how he made me come so hard either.

"You're killing me, Mac." His eyes flash, and then his mouth is on mine. I have no idea how I'm killing him until his hovering body crashes down onto mine. The glorious weight of him, his cock nudging at my swollen clit. I squeeze my core. I thought I was done a few minutes ago. But I want more. I want all of him.

With a bit of force, I open my legs and wrap them around him. He drops in perfectly, his cock at my entrance. I tip my pelvis.

"I won't mate you. Not now. Not until you say so." His eyes hold mine.

"I know."

"Good, but I was saying that out loud to remind all of me."

I laugh. There's no fear of him going back on his word. Maybe there should be. I haven't forgiven him for all the hateful things he said to me as a cub. Why do I trust him now? Doesn't matter. That's for later. "Fuck me, Xavier."

He huffs out a long breath. "Damn, Mac." It's a long, slow push into me. "You're so fucking tight for me. I've waited so long for this."

I grasp him around the neck, one hand in his hair. "Need you," I moan into his ear. "So much."

He starts slow. Each thrust fills me, stretches me. I'm on fire with his barest movement. "Magic does exist. Fuck, Mac, we're a perfect fit."

"Yes." My hands drop from his shoulders and skim down his muscular back, my fingernails lightly scraping his skin.

"Harder," he says.

"Harder," I say.

He slams into me with more force, and I scratch my nails down his back. Marking him without mating. My wolf loves it. I open my eyes and watch him as he drives into me, pushing me back, hard, into the mound of pillows. He slows the pace. Our mouths crash together, his tongue swiping into my mouth. When his lips pull away, my eyes snap open.

"Mac," he growls. "So beautiful."

Pressing his hand into my back, he joins us tighter while the other holds me still for his frenzied thrusts. Until he lets me drop to the mattress and his hand moves to my hair. He gathers it into a ponytail and pulls. I fire off. My body convulses. Our cries combine as one.

"Fuck, Mac." He vibrates with his release and lowers himself, hovering over me. In a fluid motion, he has me on top of him. He flings the side of the comforter over us.

"I'm sweaty." More than glistening. I let my head drop to Xavier's shoulder. My fingers absentmindedly trace over the section of his abs I'm not covering. I'm still breathing hard. So is he.

"You're perfect. Do you want me to take you in for a shower?"

"No." It's a lie. I'm getting far too good at the whole lying thing. But if the potion does wash off like it seemed to earlier today, I'd like to know before him. I suppose that's selfish. But I kind of want a minute to myself to think about what I want to do when—if—we're mates. "Let's take a quick nap."

"A nap, and then we do that again."

"Which part?"

"All of it. And next time, you let me feast on you as long as I want."

I slap playfully at his chest. "As long as you want? Come on."

"I'm serious, Mac. As long as I want."

I swallow. "Okay." I roll a bit, sliding more to his side. My head rests against the side of his chest. I take a deep breath in, but there’s nothing. The potion has its lock on me. Keeping me in a bubble of what I thought was safety. It's starting to feel more like a prison.

Xavier holds me. I turn my ear to his skin. The whooshing of his heart slows until I know he's asleep. Sleep sounds good. But so does a shower. When his arm drops from my side. I inch away until we're not touching. With all the stealth I can muster, I slide off the side of the bed and head into the bathroom.

It is glorious. Marble everywhere, with a huge shower and a standalone tub. I turn the water on for the tub but then hop in the shower to wash my hair while the tub fills. This is rich. Back in Maine, my parent's house had well water. Having a shower while filling a tub? No way. I scrub my hair quickly, holding the bottle of shampoo under my nose, inhaling. Nothing. It was worth a try. I turn the shower off and pat myself dry enough to not leave a puddle across the bathroom. The tub is almost full.

In a basket next to the sink, I find bath bombs. They're labeled with different things. Interesting. I've never seen these in any other room before. But then, I'm not in guest rooms often. There's a label on the one in the pink wrapper that reads "for love." A blue one says "for wealth," and a green one says "for luck." Well, if I'm going to be acting like I'm rich, why take only one? I could use a little love, wealth, and luck.

I unwrap each one of them. Inside the wrapper, they're all white. I toss them in together. The water fizzes and bubbles, but not enough to overflow. Not even when I get in. It's lovely. I've really forgotten how much I love a bath. I strain and reach and finally snag a hand towel to use as a pillow. And I'm set. I close my eyes and drift off.

There's a light knocking in my dream that stirs me. Water sloshes around me.

"Mac?"

"I'm in the bath. I'm getting out now." My fingers are pruned. How long did I let myself stew? I hop out. Water slops around the floor. I wrap myself in a towel before I grab a few more, mopping up behind me.

"Mac?"

"I'm good. Just give me a minute."

"Let me in."

"Use the little bathroom. The one with the bunk beds. I'll be out soon."

There's a low rumbling from the other side of the door.

"Come on, Xavier. Even Colton didn't bang on the bathroom door like that, and I made him late for school." A lot.

"Mac, take a deep breath."

I do. "Oh." I stare at the popping bubbles in the tub. I can smell them. I pick up the soap from the sink. Chamomile. I bring my hair around to the side. Sugary. A few steps toward the door, and it's Xavier, warm and comfy. Like a blanket, hot chocolate, and a fire in the wood stove at the start of a snowstorm.

"Open the door, Mac."

"I need... I need a minute." I can’t unlock the door. Not yet.