Page 23 of Gifted Destiny (Hidden Libraries #3)
Zosia
A very’s attention balanced sweetness and desire, and Kodi made our time together fun and familiar, albeit inexperienced. Garrett is intense.
I’m both terrified and exhilarated, and my heart feels like it might jump from my chest. I was definitely aroused when I was with the other two men, but I didn’t feel the fierce adrenaline that’s coursing through my body – my animalistic nature seeks dominance. My entire being feels like it might combust.
The knowledge that he’s holding himself back makes me feel powerful and slightly frightened. I’m not scared that he’ll hurt me, but I’m uncertain of what he’ll do when he surrenders. His expression brings to mind a starving man. He’s confessed that he’s not a virgin, but he appears almost as desperate.
… and his body. Holy hell, I’ve never seen a body like his. If you’d asked me a year ago what I considered hot, I would not have said a mountain of firm muscle. Seeing Garrett naked, however, has changed my mind. As my gaze devours every inch of hard, sculpted flesh, my body reacts with visceral, involuntary desire. I might be drooling.
My sphinx nature is closer to Garrett than it was to the others. We’re one, unlike most shifters, but the primal urges I usually only feel in sphinx form bubble to the surface. Their presence lessens the importance of the limitations and appearance of my body. I can’t forget my injuries, but they lack their usual power and gravity.
Tangled in the moment, my brain offers an overdue epiphany. My mates aren’t perfect, and each of them has expressed their worries and insecurities. Despite their beliefs, though, I still find them attractive, ideal, and a fitting match. Why is it still so difficult to believe they think the same of me? Deep within me, something accepts this irrefutable logic.
All of my concerns are inconsequential. I force my bodily insecurities aside, along with any worries regarding my acceptance of three mates in as many days. I note and push away the worries about opening the library or the threat of the detectives’ return. All that matters at this moment is fulfilling our needs and soothing Garrett’s fears.
I lie in the center of the bed in nothing but my bra and soft leggings while he memorizes my curves, freckles, and scars. He’s clearly unable to hide or fake his lust and appreciation. If I didn’t see it in his eyes, I’d note it in the rigid strain of his muscles.
After an eternity seems to pass, a whimper of longing escapes me. The quiet protest, urgent and raw, finally sparks him to action. He growls in a feline manner that makes my sphinx preen. Moving quickly, he settles between my cloth-covered legs and grasps my bra with both hands. The sound of tearing fabric fills the room as he rips it in half and throws it away from the bed. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the unexpected action. Bras are expensive; the library provides mine, however, so I’ll forgive him this time.
I forget all about the poor garment when he seizes my breasts. I’m not a small-busted woman, but his hands are huge and the calluses on his skin stroke my nipples. It’s an exquisite form of torture.
His massive cock bobs between my legs, but I’ll panic if I focus on how big he is. My body doesn’t share the concerns of my mind. I’m aroused and ready for him; the stretchy cotton between my thighs is practically soaked. I’d be embarrassed if the lubrication wasn’t necessary.
Amber eyes burn with fire as his gaze shifts between my breasts and my face. His fingers pluck my tender nipples before his hand slides from my neck to my ribs to the waistband of my pants. His exploration stops there, his breaths labored, and he captures my lips again. The fierceness of his kisses might bruise me, but they don’t hurt or cause discomfort.
My back arches, straining toward him, needing to feel his body against mine. Frustration sets in when the shifter maintains the distance between our bodies as he continues to dominate my lips and tongue. He might be afraid to crush me with his considerate weight, but I wouldn’t mind. I can’t tell him this, though, because his kisses steal my breath away. His nips and strokes distract me from the hand sliding toward the juncture of my thighs.
“Fuck, you’re so wet.” His deep groan vibrates through my entire body when he cups my mound through my pants.
I gasp with surprise when Garrett reaches under my pants and thrusts a finger inside me before I can decipher his words. I nearly explode from his finger alone, especially when he places the perfect amount of pressure on my clit with the heel of his palm. His answering growl almost shakes me to pieces.
It doesn’t matter that I orgasmed four times before my few hours of sleep. My body responds as if I’ve been celibate for years, and I start to believe the claims that sphinxes are insatiable. I’m insatiable when it comes to these men.
His finger slides out of me before pushing in again and brushing against the sensitive inner spot I’ve only read about in stories. My response is entirely involuntary as I thrash and moan. My body is in danger of fracturing. Garrett’s labored breaths in my ear suggest he’s similarly affected. My taut, aching nipples brush his hard chest with every inhalation.
“Garrett …, please.” I’m not ashamed to beg – not when he has me so tightly wound. His name is nothing more than a breathy moan, but he understands the words.
“Yes. Say my name again, Zosia.”
I do. I say his name each time he gently twists and thrusts his finger into my needy tightness. His name turns into a keening cry after only a few repetitions as I fall apart underneath him. I lose all sense of time and place in the few minutes afterward, and he takes advantage of my euphoria by stripping me naked. The cool air brings me back to my senses, dunking me into a sea of sensation. My lungs continue to fight for each breath and my legs shake as the aftershocks of my orgasm crash over me.
My brain stutters to comprehend Garrett’s actions when he sits next to me on the bed. I expected him to thrust inside me while I was still coming down to minimize the pain of his size. Instead, his eyes meet mine as he lifts me up and positions my body with my butt on his powerful thighs and his monster cock poised at my entrance. I can’t believe my brain just put those two words together … monster cock. Still swooning from the amazing orgasm, I almost start to laugh. The serious expression on the shifter’s face and the very real threat of his size prevent me from dissolving into immature giggles.
“Tell me if you start to feel any discomfort or pain,” Garrett manages between breaths, and it’s apparent that he’s channeling his last shreds of control to speak. “I’ll do most of the work, but you’ll have some control in this position.”
I nod because I don’t know what to say. The position is just like sitting, I tell myself. My legs bracket his waist. I’d be concerned about their relative uselessness if my partner didn’t possess the strength of a supernatural bodybuilder. The shifter’s huge hands maneuver my weight without any noticeable effort as he pulls me closer. The tip of his cock glistens with pre-cum and my wetness; the sight is unbearably erotic. Garrett must agree because he swallows hard when he looks down, and his fingers tighten their grip on my hips.
He groans another curse and closes his eyes before speaking. “I’m barely holding it together, kitten. Are you all right?” Despite the raw need in his rasping tone, he manages to voice his concern for my comfort. The endearment I hated a day ago makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside for some unknown reason.
“I’m good,” I manage to say as I grip his shoulders and bring our bodies closer. We watch with our foreheads pressed together as the tip of his cock slides inside me almost effortlessly. Maybe I shouldn’t have been worried ….
The thought fades when he bumps up against what I assume is my cervix, and there’s still a couple inches remaining. He’s not just long; he’s thick as well. My inner walls stretch, but this is a delicious feeling and more pleasurable because my legs are already splayed.
My lover rocks his hips – just a little – and the motion slides him further inside. Watching this happen is unbelievably erotic, and I’m grateful that the position allows me the view if I look over my breasts. My desire spirals higher as Garrett rocks again. His muscles shake as he maintains his tightly held control, but it only adds to the experience. His hands slide from my hips to under my ass, and he kneads my muscles. The attention relaxes my hips just enough for him to slide his considerable length all the way in.
The powerful muscles in his arms flex as he utilizes his strength to pull back out and thrust inside again. He was right. I don’t have to do anything, but I can wiggle my hips to seat him inside me and clamp my muscles around him when he pulls out. My pleasure builds with a swiftness and power that surprises me considering my multiple orgasms.
When I lift my head, I see the vulnerability Garrett usually hides behind his immense strength and the compassion he buries beneath a hard exterior. I kiss him hard and don’t close my eyes because I want to see the passion burning in his eyes.
I feel connected to him in this moment; it feels like we’re one being as we move and breathe together. Strangely, his eyes don’t darken with passion. They lighten instead, glowing with amber light, and I wonder whether I see his beast staring out at me. His skin shivers as if his wings really are just under his skin. The sensation tempts my sphinx, and I have to push her down before she emerges.
Garrett’s groans are a strange combination of the warble of a huge predatory bird, the growl of a massive lion, and the guttural passion of a man. His eyes appear to glow in the dim morning light as we rock together, and his cock pushes deeper inside me with every movement. My body seemed made for him, and I had nothing to fear after all. Although sex hadn’t seemed as intense with the others, it felt as natural as now. They are all made for me, as I am for them, in different ways. Garrett and I bond on a more primal level because our animals connect.
Sweat beads on his forehead, and I’m fascinated with the flex of muscle in his shoulders and arms as he moves our bodies in tandem. His control doesn’t waver, but I want to see him lose his restraint. I wiggle my hips. My breasts bounce and my nipples score his chest every time he pushes deep inside me. As my fingertips dig into him, I worry that my talons are emerging. My sphinx half is close to the surface and forging a link with Garrett’s griffin.
When the massive body in front of me shudders and Garrett’s grip on my ass tightens to the point of almost bruising, I know he’s close. His pace quickens and I clench tightly around his cock as he thrusts in and out. Leaning forward, I lick the taut muscle in his neck before biting – not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to mark him. This seems to break him because his thrusts become a pounding frenzy that draws a scream from my throat.
“Garrett.” I moan his name, but my mind is absent as I whimper, scream, and make many embarrassing sounds that I’m so glad no one else can hear.
“Zosia, come for me. Come all over me,” Garrett growls.
My body convulses and shakes through my orgasm, and the involuntary spasms of my inner muscles provoke his climax. He shoves so deep inside me that it’s almost painful, his cock seeming to swell even more inside me. Then, he explodes. He roars to the skies and growls like the animal he is. His raw, uninhibited response draws another orgasm from me. It’s milder but no less pleasurable.
Our bodies tremble and shake together, our skin slick with sweat. I’ll need to shower again, I think, but the thought is gone before I even have time to register it.
“Mine,” my sphinx growls with surprising and possessive need. My canines grow at the same time, and I’m sure my eyes shine with a golden light.
Garrett’s head moves against my shoulder in a nod. “Yes. I’m yours and you’re mine. Always.” His words are muffled and barely coherent. He holds me so tight that it makes me question whether he’s scared to release me. When his skin begins to shiver under my fingers, I worry that he’s shifting in my arms.
I open my eyes, half-concerned I’ll see a griffin instead of a man. My other mates received their mate marks while I slept, but Garrett’s appears while I watch. It blooms on his neck, the same place I bit him in my lust-filled haze.
“Does it hurt?” I whisper. The ink scrolling across his flesh fascinates me.
“I could ask you the same.” His fingers graze the back of my left shoulder. I hadn’t felt anything but a tickle, like the presence of a rogue hair.
“Is mine the same as yours? What does it mean?”
I search through the library in my mind, seeking the hieroglyph of a stylized feather. “The design is exactly the same, but yours is black instead of gold. The symbol is associated with the Egyptian Goddess Ma’at. There’s some confusion over the concepts she represented, but the universal understanding is order, truth, and justice.”
“Order, truth, and justice,” the shifter repeats in a pleased whisper, his gaze riveted to my mark as he tries to envision it on himself. I hope he likes it. The tattoo isn’t as massive as my other mate’s marks, but the lines are thick and dark. They follow the natural curve of his shoulder and neck, nearly blending into shadow when he turns a certain way. The artful elegance is mesmerizing.
“I was worried I wouldn’t like it,” he admits as the design settles into permanence without the irritation of a standard tattoo. “I should have realized it would be perfect. Order, truth, and justice,” he repeats.
I nod, voicing my silent agreement. We will expose the truth and retrieve justice for the wrongs we all endured.
In the aftermath of our passion, I fear that discomfort and shyness might creep between us. Neither does as he pulls out of me and kisses me gently. The newly forged bond settles neatly between Kodi’s and Avery’s bonds and the space reserved for Bren. That void feels larger now, but Garrett’s position feels as natural as the others do despite our rougher beginning.
“I can’t remember,” I drawl as I watch him gather his clothes. “Did you apologize?”
His dark gaze is briefly surprised before he notes my mischievous grin. I nearly forget what I’m saying because the play of his muscles is fascinating. His body is a work of art. “What did I need to apologize for?”
I gasp dramatically. “You don’t remember? How rude ….” My words trail away when he abandons his shirt and crawls up the bed toward me. He resembles a predator stalking its prey, and it’s sexier than it has any right to be. Desire curls in my stomach despite my satisfaction.
“I apologized,” he whispers against my lips.
The following kiss is so deep and passionate that I question whether we should stay in bed. Surely the library can stay closed today?
“But I’ll do it again and again if you want me to.” His voice is husky when he pulls away. “I’m sorry for being a jealous asshole.”
My lips tilt upward. “From now on, you can take your frustrations out on me in bed rather than insulting me.”
He kisses me again, stealing my breath and my thoughts. “Anytime, kitten.”
My nose scrunches with distaste, but I let the nickname go. “Are you still jealous?” Sudden curiosity prompts the question.
He sits back on his heels while he contemplates his answer. Fates, he’s beautiful. If I had any talent for art, I would draw him. I can’t believe, however, that he doesn’t have even a bit of fat to roll over the waistband of his jeans. I thought fat was required to build muscle, but Garrett possesses none. I pull the blankets up to my chin while he thinks.
“No.” The library reveals the truth in his words as he points to the shoulder that bears the golden feather. “That mark binds us, which means I no longer have to be jealous of your mates. They might have you too because of this and this ….” He grazes the knot on my chest and the lotus on my wrist. “But their marks aren’t any more important than mine. It will be the same with Bren.”
He slides off the bed again, and I sigh with disappointment when the shirt hides my perfect view. Before I can think of a response, he’s back at my side and lifting me into his arms despite my squawking protests. He shuts me up with another long kiss before setting me on the chair in the bathroom that I sit in while brushing my hair or putting on makeup. A clean towel covers its surface, and the library regularly switches it out. She provides a comfortable place for me to sit in every room.
“You should shower again before we open.”
And just like that, a switch flips. I’m no longer thinking about our wonderful lovemaking or the new bond. Instead, I contemplate Bren’s magic, the BSP detectives, and our second day of business …. For a few blissful minutes, I’d forgotten.
Garrett notes my changed mood, and he leans closer. “We’ll finish this together, Zosia. You’re not alone anymore, and we’re not going to let anything happen to Bren.” With a glance toward the mirror, he traces the outline of the feather rising above the collar of his shirt. “We have justice on our side,” he adds. “Now, get showered. The day’s wasting.”
I growl. “I wonder whose fault that is.”
“Worth every second.” He throws the words over his shoulder as he leaves me in the bathroom and shuts the door behind him.
It was, I agree silently and square my shoulders with determination. If Garrett can subdue his jealous nature, I can alter my pessimistic attitude. We will secure our future by saving Bren and the library together.