Page 10

Chapter 10

MADELINE

I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm safe.

Nate standing in front of me is reassuring.

Once the hotel room door closes, I feel safe when he searches the street below, satisfied that they've lost our tail.

We take one look at each other and decide on something else to occupy our minds. I take a deep breath. My hands are still trembling slightly from the adrenaline of being followed.

"You're safe now," Nate says, reaching to place his hands reassuringly over mine.

I nod, trying to calm my racing heart. "I know. It just caught me off guard."

"Hey," Nate says gently, "I won't let anything happen to you."

The sincerity in his voice draws my attention to him. Despite the circumstances, there's something undeniably appealing about the way he's looking after me.

"Thank you," I say softly.

For what?"

"For caring enough to protect me."

I notice his scent has changed subtly. Beneath the concern and protectiveness is something else—desire.

The realization sends a shiver through me, and I know he can sense my response. The bond between us has always been powerful, but in this moment it feels like something more—something beyond mere biology.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks.

I step closer to him, drawn by the warmth of his presence. "I am now."

Nate gets closer and my breath catches. He kisses me, placing his hands behind my head so that I don't go anywhere.

I take in the kiss, moving my hands to his belt to get rid of it. His tongue slides into my mouth with ease, and I suck on it, moaning at how nice it feels to have him in my mouth. Still, there's something else I want to replace his tongue with.

As he kisses me, I fiddle with his pants, unfastening them and pushing them down with his boxers as quickly as possible.

They drop to the floor and he steps out of them. I move away from the kiss, favoring the side of his face where I run my tongue. I trace a line to his collarbone while my hands rest on his muscular chest.

I stop a satisfied sigh from escaping as I press his pecs and run my fingers over his abs. They're as strong as rocks, perfectly sculpted like a Greek god.

I go on my knees and tuck my hair behind my ears. Nate reaches down and takes a handful of it, keeping the hair from my face. His member rises to meet me and I wrap my hands around it, just like I had done in the car.

You're mine now. I put it deep in my mouth, drawing a sharp groan from him. I suck across its length, bringing his shaft out of my mouth before gobbling it up again. I repeat the motion, looking up at him.

Nate looks down at me with a satisfied smile as he watches me go up and down his length. He grips my head, and gently moves in and out of my mouth. He takes control and increases his movement with satisfaction.

I smile as he takes over, controlling how his dick moves in my mouth. He pushes so deep into my throat that my eyes begin to water. I close them as he fucks my mouth with all the enthusiasm I can imagine.

Nate suddenly stops, giving me room to catch my breath. He helps me to my feet, looking into my eyes as he slowly removes my clothes. He then picks me up with ease and moves me to the bed.

“I want you on my face,” he instructs me.

I obey immediately, moving to his head as he lies down. I sit, facing the bottom half of his body and lean over to his shaft, taking it in my mouth again.

It's a different angle and doesn't feel the same without the added pressure of his hands, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

Nate's tongue moves into me as he grabs hold of my hips. I almost choke on his cock when his tongue begins a steady rhythm and pressure.

My body tingles in response to him. The wetness between my legs is lapped by him as he eats me like he's been starving for days.

I try to continue sucking his length which becomes more difficult the more he eats me. His hands grab my ass firmly, planting it on his face and giving me absolutely no escape.

I shudder at his touch, trying not to completely lose it. Thankfully, he lets go of me, giving himself a chance to breathe. I climb off him, but he doesn't let me go far.

He nestles me on the bed before he covers me with his athletic frame. I pull him close, reveling in the feeling of his body pressed against mine. He centers himself and begins to slide into me.

I grab the sheets in preparation for his entrance. “Oh fuck!” His cock feels bigger every time. Nate puts both my legs on his shoulders, allowing him to go even deeper.

He grunts as he pulls out and I suck in air, knowing it's one of the few chances I'm going to get. I brace for impact as he drives his cock into me. I let out a satisfied sound, finally whole again.

Nate fucks me without mercy, thrusting his hips against mine. My legs remain firmly across his shoulders, leaving myself bare to him.

His eyes go to my breasts as they bounce with each hit before his gaze reaches my eyes. I see a fierceness in them I've dreamt about for so long. The moment feels so surreal.

I pull my legs back, stunning him a little. I spin him around and mount him, keeping our eye contact as I lower myself onto his cock. He groans with pleasure as my hips rock against his.

He reaches for me, placing a hand on my breast to lean forward. “Is this what you want?” I ask.

The feeling of control makes his answer even sweeter. “Yes.”

“You want me?”

“More than anything.” I grin.

“I want you,” he groans. “I want you.”

His hands move to my breasts, palming them as I continue to bounce on his shaft. Nate grips me harder, twisting my nipples as he gets closer to the edge.

I begin to lose my senses until only raw pleasure remains. My body starts to spasm, shaking even after Nate explodes in me. My hips shake violently as I release as well, smiling breathlessly. Nothing feels better than this.

I sag against his chest, damp with sweat and still trembling from the aftershocks. The room is quiet now, save for the sound of our breathing—ragged, uneven, like we’ve both run miles through a storm we didn’t see coming.

Nate’s arms stay wrapped around me, holding me in place like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he lets go. His heartbeat thunders against my ear, a steady rhythm that grounds me in this moment, in this man.

I close my eyes, trying to calm the whirlwind still spinning inside me. My legs feel weak, useless. My skin hums with the ghost of his touch. I can still feel him inside me, warm and deep, like my body refuses to forget him.

His fingers move gently along my spine, slow and deliberate, like he’s mapping me. Memorizing me.

I sit up just enough to see his face—flushed, open, more vulnerable than I’ve seen him in years. His golden eyes flick up to mine, searching. “This wasn’t just about sex,” I murmur, more to myself than him.

His hand comes up to cradle my cheek. “No,” he says. “It never was.”

I swallow hard, emotion pressing up against the back of my throat. “We can’t do this at work.”

“I know.”

“You’re my boss now.”

His jaw flexes, but he nods. “I know.”

I run a hand through my tangled hair and slide off his lap slowly, wincing as soreness sets in. I grab the blanket and wrap it around myself, needing something to hold onto that isn’t him.

He watches me like he wants to say something—maybe everything—but instead, he just leans back against the headboard, silent.

The moment stretches between us, heavy with truth we haven’t unpacked. We crossed a line. No—we obliterated it. And yet, I don’t feel regret. Not exactly. Just the terrifying awareness that nothing between us will ever be the same again.

“I need to think,” I say quietly, keeping my eyes on the floor.

“Okay. I’ll take you home”

By the time I reach my apartment, my mind is spinning in a dozen directions—half of them dangerous, all of them circling back to Nate.

What now? What next? What happens when we’re back in that office pretending we haven’t crossed a line we can never uncross?

The door creaks open under my hand, and I step inside, flicking on the light.

My apartment smells faintly of jasmine and cedar—my diffuser still running, and a half-full mug of tea on the counter, last night’s book face-down on the couch. Everything is exactly as I left it.

Except for the envelope lying on the floor just inside the door. My breath stills in my chest. No name. No return address. Just like the others.

I pick it up slowly, the flush of heat from earlier cooling into something sharper. I rip it open and unfold the paper inside.

“You're too beautiful to be messing around with that jerk,” I read aloud, my voice flat. My jaw clenches. Does it mean Nate?

I tear the note in half, then into quarters, my fingers moving with steady purpose. Whoever this person is, they clearly don’t know me.

They definitely don’t know I’m a wolf. I can take care of myself. My wolf always takes care of me. Whenever this creep decides to crawl out of the shadows and show his face, he’ll find out exactly what I’m made of.

Hospitals have never been my thing. I'm not the sort to fall sick often, but to be fair, most shifters aren't. That's exactly why my aunt being transported to the hospital is such a big deal for me.

I follow the instructions the nurse just gave me and find the room housing my aunt. A faint beeping sound permeates the air, but I am thankful it isn't from this room.

When I enter, my aunt is awake. She turns to me with a tired expression and sighs, “It's not as bad as it looks.”

“Aunt Cora, you're in the hospital. It's definitely as bad as it looks.” I move closer to her and sit by the bed. “How're you feeling?”

“I'm fine, I don't know what the doctors are fussing about.”

“They’re Fussing about because the food poisoning got into your blood. They have to make sure you're okay,” I remind her.

“Well they're wasting my time. I've got a lot of work to do.”

If it were anyone else, I'd be shocked at how they think about work while they're in the hospital. My aunt is a different breed, though. She's been this way as long as I've known her. She has inspired me to follow in her footsteps.

“Don't think about work for now,” I tell her. “I want you to focus on getting better, that's what you need.”

She pouts a little, knowing I'm right. “I've been thinking about—”

“No, I won't bring work here to you,” I interrupt her, shaking my head back and forth.

“That's not it,” Aunt Cora says, smiling. “I've been thinking about your internship. I don't want you to miss out on valuable experience because I'm unavailable.”

“How are you worried about that at a time like this? You should be thinking about recovering. I don't mind waiting for you to feel better.”

“That's just it. I don't want you to wait.” Aunt Cora coughs, but it stops almost immediately. “I believe it's best if you continue your internship officially under someone else.”

“Aunt Cora, I don't want—”

“You'll work under Nate.”

“Aunt Cora, that's not a good Idea, you know that. One day working together was enough. Will he even allow that? He doesn't like having an assistant.” I sound like I’m panicking, so I take a deep breath.

“I know, but he'll have no choice.” Aunt Cora places a hand on my cheek and I hold it close.

“The two of you are drawn to one another and you're naturally going to find your way back to each other anyway. Just give it a try.”