Page 13 of Operation Annulment (Silent Phoenix MC)

twelve

Nate

W hen I wake up, the sky is dark, and the living room is lit only by the soft glow of my television. I rub the sleep from my eyes and stretch my arms, gradually becoming aware she’s no longer curled against me.

“Kate?” I wait for a response, but the house remains silent.

She’s gone again.

I’d thought the movie marathon and cuddling on the couch would erase the idea that this was just a one-night thing, but it’s becoming increasingly clear I should have gone with my original plan and handcuffed her to the bed.

Because I’m not sure I can give her up.

Having her here feels right in a way that seven years of marriage never did.

The sound of running water grows louder as I move down the hall, and I stop in front of the half-open door to my bedroom, releasing a rough exhale when I see the trail of clothing leading to the bathroom.

A cloud of steam billows over the top of the oversized shower, fogging the glass and obscuring my view. While Kate hums softly to herself, I make quick work of my T-shirt and jeans and gently place them on the counter before joining her.

“Found you,” I say, careful to keep my voice low so as not to spook her.

She spins around with a yelp, her hands automatically moving to cover herself.

“Hey, it’s just me.”

The tension in her shoulders melts instantly, and she slowly lowers her hands back to her sides with a shaky laugh. “Sorry, I was trying not to wake you.”

With a low growl, I push her back against the wall before dropping my lips to her throat. “You didn’t, although you definitely should have.”

She shivers and grips my shoulders a little tighter as I suck the thin flesh between my teeth. “Nate…”

The corner of my mouth lifts when I see the mark I’ve left on her gorgeous skin. Mine . “What do you want, darlin’? Name it, and it’s yours.”

“You,” she says, blinking the water from her lashes before guiding my guiding my mouth to hers.

I trace the seam of her lips with my tongue, and she obediently parts them, letting me in. “Good girl,” I growl, grazing her bottom lip with my teeth. Despite the rough nature of our kiss, there’s a softness there that’s been missing.

Kate watches through hooded eyes as I trace the pout of her lips and the line of her jaw with my fingertips before moving lower to her full breasts.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes,” she hisses when I duck my head to latch onto the sensitive peak of one nipple before moving to the other. While she loses herself to the sharp pull of my mouth, I skim my palm down her flat stomach and between her folds.

“So wet,” I murmur before sliding two fingers into her body. She sucks in a breath and clamps down around me like a vise. Before she can fully adjust, I add a third and thrust even deeper, and her eyelids flutter open in surprise.

“I’m—”

“Come for me, Katy girl,” I demand, closing my teeth around her puffy pink nipple and changing up the angle of my thrusts. She comes apart with a guttural groan, shuddering violently as she drenches my hand in her release.

I suck her juices off my fingers and stand, wanting to beat my chest in victory.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

The word plays like a drum beat in my head as I lift her boneless body and notch myself at her entrance.

“C-condom,” she stammers, placing her palm against my chest. “We need a condom.”

I open my mouth, prepared to argue why we didn’t need one.

#1: I need to fuck her bare, the way nature intended.

#2: See #1.

The thought of filling her with my seed and making her mine forever has me ready to blow. I’ll dissect the pathology behind my behavior once the blood’s returned to my head.

For now, I force myself to put her down long enough to grab a condom and wrap it up before sliding inside her wet warmth with a low growl.

My jaw tightens as I sink deeper, stretching her body around mine.

It’s taking every ounce of strength I possess to remain in control.

I use the glass wall for leverage, reveling in how her green eyes lose focus as I lick the drops of water from her lips and chin.

I don’t know how long we stay like that.

For all I know, it could be minutes, hours, or days.

“Fuck, babe,” I pant against her mouth. “You’re taking my cock so well. ”

An embarrassed flush sweeps over her face, and I squeeze the curve of her hips in warning. “Look at me. You. Are. Fucking. Perfect.” I thrust deeper with each word until her head falls back against the glass, and moan after moan spills from her pretty lips.

“Right there, right there, right there,” she babbles as her fingernails sink into the flesh of my upper back. “Please?—”

Instead of going harder, I switch to slower but deeper strokes. She rocks forward to slip her tongue between my lips, and goosebumps immediately spread over her skin.

“Oh—” Her pebbled nipples scrape against my chest, and she cages me in with her thighs before coming with a hoarse scream.

I bury myself deep, bellowing words of praise as I come so hard I see stars.

Fuck. I’ve never had this before.

Kate continues clinging to me as I shut off the water. When I try setting her on the rug so I can grab a couple of towels, her legs buckle.

“Okay, I’ve got you,” I say softly, carrying her over to the counter before reaching for the towels. When I turn back, she’s sobbing quietly into her hands.

Fuck.

I sling a towel around my waist and wrap the other around her shoulders, suddenly struck by the fear that this might have been her first time.

“You’re okay.” I stroke a hand through her damp hair before asking, “Was this, uh—was this your first time?”

Please say no…

She offers me a soft smile before shaking her head. “No.”

I feel a slight sense of relief, immediately followed by anger that someone else has seen her vulnerable like this.

That’s not psychotic or anything.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just—I didn’t know it could be like that.”

“Neither did I,” I admit

“So, you’re not a virgin?” I ask, peering down into her eyes .

She smiles through the tears and shakes her head again. “No. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

“I’m not disappointed. That was—fuck—that was amazing.”

And it was. I was married to a woman for seven years and never felt a connection as strong as the one I have with a woman I met two weeks ago.

While Kate gets dressed and dries her hair, I try to find something for dinner. Unfortunately, my refrigerator is in the same sorry state as when I checked this morning.

“Takeout it is,” I mumble as I search the couch cushions for my phone.

Jess: 10 Missed calls

Jess: Please call me back

Jess: It’s an emergency

My thumb hovers over her name, and I gnaw at my lip before stepping onto the back porch to return her call.

“I’m sorry,” Jess says when she picks up. “I didn’t know who else to call. It’s getting worse. I passed out this afternoon and hit my head on the nightstand and had to get ten stitches at the hospital.”

I check the French doors, watching for any sign of Kate. “I’m sorry to hear that, Jess, but why are you calling me?”

“The hospital won’t release me without someone to take me home,” she says, sniffling. “I wouldn’t have called you, but I don’t have anyone else.”

Her voice sounds so small, and I feel like an asshole. I needed to pick up dinner for me and Kate anyway. It might not take too much of my time to swing by and get her on my way home. “Fine. I’ll be there in twenty,” I bark before ending the call with a muttered curse .

If I want a future with Kate, I need to cut ties with Jess. But why do I feel like she’s got my balls in a vise?

The house feels strangely empty when I walk in, and I immediately head for the bathroom to find it empty.

The open window only adds to the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Kate heard everything.