Page 33 of The Brave (Black Arrowhead #6)

“ A re you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked again. “We can always reschedule.”

Hope shooed me while cradling the baby in her rocking chair. “Will you go and be with your chosen mate? You’ve waited long enough. This will give me good practice.”

“Practice at getting no sleep,” Tak quipped from their bed, his eyes glued to a book on water births.

Atticus hooked his arm around me from the doorway and tried coaxing me out of Hope and Tak’s bedroom.

“Wait!” I rushed forward and kissed Violet on the forehead. “If she gets cranky, try turning on the drier and standing next to it. That worked for me last night. I just pumped an hour ago, so there’s plenty of milk.” I kissed the baby again. “Mommy loves you.”

Hope smiled up at me. “We’ll be just fine.” She waved Violet’s tiny hand. “Bye, Mommy!”

Atticus pulled me out of the room. Once in the hallway, he pinned me against the wall, his kiss hot and needy. I moaned against his tongue when his hard erection pressed against me.

“I need you,” he whispered while kissing my neck.

My willpower was obliterated.

“Can you guys take that somewhere else?”

I jumped with surprise at Lucian standing in the hall corner.

He rubbed his nose. “It’s permeating through the cracks in my door.” He pivoted on his heel and disappeared.

Atticus and I quietly laughed.

“It’s only been a week,” I said. “Maybe it’s too soon.”

“My blood healed you completely. Did you not say on that very night that you felt like your old self?”

“That’s not what I mean. I feel wonderful, but what if Violet needs me?”

He caressed my cheek. “She needs to bond with her alpha. You said so yourself. It’s only for the night.” His mouth touched the shell of my ear while he caressed my hips. “Give me this night. I’m going mad. I need to slide between your legs and feel that exquisite heat.” Atticus stroked between my legs.

My belly clenched at the sensual motion of his fingers.

“Get a room,” Virgil sang from the kitchen area.

“Go on ahead of me,” I whispered. “I’ll be there in a minute. There’s something I want to get first.”

“Don’t be long.” He delivered a scorching kiss before striding out the back door.

I loved the way he walked. Some men pretended to be confident and powerful, but he embodied those qualities, and it showed in the way he talked, the way he moved, and most definitely the way he kissed.

I breezed into the kitchen. Atticus and I were temporarily staying in the house since everyone wanted to be around the baby, but we planned to build a cottage soon to give Atticus privacy.

Tak had officially offered him a place in our pack, and he’d accepted without hesitation. But because of his sensitive hearing, Atticus needed a quiet place to unwind, and I didn’t want to be separated from him. Once we built the cottage, I intended on spending my days inside the main house, only using our cottage at night when we retired. There would also be times when Atticus needed privacy for a complete rest, and I wanted to be a considerate partner.

Because no one had been in the heat house lately, I decided to grab something to nibble on as this was our first night alone since the baby was born. Atticus and I had never been intimate the way a couple should be, and I was both nervous and excited. The butterflies were going crazy in my belly, and I hoped that my post-baby body wouldn’t disappoint him.

Virgil peeked at me over the open refrigerator door. “Whatchya need, sugarplum? Let me guess—salami.”

“It’s walnuts, remember? I don’t plan on shifting, you silly goose. Are there any of those blueberry muffins left?”

He opened up the microwave and pulled out a covered plate. “Would you like some milk with that?”

“Enough with the milk jokes.”

“Our fridge looks like a dairy farm.”

“Don’t you dare touch the bottle on the counter. That’s for tonight.”

He winked. “Didn’t plan on it.”

“That’s what you said yesterday.”

He leaned against the counter. “I wanted to see if it tasted different. I have zero regrets.”

After grabbing a bottle of juice from the fridge, I slammed the door and watched Virgil pouring a bowl of Lucky Charms. His blue robe matched his slippers.

“I can’t stop thinking about when I died,” I said while staring vacantly at the kitchen fireplace. “I was outside my body and could see everything.”

“Sounds trippy. Might have been the drugs Milly gave you.”

I passed by him and stopped. “I could have sworn you looked right at me.”

After a bite of cereal, he shrugged. “I had an out-of-body experience once at a Grateful Dead concert. Remind me to tell you about it sometime. Too much acid is not a good thing.” He set down his bowl and hopped up on the kitchen island. “Have fun tonight. Be sure to give me the play-by-play in the morning. I’m curious how good he fucks. You sipped on his blood, so you know what I’m talking about. I’ve never tasted that much power before.” Virgil munched on another spoonful, his eyes trained on the floor. “He’s had three thousand years to refine his technique, so he better be a god in the sack.”

“Hush up. If anyone asks about the muffins…”

Virgil made a zipping motion along his lips.

Satisfied, I padded through the back hall, deciding not to bother with a coat.

A chilly wind lifted my gown as I sprinted across the backyard toward the heat house at the side. Atticus was waiting at the door.

I shoved the muffin plate in his hand. “Brrr! It’s freezing out here.”

He closed the door behind me. “I turned the heat up.”

I kicked off my shoes by the door and glanced down at my knee-length ivory nightgown.

Maybe I should have dressed sexier.

He set the plate on the counter and then hung his head.

I came up behind him. “What’s wrong?” Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed my cheek to his back. “Are you still thinking about that night?”

“I almost lost you.”

Having Violet was the best day of my life, despite having almost died. I would have gladly given my life if it meant a safe delivery. Those moments watching my lifeless body were not only scary but strangely affirming. I’d realized how many people loved me and how precious every moment was. And since that night, I cherished every single slice of life.

It had affected Atticus differently, and sometimes in quiet moments, I caught him reflecting on it.

“But you didn’t lose me.” I squeezed him tighter. “Someday you will, but I’m here now. The fates know exactly how long we should love each other.”

He clutched my arms. “My love doesn’t have a time limit.”

“Then let’s not dwell on the past or the future. Be with me now.”

Atticus spun around and cradled my neck in his strong hands. His eyes gazed into mine, and in their infinite depths was a fire that burned only for me. “You look fetching. I would shower you in diamonds if you’d let me.”

“I’d rather you shower me with kisses.”

His finger trailed down to my dragonfly pendant. “This will be the last thing I take off. Are you certain you’re ready?”

“I wouldn’t have invited you if I wasn’t. Being away from Violet is the hard part. But you?” I ran my hands up his loose shirt, his skin warm against my palms. “You’re easy.”

He released a shaky breath.

“Does this feel good?” I pinched his nipples and then let my hands slide down his abdomen. “I’m yours.”

His fangs punched out. Atticus gripped the counter behind him with a look of uncertainty. “It’s not what it looks like. I won’t drink from you. It happens involuntarily when we’re…”

“Aroused?”

“Yes,” he breathed.

“I’m not scared of you, Atticus Rain. I want to know everything about you.” I unlatched his belt and dragged it from the loops before letting it drop to the floor. “What do you like? Tell me what turns you on.”

He tunneled his fingers through my hair. “You have the most exquisite eyes I’ve ever seen. More beautiful than the blue skies over the pyramids.”

“You’re the reason my heart beats.”

We kissed fervently, and clothes dropped to the floor as we frantically undressed each other.

When his eyes fixed on my red panties, he licked his lips. “What do we have here?”

I bit down on my smile. The sheer hipsters were lace with a floral pattern. “You should know, Mr. Rain. You bought them for me.”

He slowly traced his finger over them. “I like what I see.” Then he slid his fingers between my legs, and I sucked in a sharp breath.

The way he looked at me with carnal desire awakened a dark hunger in me, and I moaned into his mouth when we kissed.

Atticus hooked his thumbs inside the edges of my panties. “You have no idea how much I want to tear these off.” He torturously pulled them down my thighs, stopping halfway so he could kiss me deeper. As soon as the garments hit the floor, my wolf stirred awake.

Atticus reached behind my neck and unfastened the necklace. “Wouldn’t want this to get broken.” After hanging the chain on one of the cabinet knobs, he wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me off the ground.

I sucked and nibbled on his earlobe while he walked leisurely to the bedroom. “You really like drawing out the suspense.”

“Should we get out the vibrator?” Atticus gave me a wolfish look.

I held his gaze. “I only want you inside me tonight.”

When we reached the foot of the bed, he let go of me so slowly that our bodies rubbed together deliciously. “Tell me your desires.”

“This night isn’t just about me.”

He gestured to the giant TV mounted to the wall at the foot of the bed. “We could always watch The Newlywed Game while you rub my back.”

I shoved him onto the bed and bit down on my smile.

“This view is much better.” Atticus eased up on his elbows. “I like when you’re rough with me. Is that how you want it?”

“I like it all kinds of ways, but I haven’t quite decided how I want it with you.”

“What’s behind that mischief in your eyes?”

It was him. His perfect physique, sinful smile, and the rather large appendage resting between the V-cut of his Adonis belt.

I knelt at his feet. When I licked the inside of his thigh, a flush rose on his cheeks.

Atticus reclined his head and let out a breath. He was so handsome to gaze upon with his pale hair and sculpted frame, everything so perfectly proportioned.

I kissed the other thigh, building up the tension.

Watching him. Listening to the feverish way his breathing changed. Savoring the way his muscles tightened and relaxed.

Men had always expected me to behave like a submissive, dumb blonde in bed. With Atticus, I didn’t have to pretend to be anyone but myself.

When I pulled his hard erection straight up and ran my tongue from base to tip, he collapsed on the bed and twisted the sheets in his hands. I tasted him, sucked him. Circled my tongue around every groove and the sloped head.

Atticus shot up to a sitting position while I sucked him. He looked like he had planned to make me stop, but when his eyes locked on the visual, he petted my hair. “I’m going to bathe you in rose-scented oil and rub every inch of your body.”

I slowly pulled him out of my mouth and then stood.

Atticus lavished kisses on my large breasts.

“Don’t suck on them,” I said, teasing his nape with my fingernails. “I’d be mortified if… Never mind.”

I couldn’t even bring myself to say it out loud, but the thought of milk coming out during sex was embarrassing.

His tongue circled my sensitive nipple. “Everything about you is sexy.”

I held on to his shoulders. “You drive me wild.”

He squeezed my hips and then my ass. “I’ve never been with a wolf. Is it different?”

“You’re a Vampire. Shouldn’t I be the one concerned?”

I gasped when he ran his tongue over my nipple again.

“They say wolves like it from behind.”

I ran my fingers through his pale hair. “It’s animal instinct. Don’t judge me, but I like being on bottom. I love the weight of a man.”

With lightning speed, Atticus lifted me and flipped me onto the bed. I squealed with delight when he lowered himself on top. The giddy feeling melted with the volcanic heat of his body on mine.

“Like this?” He rocked his hips. “Is that what you like, my little wolf?”

A moan escaped my lips when he wedged his hand between my legs and stroked me until I was wet.

“I want to marry you,” he whispered, searching for something in my expression.

Confused, I flattened my arms on the bed. “We’re having a mating ceremony.”

“After that, I’m taking you to my second home for a honeymoon. But I want a ceremony according to my old customs.”

My brain could barely form a cohesive thought as his touch was so close to making me scream out his name. “Anything you want.”

Atticus kissed beneath my chin. “I could marry you a thousand times over.” He lifted my thigh, and when I felt the blunt head of his shaft against my core, I looked deep into his black eyes.

Butterflies twirled in my stomach at the invitation in his gaze—a connection that promised me a lifetime of devotion, passion, and love.

Atticus slowly pushed inside me and buried himself deep. “Mmm. You’re hot.”

“This is nothing. Just wait until I go through heat.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You would want me with you?”

I bent my knee and lifted my leg. “The sex will help me out of heat. People say it feels good.”

He rocked back and forth. “Better than this?”

I hooked my arms beneath his and gripped his back. When my teeth bit down on his flesh, he groaned.

I raised my other leg. “Faster.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Joy, I’ll come.”

“Please… Come.”

The headboard squeaked when he thrust slow and deep.

With a flushed face, he touched his nose to mine. “This time I want it to last.”

Was he serious? “We have all night. Faster .”

His sinuous movements made my nipples hard, and a tremor of anticipation rolled through me as I edged closer to my release. My wolf pushed beneath my skin, and the urge to shift intensified.

“Let’s slow it down,” he said, staring into my eyes. “It feels like your wolf is watching me.”

“She is. They like to play beneath our skin during the act. I won’t shift. Promise.” I moaned and arched my back, begging with my body and not with my words.

He cursed and pounded into me, my breasts rocking with every thrust.

My body swelled with desire, and I surrendered to every sensation. He was rubbing all the right places, and I was drowning in his pheromones.

Atticus clutched the headboard with one hand and growled, “I’m coming.”

I exploded with pleasure, crying out as my release came fast and hard. My legs quivered while I clutched him, every rope of muscle on his arms and back pulled taut.

Atticus picked up his tempo before a strangled moan tore free. He cursed as his body went still. Then he rocked with laughter into the pillow.

Out of breath, kissed his shoulder. “Gee whiz. What’s so funny? You really know how to make a gal feel sexy.”

He struggled to catch his breath. “I’ve waited over three millennia to find you, and I barely lasted five minutes.” Atticus rolled next to me, and we faced each other, our bodies twined.

“I like it fast and hard. Sometimes I need that release. Now we can really play and have fun. I’m just surprised you didn’t break the headboard.”

“I’m always in complete control.” He kissed my shoulder and got up. “Be right back.”

Now that I’d gotten my first orgasm out of the way, I fantasized about where the evening might take us. What were his sexual turn-ons? What words excited him? What positions did he like? Did he have any hard limits?

It was a relief to know we had strong sexual chemistry.

When he strode back into the room, he’d put on his tan trousers and was holding the plate of muffins. I watched him enter the bathroom to my right and pull my thick blue robe off the hook.

“What are you up to?” I rolled onto my side and propped my head in my hand.

He stopped and admired my body. “You look ravishing, beloved wife.”

“I like the way that sounds.”

“Follow me.”

“Can’t a girl bask in the afterglow?”

“How fast can your wolf run?”

That piqued my interest. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I want you to chase me.”

As he exited the room, I jumped to my feet and followed. “Chase you? Atticus, what are you talking about?”

When he opened the door, a gust of wind rustled his hair. Atticus looked over his shoulder with an impish grin. “Chase me.”

I blinked in surprise when he dipped out of sight. Curious, I rushed to the door and peered outside, goose bumps forming over my entire body.

He jogged backward in the yard as the security light shone on him. “I’ll give you a head start!”

My eyes widened with delight, and I shifted. Uncertain how long I would remain conscious, I urged my wolf to go after him. Atticus smelled like sex and blueberries, making him easy to track.

Bess gave chase. Once we reached the dark woods, my wolf stopped to listen, then caught the sound of snapping twigs straight ahead. Despite the chilly night air, her blood ran hot.

Bess tramped across dirt, grass, and then powered up a hill. A rabbit suddenly distracted her, and she sniffed the ground to pick up the trail.

Atticus whistled from the top of the hill.

Go! I urged her. Go get him!

Bess resumed pursuit with a burst of energy. Having never been the dominant wolf, without Gypsy around, she was finding her own sense of self and courage. She no longer had Gypsy to depend on.

She weaved around oak trees. I was along for the ride, the wind on my face and the adrenaline pumping in my veins. A light caught my attention, and she turned at the base of the hill and discovered a fire crackling near an opening.

Bess warily slowed at the mouth of a small cave and whined.

“It’s all right,” Atticus said from inside. “Come to me.”

She sprang past the makeshift campfire and tackled Atticus. She licked his face while he stood with his arms around her. He nuzzled into her neck, and I warmed at how much love he had for my wolf.

“You’re as beautiful as your human,” he said while stroking her back. “Are you still in there, Joy? I didn’t plan for an evening alone with your wolf.”

I forced Bess to recede and shifted. With my arms sliding around his neck, I smiled. “Is that so?”

“Has anyone ever described her to you?”

“No one was ever around since I always shifted in hotel rooms. I caught glimpses in the mirrors when one of them jumped up.”

“Bess has a stunning white-and-orange coat with a little grey mixed in. Her eyes are as blue as yours. Do wolves get grey hair with age?”

“Are you being smart with me?”

He silenced my complaint with a kiss.

I looked around at the small chamber and spotted my robe draped over a boulder and the plate of blueberries on top of it. “Where are we?”

“You haven’t fully explored your territory, have you?”

“The wolves do more exploring than we do. And you fully furnished a cave?”

He glanced down at the fur blanket that covered most of the ground. “You have your surprises and I have mine. I thought we might play a little in the heat house and then finish out here, but one thing led to another. I wanted privacy for our first night alone.”

“It’s hardly our first night alone.”

He traced my upper lip with the pad of his thumb. “It’s our first night as lovers. Everything had to be perfect. While you were inside pumping your breasts?—”

A laugh pealed out of me.

Atticus cleared his throat. “While you were… indisposed , I was setting everything up. I just now lit the fire, but I have blankets, socks, fondue?—”

“Fondue?”

“Yes, and I also brought a container of walnuts.”

I hugged his waist. “Yummy.”

“Are your feet warm?”

I glanced down. “Strangely, they are.”

“There’re heat packs under the fur.”

“If you have a hot bath somewhere in the back, I just might swoon.”

He twirled me in a circle. “If you want, I can carry you to the treetops. It’s a beautiful view.”

I stepped back and admired the room. “Maybe next summer when it’s warm. Besides, I can’t see the world at night like you can—not unless it’s through my wolf’s eyes.”

He urged me to sit with him on the blanket. The fire crackled at the entrance while the light played with the grooves and rocks surrounding us.

I rolled on top and kissed the crook of his neck. “Are we safe out here?”

Atticus lifted my chin to face him. “You will never have to fear anyone again. If the stars are your enemies, I’ll pluck each one from the sky. Now, why don’t we see if we can beat our five-minute record.”

“Easier said than done.” Grinding against his lengthening shaft, I realized how quiet it was outside. “I’ve never been this alone before. Do you mind if I’m loud?”

“I’d be insulted if you weren’t, little wolf.” Eyes dark with desire, he palmed my breasts and pushed me to a sitting position. “Just like that.”

My heart skipped a beat. “I’ll go slow this time.”

“Torture me,” he whispered back.