Page 11

TEN

Xander

I’m still a little bit in shock as we walk up the stairs to my room. I didn’t expect her to say that. I really thought that after today, she would’ve said she wanted to put the pillow between us again, or for me to sleep on some sort of pallet on the floor for tonight. But to lick her lips and tell me she wants to be in my bed— with me? No. I did not think she would cross that line.

When I close the door behind us, I turn to her and say, “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to take advantage of your state of mind, Alexia. You’ve been through a lot the past couple days. I can just as easily make sure you’re safe from the?—”

She reaches out and grabs my hands, stepping into my space. “I’m sure. You’re not taking advantage of me. I know what I want. Where I want to be. And it’s right here with you.”

Fuck. She makes it so difficult to keep my hands to myself. I don’t just want to hold her and comfort her with careful words. Deep inside me, the animal stirs. It wants to draw her to me, sink my teeth in, and growl every filthy thought I have about her. And I would if she wasn’t so scared and hurt right now. Not only that, but the judgment she could face if we were to overstep. Kai could go as far as ordering her exiled from the pack. Shit, he could demand her death if he wanted to live with the pain of their permanent separation for the rest of his life. It would be his right as the one she was unfaithful to. Until he has officially rejected her, the pack leaders still look at her as being mated to my brother.

And my punishment for physically claiming another’s mate... death.

I grip the hair at the back of her head and bring her so close our brows touch. “Give me a moment to take care of my gun.”

“Okay,” she softly responds.

Stepping away from her, I take the Glock from the waistband at my back. I open my dresser drawer, remove the magazine, and store both inside the case.

She was horrified when she confronted me after hearing the gun go off. The last thing I wanted was to be another reason she was scared, but I refused to just let the asshole get away. Too bad he peeled out of range, throwing my aim off from his back tire. I wanted nothing more than to stop him, rip him out of that Jeep, and pound my fists into his face.

And I don’t even know who he is or what his purpose was. At the time, I didn’t even know he had a gun. It doesn’t matter. I wanted to beat the shit out of him because he scared Alexia. Because he made her feel threatened when she deserves to be able to go anywhere and do anything she wishes without some asshole following her around.

The fact that I want to pummel a stranger for no other reason than he freaked her out should alarm me. It doesn’t. It feels natural.

And I don’t know what to do with that right now. So instead of trying to figure it out, I turn back to her and smile. Her fingers tap the screen of her phone, her eyes darting back and forth over the reply she’s getting.

She finally looks up at me and sets her phone on the bed. “I had to tell Sam there was a change of plans. He was expecting to meet me at our parents’ house.”

“Did you tell him what happened?”

“No. This is all so much, and I know he will tell my parents, and they will worry. I can’t handle them and this all at once.”

“I get it. Do you want to borrow something of mine to change into? I know it’s not quite bedtime, but I thought maybe we could just climb in bed and ta?—”

“Yes,” she interrupts. “Yes. Yes to all of the above.”

My grin grows wider. “All right then.” I turn back to my dresser and pull out a black t-shirt that I know will swallow her up but will be comfortable for her. “Here you go,” I say, handing it to her. “I can go?—”

“No,” she interrupts again, and her cheeks redden. “I’m sorry I keep interrupting you. I just—you don’t have to go.”

Damn, she’s adorable when she’s all flustered .

“You sure?”

“Yes,” she says in a more confident voice as she toes her shoes and socks off before unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans. “It’s just panties and a bra. No big deal, right?” Kicking the pants off, she reaches up and pulls her sweatshirt over her head, tossing it on the chair behind her, leaving her in nothing but black cotton panties and a simple black lace bralette.

“Yeah. No big deal.” I feel like some fourteen-year-old kid who can’t get it together around a pretty girl. I shove my hands in my pockets and look anywhere but at her. It feels wrong to stare when this should just be a simple changing of clothes. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t have the same effect on me as a striptease. Except when she puts the shirt on , it’s even sexier because my clothes look really good on her.

Alexia climbs into my bed, and I wait for her to pat the mattress beside her to summon me over. Sitting beside her, we slip down until our heads hit the pillows. I lift my arm and welcome her into my side where she snuggles in beside me.

“Do you think it’s my fault that Kai left? Why wouldn’t he just have a discussion with me if he didn’t want to move forward with our relationship?” she asks.

“No, it’s not your fault,” I say, pulling her tighter against me. “I don’t know what’s going on with Kai. But if you really want my honesty, here it is. I think he’s an idiot. I can’t figure out what could possibly be holding him back from you. If you were mine, I would want that bond more than my next breath.”

The room falls uncomfortably silent, and I wonder if I’ve taken things too far. Maybe she just wanted a simple yes or no, but I can’t give that to her. I need her to understand that whatever my brother is going through has nothing to do with her.

But just before I open my mouth to apologize, she speaks. “You don’t think of me as just your kid sister’s friend?” She tucks her hands under her cheek and studies me, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth.

“No. Not even a little bit.” I brush my knuckles along the side of her face. It’s supposed to be an innocent touch, just a little reassurance that everything will be all right. But it feels like so much more. Something in the back of my mind nags at me, screaming that this is a bad idea. But that little voice is drowned out by the growing need inside me. She has a way of pulling me in and I have no desire to fight it.

Her dark eyes flick down across my bare chest and over my tattoos. “And why is that, Xander?”

“You radiate the kind of light I just want to bask in.”

The relief on her face is instant. “I’m glad that I make someone happy around here. It’s hard coming into someone else’s house and just making yourself at home when you feel anything but comfortable. I’ve tried to make the best of it, but I’ve been so afraid that I’m annoying or a burden.”

It’s a fine line we’re walking. I shouldn’t be complimenting her or giving her any inclination that I notice her beyond being my brother’s mate. But it’s like I have to be honest with her, to tell her the truth about what I’m feeling no matter the consequences.

“Trust me, I’ve soaked up tiny rays of your sunshine since you came into this house.”

She smiles at that, a real smile that reaches her eyes, and it takes every single bit of restraint I have to keep my hands to myself. That sunshine I just talked about pours out of her when she smiles, and every bit of her is gorgeous.

My hand moves of its own accord, and I brush a strand of ebony hair away from her face. I open my mouth to tell her Kai is meant for her, that he should be the one noticing her, but stop short when her lips brush the side of my finger. And they’re so fucking soft .

I trace the dip of her Cupid’s bow and trail down to the seam of her mouth. She opens, gifting me with the feel of her breath along my skin. It’s addicting—every gentle brush of air, every stroke of silky skin, every glimpse of her pink tongue. I’ve barely touched her, and I’m hooked.

I should pull away, should put space between us. When I try to move back, she whispers, “No. Please don’t. I—I like the way your skin feels against mine.”

And as if I needed any convincing, her tongue darts out and brushes against the pad of my thumb. I inhale and am met with the smell of her arousal—an intoxicating mixture of the sweetest indulgences you can imagine. Vanilla, caramel, honey, with a touch of ripe cherry. My wolf awakens under the surface, wanting to play and give in to its carnal desires.

“Alexia.” Her name is a breathless plea to stop. For mercy. For more.

She just needs some reassurance, to know she is desirable after the last couple of days. I can give that to her. Just to boost her confidence so she can face what’s to come, if she is truly rejected.

The back of my hand glides along the line of her jaw and down the slope of her neck. I follow the curve of her body to her shoulder and down her bare arm. Thousands of goosebumps rise along the path I draw. Her body is so responsive, so hungry for touch. And mine wants to satisfy her craving.

Her breath is shaky as she inhales and extends her hand toward me, her fingers tracing over one of the inky swirls on my chest. “Do you ever get used to the pain?” she asks.

I shake my head. “It always hurts, but I like it. That sting reminds me that it’s real, that it’s permanent. So many things in this life come and go, but this ink will never leave me. I’ve come to learn that every line is a reminder that what I feel is real and valid.”

“I wish I was brave enough to write my stories on my skin the way you do.”

I grab her hand and her gaze darts to mine. “I was serious last night when I said I’d tattoo you if that's really something you want. I have no doubt you are brave enough to do it.”

She threads her fingers with mine and squeezes. “I’ve not felt very brave the last few days, but I think now I’m feeling strong enough to admit something I’ve been thinking about since Kai left.”

“Then say it. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“If Kai officially rejects me, it doesn’t mean I won’t be desirable to someone else. Being rejected doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the world for me. Right?”

I clear my throat and shift so I’m a bit closer to her. “No. It absolutely does not mean that. In fact, you should do that more often,” I say.

“What?”

“Say exactly what you’re thinking. It’s very attractive.”

“Is it? I was always told I talk too much.”

“No, it’s sexy. Really sexy. You don’t need to worry about being desirable. Trust me.” I pull her so close that her leg drapes over mine and her head rests on my chest. She seems to need the contact and if I’m being honest, so do I.

Her fingers trace one of my tattoos across my chest, sending shivers down my spine.

“Try to contain yourself and not let your hands wander too far,” I say with a playful tone.

She looks up at me with several different emotions shining in her dark eyes, and I can’t deny that lust is one of them. I try to push that thought away before my body reacts, but I am losing that battle. Badly.

“What about you? Are you going to let your hands wander?” she asks, sliding her calf between mine and hooking our ankles together.

I squeeze my eyes shut and my fingertips press into her upper arm. Forget about apples and serpents and naked beauties bathing on rooftops; Alexia is temptation in its purest form. She is the type of sin that would have men burning down the world for her. And I want to play in the fire.

My lips graze the top of her head as I ask, “And where would you want my hands to wander?”

I feel her lips turn up against my skin and she presses a kiss to my chest. “Wherever you want,” she breathes, and even though the words are quiet, I have no doubt that’s what she said.

“You’re killing me, Alexia.”

“I can always go to Kai’s room if I’m making you uncomfortable,” she teases, pretending to get out of bed.

My arms flex around her, refusing to let her go. My fingertips trail down her spine, and I stop at the exposed skin at her lower back where my t-shirt has ridden up. I set a steady rhythm, brushing back and forth. With each stroke, my hand slides around to her belly and little by little, my fingers slip under the waistband of her panties. The heat of her body entices me. I want to know if she is this warm everywhere.

Her legs part a little more, welcoming me to explore further. That voice of reason gets fainter as I move my palm over her pelvis, moving lower and lower. Damn, she is so warm, so soft. My fingers are aching to know if she’s wet too.

“Xander, please,” she whimpers.

I groan, easing my hand down just a bit further, the tip of my finger sliding across her slit. And of course—she’s soaked.

“This is so wrong, you know that, right?” I whisper against the shell of her ear, slipping my finger in a little further. “I mean, you’re technically still my brother’s mate.”

She lifts her leg over my thigh, pushing my finger deeper. “It feels so right, though, doesn’t it?” she answers, looking up at me and nipping my bottom lip between her teeth.

Part of me wants to confess that nothing has felt this right in my life, but I hold on to that last seed of reason. It is bound to flourish into a tangled vine of guilt, but I don’t care. I’ll dwell in that self-hatred if it means feeling her come apart around my fingers.

I press slow circles against her clit and whisper, “You feel so good.” I dip inside of her and my chest rumbles with a satisfied sound. She’s so wet and the way her body grips to me as I move in and out of her is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I want to go deeper, fill her more, but I take my time enjoying what I know I’ll never feel again.

“Xander, don’t stop.” She arches her back, causing her full breasts to push against my chest. Her nipples are hard, and I want so badly to have them in my mouth.

I speed up my efforts and when she gasps for breath again, I can’t stop myself. I lean down, cupping her breast in my hand. I suck the hard peak through the thin fabric of the t-shirt— my t-shirt—leaving a damp spot as I switch to the other.

When her breath hitches and her thighs squeeze my hand, it’s clear that she won’t last long. I want to toy with her, drag this out as long as possible. But more than that, I need to see what she looks like coming apart. And when I bite down on her nipple, she grips my fingers, drenching my hand.

No sunset. No clear night sky. No full moon is as gorgeous as the sight above me. Her arched neck and parted pink lips are stunning. And my name flowing from her mouth over and over again is a siren’s call.

My free hand slides down my pants, my fist pumping up and down my length, eager to bring me the kind of bliss she is receiving. Pressure builds in my lower back, sending a jolt of warmth to my cock. “You’re so pretty when you come for me,” I say as my body surrenders and pleasure sweeps through me.

Without even touching me, this woman has me coming in my pants. Maybe I should be ashamed, but I’m not. It was a mind-blowing orgasm. I couldn’t care less that I appear to have no self-control. I obviously lack it where she is concerned.

She catches her breath, resting her forehead against my chest. “That was?—”

“Incredible,” I whisper, pressing my lips to the top of her head and pushing damp strands of hair from her forehead, tipping her chin up so I can see her dark eyes. “ You are incredible.”

She grins and glances down at my pants before meeting my gaze again. “But I didn’t do anything.”

I laugh at that. A hearty sound, the kind I’ve not experienced in what feels like a lifetime. “Trust me, you did enough.”

Surprise takes residence on her face. “Are you saying...”

“I’m satisfied.” I kiss the top of her head and reluctantly let her go. “Let me take care of my situation , and I’ll bring you a washcloth.”

“All right,” she says with a smile.

With a clean pair of pants in hand, I slip out of my room and into the bathroom. As soon as I shut the door behind me, I look at my reflection in the mirror over the sink. It’s only then that the magnitude of what I did hits me. I’ve done the unthinkable to my brother, and I only have the smallest ounce of remorse. Maybe that makes me a bad person. Maybe I am the man my stepfather always claimed me to be. Maybe I had no right putting my hands on her. None of that stops me from bringing my fingers to my mouth and tasting her.

“Fuck,” I hiss as my cock twitches to life again.

She is a sweet temptation, one that is tangled in my sheets at this very moment. I don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands off her for the rest of the night, but I pray a cold shower will at least be a good start. Deep down I know it won’t change a thing. I’m going to spend tonight with Alexia in my arms and a hard-on that will refuse to let me sleep.