Shadow Wolf, page 21
Kodiak nodded. “That is why I’m going to look out for you and put a stop to this.”
“Tell me.”
“You already know, I think. I shouldn’t even be saying any of this to you, except I’ll keep you safe and end all this. It’s my oath to you.”
His tone soothed her fears. But she had to be sure she could trust him, so she asked. “Did you take the Blood Opal?”
“Of course, I didn’t.” He frowned at her.
A couple of days ago, they would have argued in an explosion of words, but now he only sounded tired. That made her believe him more than bitter or angry words ever could.
Still, she needed to push a little further, take the small opening he’d given her. “But you knew about the club, and you were there.”
“So were you,” he countered.
“Because I found a business card on the floor next to the cabinet where the gem was stolen.”
He chuckled. “Your basic detective skills got you there.”
“And you?” Laughing was the last thing she felt like doing.
“I know about the underbelly full of criminals.”
“The ones who bite people with fangs and suck blood. Those criminals?”
He ignored her words. “This is something they’d do.”
“But you didn’t stop them from taking the gem.”
Regret darkened his eyes. “No, I didn’t. Everything about the night said run of the mill job.”
“Run—”
“In protection terms. I know what you put into it.” He shrugged. “It’s been a long time since that…faction made any kind of real move, so I’m taking the blame for it.”
She frowned. “No, that’s not what I meant.”
“I was too confident they wouldn’t be there. I dropped the ball in my cockiness, and I’m sorry. I didn’t take it. My team didn’t take it, and it would be so much better if that had happened, if I was nothing more than a common criminal. But that’s not what occurred. I blame myself,” he said. “I’m making amends now. I will get it back for you, and I will make sure they won’t harm you.”
“Why…” Tamaska didn’t like the idea that they could harm her.
“I don’t know why they’re interested in you. But whatever they have planned, I’m going to stop it. I promise you.”
“Kodiak,” she whispered, aching for a break from this horrible reality she’d been dropped into.
He stepped closer to her, slipping his arm around her slender waist. “Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe.”
She nodded. “I want to go to my place.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I don’t care,” she said.
She didn’t like the idea that criminals had taken an interest in her. The idea made her skin crawl. Her home was her space, her one safe haven.
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
“I just want to be home. Is that too much to ask?”
She turned to continue along the street, even more shaken than before. She stumbled, and her hand went up to prevent the coffee from dropping. Kodiak caught her.
“This is becoming a habit.” She tried to laugh, but it came out sounding strained. “You just helped save a damn good cup of coffee.”
“I’ll do anything to save damn good coffee.”
“But not me?” She winked at him. It was her poor attempt to lighten the mood.
His mouth lifted in a small smile. “You? No. I’m here for the coffee.”
She took in a shaking breath. “Thanks, I can get home from here.”
“I’m coming with you.” He frowned. “No arguments.”
“You don’t have to.” She steadied herself with his help. Despite her words, she did want him to come with her. His answers had seemed genuine, and while the memory of the club haunted her, she could do with some company.
“I want to.”
That was the answer she’d been hoping for.
“I want to come with you,” he said softly. “And not just to keep you safe. I want to be with you today.”
The ground shifted beneath her feet.
“Fine, then.” She tried to sound casual.
She allowed him to help her back to her apartment. Inside, she dumped her laptop bag and handbag on the dining table and sipped her coffee.
Her mind buzzed from the caffeine. Safe in her home, she already felt better, especially with Kodiak by her side.
Kodiak went through her apartment like he had the other night, checking everything.
It unnerved Tamaska even more, now that she was in real trouble.
She’d been in trouble then, too, she supposed. But this time it seemed real. She couldn’t brush it away.
She kicked off her heels and flopped down on the lounge to drink her coffee, which was finished by the time Kodiak got back to her. She put the empty cup on the side table next to the couch.
“Am I safe?” she asked, trying not to sound scared.
“For now.” He sat down next to her, his thigh touching hers like a brand.
She didn’t move. Her body tingled, and she sank into the heat and wild possibilities, some of which she’d tasted.
His gaze was on her, hot and sparking with the same desires that danced in her.
A little escapism wouldn’t hurt. Would it?
“Does that mean you have to stay here with me, and I can’t be left alone?” she asked, giving him a suggestive look.
A slow smile, one full of sexual promise, spread on his beautiful mouth. “That all depends.”
“On what?” Her breath caught in her throat as the world shifted down to just her and him. Need beat hot and hard between them.
Their connection drew her to him. What was this thing between them? It was big, way bigger than she’d ever thought. It threatened to consume her, and she wanted to be.
She hardly knew Kodiak. She’d accused him of stealing the Blood Opal. She wasn’t sure whether to trust him. Now, she gazed at him, wishing he was naked so she could explore his body. She wanted to do it properly this time, not swept up in the club’s atmosphere.
She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything before in her life.
Her lower abdomen clenched with need. She’d convinced herself that Kodiak was a fling, that the attraction would go away if she just had sex with him.
But it hadn’t.
Now that she was alone with him in the comfort of her home, her feelings skyrocketed. Was there something more going on between them?
There was only one way to find out.
CHAPTER 28
Tamaska
The desire surging through Tamaska was too hard to ignore, and she didn’t want to.
She leaned forward and kissed Kodiak. His dark, moreish taste burst into her mouth, and she sighed, shivering as moisture pooled between her legs.
Fuck, she wanted him now. The need was hot and heavy in her veins as she moved to straddle him.
He ran his hands along her thighs and then gripped her hips as she pushed down into his groin, feeling him harden at the junction of her thighs. He wanted her, too.
As she rocked against him, he slid his hands under her shirt. They were delightfully hot on her skin as they slipped up her back.
Their mouths met in a searing kiss as the passion burned brighter.
She pushed her hips harder into him, the feel of his hard cock sending shivers of need up her spine. She didn’t want clothes between them. A fresh wave of moisture dampened her panties as her need grew.
He slid his hands over her skin, leaving a trail of tingling heat over her ribs. She could sense the urgency in his touch, his desire to explore her. She wanted that, too. Wanted nothing more than to sink into him and the pleasure she knew he could give her.
From his erection pressing against her, the harsh sounds of his breath, and his urgent movements, he wanted exactly the same things, too.
They kissed hard and deep and then soft, their bodies rocking and coming together in a simulation of the act that was more erotic, more sexually charged than almost all sex she’d ever had before.
Except with him.
Fucking him had been mind blowing. It had been life changing. A drug of its own.
She rested her hands on his shoulders, eyes closed as they kept kissing. She allowed her body to be swept up with the rhythm they’d set.
He fumbled with her shirt buttons, which were hidden under the ruffle of material cascading down her front. She broke the kiss, smiling cheekily at him as he struggled with the small buttons.
“You’re not going to help me?” he asked, frowning as he managed to slide one button through a hole at the bottom of her shirt.
She shook her head with a small laugh and cupped her breasts. “Trying to get to these?”
She wiggled a little on him, eliciting a low-throated groan.
“I can rip them off.”
“Or you can unbutton them.” She leaned in and brushed a kiss over his mouth, light and free.
The feel of his hard cock at the juncture of her thighs spurred her on, pushing her further into the fantasy of the moment.
“Tease.” He got another button. “These are ridiculous.”
She licked a small path along the shape of his ear and was rewarded by his fists closing hard on the material of her shirt. “Surely a big, strong, smart man like you can manage a few buttons.”
He growled, the sound prickling her skin as he continued to tug at the buttons, slowly working his way up. “My way is more fun. And easier.”
He tugged hard and she gasped, his fingers grazing the under sides of her breasts.
“I like this shirt.”
“I think I’m going to prefer you naked.”
She held onto his shoulders, leaning back to give him access, giggling, enjoying the anticipation of what was to come.
Finally, the last button popped through the hole, and he pulled the material over her shoulders. His fingers brushed over her collarbone, then he traced the pattern of her lacy bra. Her nipples hardened from his gentle touch. He pinched them, sending a bolt of desire through her. She gasped sharply.
“You like?”
“Oh, fuck yes. I want more, Kodiak.”
He scooped one hand behind her back, drawing her to him, then clamped his mouth over one of her breasts, sucking hard through the bra’s lace material.
She tilted her head back, arching her chest into his mouth while squeezing her legs tight around him. His sounds of pleasure added to hers, filling the room.
This time, the building tension unfolded more slowly but it was even better for it.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” he said, raising his head as he released her breast.
He pushed the delicate material to the side, exposing her softness. He breathed out deliberately on her nipple, the air hardening it further. Then he kissed her breast, his tongue finding its hard bud and playing with it.
A small shudder rattled through her as she gasped, trying to slow herself from reaching her peak. He knew just what to do to draw out her pleasure, to bring her back up to the brink yet again.
She dug her fingers into his thick hair and dragged him up and away from her breasts. They stared at each other, the passion raw and primal. It sent an excited thrill spinning through her blood, spiking her heart rate.
She returned her mouth to his, enjoying how his tongue danced with hers. She reached down between them, wriggling backward a little to give herself access. She easily undid his jeans, his cock hot and hard in her hand as she worked its length. A drop of liquid eased from his tip, and she massaged it around his head as he groaned and sucked on her throat.
Fuck, she wanted to feel him inside her. She went to adjust her weight, to slip his cock between her legs. He moved his arms around her, holding her tight as he stood from the couch in one swift movement. She held onto his neck, legs wrapped around his waist, kissing his skin as he walked towards her bedroom.
He playfully threw her onto the bed. She screamed with delight as she bounced up and down, then laughed as he tugged at her shirt. She helped him remove the layer of clothing.
He reached behind her, hands on her bra.
“You think you can undo it?” she asked. “I mean, I’m not sure that you can, based on how hard it was for you to undo the buttons on my shirt.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You think so, do you?”
“Prove me wrong.”
Kodiak slid down over her, mouth so close to hers. “I just might.”
She rose up for that kiss he teased. The tension of her bra released, and it fell forward.
“Oh,” she said. “You can.”
“Of course, I fucking can.”
“More practice with that, then?” she teased.
He growled softly at her, as if warning her to not talk about past conquests. “Give me a chance and an outfit without so many stupid tiny buttons, and I’ll get your top off so quick, your head will spin, and you won’t know which way is up.”
She trailed her hand up under his T-shirt, over his naked chest, the hot silk of his skin over those hard, broad muscles shiver-inducing. She could get used to this. And if sex with him was even half as good as last time, she would want it all the time.
Something told her it was going to be even better.
When she was with him, it seemed like there would never be enough time.
Crazy thoughts, borne of fear and the lightness of feeling safe for the first time in days.
If she let herself think beyond that, she was nothing more than a fool.
But what a fool she’d be. At least for now.
She wriggled the bra off her shoulders, plucked it from the bed, then tossed it on the ground. He grabbed her skirt, searching for a way to take it off.
“Looks like you need more practice with skirts, too.”
“As I said, I prefer naked, and these clothes are like some kind of chastity belt.”
She shimmied away, reaching for the zip. “Or you lack certain skills.”
“Come here,” he said, his deep voice sending shivers through her. He stepped off the side of the bed, grabbed her legs, and pulled her towards him. She yelped in surprise, then laughed, enjoying his frustration as he tried to get her clothes off.
He lightly smacked her hands away and tugged at the top of her skirt.
“Don’t fucking rip it off.” She pushed his hands away. “This is M.A. Dainty, and it isn’t cheap.”
“It looks good on you, but I want it off,” he said. “You’re wearing too many damn clothes.”
“Luckily, I agree.”
She slipped off the bed, then undid the small zipper on the side of the skirt, letting it fall and pool at her feet. Hooking her thumbs into the top of her panties, she slid them off, shaking her hips deliberately to arouse him. He soaked up her body, and she smiled at the pleased expression on his face.
She stepped forward and lifted his T-shirt, kissing his toned chest muscles as he pulled the material over his head. His salty, male taste tingled on her tongue.
Her hands went down to his jeans, which were already undone, and she pushed them down. He moved to help her take them off. Then she ran her hands over his lean hips, squeezing his tight, muscular buttocks as she pressed her body into his, her breasts crushing into him. She pushed down his jocks, releasing his hardness fully.
He was beautiful. Powerful. Big. Hers.
And she wanted him. Now.
She knelt and took him into her mouth, letting his length slide over her lips. His soft moan encouraged her to drag her mouth up and down his length, sucking hard, flicking her tongue into his tip. This was something she could get more than used to, she realized. His hands tangled in her hair before he pushed her away with a guttural groan.
“No?”
“Yes,” he said. “God, yes.”
She reached for him again, but he shook his head.
“Too close.” He helped her up from the ground, nudged her away from him, and looked at her. “I want to be inside you.”
“Kodiak…”
He kissed her softly and stepped back a little, his erection brushing hot against her.
“You’re fucking beautiful,” he murmured, looking up and down her naked body.
“You’re pretty damn hot yourself.” She grinned, enjoying the pleasant sight of him naked, cock erect.
She shimmied back farther onto the bed, opening her legs a little to tease him. Then he was there, his hot body on hers, his cock poised at her entrance. She gazed into his eyes, losing herself in the gaze that sent a shiver of desire through her body.
He teased her with his cock, sliding it against her as he took her mouth in a deep, hard kiss. Then, he eased into her, sending her muscles into wild contractions.
He stilled as the wave passed over her and then he started to thrust, long, slow, deep. She groaned heavily, her body moving once more towards her peak as he continued to thrust inside of her, setting a rhythm.
She met him thrust for thrust, kiss for kiss. Her nails scraped over his back as he started to push into her harder, deeper. She raised her hips to meet him, driving him hard. They both panted as the beat of lust took over and she was swept up, wanting that savage heat, the hard thrusts that seemed to bottom out in her.
It was like she couldn’t get enough of him. She bit his shoulder, her body hitting a peak. Instead of coming, the movement pushed her higher, into more pleasure and her entire being screamed for more as they worked together.
Then she came, so hard she couldn’t see. Pure pleasure flowed everywhere, and her muscles contracted on him even as his filling her felt so good.
He groaned and quickened his pace, coming inside of her as she held onto him.
He pumped her again, sending her once more over the edge with bliss, which clouded her mind.
As she floated back down, he collapsed down on her, holding her, laying small kisses over her face. She wrapped around him. This man could make her forget how shit her life had become because of the Blood Opal.
He gave her something sacred: hope.
CHAPTER 29
Kodiak
