What the hell was he doing?
Brogan held El in his arms as she came. Her body arched and bucked, shook with every spasm that rolled through her. They’d barely touched but she was so sensitive to his every move. Was that because they were mated?
He wanted to think it was him, wanted to think he was the only man to give her intense, instant pleasure.
With a final shudder, her body went soft beneath him. When had he moved on top of her, his body pinning hers beneath him?
Their mouths had pulled apart when El’s orgasm broke and now they both dragged in great gulps of air. The harsh rasp of breath pumping in and out was the only noise in the room. Reality crashed in on him and he pulled back to look at her.
Her face, flushed with blood and slick with sweat, glowed with satisfaction. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused and dreamy, they stared up at him. He shouldn’t have touched her. She didn’t know who he was, what he was, and before he had her she would have to know. He wouldn’t be happy until he knew she came to him freely, knowing what she was getting.
“This shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.” Brogan scrambled up, got off the bed completely.
She stared at him, the dreamy expression gone, replaced with confusion. He knew the second it turned to anger. Her blue eyes turned glacial, slicing into him with their piercing stare. He swallowed the words bubbling in his throat, the ones that would soothe her and explain. The ones that would land him right back in bed when she wasn’t ready for that yet.
“Why you—”
Her words cut off when she picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He ducked but it brushed his shoulder. “Eloise, please.” A second pillow connected with his skull.
“Get out!” she screamed.
He held his hands up in surrender and backed toward the door. “Calm down, I’m going, but I’m warning you, this isn’t over. I will be back.”
She launched from the bed, picked up one of her missiles and charged at him.
“Calm down? Why you miserable, bloody—”
Thump!
Her weapon slammed into the back of his head as he turned. “Dammit, El, you’ll pay for that later.”
“And stay out!” Her shout was promptly followed by the slamming of the door.
He stared down at the raging hard-on in his pants. My God, she was magnificent angry. Her eyes shot fire and her cheeks flushed red. She wanted to beat him senseless and he wanted to fuck her senseless. If the whole thing wasn’t so serious it’d be funny.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
“Off to a good start I see.” Quinn chuckled, his eyes dropping to Brogan’s groin.
“Don’t say it. I screwed up. She probably won’t talk to me for the rest of my life but I didn’t fuck her. Not quite anyway.”
“How can you not quite fuck her?”
“We kissed. Fooled around a bit,” Brogan said before mumbling, “It’s what happened after that got me in trouble.”
“What happened?”
“Knock it off, Quinn. I’m not giving you the details of my sex life.” What was with Quinn anyway? They hadn’t had sex. He’d come crashing back to reality before things had gone that far.
“Did she orgasm?”
“What the fuck? What kind of question is that? And why the hell are you asking?” Brogan yelled.
“Because, dipshit, if she did by your hand, you marked her.”
“I know that.”
Quinn took a deep breath. “I’ll ask a different way, is she marked?”
“Fuck!”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Fuck!”
“You said that already.”
“I know but… Fuck!” Brogan paced two strides away, two strides back.
“She can’t leave the house. And she has to be told. The sooner the better.”
Brogan knew Quinn spoke the truth. He ran his hand over his face. Why did it have to be so easy to mark your mate? “We tell her today. It can’t wait.”
“You can’t just dump it on her. Not after she fainted and…” Quinn waved his hand in the direction of her door.
“Dammit, she has to know. And you said it yourself, the sooner the better.”
“Fine, do it your way.”
“Don’t I always?”
“Yes, but somehow I think this time might be different.”
“I may have marked her and placed her in danger but I’m here to protect her. Nothing will happen.”
Quinn snorted. “It’s not her I’m worried about. Get yourself sorted.” He pointed at Brogan’s still-hard cock. “I’ll get Rowan to come up and check on El.”
Brogan gave his friend a nod.
Quinn took two steps before adding, “If you’re lucky, I won’t tell your sister what happened.”
Ah, shit!
Rowan was gonna kill him if she found out. “Don’t tell her. It stays between you and me. Once El knows about us it won’t matter, she’s not going anywhere.”
His gut tightened. She no longer had a choice. With one stupid kiss he’d taken it from her and now he’d never know if she stayed because she had to or because she wanted to.
“It’ll work out, give her time. She feels what you feel, Brogan, she just doesn’t understand it. Go cool down and I’ll get Rowan to come check on her.”
Quinn’s sympathy did nothing to ease the guilt burning a hole in his gut.
The rattle of old pipes in the wall behind him broke the silence. El must have gotten into the shower. Images of her naked, slick with water and soap filled his mind, stirred his blood and made his dick even harder. He squeezed his eyes shut but couldn’t stop his mind from picturing the woman on the other side of the wall.
Growling, he stalked to his room. It looked as if he’d be showering too—in cold water. Quinn’s laughter followed him down the hall, grating on his already agitated nerves as Brogan stomped away.
He strode into the bedroom, ripping his shirt over his head and tossing it on the floor as he headed toward the bathroom. By the time he hit the cold tap, his pants were undone and halfway down his legs. In less than a minute he had his shoes off and his jeans following.
The pounding of water hitting tile drowned out the groan of frustration he couldn’t suppress at the sight of his cock. He’d never had so little control. The beast had remained suspiciously quiet and Brogan had to wonder what that was all about. He hadn’t felt it pulling to be free since he’d kissed El, since she’d come apart in his arms.
Damn!
He’d marked her. No wonder the beast had gone back to snoozing, it knew she was his. Stepping under the stinging spray, Brogan closed his eyes and raised his face, let the water stab his skin with its needle-like drops. His mind played over what he’d done, how she’d kissed him back with such demand.
Her need had been as great as his and when she’d shattered at his touch he’d been breathless with awe. She looked so beautiful flushed with arousal. Her eyes all dreamy, her lips plump from their kisses and her nipples hard as diamonds against his chest.
His cock twitched and oozed pre-cum. The cold shower did nothing to cool the blood boiling in his veins or the lust trampling on every nerve. He gave in, leaned back against the wall and grabbed his unruly cock in a tight fist.
Brogan imagined El in the shower, her soapy hands traveling over pink-tinged skin, down over her chest, across her taut stomach and between her legs, slow slides on smooth muscle and supple flesh. With eyes closed and head thrown back, she delved between her thighs. Her lips parted on a moan as she thrust deeper, riding her hand and the pleasure it gave her. With each stroke her hips moved, undulated against the fingers probing inside.
Teeth bared, Brogan increased his grip, moved his hand faster. The image in his mind stilled as her eyes opened wide to stare straight at him as she flew over the edge. He ground his jaw on a growl of satisfaction when she came for him—only him—and he followed.
Cum shot from the tip of his cock, dripped down his hand and onto the shower floor. He kept his movements hard and steady, milking every last drop of seed from his balls. Spent, he slumped against the wall, breathed deep and thought about going to her room and taking her.
No other woman made him lose control. He’d given in to an urge he normally controlled with an iron fist. Instead he had that fist wrapped around his cock as he fantasized about El getting herself off.
He’d come hard and fast but arousal rode his back like he hadn’t. His prick, ramrod-straight and steel hard, didn’t look as if it was going down anytime soon. She was his weakness, his Achilles’ heel and if his enemies worked it out they’d use her to get to him.
He wouldn’t allow it. He’d protect her, teach her to protect herself, but first he had to tell her, explain what he was and about the coyote ways. It was going to be a long couple of days. No point putting it off any longer. Brogan ran the soap over muscles still taut with tension. He stepped beneath the spray and rinsed before he flicked the water off and got out.
Ignoring the towels, he headed back into his bedroom. He yanked open drawers, got out a shirt and clean jeans and threw them on the bed behind him. He searched for a clean pair of socks but couldn’t find any. Where the hell were they?
A gasp from the doorway had him whipping around and coming face to face with a very shocked—and dressed—Eloise. Her mouth hung open and she didn’t take her eyes off his prick, which had its eye pointed her way. Damn thing bobbed as if it was waving hello.
He cleared his throat and her gaze darted up to meet his. He waited to see what she wanted.
“I…um…”
Her neck and face red with embarrassment reminded him of how she looked when she came in his arms. She coughed and tried again.
“I… I wanted to apologize for before. Back in my…” She gestured over her shoulder. Before he could reply she continued. “I know it was as much my fault as yours and I agree that it shouldn’t have happened. I can assure you it won’t again.” Her spine straightened and her shoulders pulled back with her last words.
Well now, wasn’t it a shame that he had every intention of it happening again? And again. Time to let her know.
“El, there’s no need to apologize and I’m taking back mine. I can also tell you that it will happen again, but not yet. There are things we need to talk about before we find ourselves in the same position.”
Her hand flew up to cover her throat, her fingers trembling. He stalked toward her, uncaring of his naked state. Invading her personal space, he breathed deep and could still smell her arousal under the fresh layer of soap and shampoo. She may have tried to wash him off but he was still there, mixed in with the fragrance of her cream.
Oh yeah, she was marked all right. Marked as his. He couldn’t wait to have her. All of her.
“Next time you come apart in my arms I’ll be buried deep inside your tight body, nothing between us but the pleasure we’ll give each other.” He ran a finger along her jaw, tilted her head up to see her eyes. “Make no mistake, it will happen again.”
Eyes wide she let him drag his finger over her lips. So soft. So plump and kissable. He lowered his head, brushed his mouth where his finger had been.
“Next time I won’t stop,” he breathed against her.
She gasped, her lips parted and a puff of minty-fresh breath filled his nostrils. He took advantage and thrust his tongue out, invading her mouth with hot licks and bold strokes. Her taste intoxicated him, flooded his senses and fueled his lust. He took the kiss deeper, devoured all she had to give.
He swallowed her moan before it left her throat as the urge to take, to possess stole through him. He pulled back and slowed the kiss until it was soft and lush. Breathing hard, she followed him when he broke their bond. Her whimper of protest echoed his.
“Not yet. Soon, but not yet.” He breathed hard with renewed need. “There’s too much to know, to learn, before I take you.”
Her lust-filled eyes drew him in, made him want to break his own decree. He wanted to pick her up, slam the door closed and have her in his bed. The next few days would test his control a thousand times. He’d given it up once, but he wouldn’t do it again. He couldn’t let this slip of a woman break the one thing he prided himself on most.
The command he had over his needs, desires, and his position as sovereign. He couldn’t afford to loosen the reins and show weakness because he could lose El, leadership of the pack and possibly his life.