Hunter's Moon

But no matter how pissed I was at fate, I needed to be sure you were safe. That was instinct. But since we’ve been together, everything has changed for me. An insane part of me loves knowing you have loaded weapons on you at all times. Seeing you smile and hearing you laugh make me happier than I’ve ever been. I trust you with my life, and I wouldn’t hesitate to give up my own to save yours. That goes way beyond any animal instincts, Sasha.”

Her dark eyes were unfathomable and unreadable. I searched for any sign of how she felt, but she didn’t have a single tell.

I wanted to keep rambling on, but that’d be a rookie mistake. Resisting the urge to fill the silence, I took a breath and waited.

Finally, Sasha whispered, “So if it’s not your wolf instincts, then what is it?”

Love. God, I wanted to scream I love you and make love to her until we fell asleep in each other’s arms. But my gut told me it wasn’t time. Sasha had heard those words before, and they turned out to be empty. I wanted her to know they weren’t just words when I said them.

Burying the emotion, I reached out and took her hand, grateful when her fingers laced with mine. At least she wasn’t locking herself in the bathroom. Yet.

“It’s me getting to know you and who you are, what you like… I seem to have a good handle on what pisses you off.” That earned me a soft laugh and a nod. We sat on the edge of the bed, and I kissed her hair, drinking in her exotic scent. “Believe it or not, I really enjoy being with you.”

She squeezed my hand, but her voice was tentative. “I wasn’t very good with partners in the police force. Most of the time they slowed me down and I never felt like I could really count on them. I’ve been surprised how well we work together.”

I smiled and raised her hand to my lips, kissing her fingertips. “I’d love to work with you more.”

Catching the turn in my voice, her full lips parted as she met my eyes. “I’d like that too.”

All the blood rushed from my head to slam into my groin with a vengeance. Her free hand reached over to slide up my thigh, and I pulled her close, fusing our lips together. My tongue caressed hers as I ran my hands up her back. This time the bulge of her shoulder holster and the Glock didn’t slow either of us. I laid her back on the bed, enjoying the way her fingers tightened in my hair. My lips brushed against hers, hungry and tender all at the same time. I wanted to be even closer, but her hardware was still in the way.

I pulled back, staring down at her. She took my breath away, lying beneath me with her auburn hair spread across the white sheets, her cheeks flushed with color and her rose lips parted.

“Could I take off your guns?”

She started to move. “I can do it.”

I kept her pinned under me and shook my head. “I know you can. I asked if I could.”

She seemed to hesitate for a second but then relaxed and let her hands come to rest on the bed. I sat up and slid her arm out of the leather shoulder holster, carefully pulling it free. I placed the gun and holster on the nightstand, and then knelt down and slowly removed her shoes. Sliding her pant leg up, I ran my fingers along the smooth curve of her calf before freeing the buckle on the small holster. The weight of her pistol surprised me.

Knowing she trusted me to take her weapons surprised me even more.

My gaze never strayed from her face as I moved my hands up her thighs to the top of her pants. Sasha feathered her fingers up my arms, her touch sending sparks through my entire body as I unfastened her pants and pulled them down her tan legs. Seeing her lying in front of me in black lace panties made me crazy.

It was bordering on impossible to take this slow.

But I wanted to savor her.

Kneeling at the edge of the bed, I massaged her calves, opening her legs as I ran my hands farther up her body. When I reached her knees, I tightened my grip and tugged her down the bed toward me. She gasped as I kissed along the seam of her panties. I smiled against her, catching the scent of her excitement as my fingers slid between the lace and her warmth. My lips brushed the soft skin of her inner thigh and her fingers tangled in the back of my hair.

Need coursed through my entire body. I couldn’t wait a second longer. I needed to hear her moan, to give herself to me. A growl rumbled in the back of my throat as I ripped the elastic at her hip and pushed the remains of her underwear out of my way so I could taste her.

Her hips tilted up, and she pulled at my hair. My erection throbbed almost painful inside my jeans. My tongue slid through her folds, and I groaned into her. I would never get enough of her. I was addicted from the first taste. Her hands fisted in the back of my hair as I toyed with her, using my lips while I freed myself from my jeans. I ran my hands up her legs, placing them over my shoulders, while I fed off of her passion.

“Aren, I’m almost… Oh, yes!”

I moaned against her, teasing her with my tongue until her entire body shuddered in ecstasy.

Kissing her inner thigh, I peered up at her face while she struggled to catch her breath. When her eyes met mine, she started to smile, a sexy, exhausted grin. I already wanted to make her come again.

“Stand up,” she whispered.

I obliged, bringing her legs up with me.

Sasha laughed and wriggled free. Then her eyes moved over me, and her laughter faded away. She sat up on the edge of the bed and very lightly stroked her fingers along my raging erection until it was dancing in her hand.

She slid her fingers up under my shirt. “I need you naked.”

I couldn’t get my clothes off fast enough. Her lips parted, and her hungry gaze made parts of me incredibly impatient. If she didn’t touch me soon, I was going to lose it. She finally met my eyes as she ran her fingers up the backs of my legs, her nails lightly scratching my sensitive skin.

She stood up, her hands smoothing over every taut muscle until her arms were around my neck. Our lips met in a desperate, urgent kiss. I crushed her body to mine, enjoying her full breasts pressed against my chest.

Sasha moaned into my mouth as I slid my hands down her back. I lifted her and her legs clasped around my waist. I brushed against her, my body tense and eager. She was warm and wet and so welcoming. I laid her on the bed, entering her as her back rested against the sheets. Her body fit around mine perfectly.

Like she was made for me.

Kissing my way down her neck, her fingers gripped the back of my hair as our hips ground together. I growled against her skin when my name left her lips and brought my hand up to cup her breast. I took her nipple into my mouth and her back arched, offering herself to me while I struggled to keep my thrusts slow and deep. It was a delicious torture.

I wanted to make love to her all night, and at the same time it would be easy to slam into her until I came so hard I never recovered.

Passion lined her features as I teased her nipple, circling it with my tongue. Her gaze was on fire, locked on me when I moved to her other breast. I felt her nails rake down my back, her hands tightening on my ass, urging me even deeper inside of her.

My lips pressed fevered kisses up her neck until my mouth was just above hers, our eyes latched on one another, our bodies one.

“Not yet,” I whispered, my lips brushing against hers.

She brought her long legs up, wrapping them around my waist. “I can’t…” she gasped.

Her muscles started to tighten around me as I worked into her harder and faster, never breaking eye contact. Half of me expected her to close her eyes, to shut me out of this moment, but she didn’t.

We crested the wave of pleasure together, her orgasm pulling me over with her until I erupted deep inside the warmth of her body. We finally kissed, her moans echoing my own as aftershocks rocked through our bodies.

I rested my head on her chest, closing my eyes and drinking in the sound of her heartbeat while her fingers slid back through my hair. The words “I love you” were on the tip of my tongue, so I couldn’t trust myself to open my mouth. Instead, I held her close and wished we could stay in this moment forever.