Arctic Winds

Chapter 8

Samantha stared at the menu in awe. Surely Jason couldn’t mean for them to eat here. Everything listed cost a fortune!

“The pasta is great.” Jason smiled at Samantha from behind his menu. “Although Carmella’s doesn’t have much on their menu that isn’t great.” Smiling faintly, Samantha glanced back at the menu. “Anything strike your fancy yet?” Jason asked.

“Uh…” Geez, even the salads were almost twenty dollars! She’d never been to a restaurant like this before. She looked down at her simple dress, one of the few she owned, and felt completely out of place. Samantha sighed and returned her attention to the menu. It looked like she was having salad tonight. She glanced back at Jason to see him looking at her peculiarly. Uh-oh, did she say that out loud?

“Samantha, don’t worry about the price. You can have a salad or a steak if you want. It’s my treat.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, it’s just…” Samantha trailed off as she realized Jason was looking at her with an almost angry gleam in his eyes.

“Samantha, I’m serious. I want you to get whatever you want. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t want to. Besides, tonight is a special night and I wanted to celebrate.”

“Oh? What are we celebrating?”

“You’re coming back to my place tonight, right?” His smile turned wolfish, and his eyes positively gleamed in the candlelight. Blushing lightly, she jerkily nodded once. After this morning, there was no question what tonight held for either of them.

“Well then, we’re celebrating us and our first night together. The first of many, I hope.”

The waitress chose that moment to come over. Jason ordered a glass of red wine and looked questioningly at her. Samantha thought briefly about drinking water after the events of the night before, but she decided she might need the liquid courage since they were going to go back to his place. She wanted this with all her heart, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous. She was terrified she’d do something wrong and things would end before they began.

“I’ll have a glass of the pinot noir please.” The waitress seemed to snarl at Samantha before disappearing. What the hell? Samantha puzzled over it for a minute before shrugging it off. Surely she had imagined it. She’d been in this town less than a week and didn’t think she’d done anything to anger the pack.

When the waitress came back with their drinks a few moments later, she smiled brightly at Jason. Samantha brushed off her earlier unease and continued to enjoy herself. Jason possessed a dry humor that had her laughing throughout dinner. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard or so much.

At one point during the meal, he’d grabbed her hand on the table and rubbed his thumb over the top. Her skin sizzled where he touched her, and desire pooled in her belly. Jason sent her one of his dazzling smiles, and she was completely lost.

“Are you ready to get going?” Jason asked. Staring into his eyes, Samantha took a deep breath and nodded.

Samantha was quiet on the ride back to his place, but whenever Jason glanced at her, she would smile and her eyes would shine up at him. All the signs silently told him she was excited about the night ahead. Jason took a deep breath as he led the way into his house.

He enjoyed the way her eyes lit with surprise every time he held the door open for her. “Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked over his shoulder as he hung up their coats in the closet. He turned around only to pull up short. Samantha stood right in front of him, close enough he had to look down into her eyes. He was surprised at how quietly she had snuck up behind him.

“Maybe later. Right now I have something else in mind.” Samantha stepped into him, running her hands up his chest and behind his neck.

Jason placed his hands on her hips, his blood heating at the look in her eyes. Her scent wafted up and pulled him to her. “Oh? And what might you have in mind, little heart?”

“You called me that earlier today, too.”

“You don’t like it?”

“I like it very much. Jason?”

“Yes, little heart?”

“Kiss me.”

“If you insist,” Jason murmured, lowering his head to capture her lips. He pulled her closer as his lips gently rubbed hers. Nudging her backward, he led them toward the stairs.

Samantha’s feet hit the edge and she almost fell backward, but Jason caught her and picked her up easily. She giggled against his lips as he swung her into his arms. Lifting his head, Jason smiled at Samantha as he carried her up the stairs and into his bedroom.

A small gasp escaped his eager captive as they entered his room. Before leaving for their date, Jason had scattered dozens of candles around the room.

“Wait here,” he whispered against her temple as he lowered his precious bundle onto the foot of the bed. He could feel Samantha following him with her eyes as he quickly lit the candles and turned off the light. Looking back at the bed, he saw Samantha had her shirt halfway off.

“Hey!” he said. She glanced up at him, confusion lighting her eyes. “That’s my job.”

“Oh.” She smiled and pulled her shirt back down. “My apologies. Please be my guest.”

Jason leisurely prowled toward the foot of the bed, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He saw Samantha’s eyes change from her pale blue to the warm honey color of her fox as she took in his bare chest. Her shifted eyes triggered his own. He hadn’t been this turned on since high school. He slowly pulled off his shirt and reached for his fly but froze as Samantha sat up and placed her mouth over his nipple. Moaning, he felt her tongue come out and trace it before sucking greedily. When she nipped at him, he jumped. His jeans became uncomfortably tight as she sucked a trail up his chest and bit lightly at his neck. She didn’t break the skin, but his little fox obviously liked using her teeth. Her hand burned a trail down his chest as she reached for his fly. Her husky laugh fell hot against his neck, then she reached his erection and rubbed her hand teasingly against it over his jeans.

“Looks like you’re happy to see me,” she whispered in his ear before taking the lobe into her mouth and gently biting.

Jason took a deep breath but couldn’t form a response. He growled low in his throat as his fingers started lengthening into claws. He closed his eyes, trying to control his beast. Eventually his claws receded, despite all odds. Samantha continued to torment him with her mouth and hands.

Jason jolted as he felt her unbutton his pants and slide them down his legs. His erection twitched as her hands reached for him and her mouth slowly burned a trail down his chest. She began to trace the trail of hair from his belly button down, but he grabbed her before she could go any further. She glanced up at him with confusion once again in her warm honey eyes.

“Jason?” Uncertainty made her voice quiver.

God, she was beautiful. He growled low in his throat, unable to form the words to explain. If she continued, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. He wanted to be inside her when he came, to feel her come around him before he plunged into ecstasy. The primal noise seemed to comfort her, and she smiled slyly. It was enough to set him off, and he found himself tearing off her shirt and throwing the shredded material to the side.

Jason reached out and supported her as he laid her back down on the bed and let his eyes feast on the creamy flesh bared before him. He ran his hands up and down the sides of her waist, lowering his mouth to hers. Her eyes glowed with desire as he nibbled on her lips, making him smile. She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. It was heady knowledge, and his wolf howled internally at the thought. He waited until he felt her breath stutter out before plunging his tongue into her mouth. Her nipples beaded against his hair-dusted chest, begging for his attention.

He ran his hand up and massaged her breast as his mouth sucked a trail down her neck. Jason paused briefly at the juncture of her shoulder where he suspected she would someday wear his mark before traveling down to her other turgid peak. He feasted greedily, loving the taste and feel of Samantha. She made the most erotic sounds in the back of her throat as she writhed beneath him. He could smell her arousal wafting up around them both.

She was stronger than he thought, and in his surprise she almost bucked him off as she arched upward. He pinched her nipple and bit gently on the other one in warning, causing Samantha to yip in surprise before moaning softly. Jason smiled. She sure seemed to like that. He’d have to file that information away for use later. He wanted to discover all of Samantha’s hot spots, to know what sensations made her moan and which made her come apart in his arms.

He continued to feast on her rosy pink nipples as his hands moved over her stomach and removed her skirt and underwear. Throwing them to the side of the bed, he cupped her mound. He thrust his finger inside her as he circled her clit with his thumb.

“Ah, little heart, you’re wet for me already,” he groaned out, continuing to thrust his hand against her. Adding a second and then a third finger, Jason brought Samantha quickly to a peak and bit hard at her nipple as he felt her tumble over.

“Jason!” she screamed as she came, riding his hand. Her body writhed as she rode out her pleasure. Jason wanted to feel her riding his cock as she came. He wanted to be buried deep inside her, feeling every quiver.

“Beautiful.” He quickly grabbed a condom from the bedside table where he’d left them earlier and positioned himself at her wet entrance. “Look at me.” His voice commanded her to open her eyes. When she did, Jason felt a wave of possessiveness unlike anything he’d felt before. “All mine,” he proclaimed right before he thrust inside her.

She was tight, like a silken glove squeezing him. He groaned at the amazing feeling of being buried inside her. Despite the tightness of her sheath, she easily accepted him and wrapped her silken legs around his waist, drawing him deeper. It was obvious she hadn’t been with a man in a while, a fact that pleased both the wolf and the man. Knowing he had to go slow, Jason grabbed her hips, trying to still their movement as she arched into him.

“Jason! Move!” she half-screamed at him, clawing at his back.

His wolf broke loose from the tenuous hold he had on it as he felt her inner muscles contract around him. He thrust into her hard and rode her fast. Just the feel of her made him want to shoot off like a teenager. He pushed harder and faster, desperate to feel Samantha come around him again before reaching his own climax. Jason nipped lightly at her shoulder, careful not to break the skin, but letting her feel the pressure of his teeth. She whimpered in pleasure, causing him to swell further as he thrust in and out of her feverishly.

Jason ran his hands down Samantha’s legs, detaching them from his waist and pulling them up to his shoulders. The new position seated him further inside her and increased the pressure until it was a delicious ache. He could feel her getting closer and closer to completion and vowed she would reach ecstasy first. He reached between them and gently massaged her clit.

Samantha’s short claws scraped down his shoulders, leaving trails as she came around him, screaming out his name in her ecstasy. He thrust long and hard, throwing his head back and howling as he emptied himself into the condom. Soon, he vowed, he’d be able to come inside Samantha and claim her completely as his.

Technically, sexual intercourse, with or without a condom, wasn’t required during mating. It was a shifter’s bite that released the enzyme into their mate’s bloodstream that linked the pair. However, most shifters choose to mate while making love as the all-encompassing sensation strengthened the bond between them. Every bite thereafter was unnecessary, but reinforced the connection, which was why most mated shifters had small scars all over their bodies from subsequent bites. Not only did each bite give the pairs almost unbearably intense orgasms, shared by both partners, but it also deepened their love for each other.

Jason knew it was too early to talk to Samantha about their mating, but he couldn’t help dreaming about the moment he knew loomed in the future. Their future. He couldn’t wait to mark her as his and to bear her mark in turn.

Jason collapsed on top of Samantha, feeling completely content for the first time in his thirty-one years. She had responded perfectly to his every move.

He hoped he hadn’t been too rough on her. He had wanted to take his time and make tonight special, but he couldn’t control himself once her heat enveloped him. Just being near her made his wolf howl, and he felt the overwhelming urge to seize her fully until even she couldn’t deny his possession.

The heat of her desire had only increased his own. They fed off each other until their desire was one blaze, consuming them both in its wake. Wanting to make sure Samantha was okay, Jason levered himself up on his elbows and looked down at her.

Samantha whined softly as he pulled away, but she didn’t cling to him. She opened her eyes and searched his questioningly. She must have liked what she saw because she smiled and Jason felt himself tumbling even deeper into love with her. Love? Jason was startled the word had crossed his mind this soon, but as he gazed at Samantha, he knew it was the truth. His feelings for her weren’t fleeting and they went well beyond lust.

Jason rolled onto his back and pulled Samantha tight against him. She was stiff for a moment before curling into his heat. As her nose pressed against his side and she rested her hand lightly on his chest, Jason sighed in contentment and went to sleep.

Samantha woke surrounded by warmth and the utterly male scent of her wolf. She smiled as memories from the previous night returned, then she snuggled deeper into the warm body lying next to her. Hers!

“If that smile is any indication, last night was as good for you as it was for me.” She heard the deep voice rumble beside her as he stroked up and down her side with his large hand. She opened her eyes and looked into the green ones staring at her. He was propped up with pillows, and his arm was draped around her.

“How long have you been up?” Samantha nibbled at her lower lip.

“Not too long. Fifteen minutes maybe.”

“Were you staring at me while I slept?”

“Not in a creepy way.” Samantha felt Jason’s laugh rumble in his chest where she lay against him. “You know you make the cutest little noises in your sleep?”

“I do not snore!”

“No, it’s not snoring, more of an exhalation of air. It’s rather endearing, actually.” The smile he sent her way was filled with such warmth and emotion, Samantha couldn’t hold on to her anger.

“Oh. I’m not sure what to say to that. Somehow ‘thank you’ doesn’t sound right.” Her anger had drained, but that didn’t mean she was above indulging in a little pouting. Jason laughed again and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. He briefly tightened his hand on her hip before releasing her with a groan.

“I wish we could spend all day like this. I would call in sick, but Laurie already warned me she’d have my head if you didn’t come in today. However…” Jason trailed off as his hand ran up her side and cupped her breast. He leaned down to sniff at her neck. “You’re kind of smelly.”

Samantha froze. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t even step outside smelling like that. Almost the whole town has increased sense of smell, you know. I think it would probably be best if you showered here. And just to be safe, I’ll help. I’ll make sure you wash–” Jason’s hand resting on her breast began to twist and pinch her nipple. “–everywhere.”

Samantha laughed long and hard, finally onto his game. Jason whined beside her and sent her his best puppy-dog look, causing Samantha to laugh harder. It wasn’t until she felt him cup her mound and press a finger inside her that her eyes opened wide and stared up into his questioning gaze. “You do make a convincing argument.”

The grin he sent her was positively wolfish.