Fire in the Smokies

Chapter Twelve

Brianna leaned against the door to her apartment as soon as it snicked shut and slumped down until she sat on the floor. Her hands shook. Her heart pounded. She was more tired than she’d ever been in her life, while at the same time her body thrummed with pent-up energy.

What the hell was wrong with her? What if Jaxon was right? What if she couldn’t stand to be apart from him?

No. She refused to believe all that mumbo jumbo. She was a human for God’s sake. Sure, she’d had to face the fact that humans were not the only beings inhabiting the earth. The world as she’d known it yesterday had expanded exponentially. But surely she could resist the allure of one very sexy man and regroup for a few days in her own surroundings. Nobody could possibly need sex as bad as Jaxon had insinuated after what she’d done in the last thirty-six hours.

God. Has it only been that long? Somehow it seemed she’d met Jaxon months ago, not yesterday morning.

Brianna put her head in her hands and leaned over her bent knees. She was too tired to move, both emotionally and physically. Drained.

And her brain wouldn’t stop running on the fumes left to power it. Her tank had to be almost empty.

She needed a shower, a hot meal and her bed. And she wasn’t entirely sure in what order she was going to put those tasks.

Her stomach took that moment to growl. Fine. Food first, then.

Brianna lifted her head and stared toward the kitchen. It seemed farther away than it had yesterday. She considered crawling the distance but then decided against it. She didn’t know much about Jaxon’s true connection to her right this second, and she didn’t need the added embarrassment if he was spying on her.

It seemed like she was getting better at blocking him. After all, he hadn’t communicated a single syllable since she’d shut the door. But, on the other hand, he could be humoring her.

Would he really sit outside in his truck until…?

Dragging herself to standing, Brianna decided to make the trek toward the kitchen first. Ten or so steps later, she was peering into her freezer as if it might contain items other than the ones she had personally stocked it with.

She didn’t care. All she needed was any random red box of a single-serve meal. Without looking, she snatched the one on top and ripped it open.

Ah, her favorite. Chicken parmesan. About a half a serving of it as far as she was concerned, but it was a start.

Brianna popped the tray into the microwave and wandered down the hall. A quick shower was her specialty when dire situations called for immediate results. She could be in and out in the five minutes it took for the frozen meal to cook and head back to the kitchen to retrieve it before it cooled.

Brianna stripped her clothes off as she walked down the short hall, letting the pieces fall wherever they landed. She didn’t care right now. Hell, she didn’t know when she might care again. Her brain was overloaded.

Shower, eat, sleep. Don’t think about anything else.

By the time she reached the bathroom, she was naked. Without opening the shower door more than the few inches necessary to fit her arm inside, she turned the dial all the way to the left and then stood back to wait for hot water. It needed to be hot. Scalding would be perfect.

A quick glance at the mirror made Brianna pause. God, she looked awful. Like she’d spent the day fighting a forest fire or something. Her face was smudged so bad with soot she could barely discern what her natural coloring was.

Her gaze wandered down to her chest. Her nipples beaded as she watched. Was it cold in here? She knew better than that. The second her eyes landed on her breasts, thoughts of having them worshipped by Jaxon flooded her mind.

Brianna jerked her gaze toward the shower. Steam seeped out the top and clouded the glass door. Heaven.

As she stepped into the decadent stream, Brianna sighed. God, that feels good. She stood for several moments, letting the water stream down her body, washing away more than the grime of the day. She hoped to wash away the stress too. One vampire. Three wolf shifters. Not to mention a forest fire. If not for the rain, she didn’t know how long she could have continued to keep up that pace and fake like she was just as strong as all the men.

Food. Bed. Brianna grabbed the shampoo and lathered her limp hair. She’d feel one hundred percent better just washing the drooping locks. As soon as she finished with her hair, she let her hands roam down her body, gliding easily over her skin and spreading the suds from the shampoo.

With her eyes closed against the onslaught of soap, she gasped when her hands skittered over her nipples. Her knees nearly buckled at the contact, the unexpected friction stiffening her spine and dragging her into a more wakeful state than she would have thought possible.

How could she unintentionally arouse herself? She’d never before been accidentally aroused by her own touch.

Brianna sucked in a breath and ducked beneath the hot water, letting it rinse away the soap until she could safely open her eyes.

With her head tipped down, she gazed at her chest again. Just like moments ago in the mirror, her nipples were puckered, standing out, demanding attention.

Brianna grabbed the soap and tried to divert her gaze, washing her legs instead. She started at her feet and worked her way up. Just leaning over drew attention to her chest. Her breasts felt inordinately full, achy, as they might during sex. Desperate.

As she stood and set the soap back in its dish, she let her hands wander up her thighs and moaned when she reached the apex. Oh God. This wasn’t happening.

She was too tired and hungry right now to masturbate in the shower. It had to be Jaxon’s fault for insinuating she couldn’t handle being away from him. He’d planted the idea and she was just acting on the power of suggestion.

In any case, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt anyone. The last thing she needed tonight was his smug smile clouding her dreams.

And the easiest way to fix the problem was to act on the impulse. Brianna spread her legs as her arousal increased. She ran a finger between her lower lips and over her clit. Her eyes shot open wide. Holy fuck! Her knees threatened to buckle from that one swipe.

Brianna leaned back against the tile wall of the shower for support. The move brought her upper body out of the direct line of the spray. She gripped the wall with one hand. Well, perhaps gripped wasn’t exactly the right term. Could a person actually grip a wet tile surface? She wasn’t entirely sure she could remain standing.

Seconds went by as she tried to catch her breath. One swipe? Jesus. She needed to come so bad she couldn’t move until she did. And she’d had so many orgasms in the last day and a half she couldn’t even count them. How could she even begin to be aroused by a goddamn shower?

Brianna reached between her legs and flicked her middle finger over her clit again, drawing out a loud moan she couldn’t remember ever emitting before. She let her head fall back against the tile and her eyes drifted shut to close off the world so she could concentrate on nothing but her own pleasure.

She didn’t touch her begging nub again yet. She wanted to draw out the experience. Enjoy it for at least thirty seconds—because that’s about how long she imagined she could hold out.

Raising both hands, Brianna pinched her nipples and twisted them simultaneously, enjoying the pleasure-pain she induced. She then ran her flat palms down her breasts and abdomen until she reached her shaved mons again. Using one hand to hold herself open, she plunged two fingers into her core.

Again she gasped and leaned forward. No way could she remain standing, and she didn’t have to. She let her body slide down the wall until she sat on the warm tile. Water sprayed around her, not hitting her face, but landing on her legs and bouncing across her body.

Her knees flopped open wide and Brianna fucked her needy pussy with the two fingers that had started the job.

Oh God. She was going to come. Now. Fast. Furious.

With her free hand, she flicked her clit over and over in rapid succession while she pumped her fingers inside her. She knew her body well. A slight twist of her hand, and she was able to drag her bent fingers over the elusive spot that drove her completely bonkers.

That was all it took. On a loud groan, Brianna came, her juices pulsing around her fingers as she continued to pump them as deep as she could. The sensation of her pussy gripping her own hand made her sigh. She usually needed a vibrator to her clit to come so hard so fast.

The bliss was short lived. Flopped with her legs widespread in the corner of the shower, Brianna caught her breath and opened her eyes.

She needed more. Fuck.

It hadn’t been enough. Not by a long shot. There was no real comparison to the long thick cock she’d enjoyed several times recently.

No fucking way was she going to admit defeat. She needed to buck up and clear her head and eat and sleep. Tomorrow she could face her weird new demons. Not tonight. If she let that man into her apartment, she’d never get a chance to think clearly about the implications of their relationship.

Who met a man in a cave in a dire situation and then never separated from him again? Not any normal woman she knew. If one of her friends did that, she’d think they were completely insane.

Brianna dragged herself to standing and finished washing as efficiently as possible. Minutes later, she stood in the bathroom drying off and wrapping the towel around her hair.

She did her best to ignore the ache in her stomach that demanded release. She didn’t even look down at herself or glance in the mirror, knowing if she did she’d find a splotchy red stretch of skin covering her body—a sure sign of her arousal.

“Shit,” she muttered out loud as she wandered to her room. She donned a pair of panties and a tank top and headed back to the kitchen. The microwave had long since finished cooking and now sat beeping every thirty seconds to alert her to its uneaten contents.

Sure enough, the meal was lukewarm. Brianna didn’t have the inclination to care right then and scarfed the tiny black plastic container of food without tasting a thing.

In less time than it took her to shower, considering the interruption, she finished the meager dinner, brushed her teeth and slid in between the cool sheets of her bed.

Under normal circumstances she hated that first moment when the bed was cold and she wanted to be warm. Tonight was different. Her skin was on fire and the cool material actually felt welcoming.

Brianna snuggled under the covers and consciously relaxed every muscle in her body. She could do this sleep thing. No doubt she was tired. Now she was clean and fed too. Deep breaths. Cleansing. Freeing. Relaxing. Okay, not relaxing…

When she closed her eyes, all she saw behind her lids was Jaxon. As though he were in the room, she could feel his hands wrapped around her body, smell his outdoorsy clean scent, hear his breaths rise as he nuzzled her neck. Hell, the backs of her eyelids even showed a film of his sexy body rising over hers, his eyes burrowing deep into her soul as he slid into her needy, wanting pussy.

Brianna moaned and gripped her legs together. She had to get that man out of her brain and rest.

Taste. She’d left out that one sensation. She licked her lips, remembering the flavor of his skin. The taste of his tongue inside her mouth.

She had to quit this right now.

Brianna grabbed the second pillow from the other side of the bed and flung it over her head. As though that would block out the images. The memories.

If they hadn’t already fucked several times, would she still be able to envision so clearly what every second of their joining was like?

As she lay there breathing, as heavily as if she’d just had sex, she listened to the silence. Niggling in her mind was the possibility she wasn’t completely blocking Jaxon as she would like. She was so new to the concept she doubted she had the capability to keep him out of her head entirely.

Minutes ticked by. If she had a wall clock, she could count them to occupy her mind. She had no such thing. Her hands itched to reach between her legs again. Her tank top had risen in her restlessness until it nestled just below her breasts. She didn’t dare tug it back down for fear the material would rasp across her nipples and drive her further into the torturous world of denial she’d created all by herself.

In fact, she didn’t move a muscle. She kept her hands to her sides and gripped the sheet in her fists to hold still.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

Wetness dampened her panties. It dripped from her pussy of its own accord. She squirmed against the wetness. A huge mistake. The lace of her panties rubbed against her clit to drive her crazy with need.

Fuck.

“Jaxon. You win. If you can hear me, get your ass in here. I can’t fucking sleep without having your cock buried inside me at least once.” She bit her lip and waited to see if he’d respond. Could he truly hear her? It was a test in a way. A test of her sanity with regards to the man who was supposedly watching her apartment from his truck. Was he perhaps a figment of her imagination?

Apparently not. And furthermore, the man couldn’t possibly have still been in his truck. Less than two full breaths later, there was a knock at her door.

Damn.

She hadn’t considered that. Now she had to get out of bed and go let him in.

As she rose, she promised herself this meant nothing. Just because she liked having him with her…just because his cock filled her to perfection and she wanted to test that theory again now…just because she needed him as bad as she needed her next breath…it meant nothing. She could sleep with him again tonight and still walk away tomorrow.

Definitely.

For sure.

She hoped…

Jaxon’s cock ached like never before. He’d been standing outside Brianna’s door for several long minutes, knowing she would call to him at any second. How could she not? The little nymph was driving him crazy.

He’d known she wouldn’t be able to ignore the pull of their mating. He’d known she would call him inside eventually. Hell, he’d even known he needed to tread lightly where her feelings were concerned. This entire concept was foreign to her. It wouldn’t help for him to be smug about it. No brownie points would be earned there.

What he hadn’t known, or considered, was how poorly his little human would be able to block him while she came around.

For nearly half an hour he’d been on the fringe of her emotions, hovering right there with her while she masturbated herself to completion on the shower floor. He’d had to take his cock in hand while she did that and bring himself to orgasm, visualizing her firm naked body—legs spread, water cascading over her, her eyes rolled back in ecstasy.

After he cleaned himself up with the pack of tissues he was relieved to find under the seat, he’d attempted to tuck himself back into his jeans, hoping for his mate’s sake she could rest after the all-consuming orgasm that racked her frame.

At least if she slept for a while, she could let him back into her world with her head held high. But such was not the case.

Instead, she still craved him. When she’d climbed between her sheets and began to visualize their mating, Jaxon had hit his head on the steering wheel while he groaned in frustration.

He’d known then she wouldn’t make it through the night. Without a good hard fuck, she wouldn’t be able to relax.

In the cold evening air, Jaxon had left the warmth of his car and ambled toward her door, grateful no one was around to see his attempt at a normal stride with his dick at full attention once again and bulging into the front of his jeans.

When and why and who on earth decided it was a good idea to put men’s zippers right in front of their cocks? Didn’t anyone consider how painful the metal teeth would be for a man consumed with arousal who tended to go commando? Geez.

Adjusting himself and glancing around to make sure no one was watching him, Jaxon had made his way to his mate’s door and let his head fall against the cold glossy paint.

And waited.

Finally, she called to him. It jarred him a bit. He’d expected a phone call, not a mental connection.

Jerking upright, Jaxon rapped his fist three times against the door.

He smiled when his shocked mate climbed out of bed. She really needed to learn to block. She had no idea what she did to him with that head of hers running a mile a minute.

The door whipped open.

Jaxon sucked in a deep breath. He shouldn’t have been shocked. It wasn’t as though he had no idea what she’d been wearing. She’d screamed it through the connection when she’d stepped into the white lace panties and then slipped the tight-fitting tank over her head.

She’d screamed it again as she lay in bed, desperately trying to deny him while she squirmed against the lace material of her panties, her nipples rasping against the tight cotton tank top.

Still, he was stunned. She was so gorgeous. So hot.

Her chest heaved as she stood there. Her nipples poked forward, their dents in the tank calling to him.

He had a difficult time getting his legs to move as he stepped into her apartment, her space, her haven—the only thing she had that was all hers before this moment when he entered it with the intention of debasing every surface inside as quickly as possible.

Impervious to the blast of cold air he brought inside with him, she stared at his face. And bit her lip in that way that drove him insane.

“You shouldn’t open your door to any random knock without looking through the peephole, baby,” he admonished. He pushed the door closed behind him with a soft snick and turned the deadbolt without looking.

She ignored his ribbing and stepped back as he stalked forward. He tugged his jacket off and dropped it on the floor. The scent of her arousal filled the entire apartment. He took a deep breath and had to strain to keep himself from howling. Later he would need to shift and run free. He could howl all he wanted in wolf form and work out any pent-up energy then.

Not now. Now was for fucking.

Hard. Fast. Rough.

Later there would be time for slow and gentle.

Brianna’s hands went to her throat. Her skin was blotchy with lust, giant pinkened areas that he wanted to lick until she moaned. He hadn’t had her since this morning.

Brianna’s glazed eyes lowered to his cock. He knew the moment her gaze landed on the object of her desire.

She stiffened and squeezed her legs together. Why did women do that? Were they unaware the action would only make things worse, rubbing their pussy lips together and adding friction to their clits?

It must be instinctual, but it certainly wasn’t logical.

Brianna backed into a wall, bonking her head in the process. She didn’t seem to notice. Her gaze never left the spot where Jaxon had managed to zip his jeans, though the button still hung open.

When she licked her lips, he moaned and closed the distance between them in one long stride, pressing his body against hers. He straddled her head with his hands against the wall and took her mouth possessively.

Angling his head, he deepened the kiss in an instant, swallowing her moan of relief and tasting every delicious crevice of her mouth. Her minty toothpaste dominated her personal flavor right now, but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, he liked the taste.

Jaxon aligned his body with hers and increased the friction between them, his cock nestling against her stomach. He pushed one thigh between her legs and nudged them open, spreading them as far as he could.

Brianna gripped his shirt with both hands and held on to him as though otherwise he might slip out of her grip and get away.

She broke the kiss, tipping her head to one side to take deep breaths. “I need you, Jaxon. Now. Please don’t fuck with me. Just do it. I’m not in the mood for foreplay.”

“Well.” He nibbled across her neck to whisper in her ear, “Since you’ve already come wickedly at your own hand in the shower, I guess you’re probably still primed for my cock.”

Brianna stiffened as he knew she would. In a way he’d invaded her privacy. But, in reality, she’d shouted it to him herself. She just didn’t realize it. And in truth, Jaxon didn’t feel right keeping the secret of her lack of blocking skills to himself. It seemed like a lie to him.

He felt obliged to tell her he’d been there. Too bad he hadn’t actually been able to watch in person, but close enough.

“I suck,” Brianna finally muttered. She relaxed marginally but didn’t release his shirt.

“Oh, baby, I hope so, but it has nothing to do with your new status as my mate. That will take time. It’s difficult even for a wolf shifter to learn to keep some thoughts to themselves. You’re human, Bri. It’ll take a while.

“Plus, it’s nearly impossible for new mates caught up in the frenzy. With your mind foggy with lust, it’s tough to concentrate on anything else, especially keeping your mate out of your head.”

Brianna slackened a bit more. “I suppose you know everything.”

“Mostly, yes. And the next time you masturbate in the shower, I want a front row seat. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced and I wasn’t even physically here.”

He tipped his head back and stared into her eyes. She smiled. “I’ll consider it.”

“Oh, I didn’t ask you to consider it. I’m actually demanding such an audience. Don’t even think of touching your pussy with those itchy fingers in the shower again.” He nibbled her lower lip. “I’ll know,” he continued. “I might just spank that sexy pink ass of yours for insubordination if you do.”

Unsure what sort of response his words might elicit, Jaxon was more than pleased when his little mate tensed. Her pulse increased where he now licked a path down her neck. He could smell her arousal amp up a notch. Oh, she was so perfect. He’d mentioned spanking her before. Her reaction was no different this time.

“Spread your legs farther, baby.” Jaxon pushed against first one and then the other with his thigh. Through her dainty lace panties, her moisture seeped into his jeans.

With one hand, Jaxon grasped the corner of sexy white lace and yanked.

Brianna gasped.

“I’ll buy you another pair,” he mumbled. “Can’t wait. Need you. Now.”

When Brianna lowered her hands to reach for his zipper, Jaxon bucked away from her touch. If she so much as grazed a finger over his cock right now he would come before he entered her. And he badly needed the warm tightness of her pussy surrounding his dick.

In an instant, he grabbed both her hands, wrapped her wrists in one of his palms and reached to hold them over her head.

With his free hand, he jerked the zipper down on his jeans. His cock sprang forth, the release a welcome feeling. In record speed, he shimmied his jeans down enough to fully free his erection. The offending denim fell to the floor. His feet were trapped with his boots still on and his jeans now around his ankles, but he didn’t need that part of his body.

Jaxon let his gaze wander up Brianna’s body until he stared into her eyes. He wished they didn’t each have a shirt on, but he couldn’t take the time to do anything about that minor impediment.

In one graceful swoop, Jaxon released the grip on his mate’s wrists, grasped her firmly around the middle, lifted her several inches off the ground and then settled her on his cock until she was completely impaled.

Brianna screamed in shock, loud enough to wake the neighbors. She wrapped her legs around him, hugging him against her.

Holding that position for a moment, Jaxon hoped to rein in his arousal enough to enjoy the sensation at least for a few thrusts. “Baby, you might want to lower your voice. The neighbors are going to call the cops.” His words were husky to his ear. Anything to get his mind off his cock for a few seconds.

Brianna squeezed her lips together and nodded.

Jaxon lifted her frame off his length as leisurely as he could stand and then settled her back down on him.

She moaned. Her head rolled against the wall. Her pupils disappeared up into her head.

Gritting his teeth, Jaxon finally let go. He thrust into his mate with abandon several times. He wasn’t going to last. “Come for me, Bri, baby.”

Brianna bucked her hips toward him.

“That’s it, baby. Rub your clit against me. Use the base of my cock to make yourself come.”

Brianna arched her back and ground herself against him. He watched her face, not lifting her off his cock again. Wanting her to come before he did. One more thrust and he would be done for.

“Bri, look at me,” he demanded.

The slits in her glazed eyes widened and she tipped her head down to meet his gaze.

“Come. Now.”

His mate clamped down on his cock with her pussy as she let her lips fall open and screamed, “Jaxon.”

Jaxon lifted one hand to clamp it over her mouth. Her eyes widened. She had no idea how loud she was when she orgasmed. He loved it, but the neighbors really were going to get suspicious if she kept it up.

He didn’t need that arm anyway. There was no need to lift her off him again. The pulsing of her pussy around his cock sent him careening over the cliff with her, and he shot his come deep inside her, reveling in the grip she had on his length.

Moments later, when he could finally breathe again, Jaxon released his grip on his mate’s mouth. “Sorry. You…”

Brianna blushed. “I don’t scream.”

Jaxon smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. When she let her gaze meet his once more, she smiled that mischievous tilt of her lips that told him she knew the lie when it left her lips.

“Think you can sleep now?” he asked.

“God, I hope so. I was so tired earlier. I just couldn’t…” Her voice trailed off and he didn’t force the issue.

He understood anyway. No need to make her feel embarrassed about her inability to resist him.

“Perhaps if I join you in your bed and hold you, you can rest?”

“Sounds perfect.” Brianna squirmed against him.

Jaxon bent his knees and lowered her to the ground. When he pulled out, he already missed her warmth.

Down, boy. Later. The woman needs rest.

Without a word, Jaxon tugged off his boots, stepped out of his jeans and pulled his T-shirt over his head.

Brianna didn’t move, as though the show were mesmerizing.

He left his clothing right where it fell and reached for his mate. During a long languid kiss, he inched her tank up her body. When he broke the liplock, he tugged her shirt over her head. He wanted her naked body against his while he held her.

In a swift motion, Jaxon lifted his mate into his arms and carried her down the short hall to the bedroom. He eased her onto the bed and left her there while he headed for the bathroom. Moments later he returned with a warm washcloth in hand. Brianna stared at him, her eyes half-mast. She was already half asleep.

With great care, Jaxon wiped between her legs. She spread for him with little coaxing, her knees lying bent and open. God, he loved this woman.

Jaxon climbed in next to his mate, pulled her sexy body against his chest and tugged the blankets over them.

He brushed damp curls away from her face. Her hair had still been wet when she went to bed. “Sleep, baby. I’ll be right here.” He kissed her temple and relaxed against her, listening to her breathing as she succumbed to her exhaustion. Moments later, he went with her…