-Ember-
Not a minute passes where his focus on me wavers. His attention is like a physical touch, constant and intoxicating.
Damn! That was hot, Ivy purrs in my mind, sounding thoroughly impressed. Your first time and you scored a sex god. Not bad, girl.
Go away, Ivy... let me have this.
Fine. But don't say I never give you privacy, Ivy smirks and retreats to the back of my mind.
When our breathing calms and our hearts beat normally again, I feel him shift beside me, his hand still tracing lazy patterns on my skin, sending little aftershocks of pleasure through my body.
"I want to take a bath with you," he says, his voice husky and warm against my ear. "I want to feel every inch of you against me in the water."
My pulse quickens again at the intimacy of his suggestion. "Okay," I breathe, surprised by how much I want that too.
"Stay here," he says, kissing my head tenderly. "I'll come get you in a few minutes."
"All right," I agree, reluctant to let him go but enjoying the way he's taking care of me.
He gets off the bed, and I immediately miss his arms around me. The absence of his heat makes me feel suddenly vulnerable, my body still tingling from his touch.
Something moves next to me, and I hear him patting the bed. "Slide under the covers."
I move over, and he tucks the blanket over me with surprising gentleness, then leans back to my ear.
"Don't fall asleep, little wolf," he whispers, his breath tickling my skin. "I'm not done with you yet."
"If I do, just wake me up," I tease, though I mean it. "I can think of a few ways I wouldn't mind being woken."
His low chuckle sends heat straight to my core. "I'll be back," he promises, kissing my cheek before leaving.
He isn't gone long before he slides his arms under my body and carries me into the bathroom. The gesture is so unexpectedly tender that it makes my chest tighten.
"Do you always carry your women around?" I ask, trying to keep my tone light despite the flutter in my stomach.
He snorts softly. "Nope. Just you."
I try to hide my smile but can't. There's something about being special to him, even in this small way, that makes me feel warm inside. He sets me in the warm water, and I scoot forward. He gets in behind me and tugs me back against his chest, his arms encircling me, his hard body a delicious contrast to the soft water.
"How long are you in the city for?" he asks, his fingers tracing patterns on my arm that make my skin prickle with awareness.
"Two nights. My friends brought me here," I reply, leaning back into his embrace, feeling his chest rise and fall against my back.
"Oh?" There's a note of curiosity in his voice. "Lucky me they did."
A few minutes go by in comfortable silence, just the sound of water lapping against the sides of the tub and our synchronized breathing. His hands occasionally drift over my skin, not with sexual intent but with something that feels like... appreciation.
"So you're celebrating a breakup?" he finally asks, his tone careful.
My chest tightens. "How did you know that? Did my friends—"
"No," he interrupts gently. "I may have overheard the two talking by the bathrooms in the club. The blonde one seemed particularly determined to get you laid."
I release a breath and admit, "Rejection, actually." Heat crawls up my face at the confession. "And yes, she is... enthusiastic about my sex life."
"Okay, I see," he says thoughtfully, tracing my jawbone with his fingertip. "Their loss, my gain."
I turn to look away, but there's nowhere to hide. The blindfold hasn't moved. I'd think it would allow me to camouflage my emotions, but instead, it makes it more challenging. Everything feels more exposed, more raw.
"He chose someone else..." I reveal quietly, "well, a lot of someone elses."
His body tenses behind me, and his voice turns hard, almost dangerous. "He cheated on you?"
I can only nod, the hurt still fresh despite my attempts to bury it.
"He is a fucking fool," he says, putting his mouth on my ear, his voice a growl that sends shivers down my spine. "And a lousy excuse of a wolf. Any man who would cheat on a woman like you doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as you."
His indignation on my behalf touches something deep inside me. I'm not sure why I care what he thinks of me or why his words mean so much. But they do.
"I know what it's like to want the love of your mate," he says unexpectedly, his voice dropping to something vulnerable and real.
I turn to him in shock. That a god-like man who has such a strong and powerful aura could ever be vulnerable enough to admit that—or that it would be true—seems impossible. I can't see him still, but I feel his warm breath merging with mine.
"You do?" I ask, unable to hide my surprise.
"Yes," he admits simply, the word heavy with unspoken history. "Sometimes what we want most is just out of reach."
I lean closer to him, so close to his lips, but he turns, and I kiss his jaw instead. The rejection stings, even though I know it shouldn't.
He doesn't want to kiss me because of her? I wonder.
He's still in love with her, Ivy supplies, her voice unusually gentle.
A hint of jealousy flares in my belly, but I remind myself this isn't a relationship nor is it ever going to be. And here I am sleeping with a man who isn't my mate. I can't expect him to have any feelings for me, plus we just met. And I don't even know what he looks like.
What if he has a god-like body and an ugly face? Ivy suggests mischievously. Like, maybe he has a unibrow and buck teeth.
"Now I don't know if I hate the blindfold or I'm glad for it," I snicker, whispering the thought aloud.
"What's that?" he asks, amusement in his voice.
"Nothing," I reply quickly. "Just talking to myself."
I flip over, straddling him, putting my arms around his shoulders, stroking the nape of his neck. The water sloshes around us as I settle against him, feeling his hardness pressing against me again.
"How long are you in the city for?" I ask, changing the subject.
"Same as you. Two nights," he replies, his hands finding my waist under the water.
"Why are you here?"
"It was a much-needed break for my friends and me," he says, his thumbs making small circles on my hips that are driving me crazy. "Though I didn't expect to find someone like you."
I tilt my head and bite my smile. "Are they going to be mad you ditched them for me?"
"No," he says, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear gently. "I'm sure I won't be missed. They're probably too drunk to notice I'm gone."
"I would miss you," I blurt out, then instantly feel embarrassed by my admission. It's too honest, too revealing of how quickly I'm becoming attached to this stranger.
His hands still on my waist. "Would you now?" he asks, his voice soft with something I can't identify. Surprise? Pleasure? Wariness?
"I mean—" I stammer, trying to backtrack. "Tonight. I would miss you tonight."
But even as I say it, I know it's not entirely true. Something about this man has gotten under my skin in a way no one else ever has—not even Tanner.
"You don't have to explain," he says, running his hands up my back. "I understand what you meant."
But does he? Because I'm not sure I understand it myself.
"Tell me something about yourself," I say, changing the subject. "Something real. Something no one else knows."
He's quiet for so long I think he might not answer. Then, "I've never done anything like this before."
"Like what? A one-night stand?" I ask, surprised.
"Like this," he clarifies, his hands gesturing between us though I can't see it. "Meeting someone and feeling..." He trails off.
"Feeling what?" I press, my heart suddenly racing.
He sighs. "Like I've known you before. Like this was meant to happen. Like your body was made to fit against mine."
The admission hangs between us, heavy with implications neither of us is ready to explore.
"I feel it too," I whisper, resting my forehead against his. "And it scares the shit out of me."
"Why?" he asks, his fingers threading through my hair.
"Because tomorrow I'll leave, and I'll never know who you are. And that will haunt me."
His chest rises and falls with a deep breath. "Maybe that's for the best, little wolf. Some mysteries are better left unsolved."
His hands slide down to cup my ass, pulling me closer against him. "Besides," he murmurs, his voice dropping to that sexy growl that makes me wet instantly, "we still have tonight. And I plan to make every second count."
But as I sit here in his arms, water cooling around us, I'm not so sure I agree. For the first time in my life, one night doesn't feel like enough.