and his balls dragged up. The world splintered and he heard her cry out. She clenched around him as she came again and he went over with her, his orgasm shooting out of him in a hard stream. Everything teetered as he flexed, trying to push deeper, then the bed collapsed.
His vision flickered. Gradually, he became aware of her hands gliding over him. Petting him, his brain supplied, and his wolf sighed, quieter than he’d been in years. For the first time since his father’s death, Mason experienced peace. The feeling grew as she continued to stroke him. Face buried against her throat, he licked her salty skin. Her sigh, almost an echo of his wolf’s, whispered over him. Belatedly, he recalled her injury and forced himself up, sliding to her side so he could glance down at her leg. The bandage he’d applied had darkened, but he didn’t scent any fresh blood.
“I’m okay,” she told him, transferring her caresses to his chest and he settled for drawing her close. When she rested her cheek on his chest above his heart, he closed his eyes. For a few minutes, he told himself, he would pretend being with her was okay and that he could hold her through the night. He knew he needed to leave her before he promised anything.
“Only okay?” The need to tease her brushed aside his other concerns. He could leave in the morning. Touch hunger left his soul parched and her nearness provided a desperately needed soaking rain. Tugging her closer, he claimed her mouth. Far from sated, he’d taken the edge off and allowed himself the time to savor the kiss. Lexi nipped his lip.
“More than okay,” she told him and swatted his hands when he tried to pull her back. “I want to touch this time.” Intrigued, he rolled onto his back. She rose up on her knees, a tentativeness to her actions, and his eyes narrowed.
“I told you to tell me if I hurt you.”
When he would have risen to examine her for injury, she slapped his chest. The sting roused his wolf, but Lexi only glared. “And you didn’t hurt me. But I haven’t had sex in a long time and you’re huge…so I’m a little sore. Now, lay still. And stop growling.”
Unaware he’d started again, he stopped. Surprise filtered through him. So far, twice he’d forgotten himself around her. She continued to pet him, running her hands over his chest. She dipped closer and kissed the spot she’d slapped. “How long?” he asked. Her statement roused his curiosity.
“None of your business.” She bit down on his nipple. Pleasure coursed through him.
“A long time, then.”
She paused and looked up at him. “Really, Mason? Do you want to talk about my previous partners or do you want to let me play with you? I mean, I can tell you all about…”
He pinched her ass and she yelped. “I don’t want to know about any of them. I just wanted to know how long because I’d like to shove my cock back into your sweet pussy and fuck you sideways.” Fresh arousal spiced the air and he smiled. “Oh, you liked the sound of that.”
Clearing her throat, she tried to shrug then rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why I try to pretend. You always know when I’m lying anyway.”
He did, but her confession satisfied him on a level he didn’t want to examine. Surrendering her pleasure had been one thing, giving him her honesty without pretense…that was something else. He’d lived surrounded by those who told lies as easily as they breathed. Polite lies. Impolite lies. Angry lies. Greedy lies. Always lies—about how they felt or what they wanted. They even had a name for it—social convention. Bullshit that excused more bullshit. Humans weren’t wolves. While Lexi was human, she was different. She belonged—
Cutting the thought off, he drew his hands behind his head and watched her as she continued to explore his body. When her fingers brushed his cock, he kept his hands gripped together, lest he reach for her. She wanted to play with him.
“You broke my bed.” She