Sondrae Bennett: Chasing Paradise

She sat on the floor across the room putting clothes in the dresser drawers, her back rigid. She didn’t turn around when he entered the room and shut the door.

“Did he leave, Ty? Thanks for chasing him away. I really don’t want to see him,” she muttered quietly, sniffling into a tissue.

Ethan stood back examining the scene. It was obvious Gwen was upset. The anguish in her voice broke his heart. He never wanted to hear her crying again even though he knew he would at some point if they spent a lifetime together. No matter how perfect their relationship would be, or how well suited they were, tears were bound to happen. Still, he’d do everything in his power to make sure it didn’t happen often. All he wanted was to make her happy.

Right now, he was more concerned by the cause of these particular tears. He knew it was his fault. That knowledge sat heavy on his shoulders.

Whatever hurt he had caused Gwen, he vowed to fix it. But right now, he had a more pressing concern. No matter what boneheaded thing he’d done, he was her future mate. A mate she’d left twiddling his thumbs in California. His wolf demanded to know she’d never run from him again. There was only one way to make certain.

He snarled as he crossed the room until he stood directly behind his woman. She stiffened at the sound and ever so slowly looked up into his yellow eyes.

“Ethan?” she squeaked. She stood in a rush and backed away from him. A growl burst from his throat. Backing away was just another form of running in his mind. Ethan still stood between her and the exit, but seeing her running from him yet again caused something to shift inside him. Some primal side he tried to keep buried broke free.

He stalked her until her back hit the wall behind her.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered.

Instead of answering, he pressed her body further against the wall with his own and leaned down, capturing her lips in a heated kiss.

Her hands floated in the air above his chest. This was a moment of truth. Either her hands were raised to push him away or clutch him closer. Her hesitant response cut a path through the red haze of anger, allowing reality to intrude. Frustration swamped him. If Gwen didn’t acknowledge they were destined to mate, he couldn’t in good conscience take the next step. Mating was for life. It wasn’t something he would force on anyone, destiny or not. If time was what she needed, time was what she’d get. But she could damn well spend it with him. At least in the same state, if not in the same room.

Just as he started to back off, her hands fisted in his shirt, clinging to him desperately.

The primal beast within went wild, the scent of her arousal floating in the air around them. He pushed her roughly against the wall, his body flush against hers. Her small groan of desire caused Ethan’s need to grow impossibly larger. The clothes needed to go. Now. His hands snaked up her body, pulling her shirt up and off.

Barely breaking contact with her lips, Ethan threw the shirt to the floor before he thrust his tongue into her mouth once more, devouring her taste. He was a starving man and Gwen was his favorite dish.

Massaging her nipples, Ethan became frustrated with the barrier of her bra and brutally ripped the straps, shoving it down her torso and baring her breasts to his gaze.

Without warning, Ethan leaned down and assaulted Gwen’s nipples with his tongue. Drawing one rosy peak into his mouth, Ethan sucked hard, letting her feel the edge of his teeth. A strangled moan escaped Gwen as she twitched against him.

How did he do this to her? Heat engulfed her until all she could do was mewl in need. God, she was on fire. She clung to Ethan’s shoulders, her nails sharpening as her inner animal clawed toward the surface.

This rough side of Ethan was completely opposite from the calm, collected party guy she’d met the night before. But damned if she didn’t like it.

She would have laughed if she had the breath for it. Like it? Hell, she didn’t just like it. She worshipped it. This man demanded and took until Gwen could do nothing but offer him anything he wanted.

The tender peaks of her breasts brushed against his shirt as he moved back up her body, capturing her mouth once again. The delicious flame of desire in her belly burned brighter.

The brush of his clothing against her naked skin set her on fire. Her hands moved toward his shirt buttons, but before she reached the first one, she found her hands raised above her head and held against the wall. The helpless pose pushed her breasts out, opening her further to Ethan’s caresses.

The vulnerable position, as well as the small grunts he was making, caused a blast of renewed heat through her blood. The whole thing felt so…primal. Gwen had never been more turned on. She moaned and thrust her breasts against him.

He understood her silent plea. Clutching her hands in one of his, he reached down with his other to remove her skirt. He struggled for a moment and Gwen was sure he’d have to release her hands to work the zipper. The wall scraped against her back as she writhed against it. This was taking too long.

A tearing sound rent the air.

The sound cleared some of the haze of desire from her brain. Opening her eyes, Gwen looked down in shock. Ethan’s claws were out and her skirt lay shredded on the floor, completely ruined. A protest rose to the surface–that was an expensive skirt–but his mouth covered hers before the words left her mouth. Argument forgotten, she sank into him with a moan as his tongue tangled with hers. Need returned with a vengeance, drowning her in longing.

Without warning, he tore his mouth away from hers and buried his face against her throat. She mewled in protest, animal instinct driving her now. Why did he always pull away when she needed him? His breath fell hot and heavy against her neck as his hands gripped her hips, stilling their movements.

“Stop me now if you don’t want this, Gwen. I can’t stop if we go any further,” Ethan whispered against her skin.

Stop? Gwen could no more stop this than she could stop breathing. If Ethan pulled away now, she’d spontaneously combust.

“Please, don’t leave me.” Gwen didn’t care that she begged. She needed Ethan. She needed her mate. The past hours had been torture as her otter yearned for her wolf.

Pausing only to unzip his pants, Ethan thrust into Gwen without removing them. There was something wicked about being naked and fucked against a wall by a man fully clothed. His groan joined hers. The feel of him inside her, the delicious stretch as her body struggled to accommodate him, brought tears of pleasure to her eyes. As Ethan pulled Gwen’s legs up, wrapping them around his waist, he slid deeper, sending shards of pleasure through her body.

“Never. I’m never leaving you and you’re never leaving me again. You’re mine, Gwen.” Ethan continued thrusting inside her, his cock pulsing with impending release. His release burned in his balls as he struggled to hold it back. He wasn’t going to last, his lust was too great. When his muscles tightened, he knew he was out of time. Before he could let go, he needed to finish the mating.

“Who do you belong to, Gwen?”

Staring down at her, he waited for a response. She didn’t appear to have heard him. Her hands were fisted in his hair, her head thrown back, exposing her throat to his wandering mouth. A desperate moan escaped and she pulled on his hair when his hips stopped moving.

“Gwen. Who do you belong to?”

“You,” The admission burst from her on a sob. “I belong to you. Please make me yours.”

It was exactly what Ethan needed to hear. Giving his wolf free reign, he licked her neck just above her shoulder. The spot would perfectly display his mark of possession. Ethan bit down hard, sinking his canines into her flesh and releasing the enzyme that would bind her to him for all time. The link began to form, uniting them as one. He could actually feel it, their souls weaving together. There were no words.