*
Chapter Eighteen
Catherine’s blood ran cold. She felt ice crystals form along the nerve endings in her arms. She stared at Leonora with an open mouth while the other woman continued to glare as if her eyes could sear holes through Catherine’s head.
“I-I don’t…”
“Catherine?” Both women turned to see Graham observing them from the entryway. Graham’s eyes missed nothing as he took in his mate’s distraught appearance and his sister’s intent. “Is there a problem here?” He raised a brow up at them.
Before Leonora could answer, Catherine lurched forward. “No, no problem, Graham. It was nice talking with you Leonora. You have a beautiful family.”
Catherine hurried away toward Graham. When she walked past him, he remained rooted, staring at his sister for another moment before turning to follow Catherine to the bike. She shoved the helmet on her head to keep him from seeing the unshed tears in her eyes. As she frantically tried and failed to do the chinstrap he pushed her hands away. One click had the strap in place. His eyes drifted over her shoulder and she knew Leonora must be there. He looked down at Catherine as if to confirm her stiffness had to do with the audience. He nodded once before swinging his leg over the bike and telling her to do the
same.
The ride home was quick. As the bike flew over the black asphalt, Catherine kept the side of her head pressed between Graham’s shoulder blades. How could Leonora know? Was she the only one who could scent him? No one else had ever mentioned anything. Maybe they were too nice to pry? She scoffed to herself. Juno and Toma would have never been so polite. Maybe only lycans could scent it? But that didn’t explain why Natalie or Theo or Graham had never noticed.
They pulled into the driveway and Graham took her to the side entrance. He unlocked the door but as she went to pass him, he snaked a hand around her waist to stop her.
“What did Leonora say to you,
Catherine?”
Catherine couldn’t look up at him. “She just wanted to welcome me to the family.”
“You were close to tears. I’ve never seen you that pale before. Tell me what she said or did to upset you.”
Catherine sighed and finally met his eye. “It wasn’t anything she did.”
Graham’s eyes moved over hers, trying to puzzle out what could have happened. Eventually he pulled her closer so she would have to crane her neck to meet his eyes. “I know we haven’t known each other long enough for you to fully trust me. I have a decent enough head on my shoulders to know trust can only be given not expected because of some mate bond. I understand there are things you may not feel comfortable telling me right now. But you need to know that soon, I won’t tolerate you lying to me.”
Graham’s gaze pinned her to the spot. She felt a rush of emotion at his words. She knew she was lucky to have such an understanding mate. Most wolves would beat or fuck their mates into submission. But here was her scary legend of a beast telling her he would let her choose what to share with him… for now. Catherine finally nodded and he ushered her inside. She wrung her hands together as they entered the kitchen.
“I need to brush my teeth and get this nasty tobacco taste out of my mouth. Why don’t you make yourself some tea to calm down and we can watch a movie or something?” Graham asked.
“Sure.”
Catherine started mechanically preparing her tea. As she waited for the water to heat up, she found herself looking at her reflection in the glass sliding door leading to the backyard. What Leonora said really shook her up, but not nearly as much as what Graham said. Their trust was a fragile thing and if he were to find out what happened to her later on, he may never trust her again. Immortality was a long time to face with a partner who didn’t take your word. Graham’s face appeared in the reflection behind her and she dropped her head and let out a sigh.
“Graham, there’s something we need to talk about,” Catherine whispered.
Graham’s hands came around her waist again. The fresh crispness of his toothpaste mixing with the spice of his scent filled her senses and fogged her brain. His hands traveled up and around her stomach before they cupped her breasts. She gasped as his thumbs traced over her hardening nipples.
“We have unfinished business to attend to, mate,” he breathed against her ear. His tongue glided up the delicate skin behind her ear before latching on to
her earlobe.
Catherine’s knees wobbled but she shook her head. Focus, this can’t go too far before you tell him. “We… we really need to…” Catherine moaned as he pressed
1/2
Chapter Eighteen
his hard cock against her backside.
Her moan seemed to set him off because he turned her sharply and shoved her up onto the counter. “Goddess you look good on kitchen counters,” Graham groaned, licking a path from her cleavage to her chin. “Like a fucking dish I can’t wait to devour.”
Catherine’s hands ran through his hair and she fought to remember what she needed to tell him. “Graham…”
He ran his hands up under her shirt and touched the bare, heated skin of her breasts. She gasped and her hips jerked against his. He bent her backward slightly so her shoulders rested on the cabinets. His kisses went lower, between her breasts and his hands to her stomach.
“Graham,” she breathed. “I really need to… talk… to… you.”
“Later,” he growled.
She couldn’t keep track of his hands. They seemed to be everywhere at once. They caressed down her arms, up her back, around her shoulders. She felt them on her thighs, massaging their way up from her knee to the cusp between her legs. With each slow progression her breath hitched higher and higher. Was this how all the buildup would finally combust? With him taking her right here on the counter? His fingers touched the pulse of her core through her jeans and she flung her head back.
“Graham… Please, I need to say…”
“I should have never had you change out of that dress.”
“Wh…why?” she asked as his fingers worked against the seam of her jeans. She felt his middle finger jab right where her entrance was.
Graham looked up at her with wicked intent. “One more layer of clothes I’ll have to rip through.”
Catherine’s mind went blank. She no longer remembered what her confession was, or that she even had one. Instead all she could focus on was keeping up with his tongue. He lifted her shirt over her head and she moaned at the heat of his palms against her bare skin. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she started to rock her hips in time with his. The friction between them was building and one of them would need to do something, quick.
Instead of saying what she’d decided to, Catherine could only manage one word as his lips sucked at the sensitive skin of her neck. “Windows.”
Chapter Comments
4
POST COMMENT NOW
<SHARE
Surrendering to Destiny
