Chapter 757 Chapter 757
Oaklyn walked into the sitting area and did the same thing. She glanced at him and shook her head. “I smell the woman at the desk downstairs.”
Zain nodded and walked into the bedroom, and opened the closet. The clothes hung up were still evenly spaced apart. He squatted down and looked at the briefcase. The piece of string was still situated under the corner of the case.
“I guess your tidiness is useful after all.”
He glanced over his shoulder to see her sitting on the corner of the bed.
“I watched you place that string there and thought some of his marbles must be missing.” She smiled. “Now I understand it.”
Zain stood up. “I’ve always done it. Since after my mom—” He exhaled. “Its easy to see changes when everything is in order.”
“So you organize your food because…”
He laughed. “I might be a little OCD.”
She stood up, still smiling. “I find it endearing.”
He raised an eyebrow. “My OCD tenancies are endearing?”
She came over and smoothed the collar of his robe. “Yes. You’re a complex man.” She tilted her head. “Not like any I’ve met before.” She rubbed her hand up and down the front of his robe. “I like it.”
Zain’s wolf felt like he was trying to push through his skin to be closer to hers. He didn’t know what to say and was having trouble focusing beyond the scent of her filling him.
“That was a compliment, Zain.”
This close, he could see the light spotting of freckles across her cheekbones. Her eyes had grey in them. How had he not noticed this before? He knew her wolf’s were brown, and from a distance, her eyes looked brown as well.
“Are you okay?”
He blinked and looked down at her again. “Yeah. It’s, uh, hard to concentrate when you’re this close.”
“I’ve been this close to you most of the day.” Her tone was soft.
He shrugged. “Most of the day, I was scared half out of my skin.” She’d taken the clip out of her hair so it hung down on her shoulders. Without his permission, his hand reached and touched it. It was thick but silky.
“The way you’re looking at me says you want to kiss me.”
He immediately looked at her mouth. His wolf stopped, frozen in place inside of him. “I thought none of that mate stuff was allowed.” His voice had dropped lower.
“It's not. Neither of us needs that in our lives right now.” She licked her lips. “Is a kiss breaking the rules?”
“I wouldn’t want to break rules.” He leaned down closer, inhaling and taking the scent that was so uniquely hers into his body. Her breathing changed.
“I think we can bend them a little without them breaking.”
He nodded and placed his hand behind her head. When their lips touched, it was so slight he wasn’t sure if it had been his imagination or if they had. Lifting his head, he searched her eyes, not wanting to do anything she didn’t want. She reached up and put her hand behind his head and applied just enough pressure that he knew she welcomed another kiss.
When his mouth covered hers this time, he was able to taste her. He’d thought her scent was perfect, but her flavor sent fire through his whole body. He wanted to pick her up, place her on the bed, and explore every inch of her body. His wolf was so close Zain could hear her heartbeat. Breaking the kiss, he lifted his head and looked down at her. Her eyes were filled with wonderment. She touched her mouth and held his look.
“Is it supposed to feel like that—with mates?”
He couldn’t think of words right now. “Like what?” He rested his hand on her shoulder and dragged his thumb along her jawline. His wolf froze, and Zain realized he had been thinking of leaning down and biting her.
“Amazing.” She whispered and ran her hands up to his shoulders.
“The rules.”
“Aren’t broken yet.” Her eyes darkened, and he knew her animal was as close as his.
He glanced behind her and saw the bed. His animal let his opinion of that be known. No marking. Grasping her waist, he picked her up, turned, and set her on the dresser. Pushing her knees aside, he placed his body between them as he lowered his mouth to hers again.
Her hands were in his hair, in a painful grip, keeping his head where it was. When their tongues danced, he could feel the sharp teeth in both of their mouths. Their animals were so close, they’d have to be careful not to cross any lines that couldn’t be uncrossed.
Tearing his mouth from hers, he dragged air into his lungs. “This is a bad idea.”
She nodded and tugged his robe open so she could run her hand over his bare chest. “A terrible idea.”
Zain nodded, seized a handful of her hair, and brought her mouth back to his. Her taste was like a drug coursing through his veins. If one could be instantly addicted to something, he was. Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against her. “You don’t want a mate.”
Her breathing was as uneven as his own. “You can’t have one.” She whispered. Leaning forward, she licked his throat.
Zain growled and dragged her face back up to his. “New rules. We can do this, but no marking.”
“No marking. Stay off the bed.”
“Yeah. No bed.” Leaning back, he spread her robe open and pushed it down her arms. Her shoulders were sprinkled with freckles, and they went down her chest. He wanted to taste them. Leaning down, he kissed her shoulder and then pushed the straps of her swimsuit off. She sucked in a breath and pulled her arms out of it. Watching her eyes, he pushed the wet material down over her breasts and then brought his hands back up over them. Her breathing increased, and she closed her eyes.
He leaned down and kissed her. Not a gentle exploratory one, but he claimed her mouth as his. He couldn’t mark her, but he planned to claim every part of her. His. His wolf stirred and didn’t object to that idea. With a growl, he tore his mouth from hers and picked her up. She wrapped her legs tight around his waist and grasped his head.
He dragged his mouth over her throat. She moaned. When he realized he was dragging his sharp teeth over it, he moved his mouth away from it and licked his way down over her skin. Sharp nails dug into his shoulders when he closed his mouth over a hard nipple. Gently, he scraped his teeth over it and then moved to the other one.
Oaklyn was squirming against him, making Zain want to shred the rest of her suit so he could feel her nakedness against his skin. Her scent changed, and it was like it was weaving a spell around him so that he could only think of her. The feel of her skin. The taste of her. With another growl, he set her back on the dresser and then dropped his robe on the floor. He shoved hers down her arms and then picked her up and stood her in front of him. It was hard to do it gently and not rip it off, but he managed to undo the back of her top and remove it from her body. Dropping to his knees, he pulled the bottom half of her suit down her legs. Sharp fingernails dug into his shoulders as he did. When she stepped out of it, he grasped her waist and boosted her back up on the dresser.
Wedging his shoulders between her legs, he ran his tongue up the inside of her one thigh and then the other. Her breathing was coming in huffs now. He looked up to see her watching him with heavy, lust-filled eyes. “I don’t think I can leave you behind when we’re done at that party.”
She nodded. “I know.”