Soul Bonded

chapter THIRTY-THREE



Katie lie on her stomach across the surprisingly comfortable bed, cradling the hotel suite’s phone to her ear. Freshly showered and wrapped in a fluffy towel stamped with the name of an expensive establishment she’d never splurged on before, she wanted nothing more than to curl up with Rafe once he finished his own shower. But first she needed to get through this one last phone call. Having already contacted her parents, the police, and a small list of clients to report that she was alive, all that was left to do was comfort her sister. Erin had burst into tears as soon as Katie said hello and was only marginally calmer after Katie explained that she’d been in an accident, had gotten rescued, then wound up stranded in the woods for a couple nights.

“Where are you now? Can I see you?” Erin sounded more like a little girl than Katie could ever remember hearing from her big, brave sister. “I was so worried, Katie. The police couldn’t tell us anything except that search efforts wouldn’t start until the weather cleared. We had your name and picture on the news, hoping someone could tell us something. We thought we’d lost you.”

Katie’s throat stung at the obvious anguish in Erin’s voice. “I’m so sorry. I’m not even back in the city yet. This is literally the first chance I’ve had to use a phone since the accident. I was only able to drive out of the mountains this morning, and the roads were so bad that by the time I finally made it to Sacramento, I decided that I needed a break.” Not yet ready to get into all the details of the past week—including the fact that her new boyfriend had come along for the ride—she decided to play up her very real exhaustion to avoid a lengthy conversation. “I actually think I’ll go to bed soon. I have a feeling it’s going to take me a few days of rest to fully recover from the past week.”

“How about I come up there and take care of you?” Clearly already making plans in her head, Erin said, “I can cancel my appointments for tomorrow, we’ll go to breakfast at that little place in Old Town…“

Erin’s hopeful lilt warmed her even as it made her cringe. She couldn’t wait to see her sister again, but all she wanted to do right now was spend at least twenty-four uninterrupted hours with Rafe. As though answering her unspoken desire, Rafe opened the bathroom door and stepped out, still naked and damp from the shower. Making sure not to sound ungrateful, Katie demurred as gracefully as she could while admiring the most perfect male form she’d ever seen up close. “I appreciate that so much, Erin, but right now all I want to do is sleep for about twelve hours and then drive home. I promise to call you when I get there.”

Erin couldn’t hide her disappointment. “I understand, I just miss you. And I’m pretty sure that I won’t be able to relax until I see for myself that you’re all right.”

Katie smiled at Rafe as he sat on the bed beside her. His hand immediately went for the bare skin of her calf, and stroked her gently. Basking in the closeness she felt simply being near him, she rolled onto her side and rested her head on his thigh. “Maybe we can meet for dinner tomorrow night? Somewhere in San Francisco, your choice.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the one who nearly starved to death and got stranded in the middle of nowhere. Dinner is your choice.”

Distracted by the teasing path Rafe forged up under the edge of her towel, Katie bit her lip and tried not to moan. The sensation of his fingers skirting up the back of her thigh to the curve of her ass rendered food the furthest thing from her mind. “I can’t even think about eating right now. How about I call you tomorrow afternoon and we’ll work out the details?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Erin had gone teary again. “Were you hurt in the accident? Have you seen a doctor?”

The only one of them who had visited a doctor was Shilah. They’d found an emergency vet as soon as they made it to Sacramento, armed with the cover story that their dog had been attacked by some unidentified wild animal while they were camping in the mountains. The vet treated his wounds, prescribed antibiotics, and let them know how incredibly lucky they were that Shilah hadn’t gone into shock from fear and blood loss. Despite Susan’s prediction, the doctor was guardedly optimistic that his leg could be saved. Fitted with a bulky cast, he lie on the dog pillow the pet-friendly hotel had supplied, watching them with a shit-eating grin on his face. Really, what Shilah and Rafe had survived made her own bumps and scrapes seem trivial in comparison.

“I’m fine, Erin. I swear.” She parted her legs slightly, allowing Rafe to slip his hand between her thighs. “I’m amazing, actually. I’ll give you all the details once I get home.” She wouldn’t, of course, but not because she didn’t want to. Terrifying as the entire experience had been, she was walking away from it with an amazing, gorgeous man who would fight and die for her. Katie wanted to trumpet that news far and wide—especially to her big sister.

Unfortunately, she didn’t think Erin was ready to know exactly how special Rafe was. Intense supernatural bonds with werewolves weren’t the kind of thing one casually announced to the world—or to one’s family. Erin would never accept it. No man had ever been good enough for Katie, as far as Erin was concerned, and a lycanthrope was unlikely to change her opinion about Katie’s taste in boyfriends.

“Okay,” Erin said warily. “So you’ll call me tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.” Katie didn’t have to force cheer into her voice with Rafe so close. He caressed her inner thigh softly, making no move to get any more intimate while she was on the phone. His solid presence at her side made her feel blessedly safe, pleasantly warm, and suddenly desperate to say goodbye to her sister. “I’m sorry again about everything. I hate that I made you worry about me all week.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. Being trapped in your car…I can’t even imagine how scary that was for you.”

In retrospect, those five days alone had been one of the least traumatic parts of the entire week. Aware that there was no way to explain that, she sought to ease Erin’s mind anyway. “It was awful, at times. But it wasn’t all bad, I promise.” She turned onto her back and smiled up at Rafe, who returned her smile while lightly grazing her crotch with his palm. “On that note, I love you, sis. I’ll see you soon?”

“Count on it.” Erin sniffled. “I love you, too.”

“Bye.” Katie put the phone back on the nightstand, then collapsed onto her back with a dramatic exhalation. “Well, that took it out of me.”

Rafe loosened the towel from around her chest, allowing it to fall open and reveal her naked body. Despite the vaguely seductive gesture, he made no move to initiate lovemaking. Instead he rested his hand on her belly and searched her face. “Is everything all right?”

“Just reeling from the impact my disappearance had on everyone. My biggest client wanted to know if I was still going to meet my deadline next Wednesday—probably not, by the way.” Work wasn’t even on her radar yet. She couldn’t think of anything that seemed more trivial than designing web graphics when her entire life had just changed in every possible way. “My parents…well, they were beside themselves. They’ve obviously been panicking all week. Erin, too. She was ready to drive up here tonight to make sure I was really okay.”

“Did you want her to?”

Incredibly, Katie sensed that he would be cool with a surprise visit from her sister if that was what she wanted. But it really wasn’t. Shaking her head, she murmured, “I want tonight to be about you and me and nobody else.”

Rafe brushed his knuckles over her cheekbone. “I like the sound of that.”

Not interested in being coy about her desires, Katie said, “I want to make love. With no fear, no protecting me from your lust, no reservations.” She came up on her elbows and met him halfway in a deep, passionate kiss. When they broke apart, she whispered, “Just us, connecting. Enjoying this bond we share.”

His fingers slid from her shoulder down over the side of her breast, eliciting a shiver that she felt to the tips of her toes. “I’d like that very much.”

Certain that this was the perfect time to change the tone of their sexual relationship, Katie sat up and placed her hands on Rafe’s chest, pressing him backwards onto the mattress. Clearly surprised by the dominant maneuver, Rafe stared up at her, smoky-gazed and compliant. “Taking charge?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Kicking the towel she’d been wearing over the side of the bed, Katie straddled Rafe’s hips and settled on top of him. He was already rock hard, his length nestled between her slick labia as though he was the missing piece of her puzzle. Groaning in satisfaction at even that slight bit of stimulation, Katie said, “Can you handle that?”

“I can definitely handle it.” He moved his hands to caress her back, then dropped them to squeeze her ass and pull her wetness against his swollen cock. “Are you going to put me inside of you?”

Relishing the idea of being in control—and aware that Rafe was eager to prove that he wasn’t always so insatiably dominant—Katie shook her head and gave him a playful smile. “Not yet. You have to earn it first.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow. Any doubts she had about whether he would enjoy her being on top vanished at the blatant arousal on his face. “How does one earn an invitation inside your beautiful body?”

She shot him a naughty grin as she climbed up his chest and planted a knee beside each of his broad shoulders. Threading her fingers in his dark hair, she held his head steady and lowered her wet folds onto his mouth. “You lick me until I tell you that I’m ready for more.”

Never having taken on this role in the bedroom, Katie was surprised by how naturally it came to her—and by how much she genuinely enjoyed it. To her delight, Rafe’s eyes sparkled as he stared up from between her legs. She moaned as he dragged his tongue through her wetness, teasing at her opening until she yanked on his hair and shifted her hips to guide his actions.

“That’s right,” she whimpered as he drew circles around her * with the tip of his tongue. “That’s so good, baby.” She loosened her grip on his hair and stroked his head, pleased by how well he already seemed to know her body. Shocked by her own confidence when it came to finding satisfaction, she rocked her hips back and forth, using his whole face to stimulate her overheated flesh.

Rafe grabbed her ass, bringing her full weight down onto him with an appreciative groan. He was ravenous but respectful, gentle and loving and skillful in a way that curled her toes and made her forget all her lingering aches and pains. Lifting up slightly, she offered him a chance to breathe, then settled down once more with a contented sigh. He’d already pushed her so close to the edge and she had the fleeting thought that she should really stop this if she wanted them to come together, but she was physically incapable of moving away from the unselfish pleasure he provided. As though ensuring that she didn’t go anywhere, Rafe tightened his grip on her ass, keeping her over his face.

Her orgasm hit her hard, causing her thighs to tremble and weaken and making her very glad that Rafe was holding her securely in place. Trusting him not to let her fall, she surrendered to the waves of ecstasy he created as he continued to lick and suck with passionate intensity. Finally she released his hair and planted both hands on the headboard, bracing herself as she lifted off his face and scooted backwards to sit on his chest.

Rafe took a grateful breath and grinned up at her. “That was the single most arousing thing I’ve ever experienced. Just so you know.”

Crawling down his body, Katie stretched out on top of him, keenly aware of just how excited he was. His hard cock pressed into her belly and teased her with the promise of being filled, but he stayed perfectly still and didn’t attempt to penetrate her. Tenderly, he put his hands on her shoulders and raised his head to give her a loving kiss. She smiled as she tasted herself on his lips, then ran her fingers gently through his hair. “Did I hurt you?”

He laughed. “Uh, no.”

She grasped a lock of dark hair and tugged lightly. “Really?”

“If you did, it was a very good hurt.” Rafe pushed her hair away from her forehead, gazing at her with unabashed adoration. “You’re delicious. I could literally do that all night. The fact that you were forceful about it only made it hotter.”

Katie parted her thighs just enough to allow his cock to slip between them, then undulated her hips, providing friction that brought immediate pleasure to Rafe’s face. “All night sounds wonderful, but I think I’m ready for something else now.”

Rafe ran his hands down her back. “Yes.”

She giggled. “Yes, what?”

“Yes to whatever it is you’re ready for.”

Kissing the corner of his mouth, Katie murmured, “Are you always this agreeable?”

“I don’t have anything not to be agreeable about right now.” He tightened his arms around her in a careful bear hug. “I’ve never been happier in my life.”

“Me too.” Katie spread her legs and planted her knees beside his hips. His stiff length pressed into her wetness, hot and throbbing and eager. He dropped his hands to his sides and balled them into fists. Enjoying the blatant desire on his face, she murmured, “Should I put you inside me now?”

Nostrils flaring, Rafe gritted his teeth as she reached between them to grasp his cock in a loose fist. She pumped him slowly, waiting for an answer. Finally he rumbled, “I want to feel you, sweetheart. Please.” His throat convulsed, his jaw clenched. “Please let me in.”

She bent to kiss one corner of his mouth, then the other, and guided the bulbous head to her opening. At first she rubbed him against herself experimentally, teasing them both with the barest hint of penetration, then she backed off and simply swirled the tip around her engorged *, moaning loudly at how insanely good it felt. When Rafe closed his eyes, a tortured look on his face, Katie positioned him at her entrance again. “Am I being mean, tough guy? Teasing you like this?”

A low rumble of laughter bubbled up from deep in Rafe’s chest. “It’s okay. I like my women mean.”

Katie chuckled. “I’ll remember you said that.” Taking mercy on Rafe, who steadfastly clung to his self-control, she sank onto him with a satisfied moan. “Oh, f*ck that feels good.”

He brought his hands up to caress her ass and nodded emphatically. “You feel perfect.” He didn’t attempt to guide her. He simply stroked her bare skin with tenderness that verged on reverence. “Thank you for this.” He gave her a cautious squeeze, then tipped his head back and groaned as she lifted up then sank down again. “For that.”

“You’re very welcome.” Reveling in the power trip he was encouraging, she leaned over so that her breasts brushed against his chest. Lips to his ear, she whispered, “Now I’m going to f*ck myself with your cock until you come inside of me. Do you like that?”

Rafe inhaled swiftly. “I approve.”

“Good.” Katie kissed his ear lobe, then sat and planted her hands on his chest. She rolled her hips, pleased by his instantaneous reaction—a fluttering of his eyelashes, the tensing of his muscles beneath her hands. Taking her time, she settled into an easy rhythm of pulling herself off his cock until only the head remained inside, then sliding back down until she was fully impaled. Rafe’s throat jumped as his attention dropped to her chest and the way her breasts bounced in time with her motion. Thrilled by his obvious inability to maintain eye contact, she lifted one hand from Rafe’s chest and captured her erect nipple between her fingertips, pulling roughly. “You like these?”

Rafe nodded silently, seemingly at a loss for words. Locked onto the sight of her toying with her own breast, he seemed to forget that he was trying to hold back and met her next undulation with a powerful upward thrust. She cried out in surprise, then redoubled her own efforts as pleasure skittered up her spine and out through her limbs. He seemed to grow impossibly harder and thicker within her, stretching her so very close to her limit. Rather than be painful, the tight fit created the most exquisite sensation of physical intimacy she’d ever experienced. Katie placed both hands on Rafe’s shoulders and dug in with her fingertips.

“Am I hurting you?” Rafe murmured. “Tell me if I am.” He stilled his hips, but continued to encourage her to move atop him. “You’re so tight.”

It took all her concentration to vocalize a response. “No.” She lifted up then sank down, again and again, chasing a climax that promised to shatter her completely. “Everything feels so good.”

“Yes, it does.” Rafe raised his hand and placed it on her cheek, love in his eyes. “You’re beautiful, Katie. And I’m lucky.” His nostrils flared as she tilted her hips to take him in as deeply as she could. “Stupidly lucky.”

He’d just been forced to flee the home he’d built with his own hands—not to mention his pack—because she’d entered his life. His dog was practically crippled, also because of her. That he would still feel fortunate to have her was almost unbelievable—but then, she also felt lucky to have him. And that was despite the fact that their bonding meant that she’d become a target for psychotic werewolves. If that didn’t prove that they were meant to be together, she didn’t know what did.

Desperate to get closer, Katie lowered herself so they were chest-to-chest, adjusting her rhythm so she could continue to ride him while their bodies were flush. “Me too.” As difficult as it was to choose her words with such incredible sensation building between her legs, she needed to tell Rafe something very important and didn’t want to wait another moment. “I may not have had the opportunity to do so, but I would have chosen you. Even with all the problems that come from us being together—I’m glad you’re mine.”

He gave her a grin that lit her up from the inside. “I would choose you, too.”

Unsure why they weren’t kissing already, Katie licked at his lower lip teasingly. Rafe opened his mouth and accepted her inside with a contented groan. She quickened the pace of her hips, ready for them to come together. Matching her rising passion, Rafe tightened his arms around her and wrapped her in an embrace that made her feel as though nothing could hurt her. Even with her various bite wounds, strained muscles, and cuts and bruises, she felt no pain. There was no fear either, not even of the dark memory of fighting their way out of the wilderness. As long as she was with her mate, everything was okay. More than okay. Everything was incredible.

Nothing and no one had ever made her feel that way before. Breaking their kiss, Katie rested her forehead against Rafe’s and whispered, “I’m going to come.”

“Me too.” Rafe moaned into her mouth. The raw noise triggered her release, a powerful explosion that left her inner muscles clutching at his thick shaft, milking him of the semen he spilled within her. He dropped his hand to her ass and slipped his finger between her buttocks, sliding around in her wetness before moving to explore the tight ring of muscle that contracted slightly at his caress.

The unfamiliar touch intensified Katie’s orgasm. She cried out and arched her back, begging for more. Rafe moved his finger back and forth over her anus, drawing out tiny noises of pleasure as Katie rode out her climax with total abandon. Just as her orgasm threatened to ebb, he pushed the very tip of his finger into her ass and set off a strong aftershock. Almost afraid to move for fear that any more stimulation would render her unconscious, Katie pushed her cheek against Rafe’s and held on tight. Eventually the waves of pleasure receded until she could breathe again. Seemingly just as affected by his climax, Rafe’s chest rose and fell in time with hers, his heartbeat pounding against her breasts.

When she could form a coherent thought, Katie said, “I really wish I wasn’t too tired to do that again.”

Rafe chuckled and kissed her hair. “Me too.”

She lifted her head so she could stare down into his eyes. “We have really good sex.”

“Amazing sex.” He hugged her around the middle. “How are you doing?”

She knew he wasn’t talking about their lovemaking anymore. She’d just endured a hellish week in which she’d almost died multiple times and had sustained multiple injuries that should really hurt more than they actually did. If not for the peace and safety he brought her, she would probably be inconsolable. “I’m good. More worried about you than anything.”

“Me?” Rafe gave her an easy smile, and shook his head. “I’ve never been better.”

“You’ve just left your home and your pack. You’re about to live among humans for the first time in your life.” Katie framed his face with her hands and kissed him again, lovingly. “Your entire world is turned upside down,” she whispered. “Because of me.”

“So is yours.” He dropped his hands to cup her buttocks. “Being together won’t be easy for either of us. That much is clear.”

“I’ll say. But I’m excited about it, just the same.”

“Good. Me too.” Rafe kissed her neck. “So am I meeting Erin tomorrow, or do you want to keep me secret for a while?”

She wouldn’t be able to keep Rafe a secret for long. Not when she yearned to spend her every waking moment with him. “Tomorrow. She’ll love you.”

“I hope so.” He kissed her throat again, tickling her with his stubble. “I’m pretty attached to her little sister.”

Katie wiggled her hips. “Literally.”

Rafe rewarded her with a light slap on her bottom. “Funny.”

“I thought so.” Sighing, Katie finally rolled off Rafe to lie at his side. She rested her head on his chest and curled her arm around his hard stomach, marveling at how well their bodies fit together. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to my apartment for a while. Feed my cat, get my life in order. Then we can talk about what happens next.”

Rafe made a quiet noise of displeasure. “You have a cat?”

Katie picked up her head and fixed him with a sober look. “We have a cat.”

“Wonderful.” Quirking his lips, Rafe captured her mouth in another quick kiss. “We have a cat!”

Her giggle turned into a yawn. Now that she was safe, warm, and happy, her body was relaxing for the first time in days. To be able to curl up next to the man—or werewolf—she loved without fear of being murdered while they slept, well, it really didn’t get any better than this. Katie closed her eyes, unable to resist the sweet lure of sleep. Before she let herself fall over the edge into unconsciousness, she murmured, “It’ll all work out. You’ll see.”

Rafe tightened his embrace, radiating a joy she could feel. “I think it already has.”