Chapter 9
It was heady and dark, as the need rose within her like swirling shadows. He would be her release.
In one sweeping motion, Chase flipped her, back against the couch, and then his leg was there, pressing firmly between her thighs.
She moaned at the delicious throb that filled her core. His lips moved to her neck, trailing her skin with kisses, as he moved lower, brushing against the collar of her shirt.
“Chase. . .” she murmured, hands moving over his shoulders and biceps. She wanted him on her–in her. She wanted those lips on every inch of her body.
He went still above her and she tilted her head to look at him. His eyes were wide, mouth parted as he sucked in a breath.
“I–I can’t do this. . . with you.” He looked utterly ragged, chest heaving.
“Is it a–” Jenna swallowed. “A vampire thing?” She hadn’t felt a repulsion of their. . . species. But she also figured that didn’t mean a damn fucking thing. Who knew what nuances she was missing?
Chase dropped his head, but she caught a glimpse of his lips quirking as he pulled away from her, sinking into the far side of the couch. He reached for his bourbon, taking a long drink before turning back to her. “You’re really fucking hot and I feel like an idiot for being that guy.”
Jenna sat up, adjusting her shirt as she said, “It’s been a weird day. I get it.” She stood, sliding her drink across the coffee table to him. “I think you need that more than I do.” Then she headed towards her bedroom.
“Where are you going?”
“Figure it out with your vampire ears,” she replied over her shoulder. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned against it, feeling the disarray of her thoughts. She didn’t know why he had stopped her, but maybe it was for the best.
As hot as he was, it wasn’t his face that she had been thinking of minutes ago. It wasn’t his lips that she imagined pressing into her skin.
And maybe that made her an asshole.
She grabbed the vibrator from her duffle as she made her way to the bed, stripping off every piece of clothing on her body. It was petty, but she wanted him to hear exactly what she was doing.
She didn’t hold back the moaning, or breathy pants, as she slid the vibrator between her thighs. The orgasm came hard and fast, a wave cresting inside of her and then she was falling.
Falling. . . falling. . . until utter oblivion consumed her.
Chase ran a hand through his hair as he blocked out the sounds coming from Jenna’s room. Blocked her out. He couldn’t think about what had just nearly occurred. It had been a royal fuck-up on his part. He knew better.
He knew better than to let shit like that go down with females like her.
He left the glasses of bourbon on the coffee table and headed for the kitchen, grabbing his keys. The cold night air bit against his skin, and he savored that feeling–the reality check–as he closed the door behind him and made for the truck. He couldn’t bear to sit in that house with only his thoughts spinning in his head, roaring out his mistakes like a gods-damned checklist.
The drive back into town was fast and focused. He clenched his hands around the steering wheel at each turn and bend in the road.
At each turn and bend of his thoughts. He had fucked wolves before. He’d probably do it again.
But Jenna. . . He wouldn’t let his cock fuck up this case.
Just sex. He didn’t need to read her mind to know that’s all she had wanted. He had spent enough time around wolves to know they got fucking horny when a full moon was coming. He had seen her looking at it earlier, when he and Ruby had emerged from the bar.
She might be in some denial about her werewolf status but that wasn’t about to stop nature from calling.
Chase slammed his palm against the wheel. There wasn’t enough time for Ruby to help Jenna. The full moon was in two nights and he had no idea how to fucking handle that.
His truck roared into the parking lot of a small bar on the outskirts of town. It mainly consisted of bikers and less civilized folk.
Like him.
He had barely made it halfway through a glass of whiskey when a woman had sidled up to him at the bar. He had only looked briefly at her face. She was decent-looking–not his usual type, but he wasn’t in a mood to be picky. She had whispered words to him and he knew exactly what she wanted.
And how she wanted it.
His thoughts thundered Jenna’s name, but he finished the whiskey and slammed a rock into the deliberations in his head, before following the woman out into the darkness behind the bar.
He let her touch him. Let her fondle with his belt buckle, as he pushed her up against the rough wood wall. As she palmed the outline of his cock, he finally let Jenna and the case vanish from his mind–disappearing into the storm that brewed in his mind.
He dove his tongue into the woman’s mouth, taking every fucking inch she would give him. She yielded, palms against the bare skin of his abdomen. He slid his hand down the unbuttoned front of her jeans, and realized a second later that she wore a fucking thong.
His cock pulsed and throbbed against his jeans, and he let her release him and wrap her hand around him, pumping several times.
And then he grabbed her hands, holding them above her head as he lowered her jeans and moved the thong aside. And then he thrusted inside her.
She moaned against his mouth as he moved deep inside her.
He let her gasping be his guide. She wanted it hard and he would fucking do that for her.
When he was close to coming, he moved his free hand down between her legs. Between their bodies, and circled his fingers there.
She came with a shudder against the wall and then he grunted his own release.
Just sex. Just gods-damned fucking sex.
He hiked up his jeans and set the buckle. The woman said something to him, and then disappeared back into the bar.
He might have said something back.
His feet were leaden as he made his way back to the truck. Fucking strangers in dark alleys wasn’t new to him, but he also couldn’t remember the last time he had done it. Sheer desperation and madness had been the cause tonight.
Maybe it was Jenna. Maybe it was this gods-damned case. Maybe he was just a weak and miserable male to have stooped this low.
Chase beeped the locks on the truck and climbed into the seat. He had a fifteen minute drive back to the beach house to get his thoughts settled. He hoped Jenna would be asleep already. He would figure out shit with her tomorrow.
She hadn’t seemed mad. . . just disappointed. He could deal with that. Might as well as add her name to the long list of individuals who he had let down over the centuries.
The roads were quiet as the truck rumbled along the highway through town. Shadowed storefronts and street lights passed by. Empty sidewalks turned into bare medians as the highway continued south. And then he was turning into the familiar neighborhood.
He parked in the driveway and made his way up the planked deck, letting the sound of the crashing waves waft over him. Through him. Until only stillness remained in his head.
Only then did he cross the threshold of the door, latching it behind him.
And he didn’t notice the quiet hum of the car that turned around at the end of the driveway.
The next chapter will be released March 10, 2024 at 6pm PST.