A Mate's Healing Touch Read online

  The icy gray of his eyes had softened to something akin to wet slate and the dark, rich scent of him, sandalwood and musk, made the liquid fear in her belly melt into another, different sensation. The muscles of her core gave an involuntary twitch and her nipples beaded beneath her pink T-shirt. She didn’t dare check to see if her reaction to his nearness was noticeable. She didn’t need to. The heat in his gaze told her he knew. Caleb drew a deep breath in through his nose and sighed it long and slow back out of his mouth, his hot breath kissing her cheek.

  “You smell good enough to eat, P.R.” His voice rumbled so deep it curled her toes in her sensible tennis shoes. “I could eat you all up, nibble and suck and savor every inch of you.”

  The blatant words flushed her cheeks and she sensed wetness between her legs. No man had ever spoken to her with such surety of purpose, such intent. She should break free from his grip, run away as fast as she could, snatch up Jessie, and flee. He must have sensed something of her thoughts because a slow smile curled across his wide mouth. God, his lips were lush and full and she had the strangest urge to stand on tiptoe and suck his lower lip between her teeth. He spoke again, almost a growl this time and she could have sworn something flickered behind his eyes.

  “Don’t run, P.R. If you run, then I’ll have to chase you and when I catch you, and you know I will, then I’ll keep you. Don’t worry about your secrets either; we all have things to hide.”

  She shuddered at his words. Desire dripped from his voice like molten lava, and her knees weakened. His hand on her arm kept her steady as she swayed before wrestling her composure enough to inch away from the heat of his body. She couldn’t move far with him still gripping her arm, but it was enough to help her clear her senses somewhat.

  Chapter Four

  “Why do you call me that? P.R?” Of all the questions she meant to ask, she was pissed beyond belief her brain had settled on that one.

  That twisty grin of his had her resolve melting away again.

  “Pocket Rocket. P.R. It’s what I thought when I first saw you, all curves and sass in a tasty little package.” He licked his lips as his slate eyes roamed over her body.

  She tried to frown, but her heart wasn’t in it. Her heart was in her panties, apparently, from the insistent pulse between her legs. She watched his tongue again, fascinated as he took another swipe of his lips.

  “Jesus H. Christ on a crutch. If you taste as good as you smell, P.R., then I’m going to spend a week bathing my face in your pussy as soon as I get you on your back.” His deep voice rumbled and she gasped as his dirty, sexy words set her brain and body alight. She should be scared; she had only ever been with one man and it had ended so horribly, she’d sworn herself to celibacy. Those vows seemed like nonsense in the presence of this utterly masculine man.

  He closed the distance between them again and released his grip from her arm. Before she could think to move, he reached down and grabbed her hips. Lifting her up as though she weighed nothing, he turned, sitting her on the counter running down one side of the pantry.

  Hot hands slid from her hips to her thighs, jerking them open in a shocking move, and she had no option but to brace her hands on his shoulders to keep from falling backward. He hooked her legs around his waist, the motion causing her skirt to ride higher up her thighs. He pressed closer until the front of his crotch nestled against her plain cotton panties. Strong hips flexed and rubbed the thick cotton of his fly against her damp center, and she cried out at the bolt of lust firing through her body.

  Caleb took advantage of her open mouth to swoop in and claim it with his own. His thick, hot tongue delved deep, licking all around the inside of her mouth before it curled around hers. He didn’t ease into the kiss, he ravaged her mouth from the moment of contact and her nails curled into his shoulders as she rode the lightning. He possessed her mouth to the point she forgot anything else existed other than this hot, wet point of contact. Their mouths were the center of the universe and, like a supernova, the heat in her body expanded and grew until she felt sure she would explode into tiny pieces of pure energy.

  A mewling sound echoed around the small space and she realized it came from her throat, a panting, desperate cry she couldn’t stop. He released her thighs to clamp a hand on the back of her head, tilting her over his arm so he could press his claim closer. She took advantage of him freeing her lower body to wrap her legs tighter around his waist. Urging him harder against her, she rubbed herself up and down, trying to get the seam of his fly into just the right place to catch her throbbing clit.

  A grow rumbled deep in his throat as he pressed forward until she lay flat on her back across the board, his huge body caging her. The movement shifted his lower body away from where she needed it, causing her to cry out into his mouth, her frustration in that moment, absolute.

  At her cry, he jerked back, his wet lips glistening, hot breath sawing in and out of his lungs as he braced himself over her.

  “What? What is it? Did I hurt you?”

  She shook her head back and forth, unable to form anything coherent, the ache in her pussy almost unbearable as the muscles clenched around nothing. Empty and desperate for relief, she pushed at his hips to try and make some room between her legs. As soon as he shifted, she shoved her hand down her panties and rubbed her clit, gasping at the contact against the sensitive nerves.

  Hard fingers grabbed her wrist, stilling her busy movements as he tugged her hand from her panties and brought it up to his face. He pressed his nose to her fingers and drew in a deep breath, the action so earthy and base, she gaped at him. He drew her fingers into his mouth, sucking and licking the slick evidence of her arousal clean and her eyes rolled back at the sheer eroticism of it. He sucked again before releasing her hand, which dropped onto her chest as she continued to stare up at him.

  “Do you need to come, sweet thing?” he rasped and she nodded at him. Caleb shook his head and laughed softly. “Oh no, P.R. If you want to come, you need to use your words. Tell me what you want.” The wolf rose suddenly, sharpening his vision, his sense of smell ablaze with the fruit and spice tang of his mate’s arousal. He paused to give the wolf a shove back; no way would he give up a moment of this sweet seduction to the beast inside him.

  His mate shifted her hips seeking contact with his lower body, but he arched his back to avoid contact as she bit her lip, suddenly shy.

  He was pushing her beyond her limits of comfort but, damn it, he didn’t care. He wanted to hear her voice tremble in passion as she begged him to touch her, to take her. He brushed his thumb over her lips and tugged on the bottom one gently until her mouth opened.

  Her tongue nipped out to lick the tip of his thumb and he grunted at the sight. His thoughts spun, conjuring images of her tonguing the blunt head of his cock before he guided it deep into her mouth. His hips bucked involuntarily, bringing his body back into contact with her wet, cotton-clad pussy and she hissed out a breath at the contact.

  “Yes.” She gasped as she rolled her hips toward him. “Caleb, touch me. Touch me please, I need you.” She gave a breathy little moan that grabbed him like a fist around his cock and her face flushed.

  It was a start, one he was quick to reward. Gripping the side of her panties, he tore them free, baring her to his greedy eyes. The dark curls framing her plump, pink pussy were soaked with evidence of her need, and saliva pooled in his mouth as he remembered how good she had tasted on her own fingers moments before. Using thumb and forefinger to spread her open, he lowered himself to his knees before her.

  Hooking her legs over his broad shoulders, he dragged her forward until she perched on the edge of the counter. The motion tilted her hips down, bringing the sweet, tight bud of her clit up against his lips. He pressed a light kiss against the nub, his lips lingering for a moment before he sucked hard. She cried out and slapped a hand across her mouth, muffling herself as he worked her clit relentlessly. Wetness gushed against his chin and he moved his mouth lower
, spearing his tongue as deep into her pussy as he could, gathering her sweet juices into his mouth and letting them coat his throat. She tasted ripe and rich and he feared he would come in his jeans at just the taste of her.

  Keening now, she sobbed into the palm of her hand as she reached and strained for her release. Moving up, he focused on her clit once again, flattening his tongue as he rubbed across it. He pressed one of her thighs back until her foot rested on his shoulder, giving him more access to her beautiful, hot core. He ran his hand up the inside of her thigh in a rough caress before circling her pussy and pressing two fingers deep within her. She was much tighter than he expected and he rolled his wrist, twisting and scissoring his fingers to try and ease his passage.

  She bowed up from the counter, one hand digging deep into his hair, scratching his scalp, the other still clamped across her mouth, stifling her cries. The sting of her nails had him growling against her pussy and he pressed his fingers deep within her. The vibration, coupled with his thick invasion provided the trigger needed and she bucked and squirmed against his face as she came.

  Caleb wanted to howl in satisfaction as the liquid proof of Hannah’s pleasure coated his fingers, his tongue, and the lower part of his face. He nuzzled deeper into her, drawing her essence deep within him, wanting to bathe in her scent. The urge to stand, rip open his fly, and plunge his cock deep within her pussy was almost overwhelming. The urge to claim her fully, fill her with his seed, and bury his teeth into the soft flesh where her neck and shoulder met rode him hard. The wolf wanted to mark his mate, with his scent and his bite, so all other males would know who she belonged to.

  He lurched to his feet, his hand fumbling with the button fastening of his jeans when he stilled at the sight of the two huge fat tears rolling down his mate’s face and over the back of her hand still clamped over her mouth.

  The hand pressed tightly over her mouth was all she had to try and hold the flood of emotions rolling through her system. This man had rocked her to her very core, no pun intended, and stripped her bare of more than her panties. The emotions rippled through her, too many to grasp: shock, release, bliss and, threading through it all, embarrassment that she had allowed this stranger to touch her so intimately and give her something no man had ever done before—completion.

  She’d been too young, too stupid, and blinded by what she believed to be love to understand Robert had used her body to achieve his own gratification. If she got off, then fine but the ultimate goal had always been his own pleasure. For the first time, she knew what it meant for a man to take control of her body with one purpose: to please her. The more she tried to grasp the emotions, the more they slipped from her mental grasp and panic welled up inside her. A storm brewed deep within, centered in the place from where she drew her ability.

  Her chest hitched, holding in a sob as she stared into his beautiful gray eyes the corners creased with concern. A gentle touch stroked her cheek, capturing another tear, which he sucked from his finger. His warm, sure hands gripped hers and he tugged gently but insistently until they fell away from her face. She sucked in a breath as heat and pain built and built. Her chest was on fire, her heart threatening to burst as Caleb cupped her face.

  “Talk to me, sweet thing. Tell me what it is. Did I hurt you? Did I scare you? Jesus, P.R., you are freaking me out. Use your words. Tell me!” The last was uttered in a fierce, deep voice that compelled her to respond.

  “It hurts, oh God, Caleb, it hurts, and I don’t know how to stop it. It’s never felt like this. It hurts. It hurts!” By the end she was gasping as the pressure became unbearable. He released her face and grabbed her hands, pressing them against his temples, as he had seen Hannah holding Bridie earlier.

  “Give it to me, Hannah. I’m strong. I can take it. Let it out, sweet thing. Let it out and into me. Come on now, P.R., Push!” That sharp note of command rang again and she was helpless against it. She tapped the well of pain in her soul and pushed it toward him.

  It had been years since she’d been out of control like this, not since the night with Robert, and she’d never tried to heal anyone in good health before. His back arched, face twisted in a rictus of pain, and she cried out, trying to free her hands and break the connection. The stubborn fool hung on tight, keeping her palms against his temples as the pain continued to flow from her and into him. He opened his mouth wide and shouted, the cry rising eerily until it was more of an animalistic howl than a sound any human throat was capable of making.

  Finally, his hands dropped and she jerked away, breaking the connection as quickly as possible. The jagged, tearing sensation had gone and she sucked in air to her half-starved lungs. She pressed her hands to her middle, the absence of pain leaving her spent and weary. Trying to calm her breathing, she watched him closely for any side effects.

  Chapter Five

  There were no excuses to be made now, nothing she could say to bluff her way out of the situation. He flexed his hands repeatedly and a wash of bright gold rolled over his eyes as his breath started to come in short, sharp pants. Confused, she watched him claw frantically at his clothes, tearing at his T-shirt, until the bottom hung in ribbons. His fingers were bent somehow, misshapen, the nails thick and elongated.

  “My jeans,” he growled. “Help me get them off.” He scratched and clawed at the button fly ineffectually. His back arched again and he shouted as she tried to still the shaking in her hands enough to unbutton his fly and drag the heavy material down his legs. A thick layer of hair coated them and she tried not to flinch as she pulled at the laces on his work boots until he could kick them free.

  He dropped to all fours before her and she gasped at the glimpse of contorted features that melted before her, morphing into something else. A wash of gray, a flash of sharp white teeth, and she was nose to nose with a huge gray wolf with eyes of the richest gold. She fell on her ass and the wolf advanced until he stood over her, paws planted firmly on either side of her body.

  The wolf shoved its nose into the crook of her neck and she held her breath, waiting for the shock of pain from its bite but the wolf merely sniffed deeply. A hot, wet rasp coated her neck and bathed the side of her face as the wolf licked her with his rough tongue before pulling back to regard her with his bright gaze. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, and the expression on his face was curious but not threatening.

  “Caleb?” The whispered word was a question, a statement and a half-hysterical laugh. The wolf touched his nose to hers and then turned his head, rubbing the thick, soft fur at his ruff against her cheek. Her hand rose tentatively, and the wolf turned his head to meet her touch, curling in and around her hand until she stroked the dark gray fur beneath her fingers.

  How could this be? How on earth could a man be a wolf? She was stunned even though she knew there were mysteries beyond what most people believed to be true, her own healing ability proof of that. She stroked his thick, surprisingly soft and luxurious fur again and a rumble sounded deep in the wolf’s throat. He eased back a little, allowing her to scrabble into a seated position, but he still crowded close to her, keeping his body braced over her legs.

  The door between the kitchen and the main diner swished and the wolf spun gracefully, his lip curling in a snarl as he faced the open entrance to the pantry. Will appeared in the opening and shouted; the wolf growled. She grabbed the fur on the wolf’s rump without thinking as she called out.

  “Will! Wait, it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s Caleb. Don’t ask me how or why, but this is Caleb.” She tugged hard on the wolf’s fur again, and he glared over his shoulder at her.

  “Oh hush yourself, Caleb. You know Will, don’t you? He’s no threat to me.” Her words were aimed at both the huge wolf and the man who was the closest thing to a father she had known in a long time.

  The wolf snarled and grumbled before he lowered his body and settled firmly across her legs. The weight was a shock and she flinched as he pressed her legs into the floor. The wolf’s posture clea
rly indicated she was not moving from her current position and Will needed to keep his distance.

  Will rubbed his hand across his face and blinked as though he hoped the vision before him would somehow change into something he could make sense of. She shrugged helplessly.

  “I don’t know what happened. We were umm, talking.” Her cheeks heated. There had been definite lip action although not a lot of conversation. She hurried on. “It must have been a backlash from healing Bridie. There was so much pain. He made me give it to him and then ‘poof,’ he’s a wolf.” A heavy golden gaze met hers and she gave the wolf a slightly apologetic shrug.

  “What? You want me to tell him I ripped your pants off? This is too weird, Caleb, even for me.” The wolf blinked once and sneezed before his head swung toward the pantry door. Another swoosh was the only warning as the kitchen door swung open and a tiny bundle of energy came whirling through the kitchen and darted past Will’s legs.

  “Momma, Momma! I missed you, what’s going on…oh! Look at the doggy; he’s beautiful. Can we keep him, Momma, can we?” Jessie whipped past Will and came to a sudden halt in front of the wolf. She was inches from his jaws, his head at the same height as hers although he sprawled across Hannah’s legs.

  “Get back, Jessie!” Will made a grab for her, but her little arms circled the huge neck as she buried her face into his thick fur.

  “I knew you would come,” she whispered. “I told Grampa my momma needed someone to protect her, and here you are.”

  Jessie burrowed deeper against the wolf, who confounded Hannah by turning his head to rub against the little girl’s shoulder, tucking her close against his thick body. Everything about the wolf’s body language was protective and although her maternal instincts screamed at her to pull her daughter away from the huge beast, enough rationality remained for her to sit still and observe the tender moment.