Hope Awakened by Charlene Hartnady

Chapter 20

“What did you tell him?” she asked as she walked into the room.

Reece looked her way. “I said you were mad at me about the Shard incident.” He took a few steps towards her, stopping just short of touching her. “That I messed up by overreacting. That I needed to fix it. That I needed to make it up to you.”

“That sounds about right.” She sucked on her lower lip.

“Locke advised that I do whatever it takes.”

“That seems like good advice.” Her voice was soft. Her breathing elevated. “Are you sure he bought—?” She gasped when he spun her around so that her belly was pressed against a large set of drawers.

He pressed himself against her ass. His erection was thick and hard. Her ass was soft and so beautiful. Hope moaned as he put his hands on her hips. “Is this okay?” She had said she wanted rough sex. That she didn’t want him to be tender.

“More than okay. This is perfect.” Her scent was more prominent…more feminine. It had to be arousal. He breathed in deep through his nose, savoring it…savoring her.

“Do you want me inside you?” His voice was a low rasp, filled with so much need it scared him.

Her breathing had turned ragged, her hands were splayed on the wood. Her fingers white from clutching the edge.

“Is that what you want, Hope?” he said, when she didn’t respond.

“Yes.” A moan. “I want you, Reece. If I’m honest with myself, I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”

That’s all he needed to hear. The urgency that rushed through him was almost more than he could take. He put a small space between them. “I won’t hurt you,” he growled as he yanked up her dress. He ripped off her covering, dropping the ruined garment on the floor. “Open your legs.” He could feel his beast taking over. He could feel his nailbeds tingling. His feathers rubbing under his skin. He was sure his eyes would be burning brightly.

Thankfully, Hope did as he said and pushed out her ass. His breath was coming in short rasps. Reece clasped her mound. “Still wet,” he whispered, hearing the awe in his own voice.

Hope sucked in air between clenched teeth. She rocked against his hand, urging him on. He pushed a finger into her welcoming flesh. Just one. He needed to bring her to completion. He wasn’t going to last. Not after being celibate for so long. Not with a female like her. She arched against him and groaned. So receptive. His prick throbbed. His jeans felt excruciatingly tight. He wanted to rip them from his body, but for now it was better that he was held in check or he’d be too tempted to take her.

Reece pumped his finger in and out a few times before adding a second one. She groaned again, louder this time. He used his thumb and rubbed against her nub in time with each careful push. Her pussy flooded, becoming slicker. Her groans became more pronounced. Hope rocked her hips, thrusting against his hand. He loved how brazen she was. More than he had expected from a human. “Oh, god! Oh…oh!” He thrust faster, harder. “I’m going to… I’m nearly…Oh!” Her voice was high-pitched. “You should stop. We should…I want…” Very strained. “I’m going to come if you don’t stop!” She groaned, low and deep.

“I want you to find completion,” he ground out, leaning down so that he could say the words directly into the shell of her ear. He kept working her nub with his thumb while thrusting his fingers in and out of her welcoming flesh.

“Oh…Oh!!” Her pussy fluttered around his fingers. Reece inserted a third, keeping his ministrations soft and easy. Her snatch tightened around his hand. She arched back against him. She went from groaning and panting to completely silent for a moment. Then she all-out moaned. Long and deep. Her pussy spasmed around his fingers. He almost creamed in his pants thinking about what she was going to feel like around his cock. Hope jerked against him, taking what she needed. Once she was done, he gripped both her hips, steadying her.

“Would it be alright if—” he started to say.

“Yes!” Her voice was thick with need. “I’m on the pill, so you don’t need a condom…unless…” she was panting hard, “you think it’s necessary.”

“I assume that this pill will stop a clutch?” he double-checked.

“Yes. It’s ninety-nine percent…” she was still panting, “effective.” Her snatch was a perfect deep pink. It glistened with her juices. Hope was ready for him.

Reece ripped the front of his pants open in his haste to get the zipper down. “The next time will be better,” he ground out as he bent his knees. On a low growl, he crouched over Hope and entered her tight snatch in one thrust. It almost took his breath away. He growled as his hips hit her ass, as his balls slapped against her. Hope cried out, grabbing at the wood of the furniture. She mewled. Reece forced himself to count to ten…slowly. She needed to stretch to accommodate him. Also, he was so near to release already, and he hadn’t started moving yet. “You feel so good,” he rasped, his chest expanding as he heaved in a breath. He forced his hands to relax their hold on her hips. He didn’t want to bruise her delicate skin.

Not delicate.

Not weak.

Hope was strong and ready.

She whimpered as she pushed back against him with her ass. “I need—”

“I know what you need,” he whispered. His feathers rubbed. He was sure he looked part animal. His jaw might even be slightly elongated. Perhaps feathers had sprouted on his chest. His back hurt as his wings threatened to unfurl. That’s why he had turned her around. It had been so long. Too long. He was so desperate for Hope. He already knew that he would need to do this again…and again. Once or twice would not be enough. He pushed those thoughts aside, pulling her dress up, bunching it in one of his hands at her hip.

“Take me, then.” Her voice was pleading. She sounded just as desperate for him as he was for her.

Good!

Her snatch fit him like a velvet glove. Wet and so tight that being inside her almost hurt. He groaned as he pulled out, and then plunged back in.

Fuuuuck!

Reece bent his knees a little more to get a better angle as he pushed back into her, trying to ease his hold on her hips. Her head was thrown back. He pushed in again and again. Hard and deep. Hope moaned and groaned and mewled and panted. Her hands tightened on the wood. His sac slapped against her flesh. So hot, so tight, so amazing. Reece stopped moving. He was balls-deep and panting hard; his mouth felt dry. He held her from behind, his body caging hers. He forced himself to ease his grip on her hips. His nails had elongated into the start of what would be talons.

His balls were pulled so tight. His prick throbbed. Everything in him was wound tight. “I’m going to come,” he ground out. Blast and damn! Blaaast! He had to hold on. This was about her. Not him. He could wait. He had to try to think about other things. Certainly not about how she felt around him…or how her eyes danced when she smiled. How adorable she looked when she was angry. Her full breasts. Fuuuck! He was grunting with every breath he took. Fighting, fighting, fighting the urge to let go.

Hope laughed. It sounded strained. “I want you to find completion,” she used his words as she pushed her lush ass up against him. “Do what you need to do.” She sounded husky. “I already came. Your turn.”

“It’s too soon.” He couldn’t seem to catch his breath. “I need you to come again. If I move so much as a muscle—”

“Don’t worry about me, just…come…” She clenched her inner muscles, squeezing his dick tightly. He groaned, feeling sweat break out on his brow.

Reece jerked into her with a hard grunt. It had been too long. He’d been fantasizing about Hope since the first day he met her.

Reece squeezed his eyes shut as he felt her grip around him tighten. He thrust two…three…four times. And then he was coming and coming and coming. Seed flowed out of him in hard spurts. He roared as pleasure rushed through him. His movements became jerky. He put his head on her back as he slowed…groaning. Even after he stopped moving, he kept his head there, just feeling her. In awe of how amazing she felt. Soft and tight. So wet. His prick stayed hard.

Once he felt somewhat in control, he pulled out and turned her around. Her eyes shone with lust. For him. She smiled sweetly. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“We should have done that all of last night.” He smiled at her. “You were right, I am an asshole.”

* * *

Holy moly,but he was beautiful when he smiled. His face still had a pinched look. He was still breathing hard. Hope looked down, noting that he was still hard. His cock was long and thick. It had a slight curve, even though he was hard. Like they hadn’t even had sex. She felt wetness drip down her thighs, telling her that they had. That he had come. She felt a buzzing in her veins. She was turned on and desperate for more. Normally once was enough for her, regardless of how she got there. Right now, all she could think of was more.

Hope forgot her line of thought as Reece pulled off his pants. Peeling them down his thighs and stepping out of them, one leg at a time. His cock bobbed with every movement.

Reece moved between her legs; his gaze was firmly…there. On her girl parts. His eyelids were hooded. His eyes were a deep golden color. “Hook your thighs around my waist.” His voice was deep.

They were doing this!

Again.

Heat pooled in the base of her stomach as he instructed her. As his eyes took her in.

Hope did as he said. Reece ran a finger down her slit, and she groaned. “You have a beautiful snatch,” he murmured. “Lean back on your elbows or hold on tight.” His jaw tightened. “I’m going to mount you until you come hard. I will hold out this time.”

“Oh…um…okay.” Her vagina gave a hard zing of need. Her clit actually felt like it was throbbing. “Sounds really good,” she added. He was forward. Then again, she shouldn’t have expected anything else from Reece. Hope leaned back, resting on her elbows.

“I need to see you.” He lifted her dress.

She nodded, lifting her arms one at a time as he pulled it off. Reece looked down at her chest. His cock jutted out between them.

“This, too.” He touched her bikini top. “It has to go.”

She reached behind her neck and undid the tie; her breasts sprang free. Hope felt slightly unsure for a few seconds. Her boobs were big and not quite as perky since she’d hit her thirties.

His nostrils flared as he took her in. Reece looked at her like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. Like she was a pinup girl or something. “Fucking beautiful.” She could see that he meant it. “Your eyes too,” he added, looking into them. “Even your toes.”

She giggled. “You’re sweet.”

“No, I’m not,” Reece replied, cupping one of her breasts in his big, warm hand. “So damned sexy,” he groaned as he squeezed her boob, rubbing his thumb over her nipple. He bit down on his lower lip and frowned, looking angry. Then he gripped her thigh, pulled it higher on his body, and lined his member up at her opening with his other hand. “I can’t wait to take you again. I want to face you this time. I want to watch you find completion. My eyes might glow, and I…I might make loud noises. I’m part animal, and it might become apparent when I—”

“Hey.” She leaned forward and cupped his cheek. “I would like nothing better than to watch you let loose. To watch you let go. I happen to like your animal side. I like you. Don’t overthink this. Let’s just do it already. You won’t be too rough. I won’t get scared if you let go…I swear.”

Reece nodded. He was frowning hard. His eyes were glowing a little. “I look forward to hearing you scream.”

“Scream?” She narrowed her eyes on him. “I moan and groan. I’m not much of a screamer.”

His eyes got this twinkle, and he nodded. “If you say so, Doc.” He said it like he didn’t believe her.

Hope pulled away, leaning back on her elbows.

Maintaining eye contact, he slowly pushed into her. She was still really wet. His frown deepened with every inch. He made a soft grunting noise as he slid all the way home. Hope bit down on her lip. He was really big. She hadn’t been sure that she would be able to take him. It may not have been possible if he’d been any bigger. Reece didn’t move; sweat glistened on his brow. His muscles were out in all their glory. His abs…good lord, but they were fine. Reece sucked on his thumb and then used it in a slow glide over her clit. She moaned.

Holy freaking moly!He did it again, and she sucked in a breath, her eyes widening. Reece was balls-deep inside her, stretching her to capacity and not moving an inch. It was just his wet thumb that slid lazy circles around her clit, which felt really swollen. She pulled in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. “That feels good. You feel good,” she pushed out.

Reece gave her the smallest of smiles and leaned down, latching his hot mouth over one of her nipples. Her back bowed. Between his mouth and his thumb… Oh god! Oh! She tried to move, wanted more, but his body held her in place. More accurately, his cock held her firmly in place. Her girl parts throbbed. All of them collectively.

She moaned. It was a harsh sound that reverberated around the room. Reece nipped at her nipple and a zing of need spread like wildfire, coursing through her whole body. His thumb barely brushed her puckered flesh. Soft little slippery circles that had her crying out with desperation. There sure were a ton of nerve endings in the clitoris. She could feel each and every one of them at work. He moved to her other breast and sucked on her there, too. His mouth was so warm. Reece was firm, but not too rough.

“Oh… Oh my… Oh!” Her voice was thick. Her breath coming in thick gulps. Another nip had her groaning so deeply it hurt her throat. She didn’t care.

Then he was straightening up. His knees had to be bent, otherwise he would be not able to reach her. He gripped her thighs, lifting her legs so that they hooked over his shoulders. “Lie back and hold on.”

She did as he said, barely fitting on the chest of drawers. There was a lamp on the end. She wanted to tell him to be careful. They should probably stop to move the thing, but— His finger glided over her and her clit throbbed. Her nipples were so tight they almost hurt. Reece leaned over her, looking her in the eyes. Her knees weren’t that far away from her face. She hadn’t known she was quite this flexible. His eyes bore into hers; it was intense. She’d never been more turned on in her life. She’d never been so desperate to come. When he started moving, the drawers creaked. In and out. Slow but hard. Deep. Controlled. Exactly what she would expect from Reece. Precision and concentration. Her mouth fell open, and it felt like her eyes actually rolled back in her skull.

Reece breathed in deeply through his nose. Please let Locke stay away. Please! She couldn’t bear it if they were interrupted. Not when that coiling sensation had already begun deep within her belly. Not when she could feel that this might just be the best darned orgasm of her life. She grabbed hold of his thick biceps.

He kept going. Still slow and hard. Harder than she’d ever been taken before. Should have known she would prefer it like this to soft and gentle. She was moaning with every thrust. Reece made a grunting noise here and there. It turned her on even more to know that he was enjoying this just as much as she was. His gaze drifted to her boobs, which were jerking with every hard shove inside her.

His jaw tightened, and he swallowed. “So soft,” he growled, barely sounding human. Somehow, even that was a turn-on. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes like he was barely holding on. He made a groaning noise. His muscles bulged. His features seemed more prominent, too. He was so stunning it almost took her breath away.

The coiling sensation became almost too much. The drawers were creaking louder. The chest of drawers slid a little across the floor with a scrape. The lamp teetered on the edge but seemed to hold on. She didn’t care if the lamp broke. She didn’t care if the chest of drawers broke as well. If the whole damned house fell down. Slow and deep had turned to hard and fast. His balls slapped against her with every thrust. Hope was making these shrieking noises. There was a wet suction sound from where their bodies joined. Even that excited her. She dug her fingers into his arms. Her boobs jiggled so hard, but it didn’t matter to her. The table scraped again and creaked so loudly she was sure it would break any second. She didn’t care about that either. Nothing mattered in that moment.

“Reece,” she sobbed his name as the coiling reached its peak. Her hips jerked, and her head fell back. A rush of ecstasy raced through her, starting in her belly. It seemed to radiate out. It took her breath away. Everything stilled. Then her pussy spasmed hard. She gave a hard yell as everything let go.

Instead of slowing, Reece took that as a signal to redouble his efforts. His finger found her clit. She pointed her toes and gripped his arms even tighter. Too much, but so good! Hope screamed. It was ripped from her before she knew what was happening.

Reece roared. He jerked into her. Slapping, sucking, panting and moaning. The sounds they both made were laced with intense pleasure. Reece slowed, his hips rolled against her as he wrung out every last drop of pleasure from her. His frown was back, his mouth pursed. The movements slowed until he stilled altogether, staying joined with her. Reece was breathing hard. His face was serene.

He unhooked her thighs, putting them around his waist. “You are even more beautiful when you come.”

“You’re pretty damned gorgeous when you’re roaring like a lion.”

“You weren’t watching me when you were screaming,” he deadpanned. “Your eyes were tightly shut.”

“I’ll have to try harder to catch it next time.” She bobbed her brows.

“Next time?” He raised his brows. “You want more?”

“Not right now but soon?” She lifted her brows…praying he agreed. She’d been right, it was dynamite between them.

“Yes, more would be possible.” He frowned.

“Good.” She nodded like a crazy person. “I’m not sure how we’re going to make that happen without anyone finding out. Should we tell Locke?”

“No!” he pushed out. “No one can know. This needs to stay between us. I will come up with a plan that will allow us some time together.”

“Okay. I would like that.”

“I’ll shower and pack. It would be great if you could stay in your room for a while after I leave.” He winced. “You should shower as well. We Ferals have a decent sense of smell, even though it’s bad for a shifter. It’s way better than humans. I don’t want Locke scenting…us…this.” He touched her inner thigh. “I will tell Locke that you never came out of your room. You will need to act like you are upset with me tomorrow.”

“I’ll give you the cold shoulder.”

He frowned. “Cold shoulder? I—”

She giggled. “It means that I will act cold towards you. I won’t even look your way unless I really have to.”

“Yes, do that. I will find a way to get more time with you to apologize.”

“To make it up to me, because, although you did a good job…it wasn’t nearly good enough.”

His face morphed into one of horror. “I’m so sorry, Hope. I will do better next time. I swear to you!”

“Wait a second,” she put a hand on his chest, “I was teasing you. You did an amazing job.”

“I am out of practice but—”

“You’re great! Do that again next time, and I’ll be happy as Larry.”

“Who is this Larry?” His voice got all gruff and raspy.

“I didn’t realize how many human sayings I use. I will try to omit them going forward.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I want to learn.”

“Happy as Larry just means very happy.”

He cocked his head. “That doesn’t make any sense, but I will try to remember it. Let me get you a warm towel to clean up.”

“That would be great.”

She watched his ass cheeks alternate up and down as he jogged down the hall. For a moment she was tempted to pinch herself. Hope turned to the front door. Thankfully, the window to the side of the door was frosted. If someone had come to the door, they would’ve heard them going at it like rabbits.

She felt her cheeks heat and she smiled broadly. That was the best sex she had ever had, and he was worried he hadn’t been good enough. She chuckled softly to herself. Reece was going to be an amazing rebound sex buddy.

That’s when she saw it. “Oh, shit!” Hope muttered.

“What is it?” Reece asked as he closed the distance between them. He handed her a towel.

Hope took it. “Look.” She pointed at the broken lamp on the floor next to the chest of drawers. Apparently, her orgasm had been so good she hadn’t even heard it crash to the ground.

“It’s fine.” Reece shrugged. “I will order another one.”

“It’s not fine.” Hope cleaned herself with the towel while she spoke. “Locke is going to suspect that something is up. He’s not an idiot.”

“I will tell him that you threw the lamp at me and stormed back to your room.”

“He won’t buy that. He knows that I would never do something like that.”

“Really now?” Reece rubbed his chest. “What about the book you threw at me?”

She choked out a laugh. “I guess you’re right. You made me really mad.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“We’re having casual sex, but I’m not going to sleep with anyone else. You need to know that.”

“Good to know.” He hugged her for a few seconds. It felt good to be in his strong arms. She was glad she decided to take a chance to come all the way out here. Really glad!