The Wolf’s Pregnant Rejected Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #2)

Chapter 17 - Tess

Tess groaned as Ryder pushed her up against the wall. His kisses made her dizzy, the softness of his lips against hers. He teased her mouth open and explored her mouth eagerly. Tess echoed it, clinging to him as his hands roamed over her. Her skin felt too tight for her body. She wanted him so badly that it made her wolf howl with need.

She loosened his pants and reached into them, finding him. Ryder jerked and groaned into her hand.

“Do you like it when I do that?” she asked, stroking him gently.

Ryder pulled back slightly, his dark blue eyes even darker with lust. His brown hair fell over his forehead, and the intensity with which he looked at her made her shiver. He undid her pants as well, sliding a hand between her legs. His fingers moved, finding her clit. A rush of pleasure burst through her as he started to mimic her own hand movements.

“Do you want to try a new position?” he grunted, his hips moving slightly back and forth.

“Um—” Tess bit back a cry as she jerked beneath Ryder’s touch. She nodded, her free hand clutching at his hair. “From behind. I want you to hold onto my hips and take me from behind.”

Ryder nodded. “We will, then. But first, there’s something else I want to try. Do you want me to tell you or just do it?”

Excitement coursed through her. His fingers stroked along her clit again, making her shudder. She forgot that she was supposed to be helping him, too, and her hand tightened in reflex. He gasped, jerking forward. He caught her mouth again, grinding himself against her as he growled in his throat. It was so damn sexy that all Tess could do was hold onto him.

“Answer me,” he demanded as he moved to her sensitive throat.

“Do it,” she urged. She didn’t care what he had planned; she just wanted him to touch her.

Ryder’s mouth twisted into a grin. He kissed down over her shirt until he was kneeling before her. His hands were gentle as he lifted one of her legs up and hooked it over his shoulder. Tess’s eyes widened as she realized what he was going to do.

“I—” she started but stopped herself. She wanted this, too. She braced herself with her hands on the wall behind her as Ryder gripped her thigh with one hand.

His tongue flicked out, mimicking the action he’d done with his fingers moments before. Tess let out a soft gasp. His mouth was clever and wicked, moving against her in ways she hadn’t realized any man could do. Holding herself up with one leg as she was doing, she didn’t dare move too much. But somehow, the precarious balance she had made the situation even more exciting.

“Ryder,” Tess groaned. His motions pooled heat in her core, her muscles tensing. Her head fell back against the wall as she held her breath.

He pushed two fingers into her, curling them upward as he continued to work her with his tongue. Tess shoved her fist into her mouth, worried the neighbors might hear. She was on the brink, her body tense with expectation. Ryder ran his tongue over her clit one more time, and everything came undone. It was as though she could feel her insides roll over, something inside of her clenching around his fingers. It wasn’t as explosive as in the cabin, but the pleasure was still there.

Tess groaned. Her leg started shaking, so she took the other off his shoulder. Putting it down, cut off access to his mouth. Ryder leaned back, looking up at her.

“Are you done?” he asked.

She giggled at his disappointed expression. “Does all fighting get you turned on like this?”

“No—just sparring with you.”

Tess ran her hands through his hair. “We have to change position. I can’t keep holding myself up like this.”

Ryder glanced around the shed, then tugged her pants up. He moved her one leg back into them and pulled them up to cover her. “Not here. It’s too dirty.”

“It’s not any dirtier than the cabin,” Tess protested.

Ryder got to his feet and did up his own pants. With a smirk, he took her hand again. Relief washed through her—he wasn’t calling an end to it. He stepped from the shed, glanced around, then hurried to the back door. There, they made their way upstairs. He pulled her into a room and shut the door. A queen-sized bed sat in the middle of the room—shelves of books lined every wall except a desk beneath the window.

“Your bedroom?” Tess asked.

“Yup.” Ryder slid his hands under her shirt. “Mom was going to stay with Mica to help with the baby tonight since Mica is meeting in the city tomorrow about the scholarship program. We have all night.”

Tess let out a shaky breath. “That sounds nice.”

He pulled her shirt up over her head, then made quick work of her pants and underwear. The light overhead showed off all her imperfections. She fought the urge to hide herself as his gaze swept over her.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” Ryder breathed. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand, lifting it, then pressed a kiss to her skin. He kissed the other one, then slid a hand between her legs again. “I want to fuck you, Tess. I want you to be on your hands and knees, and I want to fuck you hard.”

Tess nodded, breathless with anticipation.

With his free hand, Ryder brushed a stray hair from her face. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” Tess assured him.

Ryder frowned as though that wasn’t what he was looking for. “Tess, I need to know that you’ll tell me to stop if I go too far. If I do something you don’t like. I need to know that you won’t just take it because you’re afraid that I’ll be upset.”

The soft, intense way he spoke made her heart feel like it was going to burst with affection. Tess slowly undid his pants once more, her gaze never leaving his.

“I’ll tell you if I don’t like something,” she assured him. “I’ll tell you if I need you to stop. Just as I hope you’d tell me, too?”

She took him in hand, and he groaned. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he nodded. “Deal.”

“Then put me on my hands and knees and fuck me,” Tess ordered. Her heart sped as she realized what she’d done. Would he think that was going too far?

But Ryder grinned at her. He swung her into his arms, and she was on the bed within moments. Ryder tucked the pillows beneath her, then pushed her down so her ass was presented to him in the air. His hands roamed over her as he took his position behind her. His fingers locked over her hips, and he pushed in. The gentleness of his motion was so sweet it brought tears to Tess’s eyes.

It didn’t stay sweet for long. His movement rapidly grew stronger, his thrusts harder and deeper each time. His hands were so tight on her hips that Tess thought she might bruise. Tess clawed at the blankets, crying out as he brought her to the brink once more. It occurred to her that he could do anything to her in this position. That she was utterly vulnerable to his desires—and she loved it.

Because anything he wanted to do, she knew she wanted, too.

Ryder didn’t last long. He came with a howl into her, his movement jerky. His hand wrapped around her thigh, and he rubbed her clit until she came for a third time. Then he collapsed over her, his weight pushing her out lengthwise on the bed.

“Oops,” he grunted and carefully rolled off her.

The scent of their sex filled the air, creating a unique perfume. Ryder rested his hands on his chest, his eyes drooping.

“How was it for you?” he asked sleepily.

Tess kissed him lightly. “It was wonderful. You look like you’re about to fall asleep, though. Should I leave?”

“Mmmm,” Ryder answered.

He must have been exhausted and just hiding it. That, or he was under a lot of stress. Tess certainly felt more relaxed than she had been in a long time. She propped herself on her elbow, watching him sleep. The gruff, cold exterior she’d grown used to was gone, making him seem years younger.

The cold Ryder she thought he was would never hesitate or admit he was afraid of hurting her. It was a glimpse of the boy she used to know, the one with a kind heart and gentle smile. The one that used to offer her some of his lunch when he saw that Hilda had packed her nothing but a handful of celery. The one that would comfort his little sister when she cried.

When was the last time she saw him really smile? He’d been grinning more, but it wasn’t the smile she used to see.

No, she knew exactly when she’d last seen that smile. It was the day that Mica invited him to meet Denzel for the first time. He’d held that tiny baby and smiled down at him with so much gentleness and love. It was like a promise to be the best uncle he could be.

Thinking about Denzel and Mica reminded Tess that she was on duty tomorrow. She slipped from the bed, careful not to disturb Ryder. She quickly dressed and slipped out of the house, heading back home. The cool night air caressed her skin. It was a still night, and Ryder’s scent clung to her still.

As she walked, she breathed in the clear air. She’d been told she’d never be a proper she-wolf all her life. She was too opinionated. She was too selfish. She was too fat—even at her lightest when she was one of the thinnest girls her age.

She was never going to have a mate. She just didn’t have the temperament for it. And yet, now, as she remembered the feel of Ryder’s body in hers, part of her wished that wasn’t so.

If only she were good enough for him, then somehow, it could be more than just sex. But it wasn’t, she wasn’t. So, she would be happy with this. She’d find a way to make it be enough.