Waking the Watcher Read online

  “I think she’s already spoken for.”

  “Why do you think I said I’ll see you tomorrow? Two is better than one, and I’m starved.”

  Sure he’d make good on his plan, I watch him go, still scanning the people for signs of Reese. And then I see it, the flash of dark waves and creamy skin. My lust takes hold, leading me across the room and toward her, but a firm hand on my arm stops me.

  “What are you doing?” Devin asks on a harsh whisper.

  “It’s her.”

  “I don’t care if it’s the Queen of fucking England. You’re moving so fast, you’ll blow our cover. Now get yourself under control before things get weird and you ruin my night.”

  Unreasonable anger roils through me. All I can think about is the fact that he’s keeping me from her. Wrenching my arm from his grasp, I slow my pace, but continue on my path to find her. When I reach the mouth of the hallway, she’s nowhere to be found.

  “Fucking hell,” I mutter.

  “Sorry, can I help you? This is a staff-only area.” A scrawny man stands in the hall, arms crossed over his chest and feet planted as though he can stop me.

  “Reese. I’m looking for Reese.”

  His eyes go wide as I push forward. I can hear his heart thrumming in his chest as fear starts to take control. “Uh, she’s gone. She had to get something for the … the band.”

  “When will she return?” I loom over him, knowing my intimidation tactics are working.

  “I … I don’t know. S-some time before the show starts.”

  Backing off, I nod at him. “Thanks for your help.”

  He heaves a sigh of obvious relief and scurries away, leaving me with a smile. I’ll just wait for her. Sitting back in the shadowed corner booth, I settle in.

  As the music starts, Reese still hasn’t appeared, and my gut is churning. What if something happened to her? I could find my little friend from the hall and get him to tell me more. Hours go by, and the band finishes their performance. Still no sign of her. When I rise, tension running through my body, Devin shakes his head at me. He knows me too well. He’s flirting and talking with the couple he plans to feed from, happy as a bloody pig in shit, and I’m over here pining and brooding. Damn it.

  “Come on, Galen. She’s not worth this.” Devin’s voice breaks through my frustration.

  Defensiveness takes hold as I try to convince myself he’s wrong. Making my way back to the staff-only area, I stalk through the hallway, meeting the surprised gazes of employees and performers.

  “Sir, what are you doing back here?” This time, it’s a tall, confident man who stands in my way.

  “I’m looking for Reese.”

  He sizes me up, curiously not threatened by my stature. “She’s left for the night. Sorry. You must’ve just missed her.”

  “What?” The volume of my voice is perhaps too loud, but I don’t care. I’ve spent hours waiting with the promise that I’d get to see her. If this is where patience gets me, I’m done with that tactic.

  “I can give her a message if you want,” he offers.

  I can tell any message I leave will be thrown in the trash before I exit the building. Instead, I shake my head and stand up to my full six feet five inches and stare down at the man. “I’ll tell her myself.”

  Turning, I walk away, working to control the rage inside me. I don’t know why I need her so badly, but I can’t deny the ache that comes from knowing I won’t see her.

  Devin is laughing and nuzzling the woman by his side when I pass him. “No luck?” he asks.

  “Fuck off.”

  “So, you’re not coming back with us?”

  I turn and stare at him, knowing I’m being an insufferable arse. “No. Have your fun. I’ll be walking home tonight.”

  As I walk through the darkened streets of Seattle, a slight rain starts to fall. Here, in the clear air, I start to calm. I can breathe and not smell her, I can think of things other than my desperate desire to be deep inside her. Until I can’t, because there she is, holding a steaming cup of coffee as she waits for the crosswalk light to change.

  Her hair is sparkling in the light of the streetlamp, the droplets of misty rain resting on the dark strands and catching the light. For a moment, I don’t know what to do. My dick has plans. Big plans. But I don’t want to scare her off again. Then the world around us stops as her gaze meets mine. Even from fifteen feet away, I hear her breath hitch.

  “Galen,” she whispers.

  Desire like nothing I’ve ever known takes control, and even though my head says to slow down, my legs are closing the distance between us. I take her coffee, toss it in the trash, and pull her to me.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you, Reese,” I say before my lips crash down on hers.

  She moans and practically melts into me, letting me deepen the kiss. After a moment, she pushes back and stares up at me.

  “I feel the same. I don’t know why.”

  “Come home with me. Spend the night in my bed.” It’s not a question. If she doesn’t say yes, I’ll have to show her what she’ll be missing.

  “Just this once.”

  As soon as the words leave her lips, I nod, then wave at a passing town car. In moments the driver stops for us and I help her inside. With the click of the door shutting still filling the interior of the car, my lips are on her, tracing the line of her neck with my tongue. The vehicle starts moving as I lean her down so she’s lying across the seat. I nudge her knees apart and slide one hand between her thighs.

  “Oh, sweet Jesus,” she moans when I make contact with the edge of her panties.

  She’s tense. Her knees shake involuntarily, and her eyes hold that edge of fear in them once again. “Relax. I’ve got you,” I say, working my fingers past the lace barrier and tracing the tender flesh beneath.

  “What are we doing? I mean, we’re in a moving car. He can see us.”

  Carefully, I move my fingers over the rise of her clit and trace lazy circles. Her breath catches as she arches off the seat.

  “Do you want me to stop?” I ask, knowing full well what her answer will be.

  She closes her eyes and shakes her head as I press one finger deep into her, moving slowly, in and out. She’s so warm against my cool hand, and her scent invades my senses. I want so badly to taste her, to feel her come on my tongue before I fill her with my own.

  Dipping my head, I let my mouth trail light kisses along the inside of her knee as I add a second finger and move a little faster. Her little keening cries have me thrusting against my trousers, desperately needing her to touch me. I hear her shoes hit the floor of the car, one after the other. One bare foot slides over my lap and brushes my cock, nearly sending me over the edge at just the little hint of what is to come. I let out a strangled moan, and she does it again, this time deliberately. Fuck, it’s been so long since I’ve felt anything remotely close to this.

  The car slows, indicating we’re nearing my place. I don’t know if I’m ready to ruin this moment. What if she changes her mind when the cool night air clears my pheromones from her head? As the car pulls to a stop, she lets out a heavy sigh and backs away from me, sitting up and slipping her feet into her shoes.

  “Ready?” I ask.

  She straightens her skirt before nodding. The lust in her gaze is unmistakable as she threads her fingers through mine and we head to the front door.

  I can’t stop shaking, and I’m sure Galen has noticed. But I let fear rule me once before. I’m not passing up this opportunity again. Something primal is drawing us together, and I doubt I’ll ever get a chance to be with a man this beautiful again. Until now I was pretty sure they didn’t exist outside the pages of books.

  I jump when his cool hand slides under the hem of my top as we walk to his front door, sending little shock waves of anticipation through me. The house looms, large and modern, but I don’t have the attention span to focus on details when his fingers brush my ribs and the band of my bra.

  As he usher
s me into the house, I almost lose my nerve. I’m scared. It doesn’t matter that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since last week. I’m here now, and I’m terrified. Galen is so intense, and obviously experienced. What if he laughs at me? What if I do it wrong?

  “Are you okay, Reese?” His accent has gotten progressively stronger as things changed between us. It makes me all tingly and slightly dazed. His deep voice is almost hypnotic in a way, making me want to lean into him. “Reese?”

  I realize he’s talking to me and feel the heat of a blush rush up my neck, flooding my cheeks. “Nice house,” I say, wanting to kick myself. Clearing my throat, I look around, jumping when his hands circle my waist and pull my shirt over my head. I’ve never been naked in front of a man before.

  “Relax,” he tells me again.

  His heated gaze lets me know he likes what he sees as he takes in the red lace bra I’m wearing. Even though I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, I reach for his shirt and finish unbuttoning it, sliding it open and down his arms. I watch the fabric pool to the floor before I let my gaze roam his bare torso. He’s so tall and beautiful, even more so than I remembered. Pale and toned, with broad shoulders and strong arms. He stands, staring silently at me as I trace the lines of his defined stomach, following the light dusting of dark hair past his navel and down to where it disappears below his belt. Licking my lips, I raise my gaze to his.

  “Okay?” I ask, trying to conceal the trembling in my hands as I hover over his belt.

  “Yes.” It’s a hoarse whisper, but it’s all I need.

  I know he’s hard and needful. I felt it on the sidewalk and in the car. Just thinking of the shape of him as I traced his length with my foot in the town car makes me wet. Oh God. I’m really doing this. He sucks in a harsh breath when my fingers graze the head of his cock as I play with the waistband of his pants.

  “If you don’t put your hands on me soon, I’m going to die from wanting you.” The tension in his voice nearly makes me swoon, but I keep it together and slide his belt free, opening his fly as quickly as I can. I look down his body, letting his pants fall to his ankles. Even through the constraints of his boxer briefs, I can tell he’s large. I may be innocent, but I’ve seen a penis before. Galen is long and thick, the tip peeking out of the top of his underwear. Unable to resist, I place one hand on his shaft, running gently over the length. His hips twitch, and he hisses out a controlled sigh.

  “Touch me,” I plead. My breasts ache to feel his hands on them.

  His pained groan sends a bolt of lust straight to my core as he thrusts his hips against my hand and reaches around me to unhook my bra. My breasts fall free of the lace, nipples puckering in the cool air, or maybe it’s because of the insane state of arousal Galen has me in. His hands cup my breasts, and I moan in relief.

  “Take me in your hand, Reese. I need to feel your skin on mine.”

  This is it. The moment of truth. I push his boxers down his hips, and he stands naked before me. His cock juts forward, swollen and glistening at the tip. Tentatively, I reach for him, encircling his girth and stroking slowly.

  “Shit, don’t stop doing that. It feels fucking amazing.”

  As if I would. He is so much more than I’d imagined. I’m mesmerized, watching my hand move over him. Before long, he’s thrusting into my hand, his breaths coming fast and short.

  “Stop, stop,” he urges.

  Afraid I’ve done something wrong, I let go of him and step back. “Did I hurt you?”

  “Jesus, no. I just don’t want to spill myself all over you. I want to be inside you for that.”

  My sex clenches at the thought of him inside me. I want it so badly, I hurt. He lowers his lips to my breast, taking my tender nipple into his mouth. The sensation buckles my knees, but he’s there, scooping me into his arms, trailing his tongue along my collarbone. We’re moving, so fast it seems like we must be flying. In the blink of an eye, he’s laid me on his bed. I’m ready for this, ready for him. My fear is gone. His intense gaze roams my body. Everywhere his focus lingers, my skin burns.

  “Take off your clothes, Reese. Let me see you,” he commands.

  I obey, shimmying out of my skirt, not caring one bit that I just let a man dictate my actions. As I pull at my lace panties, he stops me.

  “Wait, I’ll take care of those.” For the first time, I see a smile quirk up the corners of his mouth as he crawls toward me, between my legs, and takes the scrap of red fabric in his hands.

  With a wicked grin, he rips the delicate lace to shreds. I’m completely nude, spread out on his bed like an offering, and all I can do is anxiously wait to see what he’ll do next. Heart in my throat, I watch him stare down at my body. He licks his lips before kissing his way from my knee to my inner thigh, his cool breath on my heated skin. Then he’s there. Right there. His tongue delving into a place no man has been before. Heat spills through me at his touch. So much better than his fingers. I moan, unable to control my body, convulsing when he swirls that talented tongue over my clit again and again. I can feel it building, the glorious pleasure that up until now, I’ve only experienced on my own. Grasping his hair, I push his mouth harder against me, raising my hips to add to the friction. He growls in response, the rasp of his voice vibrating on my sensitive skin, and that does it. With a harsh cry, I’m overcome with pleasure, the toe-curling, eyes-rolling-back-in-my-head, seeing-God kind. I’m sure I call out his name, I must, but at the same time, I don’t even think I remember my own.

  I’m still coming down from my orgasm when he nudges at my entrance. He’s so big, I don’t know if he’ll fit, but then again, I’ve got no basis for comparison. In one hard thrust, he’s buried in me, a sharp pain followed by deep burning as I’m forced to stretch impossibly to accommodate his size and he tears through my innocence.

  “Ah,” I cry, unable to keep from tensing.

  His dark irises find mine, concern coloring his features. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes … just … give me a minute.”

  He stills, hovering over me, watching me. I can see the second it dawns on him. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”

  A tear slips from the corner of my eye as I shake my head.

  “Fucking hell. Why didn’t you tell me?” He moves to pull out of me, but I wrap my legs around his waist.

  “Don’t you dare.”

  “Reese, I’m hurting you,” he protests, gaze soft and tender.

  “Just go slow. I want this. I want to make you come.”

  That fire comes back into his eyes at my statement, and he starts to move. It’s painful at first, but then something starts to build. The sting gives way to a whole other kind of ache that has nothing to do with losing my virginity and everything to do with mounting pleasure.

  “So. Good. So. Fucking. Good,” he hisses the words, his brow furrowed in concentration, as if he’s trying desperately to hold back.

  “Harder, Galen. Faster. Please.”

  His eyes snap open, and I see a hunger behind them, primal and thrilling. He’s claiming me. Making me his. And I can do nothing but allow him to do what he wants. His hips begin to move faster, more forcefully, hammering home with every thrust, and I’m there. Waves of pleasure cascade over me, a different feeling from when his mouth was on me. I clench around him, feeling the push and pull of his movements from deep inside me.

  “Holy fuck,” he cries as he stills, pulsing long and hard, his shoulders shaking and breathing ragged.

  It’s then I realize the mistake we’d made. He is bare.

  He came inside me.

  I am an idiot.

  A long, hoarse groan builds in my chest as my balls tighten and my orgasm climbs my body. I could tell something was wrong with her the second I found my release, but my focus is on the indescribable pleasure as it rolls through me and I fill her with my seed. It’s been so long it might as well be my first time. Her tight sex continues to clench around me, and all I want is to stay inside her an
d feel this again.

  “Shit,” she whispers as I kiss her jaw, her neck, licking along her jugular. “You came inside me.”

  It becomes clear then, she thinks I might get her pregnant. Lucky for her, that’s not possible. “It’s fine.”

  Pushing me off her, she scoffs. “Fine? It certainly isn’t. I’m not on birth control, not to mention the risk of STDs. I mean, look at you. I’m sure your bed stays warm most nights. God, how could I be so stupid?” Shaking her head, she sits up. “I can’t even lose my virginity right.”

  I can’t help but laugh, and her features go stony. “I’m sorry. It’s just … I haven’t been with anyone in a very long time. I can assure you, I’ve not given you a disease. And as for pregnancy? Not possible. I can’t father children. You’re safe.”

  Her brow furrows as she processes my words. “How long is a very long time?”

  “Years,” I offer. It’s a white lie, but it’s not like I can give her the exact number.

  She trains those big blue eyes on me and bites her lip. God help me, but my cock lengthens, ready to take her again. “Years? Why?”

  Reaching out, she brushes my hair back from my forehead, her fingertips grazing my scalp before trailing behind my ear and down my neck. If she’s not careful, I’ll have her again too soon. She needs to recover, and I need to feed. Don’t I? Even now, I know I should take her, slake my thirst, and end her life. But, my thirst is barely there, just a slight hunger hiding in the shadows. Typically, it is always at the forefront. A driving force, coloring all my choices. The only hunger I have at the moment is carnal.

  I realize I need to answer her question when she asks again. “Choice,” I lie.

  She’s not buying it. “So, you’ve been celibate for years by choice and then what? You just couldn’t resist me?”

  “Exactly.” It’s true, aside from the celibate-by-choice bit.

  Her cheeks flush a charming pink before she lets out an enormous yawn. “God, what time is it? I should get going.”