Gotta Have Faith Page 5

  Yet, the temptation to lie next to Faith again, hold her, bury his face between her legs, took hold and there was no shaking it. There was no escape. He needed her as much as he needed to breathe.

  That was when Brock looked down at her and met her heated gaze, smiled at the hair falling around her shoulders in soft waves, his cock hardening as her soft lips parted.

  “I want to say this is a bad idea,” he finally managed, forcing his voice not to crack so his words didn’t come out a croak.

  Her chuckle was easy, sensuous and very Faith. “But you won’t,” she replied, putting her fingers at the buckle of his belt and unhooking it.

  “I can’t,” he hissed when she drove her hands into his jeans and stroked his cock.

  Nuzzling his neck, Faith grazed her teeth over his ear, making him pull her tighter to him, cup her ass, grind against her. “Good to know.”

  He ran his fingers through her hair, tilting her head back until her neck arched and she was looking up into his eyes. “Decision made,” he whispered, just before he took her mouth, slipping his tongue between her lips and hauling her up against him until there was no escape.

  Brock, stop. Stop now, you crazy fool! I’m telling you this for your own good! I know what you’re doing. It’s not like I can’t hear all that heavy breathing. The two of you are so juiced up, I can literally hear your hormones. In fact, if we live through this, I’m going to give them all names. Oh, Jesus Christ Superstar, stahhhhppp!

  Okay, fine. Don’t stop. I’m putting my hands over my ears out of respect for the nice lady, but when you two are done bumping uglies, I’m going to give you the kind of hell only I can, Kanye!

  Chapter Five

  Faith didn’t hesitate when Eli’s lips met hers. Her mouth parted willingly, her throat emitting a groan of satisfaction.

  His tongue slipped inside her mouth, hot, wet, silky, devouring her until they sank to the floor, their hands rushed, but Eli gripped her wrist. “Wait,” he ordered. “I want to take my time.”

  The words he spoke, so hungry, so raw, pierced her heart, drove into her soul like a stake. A shuddered breath later and she bracketed his face with her hands, willing her body to slow, trying to remember he was a human and his appetite would never match hers.

  But she wanted him naked, his skin scraping against hers, his cock hard inside her, his mouth over every inch of her equally naked flesh. Yet, she quieted her mind, forcing the visuals in her head away and savoring the moment Eli whispered a kiss along the column of her neck.

  Her instinct was to arch into him, strain against the press of his cock against her cleft, and she fought a low moan as his hand lifted her sweater, roaming over her ribs, skirting the underside of her breasts.

  Their breathing increased, Eli’s ragged intakes of breath matched by her own, growing faster when her hands tore at the buttons of his shirt, pushing it open to reveal his broad chest. She let her fingers tangle in the small patch of dark hair between his pecs, using the heel of her hand to skim his nipple until he groaned into her neck.

  And then Eli was nipping her jaw, working his way toward her mouth, dipping his tongue into it until there was no definition between them, no beginning and no end.

  Her hands reached for his hair, clutching the soft strands with a whimper. His kiss was so thorough, so intimate. She opened her mouth wider, gasping when he pushed her bra upward and unhooked the clasp with expert fingers.

  Her nipples tightened in response to the cool air, aching and hard, begging for his mouth to encompass them. But Eli had other ideas as he sat up on his knees, his eyes roving her skin for a brief, hot moment before he lifted her sweater over her head and pushed her bra straps from her shoulders.

  She watched him inhale a sharp breath, saw his abs ripple, his fists clench as though he were trying to keep from touching her just yet. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered hoarsely, the words like small, seductive explosions in her ears.

  Rising up on her elbows, she smiled at him. Not at all inhibited by her nudity. She was still in decent enough shape after all these years, and she knew it. That this man thought she was beautiful was just icing on the cake.

  Faith reached for him again, pulling him down on top of her, letting her breasts scrape his hot flesh. “Show me,” she urged, moaning when her hands kneaded the muscles of his back, relishing the feel of hard flesh beneath her palms.

  Eli lifted his hips to allow her access to his jeans. “Take them off,” he ordered, smiling his approval at her when she unzipped his jeans and shoved them down along his hips.

  She smiled back when his cock sprang forward, thick and lightly veined, her pulse racing at the sight. Instinct made her reach for him, need made her wrap her hands around him and stroke the silky length, hot and hard. Her lips ached to taste it.

  But Eli withdrew, hissing his discontent when he did and reaching for the button on her jeans. Faith bit her lower lip to thwart the crazy surge of lust pounding through her body just knowing Eli was going to see her totally exposed, wet and slick with desire.

  And she would see him. His thick thighs sprinkled with dark hair; his chest, wide and hard; his arms, riddled with muscle.

  The anticipation heightened as he leaned down and skimmed her belly with his mouth, flitting his tongue over her abdomen, following his hands as he pushed her underwear down over her knees.

  Her back arched at his mouth on her skin, a response she couldn’t stop. She wanted to demand he drive into her balls deep, thrust against her, make her come until she saw stars, but she didn’t want to push him away with her werewolf’s appetite for sex.

  She and Brock had enjoyed a healthy, vigorous sex life, and until this moment, she hadn’t realized how deep missing their lovemaking went.

  Eli kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her, rolling her toward him, sighing when their flesh finally met, chest to chest, toe to toe.

  Lifting her arms, she wrapped them around his neck and buried her face in the strong chords of muscle, held him close, savored his unique scent, enjoyed the delicious friction of his cock at the apex of her thighs.

  Eli’s muscles suddenly flexed, tightened, making him pull away, as though he could no longer retrain himself. He rolled his palms over her back, slipped them past her waist and cupped her ass before his mouth followed.

  He lavished every inch of her with his lips, licking, nipping, suckling her skin, still avoiding every intimate area of her body until she wanted to scream, beg, plead with him to touch her.

  As if Eli knew what she wanted, knew she needed more, he slipped his fingers inside her, spreading her apart before stroking her swollen clit.

  Faith writhed against him, lifting her hips, panting her need, letting her legs fall open, but Eli wouldn’t be hurried. He’d meant it when he said he wanted to take his time.

  She forced her impatience to quiet itself, focusing on Eli’s leisurely strokes, enjoying the rapid build of fire in the pit of her belly, hissing her delight when he finally rasped his tongue over her nipple.

  His groan of pleasure as he drew the tight bud between his lips sent her heart crashing against her ribs, made her grip the carpet. The cavern of his mouth was hot, decadent, rich with the texture of his tongue.

  His hands gripped her waist, pulling her flush to him as he licked at her nipples, alternating between the two, driving her crazy until he was pulling away, slipping down along her body and placing himself at the apex of her thighs.

  “Spread your legs, Faith. Spread them wide,” he grumbled into the room, now even darker with the onslaught of the storm.

  Faith shivered, doing as he commanded, letting her legs fall away until she felt his hot breath on her thigh, the wisp of his hair on her abdomen.

  Eli growled, low and feral, his eyes hot on her most intimate place, his jaw tight and unyielding. He gripped her knees hard, an obvious struggle for control, and then he was bending low, resting his cheek against her leg, forcing the anticipation of his mouth to an almost frenz
ied height.

  He exhaled a sound of contentment before he slid his tongue inside her and parted her aching flesh.

  Faith’s eyes rolled to the back of her head. The sensation was so intense, so perfect, it became all there was. White lights flashed behind her eyes when he circled her clit, stroking, tugging at it until she drove her hands into his hair, pulling him tight to her.

  Flames pooled in her belly when he slipped a finger inside her, making her gasp for breath as the pressure grew, as he pushed her further, licking, kissing, breathing life into her long-dormant body.

  Eli was unmerciful, lashing at her, stroking his fingers into her, nipping until she knew she wouldn’t last much longer. “Enough,” she murmured, her voice sounding desperate to her ears.

  He lifted his head then and whispered back, “It’ll never be enough, Faith” before he returned to her aching flesh.

  His last stroke was long, his tongue flattened against her, her legs wide, and when he thrust another finger into her, she couldn’t hold on any longer.

  Her orgasm was sharp, leaving her nerves raw and her mouth dry as she screamed her release, the whoosh of air escaping her lungs and burning on the way out. She came hard, gripping Eli’s hair so tight, had she not been in such a frenzied state, she would have worried she’d hurt him.

  But Eli didn’t stop, didn’t flinch until she gasped her last breath, rode the last wave of indescribable pleasure to its completion. Faith let her fingers relax before she reached for him, needing him as close as possible.

  She gripped his shoulders with care, knowing she was the stronger of the two of them, pulling him to her, pressing her mouth to his, tasting herself on his lips.

  His body molded to hers, their thighs touching, the muscles of his abdomen rippling and flexing against her. His cock taunted, hard and hot, making her reach between them to stroke him.

  But Eli gripped her wrist. “Don’t. Please. It’s been a long time. A very long time.”

  She obeyed, releasing him with reluctance, letting him set the pace when he nudged her thighs open and settled at her entrance.

  Faith held her breath again, prayed for patience, knowing his drive would never match hers. Yet, his arms were strong when he pushed them beneath her, his body powerful as he reared back and drove into her.

  Instantly, she went rigid, the bliss of having this man inside her almost stealing her last bit of sanity. Eli stretched her wide, made her strain to take more of him, fight the impulse to dig her nails into his back and force him to thrust into her hard.

  But he went maddeningly still, adjusting, sinking deeper into her, settling against her. “Jesus, Faith,” he said on a shudder, his breath fanning her cheek.

  Her heart clenched in her chest, so tightly she thought she’d die. His words made her clutch him, slip her arms up under his and luxuriate in his clear pleasure.

  She remained still, letting him set the pace, riding out the excruciating wait until his hips finally began to move. He rolled against her, grinding their bodies together, pushing deeply within her, stealing her breath from her lungs.

  Sweat formed a film over Eli’s forehead, his focus so strong, his strokes purposeful. She ran her hands over his back, clutched his ass, let her fingers sink into the muscle of it, savor the strength he exuded.

  The rise of orgasm began a prickly thread of white-hot heat in her belly, growing when she wrapped her legs around him. She gasped for breath when his cock responded by pulsing harder inside her.

  Relief was so close, so sweet, it swept her up, mercilessly pushing her to the edge and tipping her over without warning. Wave upon wave of delicious shivers coursed through her, making her nipples tighten to sharp peaks.

  And then Eli came, too. Grinding against her harder, spreading her legs wide, keeping her tight to him. His skin was hot, slick with sweat, his muscle rippling, tensing and flexing as he came.

  When he went rigid, when his beautiful body shuddered, Faith closed her eyes and breathed him in. Breathed in the release of testosterone and his woodsy scent as it swirled in her nose.

  Her heart clenched tight in time with her eyes as she fought to keep her tears at bay. Instead she soothed him, kneading his back, burrowing against him and burying her face in his neck.

  They lay there for a bit, each catching their breath, keeping the reality of what had just happened at bay.

  When Eli finally rose up on his elbows, he looked down at her and skimmed her lips with his, making her purr. “I want to say I shouldn’t have—we shouldn’t have, but I can’t.”

  Taking a deep breath, she smiled. “Because we should have.”

  Eli’s brow furrowed in confusion. “No regrets?”

  Rubbing his nose with hers, she said, “Not a one.”

  He looked like he didn’t like her answer, and she knew why. “Really?”

  Faith chuckled and snuggled up under him. “Uh-huh. You seem troubled by that. Why is that, Eli?”

  Chapter Six

  Because you just had sex with someone who isn’t your husband? Er, someone you don’t know is really your husband, was what he wanted to say. Because aren’t you even a little sad that you didn’t think of me at all? was also something he wanted to say.

  But he didn’t. Because he couldn’t. But he would have hoped she’d at least have a lingering memory of him. Sure, he’d been gone for five years, but had he left so little impression on her she’d totally forgotten the centuries they’d shared?

  Then something else hit him. Maybe she’d done this before. Maybe she’d long been over him and he was another one of her throwaway lovers.

  That wasn’t the Faith he knew. Was it? No. Faith hadn’t been an easy catch, and he couldn’t believe even in loneliness she’d take casual lovers.

  But they’d had a healthy, incredible sex life. Was that so easily forgotten?

  Fuck. Now he sounded like a whiny, clingy ass. If she’d met someone over the course of his captivity, how could he blame. her? She probably thought he’d run off and left her. Yet, something in him had always believed their connection was deeper than that.

  But damn it, she was his wife. A wife he’d missed every single second he’d been away from her, and it was going to take some doing to remember that she didn’t know he’d been someone’s hostage.

  Nipping at his jaw, Faith asked, “Eli?”

  Brock fought his jealousy and hurt and smiled. “Sorry, what was the question?”

  “I asked why you seem so troubled that I have no regrets.”

  “Well, your husband for one.” Okay, so he couldn’t stop the words from shooting out of his mouth, but fuck all, this hurt.

  But Faith didn’t seem at all troubled by it. “Well, for one, he’s been gone for five years. I think that gives me the right to have no regrets.”

  He fought the tightening of his jaw. “I just thought—”

  “You just thought that I’d been here pining away for him all this time while he was off gallivanting in bars. Why ever would I do that?”

  “He didn’t look like he was gallivanting,” he said, defending Brock…er, himself. There’d been no damn gallivanting.

  “You said you couldn’t remember much because you’d been drinking. In fact, as I recall, you said you didn’t remember much after Brock told you where he was from and told you to stop by if you were ever in the area.”

  God, he was a shitty liar. “But I’d remember gallivanting. And there was no gallivanting.”

  Faith dismissed him. Dismissed him. “That’s neither here nor there. Whose team are you on, anyway? Why are you so concerned with my husband? You said it yourself, you’re leaving after tonight, so what difference does any of this make to you?”

  “I’m not concerned, per se…” The hell he wasn’t. His wife was accusing him of gallivanting when in reality, he’d been locked up in a dark basement sporting only a shaft of light for five years with a fairy and nothing but time on his hands.

  Yeah. He was damn well concerned.


  Tweaking Brock’s cheek, she smiled mischievously up at him. “Of course you’re concerned. Wanna know why?”

  He wasn’t sure. He was feeling pouty and bruised. “I don’t know.”

  Poking him in the chest, she snorted. “Of course you want to know, Eli. You’re concerned because you think I have some sort of moral code that would demand I have mixed feelings about this. Because fine, upstanding wives don’t have sex with a stranger for the first time in five years and not have at least a twinge of remorse relating to their husbands.”

  Phew. What a load off. He’d been the first lover she’d had in five years. And wow, she sounded really angry about it. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like you were promiscuous or—”

  “A little slutty for having no regrets?”

  “I would never.”

  Faith mocked a wince. “But you sorta did.”

  “I absolutely did not.”

  “Also neither here nor there.”

  “I apologize for offending you.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not offended.”

  “You’re not?”

  “Nope. Want to know why?”

  “I do. I really do.”

  Squirming out from under him with the force of a hurricane, she knocked him backward. “Because I know!”

  He forced himself to his feet, reaching for his jeans and sweater and throwing them on as she struggled into hers. “Know?”

  She nodded, her eyes glittering with anger just before she dropped her sweater back over her head. “Oh, yes. I know, and I’ll have you know—”

  “Mom!” Derrick roared from downstairs. “Where the hell are you? We need to talk. Max is with me. Mom!”

  The pounding of his son’s footsteps coming up the stairs had Brock running a hand over his hair to smooth it before bracing himself. There would be carnage, if the tone in Derrick’s voice was any indication.

  Footsteps skidded to a halt outside Avery’s door before Max burst through it, his eyes wide. “Mom?”