The massive headboard was a deep, rich mahogany and incredibly detailed. The thing had to weigh a ton. In addition to various scenes depicting wolves and moons—shocking, I know—you couldn’t miss several well-worn handles carved into the wood. But for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what the carved parts in the footboard were for.
I found out soon enough.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Travis
When I re-entered the suite, the first thing I saw was a flurry of fur as George bounded from the bed and disappeared into the adjoining sitting room. But the second thing I saw took my breath away. I actually had to pause in the doorway to compose myself.
Generations of my family grew up in this house and these rooms had always belonged to the pack’s Alpha and his mate. Given my strained relationship with my father, I didn’t want anything that was his or that reminded me of him after his death. Jada had insisted I take these rooms, even though I was happy enough staying out in the apartments over the garage or in one of the guest houses when I was here. After officially signing the ranch over to her, I planned to be Alpha in name only and didn’t expect to come to the island much, anyway. No use having a huge part of the house go unused, I’d told her. She should just move her family in here.
But Jada didn’t listen and immediately began renovations to change things up for me. While I was on set, we talked aboutcolor palettes over the phone, and she sent me a shit ton of aesthetic pictures. She had walls knocked out, ordered new rugs, paint, décor, gutted the bathroom, and more. She’d even had movers come and transport the bed to a different location. Even though it looked very different from when my father was alive, I kept imagininghimin these rooms, and they never felt like mine.
That is, until I walked back in and saw Daphne waiting for me in that big bed—mybed—and suddenly I was home.
Not trusting myself to speak, I quietly placed her cup of tea on the nightstand, then carried the tray to the adjoining room where I set down a water dish and a plate of tuna for George. His blue eyes glared at me from under the sofa, but at least he didn’t hiss at me.
When I returned to the bedroom, Daphne was holding the sheets open for me with a look I couldn’t quite read.
“Those need to come off,” she said softly, indicating my pajama pants.
“Et tu, Brute?” I said it in a French accent even though I don’t speak French.
Her serious expression vanished, and she doubled over with laughter. “Oh my God, Travis! That is sonotthe correct use of that phrase.”
Lifting a brow, I shucked off my pajamas and joined her under the covers. She was gloriously naked, and my inner wolf preened that she’d obeyed me. This time. “Why? Doesn’t it meansame as youoralso like you?”
She was still laughing. “Not exactly! Julius Caesar says that to Brutus after Brutus stabbed him.” She reached for me, cool fingers closing possessively around my thick cock. “I don’t plan to assassinate you, Travis. Well, maybe just a little.”
I cupped the nape of her neck and kissed her deeply, pressing my tongue past the seam of her lips and into her mouth. After everything that had happened today, I thought thiswould never come, but all that fell away as I focused on this gorgeous woman in my arms. She moaned softly as I kissed her, and the sound went straight to my cock as she stroked me.
I wanted nothing more than to bury myself in her right now, but I had to take things slowly. The full moon was still a few days away, but I couldn’t rush this. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her. And given my size, I knew it was a real possibility unless I was careful and took my time.
The animal inside me was surprisingly quiet as I spent time playing with Daphne’s breasts, lightly twisting the peaked nipple of one between my finger and thumb and suckling on the other. He didn’t want to rush and hurt her either.
“Travis, please.” Her entire body trembled as she ground her hips against my thigh separating her legs.
“Please what, my love?”
“Please, I need to feel you inside me. I’m sick of this stupid edging.”
I chuckled. “Such a greedy little thing. I plan to thoroughly fuck you but only when you’re ready.”
She huffed. “Are all Alphas as bossy as you?”
“Only the hot ones.”
I slipped two fingers inside her, then added a third, moving them in and out, while pressing her clit with my thumb. My mouth came down over hers as she cried out and soon her inner muscles were clenching around my fingers in the first of several orgasms. The soft breathy sounds she made as she came, nearly had me coming as well. Heaven’s Moon, I was hard enough.
Withdrawing my hand, I nuzzled her neck and held her close as she came back to earth.
She ran her hands over my back. “Where are your condoms?”
“Mmmm,” I said, kissing her collarbone. “I’m afraid, you’re still not ready for that yet, but let’s see what this bed can do.”
I pushed the covers aside and dropped the center panel ofthe footboard. Then I gave each of her ankles a little kiss before positioning her heels on the carved indentations, conveniently located just beyond the width of my shoulders. Although I’d never bedded a woman in an Alpha’s bed before, it was surprisingly intuitive and all males knew how they worked.
“What are you doing, Travis?” she asked, breathlessly, sitting up on her elbows to watch.
