The Alpha and Her Secret Mate

Ultimatums

When I open my eyes, Alex is all I see. “The entire time we were with James and Alisha, this is all I could think about.” He nuzzles against my neck again, then drags his teeth along my skin.

I sigh and tilt my head back, and he responds by placing soft kisses along my jaw. “Where did you go?” I ask. “I thought you’d be waiting for me here?”

He bites my neck, making me gasp. My skin is tingling everywhere, hyper aware of Alex and his presence and where he might touch me next. “Don’t worry about it,” he says. One hand cups my neck, as he keeps kissing my neck, alternating between gentle touches and deep needy bites. “I had to take care of something,” he says, following the statement with an extremely distracting series of kisses along my throat.

My breath catches and I moan quietly. I push my hand under the hem of Alex’s shirt and dig my fingers into his skin, pulling him closer. I need to feel him closer. He moves slightly, fitting his hips against mine. I arch my back, pushing my hips up against him. He groans, and his lips find mine.

At first, his lips are hard against mine, but I lick his lower lip, and he pulls back with a moan. I sit up with a giggle, chasing him, eager for the taste of his lips. When I catch him, he holds back, just a moment, before meeting me and pushing me back into the mattress.

I squirm in his arms. “I need to touch you more,” I whisper, just before he deepens the kiss. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, and I feel like my skin is electrified. I push my hands under his shirt and start pulling it up. His muscles are firm under my hands, and I hum appreciatively.

He leans back, letting me see his chest. My hands reach up to touch him instantly, and he laughs at my enthusiasm. “Alright, alright, if you insist,” he says grinning. Then he sits up for a second and pulls his shirt up over his head before throwing it back on the floor.

My eyes grow wide, taking him in in the darkened room. Silently, I drag my hands down from his shoulders over the tense muscles of his chest. He twitches eagerly under my touch, but he stays still, letting my hands explore. I’ve seen him without a shirt before. I’ve even touched him without a shirt, but every time, I’m in awe. He clenches his fist, holding back while I run my fingers along the edges of his chest and back to the bit of hair growing from his sternum.

“Layla,” he whispers, his voice thick with desire. His eyes fall closed, and he swallows hard as my fingers travel down following the trail of his dark hair down to the v framing his abs. My hand brushes his waistband, and suddenly, he grips my wrist, holding me still.

I look up into his eyes, just long enough to see the bare lust glowing there. My breathing goes heavy, and he pushes me down against the bed, pinning my hands above my shoulders. His body burns hot against mine, feeling like a brand, and his lips crash into mine, kissing me deeply. I push my hands up, trying to touch him, but he puts more pressure on my wrists, keeping me still. I whimper and lift my legs up to wrap around his waist.

He groans, as if overcome with need, and I’m rewarded with a brush of hi fingertips along the soft skin of my stomach. He looks up to meet my eyes and says, “Is this okay?”

I take a deep breath, my eyes fluttering closed and nod. “P-please.”

His eyes light up, and he lifts my shirt, inch by inch. His chest heaves with excitement. “So beautiful,” he whispers, almost to himself. Before I register that he’s moved, his lips are on my skin, leaving a lazy trail of kisses across my stomach. At my hip, he pauses before licking the bone, pressing his tongue into the curve of sensitive flesh. I moan, and my hips curve up to meet him. He bites me then sucks gently on the skin, and I throw my head back, in a blind pleasure.

Heat pools in the pit of my stomach, and I slide my fingers into Alex’s hair, pulling him closer to me even as my body rises to meet him.

His hands move upwards, settling on my ribs. My lungs expand outward, leaning into his touch and craving more. He licks a trail up along my bottom rib ending at the base of my sternum while his hand travels up and up until the tip of just one finger grazes the bottom of my breast.

Every nerve ending feels attuned to Alex’s movement, and my skin flashes hot then cold in waves. My eyes widen with need, and I watch Alex, holding my breath.

“Do you–do you want this?” Alex asks me, barely holding back. His hand twitches under my shirt, but he waits for me.

“Yes,” I whisper desperately. “Please, yes.”

He hesitates a moment longer, so I squeeze my hands under his and lift my shirt over my head. I hear him take a sharp intake of breath against his teeth, and when I finally untangle my shirt from my hair, I see that his eyes are locked on mine.

He lets out a shuddering breath. His hand hovers over my bare chest, and he hesitates to ask, “Are you sure?”

“YES!” I gasp. My skin feels like it’s on fire, aching for his touch.

“Good,” he says quietly. His touch is almost painfully delicate, and I shiver, wanting more. “God, Layla,” he whispers. “You’re amazing.” He caresses my breasts, and I feel goosebumps form. The way he’s staring at me makes me feel delightfully exposed.

“Alex?”

“Are you cold?” he whispers, voice full of concern. He pulls his hands off my breasts and places them on either side of me.

“No, no, don’t stop!” I beg him, but he lowers his head to kiss me once on the lips. Then again in the center of my chest.

His breath is hot, and his tongue is hotter. I feel my skin flush as he kisses and licks and bites circles around my skin, finally taking the tip of one of my breasts between his lips. His tongue makes me groan with pleasure, but I need more.

I push him away, and he rises off of me easily. “Are you okay?” he asks.

“More than, okay,” I tell him, with a mischievous grin. Then I reach for the waistband of his shorts.

He freezes and lets out a hissing breath when he sees what I’m doing. “Layla,” he says. I look up to meet his eye for a moment, and I’ve never felt more loved or more wanted.

I start to lower his shorts, and he gasps once. Then he catches my hands in his, holding my palms flat against his hips. “No,” he says. “Not like this.”

I try to pull my hands away but he holds me still against him. “I…not like what?”

He’s silent a moment, and then he looks away. “The hiding. The sneaking.” In an instant, I feel cold. “I don’t want to be your dirty little secret.”

“Alex, it’s not like that,” I say. I pull him closer to rest my forehead against his.

“I know,” he says. “But that’s what it feels like.”

He starts to pull away, but I cling to him. “Alex, please, just stay. We don’t need to do anything else. Just be here with me.”

"Okay," he says, and he lays down next to me. "I'll stay."

As he lays there, I settle in beside him and tuck the blanket carefully around myself. “Please understand,” I whisper, with my lips against his shoulder.

“I know,” he says, with his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

I still itch to touch him, but now I’m afraid, so I settle for resting my cheek against his shoulder. After a while, I assume he must be asleep, but longer after that, he must assume I am. He gets up and walks across the room, and I watch him without moving. When he opens the door to leave, I don’t think he sees me cry.