Page 35 of Alpha's Secret Baby Girl
“It’s not about trust.” Rafael stepped forward. “I didn’t think you were going to do anything. Or him, for that matter. Iwanted to dance with you. I got jealous, sure, but not because I thought anything was going to happen. I got jealous because you’ve only given me a year, and I want to spend every second that I can with you.”
“Rafael—”
He stepped forward again, lifting one hand to cup her cheek. “I know you don’t believe me. That’s fine. I can’t expect that you’ll be able to forget the past seven years and all the pain you went through in this pack. I’m not going to pretend like you weren’t badly abused and that those memories don’t live in your body.”
Gwen let out a shuddering breath. “You’ve had therapy, haven’t you?”
“With a dad like mine? I couldn’t have healed this much on my own,” Rafael admitted, searching her expression anxiously. What if she thought less of him for saying it?
Instead, she pressed her hand to his chest. “Maybe I need therapy.”
Rafael let himself move, slowly, so she could pull away if she decided to. He wasn’t sure what had changed in her mind since they stepped into the house, but he saw it in her eyes. She wasn’t just afraid. She had enough to fear with the demons, the pack turning against her, and the uncertainty in their relationship. But she was also tired.
He thought he understood that. It was exhausting, being alone. Well, tonight he was going to do his best to let her know she wasn’t alone anymore. And with that thought, he dipped his head toward hers. Their lips met, and Gwen shivered. Her fingers pressed into his chest, and he thought she was going to push him away, but then they shifted. Her hands wrappedaround the back of his neck, and she pulled him closer. Her breathing grew ragged as she kissed him again and again.
“I want to be wanted,” she whispered against his lips. “I want… I want to feel the way I used to feel. I’m so tired of being angry with you.”
Surprise rippled through him, but her hands were moving, caressing his chest, sliding over his torso, running across the planes of his lower back. There was a desperation in her touch that Rafael answered, his fingers brushing over her skin. She was soft and warm. Goddess, he’d missed how soft she was. And now there was even more for him to love.
“I want you,” she whispered as he broke from her mouth. “Rafael… please… please understand—”
“Shh.” One more kiss on her lips. He smiled. “We don’t have to talk right now. Tomorrow will come. Tonight, let me give you this.”
She clung to him, lips swollen already from their kisses. “The magic D?”
Rafael snorted. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
“Um… yeah.” Gwen started to flick open the buttons on his dress shirt. “That’s what we can call it. Or we don’t have to call it anything. We could just—”
She leaned in, nipping at the skin she had just exposed. Rafael shuddered as pleasure sprang from the sharp point of pain. His cock throbbed. Goddess, he needed to taste her. He traced the column of her neck with his tongue, finding the soft flare of her collarbones. One hand moved under her skirt, searching for the line of her panties.
She wasn’t wearing any. Rafael’s pleasure surged. So this wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment thing. He tugged the t-shirt off over her head and reached to undo her bra.
“Wait.” Gwen pressed both her hands to his chest.
“Are you alright?” Rafael’s brows pinched together with concern.
Gwen’s flushed cheeks darkened further. “I think you should leave it on.”
“I want to see you,” Rafael said. He slid his hand along the wide purple band but stopped again when Gwen shook her head. As he tried to figure out why she was denying him such a delightful part of her body, he was struck by the placement of her skirt, just below her ribcage, positioned perfectly to hide her belly.
Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to him that she would have body image issues.
Rafael calculated his next words carefully. He didn’t know how deep these issues ran and didn’t want to make her think as though there was something to be ashamed of by laying it on too thick. So he smiled and leaned forward, kissing along the top of her bra.
“Gwen Parker. I have been trying my best not to think about you naked ever since I saw you had come back. And do you know why?”
“Why?” she sounded hesitant.
“Because I knew if I even thought about how you look now, I wouldn’t be able to hold myself back. Your curves just do it for me. And now you’re saying I can’t even unwrap my present?” he gave a mock groan of pain. “This is an assassination attempt. You’re trying to kill me.”
Gwen lightly hit his arm. “Jerk.”
“Cruel, cruel mistress,” he purred back. This time, when he found the clasps of her bra, she let him undo it. He dropped the bra to the side, gazing at her lovely breasts. They were too tempting; her cupped them in his hands and swept his thumbs over her nipples before leaning to kiss one, then the other. Gwen’s back arched, pressing them into his face.
Need was riding him harder now. The tension in his low belly was like liquid heat, pooling and throbbing in waves. His hands wandered greedily while she clutched his shoulders. With a sharp tug, he’d removed her skirt and kissed down the length of soft skin, over the curve of her belly. Gwen panted above him but let him guide her back two steps until she sat at the edge of the bed.
He gripped her thighs as he kissed up her leg. Gwen tensed as his mouth found her clit. He delved in, greedily drinking in the sounds of pleasure she made while his tongue and mouth worked. Soon, she was trembling. He tested her with two fingers; they slid in easily into her wet heat.
