“I don’t think so, Beautiful.” This time his words were more of a growl than coaxing. Wrapped around her waist, Israel’s hands almost spanned her thick mid-section. “Thick? You are going to spend a lot of time over my lap if you keep this up. You are perfect. Contrary to what many women believe, most men aren’t attracted to toothpicks. We appreciate curves and want to be able to feel your softness beneath us.”
Settling her against him, Israel smiled when she rested her head against his bicep. His cock laid between the cheeks of her ass as though it had every right to be there. His palm pressed against the underside of her breast, and he fought back a moan when he felt her nipple peaking against the pad of his fingers. Splaying his other hand over her lower abdomen, Israel smiled to himself as her scent moved over him in slow, lapping waves as her skin heated beneath his touch.
“You are so responsive. I know you are fighting it, and that makes it all the sweeter. I can hardly wait until you belong to me. I’m looking forward to tying you to my bed and waking you with my tongue, tracing the folds of your delectable pussy. Maybe I’ll finger you until you’re nice and slick, then slip inside you before going to sleep.”
“Normally, I’d appreciate your take on a bedtime story, but in this case, it seems more like teasing. At least my dreams will be a lot more interesting now… if I can get the visual out of my head and my heart to stop pounding.” She felt his chest vibrate against her back and let herself slip back into the peaceful oblivion before sleep. Knowing she’d amused one of the club’s Masters made her smile.
Bristol learned at an early age to keep the lighter side of her personality hidden from all but her closest friends. If she joked around in public, she could almost count out the seconds until the blonde bimbo jokes started. Being younger than her colleagues hadn’t helped—they’d usually discounted her ideas without even giving them consideration, citing her age or chalking up anything outside their comfort zone as the rantings of a blonde ding-bat. It had been humiliating, and she discovered early, it was easier to maintain a professional distance.
Israel made her feel… she didn’t know exactly how to describe it… something akin to important. He focused on her when they were together and seemed to want to learn more about her rather than simply trying to find a flaw to exploit. Sighing to herself, Bristol let herself float deeper into the twilight before true sleep.
Frickity frack, I’m not ready to be mated, and Israel Adler is going to be damned hard to resist. Why does fate always open the perfect door when I’m not ready?
Remarkable. The woman was so much more than he’d dared dream fate would send his way. It seemed greedy to ask for a woman as brilliant and beautiful as his sisters and sisters-in-law, but that was exactly what he got. The Adler siblings might have lost their parents too soon, but the great Goddess was showering them with blessings now.
Israel couldn’t remember a time when being telepathic had been more important. He and Luke had sat at the hotel bar after Austin and Charlotte tied the knot, wondering how in the hell men could conceivably understand women if they couldn’t eavesdrop on their thoughts.
Refining the plan he’d been working on was easy. He just had to keep reminding himself it was more important to establish a good foundation with Bristol than to rush a relationship he knew would last the rest of his life. There wasn’t a doubt in the world he could seduce her—Bristol wasn’t as sexually experienced as he was. Hell, she wasn’t experienced in anything other than her chosen field, but she was fucking brilliant as an OBGYN. She’d already admitted to herself she was susceptible to his charm, but he wasn’t willing to trade one night of pleasure for the trust he knew it would take for them to build a future together.
Staring into the darkened room, letting his thoughts wander, Israel saw his phone flash on the nightstand. He’d silenced the device but had obviously forgotten to turn the damned thing over, so it didn’t light up the damned room every time a message popped up. Curious who would send a message at this hour, he reached for it, then wished he hadn’t.
What is your connection to Clovia Williams?
Austin’s question caught him off guard. The name sounded familiar, but Israel wasn’t sure why. He would ask his brother for details later. Israel didn’t want to risk disturbing the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms by tapping out a response. Whatever the issue, it would have to wait until he had a few free minutes.
When Israel woke up, the fingers of one hand were closed around Bristol’s breast, and his other hand was spread over her lower abdomen, the tips of his fingers pressed against her pubic bone. The heat from her pussy was luring him closer, but he was determined to stick to his new plan.
Bristol’s mind was still quiet, blissfully unaware of how her body was expressing its need for his touch. Resisting the urge to roll her budding nipple between the pads of his fingers was difficult, but fighting the temptation to slip the tips of his fingers between her legs was harder than anything he’d had to do in a long time. He knew the moment she woke—her entire body stiffened.
Leaving his hand over her breast, Israel skimmed his other hand up until his arm wrapped possessively around Bristol’s waist. Giving her a quick hug before releasing her, Israel moved back until he could sit on the edge of the bed. He didn’t have to wait long for her to turn to face him. Goddess above, she was even more stunning in the morning. Her sleepy eyes and disheveled hair, a riot of blonde waves, made him long for the time when he’d see this view every morning. Sometime during the night, the loose braid he’d done in her hair had come undone, though he wasn’t sure how, when she’d barely moved all night.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me last night.” A pink stain of embarrassment colored her cheeks.
“It was my pleasure, Beautiful. Your safety will always be my number one priority. It would have been irresponsible for me to let you try to get home on your own.” On some level, she trusted him enough to let go last night. He wasn’t naïve enough to believe she couldn’t have got home on her own. Would she have been vulnerable? Absolutely and that was the reason he’d been determined to escort her.
“I don’t usually have such a strong reaction to fatigue. Honestly, after medical school, internship, and residency, I would have sworn I was immune to exhaustion.”
“You trusted me to keep you safe. Your mind may not understand, but your heart does. I know you don’t want to be tied down with a mate.” He held up his hand when she started to argue. “Save yourself the swats, lying will earn. You need to can the denial, Bristol. I’m an empath, and my skills are even more enhanced with you.” Her eyes widened, and he wanted to laugh at how quickly she mentally reviewed their interactions since he’d approached her at the wedding reception.
“Come back to me, Sweetheart.” Bristol blinked a couple of times as if she were trying to refocus her attention. He could see where others might mistake her blank look for something other than her mind moving at warp speed. She’d endured a lot of heartache because she was brilliant. He was anxious for her to get to know his family, who would appreciate her sharp mind. London would have a unique understanding of being academically accelerated.