15 - the decision

The moment we tumbled into the cabin, I pulled Chloe into my arms. We were still naked, laughing as I fell back onto the couch with my sexy Sugar in my arms. I wrapped my arms and legs around her, holding her body tightly against mine. So tiny, my large hands nearly touched each other as I encircled her waist.

"I love you."

My stomach plummeted to my feet the moment the words tumbled from my lips. I couldn't even blame it on the heat of the moment or the throes of passion because we were just lying here, holding each other. I can't say there was nothing sexual going on between us. It was always sexual with Chloe...at least on my end it was.

Because making love to her was always in the back of my mind. Hell, it was in the front of my mind too, if I'm being honest. Making love? Damn, where did that come from? I never say that. I never think that either. It's fucking. Always fucking for me. But suddenly fucking doesn't even cover what I feel right now.

Because I love Chloe.

"I love you."

Shit. I said it again. She's still blinking from the last time I said it. I'm out of control right now. Declaring my love for her after a week and a half of knowing her? Shit. She's gonna run. I've scared her now.

Her hands were flat against my chest and my skin was burning where our bodies touched. A small smile spread across her face as the reality of my two confessions processed inside that beautiful head of hers.

"You do?" she whispered. "You love me?"

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded. I was too scared to speak right now. She wasn't saying it back. I said too much. Fuck.

"Oh, Paul," she sighed before burying her face in my neck.

Her lips and breath on my skin had me hardening beneath her. Completely naked, there was no way to hide it. My erection was sandwiched between our stomachs. How awkward, yet I couldn't control my body's reaction to Chloe brushing her lips up and down my neck. She hummed and breathed deeply. Was she considering whether she loved me too?

"Baby…" I begged when she raised herself up from my body and gripped me in her hand.

"Baby?" she taunted as she ran her fingers up and down my length, tightening her fist with each pass. "What happened to Sugar?"

"You'll always be my Sugar," I sighed as she pulled harder. Pleasure and pain. Oh fuck yes. "So sweet," I gasped as I jerked in her hand.

She glanced down between us and then her eyes snapped back to mine. "You're so hard, Paul."

I couldn't even respond because of what she did next. I held my breath as she maneuvered her heat closer to me, using her hand to brush the head of my cock along her slick heat as we both gasped. Feeling how wet she was for me and seeing how her eyes darkened at the feeling of that small amount of contact, had me aching to be inside her. Now.

"Sugar, please," I pleaded when she rubbed me against her once more. I couldn't take anymore. I was barely holding on. I was fighting the wolf in my brain who needed me to bury myself inside her. So warm and wet, Chloe was making me crazy.

She smiled up at me, fluttering her lashes at me in a way that betrayed how sinful she was acting right now. As she placed me at her entrance, poised to let her body sink down and meet mine, my body vibrated with anticipation. I couldn't lose it now. Even if I wanted to press myself up and stop this torturous game she started.

I squeezed my eyes closed as I waited for the sweet relief to come. I couldn't wait to be inside her. Everything we had done since arriving at the cabin yesterday was foreplay, leading to this moment. After fingering her in the hot tub and tasting her on the island, all my thoughts had been consumed with one idea.

That I could be inside her.

The suspense was killing me. I could barely catch my breath. It wasn't like me to let the girl make the first move, but I had been so consumed with the idea of taking my time and being gentle with her, that it seemed natural to let her take the lead on this. Me and my wolf sure as fuck couldn't be trusted.

He just wanted to make her ours. Pound her. Punish her. Make her forget she ever met my father.

I groaned when my cell phone began to ring and vibrate against the wooden coffee table next to us. Chloe froze. She backed away from me quickly, rocking back on her heels as she settled between my legs. Begrudgingly, she was allowing me to reach for the intrusive device. We both held our breath knowing this phone call could change our lives.

"Hello?" I answered gruffly after seeing Charlie's name on the screen. "Do you have news?"

Charlie hummed and sighed. "Yes, Paul. I need you to bring Chloe to me. They've reached a decision about pressing charges and the D.A. needs to see her."

"Today?" I barked, noticing Chloe's frightened expression and cringing at how tense she was now.

"No, no. Not today. But can you be here tomorrow? Say 3pm? You can meet me at the police station and we can get this all cleared up."

I paused. "So they're not pressing charges?"

I felt myself relax for a second when I noticed the way Chloe's eyes held a flicker of hope as she gazed over at me. I reached the back of her head and urged her close to me for a quick peck on the lips before Charlie answered.

"I honestly don't know, Paul. The D.A. didn't say either way. He just wanted to see Chloe and give her the decision then."

Fuck. My body sunk further into the couch when I realized this was far from over. Chloe sighed and watched how her brow furrowed. She was eager to know what I knew.

"Paul?" Charlie prompted when I didn't respond. "Can you be here tomorrow at 3?"

"Yeah," sighed deeply. "I just wish I knew what the hell we were walking into."

Charlie hesitated and lowered his voice before saying, "Don't run. Don't make this worse for her. Let her come here and face the music. You know I'm in your corner. And I'll do whatever I can do to keep her safe."

Charlie had read my mind. Moments before he told me not to run, I considered it. Hell, I was packed and halfway to Canada in my mind. Fuck facing the damn music. Not if it meant I would lose what was mine. My girl. My Sugar. No way could I ever hand her over to the cops and walk away if they tried to arrest her.

I would burn the station down before that ever happened. Fucking try me.

"Paul."

Charlie's stern, fatherly voice brought me out of my deep sinister thoughts. I suddenly felt guilty for making this about me and my loss if they were to take my Sugar away. I had to be strong for Chloe.

"We will be there. Don't worry, Charlie. I won't do anything stupid."

I almost believed myself.

Almost.

I ended the call and slammed the phone down where it had previously rested. Chloe pulled away from me, curling into a ball at the end of the couch. Shit.

"Bad news?" Chloe choked out as I shifted around to stand next to her. I stomped over to the door and yanked on my shorts before bringing my t-shirt and kneeling in front of her.

I took a moment to calm myself down. I hated the way she had pressed her forehead to her knees and was squeezing her legs so tightly as she had them drawn up to her chest. She was on the verge of a breakdown. I couldn't let her lose it.

"Hey," I coaxed softly, trying to lift her face and allow her to see me. "Let me see your beautiful face, Sugar."

Her breath stuttered as she fought to keep her tears at bay. She kept her eyes squeezed shut as she lifted her head slowly. I slid my t-shirt over her head and she pushed her arms through. When her eyes finally opened and gazed up at me, my heart was crushed. "Are they going to arrest me?"

I slumped next to her on the couch and pulled her into my lap. "No, Sugar. Not that we know of. The D.A. just wants to give you his decision in person. Tomorrow at 3, okay? Charlie has no idea what they've decided."

She nodded as I gave her a few more details and soothingly rubbed my hands up and down her back. "We will face this together," I insisted as I cupped her jaw in my hand. "It's gonna be okay."

For a moment, she stayed calm. She nodded and sighed and let me hold her close. Then the fear and doubt set in. She jumped out of my arms and began to pace around. "It's a set up," she declared as she stopped and sat on the coffee table in front of me. "They didn't tell you they were pressing charges because they know you'd never bring me in! They want me on their turf so I can't run. We can't go. I can't face it if it means we can't be together, Paul. I need you." Her voice broke. All the bravery she had shown me the past two days was obviously just an act.

This was the real Chloe. She was vulnerable and afraid. And she couldn't live without me. That confession alone should have had my heart soaring, but I couldn't even enjoy the victory when this shit was hanging over our heads.

"You don't know that, Sugar. I know Charlie would have told me if he knew what was coming. I trust him."

Her expression hardened. "But not me? You don't trust me? You don't think I know what's going on here? Like I can't sense that something's wrong?" she ranted as scooted away from me.

"Sugar," I soothed as I shifted forward and pulled her into a straddle position in my lap. "Don't let your head go there. Let's just wait and see what he says…"

Chloe's scoff cut me off. "Wait and see? Wait and see?"

Her voice continued to rise as she attempted to wriggle out of my embrace. Angrily, I gripped both of her wrists and held them tightly behind her back. "Calm down," I growled in my alpha voice. "There's no reason to get this upset when we don't even know what's coming. Just relax...and let me…"

"Let you fuck me?" she supplied, her eyes glinting angrily. She rolled her hips forward and leaned forward to latch onto my neck.

"Stop," I ordered as I released her wrists and held her shoulders instead. "You know that's not what I wanted to say."

Her eyes bored into mine. I watched as they changed from lustful to furious to heartbreakingly sad in a matter of seconds. "Fuck, baby, I'm sorry," I whispered as she collapsed against my chest and began to sob. "Please don't cry, Sugar. I got you. I got you."

I held Chloe closely to my body as my hands rubbed circles all over her back. Fuck this hurt.

I could feel her chest jerking as she tried to breathe between sobs. I continued to soothe her with my hands on her back and my words in her ear. Nothing was working. I'm losing her to the fear of what's to come tomorrow. I had one last night with her and I refuse to spend it wondering what if?

I slid my hands down over her ass and under her thighs as I stood up from the couch and carried her to the bathroom. She clung to me desperately as I began to fill the oversized clawfoot tub with warm water. Chloe finally let me place her on the counter next to the sink so I could add some soap to the water and check the temperature once more.

When I turned back to her, settling between her thighs and using my finger to tilt her jaw up, she gazed at me. I hated seeing her red, puffy eyes and the way her lower lip quivered as she tried to control her emotions. I lowered my head and met her gaze head on.

"Don't be scared. I won't ever leave you, Chloe. I couldn't. I love you way too much to let you go. I waited almost ten years to meet my imprint and I have no fucking intention of letting her slip through my fingers now."

Chloe's face immediately brightened at my third confession of love. Dammit. I'm bordering on pathetic now. I want her to say it back. I didn't even realize how bad I needed her validation until she didn't give it to me.

I twisted back to shut off the faucet and returned to her just to lift my shirt from her tiny frame. She sucked in a deep breath when she saw my eyes flicker down to her hardened nipples, displayed prominently on those perky breasts I was dying to hold in my hands.

"Let's get you in the tub," I urged as I gathered my Sugar close and lowered her into the soothing water.

"Join me?" she asked so innocently that tremendous guilt was all I could feel. Guilt because her voice, her eyes, and that naked body hidden by a mountain of bubbles had me hard again.

"You sure?"

She nodded happily as she scooted forward and made room for me behind her. Fuck. Behind her. I need to be good. I have to be good. I couldn't be bad right now. Not when she was so vulnerable and scared.

Sighing deeply, I turned away and removed my shorts. I jumped when I felt her hand smooth over my ass and pinch it lightly. "Damn," I gasped as my body twisted back to catch her pulling her hand away.

Chloe couldn't hide her smile as I faced her. My dick was impossibly hard and was I blushing? Shit. I don't blush. This girl had me so turned around. "Are you ready for me?" I growled lowly, realizing how much that sounded like a come on instead of an innocent question about joining her in the bath. "Ready for me to get in with you," I corrected quickly, noticing how her expression fell.

Regardless, she nodded and scooted up a bit more. I stepped in behind her and sunk down, enjoying the feeling of the bubbles and the sight of her smooth back. I watched as she cupped the water and dropped handfuls over her arms and shoulders. I grabbed a washcloth, loaded it with body wash and began rubbing her back.

She sighed softly and moved closer. "That feels so good," she moaned. I groaned inwardly at her response. My body was warring with my head on the definition of 'being good.'

When Chloe fully reclined against my back, I used the soaped up cloth to wash her arms. Once again my hardened length was trapped between us and I could feel it pulsing angrily as I refused to shift her body ever so slightly, allowing our bodies to join. I struggled to focus on cleaning her body, while trying to avoid her chest. That was just too tempting to resist.

Finally Chloe took over, placing her hand over mine as she guided me to wash her breasts. I groaned as she pulled the washcloth away, forcing my hands to sensually massage her. She felt like silk in my hands. Her hard buds so tight with want and so soapy and slick as I brushed over them gently.

Chloe arched her back and forced me to take more of her breasts into my hands. Her hands sunk under the water, gripping the tops of my thighs. Fuck. Her squeezing was my undoing. I used my fingers to pinch her nipples and I grinned like an idiot when she whimpered. "Too rough?" I moaned into her ear before licking the spot just below it.

She shivered slightly before responding. "No...I love it. More...please?"

I cupped both breasts tightly and skimmed my way back to the incredibly hardened buds. I plucked them simultaneously, earning me a deep rake from her nails along my shins. I groaned loudly, loving the pain as much as she did.

"Maybe we should take it easy," I argued weakly as I remembered how upset she was just a little while ago. I didn't initiate this and I sure as hell didn't start the bath water with the intention of seducing her, but now I felt incredibly guilty.

Chloe forced my hands back to her chest the moment she felt me pulling away. "Don't stop," she begged as I held my hands away.

"Chloe," I breathed as I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and rested my chin on her shoulder. "I feel bad touching you like this when you're so upset. I should be able to control myself better with you."

She scoffed loudly. She twisted her body around to sit on my thighs, letting her legs dangle over the side of the tub. Once again, my poor dick was smashed. Now it was between my stomach and her hip. I winced as she wiggled around, brushing her sideboob against my chest and her ass into my lap.

"Chloe, please. You are really killing me right now," I whined when her flattened palm skimmed up my chest and curled around my neck. "You gotta stop touching me. I'm trying so hard to be good."

I opened my eyes to find her grinning playfully. "Why be good?" Her mouth inched toward mine, tempting me to shift her ever so slightly and take her right here in this tub.

I moaned the moment our lips touched. I didn't even realize how badly I needed to kiss her. Just kiss her lips and taste her tongue and nibble on that mouth of hers. I gasped into her mouth when she grabbed my hand and pressed it between her legs.

"Touch me, Paul," she begged when I hesitated. "I need you so badly."

My resolve was dissolving like a popsicle left out in the sun. I could no longer justify denying her or myself. But…

"Stand up," I ordered gruffly. Chloe blinked quickly, but complied. "Let the water out."

She turned, revealing her supple ass. The soapy suds slid down her skin just taunting me further. I stood behind her, leaning past her to turn the water back on, this time for a shower. Chloe gazed up at me as the water pounded down, rinsing the bubbles away and leaving both of our bodies red from the heat of the water.

When her eyes lowered past my waist and her hand drifted up to grip me, I held her wrists and turned her body toward the spray. I continued to squeeze her wrists as I pressed her hands against the tile under the showerhead.

Chloe arched her back and forced her ass against my thighs. I leaned into her, towering over her from behind as I whispered into her ear. "Let's wait. I...can't take advantage of you, Sugar. You may hate me if I don't get some control here."

I was stunned when my imprint pulled away from me. She swung around to face me, her brown eyes blazing with anger. "Stop acting like you know what the fuck I need, Paul! Stop pushing me away."

I swallowed thickly, completely thrown off by the harshness in her tone. She was so angry. "Baby, I...I'm not pushing you away. I just won't reduce myself to acting like an animal just because we're scared."

She scoffed. "Is that it? Is that really why you won't touch me...or is it because you don't wanna waste your time on someone who's about to spend her life in jail?"

Her words cut through me painfully. "You know that will never happen, Sugar. I won't let it…"

"Then touch me, Paul. Show me all this love you keep professing to me. Make me feel how much you love me," Chloe taunted as she pressed her body to mine.

I ran my hands over her hair, down her back, over the swell of her ass, until I was able to grip under her thighs and easily lift her into my arms. She wrapped her hands around my shoulders and held me tightly. I smirked down at her and sighed, "Are you ready?"

The smile that erupted across her face was the biggest and brightest one I had ever seen. "More than ready, Paul. I'm so ready."

I carried Chloe to the bedroom, forgoing drying off and loving how slick she felt in my arms. I placed her gently in the center of the bed and watched her face as I lowered my mouth between her thighs.

...

A/N: I know I'm terrible, but this was running long so...to be continued.