Verge of Insanity

Chapter Thirty Eight

***This chapter contains a mature scene. Please skip ahead if you feel uncomfortable reading it.***

Mara Leigh

Xander sat on the cream colored couch as I walked around the home, admiring the woodwork and decor. He was content to let me procrastinate.

The cottage was small, with an open floor plan. The small kitchen and cozy living room were open at the front of the house, and a small hallway led to an even more cozy looking bedroom. I glanced inside, not quite ready to go in. The entire home oozed comfort and softness. A bathroom was right across from the bedroom, with both a claw foot tub and walk-in shower.

I walked back toward the living room and stared into a curio cabinet that housed various items.

"What is this place?" I asked, inspecting a crystal wolf on one of the shelves.

"My grandparents had it built. Grandpa was Alpha. He wanted to give himself and my grandma some privacy from the pack house. When my dad found Mom, they offered it to them, wanting to give them a place of their own. They all still lived in the pack house, but this was their getaway."

I turned and looked at him, he was still calmly sitting on the couch. He continued speaking.

"When Dad died, Mom didn't want to come here anymore. It hasn't been used since then. But when I told Mom about the bond and claiming she offered it to us. She stocked the fridge and came in and cleaned and replaced the linens. I saw what she was trying to do for us, and accepted the offer."

So she got all this done in a day.... Blythe was something else. It warmed my heart to know that she took time to offer and do this.

"Do you like it?" Xander asked, seeming unsure for the first time. "I thought you might want a place away from everyone, but if you'd rather go back to our room, we can."

I went to him and sat on the couch beside him, shaking my head.

"I love it," I whispered, hiding my head in his neck. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

How does one do this? How do you start? I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. The pounding got harder by the second, and I didn't think I could take anymore.

Xander's finger was suddenly under my chin, pulling it up to face him.

I stared deep into his green eyes, and let my gaze slide down to his lips. I didn't realize I was biting my bottom lip until his thumb pulled my lip free from my teeth.

"What do you want?" he whispered, brushing my cheek with his thumb.

My heart rate had escalated to a speed I could barely feel.

"I want you," I whispered, not sure how to ask, but just wanting him to touch me, to ignite what I didn't know how to start.

Slowly, as if waiting for me to stop him, Xander leaned toward me and touched his lips to mine. As soon as his lips made contact, nothing else mattered. Gone were the nerves and pounding heartbeat.

I wrapped my fingers in his hair and held him closer, finding myself almost straddling his lap. I followed the rhythm of his lips, running my hands from his hair down to where his shirt opened below his neck. He let me clumsily unbutton his shirt, and leaned us both forward to help me pull it off his shoulders. His lips broke from mine and veered off down my neck, one of his hands gathered my hair and pulled my head back to give him better access. I could feel his other hand caressing the back of my thigh, inching my dress up slightly. He took the hand from my hair and ran it up the back of my other thigh, slowly. Our lips reconnected, his mouth moving slowly over mine.