The Alpha's Bondage

Late Arrival

♚Archer♚

The door slid open. The hall was quiet. The white door waited. I stood there a second and let the tired move through me and out. I keyed the lock and stepped inside.

“You are late,” she said, and she came from the bedroom doorway in a white tank and soft shorts. Her hair was loose. Her feet were bare. She looked like sleep and heat at the same time. The hunger woke with one look and pressed hard under my ribs.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “It was a long day,” I shut the door behind me as I coughed lightly to clear my throat. “Everything ok?” I asked as I faced her. Harley watched me closely before a slow smile spread across her face.

“I am fine,” she said, and she crossed the room without more talk. Her hand found mine and squeezed. Her eyes searched my face like she was looking for proof I had made it back in one piece. “Come to bed,” it wasn’t a question, it was a clear invitation. One that I wasn’t about to pass up.

“Yes,” I said, and the word felt simple and right. Harley led me down the short hall and into the bedroom. I should have directed her to the white room, but I was tired and all I wanted was her. The bed was already turned down. A small lamp glowed on the table, and the signs of her getting ready for bed were littered around the room. The brush on the dressing table. The towel hung over the chair. And the smell of soap that lingered in the air.

“Do you want to eat?” Harley asked, and I shook my head.

“No,” I answered honestly. “What I want is you,”

“Then kiss me,” she said, and she tipped her chin up. And so that is exactly what I did. I kissed her. Harley felt warm and soft in my arms. I tasted mint and heat and a sweetness that only belongs to her. We moved as one as we removed our clothes. While it wasn’t frantic, it was rushed. It was almost as if we had both longed for one another. We kissed and fell onto the bed. Her skin was warm under my hands, her breath quick against my mouth as we kissed. We had touched each other before, learned the shape of each other in every way short of this, but now there was no holding back. I braced myself over her, and I rested my forehead against hers. For a moment, I just looked at her. Her eyes were wide and steady, no fear, only trust. Trust I hadn’t earned but silently promised to treasure.

“Harley,” I whispered, my voice rougher than I meant for it to be. “Tell me if you want me to stop,”

“I won’t,” she whispered back, as she pulled me closer. I slipped my hand between us, and I found her ready. Hot and wet. Her body answered to me in a way that made the hunger flare with desire and lust. I forced myself to relax as I reached over and pulled the nightstand drawer open. I grabbed a condom and, within seconds, I rolled it over my hard length. Harley watched and waited, but then she spread her legs and welcomed me. I pressed forward slowly and carefully. I wanted to give her a chance to stop things if this wasn’t what she wanted. But Harley dug her fingers into my shoulders, not to push me away, but to pull me closer. The heat of her surrounded me, and I cursed the protection. I wanted to feel all of her. I forced myself to move gently, as I watched her closely for any sign of distress. Instead, she tilted her head back slightly as her lips parted on a soft sound that made my chest ache with more than hunger.

"Fuck..." I whispered, and she gazed up at me with heat, passion, and desire.

“More,” she pleaded. I pushed deeper until I was fully inside of her. I found a steady rhythm that felt amazing. Harley lifted her hips into me and met each stroke. I enjoyed her heat and the tightness that surrounded me. It was intoxicating in the very best way. I shifted slightly, and I saw the way that small move had changed things for her. Harley’s eyes widened as she clutched onto me. She moaned with pleasure, and I picked up the pace. Suddenly, without warning, her whole body tensed up, and I felt her tighten around me. Almost as if she was strangling me. She came with a slow, low moan that spurred me on.

“Harley,”

“Don’t stop,” she pleaded. I wasn’t about to stop. Harley locked her legs around me and urged me on. My movements became frantic as I chased after my own release. I wanted it. I needed it. I leaned in and kissed her as the last of my control cut loose. Pleasure hit strong and clean and rolled through me in waves. My hips slowed as I breathed heavily. Harley smiled up at me, and I knew that she wasn’t just my mate. She was my everything. I carefully pulled out and got rid of the condom. I wasn’t in any hurry to leave her side. As soon as I lay back down, Harley cuddled up to me, and I wrapped my arm around her to hold her close. The hunger was stated, and quiet. And my body reminded me that I was tired.

“Are you ok?” I asked.

“More than ok,” she whispered. I smiled as I kissed her forehead. The last thing I wanted to do was leave, but I couldn’t impose on her privacy.

“I should go,”

“No. Stay,” she said, and I nodded. I stared up at the ceiling while I listened to her breathing get heavier and heavier. She fell asleep in my arms, and I held her closer. I couldn’t help but wonder if she felt the bond between us. Had she recognized me as her mate? And if so, should we talk about it and what it meant? I already knew that things had changed for me. Harley was my last consort. I never wanted anyone else. Only her.

“Talk to her,” Ragnar whispered, and I sighed softly. He was right. I would have to talk to her, but first, I needed to find out if she recognized me as her mate. I needed to know. I needed to be sure. “Talk to her,” he repeated, and I nodded once before I closed my eyes. My body was tired after being away from her the whole day. All I wanted was to sleep with her in my arms. So that is exactly what I did.

♚♚