Chapter 44: Sensitive to my touch

"Mmph..."

A soft gasp slipped from Caroline’s mouth, turning into a moan as his fingers kept thrusting in and out of her at a steady pace that made her hips twitch.

"Andrew..." Her hands slid up and locked behind his nape as he buried his face in her neck, dragging hot, open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat and across the upper curve of her chest.

"Moan for me, mate." His voice was rough against her skin. "Your scent is all over me. Didn’t realize you were this sensitive to my touch." His teeth scraped over the soft swell of her breast and bit down just hard enough to leave a mark.

A second later he shifted her onto the couch, one of her legs hooked behind his hip. He brought his wet fingers to his mouth and licked them clean, eyes on her the whole time.

"Andrew, why did you—"

She never finished. He leaned over her and took her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. He didn’t linger. His mouth worked steadily south while his hands peeled her dress down her body, inch by inch.

"You didn’t put on a bra. Huh?" He cupped her bare breasts, thumbs brushing over her nipples until her lips parted on another moan.

"We—we were inside, that’s why," she managed. "Angh..." Her eyes squeezed shut as the heat coiled tighter low in her belly.

This felt nothing like the times with her former mate. Those had always been about his release. She’d been too in love to notice how little attention he’d paid to hers.

Caroline opened her eyes and found his mouth resting just above her navel.

"You’ve got a mole right here."

She pushed up on her elbows as his tongue dragged higher, tracing the valley between her breasts. A few open-mouthed kisses, then he claimed her lips again—only to pull back almost immediately, a thin string of saliva still connecting them.

His hands hooked under her thighs and dragged her closer. Then his face dropped between them.

"Andrew, no—!"

Her back arched hard the second his tongue slid over her core. Her fingers flew to his head, twisting into his silver hair.

"Anhhh..." The moan tore out of her as he licked a slow stripe. Her eyes flew wide. A second later, her whole body locked and shuddered as her first orgasm hit.

Caroline’s chest rose and fell hard as Andrew shifted up over her. She caught sight of his mouth, still glistening, and heat flooded her face.

"What did I do? I’m sorry..."

He grinned, tongue slowly dragging across his lower lip. "Why are you apologizing?"

"It shouldn’t have happened. That’s why. I feel so embarrassed." She sat up fast, the sudden movement leaving her unsteady.

Andrew’s hands came up and cupped her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks. "You felt pleasure. What’s wrong with that? Why feel embarrassed about it?"

Caroline lowered her eyes, avoiding his dark gaze. "We need to wash up again," she whispered. Before he could stop her, she slipped off his lap and darted down the hallway toward the bedroom.

Andrew stared after her, his brow furrowing as a sudden realization hit him. He wondered if Caroline had ever actually experienced genuine pleasure—or if her past with Victor had been nothing more than an attraction based on the bond they had.

Heading to the guest bathroom, he took a quick cold shower to clear his head, dressed in a plain pair of black trousers and a charcoal shirt, and stepped out into the living room. Finding it empty, he glanced toward the kitchen.

"Well, I should heat the food," he muttered under his breath. He stared blankly at the high-tech induction stove. "How does this even turn on?" He had never set foot in a kitchen in his life, except for taking the water bottle. "Where is my phone?" he grumbled, planning to call the head butler back at his home for emergency cooking instructions.

Abandoning the stove, he walked back toward the master suite to fetch his phone, only to find Caroline sitting on the edge of the bed with a fresh towel clasped in her hands.

"Sorry for running away like that," she said softly, standing up as soon as he entered.

Andrew walked straight over to her, his long strides closing the distance between them. He reached out, his hands resting gently on her upper arms as his eyes searched her face.

"I told you never to apologize to me," he said softly. He paused, asking the question that had been weighing on his mind since she fled the room. "You’ve never felt anything like that before, have you?"

Caroline looked down, her lower lip trembling slightly before she shook her head. "I never prioritized my own happiness in anything," she murmured with regret. "I should have."

Before he could speak, a low growl echoed from her stomach. She flushed, looking up at him awkwardly. "Let’s go eat. I tried to turn on the stove to heat everything back up, but I couldn’t figure out how it works."

"You don’t know how to turn on a stove?" she asked, her eyes widening in genuine surprise.

"No," Andrew admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish look. "I’ve never had to do chores like that. The local staff here aren’t scheduled to arrive until the afternoon... I honestly assumed we’d be asleep until then."

A soft smile broke across Caroline’s face as she brushed past him toward the kitchen. Andrew followed close behind, watching with quiet fascination. She warmed the porridge and pancakes she had made earlier, transferring them neatly into serving dishes.

Before she could lift the hot dishes, Andrew stepped in, taking them from her hands and carrying them over to the dining table. He pulled out a chair for her, waiting until she sat down before pulling out his own. Smiling up at him, Caroline picked up the ladle to serve the warm porridge into two bowls.

"Oh, I forgot to make coffee!" she suddenly remembered, setting the ladle down. "Wait here, I’ll be right back."

She hurried back into the kitchen toward the coffee machine, leaving Andrew sitting at the table.

’I need to take it slow. No, Ares, for fuck sake, she is our mate. You can’t become restless around her,’ Andrew told himself and his wolf.