by R. A. Boyd
Charlie snorted and blew a stray hair from her eyes. “Yeah. It sure looked like you were really tiring them out by having them hand your ass to you.”
“I was waiting for my chance to kill one and keep the other.”
She splayed her hands toward the dead one and the unconscious one. “You’re. Welcome.”
He pointed toward the way she’d come. “Bye.”
His large, muscular arm hovered next to her head. What deodorant was that? He smelled delicious.
Charlie blew a raspberry. “Are you insane? He’s dead, and you’re… not bleeding. Anymore. We need to call the police.”
“I did.”
She wasn’t even a shifter and knew he’d just lied to her. “No, you didn’t. I don’t know who you called but it damn sure wasn’t the police.”
“Woman, just fucking leave.”
“My name is Charlie—”
“Don’t care.”
“—and I’m not leaving. Don’t worry. I’ll let the police know you acted in self-defense.”
Simon took a deep breath and sucked his full bottom lip into his mouth. It was a sexy sight to see, but his snark was taking away from the attraction. With his hands on his hips, he leaned back as if gathering patience from his surroundings so he wouldn’t throttle her on the spot. She was used to that look. She knew she could be a pain in the ass, prided herself on it, and would get the same reaction from her mom, dad, and an assortment of professors when she’d exasperated them.
A low growl rumbled through his chest, and his eyes went from their soft grey to shinning as bright as the moon over the courtyard. He probably meant to intimidate her, but instead, it turned her the hell on.
Charlie ran her tongue along the ridge of her top teeth. Simon’s eyes followed her tongue, and she silently rejoiced at his attention.
“Leave,” he said, taking a menacing step toward her.
Charlie didn’t budge. She lifted her hand and poked his hard pec. “You don’t scare me.” Enjoying the feel of his chest, she poked him again. And then she rubbed him. Wow. He was beefy. She placed her hand against his chest and gasped when a surge of heat blasted from their connection. It worked its way through her wrist, up her arm, and straight to her heart and lady bits. “What the hell was that?”
From the ends of her silver hair to the tips of her Perfectly Pearly Peach painted toes, Charlie could feel something move its way from Simon, into and all through her, and then back to him. Her breath hitched in her throat and she leaned forward, trying to get closer. The low groaning sound that replaced his growl let her know that he was feeling something too.
His eyes shined bright as he looked at her. She almost sobbed when he took one of his large hands and placed it over hers, holding her touch to the spot right above his heart.
He rolled his eyes skyward as if giving the stink-eye to some unknown presence that floated above them. “Typical. God-damned clumsy human.” His voice was level and void of emotion, but his glare softened as he looked back to Charlie. She could see he was affected by her.
“God-damned asshole shifter,” she retorted, trying to be angry. But she wasn’t upset. Nope. She was a lot of things, but upset wasn’t one of them.
Heat pooled in her abdomen as they stared at each other. His hand still holding hers to his chest was liquid fire, and she welcomed the warmth that flowed between them.
No. She couldn’t give in to her instincts. Everything in her wanted to hop on Simon and be consumed by him, but she had promised herself that she wouldn’t continue that behavior. But this was different. This wasn’t a frenzied, hate-filled need to fuck that tempted her right now. This was something more. Something real. Something that she’d been waiting so long for.
“Cue the porn music.” Damn-it. She didn’t mean to say that out loud.
Simon’s auburn eyebrows shot up near his hairline. She could tell he was confused. Understanding kicked in as she fisted his shirt, pulling his mouth roughly against hers. His lips felt soft and smooth, but they were firm and sure as he drank her in. The taste of his mouth was chocolate and the iron of blood.
Charlie scolded herself as she let out a moan of satisfaction. This was a kiss. She’d been kissed before, but nothing had ever filled her with completion. It was as if Simon knew every inch of her mouth, every angle and twist that made her want to forget her promise to herself and give in to him. She yelped as his large hands cupped her ass and lifted her until her legs were wrapped around his waist. He stepped over the unconscious guy who stayed peacefully quiet on the ground and pressed her back against the cold, hard bricks of the wall behind them. The taut feel of his chest rising and falling in a scattered mess of sporadic breaths rubbed against her nipples, shooting a direct call to her core. Unable to get close enough, Charlie squeezed her arms around his neck to let him know she wanted him.
Dipping a hand under her shirt, Simon slid his fingers up her ribs, under her bra, and over her breasts, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her hardened pebble.
“Fuck,” she hissed, momentarily pulling her lips away from his.
Thumb still teasing her sensitive bud as if that was its only reason for being there, Simon ran his other hand around the curve of her ass and straight up her back until he grabbed a handful of her hair. With gentle ease, his nails scratched along her scalp, sending erotic explosives through her as he tugged her hair, and fire erupted in her belly. She massaged her body against his. The curve of a smile played on her lips when she felt his erection straining against his jeans. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.
She groaned louder as he pulled her hair, harder this time, and the tension from his grasp lifted her head to give him full access to her neck.
“I bet you like a little pain when you get fucked,” Simon growled, and the sensation hit her right between her legs. And her nipples.
Charlie would wager her favorite fuzzy socks that Simon held potential in that sexy growl of his. It could probably take her higher than any orgasm had before as it poured from his lips and made her saturated folds vibrate with pleasure. A shudder rippled through her body as his teeth nipped at a sensitive spot below her ear.
The urge to pull her shirt over her head stopped her cold and sent a thrill of realization up her spine.
“No. No, no, no,” she whispered into his mouth. “Stop.”
As if her words had the power to pause the universe, Simon pulled away and settled her on her feet. “What’s happened? Did I do something wrong?” All the growl and snark left his voice as his beautiful gaze focused on her.
Shaking her head, she huffed out a smile at his sudden thoughtfulness. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just… I’ve done this too many times before and I promised myself that I wouldn’t anymore.”
His brows knitted together and he took a step away from her, gaze roaming from her chest to her eyes. “What’d you say?”
Anger flooded her veins as he watched her. He was judging her. She hadn’t meant to admit that she’d had her fair share of sleeping around, but it shot from her lips anyway. “Don’t you slut-shame me. If I were some guy doing it, it would be just fine.”
He scoffed and put both hands on his hips. A sideways smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “I ain’t slut-shaming you, Clumsy Girl. You’re a grown ass woman who can do what the hell she wants. Other than you saying stop I barely even heard what you just said. Too busy looking at your tits. Your nipple keeps peeking at me.”
She looked down, and a laugh bubbled up through her mouth. With her shirt pulled up over her breasts, one of her nipples poked out from the top of her bra. With the grace of a newborn giraffe, she fumbled and bumped into the wall as she worked to straighten her clothes.
“Look,” she said, fluffing out her hair. “This is going to sound silly and cliché but, um, did you feel that? It was like… I don’t know. Did you?”
He nodded and took a deep breath. “Yup. I felt it. You know what that means, don’t you?”
&nbs
p; She could feel her face scrunch up in confusion, but a needling suspicion tickled the back of her brain. Her old co-worker was mated to a shifter, and she said it had been instant for them; like a shock to her system that made her want him more than anything in the world.
Charlie shook her head and looked down at the man still sleeping near their feet. “Nope. I don’t know.”
“You know I can tell when someone is lying, right?”
Damn-it. She’d forgotten about that. “Okay, yeah. I lied. But you’re an asshole and I’m leaving, so…” Leaving? Some kind of twisting mechanism was making its way around her body, and Charlie knew without a shadow of a doubt she’d rather face down her fears than leave this man standing before her.
“You don’t even like me,” she said, leaning against the wall.
The scowl on Simon’s face melted away, and a smile lit up his handsome face. “I’ve liked you just fine since you called me a stripper back at the café. And I’ve had my eye on you since you barfed at the Town Hall last week. That a habit when you get stressed out or scared?”
Charlie nodded and walked toward Simon, stepping over the sleeping man in the process. “Yeah. It is. Problem?”
With a slow shake of his head, he reached forward and tucked her hair behind her ear. “No. Don’t want you stressed out or scared. You barfing will let me know when I need to start killing.”
That was sweet.
“Aww,” said a feminine voice from the mouth of the alley. “Are we getting another addition to the family?”
Charlie’s gaze shot to where the voice came from, but her world tipped upside down as Simon grabbed her by the thighs and tossed her over his shoulder.
“What the hell, Simon?” she screamed as he took her bag from her and held it in his hand. “I was just starting to like you!”
“Zeke. Riley. Teague,” Simon said, walking toward the woman. He turned around and Charlie could see two men and a pretty woman walking through the darkened alley. “Me and Clumsy Girl here have stuff to talk about. That one is dead and that one is alive. They’d been trailing me all afternoon. The gun is one of Samiyah’s designs. Rogue pack. Can you take care of this?”
Riley? Charlie looked up and saw the woman that ran the café. “Are you the Riley that owns the café where Daria works?”
“That’s me,” the woman said, arms crossed over her chest as she looked over the two guys on the ground. She smiled, and her brown eyes flashed gold as she looked at Charlie.
Charlie was good and embarrassed. She was definitely not going to get the job now. Her being slung over Simon’s shoulder must not have been a great impression. “I have an interview with you tomorrow. Can I still come?”
Riley bounced from one foot to the other and then jumped on a man’s back who caught her like she surprise piggy-back jumped him every day. “You’re hired!”
Wow. That was easy.
As Simon carried her out of the alley, she heard Riley say, “Does this mean Simon will be less of a douche since he found his girl?”
Probably not.
Chapter 3
The urge to slap the woman on her full and beautiful ass made Simon’s hands itch, but Clumsy Girl may not like that. Just yet. She squirmed and smacked him on the back as he walked her in the direction of his truck.
She was feisty, and his cock grew stiff with need as she writhed against him. He’d growled, snarled, and let his eyes change colors over and over, and she still stood up to him like he was nothing more than an ant who wanted the treats in her bag. He could smell those chocolate shits he liked from Riley’s shop. Did mates share their food? If so, he was calling halvsies on the sweets in her bag.
It was typical that the Creator would mate him to a human who tripped over air and cracks in the sidewalk, and barfed once the adrenaline in her body started to level out. Fucking typical.
But she was perfect. She stood her ground and didn’t let anyone make her feel small. Hell, Simon remembered her from the commotion at the Town Hall last week. When Samiyah started tossing them around, Charlie had been one of the only humans to grab a weapon and go after the crazed angel like she was indestructible. And then she threw up.
His eyes had been glued to her the whole time. She was unforgettable. Bright, bourbon colored, slanted eyes that conveyed every emotion she felt, wide hips and a full ass he could grab on to while he took her from behind, and a deep terracotta tone to her skin that made him think of his favorite taste and shade of coffee. And her hair was the most beautiful sight of all. It was a natural silver that curled around her ears as she moved. She was magnificent.
“Where are you taking me?” She’d calmed down and stopped fighting him.
He’d have put her down if her protests were real, but he could smell the excitement on her. This all seemed like a good time to her.
“To my house. We need to talk.”
“Your house? Stranger Danger. Stranger Danger!” she yelled, her fight starting all over again, but this time he could sense the anxiety rolling off of her.
“Okay, Clumsy Girl.” Simon stopped walking and put her down on her feet. She almost fell but then righted herself just before he could grab her. Still holding her bag in his hand, he said, “That shock you felt? That is the start of a conversation you and I need to have. Agree?”
Her eyes darted around the brightly lit Main Street. “I agree. But you can’t just take me to your house. You might kill me. Or seal me in your attic.”
The attic was already taken.
Simon chewed the inside of his jaw and nodded. She made sense. Human’s felt the call of their mate, but doubt was always expected. Humans were raised to believe that love took time and effort. He wouldn’t have to try to care for her or keep her safe. It was part of him now. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” She cleared her throat and reached for her bag, but Simon tightened his grip on it. “Are you going to keep my bag?”
He wanted to. Handing Charlie the bag and then grabbing it again before she dropped it, he said, “Are you going to drop it if I give it to you?”
She shrugged. “I might. I’m not clumsy on purpose.” Her gaze was full of questions and lust as she looked him over. “We can talk. There’s a place right down there,” she said, pointing behind Simon.
“Melinda Bale’s Bar and Pub. Yeah, I know it.”
Without a shadow of a fucking doubt, Simon knew that Riley had already sent a text to the entire clan letting them know that he had found his mate. There would be no way of keeping Charlie to himself now. Maybe taking her back to his house was a bad idea. He wanted to have and enjoy her with no one else around for a little while, but if she wanted to go to Melinda and Audra’s place that was exactly where he would take her.
“You want to hold my hand?” Even though Charlie’s voice was teasing, the quiver that sat behind her words let him know she was nervous.
Making her feel at ease for the rest of her life would now be his mission. And getting his soul back. Should he go tell Miri to give it to him? Probably not. He wanted to enjoy the peace that Charlie radiated for a little longer. Getting his soul back would probably shove decades of rage and murder back into him. He was going to take a raincheck on that.
He cleared his throat and reached over to take her outstretched hand. “Yes, I would.”
Calm and love and a hint of fear pulsed from her touch. Why was she afraid? He wouldn’t bring that up just yet. He would kill whatever made her afraid. New life mission: kill all things that make Charlie barf.
For the short time it took to get to the pub, they walked in comfortable silence. Her sneakers lightly padded along the sidewalk and the change in her bag jingled as her wide hips swayed from side-to-side as they walked. Could she get hurt if her taser turned on and connected with the coins that lined the inside of her bag? Next mission in life: find out if she had a secure cap for her taser so she didn’t make a mistake, turn it on, and shock the shit out of herself.
“You do know that I’m an immortal fallen angel with a missing beast and your tiny hands could do nothing that would cause me pain.”
She tugged his hand and bumped her shoulder against his arm. Her ease in his presence made him feel more than he had in so long. His emotions were a hurricane that threatened to rip him apart from the inside out, but when he looked down into her beautiful face, the sun shined when she smiled at him. “I could squeeze your balls too tight if I decide to give you a handy-j.”
With a nod of his head, he tsked and opened the door to the pub. Breathing in the wafting scent of fries, burgers, and alcohol, he winked at her. “I believe you would be correct in saying that.” The laughter in his voice surprised him. “You thinking about giving me a blow job?”
She sucked in a breath and brought her hand to her chest as if clutching non-existent pearls. “We just met and I am a lady, Mr. Grumpy Pants. I said I would give you a handjob. Give us a few weeks and I might give you a blow job.”
His cock jumped in his jeans at the thought of her mouth or hands on him, and for the first time in ever, his beast sat at attention. It was watching her, guarding her, planting the thoughts inside of him that wasn’t of murder or rage. It wanted to protect her, adore her, and make everything better for her.
As they moved toward an open booth near the front window, a small ball of hair and glowing eyes came flying out of nowhere. Simon was prepared.
Just before Audra latched on to Charlie like a flying koala-squirrel, Simon stepped in front of her and caught his sister before she had a chance to descend upon his mate and knock her to the ground.