Cuffed and Mated

by Penelope Wylde

  He rotated her against his thigh again. Her eyes widened and her breath froze in her lungs. A jolt of energy burst from her core and aimed straight for her clit. The bundle of nerves tucked between tender folds quaked.

  Pulsing pressure evaporated all words from her thoughts.

  She bit back a moan when another shockwave ripped through her as he repeated his sweet torture.

  “You have a way with words, Sheriff.” A shuttered breath pushed past her lips. “I don’t think I have anything else on my schedule for tonight.”

  She wanted him. Not for a day or a fling that lasted a couple of months, but in a way that would tie her to this place and time with him. “You like pushing my buttons, witch. You’re about to find out how dangerous that can be. You’re fucking dripping wet and I can smell every drop of your arousal. Don’t try to deny it.” He bent and captured her earlobe between his teeth for a nibble.

  Their future may not be clear, but she didn’t need to go searching to know he made her world complete. That he was her reason for breathing and the other half of her soul.

  “I know, I shouldn’t tease a hexed alpha. But, do tell, how do you plan on punishing me?”

  She could count on one hand how many men she had in her life. Two were past lovers, the other her father, and a brother. That left Rebel. Neither of her two past encounters measured up to how he made her feel.

  “What I have in mind would leave you at my mercy,” he teased, the pillowy softness of his lips against her skin, his tongue dancing over the pulse point in her neck. She screwed her eyes shut. Goddesses divine he made her want to do bad things. Kinky bad things that she’d dreamed about since their first date and that only he pulled out of the deeper corners of her mind.

  He bent and gathered her ass in both hands and hauled her up the length of his body until he had his cock nestled in the V of her jean-clad legs. They needed to do something about that pronto.

  Her head tipped back. “I know what I’d like.”

  “Do you? What does my wicked witch want?”

  She loved it when he called her that. The deep rumble of his laugh worked over her. Piqued interest creased his brow as he stepped back and eased her down. She melted into his body and was tempted to hold him to her, but she had an idea that they would both love. Hopefully. “I’ll show you.”

  He kept his hands on her as if he didn’t want to break their contact either. With a few short steps, she came to his discarded pile of clothing. With as much grace as she could muster in jeans and a sweatshirt, Aleaha bent over to retrieve what she needed and got a growl in response. His fingers kneaded the globes of her ass. “You’ll get your fun in just a moment.” Emboldened, she straightened and dangled her loot from her forefinger. “Wanna play, sweetheart?” With a perfect cocked brow and a devilish smile to top it off, no way he wouldn’t want to get her in bed.

  His curiosity morphed from surprised to highly aroused, and with how his cock dripped with cum and bobbed in anticipation, she’d say it was safe to say they shared the little fantasy.

  “Follow me,” she cooed in a mischievous tone.

  He snatched the cuffs from her hand and then picked up his white T-shirt from the pile of discarded clothes. “No, you come with me.” In one swoop, he bent and hauled her over his shoulder, eliciting a small yelp. Pure laughter bubbled up her chest as he strode across the front of Enchanted Embers in the direction of the back room. An echo of movement to her right caught her attention. In passing, he snagged something from the shelf. Palms pressed into his backside, she angled her head to see, but he tucked it beneath the shirt in his hand before she caught a glimpse of the label. “Naughty witch. No peeking.”

  “Not fair. This was my idea.”

  A deep chuckle rumbled up his chest. “Oh, my sweet witch. You have no idea the trouble you’re in.”

  A little whimper slips out. No idea of what?

  With a couple of flicks, he had the door open to the back room she used as a bedroom and her on the bed, the soft, fluffy pillows and comforter hugging her body on all sides. When she and Eva had started the shop a few months back, they’d worked for hours on end and sometimes crashed in the back room, too tired to make the walk. After a couple of nights of roughing it on cots, she’d gone out and brought back a queen-sized mattress and all the trimmings. Over a short time, small knickknacks, pictures of back home and even a few mirrors that made the place seem more spacious and homier had made their way in to decorate the antique furnishings. Her favorite was the old-timey brass-framed bed her aunt had given her positioned dead center of the room with a matching headboard. If nothing else, she was a creature of comfort. Now she didn’t feel so spoiled about her decision.

  A burst of muted light chased away the shadows and highlighted her man in a dreamy light. He strode across the room and flung open the curtains. Moonlight drenched the room and complimented the soft interior light to create the perfect atmosphere to appreciate him by.

  Her gaze followed the beams of gauzy moonlight until it landed on his hand, his fingers wrapped around the base of his cock, stroking from the base to the tip then back down only to repeat the process.

  Her nipples stiffened and she bit down on her lip to keep from begging that he take her right here, right now, no games just raw passionate sex. But the sultry fire in his eyes said he wanted to play. Long and hard.

  Holy shit.

  A few strides brought his knees against the side of the bed, his impressive shaft perfect for her to take him in her mouth. One delicious taste of the pre-cum that beaded the tip of his thick erection, and then he could do whatever he wanted.

  She fell back and let her head rest against the pillows. With a smooth caress up her abdomen, Aleaha let her fingers trail over her breasts until she found her nipples. With the slightest pinch through the soft material of her clothing, her buds swelled and throbbed with need. What would it take to get this man’s mouth on her breasts?

  He watched as she pleasured herself, eyes half shuttered behind heavy lids. “Take off your clothes. I want to watch.”

  There was only so much sexy she could put into taking off an old sweatshirt and jeans. She’d give it her best though. Eyes leveled with his, she slowly dragged the thick material of her top over her head, his eyes growing brighter with each inch of exposed skin, until finally she tossed it away. With nimble fingers, she moved to unclasp the bra, but he threw his hands up.

  “Wait. Those are mine to unwrap.” His roughened baritone scrapped along her libido and she shuddered. “By all means.”

  She clasped his extended hand and made her way to the end of the bed, the soot stains on her pants all but forgotten.

  Slowly he bent forward until he had the stiff points of her nipples buried in the warmth of his mouth. Liquid heat engulfed her sensitive bud and a hard shudder worked over her from the surge of pleasure to hit her system. If he could do that before he took off her silk bra, she couldn’t wait for full contact.

  As if reading her mind, Rebel pulled back, reached around her and freed the heavy weight of her breasts with a soft bounce. The crimson of his eyes melted into molten lava.

  An animalistic need surged inside her at the sight of his desire for her. Moisture slipped passed her folds, and she pressed her thighs together to calm the throbbing ache.

  “Those next.” He gave a stiff nod to her jeans.

  Yes! She fell to her back, flipped the button loose and forced the zipper open with a loud hiss. Rough fingers sank into the band of her pants, and with a couple of tugs, she had nothing on. Rebel stripped her of pants and panties all at once. Warm air rushed over her sensitive skin.

  Time for slow and languid would come. Right now, she wanted his endless length buried balls deep and making her see the nebulas of three galaxies away.

  “So damn beautiful. Too beautiful. I shouldn’t want you as much as I do and I don’t know how to stop.” He braced his hands on the bed and leaned forward, his head bowed. “Damn it, Aleaha, I’m not sure I ev
en would if I could.”

  “No one is holding you back, sweetheart.” She let her knees fall open. “Don’t you want to taste this?” With light strokes, she trailed her fingers over her aching peaks, down her stomach and then sank them into the light dusting of hair outlining her pussy. With her thumb pressed against her clit, she sank one finger, then two into her tight core. Her back arched off the bed, and everything went black. Eyes closed, the fantasy of bringing herself to orgasm for him lingered just beyond her reach. Just a couple more strokes. Her hips bucked gently as she finger-fucked her cunt with slow, easy movements.

  She whimpered a heady sigh.

  Strong fingers parted her folds, and then the warm caresses of his tongue up the seam of her pussy had her head rolling from side to side, lips parted, desperate for release.

  Goddesses divine, she needed more… more sultry, damp friction. She hovered close to the edge of orgasmic heaven. With his hands holding her in place, she could barely move. Need bucked her hips, she wanted more of him, but he held himself back. With his finger and thumb, Rebel pinched her clit as he thrust his tongue in deep enough to make her pussy clench over and over with her release.

  Her eyes screwed shut as multiple sensations rushed over her senses. Several heartbeats passed before he released the pressure. “That should hold you off for what I have in mind.” He wiped a hand over his mouth before he kissed the tender spot below her belly button.

  “But wait, this was my idea.”

  “You said that already.” He gave a nip along the dips in her waist, her nipples, goddesses divine, her shoulder and neck as he prowled over her until his lips hovered above hers.

  “Because it’s true.” She countered with a half-hearted argument, her body drained and relaxed from her release. A slow smile spread across his face. “Don’t like to lose, do you?” With a small chin jerk, he said, “Be a good witch for me and move up to the top of the bed.” He raised his gaze from her lips to look into her eyes.

  “I think I know what the red means.” Ready for him to back away, she gathered his face in her palms and captured his lips despite her juices that still lingered there. No way would she let him pull away, but to continue with the weight that hung between them only led to more unstable ground.

  Chapter Seven

  “I’m your mate. Am I right, Rebel? Tell me. Please. I don’t care how forbidden we are for each other. Don’t hold back because of that.” Her words came out a half-whisper. Part of her afraid to mention it and the other part determined to find the underlying cause of the tempest that raged in the depths of his gaze. Desperation plagued her to free him of the pain that held him back from her.

  Storm clouds raged to life once again and his gaze turned stony. “There’s so much you don’t understand.” Tethers of tortuous magic knitted around them, cocooned them in a protective bubble from the outside world. Right then, it was just her and Rebel. “Tell me so that I can know.” A pleasant warmth from his body pressed into her, his heart beat against hers.

  “Later.”

  She knew better than to wait, the wall around his emotions showed signs of weakness. Later meant he would shore up the holes and he would make an excuse and leave her with more questions than answers with the excuse of work. Valid, but if she let him slide now, nothing would change.

  “Look at me.” With a soft voice, the truth of what she saw in his heart poured out. “You hide behind, that badge of yours afraid to take this thing,” she shook a finger between them, “…any further, sweetheart, when in reality it’s not us you’re afraid of. I’ve proven time and again that I’m here.” With a gentle touch, she cupped his cheek. “Your past doesn’t have to be your present or your future. You don’t have to worry about letting me down. I know you’re a better man than that. Look at how tonight turned out. You could have easily walked out and left me to deal with my own problems. Instead, you stepped between the danger and me. But we are the furthest thing from being a mistake.” She gave a slight pause and bit at her lip. It tore her in half to say what she knew he needed to hear.

  “Say your mind, Aleaha. Don’t be afraid.” He brushed his knuckles along her cheek and caught a tear she didn’t notice spill down her cheek. “Don’t shed another tear for me, baby. The past is gone and I have to live with it.” Thin beams of light filtered in from the window. She loved how he looked so calm in the light, so natural, but she knew on the inside he hurt. Whatever effects of her potion had faded a while back, so wrapped up in her own feelings she failed to notice when, but the man left to deal with the fallout needed her help.

  “The tears are for us. I’m afraid of losing us before we even have a chance.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes to us. Your mother and father lived their life, made their mistakes and you paid for them. It’s up to you if you want to learn from them or let their truth rule you until you’re just as unhappy as they were.”

  He stared down at her for a long silent moment. “Can’t tonight be enough? To simply be here with me.” His lips glanced along the underside of her neck with small, tender kisses that reached into her heart and pleaded his case.

  Her heart broke. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t last longer than a heartbeat. I’m sorry if I hurt you by bringing up bad memories.”

  “You speak as if I’m already gone and not cradled between your legs giving you the best I have. Is that how you really feel? Should I leave, Aleaha?”

  “Isn’t it how you feel? That I’m not worth the risk, not worth more than a few warm nights in bed to help pass the winter? Nothing too forbidden about that as long as you don’t mark me, right?”

  A cold stab of panic froze her in place when he pushed up and away from her. Immediately she felt the loss of his weight, the heat that had surrounded them evaporated. For the first time since the change of the season, she really felt the cold of winter.

  This was the moment when the next thing she said would either bring him back to her or push him away for good. Goddesses divine, let her be right. She pushed up on her elbows as he moved off the bed, and turned away from her, effectively hiding his eyes. “You hide from the truth by turning away. You don’t get to ask me questions and then turn away from me when you don’t like the answers.”

  “It’s not that easy.” He angled himself toward her, eyes brighter now than they had been all night.

  “Sure it is.” Her voice cracked, but she held his crimson stare when he shot her a glance over his shoulder.

  “My father was a murderer, a traitor and the one responsible for my mother’s death. She died of a broken heart when the pack turned him away for killing an elder. Then we were forced out too.”

  “It must have been the worst time in your life.”

  “I lost the things I held closest, Aleaha. To a shifter, pack and family are everything.” Anger mixed with an ugly amount of pain rolled off him and the psychic in her picked up flashes of him as a young boy with tears rolling down pouty dirt-stained cheeks.

  “I’m here, offering you a fresh start.” She slipped from the bed and walked over to him where he stood next to the window, her palms open. “Let me be your light now. Trust me.”

  “Trust isn’t an easy thing to accept or even give to another.”

  “Then give me a chance to show you how much I trust you.”

  “Do you?”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  “You fight for me when you’ve only known me for such a little time.”

  She slowly moved into him, pressed together from hip to chest she tipped her head up to look into his eyes. “Are you questioning the clairvoyant?”

  That brought a small smile to his lips and right then she’d move the planets to see him smile again but from the heart.

  “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to let my heart love again. What if…”

  “What if I leave you? Die? Get kidnapped by rogue dragons and flown halfway around the world from you to serve at their leisure? Tha
t last one is unlikely, but…” She gave a shrug and cocked her brow as if she might consider the option.

  Anger flashed in his eyes and his arms tightened around her.

  So that got to him.

  “If you don’t claim me, I’m afraid some dragon-man might swoop in and take me instead.” She rose to her tiptoes and gave a small peck on his cheek then slowly backed away. “You wouldn’t want that, would you?” She took another step back and he turned, shadowing her moves until the bed hit the back of her legs.

  “Say that again, witch.” Caught between the softness of her bed and the rock-hard man at her front, she said the only thing that came to mind. “That I had my eye on Xierrah. Yummy! That was his name, right? Long black hair. Did you see the way… and his hands, the way he held…” Her words dropped off and she wiggled her brows.

  A scream left her lips and she couldn’t hold back the laughter as he picked her up and tossed her on the mass of pillows covering the bed. Firm yet gentle hands parted her thighs and she had him right where she wanted him, between her thighs and close to her heart.

  He lowered his head, his lips a whisper away from hers.

  “You wicked temptress. Evil down to the core.” He worked his hands beneath her bottom and scooted her up until her back rested against the thick pillows positioned at the top of the bed. Something soft wrapped around her wrists a split second before the small sound of metal grating against metal fell to her ears.

  She gave a small tug to her hands. “Rebel Donovan, you trickster.”

  “I guess we all have a bit of evil in us.” He tossed a wink at her and she couldn’t hold back from smiling. “And what were you saying about the lizard boy again?” Mischief sparkled in the depth of his eyes, and her heart swelled.

  He held up a bottle and she immediately recognized what he snagged from the shelf on their way in here.

  “Don’t you love the taste of wild berries and cinnamon?” Oh, the devious wolf had a plan all right. He was hungry and she was the main course. Handcuffed, naked and ready for the beast to enjoy a full moon snack.