by C. D. Gorri
I said no. Down girl!
Her Fox sniffed and turned her back on her. Her fluffy tail wrapped around her like a shawl as the haughty beastie sniffed and ignored her.
Suddenly, Roxanne felt foolish in the middle of the rowdy bar in her tight red miniskirt and high-heeled boots. What was she doing here? She did not belong there and as far as she could see there was no one there she would be willing to give her virginity to. Well, except for…
No.
Tst, her Fox hmphed once more at her.
The music was blasting, and the room was getting hotter. Bowie was turned away from her deep in discussion with Sheila. She must have snagged his attention while Roxie was arguing with her Fox.
Great. Their conversation was too low in the noisy room for her to successfully eavesdrop on them and she imagined the worst. Was he going to ditch her now for the sexy Sow?
Roxie puffed out a breath. She wasn’t so desperate she’d stoop to listening in on someone’s conversation, was she? And certainly not on a man who had zero interest in her. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and Roxanne turned around to see a giant with black hair and mismatched eyes smiling at her. He nodded at Bowie and extended a hand to Roxanne.
“Hi! I’m Tonic. Bowie is my cousin.”
“You must be one of the triplets” she said excitedly. Multiples were rare for large Shifters and triplets almost unheard of.
“Hi, I’m Roxanne,” she smiled at him and the two hulking but gorgeous men behind him.
One of the three was a little bit scary. Tall and wide as a mountain, he didn’t smile at her, merely grunted his hello. The other one seemed friendly enough, his frame was tall and wiry, but his smile didn’t really reach his brown eyes.
“This mountain is my brother Locke, and this guy here is our youngest brother, Bolder.”
“Younger by like three minutes,” he growled and shoved Tonic who just swatted him back playfully.
“Anyway, since Bowie there is preoccupied, I thought you might like to dance.”
“To this?”
“Sure, come on,” Tonic took her hand and led her to the floor.
Roxanne laughed as he twirled her left and right careful not to let her bump into anyone else. She giggled at the faces he made as if he wasn’t too sure how to dance himself. Mostly they jumped and swayed and laughed out loud through the next three songs.
“You sure are light on your feet, Ms. Winters,” he drawled in her ear as he spun her this way and that.
“Thank you,” she giggled feeling giddy with the fact he seemed to be flirting with her.
Locke tapped on her shoulder after the first two rock songs and handed her a beer, though he declined to dance. He went back to sitting at the edge of the bar watching while Bolder shot pool with some Wolves in the corner.
The band was loud and raunchy, but as Roxanne danced and drank her fourth beer, she found she kind of liked it. Shifters had a fast metabolism, but it was still more than she was used to drinking.
Combined with the dancing and chit chat with the big Polar Bear, Roxanne admitted it was more fun than she’d had in a while. True, she might’ve secretly wished it was a different Polar Bear Shifter twirling her around, but she didn’t let that dampen her spirit. Besides Tonic was sinfully handsome and good, honest fun.
“Let’s try this then,” Tonic laughed and pulled her close when the band started a slow-paced rock ballad, though technically, he held her at a respectable distance.
The lead singer’s voice was just the right touch of husky and rough to pull off the song. She swayed with her partner. Roxie smiling up at Tonic wishing there was something more between them. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could feel attracted to the big, handsome Bear, but right then she noticed he wasn’t looking at her.
He was looking over her shoulder. Roxanne turned around to see the bartender, Sheila, wrap her arms around Bowie’s neck and press herself against him.
Hurt and anger welled up inside of her and she turned back before she could see what happened next. The last thing she wanted was to watch him make out with the sexy skinny Sow.
“Uh, I’m a little thirsty,” she stopped dancing.
“How about another cold one?” He smiled though his eyes seemed to apologize.
“Sounds great,” she allowed him to lead her towards the other end of the bar.
Roxie wondered why he and his brothers had come to Bar None at all since they didn’t seem to be chatting with anyone else. It struck her then that Bowie must have called for help in entertaining her. Of course he did. So he could be with her. The lovely Sheila.
How embarrassing! Having Roxanne there must have cramped his style. Hurt and embarrassment welled up inside of her.
What did you expect? That he would be single and willing to end your virginity? Fat chance, Roxie.
“Excuse me a minute, Roxie, I will be right back,” Tonic winked and handed her a fresh beer before walking off to use the facilities.
Roxanne nodded and tapped her nails against the scratched bar. The room had grown uncomfortably warm and she was about to slip outside for some fresh air when someone whistled low and long from just behind her.
“Hey there, little mama,” a tallish, lean stranger with a wolfish grin sidled up next to her and turned his full attention on Roxanne, much to her dismay.
The man wasn’t merely wolfish, he was a Werewolf. Inky dark hair hung over a broad forehead that tapered down to a long, pointed nose. His eyes were glowing with his Wolf as he smiled and whistled once more through thin lips. They raked her flesh as he looked her up and down licking his lips as he went.
Okay. Maybe her new intro to slutty couture wasn’t such a grand idea after all. She felt positively dirty under his sleazy gaze. She just wanted him gone. Now.
Not the cowering type, Roxanne stiffened her spine and sidestepped his wandering hands as he reached forward to touch the strap of her slinky tank top. She raised her eyebrow, a look that had made most men wither but clearly this guy didn’t have a clue.
“I do love this little number you got goin’ on here, girl. Can I get you a drink?” he asked and pursed his lips in what she figured he’d assumed was a seductive pose. Not.
“No, thank you. I already have one,” she replied.
“Well, alright, you can buy me one then?” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively.
Ugh. Really? She was just about to unleash one of her trademark Ice Queen replies, but before she could the man backed up. She watched in confusion as his dark eyes widened. His head tipped back as he followed whoever it was he was staring at. Whatever it was it dragged his gaze up and up. She heard a rumbling behind her, and Roxanne’s flesh broke out in goosebumps.
“Bowie,” she sighed his name. Her Vixen giddy that he’d shown up.
“You alright, honey?” His voice was thick with his animal.
It sent shivers through her straight down to her suddenly throbbing clit. He looked so big and strong. A full head and shoulders above most of the men in the room. He stood out like a snowcapped mountain with that hair and those shoulders.
Roxie groaned as he gently nudged her behind him, maintaining contact with his glacial blue eyes. Dammit her heat was close, but for some reason she didn’t think that was why her body suddenly grew moist with wanting the big hulking Bear. This desire ran deeper than that. She felt it in her bones.
“Hey man, I’m talking to the little lady go find yourself some other woman,” the Wolf snarled.
Anger coursed through Roxanne at the interruption, quickly replaced with wonder as Bowie’s head turned in the direction of the shorter Wolf. Heat flooded her veins at the possessive growl that swelled up from his gut to his lips.
She didn’t have to look to know that every inch of the big bad Polar Bear was screaming at the Wolf in front of her to get the heck out of Dodge. Too bad the man was an imbecile.
The band broke into a rowdy rendition of Jingle Bells by the time the first fist flew.
> CHAPTER 8
“Shit,” Bowie spit out his mouthwash and turned his face towards the mirror.
He had a dark bruise under his left eye that was starting to turn yellowish. Shifter healing meant it would probably be gone by tomorrow.
Shit. He shouldn’t have gotten hit in the first place. He should have ducked, but he was distracted with trying to get Roxanne to safety after he’d cold-cocked the Werewolf fucker who’d mistakenly thought it was alright to touch Roxanne.
Mine. You should’ve let me eat him, his Bear grumbled inside his head. Bowie shivered at the mere idea of cannibalism and told the beast a stern no.
The only eating of humans he wanted to participate in was that of his mate with her luscious thighs spread wide for him. Her sweet honey was all he would ever want.
Agreed. Let’s get to it, grumbled the Bear louder.
Sigh. If only his ursine half could understand how fucked up the situation was. Yes, he was now ready to admit to himself the lush woman was his mate, but he knew better than to hope someone like her could be interested in a forever type situation with someone like him.
Christmas was magic for some people, but not for Bowie. When he was a cub he’d written to Santa, wished with all his might for a family of his own, but it never happened. This was no different.
But did that stop his Bear? Hell no. All his Polar Bear knew was that Roxanne Winters was his mate. Period. The beast inside of him desperately wanted Bowie to get on with it. Claiming his mate was his first priority and the Bear was getting impatient with his human side.
Of course, that very same human side knew tearing apart Bar None was not the right way to woo his mate. But tell that to his royally pissed off Bear. The second he’d hit that sleazy Wolf the Bear had bellowed loud and long for his blood.
He calmed the animal by turning around to see if Roxie was alright. Her adorable pink flush and heightened breathing distracted him momentarily. That’s when the fucker’s four Packmates tackled Bowie almost knocking the huge Polar to the ground.
Fucking Werewolves. Where there was one there were always more, and the fuckers always fought in groups. By the time the fight was abruptly ended by the sounds of sirens coming from the Barvale Police Department, his three cousins and Roxanne were all bruised and breathing hard. Each one of them had been caught up in the battle.
Shit. It seemed Sheila, Bowie’s old fuck buddy, thought it was okay to pull Roxanne’s fiery mane without repercussions. The she-Bear had been seriously wrong. For someone with a tiny little Fox inside of her, Roxanne had kicked ass.
Bowie’s split lip winced but he couldn’t help but grin at the memory. His little Vixen packed quite the wallop. She’d taken the Sow to task with a vicious slew of lightning fast punches to the thinner woman’s abdomen then to her face. Silly she-Bear didn’t realize his mate was someone she didn’t want to mess with.
His Roxie didn’t go for that scratching cat fighting shit. Hell no. She knocked the she-Bear to the ground, straddled her chest with those sexy thick thighs of hers and proceeded to punch the shit out of her.
Damn. Was it wrong that seeing her like that turned him on? Especially the flash of her tiny little underwear when her skirt had ridden up. Of course, he had to punch out the Wolf who’d also witnessed that little wardrobe mishap. It wasn’t as if he could help it. She was one fiery, fierce little Fox and he was one possessive asshole.
Mine, grumbled his Polar Bear.
Bowie sighed and wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror and took another look at himself. Yeah, she was his, but he wasn’t going to do a thing about it.
Just look at him. He was a fucking mess. Daniel had been pissed as hell when he’d had to bail all four of them out of jail. Roxanne had sat quietly, adopting her Ice Queen façade as the Clan’s Head Enforcer drove them to his truck.
When he’d asked if she would prefer staying at the Den, she’d declined. That one little sentence had given Bowie a ridiculous amount of hope that maybe they could work something out. However, when they’d gotten back to his cabin after a long quiet ride, she simply went inside her room, and closed the door.
It was ten to eleven in the morning and her appointment with Marcus wasn’t until the afternoon. Maybe he could talk to her over a nice breakfast before he drove her to the Den.
A half hour later, Bowie strode into his living room fully dressed and feeling a little less achy than he had that morning. His stomach clenched at the sight of Roxanne in a tight pencil skirt that went past her knees and a pair of ankle boots that showed off her shapely calves encased in a pair of lace stockings. He’d never really noticed a woman’s calves before but hers were fucking gorgeous. When his eyes reached her face, he winced.
“What the hell is that?” She had a scratch mark on her left cheek and some mostly faded bruising.
Sheila, he cursed the she-Bear’s name in his head. This was his fault. He was the reason she’d attacked Roxanne and had gotten her with her claws.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, big green eyes going over his own bruises.
“How do you feel?” She asked.
“Never mind me,” he muttered and strode across the room.
It was nothing more than a thin pink line with a shadow of yellow around the edge, would probably be gone by the evening, but still. It pissed him off. His Bear pushed closer. Bowie found himself standing right in front of her. He couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried. So why bother?
Next thing he knew he had her face in his hands and he was leaning over to inspect the bruise. He needed to touch her to make sure she was alright. Moving slowly and carefully, Bowie turned her head in his hands. Her skin was so smooth and soft, like the finest ivory or the creamiest milk. So pale and soft. Beautiful.
“It’s fine really,” she whispered but the hitch in her breath wasn’t unnoticed by him.
So, she wasn’t immune to him. That was satisfying despite his resolve to leave her be. His Bear rumbled at his insistence that he would not be claiming his mate, but Bowie ignored his beast. She was too good for them. She deserved more.
“I am sorry about last night, Bowie.”
“Why are you sorry?” He was totally confused now. Maybe it was the proximity. Maybe it was her mistaken notion that she needed to apologize.
“Well, I started the fight. I mean I shouldn’t have gone to that bar looking for, well, you know what I was looking for,” she bit her lip as a blush crept across her cheeks and his stomach flipped over again. Damn, she was so beautiful.
“Oh, honey, that’s not your fault. That guy was way out of line. The way a woman dresses isn’t an invitation for some asshole to touch her,” he couldn’t seem to let go of her while he spoke and for some reason she was letting him hold on.
“He didn’t-” she began, but he cut her off.
“He got too close, Roxie,” he said. Their eyes met and Bowie was captivated. His head started on a downward path that would surely lead to his destruction. The fresh, clean snow and flowery promise of her scent filled his nostrils, intoxicating him.
“To me?”
“To you.”
“Why would that bother you, Bowie?”
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, ignoring her question. He did not want to lie to her, but he couldn’t admit she was his mate. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Besides, he just wanted to hold her. He loved the way her honey sweet breath mingled with his. He could imagine how good she would taste on his lips and tongue. His Bear perked up.
Let’s find out, his animal growled possessively.
“What have you been thinking about?” She said licking her lips, as if she was anticipating what was to come.
“About your problem. I was thinking maybe I could be the one to help you with it,” he murmured.
“Really? You would be willing to do that?” She said as if she couldn’t quite believe it. Her small hands gripped his shoulders and her head tilted back, invitingly.
“Roxie, I’d be dam
ned lucky if you would even consider allowing me the privilege of touching you, tasting you,” he growled.
“Really?” She said again her head tilting back further as she rose on her tiptoes.
“If you let me be the one, I swear I’ll make it so good for you, Roxanne,” he promised. Hell, he’d swear it on a stack of bibles, he’d give his life for the chance.
“You would?”
“Let me,” he asked and as she closed her eyes and sighed, Bowie swept in and pressed his mouth to hers. Their shared kiss sent off a flaming wave of need and heat throughout his entire body.
Roxanne moaned into his lips, giving him the opening he craved. Their tongues danced together, teasing, tempting, and all he wanted was more. More of her. His sweet tempting Vixen.
How could she think he wouldn’t be interested? He didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with the men in her Skulk, but he was glad they stayed away. Glad because if they had touched her, if they had thought to caress one hair on her gorgeous head his Polar Bear wouldn’t rest until he’d crushed every single one of them beneath his massive claws.
Mine, roared the Bear.
Roxanne wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging him closer and he allowed her. Shit. It was explosive. He wanted to strip her body and lick her from head to toe. To stamp himself all over her sweet, luscious form. He couldn’t wait to kneel between her thick thighs and lick her honey from the source.
She’d be so fucking hot and needy. He could make her come on his tongue, get her nice and loose and ready for him. Bowie was a big man all over. His twelve inches of steel hard cock was ready to claim his mate, but he would have to be careful. He would never hurt her, he couldn’t. Hell, he’d die first. But he’d never bedded a virgin. She would be his first.
And last.
His only.
Grrr. Sounds good.
Just as he wrapped his big arms around her waist, pulling her soft curves against the hardened planes of his body, Bowie’s cell phone went off.
Shit. That was Daniel’s ringtone. He continued the kiss willing his boss to go away. But the fucker was relentless. Bowie needed to answer the fucking cell phone. Now.