by Anya Nowlan
“Come on,” Gage said, pushing himself away from the desk and patting his thigh. “Come sit and let me paint you a clear picture.”
He could hear her heart start to thud against her ribcage as she considered his offer, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. Did she not know that drove him crazy? His blood already pumping, he waited as she slowly pushed herself off his desk and walked around it, wordlessly sitting down on his lap so that her feet rested between his.
Wrapping an arm around her hips, Gage looked at her, admiring the delicate planes of her face. If it was clarity she wanted, he was happy to oblige. Why not lay his cards on the table? She was his mate, after all, so there was no need to play coy. He didn’t want her to doubt his attraction to her, ever.
“We’ve just met, I know that,” he started, as Addison blinked at him, her expression giving nothing away. “But I feel like I can make some judgments. You’re smart as hell, clearly. You have a passion for what you do, and you work hard to be fearless. And then there’s the fact you’re gorgeous, and I can’t stop thinking about kissing you again.”
“Gage…” Addison started, but he cut her off.
“Nope, not done yet,” he said, making a grin tug at the side of her mouth. “I’ve had you stuck in my mind since I first saw you. I hope it isn’t too much to admit that I’ve been undressing you with my mind since you walked in here, but that’s exactly what’s been happening.
“So, in conclusion,” he said with exaggerated flourish, “I am indeed flirting with you, Addison.”
Her throat worked as she sat still in his lap, her gaze darting between his eyes and his lips.
“Thank you for… clarifying,” she said quietly.
Gage chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Sometimes, he thought he could tell exactly what was going on in Addison’s head, and other times, he hadn’t the faintest clue. She had wanted to know how he felt, and now she did. The question was, what was she going to do with that information?
“You’re very welcome,” he replied, his hand on her hip, her body pressed close to his.
She took a deep breath, seeming to gather her thoughts. He got the feeling she needed to always express herself as precisely as possible, so he waited, unsure of what exactly she was going to say.
“I’ve been thinking about you, too,” she finally admitted.
“You have?” he arched a brow at her.
There were things he knew without her telling him anything, things he was aware of thanks to his shifter senses. Like the fact her pulse had been steadily getting faster ever since she knocked on his door, or that her breathing was growing more uneven. Then there was her scent, the most telling clue of all, now clearly tinged with arousal.
Emboldened, Gage trailed his hand up Addison’s arm, gently tugging at her cardigan. It gave way easily, sliding off her shoulder. He leaned in, kissing the exposed skin. Addison shivered, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
“I thought you were only undressing me with your mind,” she said.
“That was before I had you on my lap,” he replied, unbuttoning the top button of her sweater.
“You interrupted me, you know,” she remarked. “I was going to say that I didn’t come here just to say hi.”
“Oh?” he replied, working the second button loose. “Are you telling me you lied, counselor?”
“I’ve been known to, on occasion,” Addison said.
Tugging at the rest of the buttons, Gage kissed his way up her shoulder to her collarbone and then to her neck, making her arch her back. Having her so close, his arm around her as she squirmed in his lap was the most satisfying torture.
He never wanted it to end.
“I don’t know how smart it is but… I couldn’t stay away,” she sighed, as he pulled her cardigan off altogether, revealing the white tank top underneath.
She wasn’t wearing a bra, and the hard nubs of her nipples were clearly visible through the thin cotton fabric. Cupping her full breasts in his hands, he nibbled and sucked on Addison’s neck, enjoying the way her body writhed under his attention.
His cock twitched, hard and aching against his jeans, his hunger for her taking over. When she moaned aloud, he couldn’t help but pull her fully onto his lap, leaving her legs dangling off either side of the chair.
Their mouths met, her lips easily parting for him, their tongues rubbing together in a slow, sensual rhythm. Gage couldn’t get enough of the feel of her all around him, her skin hot and the sound of her heartbeat loud in his ears.
All mine, something inside him growled.
And in that moment, he knew he would do anything to keep her.
Eleven
Addison
Straddling Gage, her hands gripping his shoulders while he cupped her ass, Addison had clearly left reason behind. This was some other Addison, one she didn’t even know existed. The strange thing was, she loved this new side of her.
Addison had come to see her inability to cut loose as a positive. She wasn’t reckless, didn’t get in trouble, always weighed every decision carefully. It was a safe and smart way to live. But it wasn’t very exciting. Now this… this was exciting.
She couldn’t help but grin to herself as Gage kissed her breath away and she rocked her hips against his, feeling his erection throb against the apex of her thighs. The way Gage groaned in tune with the grind of her hips only egged her on, her panties already soaked and her nipples hard.
All over, there was an itch she couldn’t reach just beneath her skin, driving her crazy. A deep need had taken over her mind and body, lust on a scale she had never experienced before. And Gage was the only one that could quench her thirst.
He kissed her like they were the only two people in the world, his hands still firmly on her ass. At first, he just squeezed and kneaded, but when that first slap hit her buttock, she nearly yelped, pleasure mixed with a hint of pain flooding her bloodstream.
Addison broke their kiss to pull off her shirt and tug at his. He quickly obliged, tossing his plaid button-up aside. Her mouth gaped open as she could now freely study his naked form, from the massive span of his broad shoulders, to his thick, muscular arms and six-pack abs.
Trailing her fingers down his torso, she could hardly believe he was real. Strength oozed from every hard ridge and sculpted form, the opposite of her soft edges and ample curves.
But as her eyes snapped back to his face, she noticed him eyeing her with the exact same amazement and want she had just been ogling him with. Before she could even say or do anything else, he slid his hands to her lower back and pulled her closer, his mouth seeking the hardened buds of her breasts.
Gage’s rough tongue laved across her nipples, making her squirm and mewl in his lap. Her pussy was still pressed against the hard bulge in his pants, her clit throbbing and her stomach twisting with desire.
She reached down, yanking at his pants until the buttons popped open, and reaching beneath the waistband to pull out his cock. He let out a low growl as she did, her fingers not even meeting as she wrapped her hand around his shaft.
Thick and long, his cock twitched in her hand, making her insides clench. Gently biting on her nipple, Gage got to his feet, setting her down on the desk as he shucked off his jeans before pulling off hers.
They were back in the chair before she even knew it, her on top of him, the tip of his cock pressed against her wet slit. Adjusting her position, Addison rested the tops of her feet near his knees, giving herself more control.
Gage threw his head back as she guided him to her opening, careful to take it slow. He was huge, and she had to admit – it had been a while. Her breathing now nothing more than shallow pants, she lowered herself onto his cock, inch by excruciatingly delicious inch.
Stretched thin around him, she let herself settle, enjoying the sensation of fullness. Gage’s eyes fluttered closed as he gripped onto her hips, his lips parted. Addison watched his beautiful face as she slowly began to move, using her thighs to push herself up before sink
ing back down.
Gage groaned, his fingers digging into her flesh. She smiled, splaying her hands on his chest as she took him deeper, deeper than she would have even thought possible. Sweat broke out over her body, making her braid stick to the skin on her back.
Gasping, she started to pick up the pace, rolling her hips, until she was bursting at the seams with pure, undiluted pleasure. Lazily, Gage opened his eyes, his hazy gaze roaming over her body. His hands moved up her back to rest on her shoulder blades, his mouth teasing her breasts.
Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach as Addison continued to work her hips, slamming down on Gage’s cock over and over again, shivering each time he hit the right spot deep inside her.
She felt like nothing more than a puddle of lust and hormones, ready to give her entire being over to Gage if he so wanted. The connection between them flowed back and forth, stronger than ever, his touch just where she needed it, his mouth just where she wanted it.
He tugged at her hair as he swirled his tongue around her nipples, sending waves of ecstasy rolling through her body. As her moans turned louder, he claimed her mouth again, as she could do little more than shudder and quiver, the muscles in her legs starting to burn.
He took over from there, sliding his hands beneath her ass and thrusting up, slamming into her until her world began to spin. Impaled on his cock as he drove into her, the room filled with the sound of muffled moans and their bodies slapping together, the tension building inside Addison was becoming unbearable.
Her breasts rubbed against his smooth chest as Gage’s cock worked her pussy, each stroke pushing her closer to the edge. Gage was unraveling beneath her, and she loved seeing him let go. His thrusts became more forceful, less controlled, his hips jerking up as he pounded into her pussy.
Gasping and breathless, Addison had to break their kiss, resting her forehead against his shoulder.
“Oh, god…” she muttered, her skin too tight and something deep inside her coiled, then snapped.
Whole body spasming, her core clenched as her pussy tightened around Gage’s cock. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from screaming as she rode out her orgasm, the release flooding her senses overwhelming.
Beneath her, Gage continued to slam into her wet, tight pussy, his growl growing louder by the minute. He held her tight as she buried her face into the crook of his neck, kissing and licking the skin there.
Addison was still rocked by aftershocks when he came, pulling out to spill his seed on her stomach. She slumped on top of him, their heavy breathing filling the room as they both caught their breath.
Slightly dizzy, Addison let herself drape over him, feeling spent and utterly satisfied. More than that, there was a safety and silent assurance in Gage’s embrace as he held her close, kissing her cheeks and the top of her head.
Damn, Addison thought through the haze in her brain. How am I ever supposed to give this feeling up?
Twelve
Gage
The night had been restless for Gage. He had done his best to get Addison to come and spend the night in his bedroom, but she had insisted that wouldn’t be a good idea. In the end, Gage had relented. She didn’t want Reid to see her coming out of Gage’s bedroom.
And while Gage couldn’t have cared less about what his brother thought, Reid was still Addison’s boss. So what she wanted was more important.
That didn’t mean he didn’t still toss and turn though, disappointed to not have her in his arms. But it wasn’t like he could exactly complain either. His mate had shared herself with him, and it had been more than amazing. That outweighed everything else.
Now, all he wanted was to spend more time with her, but Addison wanting to keep their involvement a secret from Reid presented a problem.
Fucking Reid. Showing up to get in my way.
In a way, though, Gage had to be grateful to his brother. Reid had been the one to bring Addison here in the first place, after all. Caught between conflicting feelings, Gage gave up on sleep before sunrise, going out to make his daily rounds.
By the time anyone else had woken up, Abby and Ace had been brushed and let out to graze, and the tires on his truck changed. The smell of coffee wafted from the kitchen as he made his way inside. He couldn’t help but smile as he heard Addison humming to herself, but his excitement over seeing her again was tempered when he smelled Reid in the kitchen as well.
Focusing on keeping his temper in check, Gage stepped into the kitchen, making both Addison and Reid look up at him. Reid was sitting behind the table with his tablet in front of him, while Addison poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” Gage said, giving Reid a curt nod, before turning his attention to Addison.
“Hey,” she smiled. “You want a cup?” she asked, raising hers in the air.
“Sure,” he agreed.
“I’ll get it,” Addison replied, making her way to the right cupboard.
Reluctantly, Gage sat down behind the table, opposite Reid. He tried not to glare, but his brow furrowed on its own, and his bear whined with suppressed annoyance. So much for not glaring.
“So, you’ve been busy,” Addison said, more a statement than a question.
“Gage has always been a hard worker,” Reid commented, barely glancing up from his screen.
Muffling a growl, Gage said nothing while Addison set a cup of coffee down in front of him, throwing cautious looks at both brothers. Gage didn’t need Reid’s approval, or his unconvincing praise. He knew exactly what his dear brother had meant by the remark – that he was toiling away for nothing.
It was no secret Reid had always thought manual labor was beneath him. He had thought it pointless, with no real reward, while Gage liked feeling spent at the end of the day, and being able to see the result of his work unfold in front of him.
Gage didn’t think one job was better than the other, or that being a lawyer made Reid inherently more or less important in the world. But Reid had started to look down on him even before leaving, judging him for what Reid perceived was a lack of ambition.
But Gage wasn’t about to take the bait. For whatever reason, Reid was hell-bent on pushing his buttons, which only made him more determined to not give in to his baser instincts.
He would just have to be satisfied with punching his brother once during the man’s visit. Just to show Addison he wasn’t some sort of savage.
All he wanted was to be alone with his mate, and not have to worry about Reid seeing something Addison didn’t want the man to see. An idea started shaping in his mind as he curled his fingers around the hot mug in front of him.
“I think I’m going to head into town, pick up some supplies,” he said. “Maybe Addison would like to come with?”
That got Reid’s attention. He tried to look like he was still reading something on his tablet, but his eyes didn’t move along the screen. And there was tension in his voice when he spoke.
“Not much to see,” he shrugged.
“Looked pretty charming when we drove through it,” Addison replied. “And we did come to Black Oak so we wouldn’t have to feel like prisoners.”
“Then it’s settled,” Gage said, sipping his coffee. “We can leave whenever you’re ready, Addison.”
He caught her gaze from across the table, drinking her in. The pale sunlight streaming in through the windows made her hair fiery and brought out her freckles. The softness of her skin was still a fresh memory, as was the sight of her naked, writhing body.
She blushed as he devoured her with his eyes, as if knowing exactly what he was thinking.
“I’ll get dressed,” she replied, gulping down her coffee and getting to her feet to rinse her cup in the sink.
Before long she was off, bounding up the stairs. Her rushed exit did not go unnoticed by Reid, who finally pushed his tablet aside and folded his hands on the table. Eyes narrowed, he studied Gage.
“Don’t think I don’t see what’s going on here,” Reid said, pursing his lips.
“You’re making a move on Addison,” he stated flatly. “And let me tell you, it isn’t going to work. She’s ambitious, determined, sharp – can’t wait to take on cases of her own. You have nothing in common.”
We had a lot in common last night, the childish part of Gage wanted to say.
But he held his tongue.
“Then why are you so concerned?” he arched a brow at Reid.
“I’m not concerned,” Reid insisted. “But I don’t need you distracting my best employee and making a fool of yourself in the process.”
“Well, while I do really appreciate you looking out for me, dear brother,” Gage replied, his tone dripping with derision, “I think Addison can make her own decisions. Just because you’re her boss doesn’t mean you own her.”
“I just don’t know what you hope to gain by this attempt at flirting,” Reid shrugged, trying to sound uncaring yet failing.
Just seeing how his relationship with Addison was throwing Reid off balance pleased Gage, despite how petty that was. It had to be irking Reid, the fact that Gage and Addison had hit it off so well. Reid probably didn’t understand it, and had expected Addison to share in his not-so-high opinion of Gage.
But his pretentious brother couldn’t get on Gage’s nerves. Not now, when the mate he had shared the best night of his life with was upstairs, getting ready to spend the day with him in his hometown.
He could already hear her bedroom door open and close, and her steps rush down the stairs. She appeared in the doorway, dressed in a sweater, simple jeans, and shoes he thought were entirely impractical. There was a glow about her that was undeniable, and Gage caught the admiring glance Reid threw her way.
That might have made him jealous if it weren’t for the fact that Addison clearly only had eyes for him. And whatever Reid was up to, or was trying to accomplish by being an even bigger jerk than usual, Gage would be ready for it.