by V. Vaughn
I decided to be a bit more subtle about my intentions tonight, and I wore tight leather pants with a loose top that only reveals my cleavage with its low neckline. The scent of Luke reaches me before he does, and I smile, because he’s freshly bathed, too.
He bounces down the last steps and comes toward me. He’s in a wrinkled Oxford shirt that has more than one button undone, and the curl of hair that has escaped makes me want to twirl it around my finger.
“Isabelle.” The low rumble of his voice practically caresses my skin. Man alive, I’ve got to get ahold of myself.
“Luke.”
“Come.” He takes my arm and leads me up a short flight of stairs to an elevator. “You look lovely.”
My heels click on the hard surface when we enter. “Thank you. You like nice, too.” The door closes with a soft whoosh, and I notice only one button that says PH. I frown, because I don’t remember this. Something about a freight elevator comes to mind, along with what we did in it. I smile with the memory.
Luke notices and turns me to face him. His hands slide up my arms. “I bet I can guess what you’re thinking.”
I grip his hips lightly. “Really. What?”
He leans down to my neck and places a kiss just below my earlobe. I suck in air and tip my head back in response as he whispers, “There’s something about elevators that turns me on. How about you?”
“Depends on who’s with me.”
Luke hooks a finger in the front of my shirt and peeks down it. “Black lace. Nice.”
I reach for his waistband and pull it away from his body to look down. “Nothing. Even better.”
The elevator dings, and Luke steps away from me to take my hands as he backs into his apartment. I follow. Our gazes are locked, and he slips an arm around my waist to yank me against his chest. He asks, “Can we talk later?”
I place a hand on the back of Luke’s head as he leans in to kiss me. I’m all alone. His lips are smooth and plump as he nibbles at me gently, but I’m too impatient, and I take out my hunger on him to get my point across. That added to my working on the waistband of his jeans sends the message, and he starts on my clothes, too.
When Luke begins to flutter kisses down my chest, I push him away and grab his cock. “Let’s get to the good part.” Shoving his chest, I back him up to the couch, and he bounces on it when he lands. I straddle his lap to get what I want. I ride him fast as I take what I need.
When I growl out my release, a sudden urge to taste his blood overcomes me. I’m not thinking clearly, because I don’t realize I’ve done more than imagine it when a metallic flavor coats my tongue. Shit! I bit him.
Luke’s orgasm is suddenly multiplied, and he shatters beneath me with such force that his eyes roll back in his head. As he comes back to earth, he pants out, “That was fucking amazing.”
I lap at his shoulder where my bear teeth pierced him to seal the wound. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Luke grins up at me in his post-bite attraction. When a bear has sex and bites their partner, it forms a bond. If they aren’t true mates, it’s temporary, but for up to a few months, the attraction feels as if it’s meant to be. Handy if you want to stay with someone who isn’t your true mate, although it’s frowned upon if you both don’t agree to it. And while polar bears don’t punish for it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Northeast Kingdom has stricter rules.
I climb off of him and say, “I shouldn’t have done that.” I turn away from him and take in my surroundings as I look for a bathroom to clean up. The room is done in neutral shades with colorful paintings on the walls as artwork. My toes sink into carpet so thick that my first thought is what it would be like to lie on it.
Warm hands land on my hips as Luke grabs me from behind. “It’s okay. I almost bit you the other night.”
His cock twitches against my butt. I turn to him and break our physical contact. “No, it’s not. I’d be pissed if you did it to me.” I don’t usually care about rules, but the fear of what might happen if I get thrown out of Maine is causing me to panic. “Please forgive me.”
I stare at the werebear who I just blood bonded, and he tilts his head a bit as he smiles. “You’re forgiven. Besides, this means I don’t have to ask if you want to date a younger man.” He steps close to me, and his breath is on my neck as he leans in to kiss it. “I’ve got my answer.”
Stepping back I say, “Yeah. About that. You should have told me you’re still in college. How old are you, anyway?”
“Almost twenty-one.”
I knew it. He’s not even drinking age. My breasts are plumped up when I cross my arms under them. “You know I’m pushing thirty, right?”
“Twenty-eight. I checked.” He steps closer to trace the outline of my nipple. It hardens under his touch as tiny hairs stand up along my body. He says, “Women reach their sexual prime in their thirties, while guys tend to hit it around nineteen.” The fingers of his other hand trail down my belly to between my legs. “I think we’re a match made in heaven.”
He slips a digit into me, and I quiver as lust surges in my body. This guy definitely has good hands. Pain shoots through me as he digs his other fingers into my bottom and yanks me against his erection. He says, “I can last all night. You?”
I whimper, and he sinks his teeth into my shoulder. The bite is sharp at first, and I cry out because of it, but it’s quickly followed by heat that races through my veins as his essence merges with mine to seal our bond further. I scream with my release as he gives me the pleasure I gave him.
Chapter 23
Isabelle
I roll over, and the sheets under me slip. Ugh. Someone needs to tell Luke that satin sheets are for porn movies and not real life. My hair sticks to my face with static electricity from the material, and I sit up in annoyance. I pull it back into a ponytail and swipe it through my hands to tame the flyaway strands. Tristan’s been in my head asking where I am, but I’m ignoring him. He can suffer a bit now that I’m on my own.
I glance over at the naked man next to me. He’s kicked off the covers, and they’re tangled in his feet. He’s asleep on his stomach, displaying a round, hard rump that tempts me to take a bite out of one of the sumptuous globes. I snort at that thought, because I need to keep my teeth to myself.
I climb out of bed to use the bathroom. My muscles cramp in rebellion from my workout yesterday, and that’s not all that’s sore. Luke was right about that nineteen-year-old sex drive and his ability to last all night. No wonder he’s sound asleep. When I’m done in the bathroom, I wander to the kitchen in search of coffee. I pray the opulence of his living quarters extends to the pantry.
“Thank goodness.” I spy a one-cup coffee maker on the counter, and after opening two cabinets, I find the cartridges. The cover of the machine clicks as I shut it and push the on button. While it hums, I reach for the fridge door handle and check inside. Things are looking up, because I find plenty of eggs, cheese, and sausage.
Pans rattle in the cupboard as I remove two large skillets, and when I clunk them down on the cooktop, Luke speaks, startling me. “A naked woman in my kitchen cooking must mean I’m in heaven.”
I glance over at him, and damn it, he makes me smile. The goofy I’m-so-in-love kind I’m sure looks like Annie’s for my brother. “Scrambled eggs with cheese and sausage.”
“How about toast, too? I’ll make it.”
Luke is not naked, but that’s probably a good thing. The sight of his chest is enough to get my blood pumping. After he drops bread into the toaster, he comes to stand behind me. I lean back into him as he slides his hands under my breasts to cup them. He says, “This has to be my favorite position. Your luscious ass cradling my dick before I bend you over and—” He lets out a low growl that reverberates through my body as if I’m purring.
I arch back and contemplate how to save breakfast. My voice is raspy when I say, “Let me plate up the food, and then let’s go see how strong your table is.”
&nbs
p; The toaster pops as my spatula scrapes up eggs. Luke retrieves the bread and follows me to the dining room, where he lays me out like a meal. By the time we get to the eggs, they’re cold. I swallow a bite as Tristan communicates with me in an alpha tone I have to answer. “Where the hell are you?”
I sigh. “At Luke’s. I’m busy, but I’ll be home later.”
“Is something wrong?” Luke asks.
“Tristan and Annie are true mates.”
A piece of sausage falls to Luke’s plate with a soft thud. “What?”
“He bit her. I think we can safely say he’s not to be trusted with the plan. Apparently it’s just me now.” My hand shakes as I lift another bite of food.
Cutlery clatters when Luke sets it down. He reaches for my hand. “No. It’s not just you. You’ve got me.”
I gaze into his blue eyes, so like his sister Carly’s. Luke plans to betray her, and now that my brother is tied to a Le Roux, I suppose I’ll betray family, too. “So what do we do?”
“We change our strategy. Let your brother believe we’re still on track with the original plan.”
I shake my head. “That’s going to be hard. He knows me too well.”
“Not if you don’t have any idea what the alternative will be.” He lifts my hand and threads his fingers through mine. “I’ve got it covered.”
Trusting someone with my life isn’t easy. I’ve got too much history that tells me otherwise. “No. I need to know what we’re going to do. And I need a few days to get over the shock of my brother and Annie. I’ll be fine.” I pull my hand back, but he doesn’t release it.
“I won’t have Tristan ruining things.” Luke’s glare is stern.
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with. I won’t be kept in the dark. I’ve got a lot more to lose than you do. Tell me what we’re doing or I’m out.”
Luke turns my hand over and pulls it toward his mouth. “If you lose, so do I.” He kisses my palm, and the anger that was building in me crumbles. “We’re in this together, Izzy.”
Luke’s use of Tristan’s nickname for me is nice, and I let the warmth of his lips soothe me. We may be mated by a blood bond, but I’ll take it. Because with Luke, I’m not alone. Looking into his eyes, I see the kind of love I long for. The kind of love that comes from being mates. Luke strokes my cheek and traces the faint scar that extends along it. He speaks softly. “How did you get this?”
“Fight with Tristan.”
He grins at me. “Must have been some fight.”
“Yeah. It’s a twin thing.”
“I think it must be a polar bear thing.” He combs my hair with his fingers. “My twin and I never fought physically.”
“Lucy? I just met her at Kick It.”
Luke’s eyes widen. “Did you?”
“Yes. And she asked if I was going to your party. At a frat house, right?”
I move a lock of his hair back from his forehead as he says, “Uh-huh. Want to come?”
While I realize the party will be all be young college kids, I never went to a university, and the novelty of keg stands and rampant sex in upstairs bedrooms appeals to me. “I think I might enjoy that. Do you have a room where we can be naughty?”
He grins. “No. But I bet we can borrow one.”
“Will there be a wet T-shirt contest?” I thrust out my chest. “Because I bet I could win.”
“No. Is that what they do at Arctic U?” Luke chuckles and fondles my breast. “You would definitely win.” He pinches my nipple lightly. “Naked suits you.”
“It is my preferred state, but Annie frowns on that.”
“If you lived here, you’d never have to put on clothes.” Luke leans down and swipes his tongue over my pebbled peak.
The action sends an electric pulse to my core. Is he asking me to move in? I blink quickly. “That would be nice.”
“Then consider it. Because our bond is going to make it difficult for us to be apart.” He pulls my head toward him and brushes his lips over mine. “And because I want nothing more than to have you in my bed every night.”
I kiss him back and pull away to say, “On one condition.”
What’s that?
“Cotton sheets. I can’t do that fake stuff.” I shudder a little.
Luke slides his hand between my thighs, and I open them a bit to allow better access as he says, “Anything for my natural girl. Anything at all.”
Chapter 24
Annie
Isabelle didn’t come home last night, and Tristan is so mad that he might blaze a trail of his own. While she’s brought guys home often, she’s never slept elsewhere. He’s tried contacting her telepathically, but she won’t answer. I’m beginning to worry something happened. He stares out the window in the kitchen, and I place my hand lightly on his arm. “Would you like us to send out scouts to search for her?”
Tristan glances at me. “No. I commanded an answer, and she said slept over at some guy’s place.”
“Ah. Do you think she did it because of us?”
He nods. “I know she feels like I abandoned her.” Tristan thumbs my lower lip as he leans down. “Izzy doesn’t like you being my number one.”
I could easily get lost in our kiss, but I stop him because of my worry for his sister. I pull away. “Then we need to find a way to let her know she’s still important to you. What can I do to help?”
He slides his hands down my arms, making me quiver with desire. “Annie, love, you are so kind. But I don’t even know where to begin. When Izzy gets mad—well, you’ve seen it. I’m not sure there’s a way to win her back.”
“Of course there is. She’s hurt and lashing out, but the bottom line is she doesn’t want to lose you. I think she needs you to stroke her bruised ego.”
Tristan glares at me and opens his mouth, but he closes it again and turns away from me to walk toward the pantry. I wait for him to mull over what I said. Bags rustle as he calls out, “You haven’t been baking. Where’s the good stuff when I need it?”
“One pie coming up.” I open the refrigerator to get apples and butter.
Tristan emerges from the pantry with a box of crackers. “I don’t do relationships and people well. But you do.”
The bag of fruit thumps on the counter when I set it down. “I’m a nurturer. I can’t help it.”
He sets down the box and pulls a knife out of the block it’s kept in. “You’re wise. The spirits know I need you in my life.”
I toss him an apple, and his large hand wraps completely around it when he catches it. I say, “I wonder what they think I need from you.”
He winks at me as he begins to peel the apple. “My charm?”
I snort. “Your charm almost drove me away.”
Tristan’s eyes twinkle as he takes a bite of apple skin. “Then it must be my body.” He chews slowly and steps closer. “I give you carnal pleasure to reward you for all the good you do.”
I place my hand on his crotch and squeeze. “Really now. Because I think that goes both ways.”
A low noise rumbles in his chest. “Then I better start doing some good to deserve it.”
I step away from him to get my rolling pin. “Begin with Isabelle.”
“Fine. What should I do?”
“Anything that makes her feel special. Maybe you could take her to our land and show her where the house will be.” Flour scratches at my palms as I rub it on my cutting board surface to prepare it for the pie dough.
“If she ever decides to come back.”
I smile at him, because I know he heard the truck pulling up the drive. “Be nice. She’s feeling vulnerable.”
“Okay, but you might want to make two pies.”
I send him a warning glare when the front door clicks open. He opens his mouth to show me he’s biting his tongue, and I shake my head at him as Isabelle enters the kitchen.
Tristan walks over and pulls her into a hug she resists. Her arms are straight at her sides when he says, “I was worried about you.”
When he releases her, she says, “Right,” and steps away.
I ask, “Are you hungry? I could make you some breakfast when I finish here.”
“No. Thanks. I had something at Luke’s.” She glances over at Tristan to see his reaction. When he keeps a blank face, she turns to me. She grabs an apple skin and inspects it. “You know Luke Robichaux, don’t you?”
“I do. He’s a nice guy.” Dough is soft under my fingers as I press it over the apples and onto the edge of a pie plate.
“Do you think he’s too young for me?”
Isabelle is trying hard to get a rise out of Tristan, but he’s doing a good job of staying in control. I answer, “Age is relative. He strikes me as a rather mature man for a college student. If he makes you happy, I don’t think it matters.”
She turns to her brother. “What do you think?”
“I think if you like him, then you shouldn’t worry about it.”
“Good.” Isabelle lifts her hair up and asks, “Annie, do you have a hair tie?” She tilts her head, and a pink scar from a bite stands out on her porcelain skin. My stomach clenches in fear of Tristan’s reaction.
He blinks, and a low growl comes from his throat. I speak quickly, but my words aren’t heard. “Sure, in the junk drawer.”
Tristan speaks through clenched teeth. “What have you done, Izzy?”
She drags her fingers down her neck and over the scar just below it. “Oh, this?” She smirks. “Love bite. You know how that goes.”
My mate’s hands clench by his sides, and he speaks in a slow, deliberate tone. “You bonded with Luke?”