by Lynn Howard
Not true. He was a mated male now. This tiny female waiting for him to pull her back into his arms was his to cherish and protect. Right now, though, he just wanted to taste those lips again.
The second Colton realized there was no threat and lifted his arms to reach for her, Shawnee threw herself at him. She actually leapt into his arms, her own going around his neck and her lips crashing down onto his mouth. Their teeth bumped but Colton didn’t care. A rush of manly pride rushed him when it became apparent his beautiful mate wanted him as much as he did her.
With his arms around her back, he held her against him, moaning when she wrapped her legs around his waist. She was positioned perfectly over his boner. Shame they were both fully dressed.
Colton turned and rested her on the counter so he could pull his hips away from her. He respected her and would let her set the pace, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t blow his load if she kept writhing on him like that. He didn’t have that much control over his dick.
After what felt like an hour, Shawnee slowed the kiss then left little pecks on his lips. Her eyes blazed bright. He knew his did, too. Her lips were pink and kiss swollen and her chin was a little red from his whiskers. Shit. He should’ve shaved. He never wanted to hurt her, even if it was just a little skin irritation.
“Wow,” she breathed out, her eyes bouncing between his. “That was…you’re a really good kisser.”
“I was going to say the same thing.” Colton reached down and adjusted himself to avoid a permanent imprint of his zipper on his shaft. Shawnee’s gaze followed the movement, then she looked back up at him, a pink hue coloring her cheeks.
He dropped his hand quickly. He was completely comfortable around her. And there was no reason she shouldn’t know how she affected him. But her blush told him maybe she wasn’t quite there yet. At least she’d been into the kiss.
After a few moments of just staring at each other, Colton gripped her by her hips and gently lowered her to her feet, then led her to the table with a hand on her lower back.
“Sit,” he said. When her butt was planted in the chair, he lowered and whispered against her ear, “Let me feed you.”
She shivered but didn’t protest. Score one for Colton.
He filled her plate, filled her cup with coffee, then carried them both to the table and set them in front of her. Then they ate in a loaded silence. So much they both obviously wanted to say, but Colton had no idea how to address any of it. He wanted to make love to her so bad. He’d been ready to try for kids since the moment he met her. Yet, he needed to take his time with her. He’d look like a liar if he just pushed himself on her and took what he wanted. He’d told her she didn’t have to be scared of him, that she could be herself around him. And he’d meant it.
Colton finished the food on his plate and folded his hands on the table and watched her finish.
“What?” she said between bites.
“Huh?”
“You’re staring at me,” she said self-consciously.
“Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking…would you go into town with me today? Go shopping?”
She finished the last bite of her French toast and pushed the plate away. “I’ll do whatever you want.” She folded her hands in her lap. She’d taken two steps forward and just dragged herself back three.
“That’s not what I asked. I asked if you would go with me. I want to take you shopping. I want to buy you some clothes that you want. I want you to pick them out, try them on, and bring them home.”
“You don’t like my clothes,” she said, her brows pinching together.
“Didn’t say that. I promise you; I’ll say what I mean. There are no hidden meanings in anything I say or do. I just think…you looked miserable in that outfit yesterday. I’m not saying I think you should run around in my shorts and t-shirts every day, but I want you to do what you want, wear what you want, look how you want.”
Maybe he should call the girls from Big River and ask them to join. As he discussed the shopping trip, he realized how far out of his comfort zone he really was when it came to women’s clothing stores.
Shawnee chewed on her bottom lip and Colton was back to wanting to stay on the couch and just make out with her all day.
“What if you don’t like the stuff I want?”
Pushing his chair back, Colton stood and rounded the table. She watched his every step until he pulled the chair out beside her and sat down. Taking Shawnee’s small hand in his, he dipped his head so they were eye to eye. “Even if you pick a potato sack, I’ll still think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’re perfect, mate. Believe me.”
The smile was slow, but it spread and lit up her face. So pretty. And all his.
With her hand still in his, Colton stood and pulled her to her feet. He walked her down the hall and into the bathroom.
“Let me know if you need help washing your back,” he said as he hesitated in the doorway with his hand on the knob. She turned and looked at him with wide eyes. “Hey. I’m just trying to be helpful.”
She tried to hide the smile and failed. So, she picked up at washcloth and tossed it at him. Of course, it fluttered to the ground and landed a good three feet from him. “Missed me,” he said. She stuck her tongue out at him just before he closed the door.
Okay. Another step forward. She was slowly creeping out of that armor she had built around her. Or that someone else had built around her. And he really liked her. How many times had he thought that since yesterday? One day and he could see himself falling hard for the wild-haired woman getting into the shower.
Colton was tempted to lay out another pair of boxers and a clean t-shirt for her. But he didn’t. For one thing, he wanted her to choose what she wanted. And two? Nope. Couldn’t stand the thought of another man checking her out when her legs peeked out from the bottom of his shirt and her boobs jiggled all over the place.
He waited on the couch while Shawnee showered and did whatever girls did in the bathroom when they took forever. It was almost an hour later when she came out of the bedroom dressed in another expensive looking pair of jeans, a shirt that hung off one shoulder, and a purple pair of those spikey heels.
She’d blow-dried her hair and it was in smooth waves down her back and over one shoulder. Her eyes were lined and shadowed and her lips were shiny. And another step backward.
“You ready?”
“Do I look okay?”
Colton dropped his head with a theatrical sigh and suddenly felt like Reed. “Do I need to go over it again?”
She looked really pretty, but she’d looked even better without all the extra stuff. Maybe it was the fact she was comfortable in her own skin last night that made her so much more appealing. Now, she looked stiff and unsure of what to do with her hands.
He’d say one thing about the outfit, though – her curves were even more delectable with the tighter clothing. She’d said yesterday that her mother had told her the shirt made her look thinner. He loved the way she looked. And he couldn’t wait to feel those curves under his hands.
“You look as beautiful as you did with that bun thing in your hair earlier.”
“A messy bun,” she said, moving to stand beside the door as if she couldn’t step out without him.
“What?”
“It was a messy bun. That’s what it’s called. It’s supposed to be sexy.”
She’d done that to be sexy for him? Hell…yes.
“It was. Mission accomplished.”
A tiny smile pulled those shiny lips up at the corners and she dropped her eyes to her shoes.
Colton slid his feet into his boots and then opened the door, holding it open for her. It probably looked chivalrous, but he just wanted a good look at her butt encased in those pants. They hugged her so perfectly. The round globes jiggled like her boobs had done with each sway of her hips and Colton’s pants grew tight again. It seemed everything she did made his dick stand up and pay attention.
As Shawnee climbed
up into his truck, Colton stood back and watched instead of grabbing two handfuls of that ass. He’d always thought of himself as a boob man. But Shawnee Baker might’ve just changed that.
Chapter Four
She’d tried. Shawnee stood in the bathroom and stared at her freckled face in the mirror and tried to make herself leave the house like that. But she couldn’t. If her mother or any other member of her family Pride saw her like that in public, especially when she was supposed to be a representation of her mate, her new Clan, and her family Pride, they’d never let her live it down.
Colton wanted to take her shopping. He wanted her to pick things she wanted to wear. But she had no idea what she wanted or how she’d rather dress. She just knew the clothes Colton had loaned her last night felt like heaven to lounge in. They were so much easier to move around and she felt so much freer than the snug clothes she was wearing. And it wasn’t even that the clothes were tight; it was more the fact her mother had forced her to wear them when she’d been sold to Rhett.
Pleasing and available.
Bile rose in her throat as those words bounced around in her head. She’d apparently been both pleasing and available to Colton last night and this morning, yet he hadn’t pushed it any further than that blissful kiss that had curled her toes.
The thing was, now she found herself wanting to please Colton for a whole new reason, and it had nothing to do with her parents or the rules. She just really liked his smile.
Liked. She’d realized how many things she’d liked since she’d arrived in Blackwater territory two days ago. And it was all because of the huge bear sitting next to her, his arm draped over the steering wheel casually, his hand resting on her thigh as he drove.
What would he do if…?
She unfolded her hands and laid one on top of his. Her hand looked so small on top of his, so dainty compared to the manly paw that turned over and threaded his fingers through hers. Warm and calloused, yet so gentle. That was Colton in a nutshell. Even when he’d cupped her face to kiss her, she’d never felt caged or trapped. She’d felt cared for.
Shawnee released a sigh and dropped her head against the rest and just enjoyed the ride. For the first time, she checked out the stores and houses along the way, paying attention to the people riding in cars beside her. She peeked at Colton from the corner of her eye to gauge his reaction, but he still had that soft smile on his lips that he always seemed to have. He was just…happy. All the time.
She wanted to feel that way. She wanted to smile for no reason. And she really wanted to be the reason for Colton’s happiness.
The first store Colton pulled up to was a clothing store she’d never been able to afford. Not that it was an expensive store, per se, but she was always on limited funds. Therefore, she’d become an expert at thrift store shopping for the right labels, the right look.
Colton helped her down from her seat, then promptly wrapped his hand around hers, leading her across the parking lot as if they’d done this kind of thing a hundred times.
Yet…it felt normal. It felt like this was where she was supposed to be, who she was supposed to be with.
Of course, the easy feeling she’d had outside vanished the second they walked into the air-conditioned store. The place was packed to the gills with racks upon racks of clothing, and she had no idea where to start.
Colton must have picked up on her anxiety, because he led her straight to a department she never would’ve given a second glance. He held up what reminded her of an old lady’s dressing gown and said, “Perfect for date night,” with a straight face.
Shawnee shook her head, then burst into giggles. Why had she thought this kind of trip would be anything but fun with Colton?
The next hour was filled with playful teases, armfuls of clothes, and a rather awkward fashion show. Okay. At first it was awkward. After the third outfit, she began to traipse out like she was on the runway in a fashion show. Colton would slap his hand to his heart or fan his face, no matter what she wore.
Yep. She could definitely fall for him.
Before they were done, she had six outfits hanging over Colton’s arm. And only because he refused to let her carry them. He’d offered to get her new undergarments and jewelry, but she wasn’t really that into necklaces and earrings, and she really only needed new bras. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that kind of shopping with her mate just yet.
Colton put it all on the counter, paid, then carried her bags out, his free hand wrapped in hers again. And then he dragged her down the street to the shoe store.
“If you like those things, I’ll get you more. But seriously, mate, you’re hurting my feet just watching you walk in them,” he said, nodding toward her heels.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head but couldn’t hold back the grin. He did that to her. No matter how hard she tried to keep her mask in place, Colton constantly disarmed her and peeled another layer away.
“Do you like them?” he asked.
Before stepping into the store, she looked down at her feet. The shoes were cute. And they really did some amazing stuff for her butt and thighs. But…
“No. They hurt,” she admitted, then dropped her eyes again. Just because they were having fun didn’t mean her entire life’s worth of lessons disappeared.
His fingers were under her chin and lifting them within a half second. “Eyes up,” he said, his face serious. All humor was gone. “Never lower those pretty eyes for anyone.”
Colton stared into her eyes for a few more seconds, lowered his head, and pressed a sweet, soft kiss to her lips. And then he pulled back and opened the door to the shoe store for her, letting her choose which section she wanted to check out first.
Tennis shoes. Or sneakers, she’d heard them called. Whatever the proper name was, she wanted at least one pair. Oh! And boots. Fall would be here soon, and she didn’t want to be traipsing through snow in her heels. Okay. Those flats were cute, too. They’d still go with at least one of her new outfits without hurting her feet.
All in all, she’d ended up with four pairs of shoes as they left that store.
“Anywhere else? There’s a makeup store down that way. Or the pet store.”
Shawnee whipped her head up to look at him. “A pet?”
“I was kidding,” he said, and, suddenly, she was disappointed.
She’d never thought about having a pet, but now she wanted to try everything. What if she was a cat person? Or a dog person? She had no idea.
“Come on,” he said, dragging her along. And this time, she could actually jog a little since she’d switched out of the heels and was donning a new pair of Converse shoes.
Inside the pet store wasn’t like the rest of the stores. It was cooler than the summer heat, but it was loud and smelled funny. Like a mixture of all the Shifters she knew plus…urine. And maybe a little poo.
“It stinks in here,” she whispered.
Colton chuckled a deep sound and it went straight to her belly. Her mate could play her like a stringed instrument and he hadn’t even touched her. “There’re a lot of animals in here.”
They ambled through the aisles of pet food and toys until they came to a section with birds chirping noisily in a glass cage. She leaned forward and watched them. The second she was close, they got louder and flew frantically around the enclosure, running into each other in their haste to get away.
“Birds are afraid of kitty cats,” Colton whispered in her ear, sending those shivers through her body again.
No birds. That was an easy one. There were some dogs in cages. Colton told her there was an adoption event once a month. They were cute and weren’t all that scared of her, but she just couldn’t see picking up poo from the yard. That’s what the lady told her when Shawnee asked her how to take care of one of the puppies.
Colton snickered behind her. She knew he was probably fully aware of how to take care of a dog. But he was letting her do her thing, letting her discover stuff on her own.
What
would her parents think if they saw her kneeling on the floor with a small dog jumping all over her and licking her face? And in tennis shoes, nonetheless.
The next area was full of cats and kittens. A few hissed and swiped at the cage. Oh, if those little assholes were loose, she’d show them what a real cat looked like. Even the ones who didn’t care that she was there didn’t really capture her attention. Nope. Not a cat person.
Maybe she just wasn’t a pet person. None of the women in Hope Pride had a pet. And only the newest member of Big River Pack had a cat, but she’d had it when she was still human.
There were a bunch of tanks toward the back side of the store containing so many fish. It was cool to watch them swim around, but that was all they did. They swam and ate. And according to Colton, they didn’t live very long.
“That’s it? Dogs, cats, birds, and fish?”
“Well, there’s the reptiles over there,” he said, pointing to a section they hadn’t visited yet.
She shrugged. Why not check it out? There was a creepy, hairy spider, a few small snakes, and some small lizards. They were all kind of cute and interesting, but she didn’t find herself excited about taking them home.
“I don’t think I’m a pet person,” she said.
“Good.”
“Good that I’m not a pet person?”
“Good that you were able to figure that out on your own.” He draped an arm around her, and they walked back out in the summer heat. “And just so you know, I would’ve gotten you one of those puppies. They liked you.”
“Did you see that cat hiss at me?” she said and giggled. “I was tempted to hiss back.”
“You would’ve given the poor thing a heart attack.”
Colton loaded her goodies into the back cab of his truck and lifted Shawnee into the passenger seat. But his hands lingered on her hips and he stepped between her thighs. “You’re even more beautiful when you smile,” he said, his eyes dropping to her lips before raising back up.
“Thank you,” she whispered. With a hard swallow, she tried again. “Thank you,” she said louder.