The Shifter's Secret

by R. A. Boyd

  He palmed the round globes of her ass with one hand and pressed her body flush against his with the other. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave into him. She bit his bottom lip and then sucked it into her mouth to the rhythm of her hips moving against his. Emma had become more aggressive as the years passed. He fucking loved it.

  Shivers raced down his spine to the base of his cock as she scratched her nails along his scalp. She fisted his hair and rocked herself against him. The heat of her pussy teased him, called to him. She was a siren who knew all the right notes to make him lose control.

  The thin lace of her panties and the thick material of his jeans separated them. It was too much. Grabbing the side of the delicate fabric, he balled his fist and held it against the bend of her hip. She nodded her head, giving him permission to do what she knew he wanted to. In a swift movement, he ripped the panties off her body and smiled against her lips as she let out a pained whimper.

  “I forgot how much you ripping my panties off actually hurt.” Her lips curved up in a smile before she crashed into him again, pressing her beautifully soft breasts to his chest.

  The air between them was charged with passion and lust, and all he wanted to do was make her come.

  “You smell so fucking delicious, Emma. Put your hands behind you and hold on to the wheel,” he said, reaching his hand between their bodies.

  Her eyes were glazed over with desire as she took a deep breath to steady herself. “Why?” she asked, moving her hands to the wheel behind her. “It feels kind of weird.”

  “Does it hurt or is it uncomfortable?” he asked, taking his other hand and moving it to the base of her neck where he fisted her hair.

  She shook her head as she leaned back, putting more of her hair into his hand. He pulled her beautiful tresses, and she let out a low sigh of desire.

  “Good,” he said, moving his fingers to the liquid heat between her thighs. Damn, she was drenched for him. “It’ll keep you from fucking my hand too hard and shaking the truck. This is the Harbor. If this truck starts a-rockin’, security over there at the parking lot entrance will come a-knockin’. It’s not my goal in life to get arrested. Again.”

  She laughed, but it tapered out into a lust-filled sob as he pulled her hair and pushed one finger inside of her saturated pussy. Slowly, he withdrew his finger and then added another. With his thumb, he drew tight circles around her clit. Her hips bucked against his hand, and her needy moans echoed around the cab of his truck.

  Letting go of the wheel, she grabbed onto the back of his chair and started to work her hips, fucking his hand like it was his cock buried inside her. He could see the devious smile on her face. She’d let go on purpose to see what he would do.

  Grabbing hold of her hair and pulling until she cried out, he stilled his hand that worked her toward orgasm. He leaned forward and ran his tongue up the column of her neck, and bit her chin. Not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to leave the indentation of his teeth. Little punishments he knew she loved.

  “Oh, God,” she cried.

  With two fingers, he applied pressure to her G-spot but stopped rubbing her clit. “Was that uncomfortable on your arms?”

  She looked at him through hooded lids, beautiful brown eyes filled with pleasure. “No. I want you inside me.”

  “Hold on to the wheel, Emma.” His voice was low, and he was surprised to feel the vibration of his beast in his chest.

  With a playful curl to her lips, she reached behind her and grabbed onto the wheel. Emma closed her eyes and heaved a sexy sigh as he circled her clit and curved his fingers, zeroing in on that sweet spot just inside her pussy that he knew would bring her to orgasm.

  “You are so fucking tight.” He pulled her closer and kissed her neck. “Are you going to come for me? Don’t move. Someone’s coming.”

  Her body stilled, but the slow contractions of her pussy started to suck his fingers deeper inside her. She squirmed from all the stimulation, and it made him thrust his fingers into her harder, faster.

  “Jace,” she whispered, eyes now open as she followed his gaze to the two men walking in their direction.

  This should be fun.

  Pressing her body tighter to his, he ran his nose from her collarbone to her ear and smiled as she shivered. “You going to come on my hand?” His fingers still moved, sliding through her silky wet heat, hitting every spot he knew would take her higher. “Yeah you will. You can come on my hand and then let me take you home so I can taste you, let you ride my face until you scream my name.”

  “Oh, fuck,” she muttered, body trembling as she fought to stay still as he whispered dirty things into her ear. Her head dropped to the side as he set a trail of fiery, wet kisses along her collarbone.

  “And then you can let me slide inside your tight pussy, take you until you can’t talk straight.” He loved it when she orgasmed. She cursed and uttered nonsense until she came down from the highs. “Every step you take will be a reminder of my head between your thighs. Of my cock sliding into that pretty pussy of yours. You can come on my dick while I fill your cunt with my seed, yeah?”

  Jace knew there was a chance the people coming toward his truck would hear her scream, but he couldn’t stop. Her body shivered above his as his fingers worked her slick cunt and her clit. She stilled for a few breaths. Just as her heated core began to pulse around his fingers and suck him in deeper, Emma rolled her head back and let out a deep and sensuous groan as her orgasm ripped through her body. Covering her mouth with his, he drank in the song of passion she sang for him. Grinding her hips on the palm of his hand, she let go of the wheel and grabbed his forearms, sinking her short nails into his skin and clinging to him.

  The pulse of her release almost drove him to his own, but right now was for her. He wanted to show her in every way that he was here with her. He would never leave her again. He deepened their kiss and swallowed the sobs of pleasure that poured from her mouth, quieting her as the two men walked passed his truck.

  He slowed down the movements of his hand as the grip of the orgasm released her, a string of swears and half words pouring from her lips. Panting, she opened her unfocused eyes and looked around the parking lot.

  Blinking a few times to clear her vision, she ran a hand over her face and through her hair. She gave him a lazy smile, her eyes fluttering as if she just woke up from a long nap. “Follow me home. We’ve got three hours before Jess, my neighbor, drops off Lily. Her son is in Lily’s class. We alternate picking up the kids and taking them to an indoor playground every Friday. Just to give the other a few hours of alone time.”

  Despite Jace feeling that they’d worked things out between them, Emma still wouldn’t hold his gaze for more than a few seconds. He kissed her forehead as she straightened her shirt. “Are you okay to drive?” he asked. Light tremors still took hold of her body as the ardor emanating from her eased away.

  She nodded and lifted one leg to move back to the passenger seat. Pulling down and smoothing out her skirt, she laughed and slapped his arm. “I’m fine. Dude, being with you reminds me of all my firsts. I feel like a teenager with her first boyfriend.”

  He knew exactly how she felt. This woman lit a fire inside him that burned away every ounce of sense he had. She was some type of enchantress who held him under her spell.

  “I’ve literally been a grown-ass man my entire existence, but I imagine this is how a prepubescent boy must feel when he falls in love over and over.”

  They both laughed again as Emma grabbed her purse from the back seat and started digging around in it. She made a small triumphant sound when she found her keys.

  “Part of me wants to give you my address,” she said, unlocking the door. “But, I’m pretty sure you already know what it is.” She raised one eyebrow as he gave a noncommittal shrug. “Uh-huh,” she said, pulling the handle. “I knew it.” Staring out the front window at the group of women that walked across the lot, she said, “What did you feel when you came here a few weeks
ago? When you touched me and knew I was your mate?”

  The answer floated effortlessly from his lips. He would never forget the feeling of knowing that Emma was his forever. “That I could live now because I had you back in my life,” he said, watching her as her eyes focused on the steady moving traffic across the street. “That loving you was okay, and that I wouldn’t hurt you simply because I exist.” He reached over and cupped her face. Joy pulsed in his middle as she leaned into his touch, accepting his comfort. “I put my life on pause when I said those ugly things to you. But when you put your hand in mine it was like you pressed play again. It was like I’d finally been forgiven for what I did all those millennia ago.”

  He whispered that last part, but her sharp intake of breath let him know she’d heard him. The Creator’s curse was darkness. Always thinking the one who created and loved you never wanted to see you again. Oh, Jace new the Creator forgave and didn’t hold grudges, but something deep inside him made him feel like he was the exception. And now, he was being bathed in light.

  Emma pulled her face away from his touch and started to put her hand on the handle of the door. “Me too. It’s like being warm again. After years of winter, I was finally warm. And loved by the man I loved. And then it was gone again. I know it was a misunderstanding, but I need you to understand. It’s going to take me a while before I’ll be completely okay with us. Years of having your insides raw and open won’t heal overnight. You have to be okay with that.”

  “I am. Thank you for telling me that.” He admired her honesty and was happy she shared with him.

  She nodded and pulled the handle, but before she could fully open the door, Jace reached over and pulled it closed. “Please?”

  “Okay.”

  Happy that she was willing to wait for him to help her get out, he stepped out of his truck and jogged around to the other side to help her down.

  “Do you still drive like a bat out of hell?” he asked as they walked to her car.

  From the corner of his eye, he watched as she fought to spread the wrinkles from her skirt. The silky, yellow material looked as if it had been bunched up around her waist.

  “Since I had Lily, I’ve learned to slow down. Precious cargo in my car makes me obey traffic laws.” Shrugging, she hit the button to unlock her door and then leaned against the back driver’s side door. “And I always want to make it home to her, so even when she’s not with me I try to drive safely.”

  She reached to open her door but he slapped it closed, eliciting a high-pitched protest from Emma.

  “One day, Em, you’ll trust me again. And you’ll look at me like you used to.”

  Those light brown eyes were one of his favorite things about her. She used to look at him like nothing could separate them. Right now, his main goal in life was to see that look on her face.

  Brushing off his statement, she pressed her hands to her skirt to flatten the material. “See you at my house? Oh, and next weekend, you will have the pleasure of taking me for a night out on the town. My dad is picking up Lily next Saturday morning and keeping her until Monday. School’s closed that Monday and Tuesday.”

  Another date? And she was the one initiating their meeting? That was a step in the right direction.

  To keep from looking like a complete fool, he shoved one hand in his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck with the other. “That sounds like a great plan.” He opened her door and helped her inside. “Are you taking the expressway or the city route to your house?”

  She started the engine and the air came on full blast as if it knew how she preferred to keep the temperature in the car. “Expressway. Traffic won’t get heavy until around four. See you in a few minutes.”

  He nodded and walked away from her vehicle. As soon as he got to his truck, he waited until she was about to pull out of the space before he pulled his car in front of hers. After finding out how much it would cost to exit the lot, he paid for Emma’s ticket too and watched as she smiled at the parking attendant and pulled out into traffic behind him.

  As if his cock knew it was about to be buried deep inside of his mate, it thumped against the seam of his jeans. He had to reposition himself a few times so he could drive comfortably. The scent of Emma’s arousal was still fresh in his vehicle, and his beast growled in approval. She didn’t hate them anymore. She may not have been ready to give him her heart, but she was willing to see how this would work out.

  Those words burned something at the base of his brain. See how this would work out. Her words. He knew he was in this for the rest of his life, and he knew Emma knew how shifters worked. He would come to her on her terms. Take things slowly. Rushing her would no doubt have the opposite effect of what he wanted, but he would learn to go at her pace. And quietly watch her when she didn’t know.

  No. That was his beast wanting to stalk her. He wouldn’t do that. Well, maybe a little. Things were too dangerous in his life.

  He’d have to put in his notice at the rig. Working the oil rig required him to be away from home months at a time, but he couldn’t have that much distance and time from Emma. Especially not when she allowed him to meet Lily. He would never let her think that he’d abandoned them.

  Having a saber-tooth inside him meant he had to do something that helped him burn off enough energy. The oil rig was hard work. Even when he was there he would work double shifts to keep himself level.

  Jace reached up to massage his forehead but was stopped by the fragrance of Emma still left on his hand. He was counting down the seconds until they were both at her house, and one day, maybe she would call New Rose home again. He would move here to Baltimore if she wanted him to. It was best if he stayed at home with his family, but Emma didn’t feel comfortable in New Rose. Too much going on with the Rogue clan.

  Before he knew it, he was pulling into Emma’s driveway behind her. If he had to imagine what her house would look like, this would be it.

  A red brick, split-level ranch style home sat with an attached garage before him. White shutters bracketed the three large windows on the front of the house, and a wide bay window took up most of one level. A wooden door that seemed to mirror her lovely brown eyes divided the two sections. Flowering bushes dotted the front lawn, and to the side was a stone walkway that led to the backyard. He could see a playset with a sliding board peeking out from the back. A playset. Before Emma brought Lily to New Rose to visit, he would go and buy the biggest playset he could find. Well, he’d ask Cass to help him pick one out.

  He’d seen pictures of Emma’s house already and had mapped out a route from his home in New Rose when he first came to meet her a few weeks ago.

  “We’re renting for now, but this is the exact house I would love to buy for Lily and me one day,” Emma said as she exited her car. “We moved in about a year after Lily was born. Before the alimony kicked in, an apartment was all I could afford while I worked part-time. I didn’t like being away from her too long, but being a single mother not working a full-time job made things hard. Richard was agreeable when it came to alimony and child support. Now, I work weekdays and usually get off before she’s out of school. Wednesday’s are my long days, though.”

  At least her ex-husband wasn’t a dick about her taking care of his kid. Maybe only one of his kneecaps should be broken? He’d figure it out.

  He looked around the quiet neighborhood. The sun was still high in the sky, and the light wind rustled the bushes and trees that surrounded them. Five houses sat on each side of the street, but there was enough space so that the neighbors had privacy.

  Emma started to walk toward her front door, but Jace reached out and touched her hand.

  “Second thoughts?” she asked. A sweet smile lined her lips, but insecurity tainted her voice.

  She couldn’t possibly think he didn’t want her. He didn’t give a shit that she was a divorced single mother who relied on her ex to make a way for her and her cub.

  “You’ve done really great, Emma,” he said, using the t
ips of his fingers to raise her hand in the air, drawing a sincere smile from her. He cleared his throat and then brought her hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles one by one. “I know you take care of yourself, but if you ever want to stop working so you can focus on Lily…” He let the words trail off.

  She tried to pull her hand away, but he held tight. “Jace.” Her mouth opened and closed, and then she swallowed a few times as if waiting for the right words to come to her. “We just started us again. It’s too soon to even talk about that stuff. Things are working really well for Lily and me. I don’t expect you to step in and take over daddy-duties. I know I’m your mate, but I’ve learned to make this happen by myself. Even though I get help from Richard, giving up my independence was never in the cards. Hell, I start back to school in the Fall. I’m going to finish and get my Bachelor’s in English. Then I won’t have to depend on him, or anyone.”

  He expected her resistance, but he still wanted her to know that he was here for her. “That’s great. I’m really proud of you. But—” he muttered, shrugging as he pulled her toward her door, “—you have options.”

  “Well, right now I choose sex. Let’s do it.” She scrunched up her nose and gave him that lopsided smile that warmed him from the inside out.

  A dimple appeared on the cheek that was lifted, and he couldn’t help himself. He dropped his gaze to her lips and then leaned in to kiss her. She let out a needy sound and nibbled his bottom lip. Before she could protest, Jace bent down and grabbed her by her thick thighs and lifted her over his shoulder.

  “Dang-it, Jace,” she screeched, slapping his back with her small fists. “Don’t blame me when your back gives out on you.”

  “Woman. Do you really think you’ll hurt my back?” He slapped her ass and then kissed it, but just before he went to bite it, he said, “Give me your keys.”