I would grant her small request though. It might make her, not just her animal, more comfortable with me.
“My childhood home was much like the penthouse. Modern, sleek, dressed to impress. There wasn’t a lot of room for homey things. My breed is extremely rare, and my parents are high in society. They are very proud creatures.”
“So are you.”
“Yes.”
She started to chew on her bottom lip.
“What is it, Winifred?”
My tone was a little more barking than I had intended. When she looked up at me, that beautiful spark in her eye had returned. She straightened her shoulders and my tiger perked up. He loved it when she fought us. It was extraordinarily sexy. My breathing deepened and my cock came alive.
“But you wouldn’t be proud of me, right? A big girl who is a latent, who doesn’t even know her animal.”
I didn’t know where her insecurities came from, but I heard the hurt in her voice.
I waggled my finger at her, annoyed with her assumptions and attitude. Her eyes followed the movement of my finger and I saw the bloodlust there. This time I had pissed her off, and it had gotten my blood thicker with desire and rushing through my veins, making me feel light.
“You did not just do that.”
“You did not just tell me I shouldn’t be proud of my voluminous, desirable mate.”
She strode forward and shoved her finger into my chest.
“I am neither a dog nor a child. Never wag your finger at me like that again.” Her chest heaved. I could smell her arousal and knew without a doubt her animal and human sides both wanted me. Needed me. I strode toward her.
I captured her lips with mine, pressed my body into hers, and moved her backward until she was at my mercy as I held her wandering wrist to the wall. Her other hand desperately fumbled with my belt. I smacked it away, pressing my hip against her, keeping her pinned.
Nipping at her bottom lip, she groaned, trying to reach for my lips, but I pulled from her reach. I dragged her arm across the wall above her head to meet with the other that I had placed there moments before. I captured her delicate wrist in one hand. My hand trailed down her silky arm. Her head tilted backward and I took the opportunity to latch my lips against her neck.
“Oohh …” Her breathy moan encouraged me more. My teeth pinched the skin, and her hips rolled forward onto my already-hard dick. Dragging my rough tongue against her neck to the back of her ear, I sucked her earlobe.
Desperation clawed at my insides. I wanted her clothes off and I wanted her writhing beneath me, but for right now, I was going to make this last. She had pushed my buttons the moment I had met her, so now it was time for her to get a little of her own medicine.
My hand brushed her neck as I spent time on her ear, then roamed farther down. She angled her body so I would touch her where she wanted. Oh, no. Not yet. Avoiding her full breasts, I trailed my fingers over her ribcage. The fabric of her shirt offered a barrier between me and her sweet flesh.
It would have to wait. I wanted her hands captured a little longer. Mine spanned over her lovely thick thigh I kept imagining wrapped around my hips. A small purr rumbled through my chest. I lifted her leg, hooking it around my waist. The other followed. Thrusting upward into her rough jeans, I teased her with the slow movements. Our clothes would have to go soon, but her little noises made it worth the wait.
Pulling her away from the wall, I released her wrist, and she wrapped her arm around my shoulders. Her tawny hair brushed my cheek when she dipped her head to my neck and gave me the same treatment I had just given her.
I walked down the hallway trying to control my pace, but I was too eager to get her to my bed.
Chapter 9
Winifred
Part of me questioned how in the world Quentin could hold me up, but at the moment I didn’t even care. His careful caresses and tantalizing licks drove me wild with need. My need for him had my body shaking. My blood hot.
More.
I had to have more of him.
Quentin.
He set me down on the bed and stood at the end, eyeing me with lust and desire. He had been purring since we had left the front room; it got louder now that he had laid me on the bed. I sat propped up by my elbows as his hungry eyes roamed over my body.
I twisted my legs, not sure what he was waiting for.
“Take your shirt off.” The lights weren’t on, but if he could see half as well as I could in the dark, he wouldn’t need them. Anxiety crashed over me, and I glanced away from him for a second. He had never seen me naked; most of the men I had taken to bed with me had undressed me under the covers. I bit my lip.
“The shirt, Winifred.”
I gripped the bottom of the shirt, tugging it upward. My fingers grazed my skin. Feeling brave, I touched my erect nipples over my bra and shivered with delight. I pulled the shirt over my head and tossed it on the side of the bed. He seemed riveted by the sight in front of him. He stroked himself over his jeans. With what seemed like great strain, he pulled away and made eye contact with me again.
“Take the bra off, now.”
Heat shot straight to my core. His tone was demanding, but never aggressive. Reaching behind my back I unclasped the lacy bra Mazy had picked for me. And I was so glad she’d picked this one and not my I-have-none-left-to-wear one. My breathing grew heavier as I realized how sensual it was for him to watch me undress. He might be barking the commands, but obviously he was the one straining. My body held a power over him that made me more confident in myself than I ever had been before.
“Touch yourself,” he whispered, eyelids drooping as he leisurely licked his lips. I had never done anything like this before, so I tentatively touched my own breast. I closed my eyes imagining his large, callused hands against my skin.
“No, Winifred, eyes on me.”
My heart pounded in my chest to the point he might have seen the erratic beats. I opened my eyes and kept them on him. He undressed, his fingers trailing over his skin like I would love to do. I watched the slow movements, knowing he was doing the same with me.
My hips rolled up when my fingers pinched my own nipple, imagining it was his. Oh, my body wanted him more and more. My other hand went to the waistband of my pants, and he growled. I pulled away feeling tortured with the need to go down farther.
My eyes zeroed in on his buckle which he torturously released from the hole. He pulled it through the leather and slipped it over the fabric. My back arched as I thought about what he could do with the belt. Instead, he tossed it aside.
“Take your pants off.” His voice dipped, becoming deep and husky. A shiver of delight went down my spine. Following his lead, I pulled my pants down as slowly as he did his. Since he went commando, his thick member sprang up free from its constraints. I kept my panties on, even though I knew he wanted them off. It felt like a tiny triumph against his demands. It also made my insides feel light with rebellion.
“Take them off,” he growled, focused on the last piece of clothing I had on.
Quentin’s voice left no room for argument and it had my body clenching at nothing.
I stopped touching myself and moved my hands to the bed.
“You will just have to do that yourself.” My voice was husky with need. I didn’t even know how I managed to get my voice to sound like that. I had never been able to sound so sensual in my life.
Quentin didn’t look too pleased that I stopped my movements and waited for him now. He crawled across the mattress toward me. I ached for him to touch me, to even brush his skin against mine.
I tried to lift my body to his, but his hands kept our bodies separate. He hovered over my breast, I breathed a little heavier. I wanted him to latch on, but he stayed there. The anticipation was slowly killing me. My head screamed for more, and when I was ready to beg, he brushed his tongue over my aching peak.
I sighed, my whole body relaxing only to tense again when his lips pinched the nipple. His teeth scraped ove
r it, working me back into a frenzy. He roamed to the other side, and his hand massaged while the other nipped.
My gut clenched. I needed more.
Quentin made it down to the swell of my belly, and I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment. I didn’t want to feel ashamed about my body, but old insecurities had been reinforced by my ex. I ignored the feelings coming to the forefront of my mind. He wouldn’t ruin this night for me.
Instead, I lost myself to the sensations my mate brought me.
My hands combed through his hair.
Mate.
It felt right.
Quentin’s tongue flicked under the elastic of my underwear. I shuddered, wanting so much more. He snapped the elastic against my skin. My hips jerked upward, my body no longer waiting for my mouth to beg him for what we both desired.
“Tell me what you want, Winifred.” A whisper against my skin.
“You,” I panted.
“Louder.”
“You,” I screamed.
He flipped me over, pulling my panties down in one slick movement. I wasn’t even sure what had happened until I felt his breath against my back. His hand slipped down to my core that had been demanding his attention. I lowered my chest so my backside lifted higher, giving him better access. I wanted him to touch me so badly I wanted to force him into it.
“All right, Winifred. No need to shout.” He sounded like he was smiling. I wanted to turn to see him, but he kept me faced away.
“Oh, no, Winifred. You disobeyed.” He glided his hand up my spine. On the trail back down, he touched every vertebrae. I had no idea it could be so carnal, but it had my animal inside leaping and stretching her back. I felt the sensations with her. He dragged his teeth gently across my back, stopped, and turned me back over.
My insides were a bundle of tight nerves. I wanted release, and at this point I wanted to submit so I could get it. Quentin positioned himself over me and dipped his head. His lips captured mine, overlapping them with a sweet kiss meant for me alone.
What we were doing was no longer satisfying our animals, but became more intimate. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. His muscles rolled under my touch. My hand spanned his strong jaw. He turned his head to my palm and placed a small kiss there. He pushed in, inch by inch, and I cried out. He filled me so completely, and it felt amazing.
He groaned, his neck straining tight. When he looked down at me, his eyes swirled to his tiger’s then back again. He began to gently rock until we found our rhythm together. We paced ourselves, enjoying each other’s touches and how the other felt. Quentin showered my face with kisses, and I returned them when I could.
Quentin’s pace quickened and my desperate noises grew louder. We were so very … close. My nails scraped over his shoulder, frantically holding on. My breathing went ragged, and I tingled from the inside out. I got closer to the edge, just waiting to be pushed over. Quentin slammed in hard and I released. I cried out, either his name or incoherent words, I couldn’t be sure. He grunted, finishing seconds after me.
He pulled out carefully and padded out of the room to return a few minutes later with a washcloth to clean me up. My cheeks burned when he threw it into a corner in the room. Quentin moved us up to the top of the bed and pulled the covers over us.
I turned, so I could curl up by his chest. Quentin moved stiffly and wrapped his arms around me. He moved like an expert during sex, but now he seemed to be uncomfortable.
“Tell me more about your past,” I whispered trailing my finger over his chest.
“What is there left to tell?”
“Didn’t you celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving like they do in the movies?”
Quentin moved backward and tried to look me in the eye. I refused to do so.
“And what of your past, Winifred?”
“Why do you insist on calling me Winifred?”
“Why do you insist on me calling you Winnie?” he asked, not joking or any humor in his tone. He was always so serious. In the car ride over, I had more than once tried to get him to sing along with me. He would give me a strained smile and look back to the road.
“Why don’t you like nicknames?” I kept prodding him. He would open up to me.
“My parents had the best tutors in the shifter world to teach me manners, all sort of schooling. Nicknames are below my status.”
I turned my head so I could see him when I asked, “Then why are you a mercenary?”
He took in a breath.
“That is a very long and complicated story.”
We went silent for a good long while after that. His thumb rubbed circles in my back, lulling me closer and closer to sleep.
“Tell me about your past, Winifred.”
Sleepily, I snuggled closer to his chest.
“At the age of five, I was put in an orphanage. I never found out what happened to my parents.” I had been too young to remember, so I took pieces of me to create the faces of the people I couldn’t remember. There were fragments, but because of the nightmares of my childhood, I wasn’t sure if they were fact or fiction. Speaking of my parents had always been a topic I avoided. There was nothing to talk about. My nose tingled with the threat of tears. Quentin’s arms tightened around me. Stealing his strength, I found the courage to continue.
“Sometimes I think I am the worst person in the world. Sometimes I hate them. I really, really hate them.” I felt so safe in his arms. He wouldn’t judge me. I’m not sure what part of me was so convinced of it, but I couldn’t let the thought go.
“Tell me what makes you smile.”
“Fighting with you does the trick.”
Quentin grunted and pulled me up so I was level to his face. His icy-blue eyes softened as they searched mine. “No more fighting.”
“Kissing you helps.”
“Then we will do that.” He made good on his promise.
Chapter 10
Quentin
After another heavy session with Winifred, she was back in my arms. I had not before practiced the art of snuggling with any of the other females I had laid. Winifred’s nose brushed against my skin and made the muscles quiver. I didn’t think she knew the power she held over me. It had been less than a week since I met her and my animal had fallen in love. I saw the potential in such a desirable woman.
She and I spoke throughout the night. Winifred was persistent in asking me about my past. When I told her about growing up with my parents, her lips would press together, her eyes would soften in sympathy I did not seek.
“What about Christmas? Did you go with them to pick out a tree? Then did you decorate it? And oh my God! How was it waking up Christmas morning?”
She wanted the classic, cookie-cutter answers. The ones I knew without a doubt would put a smile on her pretty face. They weren’t the answers that I could give to her. I didn’t want to coddle or lie to her.
“We didn’t do Christmas like that. My parents were usually away on separate trips or working.”
“But didn’t you want to do those things?”
“Did you?” I asked.
Her cheeks flushed. “I did. But what kid didn’t?”
“One who didn’t understand that was normal. That it was something to be desired.”
“I am going to give you one of those Christmases.” She nodded her head. I raised my brows, but allowed her the victory. She might not have realized that she had planned our future together, but my tiger purred, content she saw it his way.
“Winifred …”
“Hmm …?” Her sleepy tone made me smile.
“Why did you hesitate with me?”
“What do you mean?” She rubbed her face against my chest, discreetly pulling in my scent.
“I see how you hold yourself. At the bar, you are all confidence; you hold your body in great regard. Then at times you are so guarded, so far from the woman I know you to be.”
She went silent. I thought she had fallen asleep, but she spoke again, her lips brushing against my skin.
“My ex was … brutal.” She paused and I knew my tiger was close to the surface. “He was very controlling, and his favorite way to control me was to beat me down with his words. He made me doubt myself. I left. And I have been running from his ghost for a long time.”
I felt murderous toward a man I hadn’t met. I didn’t like the idea of his speaking ill to her, but I sensed he’d subjected her to more than verbal abuse. I would kill the bastard after I finished with the other men who had threatened her. My arms tightened around her, a silent gesture that she was safe with me. Mind and body.
Winifred fell asleep in my arms a few minutes later, after about three jaw-cracking yawns. A small, satisfied smile curved her lips. My tiger puffed out his chest, proud that she was relaxed in our arms. Sleep eluded me. Tomorrow I would have to leave to head back to the city. Lucas had already started the hunt for her attackers, and I should have been with him. This was my mate we were fighting for.
I would have to leave her here, unattended. The thought filled me with disgust; it went against all my animalistic instincts. Inside, my tiger started to pace, his jaw opening wide, displaying the dangerous daggers inside. There wouldn’t be any convincing him she was safe here.
Sleep overtook me some time later.
The morning was pleasant. I woke to a hand stroking my morning wood. My spine tingled with desire. I allowed her to continue to explore while I savored her touch. When it became too much, I rolled her to sit on top of me, her long hair covering her full breasts.
My tiger growled, aloud. Her gape of shock melted into a sensual smile when I rolled my hips so my cock touched her backside, reminding her what she had started.
Winifred’s eyes darkened. Her lips parted in a pant, her tongue caressing her bottom lip. She lifted her hips, her hands pressing hard on my chest. I didn’t mind for a moment, but she stopped. The scent of her lust faded into one of fear and embarrassment. She lifted her leg to climb off me.
Clutching her sides, I pulled her back to where I’d wanted her in the first place. “We’re not done, Winifred.”
Hired: Mercenary Shifters (Mercenaries for Hire Book 2) Page 5