Aspen nodded, then watched him go out again. She went over and stood in front of the single window. It was pretty dark out there, and the lighting in the lot left much to be desired. But Taylor appeared not to have any problem seeing as he got inside the bed of the pickup and set to work covering what was inside it. He bent over with his ass in her direction. Aspen wondered what he would do if she went out there and gave it a good squeeze.
Taylor straightened and turned in her direction as if he’d sensed her watching him. His gaze met hers. Aspen sucked in a sharp breath. The way he looked at her made her heart beat faster and her blood heat. Even in the dim light, she couldn’t miss how he seemed to eat her up with his gaze. It made her hungry, and not for food.
He jumped out of the bed of the pickup and the spell was broken. Aspen quickly pulled herself together. Even though she wanted nothing more than for Taylor to kiss her again, she really needed to get some food into her.
Taylor stopped just inside the doorway. “All set.”
Aspen nodded. She walked back to one of the beds and grabbed her purse where she’d tossed it earlier. “Okay.”
After locking the room door, Taylor and Aspen made the short walk to the café. Since it was well past what would be considered the dinner rush, if the place had one, only a few tables were taken. They were seated and then left alone to look over the menu.
It didn’t take Aspen long to decide what she wanted. Surprisingly, everything on the menu looked delicious. Some of the items she wouldn’t have thought to find at a place that was practically out in the middle of nowhere.
She looked up to find Taylor intently watching her. Once again her body reacted to his stare. Aspen licked her lips, almost able to feel what it would be like to have his claiming hers. His gaze lowered to her mouth, desire showing starkly in his eyes.
A wave of arousal shot through her, her pussy clenching with need. She’d told Taylor she hadn’t been with anyone all summer, but it had been longer than that. Even before leaving Anchorage to work in Skagway, she’d been single. Six months before that she’d split with her long-term boyfriend. They’d been together for two years. The breakup had been mutual. The relationship hadn’t been going anywhere, and both of them had known it.
Now, having Taylor look at her with such hunger, her long-neglected body reminded her how much time had actually passed since she’d had sex with a man. She needed to get out of her slump. One mostly caused by her. After her past relationship had ended she hadn’t been ready to be with someone new. But with Taylor, that was no longer the case. She was more than willing to see how far things would go with him.
Aspen cleared her throat. “I’m ready to order. How about you?”
Taylor nodded. “I’ve decided. And just so you know, this is my treat.”
“Then I guess we should consider this our first date?”
“If you like. I promise our next one will be in a better place than this.”
“I’m not complaining. At least the company is good.”
The waitress came and took their order. After that, much of the meal seemed to pass in a blur for Aspen. She ate the food that was placed in front of her, but her attention was more on Taylor than it. Her thoughts kept straying to what could possibly happen once they returned to the motel room. Arousal still rode her, making her body ache to be filled.
It didn’t help that Taylor gave her heated looks from time to time as they spoke between mouthfuls of food. Each sizzling glance sent her desire to higher levels. By the time Aspen had finished eating there was only one thought on her mind—how soon could she get her hands on Taylor’s hot body.
Taylor paid the bill, then stood at her side to help her out of her chair. He kept her hand in his, their fingers linked, as he silently walked her out of the café. Excitement coursed through her with each step that brought them closer to the room they’d be sharing for the night.
Chapter Three
Taylor was so aroused he was surprised he could walk straight. His cock was hard and pressed against the front of his jeans. Luckily it was dark out and there wasn’t anyone around as he and Aspen headed to their motel room. There was no mistaking the state he was in.
So far he didn’t think Aspen had noticed. If she had, it wouldn’t have bothered him. Actually, he wanted her to. During the entire meal he’d only been able to smell the scent of her need. Her arousal was an ever-present sign of how ready she was to accept him into her body. More than a few times he’d had to hold back a purr when the scent of her desire became almost too much.
He unlocked the room door and pushed it open wide to let Aspen step through before him. He followed her in and closed them inside. She turned on the lamp on the small table between the two beds as he went to the single window and pulled the curtains closed.
Taylor turned to face Aspen. She sat on the end of one of the beds, watching him. He crossed the distance between them until he stood directly in front of her.
Her head fell back as she looked up at him. “So which bed do you want or…would you like to share?”
Aspen’s gaze drifted down his body and landed squarely on the bulge in his pants. Taylor heard the sharp indrawn breath she took at seeing how aroused he was. He did nothing to hide it from her, stayed exactly where he was.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked in a voice gruff with desire. “Because if I share that bed with you, we’ll be doing more than sleeping. I already find you tempting.”
She nodded. “I knew what would happen when I offered. You’re not the only one who feels tempted.”
Taylor took Aspen’s hand and tugged her to her feet. “If we do this, I can’t promise you anything. I’ve never been one for being in a lasting relationship, but I do want to see you again.”
“That’s better than one night and I never see you afterward.”
“I know for sure I can give you more than that.”
He bent his head and claimed her lips. A breathy sigh left Aspen as he slanted his mouth over hers for a tighter fit, his tongue pushing inside to taste her. It ramped up his desire. Taylor put his arms around her waist and hauled her closer so their bodies touched from chest to knee. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers sinking into the back of his hair.
Now used to finding his pleasure in human women’s arms, Taylor was well practiced in the art of keeping his cat side hidden. Unlike his werewolf friends, he didn’t have to worry about his eyes taking on a muted glow once he became very aroused. The only thing that would give him away was the loud cat-sounding purrs that built inside him. Instead of allowing them free, he groaned.
Aspen held him tighter and rubbed against him. The scent of her desire increased. Taylor dropped his hands from her waist to her ass and cupped it to grind along her pussy. She moaned into his mouth, the fingers in his hair tightening on the strands.
Their kiss became more erotic with each second that passed. Soon it wasn’t enough. Taylor had to taste her skin, take her more-than-a-handful breasts in his hands and suck on her nipples. He wanted to strip her naked and learn every inch of her with his tongue.
He broke contact with her mouth and tugged her shirt up over her head and off. Taylor reached behind Aspen and unhooked her bra. She pushed the straps down her arms before tossing it aside. She then took hold of the bottom of his long-sleeved t-shirt and removed it.
Aspen ran the tip of her finger across his cougar head pendant. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Taylor ran his gaze over what he’d revealed of her. “And so are you.”
He lifted her off her feet and claimed her lips once more. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on to the tops of his shoulders. Her tongue met his as he pushed inside her mouth.
Taylor climbed onto the bed with Aspen still in his arms. He lowered her to the mattress, following her down to lie stretched out on top of her. He rocked his hips into the V of her spread thighs as he covered one of her breasts with his hand. He plucked at her taut
nipple, causing it to tighten even more. She arched her back, pressing tighter into his palm.
He left her mouth and shifted to lie at her side. Taylor pressed a smattering of kisses across the top of Aspen’s chest before changing direction to take a nipple into his mouth. He sucked on it, then gently bit down. She moaned, her hips lifting restlessly.
Taylor switched to her other breast and trailed his fingers down her flat stomach. At the top of her jeans, he pushed the button undone before pulling the zipper down. He parted the material and ran a caressing hand down the front of her panties. The satin was smooth under his fingertips.
With Aspen’s help, he took off her pants. Taylor raised himself on a bent arm and looked down at her. Her body was gorgeous, slim and curvy in all the right places. His cock jerked inside his jeans as he thought of what he’d reveal once he removed her panties. He knew she’d be wet for him. The scent of her arousal wafted around him.
Aspen turned on her side to face him. “I think you have on entirely too many clothes.”
She made short work of the fastenings on his pants and pushed them down past his hips, leaving his boxer-briefs in place. He shoved his jeans the rest of the way off and kicked them over the side of the bed.
“Is that better?” he asked in a husky voice.
She ran her hand along his chest and down his abs to the top of his underwear. A finger pushed under the waistband and ran from side to side. “Almost. We’re definitely getting there.”
Aspen hooked her finger and tugged the front of his boxer-briefs down, freeing his cock. She circled the head of it, gathering the pre-cum that leaked from the slit before she traced the length of his shaft. Taylor couldn’t stop himself from thrusting his hips toward her, his erection jerking.
He soon groaned with pleasure as she took him fully in her hand and pumped up and down. She squeezed him tight, using long strokes. More pre-cum leaked out of the head of his cock as his excitement grew. At the rate she was working him, he wouldn’t be able to stand this for long. He didn’t need to lose control and come before they’d even started. Also, unlike his werewolf friends, cougar shifters couldn’t maintain an erection for hours at a time. Just like human males, they needed recovery time.
Taylor gently pulled out of Aspen’s grasp. He finished removing his underwear, then focused on her, pushing her onto her back. “Now you’re the one who has more clothes on.”
He slid her panties off her hips and down her legs, using caressing strokes as he went. Her skin was soft to the touch. Taylor ran his hand along the inside of her thigh, not stopping until he encountered the wet opening to her body. He brushed a finger along it before he pushed inside. Her inner muscles clamped around the digit as he stroked in and out.
Aspen moaned, her hips lifting to meet each of his strokes. He looked at her to see she had her eyes closed and her bottom lip between her teeth. She was an erotic vision, one he wouldn’t soon forget.
Unable to hold back any longer from possessing her, Taylor pulled his finger out of her pussy and shifted so he lay between her spread legs. He pressed the head of his cock against her slick opening and slowly pushed forward. The sensation of her inner walls closing around his shaft had him fighting for control. It hadn’t been all that long since he’d last been with a woman, but for some reason with Aspen, he swore it’d been years. The urge to take her hard and fast until he came deep inside her was almost overwhelming.
Instead he continued to thrust slowly into her. Once he was seated to the hilt, he stilled, savoring the feel of her pussy wrapped around his cock. Taylor pulled back until he was almost all the way out, then pushed inside, Aspen taking all of him again. She felt so damn good. And as he continued to pump in and out, the sounds of pleasure she made hyped up his arousal even more.
Aspen gripped his biceps and lifted her legs to either side of his hips. She squeezed her inner muscles as she matched him stroke for stroke. Taylor could no longer keep the slow and steady pace he’d set. He thrust faster, harder, his climax building at the base of his spine. He groaned, but with the pleasure rioting through his body, it came out half as a purr. His ability to keep his cat side hidden slipped. He usually had no problem keeping it hidden from the woman he was with.
Taylor was almost at the point of no return when Aspen let out a keening moan. Her pussy rhythmically clutched and released the entire length of his cock. It had his climax roaring to meet him. He pumped his hips faster as his orgasm overtook him. He spilled deep inside her, giving her everything he had.
After it was over, Taylor collapsed on top of Aspen. She wrapped her arms around his back and held him tight. They both were breathing hard. He turned his head and kissed the side of her neck. One time wasn’t going to be enough. Being with Aspen was the best sex he could ever remember having. He definitely wasn’t prepared to let her go once they arrived in Anchorage.
* * * * *
The sound of an unfamiliar alarm clock going off made Aspen jerk awake. She lifted her head and looked around, at first not remembering where she was. It wasn’t until her gaze landed on the man who lay next to her that it all clicked into place.
She rubbed her eyes as Taylor reached over and shut the alarm off. She stared at his naked chest once he turned onto his back. She’d touched every inch of his body during the night, had learned all the planes and angles of it. They’d made love three times. Aspen would have gone for another round, but Taylor had said they’d better get some sleep since he wanted to get an early start on the road in the morning. He wanted to push through to Anchorage with no long rest stops.
Her gaze landed on the cougar head pendant he wore around his neck. During their lovemaking it had come to rest on her skin more than once, and she swore it warmed against her. Though it was possible it only retained Taylor’s body heat. The man was a living, breathing furnace.
Taylor turned his head and gave her a smile. “Morning. Did you sleep okay?”
After a yawn, she nodded. “As can be expected in a motel room. The bed isn’t all that comfortable. And waking up this early sucks.”
He chuckled. “The ache in my back can attest to the uncomfortable mattress. I know it’s not much later than dawn, but if we want to get to Anchorage before it’s really late, we should leave shortly.”
“I know that, but my body is still complaining about it.”
Taylor rolled toward her and gave her a kiss. “Well, you’ll have to tell that sexy body of yours it can sleep later. We need to get up. You can have the shower first.”
“Or to save time we can take one together.”
A flash of desire showed in Taylor’s eyes before he shook his head. “Not going to happen. If I get you in there, I’ll be doing all the things I still want to do to your body. We’ll have to save that for another time.”
That was something for her to look forward to then. “It was worth a shot. I won’t take too long since you want to get going.”
Aspen threw back the covers and walked naked to the bathroom. She looked over her shoulder at Taylor before she went inside. He lay in the bed with his hands under his head, his gaze on her. And seeing how the sheets over his hips were tented, he appeared to like what he saw. She gave a wistful sigh before she closed herself in the smaller room.
Once she had the shower at the temperature she wanted, Aspen stepped inside the bathtub and under the warm spray. Spending the night with Taylor was something she’d never regret. He was a generous lover with a body she wouldn’t ever get sick of exploring. He put her last boyfriend to shame. She smiled as she thought how if it hadn’t been for Cindy abandoning her, Aspen never would have met Taylor. Her ex-friend had done her a favor in a roundabout way. It still didn’t make what Cindy had done any better, but Taylor made up for some of it.
Aspen washed her body, feeling how she ached in intimate places in a good way. It had been too long since she’d had sex, but the soreness would quickly go away. She and Taylor had already planned to see each other tomorrow night. Today would be
shot with the long drive and getting settled at home.
She finished her shower and dried off with the motel’s poor excuse for a towel. It was barely big enough to keep her covered as she walked out of the bathroom and headed for her suitcase to get her toothbrush.
“You can have the shower,” she told Taylor. “Is it okay if I brush my teeth while you’re in there?”
“No problem. Just don’t flush the toilet on me.”
“I promise not to do that.”
She lifted her suitcase onto the bed as Taylor pushed the covers off him and slipped from under the sheets. Gloriously naked, he was a work of art with all his hard muscles. As if he sensed her staring, he turned to face her and let her look her fill. The grin he wore was crooked.
Aspen was more than tempted to close the distance between them and run her hands all over him, but before she could move the sound of a cell phone going off reached her ears.
Taylor grabbed his phone off the small table next to the bed. “Hello? Blaise, why are you calling me so early…? I should arrive sometime this evening… No, you don’t need to call again to see where I am. I’ll get there when I get there. I said I’d come home and I won’t go back on my word. Bye.” He disconnected the call and put his cell back where it had been.
“Someone checking up on you?” Aspen asked.
“Yeah, my brother. He wanted to make sure I was on my way to Anchorage.”
“There was a chance you wouldn’t go?”
“Blaise thinks there is. As you know, I’ve been estranged from my family for years now.”
And that was all the explanation Aspen got. Taylor walked past her and into the bathroom. By the time she’d collected her toothbrush and toothpaste, he was already in the shower.
Obviously, Taylor didn’t want to talk about his family. She had no problem with that. They were still in the get-to-know-you stage and she didn’t want to push too hard. It did make her wonder what had caused the estrangement between him and his relatives, though. She couldn’t picture herself being in that situation. At times she had her differences with hers, but it never got so bad they stopped talking and seeing one another.
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