His mother shook her head. “I’d have to be pretty thick not to get that hint. Yes, I’m going out for a bit. Your father is resting, so don’t disturb him.”
Blaise scowled. “Again? He did that this morning after Caleb was done examining him. He usually doesn’t sleep that much during the day.”
“Caleb said to expect it because of the change in medication he gave your father.” A look of worry flitted across his mother’s face before it quickly disappeared. She looked at Harley. “It’s nice meeting you. I hope to see you again.” With that said she walked around them, then out the door.
“Your dad is sick?” Harley asked once they were alone.
“Yeah. My cousin Caleb is a doctor, but he can’t figure out what’s wrong with my father.”
“Have you taken him to get another doctor’s opinion?”
“No.” Hoping to change the subject, Blaise held up the pink bag. “I’ll just run this up to my room, then we can go to the stables.”
He hurried across the foyer to the wide stairs that led to the upper floor. With Harley being in the medical field, she would think it strange they hadn’t taken his dad to see another doctor if Caleb wasn’t helping him get better. He couldn’t exactly tell her the reason why there was no one else. Not right now, anyway.
Chapter Three
Harley watched Blaise take the stairs two at a time. She dropped her gaze to his ass, appreciating how his jeans stretched tight across it with each step he took. Once he disappeared from sight at the top, she sighed to herself. The man had a killer bod.
She didn’t have long to wait before Blaise came back down again. He smiled as he met her gaze. Along with his hot body, he was handsome as sin. Harley was pretty pleased with herself for taking that chance back at the mall. He’d turned out to be better potential boyfriend material than she’d first thought. If she could get her claws into him, she would hold on for all she was worth.
“Let’s go,” Blaise said once he reached her.
Harley nodded, then followed him through the front door. She zipped up the jacket she wore as he brought her around the side of the garage and onto a graveled lane. A short distance away she saw another building that presumably was the stable. The large structure was all red wood and white trim. The paddocks near it were enclosed with white wood fencing.
Once they reached the building, Blaise led her through the large sliding door that stood open. Harley looked down the row of stalls. There were about ten of them and each one was occupied. As they walked farther inside, large equine heads appeared over the tops of the doors. The horses snorted in greeting as they walked by.
Blaise stopped at the end in front of a stall on the right and stroked the nose of a black one. “This is my horse. He’s a gelding called George.”
Harley burst out laughing. “You named your horse George?”
“I know it’s a suck-ass name. It started out as a joke. I couldn’t come up with one so my brother Taylor kept calling him George, thinking I’d get sick of hearing it and pick a better one. That didn’t happen so the name stuck.”
She ran her hand along the horse’s cheek. “Despite his terrible name, he’s beautiful.”
Blaise walked over to the stall beside George’s. “This is the one you can ride. Her name is Star.”
Harley could easily see why the bay mare was called that. She had a white star in the center of her forehead. “Hello, girl. Are you ready to go for a ride?” She scratched Star’s nose.
“I’ll get them saddled up and then we can go.”
She watched Blaise get saddles and bridles, then put the horses’ tack on while they were still inside their stalls. That task completed, he led Star out to Harley before taking George out of his. Once they were outside, they mounted up. Even though it’d been a few years since she’d last been on a horse, Harley had no problem adjusting the stirrups or holding the reins properly.
Blaise kicked George into a walk and Harley brought Star up beside him. They rode in silence until they left the stable behind them and were in a large stretch of open land. Fall had set in and turned the leaves around them to gold and red.
“All this belongs to your family?” she asked.
“Yes, as far as you can see and then some. How about we go a little faster? Since you’ve ridden before, you shouldn’t have any problem handling Star in a canter.”
Harley nodded as she set her heels into Star’s sides, getting the mare from a walk to a trot and then into a canter. She settled into the rocking motion of the horse and kept pace with Blaise and George.
They rode like that for about five minutes before Blaise pulled George to a stop close to a tall birch tree that stood alone in the center of the grassy land. There was nobody else around but them. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air. It was nice to get away from city life once in a while. And this was the perfect place to do that.
Blaise edged his horse closer to hers. He reached across and cupped the back of her neck before he leaned forward while nudging her in the same direction. He took her mouth in a light kiss, brushing his lips across hers.
He pulled back and met her gaze. “I’ve wanted to do that since shortly after I met you.”
“Do it again,” she said, her voice on the breathy side.
Hunger rose inside his eyes. “Like this?”
Blaise took her lips once more. Only this time it wasn’t a light brush. His mouth settled over hers, sealing it tight. His tongue came out and pushed inside, dueling with hers. Desire shot through her body, causing her nipples to grow taut and a throbbing ache to make itself known deep inside her pussy. The man was not only a hunk, he also knew how to kiss a woman.
Harley dropped her horse’s reins and buried her fingers into Blaise’s thick hair, returning his passionate kiss with as much enthusiasm as he gave her. She tried to pull him closer, but their legs were already trapped between the two horses. Blaise soon took care of that.
He caught her under her arms and hauled her over to him, sitting her on his lap so she straddled his thighs, facing him. With not much room in the saddle, her pussy ended up pressed against the hard bulge in Blaise’s jeans. Harley wrapped her arms around his neck and ground against his cock. She couldn’t help herself. He felt so damn good. He held her tight around her waist, pushing her down onto him, adding to the delicious friction.
The meeting of their mouths deepened. Their movements caused George to walk in a circle. Harley absently heard Star following behind him. For all she cared her horse could have taken off back to the stable. All she could focus on was how George’s rolling gait rocked her and Blaise together.
Harley sucked on Blaise’s tongue and he purred like a big cat. She did it again and got the same response. Obviously, he liked that. A lot. She continued to grind against his hard cock. Wetness leaked into her panties. At the rate she was going she’d be able to get off just like this.
Blaise pulled away first, breathing hard as he stared into her eyes. “I’m getting too many ideas about what you and I can do on top of my horse. And they’re all X-rated.”
“Then you and I are on the same wavelength.” The idea of actually having sex on horseback appealed more to her than it should.
“Don’t encourage me,” Blaise said as he looked at her with stark hunger in his eyes.
“So you got me all hot and bothered for no reason?”
Blaise took a deep breath, then purred like a cat once more. “You definitely are that.”
“I’ve never had a guy purr for me like that before. I have to admit it’s a turn-on.”
“Then I’ll have to make sure I do it all the time.”
Harley bit her lip and let out a quiet moan as George took a hard step down and jolted her and Blaise together. “I’m embarrassed to say how easy it would be for me to come like this. I guess I’m showing how long it’s actually been since I last slept with a guy.”
“You know, telling me that isn’t exactly helping me get things settled
down.”
She pushed against him once more. “I can see that. If it was summer instead of fall, and we weren’t so out in the open, I could help you with that.”
Blaise groaned. “Now I wish I didn’t have this family dinner.”
“Well, even if you didn’t, I couldn’t have you over to my apartment. My roommate will be there. She doesn’t work tonight. To say she’s nosy is putting it mildly. The only reason why I don’t mind living with her is because she’s usually working when I’m home. On the weekends is when we pretty much see each other.”
“How would you feel about coming back here afterward and spending the night with me?”
Harley gave Blaise a questioning look. “What about your parents? Won’t they say something about it?”
“No. My brother lives here with his wife. Plus, my room is more like an apartment than a bedroom.”
She smiled. “After what I’ve seen so far of your house, I have to admit I’m more than a little curious to see your room. And maybe you’ll model that thong for me again.”
Blaise captured her lips in a heated kiss, causing the flames of her desire, which had been at a simmer, to come raging back to life. Harley once again found herself drowning in the sensations swamping her body. She ached to have his cock buried deep inside her pussy, pumping in and out until they both came.
He lifted his head. “I guess that means you’ll do it.”
“Yes.” That one word was all Harley was able to manage. Her brain was barely firing on two cylinders.
“Good. I think we should continue our ride. I’m already finding it hard enough not to continue what we started.”
Blaise gathered George’s reins at Harley’s back, then steered the horse over to Star, who stood patiently waiting. Once they were at the mare’s side, Blaise lifted her off his lap and settled her in Star’s saddle.
Setting off once again, Harley tamped down the arousal deep inside her. There was no question of her not turning Blaise down. She wanted him too much. It might make her look easy by sleeping with him after only having recently met him, but she really didn’t care. Sometimes it was better to take what she wanted rather than to wait and have it slip through her fingers. And Blaise was definitely something she wanted to hold on to with both hands and not let go.
* * * * *
After their ride, Blaise walked Harley to her car and gave her a kiss that would have to last him until he saw her again later that night. He’d reluctantly ended it before he watched her drive down the long lane that would take her to the main road. Once her car was no longer in sight, he turned and headed inside the house.
Since he’d spent most of the afternoon on a horse, Blaise decided a shower was in order before dinner. He hadn’t made it halfway up the flight of stairs to the upper level when his mother walked into the foyer and called his name.
He turned and said, “I was just about to go take a shower. I doubt you want me smelling like horse while you’re eating dinner.”
His mom walked up the steps and stopped on the one below his. “No, I wouldn’t. I wanted to see how your afternoon went with Harley.”
“It went very well, thank you. And to let you know, she’s coming over again later tonight.”
“You really like this human.” She said it with a smile.
“Yes.”
“Maybe she can be the one for you as Aspen was for Taylor.”
Blaise reached inside his jacket and pulled out his cougar head pendant. “As you can see, nothing so far. Even if Harley doesn’t set off the magic, I still want to see her. I enjoy being with her, and she has the same type of sense of humor I have.” The incident at the mall came to mind and he had to hold back a chuckle.
“If that’s the case then she has to be meant for you, though having two of you around with that same kind of humor might just drive us all crazy.”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You’d love it and you know it.”
“Of course I would. Taylor, though, not so much.”
“He’d have to get over it. But don’t jump ahead of yourself now. I haven’t even known Harley for twenty-four hours yet. And to forewarn you, when she does arrive, we’re going to be locked in my bedroom so don’t disturb us.”
“I wouldn’t do that. You’re an adult male, no longer a child. There is one thing, though. Try not to be too loud. Some of us will want to sleep.”
His mom winked, then turned and headed down the stairs. Blaise shook his head as he continued up to his bedroom. That would have been something he would have said.
After closing himself inside his room, Blaise hung up his jacket in his walk-in closet, then went to the en suite. He stripped out of his clothes. To his sensitive nose, they mostly smelled like horse, but he was able to pick up Harley’s scent as well. His cock grew hard as he remembered how it’d felt to have her in his arms, her jean-clad pussy grinding on his erection. She’d said she’d been close to coming that way. Well, it wouldn’t have taken much more for him either.
* * * * *
The evening meal with Aspen’s parents went well. They were good company and had accepted the fact their new son-in-law was a cougar shifter. The one person out of Aspen’s family who didn’t know the truth about Taylor was Aspen’s older sister. Even her parents had decided it was best for their oldest daughter not to know. Aspen and her sibling weren’t very close to begin with.
His father, of course, remained up in the master bedroom. There was no question of him not being able to manage coming downstairs even for a little while. It would have been a decidedly strained evening if it had been possible. Aspen’s parents inquired about how he was feeling, and that was as far as the subject of his father had gone. They had to have known how his dad felt about humans being part of their family group. Knowing Taylor, he would have informed his in-laws of that.
Just as they finished eating, the sound of the front door opening and two very familiar male voices reached Blaise’s ears. After he looked at his mother to say he’d greet the newcomers, he pushed back his chair and stood. His name was called before he made it out to the foyer.
“I’m right here,” Blaise said as he met up with Jase and Grady.
The two brothers were more like his siblings than his cousins. They, Taylor and he had basically grown up together. Their mother was the younger sister of Blaise’s mother.
“Are you ready to go?” Jase asked.
“Go where?” Blaise answered.
“It’s Saturday night. We decided we’d go check out that new bar. Remember?”
“Shit, I forgot. I’m not going to be able to make it.”
“What do you mean?” Grady asked. “There can’t be anything you’d rather be doing than going out for a drink. There could be some hot girls there.”
Blaise smiled. “I already found a hot girl, thank you very much. She’s the reason why I can’t go out with you. She’s coming over in a little while to spend the night with me. The only reason why she isn’t here right now is because Aspen’s parents are over for dinner.”
“Human or cougar shifter?” Jase asked.
“Human. Her name is Harley.”
Jase looked at his brother. “Maybe we should stick around and check her out.”
Blaise shook his head. “Oh no, you won’t. I just met her this afternoon. I don’t need you two scaring her away.”
Grady smiled at Jase before he turned his gaze back on Blaise. “Sounds as if you really like her. And where exactly did you meet her?”
“At the mall downtown.”
“Maybe we should give the mall a try, Jase. We could see if we can find our own human female hanging out there.”
Just like Blaise, his cousins wanted to find human women to date rather than cougar shifters. They felt the same way about the opposite sex of their kind as Blaise did. And with Taylor mated to a human, there wasn’t much the other members of their family group could say to stop them.
“That’s a plan,” Blaise said. “You can
go now. The mall might still be open.”
“He’s trying to get rid of us already,” Jase said.
“I know,” Grady replied. “Maybe he’s worried one of us will steal Harley away from him. After all, we are better-looking than him.”
“I have to agree with that,” Jase said with a grin.
Blaise snorted. “Yeah right. Now get out of here.”
“All right,” Jase said. “We’ll leave. We can torment you another time.”
“Good. I wish you luck at the bar.”
Jase and Grady made Blaise promise to go out with them again soon, then walked out, discussing what other bar they would go to if the first one ended up not having any hot girls.
Blaise shut the door behind them with a shake of his head. He had to pity any human woman who actually showed interest in his cousins. They weren’t exactly womanizers, but they did appreciate beauty in the opposite sex.
Since the meal was over, Blaise returned to the dining room only long enough to excuse himself, then headed up to his room. Once there, he called Harley to let her know she was welcome to come over any time. She said she’d be there in a half hour.
Blaise ended the call and turned on his television to pass the time until Harley arrived. He’d only just settled on the bed when he heard his father having a coughing fit. Since his mom was downstairs with company, Blaise decided he’d go look in on his dad.
He didn’t bother knocking on one of the master bedroom doors and walked in. His dad was still coughing and wheezing, trying to catch his breath. Blaise went to the bedside table and poured a glass of water from the bottle that sat there, then waited for the fit to subside.
It was over a few seconds later before he helped his dad take a drink. Blaise looked down at the tissue his father had held against his mouth while coughing. The sight of blood on it had his gut clenching. There was more than had been present that morning.
“I think you need to tell Caleb to switch your shots back to the old one. You’re getting worse,” Blaise said as he placed the glass on the table, then helped resettle his father against the pillows at his back.
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