by Danica Avet
She sighed. Kids.
She knew she wanted them. One or two would be fine. But she couldn’t have kids without a male. Daisy wasn’t scared of being a single parent. In fact, she’d prefer it. Unfortunately, her mother would strangle her. Her mom was as devout a Catholic as could be found outside a convent. If Daisy showed up pregnant with no mate waiting in the background, St. Patrick Church would probably catch fire from the number of candles her mama would light.
No, she had to have a mate before she started having children. That led to another problem. Who was she going to take to mate? She’d grown up in Maison Rouge and except for the eight months she spent with Kitty in New York, she’d never left. She knew every male in a fifty-mile radius and none of them impressed her as being good daddy material for the next generation of Picous. That left her with the option of going farther afield, like to New Orleans or Lafayette, or making do with one of the good ole boys she’d grown up with.
The thought was so depressing she pressed her face into her knees until it hurt. It wasn’t as though she lacked for dates. Some of her high school boyfriends still asked her out and she’d dated a few of them despite knowing there was no spark of real interest. She wanted love and respect and affection. The kind of relationship her mama and daddy had. But that was starting to look like wishful thinking.
She liked some of the guys, but there was no passion. Could she live without that? Sure she could. She just had to ignore the little voice in her head that said mating was forever and you don’t want to fuck it up by picking a mate whose only saving grace was that you didn’t want to kill them on sight.
Something banged on the front porch of the house, rousing her from her self-pity. It wasn’t a stealthy sound, but more like someone was trying to figure out how to get inside and didn’t care if anyone heard them.
Daisy pulled her service pistol out of the belt she’d left coiled on her nightstand. Some women kept lotions and sleeping masks or even books on their nightstands. Daisy left her gun and enough ammo to start a small war.
She climbed out of bed and toyed with the idea of getting dressed before she went to check on the noise, but another scraping sound prodded her into moving. She did throw a robe over her naked body and loosely tied it, not wanting to wave her girl parts at a potential burglar. Slipping through her house on silent feet, she wondered if one of the strangers in town had decided to try their luck at burglarizing a few houses. It was rare, but it did happen.
Adrenaline and a tinge of fear washed through her as she made her way in the direction of the sound. Those were definitely scraping, scratching sounds, as if someone was using a lock pick to open the door. Heart pounding in her chest, she eased to the window beside the front door and peeked out. And blinked.
There was a lion on her porch. A huge friggin’ beast with a thick, dark mane and the kind of fangs that belonged on the Discovery Channel. He had one paw on her front door and she watched in stunned disbelief as he tried picking her lock with one carefully extended claw.
The only lion shifter she was aware of in the area was the musician, but it made no sense for him to be here. What was he planning to do? Break in her house and sing at her? She bit back a snort. She wasn’t afraid of any big cat. Being a bear had its benefits, mainly that she outweighed most males in her animal form, but her bear wasn’t even fazed by this unexpected visit. In fact, it wanted to come out right now, not to attack, but to play. It thought the idea of a lion trying to break into their territory a great way to end the evening. Daisy sniffed deeply, drawing the scent of cat through the door and knew it was the musician. Beneath that wild, musky cat scent was a hint of the same male she’d been trying not to think about since she left the fairgrounds.
Shit. What was he doing here? She breathed deep again, trying to figure out his frame of mind. Was he pissed that she left the performance? She almost snorted at the thought. That would take listener satisfaction a little too far. But he smelled hot and agitated. Her head swam as something else filtered through her senses, making her body feel sluggish again.
Her lower body throbbed with want, her nipples tightened into near-painful points. She was getting turned-on. Seriously turned-on because she could feel dampness on her thighs as her moisture seeped from her channel.
He growled. The low, deep rumble sent a bolt of excitement straight to her clit and she gasped.
She reached for the door, not sure if she planned to tell him to get away, or invite him in. She wanted more than she ever had before, but he wasn’t what she needed, right? Only an idiot would open the door to a male who would use her and leave her. Apparently her horniness dropped her IQ by several points because she undid the lock and turned the knob.
But she’d waited too long and the lion had gotten tired of trying to pick the lock. The instant Daisy swung open the door, two paws landed on her chest, taking her to the floor.
The gun bounced out of her hand, sliding across the tile where it bumped up against the leg of a table. Five hundred pounds of big cat was a lot and it took a few minutes for Daisy to get her wind back. She wanted to curse when she did. If he was a serial stalker or something, she’d just lost her weapon and given him the dominant position. She was a fucking genius.
Hot, panting breath that carried the unmistakable scent of alcohol wafted over her face. Squinting against the hurricane of air, she saw the lion staring down at her with serious, yet slightly unfocused amber eyes.
“Get off me,” she said calmly, even if part of her wanted to demand he shift and fuck her. Now.
He didn’t go away. In fact, he put his big paws to either side of her shoulders, effectively caging her in between his limbs. Her heart thundered as he lowered his head. Just when she thought he was ready to shift and take care of the need burning through her, he licked from her chin to her forehead, his rough tongue abrading her skin.
“Ew! That’s disgusting!” This was not what her pussy had hoped for when she opened the door.
She tried to roll away from him, but he caught her shoulder with his paw and ran his velvety muzzle along her cheek. The rumbling purr that vibrated from his chest rattled her bones. The coarse hair of his mane tickled her face and neck as he continued rubbing against her like a giant kitten.
His tongue snuck out, lapping at the side of her neck. It was one of her sensitive spots and she jumped with a giggle. Shit. She was supposed to be some badass cop and she was letting some strange cat tickle her.
“Stop it,” she ordered in a quivery voice he paid no mind to.
With his scent surrounding her, Daisy’s body heated until it felt as if she’d burst into flames. Her heart thumped. Oh God, she’d just spent hours talking herself out of doing something stupid like throwing herself at him and now he was in her house licking her. She panted as he went for the hypersensitive spot behind her ear.
Instinct demanded she participate in this madness. She reached up to the warm body hovering over her. The instant she touched his velvety coat, his fur faded away leaving nothing but warm, golden skin behind. Paws became hands on either side of her and the mane disappeared, but the slightly rough texture of his tongue remained as he came down on top of her.
“Oh God,” Daisy gasped when he tested her skin with his teeth.
“Ram.”
She shook her head as the light coating of hair on his chest abraded her nipples, sending electric shocks straight to her aching core. “Huh?” she mumbled when his tongue danced over her collarbone.
“My name is Ram.”
“Uh-huh, do that again.”
His hot breath washed over her skin as he repeated the little love bite at the base of her throat. “I’d like to know your name in return,” he whispered against her skin.
Shivering from his erotic bite, Daisy whimpered her name. If he didn’t get this show on the road, she’d come without him and then she’d do as bears did and hibernate the rest of the night.
A big, hair-roughened knee slid between her thighs. Thighs tha
t parted without any hesitation, making Daisy’s face burn with embarrassment. Was she so easy she’d just let some strange cat fuck her in the entryway of her home?
Her eyes popped open wide in panic. Ram, the lion—she snickered to herself—had latched on to her nipple, his lips, tongue and teeth working her over so well, she wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. But the thought that her mama or, God help her, her daddy might stop by to make sure she was okay jerked her out of her lust-filled haze. They normally gave her space, but she’d been the one to fake a headache. Mama bears being what they were, her mother would have no problem dropping by unexpectedly to check on her.
Daisy shoved him away, horror replacing any regret she felt at the loss of his mouth. He landed somewhere in her living room, but she was too busy getting to her feet and slamming her front door closed to pay much attention. She pressed against the wall to peer through the window. The faint glow of illumination from her parents’ house on the other side of the pasture assured her they were both home.
Her daddy’s squad car was parked out front, as well as her mom’s truck. She slumped against the wall in relief. Even though her house was dark, her mother had a key and wouldn’t hesitate to use it if she thought Daisy needed her. Maybe Mama would think she needed rest tonight and not come over. It was a slim hope, but Daisy had to cling to whatever she—
Strong arms slid around her waist, tugging her into a tall, muscular and very aroused body. The musky scent of lion surrounded her as her sexy intruder trapped her against the wall. She shuddered when his hard cock nestled against the curve of her ass.
“I normally don’t like wrestling before fucking, but I could definitely start to enjoy it,” he rasped against her ear.
Okay, she should not be melting back into him. She should definitely not moan as he cradled her breasts in his big palms, his thumbs flicking over her nipples. But she did and there was no stopping the rush of heat between her legs at the contact.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered.
“My nose tells me otherwise.”
Some big-ass bear she turned out to be. She wilted at his words. Her robe slid off her shoulders to pool on the floor, the tie having given up the fight when he knocked her down. He bent his knees so the hard crown of his cock nestled right up against the slick lips of her pussy and glided back and forth. Her heart thumped in time with his slow, easy movements. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and arousal at how wet she was for him, for a complete fucking stranger.
“I…physically, yes, I can do this, but I shouldn’t,” she protested weakly. Hell, she leaned forward and arched her hips back.
Ram’s cock settled between her folds, their combined slickness helping him slide along her groove. Her breath hitched every time the head of his cock brushed over her clit. She clenched her hands into fists against the wall, rocking her hips back to meet his gentle thrusts.
“Why not?” he whispered against her nape. His fingers pinched and teased her nipples. “Why not enjoy this?”
Yeah, why not? You want him, he wants you. It isn’t like he wants to mate you. It’s just sex. Oh the temptation was there, or rather behind her with a huge cock and clever hands, but she’d promised herself she’d settle down. This was not settling down and being responsible. This was insanity.
“I,” she gasped sharply when his hips jerked against her, his cock nudging her clit. “You. I don’t know you,” she said in a rush. God, she was panting as if she’d just run a damn race.
Ram, of course, sounded just fine. No panting or moaning from him. The bastard. “My name’s Ramsey Reinhardt,” he nibbled on the tendon between her neck and shoulder, “I’m the lead singer for Saber. I was born in Chicago. I love my mother. I played football, baseball and was a member of the school choir.” One of his hands slid down her stomach to settle right above her mound. “I moved to Los Angeles when I was eighteen, joined a rock band, and that’s it.” He spread her folds with two fingers to gently stroke another over her swollen clit. “I saw this gorgeous woman tonight and couldn’t take my eyes off her,” he whispered into her ear, his tongue tracing it. “I had to have her, wanted to talk to her after the show, but she left.”
Daisy whimpered, her hips rocking on his cock as he increased her pleasure with the steady stroking of his finger. She was going to come immediately if he didn’t stop. As though he heard her thoughts, his finger slowed, but his hips kept up the slow, rhythmic slide of his cock through her folds. Her eyes crossed.
“I tried to forget about her,” he continued in a softer voice. “I tried to stay away from her, but I couldn’t. I need her—you, Daisy.”
His voice throbbed with sincerity.
He stopped moving against her, stopped the delicious torture that left her sopping wet. The growing ache in her womb increased at the loss of his cock dragging against her. The orgasm he’d steadily built in her stumbled to a standstill, waiting for something. He was waiting for something.
Her permission.
Daisy tried to think. She really did. She tried to remember why this was a bad idea, tried to recall the goals she set up for herself, but the gnawing hunger in her body for the lion wouldn’t let go. It demanded he sate her needs. The fuzziness in her head didn’t help, making it harder to think rationally.
“Say yes, Daisy,” he ordered softly, his hands on her hips, extended claws lightly piercing her skin.
She licked her lips, her breathing rough. “I’m on the Pill,” she whispered.
He said nothing, still waiting for her answer.
She didn’t have to ask him if he was clean. One major plus to being a shifter was an inability to catch human sexually transmitted diseases. And with her on birth control, she wouldn’t have to worry about having a kid with—
Her bear roared in frustration, punching through Daisy’s reservations with nothing more than primal instincts and heated need. “Yes!” Daisy shouted, the bear’s triumphant growling buried beneath her cry. “Yes, yes, take me, please.” It wasn’t forever, after all, it was just a temporary solution to a—
Ram’s heavy, thick cock slid into her to the hilt. Daisy might have squeaked at the sudden invasion, she wasn’t sure. Her mouth gaped as she tried to breathe through the burning stretch of long-ignored muscles, but Ram didn’t give her time. He lived up to his name, battering at her poor, overwhelmed pussy with hard, fast thrusts that nudged all the places she’d never known she had until she was shouting in pleasure.
“Tight. God, you’re tight,” he panted against her neck his body bowed over her as he slammed into her over and over again.
Daisy twisted in his hold, the pleasure nearly unbearable. Her claws dug into the sheetrock of the wall, panting moans tore from her throat as the tension coiled tighter and tighter. One of his hands slid down her stomach to stroke her clit and she lost it.
She came with a strangled scream, her channel clenching around him as her pleasure exploded outward, consuming everything in its path. She vaguely felt something sharp on her back, and then his muffled roar, but the sound seemed far away, drowned out by the blood pounding through her veins. The pleasure ran its course, leaving her limp and weak and gasping for air.
Ram’s lion rumbled out a purr of contentment he wanted to echo. He couldn’t seem to relax his hold on her, half afraid if he let go, she’d take off. He nuzzled the silky skin of her neck, gently lapping at the mark he’d left on her. He hadn’t meant to do it.
Well, he had meant to, but much later, like when she actually agreed to be his mate. Unfortunately, his lion decided to take matters into its own hands and mark her before Ram was entirely ready. But now, he didn’t regret it one bit. There was something undeniably sexy about lapping her blood from her skin where it mingled with her sweat. The marks were deep and would scar over within a couple of hours, but the mating scent he’d left all over her face, and now her back and pussy, would remain for much longer.
“You okay?” he whispered against her skin.
God, she was amazing. He loved that she was tall enough for him to take her standing up with only the smallest adjustments to make them fit together. Her skin was a gorgeous olive tone and she had full curves he couldn’t wait to explore further. His cock twitched at the thought.
“No more,” she muttered even as her interior muscles fluttered around his rapidly filling dick.
He’d only just begun, but from the tightness of her body, Ram suspected it’d been a while for her and didn’t want to leave her too sore. He hissed a protest when he pulled out of her hot, wet body. God, he wanted to just stay inside her forever and fucking ever.
Her knees buckled and he caught her in his arms. He carried her to the sofa, eased her onto a cushion and knelt next to her to smooth her hair out of her face. She was still panting softly, her body flushed from the strength of her orgasm. Ram took a few minutes to admire the beautiful female he’d made his own.
Okay, she wasn’t classically beautiful, but to him, she was perfection. Her full lips parted as she struggled to catch her breath. Damn, he hadn’t even kissed her. Deciding to rectify that, he leaned forward to press his lips to hers. She moaned in the back of her throat, the sound traveling down his back to clench his balls. Just like that, he was hard and ready to blow. He deepened the kiss, teasing her mouth open. Dipping his tongue inside, Ram tasted mint mingled with a darker, richer flavor that was all Daisy.
He cupped her cheek, turned his head to taste her better and—
The sudden peal of a nearby telephone broke through his desire. Before he could ask her if the call could wait, Daisy’s body jerked as though she’d been poked in the ass and her head slammed into his nose hard enough he saw stars. He wobbled on his knees, trying to shake off the blow when his mate shoved him on his ass and reached for the phone.