by Lauren Wood
“What?” He shook his head and braced himself with one hand. “Work? Work was work. Sage, what the hell are you doing?”
“What do you mean?” she said innocently. “I’m just sitting here. I thought we could talk.”
“And you always wear a dress like that when you want to talk?” he said in a low voice. She watched as he took another step towards her.
She tried to shrug nonchalantly. “It was just something I threw on. There’s an elephant in the room that we need to address. You want me.”
“Yes. Yes I do,” he said as he took another step. Her breath hitched when she saw the predator look in his eye.
“And I want you.”
He took another step, and liquid heat was already pooling between her legs. God, he could probably smell how turned on she was. “What did you want to do about it?” he asked as he began to unbutton his shirt.
She cleared her throat and tried to focus on the speech she’d prepared. “I think we’re both a little too distracted by this. Maybe if we just have one night together, we can get it out of our system and go back to a normal life.”
His shirt parted, and she nearly moaned. He was perfection. He was halfway up the landing now, and she scooted to face him.
“I’m not going to be easy,” he growled as he took another step.
“Good,” she said in anticipation.
“I like it rough. My lion likes it rough.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I can take it.”
When he was just a few steps away from her, he leaned over. “Be sure this is what you want,” he muttered.
She cupped his face. “Kiss me.”
“Sage,” he breathed, and he leaned over and captured her lips. She moaned as his tongue invaded her and turned her muscles to jelly. Slowly, he pushed her back and settled between her legs. “So sweet,” he murmured.
“Wait,” she gasped as he moved down her body. “I didn’t mean for us to do it here.”
“We can move to the bed, but first, I have to see what you have going on down here,” he said as he hiked her dress up. She watched his pupils dilate when he realized that she wasn’t wearing any panties. He slid a finger alone her slit, and she wiggled.
“Beautiful,” he moaned as he slipped a finger inside her, and she gasped. She let her head drop to the floor as he played with her, and she didn’t notice that he’d moved until she felt the wet warmth of his tongue.
“Davis,” she cried out when his tongue flicked over that sensitive spot.
“Don’t make me stop, baby,” he begged her. “Please. I’ve been dreaming about this ever since I laid eyes on you.”
Her back arched as his tongue returned, and soon she was at a loss for words. He added another finger, and she cried out as the assault grew more demanding. Pressure mounted within her, and her toes curled. He was taking complete control of her body, and her body was enjoying every minute.
Higher and higher she flew as his tongue rasped over her clit, and finally she could take no more. She shouted as she broke, and her body shook as she climaxed. He licked her a few more times while she fell back to earth, and finally, he leaned over her.
“We need to move now, or I’m going to fuck you right here,” he hissed.
She shivered, but she allowed him to take her hands and pull her up. Her dress was still up around her waist when he picked her up and slammed her against the wall.
She wrapped her legs around him and rubbed herself against his bulge. God, it had never been like with Connor. With anyone.
His mouth feasted on hers while she undulated against him. “Baby,” he whispered.
“Hurry,” she moaned, and suddenly, they were moving again. Soon they were tumbling onto a bed. She didn’t even know which apartment they were in, and she didn’t care. She heard the zipper of her dress go down, and she arched her body to let him peel off her dress.
Normally, she felt subconscious about her naked body, but the look he gave her made her feel sexy. His eyes darkened with desire as they moved down her body. “So beautiful. So perfect.”
He shucked the rest of his shirt, and she watched as he slid his pants down as well. When he was finally naked, he covered her with his body and took her mouth again.
He dominated her, and for the first time in forever, she didn’t mind. She gave up her control easily and without worry. No matter what happened, he would always keep her safe. She knew that without a doubt.
She slid her hands down his body and squeezed his sex. He was large and hard, and she could only moan when she thought of it inside her.
“Sage,” he said hoarsely. “This is going to be over before it starts if you keep doing that.”
She giggled and released him. He settled his weight over hers and probed at her entrance. She lifted her knees in response.
“Sage? Are you sure you want to do this? There’s no going back,” he muttered as he skimmed his mouth over hers.
She knew what he was talking about, but she didn’t want to think about it. She only wanted to enjoy him. “Inside me,” she muttered. “Now.”
He grunted and slid just a bit inside her. Sage gasped as he filled her, and she knew he wasn’t even all the way in. “God, you’re tight,” he muttered.
“More,” she said as she clawed at his back. She turned into a monster as she bucked her hips. She had to take all of him. There was no turning back now.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he hissed, but she planted her feet on the bed and raised her hips, and he sank in.
Buried to the hilt, he pressed his face into her neck as she struggled to accommodate him. He touched a sweet spot deep inside her, and she knew she was never going to be the same.
“Move,” she pleaded. “You’re killing me.”
He laughed shortly and slid himself slowly in and out. “Yes,” she clutched at the muscles in his back. “I like that.”
“You like that?” he said. She watched in fascination as his eyes flashed gold.
“I do.” She bit her lip. “Let him out to play. I know he wants to come out.”
He stilled and studied her. “He does,” Davis said. “But he’s not always nice.”
“I can take it,” she said confidently.
She let her nails dig into his skin, and she watched as his eyes grew even brighter. “Let your lion out,” she whispered.
Suddenly, he roared, and Sage shrieked as he rammed himself inside her. His eyes were bright gold now, and she could barely hang on as he slid himself over and over that spot.
She loved it. She loved every second of it, and as he pushed her closer and closer to her second orgasm, she knew that things were never going to be the same.
He had unleashed his lion, and she still felt safe and secure. And loved.
“Davis,” she cried out as she peaked. Her muscles squeezed him as she came, and he shouted as he buried himself inside her and joined her.
Chapter Five
He collapsed on top of her and nuzzled her. She wrapped her arms around him and waited for her heart rate to return to normal.
“Are you okay?” he whispered when he raised his head. “I don’t usually do that. You just sort of drove me crazy,” he admitted.
She bit her lip. “You didn’t hurt or scare me at all.”
Relief swept through him, and he nuzzled her neck. She’d been everything he’d hoped and more. And if she still thought this was just going to be a one-night stand, she had another thing coming.
He’d understood that she was scared, and he’d kept his distance. Part of it was frustration. Just seeing her was enough to push him over the edge. But he didn’t understand why she was scared. Usually, when a shifter found a mate, it was easy and seamless. But she’d literally run in the opposite direction.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked quietly.
“I’m just trying to wrap my head around it, that’s all. I’ve been here for less than a week. Ending up in the landlord’s bed wasn’t exactly the plan.”
He laughed. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re the first tenant I’ve ever slept with.” He raised his head to study her. “You’re the first woman I’ve ever slept with in this town. You feel this connection, right?”
She stilled under him, and suddenly he realized the problem. She knew she was his mate, and it terrified her. “Can we just take this one step at a time,” she said hesitantly.
“It doesn’t work that way, Sage. It’s meant to be intense. It’s meant to bind a couple instantly and forever. Why does that scare you?”
She pushed at him, and he rolled off. She gathered the sheets up under her armpits and sat up. “First off, why wouldn’t that scare someone? I don’t know you. I’m human. I don’t share my body with another soul, so when I feel something like this, it’s intense and overwhelming. You grow up knowing that you’ll find your mate. I’m told I’m someone’s mate, and it takes me two years to realize that it’s not true.”
He felt a streak of anger inside him. “Your ex told you that you were his mate?” he asked in a dangerous voice. It was bad enough that sleeping with a shifter was the new trend, but to have a shifter lie about the emotional bond that connected a shifter and a mate? That was sacrilegious.”
She laughed shortly. “I know it sounds ridiculous. It’s so different than what I feel with you. I should have known right away, but he was handsome and charming. He wouldn’t leave me alone, and then he was controlling and manipulative. It wasn’t until I found out he was cheating that I knew for certain he’d been lying this whole time.”
She turned to him. “Davis, that was less than a month ago. So yes, what I feel, right now, scares me.”
“But you do feel it,” he said as he sat up and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not trying to force it on you, Sage. I want you to come to the decision on your own. You feel it. I’m not telling you that you feel it.”
“Yes,” she whispered as she relaxed against him. “I felt it the moment I saw you.”
He smiled and kissed the top of her forehead. “You were so mean to me.”
She laughed. “You started it.”
“I felt it too. I thought for certain that I was wrong. I always thought I’d be paired with some docile little thing. You’re enough to scare the lion inside me. You always tame him, though. No one has ever done that.”
“What am I supposed to do?” she said quietly.
“You don’t have to do anything. Just let me love you. Let me know when you are ready. Then marry me and spend the rest of your life with me.”
She laughed, and he smiled. He’d spend the rest of his life making her laugh. “Oh sure. I just have to marry you. Nothing big.”
He settled back down in the bed and cradled her as she rested her head on his chest. This felt so right. Being inside her felt right. Having her in his arms felt right. “What do you want to do? I want to do this right so you don’t pack up your stuff and leave me.”
“I don’t think I could leave you even if I tried,” she whispered. She pressed her lips to his chest, and he felt himself stirring. After all that, he was still ready for her. “I’m nervous, but it has nothing to do with you. I’m not second-guessing you. I feel safe in your arms, but what if I mess this up? What if I’m just some shifter groupie, and your misreading all the signs?”
He stroked her hair. “There is no misreading you. And if you give me the chance, I’ll prove it to you.”
After a few moment of silence, she spoke again. “I’m still scared, but I want to hear you say it.”
He smiled. “I love you, Sage West. You’re meant to be with me. You’re my mate. You’re my happily ever after.”
She smiled and slung a leg around his. “I thought I would freak out, but I liked hearing it.” She propped herself up and stared at him.
“And how do you feel about me?”
“I love you, Davis Weathers. You’re meant to be mine. You’re my soul mate. You’re my happily ever after.”
Hearing those words made him growl and lift his head to claim her kiss. After a moment, she broke apart. Breathless. “So this is it?”
“This is it,” he murmured. His sex twitched against her leg, and her eyes widened.
“Already?”
“ It’s your own fault. You’re just so damn sexy.”
She licked her lips hungrily, and he laughed. “Clearly you have no issues with that.”
“Mine,” she said possessively as she straddled him. “Forever.”
“Forever,” he agreed, and soon she was riding him back to heaven.
They were married within a month, and her store opened with great success. She knew without a doubt that every part of her life had led up to this. Had she never spent so much time with Connor, she never would have run so far away. She would have never run into the arms of her true mate.
Sage Weathers. She was loved and protected. She loved and protected. And she was happy.
THE END
GIFTED LANCE
Chapter One
Sasha stared at the man across from her. There was just not something quite right with his face. Was his nose too small? Were his eyes too close together? She cocked her head. Maybe his eyebrows were too bushy.
“Wouldn’t that be great?”
Startled, she shook herself out of her daze. Shit. He had said something to her. What was his name again? “Tell me about your job, Don,” she said trying to divert his attention away from the fact that she had absolutely no idea what he’d just said.
He looked crestfallen. “I just did.”
Double shit. “I’m sorry,” she said with a smile. “Long day at work, and I just zoned out.”
Her smiled must have encouraged him because his face brightened. “I bet. So you’re a baker? I love cupcakes!”
Of course he loved cupcakes. He probably loved everything a normal ten-year-old boy loved. Why did she let her sister set her up on these blind dates? They were always a complete disaster!
The check arrived, and she watched as he grabbed it. At least he was going to be a gentleman and pay for dinner.
“Mom said girls like to feel independent on first dates. Dutch?” he asked with a smile. “You owe twenty-four dollars plus tip.”
Mom said? This date was so over.
After giving him the brush off at the car, she locked herself safely inside and quickly called her sister.
“Sasha!” she squealed. Sasha could hear her niece and nephew screaming in the background. Apparently they didn’t want to go to bed. “Is the date over already?”
“Already?” Sasha asked. “Calla, it felt like it lasted forever. Where the hell did you find this guy? Boring R Us?”
Her sister got oddly quiet on the other end, and Sasha started her car with narrow eyes. “Calla. Where did you find him?”
“Maybe you just didn’t give him a chance,” she said softly.
That did it. “Calla Lilly Thompson! You tell me where you found him right here and now or so help me God!” Their mom had a thing for flowers. Sasha’s full name was Sasha Rose.
“Okay,” she said with a huff. “You don’t have to yell. I signed you up for this online dating site. Don looked so handsome in his picture, and he seemed so stable and nice when we talked.”
“You mean when you talked and pretended to be me? Well that explains why our conversations made absolutely no sense,” Sasha grumbled. “You will take me off that dating site right now. If you don’t personally know the guy, you don’t get to set me up with him.”
“I just want you to be happy,” her sister sniffed. Sasha rolled her eyes. Her sister wasn’t really going to cry, was she? That hadn’t worked since they were ten.
Calla was two years younger than her, and she’s always felt guilty about being the first to get married. Sasha never felt bitter about it because she loved her brother-in-law, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that she wanted what they had. But it was so difficult to meet a decent man these days. Either they were taken, they
were single and deservedly so, they were gay, or they came with an insane amount of baggage. And Sasha didn’t want to settle. She wanted to feel that initial spark of passion.
“Stop crying,” Sasha demanded. “Take me off the website.”
Her phone beeped, and she looked at her Bluetooth dashboard. “Hang on. Work is calling me. I’ve got to go.”
“But,” her sister interrupted, but Sasha hung up on her.
“Sasha Morrows,” she said.
“Sasha! Oh thank god!” Her boss, Billy Anderson, sounded frantic. “Miriam just called. She quit. Quit! Something about moving to Vegas and eloping. I have no idea. But I’m still in Florida, and someone has to man the Hairy and Fluffy party tonight. Susan finished baking, but she thought Miriam would ice them after they cooled. Please tell me you’re free tonight. I’ll do whatever you want,” he pleaded.
“Three days of paid vacation next month,” she said immediately. She wanted to spend some time digging her toes in the sand and listening to the ocean.
“Done,” he said immediately. She smiled.
“Text me the address. I’ll head that way now.” She’d wasted her sultry red dress on the date, so she might as well wear it to the party.
“You are a lifesaver. A doll. My absolute favorite,” he gushed as he hung up on. Sasha rolled her eyes. By next week, Billy would be flipping out on her for something she hadn’t even done. She loved her boss, but he was a bit touchy. Especially when his husband was out of town, which was often.
She pulled up the directions to the party, turned her car around, and headed downtown. Hairy and Fluffy Dating Agency held a massive mixer three times a year in order for their members to meet. Shifters of all types were hoping to meet their mates and humans were hoping to hook up with an alpha.
Sasha knew the rumors. Shifters could sense their mates immediately, and Sasha thought it was ridiculous. How could you imprint on someone when you knew nothing about them? What if your soul mate was actually a huge asshole? What did you do then?
No. While Sasha certainly wanted some passion in her life, she relied on good old-fashioned logic. She wanted to get to know someone before she decided they were her soul mates.