Surging to my feet, I snaked an arm around her waist and lifted her higher against the wall until she wrapped her legs around me. With her taste fresh on my lips, I claimed her mouth again and lost myself in the pleasure of kissing my mate. Balancing her against the wall with one hand, I explored every inch I could reach with the other, my fingertips gliding against her curves and down her spine. Eventually, they slid under her ass, seeking her heat as our tongues danced together. I thrust one finger into her pussy and she gasped. Swirling it back and forth, I added another and felt her moan as much as I heard it. By the time I’d squeezed three fingers into her tight sheath, she was trembling in my grasp.
“Please, Braden. I need you.”
I felt the sting of her nails on my shoulders and knew she’d moved past the edge of reason. The sharp bites of pain signaled the appearance of her claws sinking deep into my skin. If I pushed harder, her lioness would try to break free and claim me as hers, but then I might lose the woman, and I wanted them both—body, heart, and soul. For now, I’d have to be satisfied with making her body mine and trust the rest would follow.
I unbuckled my belt, not even bothering to pull it from my pants as I ripped the button open and tore the zipper down. As soon as my cock was free from the confines of my boxers, I guided it to her entrance and surged upward. With one quick thrust, I felt my balls tighten and my spine tingle with my impending release. Tahlia was trembling beneath me, her pussy already clenching against me. She was as close to her climax as I was to mine, but I wasn’t ready for this moment to end. We’d only have this first time together once in our lives and I wanted to make it last.
I shifted my grip, palming her ass while her back rested against the wall. My cock nestled deep inside, I dropped my forehead against hers while I struggled for some much-needed control. It was easier said than done with the scent of Tahlia’s arousal surrounding me and the passion she was feeling so clearly visible. Her eyes were closed, but her cheeks were flushed and she was biting her lip. Her hair was a wild tangle of waves around her face. She looked like she’d been thoroughly fucked and as my control snapped, I went about making it true.
Her eyes popped open when I began to pump my hips with deep, hard thrusts. In and out, over and over. She gripped me tighter each time I slammed inside, convulsing against me when I slid out, only my tip remaining in her snug heat. Our gazes remained locked as I plowed into her, feeling a deep connection I’d never experienced before. I wasn’t just fucking Tahlia, I was making her my mate. We didn’t yet have the mating marks or claiming words to bind us together forever, but the link was there nonetheless. Our animals were close to the surface, yearning for each other, as I took this woman as my own.
I watched her shatter in my arms, the spasms of her pussy driving me closer to my own release. I refused to let go yet; I wanted to wring one more climax from her body. I pushed deeper, so deep inside her body, I was practically holding her up against the wall with the force of my cock alone. I swiveled my hips and ground against her until she screamed again as another orgasm consumed her. A sense of triumph filled me as her pussy squeezed tighter, milking my cock, triggering my own release. My seed spilled into her, marking her as mine from the inside out.
Tahlia’s hold on me slackened. She snuggled against me, her head falling limply on my shoulder before she nuzzled my neck. Her legs still wrapped around my hips, I gently cradled her body and carried her to the bed.
“So good,” she whispered, her eyes already closed as I laid her down on the sheets.
I’d tormented her before wringing three orgasms from her body, pushing her beyond her limits. She didn’t argue as I settled her into bed, something I figured she would have done had she not been thoroughly satisfied and tired. I climbed in beside her and pulled her into my arms, quickly realizing how exhausted I was. It had been a long day and night for me with almost no sleep. But as I lay in bed wrapped around my mate as she slept, I knew I’d happily sacrifice my rest for time with her. Since I was a bear who immensely enjoyed his sleep, that said quite a bit about what she already meant to me. Tahlia had the power to destroy me, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care. Every single thing she’d shown me about herself so far told me fate had been more than kind. I’d hit the mate jackpot with her, and I wasn’t about to give her up for anything.
Chapter 8
Tahlia
I’d never been much of a morning person, except today when I woke up to find Braden seducing me. The night before, I’d given him exactly what he’d wanted. He devoured me and by the time he was done, I felt like I needed to sleep for at least a week to recover. He seemed to be far from finished with me, though, if the slow pumping of his fingers in and out of my pussy was any indication.
My eyes shot open, only to find him leaning over my body, watching his fingers as they worked me. He knew just where to touch me to drive me wild, like magic.
“You’re so wet for me.” His raspy voice sent shivers up my spine. He moved between my legs and slowly slid inside my body. “And so fucking tight wrapped around me.”
I arched against him, wanting him to stop being so damn gentle and take me the way he had last night. Braden’s eyes locked with mine, his pace achingly slow as he moved inside me. Last night, he’d blown any reservations I’d held about begging him to smithereens with his explosive passion. We’d fucked last night, but this morning was different. With his heated eyes burning into mine, there was nowhere to hide from him. This was more than the coming together of two bodies—he was merging our hearts into one.
My own was beating wildly in my chest. I was overwhelmed by the emotions swamping me. We barely knew each other, but I felt more connected to Braden than I ever had to anyone else in my life. Nothing I’d heard about mating had prepared me for the way he made me feel. The tears well in my eyes, and I knew it was more than my need to come. Braden had already found his way into my heart.
Digging my nails into the cheeks of his ass, I urged him deeper and nipped at his chest in frustration. As soon as my teeth scraped his skin, he went wild. He pulled my legs around his waist, twisted my hair in his hands, and drove back inside me with a powerful thrust.
His mouth captured my moans as our movements became more frantic. Finally, he reached down between our bodies and stroked my clit until I was screaming out his name while my pussy milked the orgasm from his body. Panting against my lips, I felt his smile before he spoke.
“I want to wake up like this every morning for the rest of my life.”
I melted. Like a puddle of goo, I dropped back down onto the bed and stared up at the amazing man fate had paired me with. I never thought it was possible to feel this deeply for another person so quickly, but Braden was impossible to resist. I’d always heard the mating bond was strong, but it wasn’t something I’d been able to observe up close and personal since my mom hadn’t found her fated mate yet. I’d assumed the pull was more about our animals than our human side, but I was drawn to Braden the man just as much as my lioness was drawn to his bear.
It was a welcome surprise, and I found myself looking forward to these days together. We’d have the chance to get to know one another before we claimed each other forever. Last night, I’d viewed it as a hindrance because I was focused on my mission and Braden seemed to think the wait was a nuisance. But now I saw it for what it really was: a blessing most couples never received—the opportunity to fall in love as a person before committing yourself to them as a mate.
“I’m sure we can discover other, equally enjoyable ways to wake each other up the next couple mornings.” I didn’t offer any specifics, but I’d already planned to be the first one up tomorrow so I’d have the chance to demonstrate one of my ideas.
“I’m willing to mix it up a little as long as I keep waking up with you next to me.”
Again with the melting over here. It was like his mouth had a direct line to my heart and pussy, even when it wasn’t touching me. I wasn’t quite ready to show him how much of an i
mpact his words had on me, though. Not yet, anyway. If my mom had taught me anything about men, it was that a girl needed to keep him on his toes. “Just don’t expect to wake up to breakfast in bed. One thing I’m not is a chef.”
“Why would I need you to make breakfast when what I really crave is already in bed with me?” he teased. “Besides, if anyone’s going to be surprised with breakfast in bed, it’s going to be you.”
“You cook?” I couldn’t hide the shock in my tone. None of the males in our pride cooked. I didn’t think I’d ever even seen a man make a meal unless they worked in a restaurant.
“I’m a damn fine cook. Someone had to learn growing up and I was the only one who actually enjoyed being in the kitchen.”
A picture of him standing in the kitchen with a little boy perched next to him on the countertop while Braden showed him how to cook popped into my head. A little boy who looked like the perfect blend of Braden and me. It was the first time I’d ever thought about a future for myself with children. As a mom. As quickly as my heart filled with happiness, I felt deflated by the knowledge that everything I’d known, everything I’d built for myself as a council agent, was about to change. My life as I knew it was most likely lost to me if I mated Braden.
“We’ll figure it out,” Braden promised, a finger firmly tilting my face up until we were staring into each other’s eyes.
“Figure what out? Breakfast?”
I was trying to play the moment off, but he wasn’t going to let me get away with it. “I hate to tell you this because I don’t want you to react by putting walls up between us, but I just watched your every feeling play across your face. Pure joy followed by fear. I don’t know what you’re afraid of, honey, but you’ve gotta know I’d stand between you and the world to keep you safe now that I’ve found you.”
How did I tell him that was the very thing causing me fear in the first place? As my mate, he would want me to be protected. It was what anyone would want for their mate. Hell, it was what I wanted for him, too. But I’d spent the last five years being daring, putting myself in potentially dangerous situations to help other shifters. Playing it safe wasn’t something I was familiar with. It wasn’t my style. It never had been, and I didn’t know if it ever would be—even if Braden needed it to be. But this wasn’t a bridge I wanted to cross today.
“There isn’t anyone else in my world for the next couple days. It’s only you and me, which means there’s nobody around to even try to get to me. So how about you show me your infamous kitchen skills and we’ll worry about everything else later?”
The calculated gleam in his eyes was impossible to miss. Odds were good he was trying to decide whether he should push the issue or not. I held my breath as I waited for him to decide and then sighed in relief when he tugged on my hands to pull me off the bed. “If you’re hungry, I’ll feed you. If you need time, I’ll give it to you. Don’t you get it, honey? From now on, if there’s anything you need, I’ll make sure you get it.”
As easily as that, I went from being worried about what the future held to feeling like I’d make whatever sacrifices it took to stand by Braden’s side. In such a short time, he’d already managed to make me feel cherished when the only other person who’d ever given me any sense of truly belonging was my mom. It was a powerful feeling; one I knew was driven in large part by the mating call. But no matter what happened between us or the reasons why, I knew nothing would ever be the same for me. It couldn’t be now that I had Braden in my life. He was a game-changer.
With a jerky nod of my head, I let him know I’d heard what he’d said and taken it in. It probably wasn’t the response he was hoping for, but my reaction must have been enough. He squeezed my fingers with his own and led me into the kitchen without saying anything else. Not until he stuck his head into the fridge and started pulling out supplies.
“How do you like your eggs?”
I shuddered a little at the thought of trying to choke one down for his benefit. “I don’t. Except maybe in cookie dough. Or cupcakes.”
He must have caught the hint of distaste in my voice. His head swiveled my way as he stood in front of the open door, a carton of eggs in his hand. “You find many occasions during this mission to bake?”
“Nope.” My lips made a popping sound at the end of my one-word response. I hoped like hell he didn’t ask too many questions because I knew he wouldn’t like the answer, as innocent as it was. His gaze moved from me to the fridge and back again.
“Then why did you buy two dozen of them?” His eyebrows raised when I shrugged my shoulders. “Tahlia.”
The snap in his tone was a warning. Braden wasn’t going to let me get away with avoiding his question. I closed my eyes for a moment, steeling myself for the outburst that was sure to follow, and then forced the words past my lips.
“Damien had the place stocked before I came to town. The eggs are about all that’s left from the supplies he had brought in for me, except the ketchup, mustard, and stuff like that.”
The carton crashed onto the counter. I couldn’t help but wonder if any of them survived Braden’s wrath. “You never did get around to telling me who the fuck Damien was last night,” he rumbled. “And why the fuck you’re staying in his house.”
“It’s difficult to explain,” I began. “It’s kind of complicated.”
“How about you start by telling me if you’ve ever fucked him?” There was more than a hint of possessiveness in his tone, as though the very thought of another man inside me was enough to send him into a rage. I’d never found jealousy attractive in a man—hadn’t even had to deal with it because I’d never let a guy close enough for it to become an issue—but with Braden, it was sexy as hell to know the smallest hint of another man in my past was enough to make him all growly.
“I’ve never fucked him,” I whispered, my satisfaction at his reaction clear in my tone as my lips tilted into a slight smirk. I practically felt the shift in the room as his shoulders dropped in relief. Moving toward him, I wrapped my arms around his body and rubbed my hands down his back in reassurance. “Never even thought about it.”
His arms tightened around me and it felt like I’d come home—safe, warm, and comforting. He dropped a quick kiss on the top of my head, and we stood there in silence for a moment. When he spoke next, I felt his lips move against my hair. “So, who’s Damien?”
“The council’s enforcer.”
Braden pulled away from me to look down at my face, his mouth gaped open in shock. “A dragon loaned you his home?”
Apparently Damien’s reputation preceded him. This was why I’d said it was complicated. Dragons had a reputation for guarding their possessions with a fierceness seldom seen in any other species. It was hard enough for me to understand why Damien was letting me use this house, let alone explain it to Braden. I knew Damien greatly appreciated what I’d done for him on our last mission together, but I’d never expected his gratitude to express itself quite this way. The safe house with a stocked kitchen seemed a bit overboard to me, but I wasn’t about to turn it down. Not when it made my life immensely easier during a mission that already had me way outside my comfort zone—before I’d even met Braden and my comfort zone was blown to smithereens.
“I came to his aid on a mission recently,” I answered carefully, unable to offer many details since some secrets weren’t mine to share. “And he wanted to do something to pay me back for my assistance.”
By the look in his eyes, I could tell he wanted to ask more questions. Lucky for me, his dad was on the council and he wasn’t unfamiliar with how it all worked. He must have understood there were some things I couldn’t discuss because he didn’t push for more information.
“I guess we’ll have to put his place to good use then.” The growling of my stomach echoed into the room, interrupting him. “After I demonstrate my amazing cooking skills to you. Apparently, I’ve been falling down on the job. I can’t have my mate walking around hungry all the time. I bet I can even make
eggs that aren’t in a cupcake or cookie you’ll like.”
It was a good thing I didn’t take his bet, because he was right. His batch of fluffy scrambled eggs with freshly chopped vegetables, herbs, and shredded cheese were delicious. Over the next two days, we spent all of our time in either the kitchen or bedroom with Braden making mouth-watering meals between bouts of lovemaking and whispered conversations. It was heaven—right up until Friday morning.
Chapter 9
Braden
The last couple days with Tahlia were better than I’d imagined when I’d forced her to agree to this time together. With the amount of sass she’d shown from the start, I never expected her to give into what was building between us. Instead of fighting the attraction, she’d been with me every step of the way once we set foot in this cabin. Her cooperation meant we’d been able to use the time to get to know each other, both between the sheets and out. She was more than I could have ever hoped for in a mate.
If I had my way, we’d continue like this, hidden away from the rest of the world, just the two of us. Unfortunately, our last morning together here in the safe house had arrived and reality had already intruded in the form of an email from my dad. All the preparations for the Arabian Nights themed weekend had been completed—costumes ordered, dance routines choreographed, decorations hung.
The only thing missing from the preparations was Tahlia. It was a good thing people at the club were used to her disappearing from town on her days off. Nobody questioned my dad when he told them he’d make sure she was ready for tonight. Since she hadn’t been there to learn her dance, my dad sent a video for her to use to practice the steps.
His email was a stark reminder of what she was going to have to do tonight. Of the danger she might face without me, while she was practically naked and driving other men wild with her incredible sexiness—a sight that should have been reserved for my eyes only now that I’d found her. I’d managed to block the plan for tonight out of my thoughts, but I couldn’t ignore it any longer. The clock was ticking and I only had a few more hours to come to terms with what was expected of me, which was basically to sit on my ass while my woman risked hers.
Bear It All: McMahon Clan 2 (Fated Mates #5) Page 5