Back at the Ranch

by Em Ashcroft

  Her brow furrowed. “I thought we had concluded our discussions.”

  “Not quite.” Although if she pushed him, he could well shout it out loud. “If you could spare me a moment. We’ll have coffee in my office.”

  “Okay.” He didn’t like the anxious expression in her eyes or the tension that exuded from every pore. Get her in his office, let her relax, and she might calm down. If she’d had to cope with this level of stress since she’d begun planning her sister’s wedding, she must be at the end of her last nerve. Tentatively, she moved forward, the skirts swishing around her. With a tut of annoyance, she gathered a handful of the fabric and lifted it clear of the spiked shoes she wore underneath. As he watched, she wobbled and then regained her balance. Any minute she’d trip over all that material and fall flat on her face.

  Rather than that, he grabbed her bare elbow and steered her toward the door. Or at least he meant to.

  A shock zapped up his arm, right to his spine, electrifying him with awareness. The soft skin, the scent of the woman brought his libido to full attention. Fuck, he wanted her.

  Used to easy affairs with women who knew the score, Blade groaned inwardly. This one didn’t have that attitude. From her slight hesitations to her acceptance of the shelter of his body against the video guy, she gave off signs of inexperience. Would she cling? Blade had no patience with clingers.

  Hey, he was getting way, way ahead of himself here. Business first, always, and he really did have to discuss some serious matters with her. Since it involved her business, he should probably include her partners, her sister, and the fiancé, but he had no mind for that. They’d give him the old runaround, and he didn’t have the patience to go through all those games.

  This woman had negotiated firmly but fairly. She’d been honest with him––at least, he thought she had, and that was one of the things he wanted to find out.

  When he waited for her to regain her footing, she gave him a grateful smile. Her skin was flushed, and her breasts rose and fell alarmingly, threatening to break free any minute.

  As he left the boutique, a sense of relief went through him. Outside, in the large, cool reception area, he took a moment to suck in a deep breath.

  She raised a dark, winged brow. “I have to handle that every day. Recently, anyway.”

  Putting her hand to her bosom, she breathed in and out, and in––and, yes, out popped that nipple. The color of pale milk chocolate with a touch of raspberry to it, not entirely smooth but with a peak he wanted to fasten his teeth around and tease until he’d made the whole peak taut and hard. As hard as his cock.

  “Oh no!” Slapping her hand over her breast, she flushed bright pink––much prettier than the color of her gown. She’d look gorgeous wearing that blush and nothing else. Except, maybe a tiny pair of silk panties.

  His imagination was running riot without his permission. Her unintentional reveal was drawing the attention of everyone in the lobby. A few people were sitting in the conversation area, but they weren’t talking now. She must be mortified. He needed to get her somewhere safe, where she could put herself to rights. Her room, maybe.

  As he stepped into her, with the intention of lending her his jacket, she wavered and made a tiny sound deep in her throat. Then, with a sigh, she fainted. Her head went back, and she dropped.

  If he hadn’t been holding her arm, standing so close, she’d have hit the floor and probably struck her head on the hard marble. Blade’s quick reactions came to his aid. He caught her, scooping an arm under her knees and the other behind her back, lifting her without effort and curling her into his body.

  Where she belongs, a treacherous voice inside him said, but Blade ignored it.

  Wasting no time, he carried her up the short hallway, elbowing his way through the door and past his gaping PA, who scrambled to her feet in time to open his office door for them.

  After laying Thea on the sofa, he straightened to find something to throw over her. “She’s not breathing right,” Mavis said. “Look.”

  Thea’s breasts moved shallowly. “Oh, shit.”

  “Get her out of that corset.”

  He had to hold her again, something he wanted to avoid, but he couldn’t. When he turned her, as gently as he could, a line of ribbon met his horrified gaze. The back of that instrument of torture was laced far too tight. No wonder she’d sounded short of breath in the store. What the fuck did her sister think she was doing to her?

  “Do it, Blade.”

  Outside a phone rang and Mavis glanced at the door. “I’ll do damage control.” She scurried out.

  Left to his own devices, Blade bent to her with determination. He couldn’t get those knots undone before she fucking suffocated. With breaths as shallow as the ones she was taking, no wonder she fainted.

  Without thinking, Blade half shifted. One hand became a set of claws, razor sharp, deadly when necessary. Taking all the care he could, he sliced through the ribbons holding her too tight to breathe.

  Her gasp heralded her first intake of a lungful of air since she’d been laced into the dress. Now he’d started the job he might as well finish it. He sliced until he’d shredded the pink, boned corset. She wouldn’t be wearing that iron maiden again.

  Red lines crisscrossed her back, so deep they could leave bruises when they faded. Maybe he should get a room and pour a bath for her. But no, she wouldn’t appreciate that. They’d only met in person five minutes ago, and she wasn’t a shifter. Naked meant naked to a human. She’d probably scream rape. Shit, he’d better get Mavis back in here, or she might yell it anyway.

  Before he could take a step to the door, she moaned. Grabbing a soft throw from the other sofa, he tossed it over her just in time.

  She groaned and turned. If he didn’t catch her again, she’d fall off the sofa.

  Damn.

  Chapter Two

  Thea blinked awake, her senses swimming. Groaning, she put a hand to her forehead.

  “Does it hurt?” a solicitous male voice asked.

  Without thought, she turned in toward the warm body cradling her, burying her face against the firm, silk-covered chest. “A bit.” Her head had been pounding all day, but now she floated in a kind of blissful, vaguely pain-shot cloud.

  “Give me a minute.”

  By that time she’d recalled, if not where she was, at least who she was with. As she jerked away, fingers touched her temple, soothing and cool. Before she could stop herself, Thea sighed.

  Waves of peace worked through her head, as if someone had put her in a headache-healing machine. Closing her eyes, she let the wonderful sensation suffuse her. Then his fingers were gone and so was the headache.

  “Wow. How did you do that?”

  “Simple telepathy,” he said calmly, as if telepathy was an everyday thing for him. Of course it was. “He” was Blade Goldclaw.

  But she had to be grateful to him. “Thank you. I’ve had a headache for days. Oh, that feels so good!” Because he’d touched her temples again and, this time, was rubbing them soothingly, so softly she could hardly feel it.

  Sucking in a breath, Thea relished the freedom before she understood what had to have happened for her to get her breath back. With a jolt, she sat up. “What did you do?”

  He shut his eyes and reached for something, settling a soft wrap around her shoulders. “Don’t do that. As soon as Renata has dealt with the situation at the boutique, she’ll bring your clothes over.”

  Cautiously, she opened her eyes. He seemed remarkably contrite, a wary look in his tawny eyes. The eyes of a tiger, the striations in them only enhancing the golden glow. “You undressed me?”

  “You could call it that. You weren’t breathing properly. I had to do something. My PA’s outside. I’ll call her in.” He made to move, his powerful thighs flexing beneath her.

  “No, don’t. I trust you.” Amazingly she did. She was totally at his mercy here, wherever here was.

  She was sitting on his lap, one of his arms around her shou
lders. The other massaged her temple, at the exact spot where the pain had been at its worst. The sofa they occupied was leather, but the soft, expensive kind, the sort that didn’t creak when sat on. Tapestry pillows in shades of crimson and cream were propped and tossed carelessly into the corners.

  He urged her closer. Obeying him, she leaned against his shoulder, wonderfully safe and cared for. When was the last time she’d felt like that? Never was probably the right answer.

  The rest of the office came into view. A large desk took up the space at the end, but it was set to one side as if he wanted to enjoy the view from the window at the end. Usually bosses’ desks were set the face the door, to subject whoever entered to scrutiny and intimidation. Not this one. A couple of chairs stood on either side of the window, and opposite their sofa, set against bookshelves she longed to explore, sat another. “What a lovely room!”

  “Thank you. I like to be comfortable, wherever I am.”

  Which meant he’d had a big say in setting out his place of work. His voice was low and nonthreatening. Once she’d told him not to move, he’d relaxed, leaning back, settling her against him as if they’d done this a thousand times before.

  He’d rescued her. Fumbling under the throw, Thea discovered a few shreds and brought them out to see them. Remnants of her silk corset met her appalled gaze. “My sister will kill me. We can’t get another like this. They were designer gowns.”

  “Then yours should have fit better.”

  “Ladonna wanted me thin. She said the lacing would take care of it.” She sighed. “I tried, I really did. I went on a diet that nearly killed me. Honestly, I never knew a girl could live on a lettuce leaf and a skinny yogurt every day.”

  “That’s because she can’t.” He gazed down at her, a smile tilting his lips. “That’s decided, then. I’m taking you to dinner tonight. Not a skinny yogurt in sight, I promise you.”

  “You can’t!” With a gasp, she sat up, dragging the throw around her. “I should be looking after my sister.”

  “Watch me. You need feeding, or you won’t get through another day.” He regarded her warily. “Has your sister planned a bachelorette party?”

  She shook her head. “I persuaded her to have it before we left Queens.”

  “That’s where you live?”

  “Didn’t you look it up?”

  He gave a slight smile. He should stop that. If he did it any more, she’d be complete putty in his hands. “No. New York was all I knew.” So he didn’t care enough to look up the company. But why would he? This blowout was their first society-style wedding. He cared enough to hold her like she was precious, though. And she loved it. He touched her cheek. “Why do you let your sister push you around like this?”

  “She doesn’t––not exactly. We have our strengths. Chester has the contacts, Ladonna handles the socializing, and I do the organizing. We all have our busy times, and this is mine. But it’s her wedding, so I decided to take on more than usual.” Or had she? True, Ladonna did all the laughing and smiling on the bride’s big day, but that meant she took a lot of the credit, too. And she barely bothered to give any of it to Thea.

  “When I was a kid, I let my parents push me around,” he told her.

  Astonishment filled her. “What, you?”

  “Yeah. They arranged a marriage for me. Shape-shifters used to do that, you know. But it was voluntary. They’d find some potential breedmates and leave us together. If my breed partner Renaud hadn’t shown up and played awkward, I might have done it, too. I wanted to please them, you see. Renaud helped me understand it better. It was my life and our breedmate. Nobody had the right to push anything on us.”

  “Ladonna doesn’t push boyfriends on me.”

  “She doesn’t have to. But for me they wanted somebody upper class, rich, and influential. The whole nine yards. Renaud didn’t give a damn. They didn’t want me as his breed partner, but they had no say in that. Breed partners just––are. They tried to tame him because he was a bit wild when he came to us, but he didn’t want that, either. He’s French,” he explained. “Half Algerian. Different.”

  Renaud sounded intriguing. “But his name is Goldclaw.”

  “So it is. Now. He took our name. Breed partners do that. They choose one of the names, or an entirely new one, and adopt it. Renaud didn’t particularly care, so we went with Goldclaw.”

  “And he came all the way from France to see you?” Fascinated, she listened, learning something she’d had no idea about before.

  “Kind of. We’re drawn. It’s a weird thing, and nobody knows quite how it works, but it must be complicated body chemistry. Nothing like finding a breedmate.”

  Oh yes, a breedmate. A woman shared by two shape-shifters. Her thighs tingled, and her cunt dampened. Why, she didn’t know because the idea had never turned her on before. Must be a result of her fainting. She wasn’t back to normal yet. “So how does that work?”

  He gave her a wicked grin. “Not all women are potential breedmates. Once a shape-shifter recognizes her, he’ll want to keep her, but there’s no compulsion in it. Not like the lottery of finding a breed partner. It’s a lock, something deep inside that connects when they fuck. But they can still walk away. It might be hard for a while.”

  It took her a moment to realize he was telling her things that were hard for humans to find out. Shape-shifters kept their private lives to themselves. Oh, everybody knew they had to make babies in threes, but a lot of people assumed it was a practical arrangement. Since it took sperm from two men to make a baby, and shape-shifter sperm didn’t remain viable for long, they had to stay close. But that was all. It seemed they were wrong. “I won’t tell anybody.”

  “I know.” He moved her, so for an instant the imprint of his cock brushed her thigh. Her skirts foamed around them both, but somehow they’d rucked up enough to bare one of her legs. She froze, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “So you’re free tonight,” he said.

  Thea swallowed. Could she really do this? “Well, Ladonna will want me, I’m sure. There’s so much to be done.” After all, Ladonna was the bride, and she deserved her special day.

  “You’ve done the hard work. Can’t your sister take care of things for tonight?”

  They were so close she couldn’t hide anything from him. He probably saw her slight qualm. “Yes, but this is her wedding day, not mine, and I want it to be special. She did the dresses and the cake, so that’s a lot of the work.”

  “And the invitations, the timing, making sure everyone has a hotel room?”

  She swallowed. “They’re not all staying here. Some can’t afford your rates.”

  “That’s why there’s a motel in town.”

  “Yes, I know, it’s a great idea.” It was, and she was beginning to wish they were there, too. At least she wouldn’t have to cram in a room with three other girls. How they were going to get their bridesmaid dresses arranged, she wasn’t sure––wait, she didn’t have one. “And there’s this,” she said, plucking dejectedly at her gown.

  “I’m sure Renata can sort something out. The skirt is fine. You just need a new top––one that fits. You’ll look gorgeous then.” Lifting the throw, he tucked it more securely around her, separating their bodies. She’d imagined he’d do something because of the state of his cock.

  Well, at least he wasn’t hitting on her. She huffed. Yeah, sure, like he’d do that. “Why that sound?” he asked.

  Of course he’d heard her huff. “Well, I did look you up. You have a type. The women you date are tall and blonde and as slim as Ladonna. So don’t even begin to say I’m gorgeous.” When he opened his mouth, she went on, “It’s okay, really it is. I’m used to it. I have other charms, at least that’s what––” Too late, she remembered who’d said that.

  “Whoever told you that doesn’t have eyes to see.” He touched her cheek with the side of his forefinger, so softly she hardly felt it. “You can safely ignore them.”

  “What a nice thing to say!”
>
  “Fuck nice.”

  His arm tightened around her back, and he brought her up to meet his mouth.

  His lips crushed hers into subservience. Maybe she was still unconscious or all this was a dream. Thea wasn’t about to waste it. Eagerly, she responded, pressing against him. His taste flooded her mouth, like no other she’d ever known, but now that she’d sampled it, she’d never forget it. Spicy, with a touch of mint, and maybe coffee, she couldn’t tell. Or maybe it was all him.

  When she opened her lips on a gasp, he took it as an invitation and thrust his tongue into her. At once the kiss turned steamy hot, their tongues twining, their mouths fusing with one purpose. So good, she heard, but although the voice was his, he couldn’t have spoken. She must have imagined it. Unless––unless he’d used telepathy.

  The hairs rose on her skin, prickling her senses. The intimacy of the communication rocked her. His body pressed against hers, strong and needy. When he moved slightly, his erect cock branded her outer thigh, as if trying to work its way through to her.

  He pulled back abruptly, leaving her gasping. Confusion filled her mind. What had she done? She hadn’t mistaken that hard rod pushing urgently against her. Desire was there, all right, and her damp pussy could bear witness to that.

  A sharp tap on the door heralded the entrance of Renata, followed by Ladonna, back in her denim miniskirt and T-shirt. Thea’s sister tossed her clothes on the other sofa and glared at her.

  “Are you feeling better?” Renata said that, not Ladonna, whose eyes were flashing fire.

  Not at all disconcerted, Blade gave her an easy grin. “She fainted. Her dress was far too tight. I had to cut it off.”

  Heat bloomed over Thea’s cheeks and neck. She cleared her throat. “I c-couldn’t breathe.”

  “Which is why she fainted,” Blade said.

  When Thea tried to struggle off him, his hold tightened. Lifting her without effort, he stood and gently placed her on her feet, holding her until she had regained her footing. “Better now?”