by Faith Gibson
Gregor’s heart was swelling with encouragement that his mate really didn’t hate him. Why else would she be using his name as her alias? Tabitha. That was better than Trixie, but it still wasn’t her. Neither was Andrea. No, she was definitely Tessa. An older woman walking a small, fuzzy dog was headed down the sidewalk toward him. She stopped and tapped on the passenger side window. He rolled it down and asked, “Can I help you?” The woman was eyeing him suspiciously.
“I was just about to ask you the same thing, young man. Are you lost?”
“No, ma’am. I was just calling to see if my cousin was home before I knocked on her door.” He held up his cell phone.
“Your cousin, huh? I need to see some identification.”
Was she serious? This woman had to be close to seventy. Yet here she was, ready to defend her neighborhood. He grinned, “Of course. I’m going to reach in my back pocket and pull out my wallet. Please don’t shoot me.”
“Don’t be a smartass. I’m not going to shoot you.” The small dog was yapping. “Hush, Toby.”
Gregor showed his warden’s identification badge to the lady, hoping to instill a little bit of trust. “See, Gregor Stone, Warden.”
“Tabitha never said she had such a handsome cousin. You just missed her. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say she walked down to McFadden’s. It’s the Irish bar on St. Charles.”
Gregor flashed his best smile at the lady. “Thank you…” He didn’t know her name.
“Gladys. I live right there.” She pointed at the large house to the left of Tessa’s.
“Thank you, Gladys. It makes me feel a lot better knowing Tabitha lives next door to someone who watches out for her.”
“She needs someone looking out for her. I hope you’re here to get rid of that bum, Dupart.”
“Yes ma’am, that’s exactly why I’m here.” Gregor hated that Gladys knew who Jacques was. That meant the man had been around. He didn’t have a plan where Tessa’s lover was concerned. Gladys gave him one last look, then she and Toby turned back the way they’d come. He searched on his phone for the address to the bar. If Tessa had walked, it shouldn’t be too far. Gregor decided to leave his car parked where it was and take a stroll himself.
McFadden’s Irish Pub was a familiar place for Tessa. She ate there every time she was in the city. It, like The Tavern in New Atlanta, was home. The owners and bartenders knew her by name, well her alias anyway. They treated her like she was part of the family, no matter how much time passed between visits. She pushed through the front door and immediately heard, “Tabby!” Fiona, one of the owners, was coming around the bar to pull her in for a hug. She hugged the woman back and grinned. “Fi, how the hell are ya?”
Fiona was a beautiful, Irish woman with an equally gorgeous husband. Wherever Fiona was, Roy wasn’t far behind. “We are very well, thank you.” Her smile was so big Tessa was nearly blinded by it. When Fiona’s hand moved to her stomach, Tessa knew there was a very good reason for her friend to be so happy. They had been trying a long time for a baby.
“This is seriously good news. I am so happy for you both.” Roy was leaning against the post that separated the bar area from the kitchen. His face was adorned with his own smile.
“Now, come on. Sit down. You have been scarce these last few months. We need to catch up.” Fiona led Tessa to a table close to the bar. This way they could have a little bit of privacy for girl talk, and Roy could keep an eye on his wife. Roy brought Tessa her usual draft beer and a cup of tea for his woman. He kissed her cheek gently then went back to the bar.
“Wow, Fi! A baby! This is so exciting.” Tessa kept the conversation away from her as long as she could. She talked about cribs and strollers and diapers, anything to keep the topic on their first child. She knew having an alias was imperative in her life, but if there was one person she hated lying to, it was Fiona. She was the one true girl friend Tessa had.
Roy interrupted long enough to bring Tessa’s sandwich and refill her pint glass. Eventually the topic of babies had run its course and Fiona asked the inevitable, “Have you seen Jacques? He has been tearing the streets apart searching for you. Tabitha, what’s going on?”
Before she could answer, she heard Roy say, “Oh, fuck.”
Speaking of the devil had brought him straight to her. Shit. Jacques walked right up to the table where she and Fiona were sitting. It was no coincidence he was there. Someone had tipped him off. “Tabitha.” The one word caused a chill to run up her spine. Why was he so reluctant to let her go?
“Jacques, what are you doing here?” Tessa picked up her glass and finished the beer, holding the glass up for Roy to see it was empty.
“I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw you sitting here. Can I not stop in to say hello? I have missed you.” He didn’t bother waiting for an invitation. He pulled a stool over from a nearby table and sat next to Tessa.
“That’s nice, but my friend and I were in the middle of a conversation.” That wiped the smile off his face. She knew he was full of shit. The table was away from any of the windows. He either followed her, or someone had seen her and called him. Tessa wasn’t scared of the man. Even though she was a woman, she was a shifter. The only male she would lose a fight to would be another shifter.
Roy placed her beer in front of her, and she gave him a small smile. “Thank you. Would you please bring me a to-go box for my sandwich? I seem to have lost my appetite.” She knew she was pushing it with Jacques, but she hated the fact that he was stalking her.
“You don’t have to be rude. I just want to talk to you.” Jacques picked up a french fry off of Tessa’s plate and bit the end of it.
“I’m not the one who sat down uninvited and started eating someone else’s food. Fiona, please forgive my friend here. He usually has more manners.” Tessa stood and retrieved the Styrofoam container from Roy. “I will let you get back to work. We will finish our discussion later.” Tessa was pointedly looking at Fiona, attempting to telepath her sincere regret at bringing potential trouble to their establishment. It must have worked because Fiona stood and walked over to her husband. Tessa pulled out a couple of twenties and laid them on the table.
Not bothering to speak to Jacques, she grabbed the to-go box and stood in front of her friends. “I apologize. It was lovely to see you both, and I am so happy for you. I will do my best to come back before I head out of town.” She kissed Fiona on the cheek and turned toward the door.
She didn’t get far when she felt a huge hand grab her upper arm. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
The pub was only a few blocks from Tessa’s house. Gregor intended to stay outside and wait for her to come out. He had no idea how he would explain his presence other than he had, in fact, followed her for no good reason. He could tell her Tamian asked him to follow her, even though her brother had specifically asked to be kept out of it. For now, he would just wait and see how she reacted.
Gregor felt Tessa’s emotions coming from inside the bar, and these were not good ones. His mate was pissed. There were tables visible through the front window of the pub, but he didn’t see her. “Get your fucking hand off me.” He might not be able to see her, but he sure as hell heard her. “I just want to talk, Tabitha. Why are you acting like such a bitch?” He could only guess who was speaking to her that way. He wasn’t going to wait and find out. He calmed himself and walked inside.
The scene before him was enough to cause him to fully phase. However, seeing Tessa putting Jacques Dupart in his place had his beast calming down. A little. “I said, take your fucking hand off me before you lose it.” Tessa’s emotions were supercharging now. It was a wonder she wasn’t phasing. Gregor needed to defuse the situation before they were both showing fangs. He stepped closer and cleared his throat.
“Hello, Sweetheart. So sorry I’m late, but I was caught in traffic.” He didn’t know who was more stunned, Tessa or Jacques. He strolled right up to her and kissed her on the cheek. “I don’t believe w
e’ve met. Gregor Stone.” He stuck his hand out to the other man who was still staring at him.
“Stone?” Dupart asked incredulously.
“Yes, Gregor Stone. And you are?”
Jacques didn’t answer his question or shake his hand. Instead, he accused Tessa, “Stone? You’re married?”
Gregor put his arm around Tessa’s shoulders and pulled her to his chest. Her face was priceless. “Yes, Tabitha. Tell the man. You’re taken.”
Tessa finally closed her mouth and leaned in, putting her arm around his waist. “That’s right. Though, we were separated for a while.”
“Un-fucking-believable. You are really something, you know that?” Jacques kicked over the nearest stool and stormed out of the bar.
Gregor’s smile turned to a deep frown. “Yes, Tabitha. You are something.”
She pulled out of his embrace. “What the fuck are you doing here?” She seethed through her teeth.
“Watching that ass. I told you to keep it safe, and it appears you were doing anything but. And you should watch your language. You curse too much.”
The couple who had been standing off to the side watching the excitement took the opportunity to approach Tessa. “Are you all right?” The pretty woman was eyeing Gregor as warily as she had been Dupart.
“Yes, I’m fine. I am so sorry that jackass caused a scene. Fiona, again, congratulations on your wonderful news. I am going to take my sandwich and my…Gregor and head home.”
Twenty-Three
Tessa grabbed Gregor’s arm and practically dragged him from the pub. Once outside, he could tell she was gearing up to light into him, but he stopped her. “Tessa, we have company.” He leaned in close so only she could hear him. “Your friend is across the street, watching. If you want to get rid of him, kiss me.” Gregor knew he was taking advantage of the situation, but he didn’t care. He would use any excuse to get close to this woman.
Tessa glanced out of the corner of her eye and noticed Dupart across the street, leaning against a light pole with his arms crossed over his chest. With her free hand, she slid her fingers into Gregor’s short hair, pulling him down, closer to her face. She didn’t hesitate to open her mouth for him, seeking his tongue. He fisted her hair in one hand and pulled her to him with the other. Her body was coming alive, the arousal scent floating up to invade his nostrils. His cock was hardening, wedged between their bodies. “Get a room,” was yelled by a kid in a car going down St. Charles Street. “I think that’s a very good idea,” Gregor breathed into her mouth.
“Yes, let’s take this somewhere a little more private.” Tessa grabbed his hand and threaded their fingers together. He walked with her back to her house, enjoying the quiet before the storm. He knew she wasn’t going to just let this go. Her emotions were a mixture of lust and anger. He was going to get an earful for following her out of town.
When they arrived at her house, Tessa still didn’t say anything. As soon as the door was closed, instead of yelling at him, she dropped the food container to the floor then pushed him against the wall, hard. If Gregor hadn’t been there to witness what happened next, he never would have believed it. His mate dropped to her knees and blew him. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body like white water rapids. She practically ripped his pants open to get to his hard cock. Tessa didn’t take care with his erection; she grabbed hold as soon as it was free of his jeans and slammed it home to the back of her throat. “Oh fuck,” he moaned.
The sight of his dick sliding in and out of her wet, warm mouth, her red hair bobbing up and down, and the sound of her moans had him close to shooting his wad down her throat. “Oh gods. That’s it. Suck it hard.” Gregor had a feeling this was a once in a lifetime occurrence for him, so he slowed his breathing and calmed his body. He wanted this to last as long as possible. Tessa pulled his jeans down farther on his legs, never losing the pace. He imagined her lying on her back, head hanging off the side of the bed with the outline of his dick in her throat as he slid in and out. If he ever got another chance to do this… That thought fled his brain when he felt her mouth leave his cock.
Gregor immediately missed the warmth. Tessa was looking up at him. Surely she wasn’t such a sadist that she was going to stop. When she grabbed him with her hand, he realized she was giving her mouth a break. One hand stroked his cock, twisting the engorged head. Her free hand wiped the saliva off her chin then grabbed his balls. Fuck! That felt so good. She tugged on his swollen sac with just enough pressure to be painful yet still enjoyable. Her mouth once again replaced her hand, and she set the rhythm to match the movement of his hips. “Gods, Baby, seeing your pretty, wet mouth wrapped around my dick is so fucking hot. Oh, fuck yeah.” As much as he was enjoying this, she was probably getting tired so he allowed his body to ramp back up.
When Gregor fisted Tessa’s hair, a low groan escaped from her throat. He pulled hard enough to be painful, and she moaned even louder. His girl liked it rough, too. He took over the pace, thrusting in and out, fucking her mouth. “You suck so fucking good, Baby. Swallow my cock. Take it all the way down.” Tessa grabbed hold of his thighs, encouraging him on. When he couldn’t hold off any longer, Gregor gripped her hair tighter, holding her face to his crotch as his come coated the back of her throat. Once she had sucked him dry, she rose from her knees to stand in front of him. Instead of wiping her chin, she crashed her mouth to his. The taste of his spunk on her tongue had his dick filling out for round two. In all his years, he had never tasted himself on a woman’s lips.
The ringing of Tessa’s phone had her pulling away. “That changes nothing. You need to go. Now.” Leaving him standing with his semi-hard cock and his jeans around his thighs, Tessa picked up her to-go box and walked away.
Tessa knew she had just screwed up. Big time. Kissing the man was one thing, but having his cock in her mouth was going to be the death of her. There was no way she could deny him anything, but she had to. Fuck! Why did he have to be so enticing? Oh, right, the mate bond. Even if that weren’t the case, Gregor Stone was irresistible. The man was built like a heavyweight boxer. And his eyes. Those godsdamn eyes. She made the mistake of looking at them when she was giving her mouth a break from sucking his glorious dick.
Tessa liked sex. She had been with several men over the years, but not enough to be considered a slut, yet enough that she knew when a man was going to be good in bed. Her mate was going to ruin her for all other men. When she finally gave in, and she was certain she would if they had sex, it would all be over. Gregor was muttering under his breath by the front door. She tried not to laugh. It was rude to leave him in such a state, but she needed him out of the house so she could take care of her own aching need. She had no intention of letting him get her naked.
“Tessa.” Gregor growled her name. Growled.
“Gregor.” She didn’t growl back. No, he would probably like that. He was more than likely still turned on by the blowjob.
“You can’t just suck my dick then walk away.” His jeans were back in place with his button up shirt untucked. This was a look she was getting used to. The night at The Tavern when he rocked her world, he had been dressed less casually, really put together. She preferred this just fucked look on him.
“I can, and I did. I won’t apologize for the blowjob. I blame that on the fucking fates. The mate bond and the adrenaline rush of you going all cave man at the pub… that got my juices flowing.”
“I like when your juices are flowing. You’re still turned on. I can smell your arousal from here. Let me take care of that for you.” Gregor’s nostrils were flaring. His Gargoyle senses had kicked in.
“I can take care of that myself. I don’t need you or any other man. What I do need is for you to tell me what the fuck you’re doing here. How did you even know where to find me?” Tessa opened the fridge and pulled out two beers. She could really be a dick and not offer him one, but she just didn’t have it in her.
Gregor took the offered bottle and downed half of it. “
That’s not important.”
“It’s very important. If you’re spying on me, that’s one thing. If someone is offering up information freely, that’s another.”
“Maybe I just want to keep my mate safe.” Gregor drank the rest then tossed the empty bottle in the recycle bin.
“I’m not your mate. Not until the fangs break the skin, and that’s never going to happen.” She had to change the subject. “How’s Tamian?”
“Other than being worried about you, he’s fine. He has made really good progress with his undercover work. I moved him into general population before I left to come here.”
“Why would he be worried about me? Unless you told him where I was going.”
“I might have mentioned it. He wanted to be the one to come after you. Since he’s doing undercover inmate duty, he asked me to keep you safe; so here I am.”
Tessa grabbed another beer out of the refrigerator and handed it to him. If he kept up this pace, she was going to need to go to the store.
“Your brother obviously keeps tabs on you, because he knew this Dupart was trouble. He was right. You wanna tell me about him? How did you get hooked up with a smuggler?”
“Smuggler? No, Jacques owns a bar.” Tessa wasn’t about to tell her mate that he was exactly right.
“I hate to break it to you, Red, but he is indeed a criminal. Jacques Dupart has been smuggling and brokering deals for a long time. He started off small, but his empire has grown over the last few years. That must be what he wanted you for. He thought you were an archaeologist traveling the world. Did he ever ask you to pick up packages on your trips?”