Prideless

by Kasey Belle

  “Go, before he pulls a Kell and kicks the thing in.”

  He waited, still nothing. This was getting ri-goddamn-diculous. If one of them didn’t answer the door in the next two seconds, he was going to kick it in. He pounded his fist on the door one more time.

  “Jesus fucking Christ, answer the door already. If he breaks my door I’m telling him, you took an extra hour getting ready, because he has a hot voice.”

  His lion shook his thick mane and preened under the knowledge. “She thinks I sound hot. I add the extra growl to your voice, so you’re welcome.”

  If he could strangle the arrogant, furry bastard, he would. “Are you fucking kidding me with that shit right now? It’s we sound hot, not just you.”

  He heard someone laugh, Fiona maybe, and then pounding footsteps as if someone was running. He hoped it was his mate.

  “She’s coming.”

  “No shit.”

  The door opened, and he caught her full scent. Max froze. Mate! He couldn’t move, speak, hell, he was having a hard time pulling enough air into his lungs to stay upright. She stood in front of him, her eyes wide with shock and her mouth open. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Why wasn’t she saying anything? He had his answer before his mind finished the question. She only appeared frozen; her eyes were moving and her gaze was roaming all over body. She was checking him out. His lion preened once again. He would have rolled his eyes, had been able to pull them from his mate. He took the opportunity, while she was giving him a good go over, to do a little recon of his own.

  Her thick, long, straight blonde hair fell past her shoulders almost to the middle of her back. He was sure to the human eye it appeared to be nothing more spectacular than golden blonde hair, but to his enhanced shifter vision; it was nothing short of magnificent. He could see the different colors that made up what some women tried to recreate in a salon, but never quite achieved. Strands of platinum intermingled with gold, honey, and ash. When she moved her, head just right, the sunlight caught the different colors making it gleam like spun gold. It made her look ethereal, like an angel or better yet, a goddess.

  She had the most expressive eyes. She hid nothing. He could read every emotion and thought in them. They were not only expressive but the most beautiful shade of green. They shone like emeralds surrounded by thick dark lashes. She had high cheekbones, a small straight nose that turned up slightly at the tip, and a delicate chin.

  Her mouth, oh man, her mouth was fucking perfect. He couldn’t wait to taste those luscious, pouty, bee-sting lips. Hollywood starlets known for their lips had nothing on his mate. She had on some type of lipstick or gloss, he wasn’t sure, but imagined their natural color was close to the light shimmery pink she had on them. He wanted to kiss her until it was gone and only their natural beauty remained. Not that they were caked with the stuff; she just didn’t need it. Then, once cosmetics no longer enhanced her lips, he would kiss her some more to prove his point. He would kiss her until they had no choice but to stop or pass out from lack of air. He couldn’t wait to see them wrapped around his cock as he slowly and deeply fucked her mouth. Damn! He was so fucking hard the pain in his groin was almost unbearable, but he didn’t dare shift to relieve it. He knew if he moved even the slightest it would bring her out of her spell and his chance to look his fill would be gone.

  He made his way to her slim shoulders, across her delicate collarbones, and down to her breasts. They were more than a handful, and he had big hands. He could see her diamond hard nipples poking through her t-shirt. Were they pink like her lips or dark like the sweetest berries? He groaned internally as he imagined what her nipples would feel like against his tongue.

  She had a slim waist and the jeans she wore fit her like a second skin as they rode low on her round hips. She was skinny but curvy in all the right places. Her legs, though he knew they weren’t, looked impossibly long. He grinned when he got to her feet. He would have thought since she ‘took an extra hour’ to get ready, she would have put on a pair of man killer, fuck me pumps, but she hadn’t. She was barefoot. That little tell told him more about who she was than anything else she could say or do. Cute little toes peaked out from under the hem of her boot cut jeans. Plain, bright, sunny yellow paint adorned most of her toenails, except her two big toes. They too were painted yellow, but on top of the yellow was a red and black ladybug. He didn’t think most women would have thought a ladybug on top of bright yellow polish was a good idea but not his mate. Most women couldn’t have pulled it off, but she made it work. He didn’t know her yet, but he instinctively knew that the artistic display fit her personality. He mentally shook his head. The fates had given him a beautiful mate, with a sweet, sunny, and obviously quirky disposition. What were they thinking? Gods help her.

  Max’s eyes shot up to her face when he heard her gasp. She was looking at his not so hidden, extremely hard cock. Was she trying to kill him? Did she want him to strip her bare in the doorway and claim her here and now? As much as he hated to, if he didn’t stop her from looking at him like that, that’s exactly what was going to happen.

  He cleared his throat and felt like total shit, when her gaze to turned from lustful to mortified embarrassment, in the blink of an eye.

  When her lower lip began to quiver and a light sheen of tears formed, his heart stopped. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. A strong feeling of protectiveness washed over him. Shit, when did he go from let’s wait and see to, she’s mine protect her at all costs? He rushed to her and gathered her stiff, stunned body into his arms. He didn’t bother to think of the possible consequences of his actions. He couldn’t. Not when his mate was so obviously upset. She thought what she had done was wrong, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

  He held her close. Gods, she smelled good. She smelled like sunshine and brown sugar, all clean and sweet. He whispered in her ear. “Please don’t cry. It’s okay.”

  She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. That was so rude. I…I never…”

  She choked out a sob, and he wanted to cry too. She was breaking his fucking heart. He pushed her back a little so she could see his face. When she attempted to look away, he gently held her face in his hands. “Do I look upset to you?”

  She looked into his eyes and then shook her head as best she could.

  “No, I’m not upset. That was the single hottest fucking thing that has ever happened to me. I’m flattered, but maybe next time buy me dinner first.” He smiled when she sobbed a watery laugh. Making her laughing had been his intent. It wasn’t as if he could tell her that she was his mate, and it was only natural that she felt drawn to him. That would have sent her running, and he didn’t want that. He leaned in and kissed her forehead then leaned in a whispered in her ear.

  “No more tears sweet Shelly and to tell a secret, I kinda looked too.”

  She jerked back and stared at him in shock as if she couldn’t believe he would want to look at her. “You did?”

  He gave her what many women had called his bad boy smile. The one that said I can see through your clothes and I like it.

  She blinked up at him with her big emerald eyes, “Oh.”

  A throat cleared, and they jerked apart. They both had forgotten they weren’t alone. He looked at the tiny woman holding an even tinier baby, sitting on the couch. She sent them both a little wave. “Yeah, I’m still here.”

  Just when he didn’t think he could feel more like shit, he did. He had practically mauled the grieving widow’s best friend in her doorway. Fuck him and his shitty manners. He started to apologize for his carelessness when Fiona bit her lips together. He stopped himself when realized she wasn’t trying to stop tears, but laughter. She was laughing at them.

  “Fee!”

  He looked down to see Shelly frowning and rolling her eyes.

  “It’s not funny.”

  Though Shelly tried to make her voice firm, he could still tell she was on the verge of tears again.

  “Of course it isn’t.�
� The smile on Fiona’s face ruined the sentiment.

  Shelly growled, and he thought it was the cutest thing he ever heard. She sounded like a little spitting kitten, not at all scary and completely adorable. His hands itched to haul her back into his arms.

  Fiona held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Fiona. You must be Kell’s friend, Max.”

  He walked over to her and took her small hand gently in his hand, afraid if he squeezed too hard he would break her tiny bones. “I am. It’s good to meet you Fiona. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances though. I knew David. He was a good man. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  She mumbled a thank you, cleared her throat, and blinked rapidly. Fuck him sideways, for the second time today, he made a woman cry. He looked around trying to think of something to say, anything that would stop the impending tears. His gaze landed on the tiny dark-haired beauty wrapped in a soft purple blanket.

  “That must be Emma Grace.”

  Fiona’s face lit up with a bright smile that completely contradicted the tears in her eyes. “It is.” She ran a hand of the soft downy hair on the baby’s head. “She just ate so she’s conked out. I would like to say she would have done something cool if she wasn’t asleep, but at six weeks, that’s pretty much all baby’s do besides eat and poop.”

  He couldn’t stop the full body shudder at the image she invoked. He’d take blood and death over changing a dirty diaper any day. The mere thought made his skin crawl. Yeah, he was a big bad Marine, but last he checked, changing a dirty diaper wasn’t part of their training.

  Fiona snorted a laugh. “What is it with you bad asses and dirty diapers?”

  The sweet melodic giggle next to him sent a shiver down his spine and a warmth through his chest. He looked down at his sweet mate and at the happiness on her face. It was like looking into the sun, she was so beautiful it made his eyes hurt. She met his eyes for only a moment then blushed and looked away.

  Shelly cleared her throat. “I think I’ll get some water or something.” She turned to leave, stopped, and looked at him over her shoulder. “Can I bring you something? We have bottled water, Cokes, and juice. I think we may have a couple of bottles of beer in there, too.”

  “What are you having?”

  “A Coke.”

  “That’s sounds good to me, too. Thank you, Shelly.”

  She sent him the sweetest smile. He’d drink a thousand Cokes if she kept smiling at him like that.

  “Fee? You want something?”

  Fiona was looking between him and Shelly with a strange look on her face. Did she know? No, she couldn’t. Kell had made a point to tell him she didn’t know about shifters so he would know not to bring it up.

  “Juice please, Shell.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  “Do you need help ma…um, Shelly?”

  She blushed and shook her head as she left the room.

  Chapter 4

  “Like what you see?”

  He winced. Busted! Damn, he hadn’t meant to stare at Shelly’s ass, but it was the first glimpse he had and he couldn’t help it. It was a perfect peach of an ass, round and squeezable. He didn’t have to look at Fiona to know she was glaring at him. Her growled question confirmed that. Sweet Fiona was gone and in her place was a very protective mama bear. Kell had filled him in on some of Fiona’s history. She had a hard life. She knew what evils the real world held. Her innocence and naiveté long since crushed by the realities of what life had to offer. It didn’t surprise him that she would feel protective of her far more innocent best friend. She raised her eyebrow telling him her patience was running thin waiting for his answer.

  He looked into her eyes and knew she could spot a lie and would kick his ass out if his answer were anything less than honest. He nodded. “Yes, I do.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “If you came here looking for an easy lay, then you best carry your ass out of my house, hop on your Harley, and head back to whence you came. I won’t let you fuck with her. I don’t know what that very uncharacteristic display was earlier, but she isn’t like that, ever.”

  He forced himself to relax. Max, nor his lion, liked having their intentions questioned where their mate was concerned, but he knew Fiona did it because she loved Shelly. Though she tried to hide it, Max could tell Fiona was uncomfortable with him standing over her. However, she hadn’t invited him to sit, so he assumed parade rest and tried to look as non-threatening as possible.

  “I’m not looking for an easy lay, I swear.”

  She leaned her head over the back of the couch and looked towards the kitchen to make sure Shelly was still occupied with their drinks. He could hear her, so he knew she was just now pouring the sodas in to ice-filled glasses.

  “And?”

  “I would like to get to know her. She’s beautiful and sweet.”

  “And innocent.” The threat and message in her icy voice was unmistakable.

  “Yes, I got that.”

  She sighed. “Kell said you were a good man. I can count on one hand the number of people I trust, have trusted, in the world. Three are dead, two still living. Kell is one of them. If he said you are trustworthy and honorable, I am going to believe him, for now. If you even hint that you are anything but, and you take advantage of her or hurt her in any way…I swear on my daughter, they will never find your body.”

  His estimation of the tiny widow went up tenfold. Here she was grieving the loss of her husband, left alone to raise a daughter alone, and she was thinking of nothing but the welfare of her friend. Her loyalty and strength were traits he admired most in his former teammates, men like Kell, and her husband David. She wasn’t a Marine, but she had the characteristics of one. No matter what the world threw at you, you overcame, you adapted.

  “I would never hurt her, I swear. I would like to take her out though when she’s ready for that and you are comfortable with it.”

  His lion roared. “It’s not up to her.”

  “Shut the fuck up. It is up to her. If she doesn’t like us or trust us, there is no way she won’t warn Shelly off us. You heard what Kell said. Those two have been friends since they were kids. Fiona’s loyalty is to Shelly and if she decides that our intentions are anything less than honorable, she will close ranks and we won’t be able to get within ten feet of our mate without kidnapping her. Shelly is an innocent, mate or not, she will look to Fiona for guidance.”

  “I want her.”

  “Me too, so let me fucking handle this. You just keep your shit under control. If you lose it, we are fucked.”

  His lion relented, but Max knew it wouldn’t last. Now that they had met and held their mate, his lion wanted to claim her. His patience was on a very thin thread.

  “If she says yes I won’t discourage her.” She held up her hand to stop him when he would have spoken. “Don’t give me a reason to.”

  Shelly chose that moment to walk in the room carrying a tray laden with their drinks and a plate of cookies and brownies. He could smell the chocolatey goodness. He rushed to take the tray from her.

  “Here let me have that.”

  Shelly shook her head. “I’ve got it.”

  “I’m sure you do, but what kind of man would I be if I stood here and didn’t help you?” He grabbed the tray from her before she could protest further.

  Max sat in the overstuffed chair next to the couch and Shelly sat next to Fiona. His hands itched to drag her into his lap, but he fought off the urge, barely. He didn’t like her so far away. He had only laid eyes on the woman fifteen minutes ago. He needed to get a grip. Grip. Great, now all he could think about was her tight wet pussy gripping his cock. Down boy!

  He stared at the glass of Coke in his hand, took a cleansing breath, and looked up only to collide with Fiona’s narrow eyed glare as if she knew what he was thinking. Hell she probably did.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shelly pop Fiona on the thigh. She leaned forward he knew it was more to block Fiona’s view than to look at him. “Would you
like a brownie or cookie Max? They’re homemade.”

  She picked up a small plate and added a couple of each before handing it to Fiona.

  One thing he learned in the service was to never turn down anything homemade, not that he ever got anything like that, but his teammates did. They were always willing to share with those that didn’t. “I would love some of each, but you don’t have to serve me I can get it.”

  She smiled slyly and gave his words back to him. “What kind of host would I be if I didn’t offer to serve you and made you get it yourself?”

  Oh, she was going to be trouble and he couldn’t wait. How did that saying go? The shy, quiet, innocent ones were the most trouble and the kinkiest. She was going to be the sweetest kind of trouble when he finally got her under him. He mentally rolled his eyes. He had to stop thinking about fucking her. Sitting here with his dick pressed to his zipper was becoming extremely uncomfortable and he couldn’t shift to relieve it without drawing attention to the bat in his pants.

  He cleared his throat. “When I talked to Kell, he asked me to come out here to-”

  “Keep an eye on me?” Fiona asked. “Gather intel to send back to the mother ship?”

  His lion didn’t appreciate Fiona’s sarcasm, but he did. He understood why David had been so head over ass for his wife and why Kell liked her so much. Under all that sorrow and sadness was an irreverent, sarcastic, and sassy woman of strength. He sincerely hoped she didn’t lose herself to grief as Kell seemed to think was happening.

  “No, well yeah, he asked me to keep an eye out, but there was no mention of a mother ship.” He smirked when she rolled her eyes. “He said there might be some things you needed help with around here.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  Fiona and Shelly spoke at the same time, the former in the negative and the latter in the affirmative.

  When Fiona growled at Shelly. Shelly scolded Fiona and told her to hush. Max held in his laughter, Shelly didn’t sound the least bit threatening.