by Reina Torres
She let him in immediately, her tongue mimicking his own until she became the aggressor. Then her hands lifted and settled on his back, urging him forward.
And yes, when her hips canted under him and her body welcomed him home, he let himself go.
He sank himself into her body, taking time to enjoy every inch of friction between them. Sank himself into the realization that this woman was the one for him. And drove deep as her legs wrapped around him and her heels pressed him closer.
Xavier focused entirely on her. He wanted to know what made her body hunger, what made her come.
As he felt it building up inside of her, he felt that same feeling building within his own body.
True was nearly incandescent beneath him, her skin flushed with healthy color, her eyes sparkling with need.
She was everything he’d ever wanted and the moment before her orgasm exploded inside her, she showed him that he was what she wanted to.
His True turned her head to the side and lifted a hand to brush her hair back from her neck. She didn’t voice her decision in so many words. True touched her fingers to the porcelain perfection of her unblemished skin and said a word that changed everything between them.
“Here.”
The instant he sank his fangs into her skin, her whole body shuddered from head to toe and as the sensation rolled through her, it ignited the flame inside of him as well.
He didn’t stop thrusting for several moments, even as he felt his hot release paint the walls of her sex. Just the thought that she was his made those doors he’d closed a long time ago fly open with a bang. As True wrapped herself around him, her body milking him dry with every ripple of muscle, he drew her against him and held her close. Imagining what life might be like in the next few years.
Hope had really changed him.
And that hope was because of True.
He’d do anything to protect her, anything at all.
And that meant, he’d have to be careful until they understood what Elizabeth wanted from True. He’d just have to show her how much she’d given him to look forward to.
Twelve
Xavier woke up to a half empty bed. That didn’t sit well with him.
Reaching out, he grabbed a hold of the other pillow and pulled it close. Pressing his face into the feather soft cotton, all he could smell was True.
Lifting his head from the pillow he didn’t even call out to her; he could tell by the silence in the house that she was gone.
Flopping onto his back, he reached for his panther, and the cat rolled over and glared back at him.
Where is she?
Do you think if you were asleep, that I would be awake?
The growl in his throat reverberated off the walls of his home, and the panther snarled back inside of his head.
What time is it?
The big cat shook with laughter as Xavier extended his middle finger at… well, no one in particular since he was alone.
Why didn’t that sit well with him?
Just a little while before, he would have been only too happy to hear the silence.
Reaching out an arm, he grabbed the small brass clock off of his bedside table and stared at its face.
Fuck. He was due down at the hotel to go over the plans for their discovered room.
Dropping his bare feet onto the floor, he moved further into the house and took a quick shower before pulling on his clothes. As much as he wanted to get in and get to work, he knew he’d see True later. Tucking himself into his jeans, he buttoned up his pants and shirt, dashing down the path knowing that he had an extra pair of boots in the back of his truck.
He didn’t want to waste any more time.
He needed to see True and make sure that everything was still good between them.
Jumping up into the cab of his truck he caught her scent once again, and as he put the key into the ignition his vision shifted.
It wasn’t something he was unfamiliar with. Every time he shifted, exchanging his form for his panther, his own vision was also exchanged along with his body. The eye line of sight was lower, brighter, and sharper than his own.
This change wasn’t his panther though. The height was higher, more like his own, but the colors and quality of light were warmer, softer.
The image in his head turned, and he saw the backbar at the Majestic. It blinked out and in and went dark again. And then he was back, in his truck, staring out through the windshield, his chest rising and falling with big bellow-like breaths.
Revving the engine, he pulled out of the garage and made his way to the resort.
True wasn’t sure what to expect when Xavier arrived, but she had work to do. Until he got up and managed to drag his fantastic ass into the bar, she was just going to focus on what they were doing.
She had to keep her gaze away from Locke. Ever since she’d walked in that morning, he had been circling around her, trying to sneak looks, as if the answer he was seeking was on her face. Aaron settled onto one of the bar stools and gave her a curious look. “Have you given any thought to what we should do with the extra space?”
Lifting her chin, she smiled at him, glad to have something to talk about that was safe. Still, before she spoke, she pinched at the fabric of her shirt and made sure to settle it high against her neck. The mark that Xavier had left on her was completely healed. It was amazing, really, but still, she didn’t think Xavier wanted everyone to know.
She didn’t even know if he wanted anyone else to find out.
There wasn’t time to ask any of those questions the night before. By the time they settled down enough to talk, they fell asleep, exhausted.
“I have thought a lot about it.” She offered Aaron a secretive smile. “I think I like the idea of keeping its elicit history front and center as a purpose for the space. The space was a hidden speakeasy back in its day, but other bars across the world are bringing back the mysterious as well. Some have secret passwords, and some have to enter by solving an escape room-like puzzle.”
Locke caught on quickly. “Maybe just have them show their animal in their eyes. Couples could come in, but one would have to show their eyes as like an identification.”
True shrugged and sighed. “I guess that would leave me out.”
The tawny lion shifter laughed out loud, tossing his head back. When he looked her in the eyes a moment later, his smile would have earned him a second look from her if she wasn’t already wrapped up in Xavier. His animal magnetism was off the charts, but he held no interest for her. Oh, she had a feeling her friend Katherine could lead the alpha on a pretty chase, but True’s attention was entirely elsewhere.
“I could get you in anytime, baby,” his eyes were nearly golden with his animal, and he reached across the bar toward her hand, “I know people.”
“Touch her and you’ll pull back a stump.”
Her whole body was suddenly on edge as she heard Xavier’s voice. Seeing him round the corner of the bar made her heartbeat catch in her chest.
He shoved his friend out of the way and cleared the bar in a fluid jump that left her gasping in shock.
Aaron’s laughter filled the room with warmth as Xavier stepped behind her. She wasn’t sure what he meant to do until he grasped her arms and held her still as he pressed himself against her back. “Don’t worry, baby, I won’t make you watch.”
The smile that touched her lips was immediate, but she fought it as much as she could.
He leaned down and nuzzled her cheek, whispering into her ear. “I woke up to an empty bed, True. I really didn’t like it.”
Her shoulders quaked with laughter, and she turned just enough that his lips brushed against her ear. “Then maybe you shouldn’t sleep so late.”
His fingers curled into her arms and her whole body froze, remembering when he’d held her arms like that in the wee hours of the morning, bent her over the table, and buried himself inside of her. “Maybe you shouldn’t tease, True. I don’t think I’ve-”
&nbs
p; “Xavier? Is there something you want to tell us?”
Releasing one of her arms, he trailed his fingers across the back of her neck and nudged the neckline of her blouse toward her shoulder. She felt his fingertip travel over the scar.
“No shit!” Locke slammed his fist on the countertop. “Good for you, Zay.” Leaning back against the counter, he held out a hand toward her. “Welcome to the family, True.”
She started to reach for his hand, but Xavier didn’t release her arm. Rolling her eyes, she used her left hand to grab onto Locke’s. “Thanks. I guess we’re still working through the boundaries issue?”
Locke laughed at his friend. “I told you when love hits, it was going to hit like a damn freight train and knock you on your ass. Good to know I was right.”
True tensed a little.
Locke had suggested that Xavier loved her, but she wasn’t quite sure that was exactly how he felt. Believing she was his mate? Absolutely. He wouldn’t have marked her otherwise. Once that was done, there was no going back.
Love? That was something entirely different.
She wasn’t even sure how she felt.
Drawn to him?
Needing him?
Craving him with each breath?
Absolutely. All of that.
She’d never felt the pull she felt for him for anyone else.
But there was still the worry she had over Elizabeth.
What hand she had in bringing True to Mystic was still a big, fat question mark in her head.
Aaron cleared his throat and she managed to meet his concerned gaze with a wobbly smile.
“You okay?”
Xavier’s warning growl felt like fire against her skin. “Of course, she is.”
“I’ll have the answer from True.” His eyes and his tone brooked no argument. “Let her arm go so I can get the answer from her.”
Before his fingers had completely pulled away from her arm, True was up on the balls of her feet and leaning across the counter, both hands reaching for Aaron. She felt the tremor of Xavier’s barely controlled frustration rolling over her back, but she knew it wasn’t anger toward her. She wasn’t sure about their relationship either, and she understood that Xavier wanted to touch her for reassurance. He was the one who’d revealed his mark on her shoulder, so he was going to have to deal with it.
She met Aaron’s eyes with her own and hooked her fingertips over his. How he managed to make his ice-blue eyes warm, she’d never know, but it gave her comfort.
“I’m fine, Aaron. I promise.” Reaching back, she felt Xavier’s hand close around hers as she brought him closer. “I feel like life is in fast forward here.” She shook her head in wonder. “One minute he wants to get away from me, and the next he never wants to let me go. While normally it would make me run as far and as fast as I could from a guy that quixotic, with Xavier, it’s just life.”
True turned and brought Xavier’s hand closer and adjusted the hold she had on him, interlocking their fingers together. She leaned in and brushed a kiss against the back of his hand. She saw the way his eyes darkened with desire and realized she might have gone too far.
But it was so hard not to touch him. So hard not to pull him tight against her. If she did, she might not be able to stop there.
Locke coughed loudly, “Get a room.”
True blew out a breath and let go of Xavier’s hand. “Back to business.”
The polar bear shifter looked over her shoulder, and she had no doubt that his cold gaze was a warning to Xavier. “Absolutely. Just know that Celeste and I are here for you if he does or says something stupid.”
Locke roared with laughter. “This is so perfect, man. You’re going to be in such shit trouble if you make her upset. You’ll have Aaron and Celeste on your tail.”
True gave the lion a glare that only had him laughing harder. She turned to look at Xavier and gestured back to the plans that Aaron had laid out on the hard surface. “We were talking about the other room. I think we could call it ‘The Mystique,’ and craft a whole new cocktail menu in there. Use spirits with a higher alcohol content than even in here. Have live music on special nights. We’d just need to decide if we want it protected by a password for entry, or something else that’s a physical switch of some sort.”
“Why not both?”
She heard Xavier’s suggestion and turned to look at him with a big grin. “That would be great! I’ve never heard of a speakeasy with two ways to enter.”
Xavier shrugged off the comment like it didn’t matter to him, but the ennui was only in the expression on his face. True felt his heat rolling over her in waves. He seemed to bask in her approval.
Well, if that was the case, he was about to spontaneously combust.
“So, does that mean that you have to do more work?” His hand settled on her shoulder. “Coming up with more drinks?”
“Oh, I have it all set in my head,” she gave him a sly look, “using your distillery.”
Locke scooted closer and grinned at her. “I knew I liked you from the start.”
True didn’t take her focus from Xavier. “With your skills and my ideas, we could produce gin and whiskey and use some of the botanicals from the Mystic area to give subtle differences to the alcohol. Add in a little flair in how we craft the cocktails and we’d be a guaranteed hit for years and years.”
She felt him crowd closer, his eyes darkening as he moved, but she didn’t back away. She didn’t feel the least bit worried.
No, she saw desire in his eyes, but she saw pride too.
And when she reached out a hand and set it on his arm, Xavier was the one to flinch from the sensation.
He took her hand gently in his and pressed his cheek against her palm, and then the back of her hand.
As she stood there, watching the tender way he touched her, she felt herself falling.
Falling in love with this man who was in turns gruff and gentle… with her.
“True, baby?” She heard the concern in his voice. “Are you feeling okay?”
She wanted to answer, but all she could do was watch him and blink in response.
Pressing her hand to his chest, Xavier leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “I didn’t hurt you last night, did I? If you need to lie down… if you’re sore-”
“Come on, Zay? Really? I did NOT need to hear that.”
Aaron grabbed Locke’s arm and shoved him toward the door. “Go outside and get some fresh air before I knock your breath right out of you.”
Locke half walked, half jogged out of the room, but Xavier was still leaning close, holding her gaze with his own.
Xavier lifted a hand and brushed her hair back from her face. “You’re running hot, sweetheart. Like a fever.”
She shrugged at the idea. “I feel fine. I mean, I slept beside you last night and you’re so hot to the touch I’ll never need an electric blanket in winter or a heating pad… ever.”
Xavier lifted his gaze toward Aaron. “Did this happen to Celeste after you marked her?”
Even though Aaron already knew that she’d been marked, she blushed right up to her ears at the casual mention.
Aaron’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully before he shook his head. “Not that I could recall, but I think I run cooler than most.”
Xavier gathered True closer to his side. “Maybe we should get you back to my house, and let you rest.”
“And maybe,” she gave him a pointed look, “I could go back to my cottage because I feel fine. And I have to get all of the drink recipes together and typed up for Aaron.”
“Maybe,” Xavier shot right back, “I want to take care of you. Make sure you take a nice long bath. I’ve got a big soaking tub at my place.”
“And I,” she let out a long exhale, “don’t have any clothes at your home for ‘after’ the bath.”
He pulled her in close and caught the sensitive lobe of her ear between his teeth for a moment before whispering. “That’s just fine. I’d rather you didn’t wear any
.”
Aaron took a step back from the bar. “I’ll let the two of you settle this.” He gave True a pointed look. “In a few days, we’re going to open up this bar. And it’s because of you that we’re already getting press in Sylvan City and other shifter communities around the country. We’re almost booked full too. You don’t know how much this means to us, True.”
She didn’t know what to say to such a warm, heartfelt compliment.
His smile made his handsome face almost heartbreakingly gorgeous. Celeste certainly was a lucky woman.
“You know, even before he marked you… you were already family.”
When he left the room, True felt weak in her knees.
Xavier wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head against his shoulder. “Hey, hey…”
It was only when he lifted her face to look at him, his finger crooked under her chin, that she realized that tears were gathering on her lashes. She had to blink to clear her vision.
“Are you sad?”
She worried her lower lip between her teeth and then let it go when she was ready to speak. “I’m grateful.”
A tear slipped down her cheekbone, and before she could lift her hand to wipe it away, Xavier did it for her.
“All my life, I’ve felt like I didn’t fit in with my family. My uncle could barely stand the sight of me, and because of that everyone treated me like I was contagious. When I met my friend Katherine, I finally had someone in my corner. Someone who wanted to be with me. If it hadn’t been for her, I think I would have gone insane by now. I was so lonely before.”
He pulled her close and pressed a long, searching kiss on her lips. When he was done and leaned back to look in her eyes, she saw the warmth in his. “Then I owe her for that. For you.”
She pressed a kiss to his lips and then stepped back from him. “Let’s go back to my cottage.” True saw the glint of desire in his gaze and shook her head. “I do have some work to do with the opening coming up. But…”
He wasn’t all that patient enough to wait. “But, what?”
“But if you help me get my work done-”