by Vivian Arend
She dug her fingernails into his shoulders as her head fell back, a long cry of pleasure bursting free as he tore another climax from her body.
He took that as the order to move, lifting her hips up before slamming her down. With how sensitive she was, the pounding only made her orgasm continue on, aftershocks rocking her harder than the initial eruption. Again he brought her down, a low growl rising in volume as he lost his rhythm and came, seed filling her, his fingers digging into her butt.
She didn’t pass out, didn’t lose track of time. Just stayed there, tangled together with his cock deep inside her, her head resting on his chest and her hair draped over his naked body.
Her breathing was still ragged by the time she thought she could move, which was right about the time he picked her up and walked into the bathroom, warm water washing over them as he held her in his arms.
That had been pretty spectacular, and Lillie had absolutely no regrets.
“You’re staying the night,” Jim informed her.
“I had no intention of going anywhere,” she admitted. “But I should warn you, I’m a restless sleeper.”
He stroked the hair back off her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. His words were all tangled up with the low laugh that rumbled from his chest. “What makes you think I intend for us to get any sleep?”
Chapter Five
Jim woke in a cold sweat, his heart pounding and hands fisted in the bed sheets. He looked down to discover he’d shredded not only the quilt and one of the pillows, but deep gouges were visible all the way through the mattress top.
He jerked his head to the left, fearful that in his lurid state he might have hurt Lillie. Usually the presence of a warm, soft body in bed with him was enough to keep the nightmares at bay.
Nothing but a cold pillow and tousled sheets.
He swung his feet to the floor and sat for a moment, slowing his breathing. Head hanging in his hands as he fought for control.
He was glad she hadn’t witnessed his attack, but where the hell was she?
The floor underfoot was cold to his bare feet as he made his way to the living area. The curtains at the window were blowing, and he shuffled over to see if she had gone out on the balcony for some strange reason, but no one was there.
The haunting memories that had woken him were replaced by frustration and confusion, rapidly followed by disgruntlement.
She’d vanished, completely. What the fuck?
She needed to be gone by Friday, anyway, his ambition reminded him.
Shut up. It’s only Tuesday, and I was having fun.
Jim stomped to the bedroom and jerked on an outfit, ignoring everything in his rush to get down to the casino. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, and he didn’t even have his damn phone. He was tempted to ignore Damon’s ruling and get someone to drop off his new one immediately.
Best place to start, though, was in the shifter section of the resort. Worst-case scenario, if she wasn’t there, and he couldn’t find Damon, he’d hire a couple of wolves to track her.
As agitated as he was, Jim couldn’t help but glance at his surroundings with a sense of contentment. The glitz and glamour of Vegas might be old hat, but he never got tired of it. Privilege had also made the experience that much more exciting. With his family’s reputation, and his money, Jim had discovered all the ins and outs at an early age, including the secret places to go.
Especially the sections of Vegas that catered to the shifter population.
Even at this early hour, the shifter lounge was filled with others of his kind. People with both animal and human sides, who enjoyed life spent part of the time in a furry state. Shifter existence remained mostly hidden from the human world, a task that took a fair bit of secrecy, a healthy dose of luck and some calculated spin doctoring to maintain.
Fortunately, most of the time when there were incidents, they tended to occur where too much drink on the part of the excited humans could explain away their claims of seeing packs of wolves wandering the halls.
Still was nice to have specific spots they could get away and let their hair down.
He headed toward the bar to ask the man there if he’d seen anyone when one of the majordomos he was familiar with stepped forward, dipping his head politely.
“Mr. Halcyon. I have a message for you, sir.”
He slid over a tip before snatching the envelope from the man’s hand, turning away to tear it open.
If you’re wondering where Goldilocks went, I found her. Figured you might like me to keep an eye on her. ~D
Jim turned over the business card the note was written on to look closer at the name of the shop. It was a modest clothing store in the nearby casino mall. She hadn’t had a bag with her last night—and suddenly all sorts of questions rose to mind.
He felt like a shit for not having thought of it sooner. For not asking more about her. She must have a room somewhere in the hotel.
It took a while to reach the shopping plaza, but he found his way unerringly to the store, hanging back in the doorway as he eyed the clothing racks. Comfortable garments, jeans and sweats. He spotted a shirt that would go perfect with her hair, stroking it to make sure the fabric was soft enough for her skin.
“It’s not your colour,” Damon taunted, stepping beside him.
“Where is she?” Jim demanded.
“I think that’s the first time you’ve ever had a woman give you the one-night-stand treatment. Don’t you usually have to pry them out of bed with trinkets?”
Jim was ready to peel his friend like a banana until he talked. He snapped his head to the side and finally noticed Damon was pointing at a change-room stall.
“How’s she doing?”
“I found her hiding in a flower arrangement. She was staring at that banker’s check as if it was about to bite her.” Damon folded his arms, his face creasing with concern. “She’s being secretive about something. I couldn’t convince her to grab breakfast with me, although she did agree to let me join her shopping.”
“Being shy isn’t a crime.”
Damon shrugged. “Just making a point. Last night at dinner—did she say anything about herself? Nothing really. I don’t know if you two exchanged life stories before, during or after the sex, but the woman is strangely tight-lipped. The entire time I’ve been around her, the most I’ve learned is she’s a single child, never been to Vegas before, and she wanted to spend some money.”
“Not everyone feels the need to spill their entire life stories at first opportunity.” Only his friend’s comment made Jim consider harder. Nope, he didn’t know much about her, but was that lack something he needed to change if she was only a temporary diversion? “She’s definitely got enough money to spend.”
“She’s not keen on lots of people being around,” Damon went on quietly. “It took a while before I got her out of her camouflage, and then twice on the walk here, I thought she would bolt.”
Oh brother. “I thought you told me to go find someone to take a vacation with.”
“I did. I just think you need to enjoy yourself, but stay alert.” His friend’s concerned expression twisted into a sneer. “I volunteer to help keep an eye on her.”
Damon had a death wish at times. Jim shouldered past him, not bothering to move out of the way, and the contact between their chests sent the other man sprawling to the floor, his good-natured grin still firmly in place.
A mystery was afoot, but Jim had two more pressing issues. He needed to see her to be sure she was okay, and second, he had to keep convincing himself she was just a short-term distraction.
The door to the change room opened a crack, and his anticipation rose as she stepped out.
He wanted to see her dressed in silk, with fabric that would cling to those wonderful curves he had enjoyed so much last night. Something in a deep emerald green, with a plunging neckline worn with dagger-like heels. He wasn’t sure if he would cover her with diamonds or find a more modern mineral to gra
ce her neck. Anodized titanium, or even something made from copper.
A quick flash of Lady Luck shot by his vision, replaced with the picture-perfect postcard of a shyly smiling Lillie.
She twirled a lock of hair in her fingers as she blinked innocently. Stone-washed jeans lovingly cupped her butt, a hint of decorative stonework running down one leg. She wore a long-sleeve T-shirt, the green colour he’d imagined her gown should be. The V-neck was cut low enough the smooth upper swells of her cleavage teased him. She held a sturdy leather jacket in her left hand, most of it draped over her shoulder.
“Hey.” Her smile brightened.
Jim fought the urge to show his aggravation. She’d crawled out of bed and left him, and that just wasn’t right. Instead, he went for control. “I like your outfit.”
She twirled, bringing the jacket around to clasp it in front of her with both hands. “Damon said I needed jeans and a jacket. I got some other things already.” She flipped a hand toward the cash register. “But this is nice too.”
Jim turned an accusing eye on his friend. “Damon said you needed that outfit, did he?”
Damon held up his hands in protest. “Don’t go getting the wrong idea. Trust me on this one, bro.”
That was asking an awful lot. He closed the gap between them so he could brush a kiss against her lips. “Good morning.”
She flushed. “I—”
He tugged the jacket from her fingers and held it out. Lillie turned smoothly, sliding her arms into the sleeves and coming to a stand still as he slipped the fabric over her shoulders and left his hands resting there.
They were facing an enormous gilded mirror, and he leaned over her shoulder to tug the jacket into position so it framed her perfect breasts.
He hummed with approval. “That looks good on you.” His lips were directly beside her cheek as he brushed their cheeks together. “Would you like to spend the day with me?”
So much for his declaration of being Mr. Bossy. Yes, he still wanted to be in charge, but ordering this woman around would be like trying to catch a gazelle by shooting off fireworks.
Lillie placed her hands over where he was holding her jacket together under her breasts, his thumbs brushing their soft underside. She didn’t say a word for a moment. Just looked at him, glanced momentarily at Damon, then met Jim’s gaze and silently nodded.
He wanted to jump up and do a backflip, but that wouldn’t have been very dignified. “Anything special you want to do?”
Lillie turned excitedly. “Yes. There’s a show I want to get tickets for, and there’s a restaurant that got a super review, and I want to learn to dance.”
Jim smiled and nodded all the way up to the last one.
“Oh, and Damon said he had something planned for part of the day too.”
Jim turned to examine his friend. “Damon seems full of good ideas today, doesn’t he?”
The wolf only grinned, stepping well out of Jim’s arm reach. “Wow, look at the time. I have somewhere I have to be.”
“Strange, but convenient.” Jim’s possessiveness was well satisfied as Lillie snuck her fingers into his. The warm touch of her small hand settled him.
“How about this?” Damon looked directly at Lillie. “You guys have fun for the morning, set up whatever show you want to see tonight, and after lunch, meet me in the shifter lounge. Then we can do that fun thing I planned.”
No way could Jim protest when Lillie bounced on her heels with excitement. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Damon.”
“Yeah, Damon, that sounds just peachy keen.”
His friend gloated with maximum gloatingness. “I’ll see you there.”
“Wait.” Lillie stepped forward, her arm stretching behind her as Jim refused to release her fingers. She glanced at their locked hands, a frown building on her forehead, and he reluctantly set her free. She turned back to the wolf, her chin tucked down but her voice crystal clear. “You were very kind to me this morning. Thank you.”
“No problem, darlin’. You’re very easy to be kind to.” Damon pretended to tip a hat then turned on his heel and left.
Jim glared after him. The only thing remotely country about his friend was the barbeque sauce he put on his burgers.
Then Lillie caught his hand, pulling him toward the register, and that small touch was enough to settle his frustrations. “I need to pay for my things, then maybe we can look at the shows.”
They were back in the shifter lounge, tickets in her pocket for a performance of Cirque de Soleil. The brand-new bag Jim had insisted on buying her was tucked safely into a backroom, guarded by a smiling mink shifter who’d backed off flirting with her as Jim hovered protectively.
She wondered briefly why she was still with him. What she should have done that morning was switched to another hotel, or at least gone back to her hotel room and stayed far away from the temptation of Jim.
In fact, that had been her intention when she snuck out of the room, but within moments of reaching the lobby, she’d been overwhelmed with the arrival of a group of Japanese tourists and the sheer number of bodies milling about.
Her hiding spot had been discovered within minutes by Damon. And while she wasn’t as comfortable with him as Jim, the protection he offered was too soothing to turn down.
Her debate had continued right up until Jim asked her to spend the day with him. Now that she’d actually experienced Vegas, she knew she had little chance of managing everything on her short-term bucket list on her own.
There really was no downside to spending more time with him. He was gentle, which she appreciated. Even as he led her to the back of the lounge, his broad body created a wall between her and the rest of the shifters.
The strong hand on her back guiding and protecting.
If it came down to it, she could find a way to defend herself, but it was nice to allow him the task.
“Do you know what Damon has planned?” she asked.
“Not entirely, but if I have to guess, I’d imagine from the outfit he got you to buy, and our plans for the end of the week, we might be going for a ride.”
Lillie glanced up. “What are you doing at the end of the week?”
“Long-standing bet. It’s something Damon and I started years ago. Friday we’ll be taking off for the hills for a bit.” He held her close, pausing to allow a large party to pass.
She breathed a sigh of relief. That worked well with her plans. Now she could relax and not have to worry about having to sneak away. Friday would be perfect for the next stage in her journey.
Then the other part of what he’d said struck. “A ride. Like, horses?”
Damon waved to them from the corner of the room, and they headed in his direction. “Motorcycles,” Jim informed her.
The idea sounded fabulous, but she was uncomfortable about inviting herself along. Still, she kept quiet. There would be time to protest later if necessary.
The wolf shifter smacked Jim on the shoulder in greeting, reaching out to take Lillie’s hand and pull her close enough he could drop a kiss on her cheek. “Glad to see you could make it.”
Jim reclaimed her, tucking her against his side and growling lightly.
Damon raised a brow. “Just being friendly.”
She couldn’t restrain the words from popping free. “I would hate to see how you’d react to someone who wasn’t a friend giving me a kiss.”
Both men offered her horrified looks. Damon, as if he’d just witnessed a mauling, and Jim, as if he’d just torn someone apart. It didn’t freak her out nearly as much as it should have. They were shifters, or more accurately they were shifter males.
There was a certain predictability built into such beasts.
…but it was time to change the subject.
Lillie bumped her enthusiasm up to five hundred, turning to the table and the piles of clothing stacked on it. “Looks as if you did some shopping of your own.”
Damon nodded. “Some things are necessary to make a great idea even gre
ater.”
The grizzly shifter at her side shuffled forward and poked one of the piles. “Why don’t I trust you?”
“Because you know me,” Damon teased. “But this time, what you see is what you get. I thought if we were going to do a bike race for the challenge, we should fully enjoy the moment.”
“Practice saying it. Jim won. Jim won. Jim won.”
His friend snickered, pushing one pile to the side as he dropped a wink at Lillie. “Sometimes my friend has delusions of grandeur.”
“Only sometimes?” Lillie deadpanned, laughing as Jim’s fingers danced on her waist, tickling her.
Damon’s laugh echoed in the room. “I like you.” He motioned to Jim. “Shut up and change.” He slipped off his jacket and shirt, reaching into his pile for a sky-blue bundle of fabric.
Lillie smiled. It wasn’t that she considered Damon particularly vain, but he’d purchased a shirt in a colour exactly matching his eyes. Jim noticed as well, and they exchanged amused glances.
She peeked at the clothing Jim was sorting through, but instead of dark brown there was a black T-shirt.
“Do I get to keep my underwear?” Jim jibed.
A low chuckle escaped Damon. “We’re not discussing boxers versus briefs versus commando. We had that conversation when we were twelve. Once a lifetime is enough.”
A couple of wolves in their animal form trotted past as the guys changed. Lillie leaned back on a nearby table and didn’t bother to hide her admiration.
By shifter standards, going down to skin wasn’t considered dirty. They needed to be naked when they shifted. That didn’t lower her appreciation for the eye candy on display. Both of them, Damon’s leaner wolf physique, Jim’s bulkier overall mass.
Damon finally pulled on his jacket and held out his arms, rotating slowly. “So, what do you think?”
Faded jeans, that killer T-shirt nicely showcasing the muscles he’d forced the material over, all of it topped with a leather jacket that had a massive wolf head on the back and Leader of the Pack emblazoned over it.