“Who the hell are you?” she demanded. That was better, she sounded in control. “Are you a cop?”
Another silent shake was her only answer.
“I’m not alone, you know,” she bluffed. “Derek’s here and he’s very protective.” A deep, low sound vibrated through the man. The pulsating growl was so elemental and powerful Shaz was reminded of the way the earth shook when you stood too near to the torrent of a waterfall. It was beautiful but deadly. In a second you could be swept away. He was prowling restlessly now, trapping his prey between the desk and the wall.
“Who the fuck is Derek? Not Derek’s. Mine.” The words were snarled, dominant. “Mine to protect.”
Despite the hard tone, when he reached out a hand, his touch was gentle, careful. He trailed one finger down her cheek then traced her mouth like a blind man exploring his lover. Shaz shivered. She was being caressed by lightning. It was elemental, scorching. A pleasure-pain. The slight roughness of his pad rubbing back and forth on her lower lip, teasing it, felt as intimate as sex. His skin was warm against the exposed, moist inner flesh as he pressed forward in ownership. Shaz resisted the urge to nip and mark his questing finger with her teeth. A desire that had nothing to do with attacking an intruder.
When he slid that questing slightly damp digit slowly down her exposed, vulnerable neck—ending on her racing pulse point—desire surged through Shaz. Then he purred and Shaz shuddered as the sound vibrated through her, making her pussy pulse and moisten. He could take me right here. He could do whatever he wanted and I wouldn’t be able to stop him. Wouldn’t want to stop him.
She straightened up defiantly, resisting the sexual pull he made her feel so effortlessly, and met his heated, golden gaze. “I’m not afraid of you,” she declared, the husky quiver of the words making the proud statement a lie.
A faint smirk and then he leaned in, his lips brushing the most sensitive part of her earlobe. Shaz moaned as she breathed in his scent, a mixture of subtle aftershave and aroused man. She wanted to rest her aching head against the lean strength of his muscled chest and never move.
“You should be afraid, my sweet one.” His voice was a low, husky caress against her skin. “You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger by being alone and unprotected like this. I’m going to have to punish you.”
Shaz bit down hard enough to draw blood as she struggled not to moan. “What will you do?” she whispered huskily, shuddering as he slowly licked and soothed the swollen flesh of her damaged lip. “How will you punish me?” She was too caught up in the sensual images his words created to question her actions anymore. The closer he was to her, the less clearly she could think or question. She could only feel.
Her skin is so soft. A contented purr vibrated through Tyler’s body, his mountain lion pushing for—demanding—contact with their mate. The touch of her mouth, so warm and intimate, made him long for more. He could smell her arousal. She wanted him. Even now before she really knew him, her body was welcoming its mate. Her pussy would be hot, wet and snug around his hard cock. He would fuck her, make her come and bind her to him.
Tyler shuddered. Even the thought of possessing his mate made his balls tighten and ache with the need to take her. I’m not afraid of you. His mate was defiant. Man and cat liked that but she needed to realize he had to keep her safe…stand between her and the danger.
“I’m going to smack that gloriously rounded ass of yours until it’s pink, hot and quivering for putting yourself at risk. I could’ve been anyone. What would you have done if I’d been a bad man instead of your new bodyguard?” He watched as his mate peeked through her lashes, her brown eyes full of teasing mischief.
“Aren’t you a bad man?” she teased. “I thought you wanted to spank me? Isn’t that naughty?”
Tyler held back his roar as he caught a hint of her deliciously scented arousal. “You like that idea, don’t you?” he demanded. The need to explore every inch of his mate’s sexy body was fast becoming a painful necessity. He and his mountain lion had searched for so long and now, like a miracle, she was right here. So beautiful…so sensual…so his.
Her simple white wraparound top clung to gorgeous breasts that would be the perfect fit for his large hands. He would cup and caress them. Then use his teeth, tongue and lips to tease her nipples until they were pulsing and erect. She was the perfect shape and size for him to pick up effortlessly. Then he’d follow the dangerous curves of her womanly hips and slide his hands round to cup her full ass and grind her against the hard length of his throbbing erection.
The flowing, silky skirt that swayed as it caressed her bare skin would slide back as she wrapped her long legs around him. He’d press her against the wall, holding her in place. Then allow his hands to glide slowly up the tender flesh of her thighs and tease the thin material of her panties. They’d be damp. He could scent her growing desire but his touch would make her jerk with need until she begged for his possession.
She was tall for a woman but Tyler still towered over her. Yet she refused to back down. She would be the perfect independent mate for a mountain lion but Tyler hated they’d met because some bastard had dared to frighten her…hurt her. His mate should never know a second of unease or a moment of unhappiness and from now on it would be his honor to protect and please her for as long as he lived.
Mine. The single thought echoed in his body, head and heart until it was all he could hear or think about. Tyler slowly lowered his head and his heart drummed excitedly as his mate’s soft lips parted at his approach. He could hear her panting quietly, the pulse in her neck echoing the fast beat of his heart.
Nothing else existed or mattered which, unfortunately for Tyler, meant he didn’t hear the tiny muffled footsteps behind him. Didn’t notice the large, ornate vase being picked up from its stand behind him. His first warning was his mate’s eyes widening as surprise replaced desire. There was a sudden, sharp pain on the back of his neck and then darkness.
He came to lying on the floor. He opened his eyes, squinting at the pain, then blinked. A tiny woman with bright turquoise hair and matching suit was scowling at him and shouting in a foreign language. From the tone she was probably swearing. Tyler scowled. She was making his concussion worse. His mountain lion was so disgusted Tyler had allowed someone to sneak up on them he was growling and snapping in fury. This, he challenged, is no way to protect their mate.
His mate! Tyler shot up, swaying for a moment and making the swearing woman leap back and cuss even more. Where was his mate? He needed to make sure she was safe. The tension eased from his body when he heard her voice and laughter. She had the sweetest laugh. It made his cat relax in its furious pacing and lie down once more—calm and content to be in her presence.
Then he saw Jake with his arm around her. He’d pulled her into his body and was smiling. Tyler roared. He could feel his mountain lion straining to be released and attack the wolf who dared touch his mate.
“Get your hands off her,” he snapped and stalked toward the couple.
As before, Jake immediately assumed a submissive posture, raising his hands and backing away carefully, but Tyler wasn’t satisfied.
”I thought I told you to guard the entrance!”
“I did but Aunt Magda phoned me in a panic and said she’d killed a guy who was attacking Shaz.” He snickered. “I rushed in and found you unconscious. I was just explaining to Shaz you own the security agency I work for and that I’ll be looking after her from now on.”
Tyler knew he should stay calm but he couldn’t help it. “I’ll protect Shaz,” he stated bluntly and winced as he saw Shaz’s eyes narrow. Dammit, he needed more time to bind his mate to him. He knew she was already strongly attracted to him but she wasn’t a shifter so didn’t feel the immediate bond. He wanted nothing more than to whisk her away somewhere romantic where he could do seduce and adore her but first he had to catch the bastard who was stalking and hurting his precious mate.
Shaz was looking far from impressed. “I think
it’s up to me to decide who’s going to be my bodyguard,” she snapped, glaring at Tyler. “Maybe I want Magda’s nephew instead. Jake seems very competent.”
“Not happening, sweetheart,” Tyler replied. “Jake takes his orders from me.”
“My nephew is very good at his job.”
Tyler held back a frustrated sneer as the tiny, colorful woman rushed to the wolf shifter’s defense.
“You weren’t doing a great job earlier when I was able to knock you unconscious,” she continued. “You seemed more interested in seduction than protection.”
Tyler’s jaw clenched. “I’d die before I let anything hurt Shaz,” he declared tightly. He took hold of Shaz’s hand. “We need to get out of here. I’ll take you to your apartment, you pack a bag and then we’ll go.”
She took a step and then he felt her resist.
“Wait a minute, go where?” she asked, but Tyler and his mountain lion had had enough.
“My place. Now. No more questions.” Scooping her up in his arms, Tyler strode toward the door, only to be stopped by a scowling man clutching a bag of takeout food.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded. “Put her down now. Are you all right, Shaz?”
Tyler took a tighter grasp of his mate. “She’s fine,” he stated, “and she’s coming with me.”
The man drew himself to his full height. “She’s not going anywhere until I speak to her,” he challenged.
“I’m fine, Derek, really,” Shaz replied. “I’m going to be staying with…?”
“Tyler.”
“Until Karl is caught. Tyler runs a security agency.” She turned to Tyler who was still scowling. “Derek is the studio manager here. He was the one who saved me yesterday.”
Tyler gave the man a hard stare. On the one hand he didn’t like Shaz relying on the manager when it was Tyler’s job to care for her. However he did owe the man for his quick-thinking actions. “Thanks for yesterday,” he muttered, “but I’ll take it from here.” He knew he sounded rude but he was too jealous to care.
From the amusement on the other man’s face it was clear he realized how Tyler felt…and wasn’t going to make it easy on him. “Well, I don’t know,” he murmured with deliberate provocation. “What kind of qualifications do you have? I’m the one who saved her from a bullet.”
Tyler clutched Shaz tighter. “My qualifications are none of your damn business,” he growled. “I don’t have to answer to you. It’s my responsibility to care for her from now on. To protect and make her happy.”
“Seems like you see her as more than a client,” Derek needled. “It sounds more personal than professional.”
Tyler could feel his mountain lion rage to be free to tear and claw. How dare this man question their ability? “Shaz is my mate,” he snarled.
“I’m your what?” Shaz screeched.
The mountain lion grumbled as the high pitch hurt his ears and Tyler sympathized. She was feisty…and loud. “My mate,” he snapped. Fuck! This was not how he’d wanted to break the news. A horrific thought occurred. “You do know about shifters and their mates, right?”
“Of course I do. I’ve lived here for over a year and London isn’t exactly the middle of nowhere,” she snorted. “Even one of the royal family is mated to a bear shifter. What I mean is I’ve only just met you. You’ve frightened the life out of me. Forced Magda to break her favorite vase. Yelled at her nephew for talking to me and flashed your fangs at Derek for being supportive!”
Tyler winced. “When you put it like that,” he admitted, “it’s not much of a first date.”
“It’s not a date at all,” Shaz retorted.
Tyler ignored the comment. He glared at Derek. “Whether you like it or not, Shaz and I are going now.” He shrugged. “Through you or past you, doesn’t much matter to me.”
For a second the studio manager hesitated then stepped aside.
Chapter Three
Tyler strode to the exit, ignoring Shaz’s repeated commands to put her down. “We’ll leave the Range Rover for Jake to return to the office and take your car. I know your address, so I’ll drive. Keys?”
Shaz fished in her purse and pressed the keypad without a word. She knew she should be telling him to say please and that she was perfectly capable of driving her own car, thank you very much, but she was enjoying the sensation of being carried too much. Tyler didn’t falter but somehow managed to open the passenger door and slide her into the seat. He fastened her seatbelt then jogged around and slid the driver’s seat back several inches to accommodate his longer legs. Even his large hands made the steering wheel look like a toy.
“How tall are you?” Shaz asked.
“Six foot five. I weigh one hundred eighty-two pounds and I’m an American mountain lion shifter. Anything else you’d like to know, mate?” The glance he gave her was teasing and seriously hot. “Or would it be more fun to explore each other?”
“Not your mate,” Shaz shot back. “How often do you work out?”
“Every day. I installed a gym in the building but at the weekend I like to shift and go running in the hills. Want to feel my abs?”
Shaz felt a rush of desire at the thought of his hard, naked, golden-skinned body laid out for her touch. “That explains it,” she muttered, trying to distract herself.
“Explains what?”
“Why you were able to carry me so easily. You weren’t even out of breath.”
He shrugged. “It’s not difficult when your mate is so tiny.”
Shaz loved her body but at five foot ten she wasn’t normally described as tiny. “You do know I’m plus-size?” she queried wryly. “I’m many things…curvy…sexy,” she mock-pouted, “not forgetting seriously fabulous, but tiny? Not so much.”
Tyler pulled smoothly into the underground parking space and turned to face her. “What I know is you’re the most beautiful, desirable woman I’ve ever seen and I love the feel of your soft curves. I want to take you home and strip those clothes off. I want to run my tongue along your inner thigh and bite the sexy soft flesh at the top while I smell the delicious scent of your arousal. I want to palm your big tits and lick your nipples until they’re hard. I want to hold your hips so I can admire every inch of your perfectly rounded ass while I fuck you until the only thing you know is how much pleasure your mate brings you.”
Shaz moved restlessly as slick heat moistened her pussy. She watched his golden eyes blaze fire as he scented her desire. Before, when she’d read about a shifter’s ability to know when a human was aroused, Shaz had thought it too intimate. Even a bit pervy. Not anymore. There were no conceited smiles or macho swagger and the almost painful look of open hunger and adoration on Tyler’s face as he described what he wanted to do was the most arousing thing she’d ever experienced, but she had to be sensible. She wasn’t a shifter with The One instant-bond madness and while she wanted Tyler to fuck her, there was no way she was ready to make any kind of commitment, let alone mate him. They’d only just met for heaven’s sake.
“I’m not…”
“You are my mate.” Tyler’s deep voice oozed calm assurance. “I get that you don’t feel it yet but you will. The thing you have to remember, Shaz, is I will always be yours. I will want you…protect you…love you. Forever.”
“But what if I never feel the same?” Shaz whispered awkwardly. “I have a stalker. I was even thinking about giving up dating entirely. I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”
His intense gaze softened. “I know, my love, which makes it even more obvious you’re the perfect mate. Beautiful, caring, sexy and successful. When you become mine, I’ll be the proudest shifter in the world but there’s no rush.” He paused. “Well, I wouldn’t be complaining if you wanted to get naked immediately but I’ll wait until you’re ready.”
Now it was Shaz’s turn to grin. “Who said I didn’t want to get naked?” she teased wickedly. “I just want to see where things go without pressure.” She giggled as Tyler leaped out of the car and raced to
grab her, pulling her toward the elevator.
“Let’s get your things,” he rasped. “The first time I fuck you, I want it to be on my territory.”
Shaz watched the floor numbers flash by. The sound of demand in his deep, rough voice made her already moist pussy so wet. She gave a quick glance at the discreet security camera. For the first time ever she was cursing its existence. Otherwise nothing would have stopped her dropping to her knees, unzipping Tyler’s jeans and taking the erection she saw bulging against the material into her mouth. Her eyes closed and she licked her lips. He’d be hard, throbbing and utterly delicious. Hot and salty. He’d thrust into her mouth and moan his pleasure as she sucked and licked. Shaz’s breath quickened, her lips parted and she whimpered softly.
“If you don’t want our first time to be up against this wall then you’d better stop tempting me with those breathy little sighs and the scent of that tight little pussy. Otherwise I’m going to push up your skirt, rip off those soaking panties, lift you up and fuck you until you come all over my hard, aching cock. I’m going to fill you so full with my cum you feel it trickle down your trembling thighs. You’ll need me to hold you up, to carry you, because the fierce pleasure of your orgasm with make you feel weak. Then I’ll take you into your room, strip off your clothes and fuck you again. On your knees so I can see every enticing wiggle of your sexy ass. See your juices shining on my cock as I pull out of your greedy cunt only to slam back in, harder than ever. Make you arch your back to take all my length. Bury myself so deep you’ll never forget how it feels to be owned by me.”
Tyler’s urgent voice right next to her ear as he whispered the dirty, sinfully sexy description of what he wanted to do—would do—made Shaz shudder. “Camera, top right-hand corner.” She forced the words out, pushing back the desire to just give in. Fuck the consequences. The logical side of her brain muttered that she was being wild and reckless. The last thing she wanted was a sex tape to get out on the internet. She was too well known for the guy monitoring the security not to recognize her.
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