by Robbie Cox
Pushing the door to his cabin open wide, he motioned with a tilt of his head for her to enter. Keeping the scowl on her face, she walked past him, determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing how wet he made her or how her pussy throbbed right then. As much as she hated the idea that he took care of her last night, fixing her cabin and keeping an eye on her, protecting her, in a way, from another sneak attack from Kyle, she couldn’t get past the feeling that overwhelmed her of someone actually putting her needs first, instead of their own. Kyle had been a user, sucking her dry in his attempt to bully her into submission. His words made her feel weak, as if she had no better option than to suffer at his hands. Arlin was different. Much different.
“Look,” she said, as she walked over to his kitchen counter, “it’s not that I don’t appreciate what you did at my cabin. Or that you even gave me a distraction at Everglades last night when Kyle showed up.” She turned to face him, surprised when he was almost on top of her. She hopped back giving a little yelp of surprise, to which he just chuckled as he walked around her to the cabinets. “Sorry, I’m a little jumpy, I guess.” She took a deep breath, crossing her arms over her chest. “Anyway, thank you for all of that, but I need to take care of myself. I’m not used to relying on others. I did that once, and it didn’t turn out so well.”
Arlin pulled a mug from the cabinet, his back muscles rippling as he stretched, and then filled the cup with coffee. When he turned to face her, offering her the cup, she noticed how golden his eyes were, a definite sign that he was a shifter, and how strong his jawline appeared, the dimple in his left cheek when he smiled only adding to his charm. She took the cup from him, holding it with both hands against her chest.
“Kyle?” he asked, his voice soft, not pushing her.
She appreciated the care he took in his curiosity. Nodding, she said, “He wasn’t always such a brutish dick. At first, he was romantic in the whole bad boy kind of way, only the bad boy became a worse man and he expected me to be his punching bag, taking out all of his frustrations on me, blaming me for his failures in life.” She shrugged. “Somehow, he made me believe I deserved it, that I couldn’t do any better than him.”
Arlin sipped his coffee while she talked, licking his lips when he pulled the cup away from his mouth. She watched his tongue as it glided across the redness of his lips, imagining it on her sex, her hands on his head… She shook the images out of her mind. Now is not the time, Eve girl.
“Until you didn’t believe it anymore, obviously. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”
She nodded, agreeing with him. “One night he hit me one too many times and I escaped. That was actually what I told him before I left, that I was escaping.”
“Which is why he wrote those words on the front of the cabin.” Arlin nodded his understanding. Yet, she doubted anyone could understand her world unless they lived through the hell she lived through.
“He thinks he’s going to make me go back with him, I’m sure, but I won’t. Not now, not ever. I’ll kill him first.”
He stared at her, his gaze measuring her, the sincerity of her words. Yet, she meant it. She wouldn’t allow Kyle to hurt her ever again. The time of being his victim was over.
Then he nodded as he set his coffee cup on the counter behind him. Stepping up to her, he cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand as he gazed into her eyes. “I know you don’t want to be cosseted, and I promise, I never intended that, but Eve, I can’t just let you handle this on your own. That’s not how it works.”
“How what works? Arlin, you don’t even know me.”
“You’re right; I don’t. However, that pesky tiger inside of me already scented everything about you that he needs and has claimed you as his. We’re mated in his eyes.” He gave her that dazzling smile of his. “And to be honest, I’m quite happy with his choice. We’ll deal with Kyle, one way or another, but we’ll do it together.”
She felt the pounding of her heart in her chest, felt the warmth of his hand on her cheek, the promise in his eyes. She had lived around shifters for a while, but thought all of their habits and traditions were strictly for them. “But I’m not a shifter…”
“You don’t have to be. Then again, you may be once I mark you.” He shrugged. “It’ll be fun to find out.” He winked at her. “I’m not going anywhere, Eve, and you won’t be facing Kyle alone. I’m sorry he did that to you, for everything he’s ever done to you. You deserve so much more, and I swear, I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.” And then his lips were on hers, pressing against her, warm, his tongue slipping between them, into her mouth, tasting her, claiming her, as he pressed her tight against him.
She surrendered to his kiss, his hardness pressing into her, stirring the honey between her legs, her passion, a passion she thought squelched long ago, into a roaring fire. She needed him. Now.
She raked her nails up his back, bringing a moan from his lips, his arms flexing, holding her tighter. Her pussy quivered at his strength. It had been too long since arms held her that weren’t attached to hands hitting her. With Arlin, she just melted into him, unable to get close enough, needing to feel all of him.
And then he stopped, holding her back at arm’s length as he looked into her eyes. She knew he wanted her, could see the hunger in his eyes, so the fact that he waited to claim his prize confused her. And irritated her, as well. “What?” she asked, a little harsher than she intended. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to pull that gentleman card. Trust me, now is not the time.”
“I don’t want to stop, believe me, but this is stronger than just a chance encounter. My tiger already scented you as his mate, Eve. I may not be able to stop myself from marking you.” He gave her a sheepish smile and a shrug. “I haven’t exactly been able to control him lately. That’s why I’m here as a matter of fact. If you’re not ready to be marked, then I think it safer that we just stop.”
Stop? He really thinks I can stop? “Can’t you shifters ever just fuck? What is it with the mate thing all the time? I mean, Alanna and Josh can fool around without marking each other, why can’t you?”
“I could, if my tiger hadn’t already marked you in his mind. Now the pull is too strong for me to risk it without you knowing what the consequences could be. I can’t treat you like any other woman at the bar last night, because the truth is, you’re not like any other woman.”
You have got to be kidding me. Eve rolled her eyes. This is not how she saw this going. She was finally willing to give herself to someone and he turned all righteous and caring on her. Of course, she hadn’t seen herself throwing herself at him when she first arrived, either. When she arrived, she was pissed. Now she was still pissed, but for a whole other reason.
Like the shifters she lived around, Eve growled. The first time I’m ready to give myself to someone and this happens. She reached for the knife at her waist, pulling it out and stabbing his counter with it so hard the thunk into his counter echoed in the cabin. “Are you going to fuck me or not?”
He smirked at the knife, still vibrating where she thrust it into the counter. “As long as you know the risks, my little warrior.” He reached out, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her tight against him, his cock pressing into her. “I’ll try to be as careful as possible not to mark you, even though I so badly want to do so.” He reached for her shirt, claws poking out of his fingertips, and she could see the glint in his golden eyes, the hunger there for her. Her breath caught in her throat as fear clutched her chest. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so aggressive.
With a growl of his own, he ripped her top, tearing it from her body to fall in shreds to the floor. He lifted her in the air, Eve wrapping her legs around his waist, as he turned and carried her to his bedroom, where he dropped her unceremoniously onto his bed. She bounced, her arms bracing herself on the mattress, as she stared at him with wide eyes.
He didn’t give her time to react, as he reached for the buttons on her jeans, ripping the zipper d
ownward. Gripping the waistband on her pants, he yanked them off her body, lifting her in the air as he did, stripping them down her legs, and tossing them on the floor. His lips turned up into a passionate grin as he reached for his own waistband, making quick work getting his pajama pants off, his boxers going with them. Once he was naked, he crawled up her body, his grin mischievous, hungry. “I believe you wanted something,” he teased as he slid the head of his cock up and down her wet slit.
She tried to say something—anything—but nothing came out. She reached up, grabbing his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh as she took a deep breath. His presence over her overwhelmed her. She wanted it. God, she wanted it.
He leaned down, kissing her, his lips warm on hers. Then he thrust deep into her, his cock spreading her before him until his hips slapped hers, her moans slipping out past their lips, her back arching. He held himself there, buried deep inside of her, as he broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes with a smirk. “Is that what you wanted, Little Warrior?”
“Yes,” she moaned, her voice a throaty whisper. “Oh god, yes.” She thrust her hips up at him, grinding against him to prove the desperation of her need.
He just grinned as he slid out and then thrust back inside of her, and then he kept thrusting, pounding into her. She clutched his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his waist again, pulling him into her as deep as he could go. She heard him growl in her ears, keeping his mouth away from her shoulders, his arms cradling her head. Harder he thrust, faster, the sounds of flesh on flesh filling her ears, mixing with her moans.
She slid a hand down his shoulder, slipping it down his chest, her hand on his nipple, toying with it between her fingers. As he thrust into her, his body shifted upward, his chest hovering over her face. Without even thinking, she licked his flesh, her mouth opening as he drove into her again. Then she bit him, her teeth sinking into his pectoral. He cried out, thrusting into her harder, his body tensing, his cock twitching.
She ran her tongue over the flesh between her teeth, biting just a little harder before letting go. His cock throbbed once and then she felt his orgasm rip through him, filling her. It was enough to send her over the edge, her body tightening into a tense ball as her climax rippled through her, her breathing ragged gasps as she cried out.
She felt his cock slip out of her as he rolled to her side, his arm draped over her stomach, his breathing heavy in her ears. She giggled as she placed a hand over his. “Is that what you meant by a bite mark?”
He just chuckled as he shook his head. “Oh, Little Warrior, this is going to be so much fun, I can tell.”
You have no idea.
Nine
Arlin kept her in bed for most of the morning, before she forced him to get up and fix her some breakfast. As he stood in front of the stove, he ran his hand over her teeth marks embedded in his chest, shaking his head at how sensitive the marks felt. Now this is definitely a twist on things, he thought with a chuckle. I wonder if I’ll turn into a human. He flipped the stove on and then rummaged around his cabinet for a pan in which to fry some bacon. He glanced behind him at her knife still sticking straight up on his counter. She definitely deserved some bacon.
He heard her coming from the back bedroom, and turned his head as she shuffled into the front room wearing nothing but an old T-shirt of his. His tiger growled and he had to agree with his animal’s assessment, although he would have much preferred she come out of the back room naked. The image of her under him, the freckles across her pale breasts, the sexy vulnerability she displayed, made his cock twitch even now. He’d never get tired of looking at her body.
Or touching it, caressing her flesh with his hands, tasting her skin with his lips. Down boy, or she’ll never get her breakfast. He shook his head, but not the image from his mind, as he walked over to the fridge for the bacon and eggs.
When he turned around, he gestured to the counter. “I made some coffee, if you’re interested.”
She ran a hand through her sandy hair, the T-shirt climbing up her bare legs as she did. Both he and his tiger purred, and he had to tamp down the urge to press her against the wall and bury his cock between her legs, saying the hell with breakfast. He took a deep breath and turned back to the stove, setting the food on the counter next to the knife. “So, am I forgiven for cleaning up your cabin?” he asked, needing to change the subject before he acted on his impulses.
She walked over to the counter, leaning back on it, propping herself up with her hands, which made her shirt ride high on her thighs again, one leg swinging back and forth. “I think the jury’s still out on that.” She reached over, pulling the hilt of the knife back and letting it twang as she released it. “I mean, after all, I did have to threaten you in order to get you to take me to your bed. Not really a good impression, you know?”
He slipped some bacon into the pan and then leaned over, kissing her on the lips. “I promise you’ll never have to threaten me again.”
“Good,” she said, with a curt nod, as he pulled away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reach out and yank the knife from where it had been stuck. “I’d hate to have to leave more holes in your counter.”
“Yeah, I’m going to have fun explaining that to my brother.”
She shrugged as she ran a finger over the edge of her knife. “Just tell him I did it. Nathan won’t be surprised.”
Arlin felt a twinge of jealousy stiffen his spine. “There isn’t anything between you and my brother, is there?” He needed to have a talk with Nathan. And soon.
She giggled as she set the knife on the counter behind her. “And if there is?” Her eyes sparkled as she said it, and at first, he didn’t know how to take it.
He turned to face her, an eyebrow cocked. “Then I think I’m going to be kicking my brother’s ass.” She laughed as if he was joking, but Arlin was far from joking. He grinned, however, as he reached for the eggs. After he cracked a couple into a skillet, he tilted his head as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Care to tell me about last night? Who that guy was?”
She sighed, turning her gaze to the floor, her lips pressed into a thin line. “He was a very bad decision that I thought was finished.” She shook her head, and then gave him the full story.
As she leaned back on the counter, her leg no longer swaying back and forth, telling the tale of Kyle’s abuse, he continued to cook them breakfast, frying the eggs while the bacon sizzled. If her tale hadn’t been so dreadful, making his anger growl for a different reason than it did earlier, Arlin would be distracted with the way her legs kept drawing his gaze away from the stove. He took several deep breaths, focusing on the story she shared.
His anger boiled just below the surface with every instance she recounted of where Kyle beat her for his own failings. At the same time, his heart went out to her for everything she endured. He didn’t feel sorry for her, not by a long shot. She may have suffered at Kyle’s hands for a brief period, but she refused to be a victim for long. He glanced over at the knife on the counter, wondering how far she was willing to take it if Kyle came at her again. His tiger growled within him. Don’t worry, boy. That scumbag won’t get the chance.
As they sat down at the table to eat, she finished with her story. Her voice was soft, neutral in tone, as she spoke, her breathing even, almost as if she distanced herself from the story she told. He refused to reach out and hug her, even though that’s exactly what he wanted to do. However, he knew she wouldn’t appreciate it. Not in the least.
“And the knife?” he asked. “Is that something you carry now because of what happened with Kyle?”
She glanced back to the counter where the knife lay, her eyes distant, as if looking backward in time. “It’s more than just something I carry for protection. It’s become a symbol of sorts.” She shrugged, turning her attention back to him. “It reminds me that I don’t need anyone else to protect me, that I’m a capable woman who doesn’t need to rely on anyone else.”
He scooped up a f
orkful of eggs as he nodded. “You know, it’s okay for other people to help you once in a while, right?” He shoved the eggs into his mouth, watching her.
She reached for her juice glass, as she nodded. “However, there’s a difference between getting help and being dependent upon someone. I was dependent on Kyle, which is why I suffered the abuse. I believed him when he said I couldn’t do any better and only he would take care of me, only he would love me.”
“So what finally broke?”
She grinned as she lifted the glass. “Not me.” She waggled her eyebrows at him as she took a sip of her juice. Shrugging, she said, “He finally hit me one too many times and I guess it knocked some sense into me. I realized Kyle would never change or stop or put me first, and if he wasn’t going to, then it had to be me. So, as soon as he was out the door, I packed my bags with everything I could carry and ran.” She sighed, setting the glass back on the table. “Sounds cowardly, doesn’t it? I ran.”
He reached out, seeing the self-doubt in her eyes, and placed a hand on her wrist. “Not at all. What else could you have done?” He shook his head as he moved his hand, setting his wrist on the table next to his plate. “You only had one real option; get the hell out of there. Never doubt that.”
She gave him a weak smile, and he knew she didn’t believe what he said. He felt his tiger whine within him. We’ll prove it to her, boy. Don’t you worry.
When breakfast was over, Eve said she needed to get back to her cabin. Someone was due out to replace the glass in her windows and a local of Bull Creek named Josh planned on replacing her locks with stronger ones. Arlin watched her get dressed, dreading every second of it. He wanted to go with her, stay by her side, until Lainie put Kyle behind bars, but after everything Eve said, he really didn’t think she’d take it as anything other than him believing her weak and coddling her. Eve Hartlow was anything but weak.