by Black, C. E.
Her lips sucked wet kisses down my neck as my palms molded her breasts. They were more than a handful and reminded me of Sam. She was voluptuous, but fit me perfectly. Frustrated, I shook my head. Damn it! I had to get her out of my head.
I pinched Layla’s nipples hard causing her to cry out. The move did what I had sought after. Layla picked up the pace, pulling my shirt over my head and immediately reaching for my jeans. She popped the button and I helped her slide them down just enough for my cock to spring free.
She ran one manicured fingernail down my length and smiled wickedly as she teased. I was not in the mood for teasing and I let her know by grabbing the back of her head and pulling her forward.
She did not hesitate. Her lips wrapped around my cock and she sucked me deep, taking me down her throat in one smooth swallow. She slid back up slowly, her tongue dancing across my sensitive flesh. I groaned and tightened my fingers in her hair, using the grip to control her movements. Her nails dug into my thighs, but she didn’t protest my rough treatment.
Desire was evident in her glazed eyes as I pumped my cock into her mouth. I reached down with my free hand to pinch and rub her hard nipples. She moaned and the vibration had my rhythm accelerating. She was taking me deep, but I needed more.
“Suck in those cheeks,” I growled.
She sucked hard, hollowing her cheeks. The tight wetness of her mouth had me going over the edge, growling as she swallowed my release down her throat. I immediately felt vacant.
It was the first time I’d had sex without emotion since I met Sam and I hated the empty feeling in my gut. Damn, Sam and her sweet scent, her soft, lush body. Why was it so different with her? Why did Sam get to me like no other?
Layla’s mouth sliding off my softening cock brought me back to my senses. I had a job to do and I may be a jerk, but I wasn’t an inconsiderate jerk. Grasping Layla under her arms, I pulled her up onto my lap. She straddled my hips, looking at me with anticipation.
Wasting no more time, I quickly pulled her robed off, letting it fall to the floor with a quiet swish. She had a matching satin nighty underneath that barely covered her thighs.
Reaching for the tiny straps of her gown, I looked up at her face as I pulled them off her shoulders, releasing her breasts. Layla’s swollen lips parted and her blues eyes turned dark. I had to admit she was beautiful, but as awful as it sounded, my only thought was that I was glad it wouldn’t take long for her to come.
I leaned forward, sucking one nipple hard while my hands crept under her short gown. Not surprisingly, she had no panties on. My thumbs found her pleasure center and I rubbed the spot eliciting a groan from Layla.
Her hips began to move with my hands and my mouth switched to her other nipple. Sharp nails dug into my shoulders and as I usually welcomed the small pain during sex, I found myself annoyed with Layla. I didn’t want her to mark me.
I shook off my confounding thoughts and bit down on her nipple just as I pushed two fingers into her wet core. As Layla began to ride my hand, I held onto her hip to steady her and ran my tongue up her breast to her neck.
Her panting breaths and growling moans were the only sounds in the quiet house, and I could not help that my body was twitching back to life at the erotic noises. I ignored my stiffening cock and nibble on her collarbone. Just as I remembered, that was the button and Layla screamed out, grinding against me.
Her pussy pulsed around my fingers as she slumped against my chest. I gently pulled out of her and rested my hand on her hip. She breathed heavily against my neck, her heart pounding alongside mine.
I had a beautiful, sated woman snuggled against me in a room that smell of sex and all I could think was that I wished more than anything that it had been Sam with me instead of Layla.
She sat up and gave me a satisfied grin. “That was better than I’ve had in a long time, hun, but for round two I want that dick I love of yours shoved inside me.”
Layla reached and grasp the object of her affection and although I looked to be ready for more, I wasn’t. I gently removed her hands from around me, holding them by her sides. She frowned at me, her lips pouting.
I looked at the woman I grew up with. Her blonde hair was a mess from my gripping hands, her lips swollen, breast spilling out of her nightgown, legs spread invitingly. If I wasn’t in love with Sam, I would have been buried deep inside her already.
I blinked in surprise. I was in love with Sam? Since when? Since forever! A voice inside my head shouted. The day I met her, I had known she would be mine.
I closed my eyes as a dark foreboding came over me. She wasn’t mine anymore. No, she was lost to me, but I was hers. I would always be hers and I would live the rest of my life loving her and no one else.
I would be alone while I watched her move on with someone else, possibly Alex. Alex could make her happy. He was a much better man, more sensitive, more caring of her feelings, more...everything.
I sighed and rubbed my chest. Pain shredded through me at the thought of never being with Sam ever again. Maybe she would forgive me, I thought. Maybe she would take me back, if I was to apologize and beg for her forgiveness. I shook my head. It was more than likely a lost cause, but I was beginning to realize I had to try.
“Jordan, I have something I need to tell you.”
Layla’s voice reminded me where I was. My eyes popped open to see the woman I had forgotten about looking at me warily. I hoped she would get over my reserve so that I could continue with the mission. I needed to search her house, but more importantly, I needed her to trust me. If I could get her on our side, she would be a great informant.
I opened my mouth to start my apologies and excuses when the living room window shattered. In a flash, I had Layla under me on the floor. I covered her while I listened for the threat. Car tires squealed as an engine gunned down the street. I itched to chase after them, but I had to keep up appearances with Layla.
Thinking of Layla, I placed my hands on either side of her shoulders and rose up just enough to check that she was all right. One look at her face told me she wasn’t. Sightless eyes stared back at me as a pool of blood formed on the floor under her head.
“Shit,” I whispered. My hand shook slightly as I turned her head to the side to see a bullet had pierced her temple. This was definitely a professional hit and the only reason they had stopped at Layla and not come after me, was that it was a direct hit and the job was done. I wasn’t in the contract...yet. Whoever hired the gunman would no doubt be looking for me once he found out Layla had company.
Standing up, I looked down at the beautiful girl I once knew. After all these years as a soldier, death didn’t unsettle me much. I could usually separate myself from the deceased, but this was different. I had known Layla my whole life. I had not loved her, but she was a friend of sorts.
When I found out she was part of the shit going on in Wilde Mountain, I was disappointed, but I wanted to do more than complete a mission. I wanted to help her, get her out of whatever mess she was in and I had planned on it.
After my own clothing was in place I crouched down and fixed Layla’s gown, covering her nakedness the best I could then draped her robe over her lifeless body. I bowed my head and promised her I would find out who did this and why. She had not deserved this death. I truly believed she was a good woman, even if her mistakes were big.
I had to move quickly now. There was no time to waste. I had to do a quick search of Layla’s home and get out of there before anyone came looking.
First I went to the broken window, keeping to the wall in case someone remained watching, and took a deep breath through my nose. Only one scent lingered in the air. The gunman’s odor was unfamiliar, yet unforgettable. He would not be getting far, I sneered.
I quickly washed up in the kitchen then walked purposely toward the hall. Just as I thought, the scent I was searching for became stronger. Alexander Wright Sr. left his trail all over Layla’s home, but it was much more pungent the closer I got to the basement.<
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The lock was no deterrent for me. I pulled out a small lock picking kit out of my back pocket and quickly had the door opened. A dark stairway led down into the basement. I kept the light off, not wanting to draw attention. From my surveillance, I knew there were small windows where light could be seen from outside.
Silently, I moved down each step until I reached the bottom floor. The basement was dark, with only a hint of moonlight streaming through the small windows near the ceiling. Looking around the large open space, I began to think it was empty, until I walked farther in. All four concrete walls were obscured by cardboard. Boxes upon boxes were stacked floor to ceiling.
I pulled one large box down and set it on the floor. My hand tingled as the transformation shifted through my fingers. Using one sharp claw, I sliced through the packaging tape easily. Once the flaps were open, I shifted my hand back to human and looked inside.
It was exactly what I was looking for. Blocks of cocaine filled the container to the top and I could guarantee the rest of the packages were the same.
I exhaled in a long frustrated sigh. I’d had a small hope that intelligence was wrong and I would find nothing. I would have to tell Alex everything. Not only was Wilde Mountain turning into a drug ring, but the leader was none other than his own father.
My commander would be pissed, but I didn’t care. Alex deserved to know. If he wanted to be a part of the mission to take Alex Sr. down, then I wasn’t going to stop him and I didn’t think Teij would either.
After placing the box in between a few others, so as not to draw attention that someone was snooping, I took my boots off then placed my socks inside them. I swiftly peeled off my jeans, tee shirt and underwear, folding them neatly beside my boots.
The process was not painless, but it wasn’t agony either. My bones and muscles realigned as I fell to the floor on my hands and knees. My skin stretched and prickled as fur grew. I held my breath as my nose flattened. I found the feeling of air flowing through the fast changing passageway unnerving. My jaw ached as sharp fangs ripped through my gums. Only seconds passed before a golden jaguar stood in the middle of the basement instead of a human.
I stretched to get some of the kinks out from the shift and shook the tingles off my skin before calling my partner. All soldiers of the Alpha Division had a mental connection once we shifted into animal form.
My partner was waiting for confirmation.
“Leo?”
“Jordan, what you got?”
Leo’s voice was like an echo inside my head. It was always like that, as if the sound had to be pushed through layers to get inside. I supposed that was how it happened and I really didn’t care. I was just glad the connection couldn’t be used to read thoughts.
“Mission Shadow Seek completed and confirmed.”
“Good job. Did everything go smoothly?”
“No. Suspect killed. Looked like a hired hit. I’m getting out of here as we speak.”
“Damn! Fill me in later, Jordan. Just get the hell out of there.”
“See you in ten.”
I quickly shifted back to human and got dressed. Climbing the stairs quickly, I exited the basement, locking the door behind me. When I reached the living room, I couldn’t help but stop and look once more at Layla. Her form lay still and silent.
For some reason I was expecting her to get up, her wounds to be healing. It had to be the sex making me think that way. One minute we were intimate, the next she was dead. My brain was having a hard time wrapping itself around that.
I remembered her saying she had something to tell me. Was she going to confess to working with Alexander? Would she have let me help her? I cursed myself. I would have been able to talk to her if I hadn’t had my head full of Sam.
I shook my head. I had to get out of there. Nothing could be done for Layla, but catch her murderer and that was a done deal. I gave Layla one last regretful look and got the hell out.
~ 15 ~
Sam
It had been a couple of weeks and I had not seen Jordan again since that one time when Alex was carrying me to the bathroom. I had heard him occasionally talking with Alex. Their voices were always too low for me to make out what they were saying, but I definitely felt some tension there.
Sometimes I would swear I saw someone standing in the doorway, yet every time I looked up, there was no one. I briefly wondered if it was Jordan and thought maybe he would come in and talk to me soon. When he never did, I realized the person I was seeing was probably Alex checking in on me.
He, on the other hand had not kept his distance, even after that disastrous kiss. My cheeks burned remembering how wantonly my body reacted to his touch. I had tried my best to put up a cool front, but it was getting more and more difficult.
Alex wore me down day by day, sitting with me when I was restless, talking, watching movies, reading to each other. We ate almost every meal together. He even started asking about the baby. Small inquiries, like, ‘How’s baby girl today?’ and ‘Is little Ava trying to kick her way out?’
Bath times were the same. He talked to me as if it was no big deal that I was sitting naked in a tub. My body continued to react to every touch he granted me with, but thankfully, he always kept his distance.
We had not had any more serious conversations since I told him why I lied about terminating the pregnancy. That would not last, I knew. He seemed to be determined, but what exactly he wanted was a mystery. He was either just trying to make a bad situation better by being friendly or he wanted to be part of the baby’s life.
I panicked a little when I thought of being around Alex for the baby’s sake. I would have to see him, often, watch him interact with our baby girl. He would be an amazing, loving father. I knew, because he was a good man, a caring man, who would never love me as he would love this child growing in my womb.
I roughly wiped a stray tear off my cheek, chastising myself for such selfish thoughts. It would be a wonderful thing if Alex wanted to know his little girl and I would do nothing to stop him. No matter how I felt about him or Jordan, I would keep a brave face for my child.
“Knock, knock,” came a familiar voice from the open doorway.
I wiped my face quickly and gave Alex a bright smile. It must not have been convincing. Alex strode to the bed where I lay, his eyebrows lowered in concern.
“Sam, are you alright?”
“Oh, yeah,” I waved my hand in the air as if it was no big deal. “Hormones, you know. Nothing to worry about,” I mumbled.
He nodded thoughtfully. “I read about that. Is there anything I can do?”
I gave him a small smile, even as tears threatened to fall once more. He was so kind to look after me and his generosity was making it much more difficult to keep my head clear. I could easily fall into his arms and beg him to love me.
I looked away ashamed at what my hormones were doing to me. My body felt on fire, ready for his touch at a moment’s notice, yet my emotions were everywhere. I couldn’t decide between attacking him and demanding him to fuck me, or cry my eyes out.
He came closer, leaning down and rested his palm against my cheek, his thumb wiping away a fresh tear. I looked up at his handsome face and could not fight any longer. His lips were so close and I could smell his warm breath against my cheek.
I closed my eyes and crushed my mouth against his in a demanding kiss. At first he froze, making no motion to kiss me back, but as my tongue slid across his bottom lip, his mouth opened. The kiss was fierce, a taking of mouths.
He brought his other hand up to hold my face in both palms, but I grabbed one wrist and brought it down to my aching breast. I moaned as he squeezed gently, his thumb brushing against my hard nipple. My back arched into his touch and then he was gone.
I whimpered my displeasure and opened my eyes to see him stepping back. I was practically panting with want as I blinked at him in confusion. Then the fog began to clear and I realized how right he was for stopping the kiss.
If we had contin
ued, I would have hated myself afterward. Then I thought that maybe we could still have sex. We did the no strings thing before, why not do it again, one more time? My body was craving his touch too much to think clearly.
Then I remembered why I broke things off to begin with. My love for him was unrequited. Could I handle more heartache? My mind was spinning with too many decisions. He was right to step away.
“You’re right,” I voiced my thoughts. “We shouldn’t do that.”
“No, we shouldn’t. Not right now anyway.”
Alex wasn’t even breathing hard and it made me realize what a fool I had been. I had thought from our previous kiss that he might still want me, but it was obvious the attraction was not near as strong as I thought it was.
“I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. I do want you, but not like this.” He ran both hands through his hair as he stared at me intently. “I’ve read about pregnancy remember? Your hormones are out of control right now and you don’t know what you want.”
I knew his words were dead on and I hated him for it. My anger rose in a flash and I blew up.
“You think you know everything! Reading a fucking book does not make you an expert on pregnancy! You want to see hormones? I’ll show you hormones!”
I grabbed my book off the nightstand and threw it with all my strength right at his egotistical head. Alex stood there in shock and did not duck as I thought he would. The book smacked him square in the face, falling to the floor with a thump. My mouth dropped open and I wanted to apologize immediately, but his angry expression only fired me up more.
“Get out!” I yelled.
“I guess I was right. Your hormones are screwed up.”
A growl ripped from my throat at his mocking smile. I gasped at the frightening sound. Never had I growled before. It sounded feral, animalistic. Maybe Alex was more right than I knew. Pregnancy was making me crazy.
Alex’s smile only got bigger. “I have to run to the store. I shouldn’t be long. Maybe you will have calmed down by the time I get back.”