How could this be possible?
Even though her brain screamed at her to run she forced herself to kneel on the throw rug covering the hardwood floor and tentatively reached out for him. When she petted the side of his face, he licked her hand then nuzzled it.
Whatever fear she’d felt dissipated. Well, almost. This was too weird. Drawing her hand back, she sat on the couch once again. As Grant shifted back to his human form she couldn’t think of anything semi-intelligent to say.
When he was back and standing naked in front of her, his dark eyes searched hers. “Are you okay? I’m sure you must have a lot of questions.”
Uh, no she wasn’t okay. She didn’t know what she was. But she did have questions. A lot of them. All she knew right now was this wasn’t fake. It was real. She couldn’t refute the evidence. And she didn’t know how she felt about that.
Swallowing, she found her voice. “You said someone tried to kill you the other night?”
A pause stretched between them but he finally nodded. “Two vampires caught me off guard after I dropped you off. I killed them both but one stabbed me. There was poison on the blade and it knocked me unconscious until a few hours ago.”
Her annoyance with him immediately faded to be replaced by concern. She wanted to be angry but if he’d been unconscious, he couldn’t have contacted her. “But you’re okay?” The thought of him dying sent a shiver of fear rolling through her. Try as she might, it was hard to imagine a world without Grant. Or her life without him for that matter.
“I’m fine. I promise.” His voice had softened a few notches.
“So everyone I work with is a…shifter? Even Sarah?”
He nodded.
Her heart rate picked up. Holy shit. All this time and she hadn’t had a clue. “Why’d you hire me then if I’m not one of you?”
His smile was grim as he tugged his jeans back on. She knew it was crazy but she was a little sad when he covered all that exposed flesh. “I couldn’t not. The second you walked into the bar looking for work I told Max to hire you and give you any shifts you wanted. I don’t know what it was, but I was instantly pulled to you.”
“Oh.” She chewed on that for a moment but thought of another question. “So, are you really old or something? I always thought vampires and werewolves were immortal—not that I actually believed in them until now, but according to the movies…”
Suddenly he looked uncomfortable as he sat down. “I’m almost two hundred years old but I’m not immortal. If I don’t get killed beforehand, I’ll likely live to be about a thousand. Maybe longer. It’s not an exact science.”
Okay, then. More craziness for her brain to digest. “So what am I? A passing fling? How could things ever work between us if you’re that old and still look, well, like you do?” He didn’t look a day over thirty.
He shifted against the seat. “That’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. I’d wanted to wait, but I can’t anymore.” His eyes held hers with magnetic force. “I want to take you as my mate, Talia. I want to mark you and claim you so that everyone knows you’re mine.”
“Your mate?” What did that even mean?
He nodded, every inch the confident leader he claimed he was. “If I take you as my own, I’ll bite you as we make love. It might hurt a little but once I draw blood and mark you, every supernatural being out there will know you belong to me.”
“Belong to you?” She didn’t like the sound of that. Did supernatural beings have different rules than humans?
He nodded. “Just like I’ll belong to you. Once we mate—if we do—your aging will slow to match mine.”
More holy crap! That meant she’d live as long as him. Trying to wrap her mind around that was too much at the moment. “So…you want to mate with me?”
He swallowed hard but nodded again. “It’s the equivalent of human marriage.”
“Oh…oh.” All the air left her lungs in one whoosh, as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She knew she loved him, but he’d never once made any declarations like that toward her.
Grant scrubbed a hand over his face then closed the distance between them and sat inches away from her on the loveseat. He grabbed her hand and squeezed tight. “I love you, Talia. I have for a long time.”
Okay, another invisible punch to her stomach. Her heart fluttered wildly at his statement. It was damn near impossible to catch her breath when he kept dropping these bombs.
He just continued. “I hope you trust me when I say the sole reason I haven’t called the past couple days is because I’ve been unconscious or believe me, I’d have called.”
The lump in her throat threatened to choke her. He’d been unconscious. Helpless. Fighting for his life. She could have lost him forever.
“When you told me things needed to change between us I wanted to deny it, but you’re right. I’ve been hiding behind my position in the pack and what I am since I met you as an excuse to keep you at a certain distance. I know I’ve told you that my father was a brutal bastard but he was more so than you’ll ever understand. Loving anyone was considered a weakness to him and I saw what it did to my mother—” Breaking off, he shook his head but remained focused on her. “But I love you and I want to share everything with you. I want you by my side all the time and I want to be able to share every aspect of my life with you. No more secrets.”
She sucked in a deep breath and tried to sort through everything he’d just said. So, her boyfriend and lover turned into an animal on occasion? As she stared into his loving brown eyes she realized that didn’t matter. She didn’t have any family so at least she wouldn’t have any to worry about keeping any secrets from anyone. “No more of this bullshit where we don’t talk for days at a time?”
“No more.” He growled in that seductive way she loved and instantly her panties dampened. Leaning forward, he lightly nuzzled her neck and tweaked her earlobe between his teeth.
She shuddered as he lightly tugged on her and couldn’t stop the way her nipples instantly hardened at his brief touch.
“Move in with me, Talia. I know the mating topic is sudden and you’ll need time to make a decision but I want you to live with me. I want to come home to you every night and I want to wake up to you by my side every morning. I don’t want anything between us.”
“Yes.” The word popped out before she could think about the ramifications of her answer. “You’re right, I do need time to think about this whole mating thing, and well, everything you’ve just told me, but I love you too Grant. So much it kind of scares me.”
Grant didn’t let her get another word out. Not that talking was exactly heavy on her mind right now. The man had just told her he loved her and wanted her to move in with him. That he wanted to be with her forever. Yeah, they might have a ton more to discuss and she might be nervous as hell about the fact that her lover could turn into a wolf, but damn, she loved him. If he trusted her enough to tell her this huge, crazy secret then it was hard to doubt his feelings for her.
When his mouth covered hers, all she could think about was stripping naked and feeling his thick cock slide deep inside her.
As she reached to wrap her arms around his neck, he scooped her up and headed for her bedroom. Or she assumed that’s where he was going. She didn’t open her eyes as she rubbed her body against his and returned his kisses. All she wanted to do right now was stop thinking and feel. Lose herself in the heat Grant always created in her.
He hadn’t bothered putting his shirt back on after he’d stripped down and shifted for her and now she was thankful. The feel of all that hard muscle under her fingertips made her shiver. If only she didn’t have a dress on. Right now she wanted to feel her breasts pressed up against his chest. Skin on skin.
Suddenly she was falling through the air but before panic could set in her back hit something soft and fluffy. All the air from her comforter whooshed out as she landed on her bed.
And Grant’s eyes had darkened as he stared at her. “Strip.” H
ow he could pack so much emotion into one word was beyond her, but he certainly had.
The man was hungry. About to lose control. All because of her.
Her pussy was so wet just thinking about it. Still, she wanted to tease him a little. He deserved it. Pushing up on her knees, she toyed with the hem of her dress then let it fall back down. “You want this to come off?”
Narrowing his eyes, he stripped off his jeans once again. His cock sprang free and he made a move toward her but she scooted back farther on the bed. When she did, she reached around and tugged the zipper of her dress down.
It slackened around her but she still didn’t make a move to bare herself to him. Teasing him was too much fun. Especially when he got that determined I-want-you-right-now look on his face. It made her feel powerful that she could bring out such a reaction in that strong of a man.
“You think this is funny?” he rasped out as he knelt on the end of the bed.
She couldn’t help the light laugh that escaped. “A little.” She started to pull her dress back up again, ready to pull it over her head and put him out of his misery when he moved toward her with lightning speed.
One second he was kneeling in front of her ready to pounce, the next he was flat on his back and his head was between her spread legs.
He grabbed onto her thighs and without asking, tugged her pussy down to his face. His calloused hands slid up her legs and gripped them tight, holding her in place. Not that she planned to go anywhere.
She stared down at his cock from her position and smiled. This was going to be fun.
Shoving her thong out of the way, he ran a finger along her slit and moaned. She could feel the vibration against her sensitive skin all the way to her toes. The moment her wet slit touched his lips, he began his delicious assault.
Her inner walls clenched as he ran his tongue up her folds in long, languid strokes. That one light touch and she was ready to start riding his face with no shame. The position was different but she liked it. They hadn’t done this in a while. Wanting her mouth around his cock, she grabbed her dress and tugged it off.
Then she leaned forward and braced one of her hands on the bed underneath him. With her other hand, she fisted his hard length and took the crown of him between her lips. The moment her tongue stroked him, his hips jerked up.
She felt the rumble of enjoyment that emanated from him all throughout her own body. But he didn’t stop what he was doing or even pause in his teasing.
His tongue licked her pussy with determination until he finally settled on her clit. The moment he found that bundle of nerves, he zeroed in on it and lightly sucked it between his teeth. Then he released the bud and once again circled it with his tongue.
The on-again off-again torture had her legs quivering. The need to climax was strong, but she didn’t want his mouth when she came. She wanted the feel of his hardness filling her. After everything he’d told her tonight, shown her about himself, she still couldn’t believe how much he was trusting her. It touched her on a primal level that he trusted her enough with such a huge secret. She knew she’d never find another man like him as long as she lived. No one turned her on the way he did and no one made her feel as alive as he did.
Grant savored the taste of Talia’s pussy as he torturously licked her. She let out little mewling sounds each time he stroked her and the vibration rolled over his cock as she sucked him.
Having her above him like this was one of his favorite positions. He loved it when she spread herself wide and sat on his face. Either facing toward his cock or turned the other way, it didn’t matter. As long as he got to taste her. There was nothing in the world like Talia.
She’d gotten under his skin in the worst way and he knew he could never let her go. Her reaction to his confession still stunned him. Part of him had braced for her to run screaming from the house when he admitted everything to her. Especially when he shifted to his wolf form.
To be in bed with her once again now that she knew the truth about him…it floored him.
When she shimmied a little lower and sucked his cock deeper into her mouth, he couldn’t stop his hips from rolling upward. But he didn’t want to come in her mouth. Not this time. Maybe later once he’d had his fill of her sweet pussy.
Pulling his head back from her open legs, he reached up and grabbed onto her waist. She let out a tiny yelp as he slid her off his body and ducked out from underneath her. On her hands and knees, he didn’t give her a chance to move from that position.
This was exactly how he wanted her. He loved seeing her in this submissive position, even if nothing about her was submissive.
As he held onto her hips and rubbed his hard length along the seam of her ass, she wiggled against him then glanced over her shoulder. Her dark hair spilled down her back and the glint in her eyes made him tense up everywhere. He didn’t want this to be over too soon but right now he needed to be inside her like he needed his next breath.
A drop of pre-cum gathered at the tip of his cock, silently weeping to be inside Talia already.
Keeping his gaze on hers, he ran a hand down her smooth back until he ran his palm over her ass. When he did, her eyes darkened. “Fuck me,” she whispered.
She rarely talked dirty in the bedroom. Just hearing those two words made his entire body tense up. Gripping her hips in a hold he knew would likely leave marks, he centered his cock at her entrance and thrust inside her.
The moment he did, her head fell forward and she let out a soft sigh. Her inner walls clenched around him, holding him like a satin fist.
He knew if he pounded into her the way his body demanded, he’d come too soon. And he wanted her to feel pleasure before he did. Leaning forward, he pushed deeper inside her and held still.
Her sheath tightened and pulsed around him. Sliding his hands up her hips and ribcage, he paused only when he reached the fullness of her breasts. From this angle he could cup them perfectly. Holding on to both of them, he began lightly massaging the mounds.
When she moaned again, his hips jerked and her pussy tightened even harder around him. He pinched her nipples between his thumb and forefinger and lightly rolled them until the buds were rock hard. Though he couldn’t see them, he knew her pink nipples would be a darker shade, closer to a rosy red right now.
Closing his eyes, he continued rubbing them until she began pushing back against him, trying to force him to move. The feel of her ass grinding against his body and her pussy tightening around him was too much. From the way her vaginal walls were tightening around his cock in rapid contractions, he knew she was close.
It would only take a little stimulation to push her over the edge. Withdrawing one of his hands, he slid it down her taut stomach until he reached between her legs. “I want you to come for me, sweetheart,” he practically growled at her, unable to keep the urgency out of his voice. Not only did he want it, he needed it. After being apart from her and afraid he might have lost her for good, he needed to give her this as much for her as for himself.
As he began stroking her clit, her entire body jolted and her pussy squeezed harder. He increased his rhythm and she cried out his name. Clutching the sheets, she arched her back and climaxed around him with an almost violent shout. It happened so fast, he hadn’t expected it.
Something primitive inside him stirred at her release.
Her juices soaked him as she reached the peak of her pleasure. Continuing to stroke her, he started thrusting inside her. Slowly at first, but his thrusts grew faster the more she tightened around him. Her orgasm continued the harder he moved until he couldn’t tell the difference between her slickness and his own release. Emptying himself into her, he fisted her hips and kept pounding until he was blindly driving against her.
Eventually he managed to control himself and gently pulled from her body. She let out a small sigh as he did but he quickly turned her over and pulled her against his body as he lay back against her pillows.
The desire to hold her close and remind
himself she was real was almost overwhelming. Stroking his hand down her back, he sighed in appreciation to be embracing her once again. The thought of waking and seeing her face every morning almost seemed too surreal. Too perfect. “You’re sure about moving in with me?” he asked quietly, hating the way his body tensed as he waited for her answer.
He felt her lips curve against his chest. “Mm hmm,” she murmured. Then she pulled back and looked up at him, a mischievous smile on her face. “But you’re going to have to make room for all my stuff. I have a lot of shoes.”
Grinning, he kissed her forehead. Making room for her certainly wouldn’t be a chore. He finally felt as if his life was complete. As if something had been missing for so long and now he understood what that was. Her.
She might need time to decide to let him mate with her, but in his heart she was officially his. The fact that she hadn’t freaked out when she’d discovered what he was and better yet, still wanted to give him a second chance, he knew it was only a matter of time before he marked and claimed her. Then he’d spend the next few hundred years making sure she never forgot how much she meant to him.
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The End
About the Author
Savannah Stuart writes contemporary erotic romance often with a touch of intrigue, suspense, or the paranormal and the one thing she always includes is a happy ending. She lives in the South within walking distance of the beach with her very own real life hero and a couple of turtles who have adopted them. For more information on Savannah, please visit her website.
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Keep reading for a preview of author Katie Reus’s sexy new romantic suspense novella, KILLER SECRETS. Available Now.
Killer Secrets
Copyright © 2011 Katie Reus
Eve Newman pressed her back up against one of the stone pillars at the entrance to the Underwood’s long, winding driveway. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was doing here but for the tenth time in the last hour she regretted her decision to put any credence to that anonymous email. ‘Want the story of the year? Underwood mansion. Nine o’clock. Tonight. Don’t trust anyone and don’t be seen.’
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