Break Her Fall

by JoAnna Grace

  “Kiss me,” Ami whispered. She pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his. It took him a moment, but Ezekiel relaxed into her embrace.

  “Ami.” He sighed and put his forehead to hers. He shuddered and let out a heavy breath.

  Look at him; he’s in pain, her cat cried. Comfort him. Love him. Amilynn cradled Ezekiel’s face in her hands and locked her lips to his, nibbling and licking at his sensual mouth. A wave of his mating scent washed over her, soaking into her skin and heating her down to her bones. She buried her hands in his thick black hair and deepened their kiss.

  Ezekiel’s hand tightened on her neck before he cupped her cheek. The weight of his body increased and felt good against her, so natural and right.

  “I’m dying over here, baby.” Ezekiel panted against her lips, their breath mingling. “Your mouth is too tempting.”

  Amilynn licked at his lips and bit his chin. “If you think my mouth is tempting, just wait until I have my legs wrapped around your head.”

  He groaned a curse and dove into kissing her. Such passion, such amazing virility he possessed. Ami tugged at his shirt, needing skin-to-skin contact. Ezekiel shucked his shirt and she ran her hands over the ridges and planes of his chest.

  Now this is an amazing body.

  Ezekiel trailed his lips over her neck. The graze of his kiss weakened her defenses. Her body tingled with every touch. Ami closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of his hand sliding under her shirt. The fabric slid up over her chest and she lifted her arms to take it off. Her bra joined her shirt on the floor.

  Her mate stared down at her naked breasts with untamed desire flashing in his eyes. “You’re so beautiful, Ami. Absolute perfection.” He cupped one breast and bent to take her in his mouth.

  Amilynn caved under his masterful hands. So this is what it’s like to want a man to touch you. She could’ve lounged on that bed forever, letting him feast on her. Ezekiel inched downward on the bed and kissed at her stomach, tickling her. She flinched and giggled, earning her the most alluring grin.

  “Ticklish, pussycat?” he asked with a deep, lust-thick voice.

  Ezekiel lightly ran his fingers over her leopard print tattoo. The pattern ran up her right torso from her hipbone to just below her breast. “What does this say?” he asked about the words flowing between the spots.

  “My grandfather did this tattoo. It’s Shoshone, his native language. It means never cage a wild spirit. You know, the Shoshone people believed in Wolf, a creator god.” Ami swallowed as Ezekiel looked into her eyes and placed a line of kisses over the words. The lightest touch of his lips set her skin on fire. Her heart pounded in her chest, her core clenched in anticipation. “My grandfather said I should never let myself be tamed, except by love.”

  “Wise words.” Ezekiel ran a finger along the waistband of her cotton pants. His hand landed on her hip and squeezed. “I happen to love your wild spirit.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Ami feathered her fingers through his black hair. She luxuriated in the feel of his hair against her skin. No doubt it would feel tantalizing against her inner thighs.

  “There may be a lot of questions between us, Amilynn, but never doubt how much I adore every facet of you. Especially your wild side.” He lowered his head and bit her sex through her cotton pants. She nearly came off the bed.

  She was so sensitive, so amped up and ready for him. Bum leg or not, she wanted her mate. Now. She pushed at her pants, needing them to disappear fast.

  “What about your leg, pussycat?”

  “I’m flexible. We’ll work around it.” She lifted her left leg until it was up against her chest, essentially doing the splits.

  Ezekiel’s eyebrows rose high and he whistled a descending note. “That’s impressive.” He kicked off his shoes and slid off his pants, revealing an erection that made Amilynn’s mouth water.

  “That’s impressive.”

  Ezekiel helped her pull off her pants, careful not to tug on the bandages. Then they were naked before one another; she on the bed, him kneeling between her legs. God, her cat chose a beast of a man for its mate and the human side of her salivated to taste him. She wanted to feel him inside of her, filling her, body and soul. Ami had never allowed herself to feel anything for men. But now, the possible emotional intimacy of sex both thrilled and terrified her.

  What if Martin was right? What if she had sex with Ezekiel and it felt like every other time? What if she hated herself afterward, or worse . . . hated him? What if he didn’t want her after he’d sampled the goods?

  “Amilynn,” Ezekiel said with a snap. “Whatever you’re thinking, shut it up.” He leaned down, the heat of his skin enveloping her body. He was careful not to touch her leg. Ami met his lips, luxuriating in the passion he conveyed in his kiss. He touched every dip and curve of her body; his hands were gentle and kind.

  Ami could feel him, hard and pulsating, between her legs. She bucked her hips, urging him to push forward, but he didn’t. He continued teasing her with his fingers and his tongue until she thought she might explode if he didn’t get inside her.

  “Z. Please,” she gasped when he slid two fingers in her sex, testing her readiness.

  He moaned. “You’re so wet, Ami. Oh my God.”

  “Then stop teasing me.” Ami gripped his buttocks and urged him forward. The tips of her claws came out and he yelped and then started laughing.

  “Yes, ma’am. No need to get catty.”

  Ami giggled and closed her eyes, ready for his invasion.

  “Stay with me, Ami,” he said. “Look at me.”

  Look at him? During sex? She never looked at her partners during sex. It was too intimate, too personal.

  However, this wasn’t simply some random guy. This was her mate. This was the man she would make love to for the rest of her existence. Ami opened her eyes and locked gazes with Ezekiel as he slid into her one thick inch at a time.

  She gasped as her body adjusted to him. It was like he was created to fit her. Ezekiel set a pace that stoked a fire within. Suddenly, her cat was involved, recognizing the joining of its mate. Ami ran her hands over his chest and around his wide shoulders. How did she luck out by claiming a man as sexy as Z? Not only was he eye candy, but he was a generous lover. The intensity in his eyes as he made love to her dredged up feelings she didn’t think she possessed any longer.

  “You feel so good, pussy cat,” he said. “Your smile, your heart, your ferocity. I’m all messed up over you. Sometimes, I can’t believe you’re mine.”

  The sweet words he whispered to her made her feel cherished and beautiful. His moans and pants gave her deep satisfaction. I do this to him. I turn him inside out like this.

  “Z.” Ami touched his cheek, her chest squeezing tight. Even though her body was in sync with his, her hips rocking to meet him stroke for stroke, Ami’s mind overflowed with vulnerable emotions she didn’t know if she could handle. Was this possible? Could she really have found a man who would love her in the way Melissa loved Tyrone, the way Kasey loved Vivian? One day, they might be like Sampson and Bianca, so in tune with one another even after twenty years. Never again would she feel used and cheap or take a stranger to bed. Never again would she walk away from a night of sex feeling dirty or unsatisfied. Ezekiel would love her for the rest of her life.

  Her vision blurred and she blinked her eyes clear again.

  “Ami,” Ezekiel said, increasing his thrusts. “God, you’re so fucking perfect. How could I not love you?”

  She couldn’t decide whether she was going to cry or orgasm. Her body tightened and fire raged in her bloodstream. Ami wrapped her arms around Ezekiel and pulled him down to her chest. Their mouths met in a frantic mingling of tongues.

  “Mark me,” she panted, angling her neck so he had better access.

  Ezekiel’s head jerked back and he paused his hips. “Are—are you sure? We don’t have to rush.”

  “You don’t want to?” Ami’s breath hitched.

  “H
ell, yeah, I do. But I thought you didn’t want to be marked.” His eyes were wide and he was nearly out of breath. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were swollen from their kiss. Ezekiel had never looked sexier.

  More importantly, Amilynn had never felt more beautiful than she did in his arms. Night after night, she’d danced and performed for hundreds—maybe thousands—of men, all of which were screwing her in their minds. To them, she was nothing more than cheap entertainment.

  Ezekiel made her fresh and new from the inside out. He ran a finger down her cheek and slowly kissed her lips. His touch was more like a tease, a soft caress that she felt in her soul. Over the last few weeks, she’d run hard and fast, but she found out running from a mate was pointless.

  “I don’t want things to be the same between us. I . . .” She swallowed hard. “ . . . I want to be the kind of mate you’re proud to have.” Amilynn blinked the moisture from her eyes.

  Ezekiel’s shoulders slumped, and he dropped his head to her chest. “Amilynn, you already are.” He ran his fingers through her hair and cupped the back of her head. “I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Open your mind fully to me, Ami. You’ll see exactly how I feel about you.” He picked up the rhythm of his strokes and nuzzled his nose at her throat.

  Heat and electricity gathered in her core. Ami was more in tune with her partner than ever and yet she had more to give. The thought of letting Ezekiel in her mind like true mates scared the shit out of her. He would see her innermost fears and thoughts. If she allowed, he would sense her emotions. Ezekiel would never use her fears against her, but that didn’t mean she was ready for her soul to be laid out on the table.

  “It’s okay, pussycat.” He smiled down at her. “Just give me this right now. Trust me with your body and your heart will follow.” He kneaded her breast and plucked at her nipple, sending a shockwave through her limbs. Having his hands on her body did strange things to her insides. Who would’ve thought she would crave a man’s touch?

  “Z!” Her orgasm rose, starting in her feet and traveling up her legs, straight to her core. As she cried out, Ezekiel’s canines elongated and he bit into the curve of her shoulder. “Ah.” Pain and pleasure mingled, crashing into her with another orgasm. Stars danced in her vision and she gripped Ezekiel’s hair and back.

  He rammed into her body, harder and deeper now, his own release building fast. Ezekiel threw his head back. An animalistic growl rose in his throat and sent another shockwave through her. His massive body shuddered and quaked. He met her eyes, his mouth open on a final moan. He closed his eyes and collapsed.

  It took him a moment to catch his breath. “Damn, baby. If our sex is this good when you’re injured, I can’t wait to see you at one hundred percent. I might not survive.”

  Ezekiel licked over her skin where he had marked her. He was so gentle, and yet he set her body on fire. Her leopard purred with satisfaction. Marked. She was officially his mate. God help them both. There was no going back. Not without dire consequences to their animals. Was she ready for this commitment? What happened when she allowed Ezekiel in her head and he saw all the men, all the horrible things she’d done. Would he regret his decision? Oh God, what if he changed his mind? What if he didn’t want a whore as a mate? Ami’s fears crept in like a disease.

  “Stop. Whatever negative thoughts you’re having, shut it up.” Ezekiel kissed her hard. “Stay with me, Ami.”

  Her breath came in short pants and, if she didn’t know better, she might have thought she was having a panic attack. Her eyes filled with tears and, this time, they flowed down her cheeks.

  “Ami, you’re killing me. Please don’t cry. Is it your leg?” He shifted his weight, but Ami threw her arms around his neck and held him close to her, their chests against each other. “Hey, talk to me, pussycat.”

  She couldn’t speak. She had no words, none that expressed the true depth of her emotions. Instead, she held him as tight as she could and soaked up the scent of his skin, the warmth of his body pressed against her, the feel of him still inside her.

  No matter what happens, Ami, I’m with you. I’m on your side, in your corner. Let me love you. Ezekiel sent the message over and over to her leopard.

  There was just so much inside her that he had unearthed. Emotions like this were beaten out of her so long ago. She wasn’t supposed to be vulnerable to men. She was created to be dominant over them, to rule and manipulate them. No one ever showed her how to love, how to accept love, how to put someone else’s needs before her own. How could she possibly be expected to handle this rush of new stimulation?

  “Doesn’t this scare you?” she whispered. Ami kept him pinned to her chest, her face buried in his neck. He was still for a moment before he pulled out of her and moved off the bed, again, careful of her injured leg. Which was hurting like a bitch, thank you very much.

  Ezekiel gave her the glorious view of his full naked body. Wide shoulders slimmed down onto a trim waist and an ass one could drive nails with. She was mesmerized with the muscles of his thighs as he disappeared into her bathroom. He came back out with a damp cloth and she got the full frontal. Holy shit. That was hers. All that. This picture of physical perfection had just been inside her and she’d been so caught up in the emotions of their joining that she missed the sweet sight of his naked body.

  Yeah, she was going to have to lick up all that later.

  IT KILLED HIM to slip out of her, but Ezekiel wanted to look her in the eyes. He needed to understand what was going on with his mate. He retrieved a warm damp cloth from the bathroom and took his time cleaning her up, an action that had her blushing like a schoolgirl. Then he crawled up next to his sweet Ami and propped up his head so they could talk.

  “Yes,” he said. “It scares me.” Ezekiel pushed a strand of loose hair from her face. “It scared me when my wolf claimed you because I just knew you were going to kill me.” Ami chuckled through her tears and he smiled down at her. “I’m worried what’s going to happen when your old alpha catches up. Mainly because I know you’re going to be on the front lines of that battle. I’d never try to hold you back, but that doesn’t mean I like it.” He cupped her cheek and rubbed his nose against hers. The smell of her skin calmed him. “I’m scared of loving you and then losing you.” He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s the risk of mating a dominant and deadly female, I guess.”

  Ami placed a kiss to the center of his palm and it resonated through his heart. “There’s so much of me I wish I could hide from you. Things that I hate about myself, things that I’ve done.”

  “Trust me to handle it, okay? I’ve proved I’m here for the long haul, right? I mean, you nearly threw a knife through my eyeball, and I’m still here.”

  Amilynn’s smile turned him upside down and inside out. Damn, he loved her. But now was not the time to overload her with the L word.

  “If I wanted that knife to go through your eyeball, it would have.” She arched a brow and his arousal revived.

  “And I find that very attractive. So I’m pretty sure that means I’m crazy over you.” Ezekiel leaned in to kiss her. He could lose hours, even days, lost in the way she kissed him.

  “Can I confess something?” She panted against his moist lips. He nodded, unable to find his voice. “I’ve never really liked kissing.” He flinched. “But I think I could kiss you forever. I can’t ever get enough.”

  Ezekiel let out a heavy breath. “I was just thinking that same thing.”

  “When I’m over this leg injury, I plan on letting you benefit from my experience. My past does have its perks.” Ami’s hand traveled down his chest, over his abs, and wrapped around his growing erection.

  His thighs clenched and he hissed. Her hand worked magic on his cock while her tongue worked magic on his mouth. “Ami, oh God.” It didn’t take long for her to make him orgasm again. He collapsed on his back, panting. “You’re going to kill me. I knew it. I just didn’t know how until right now.”

  Their laughter faded into a long,
comfortable silence. When Ami spoke again, he didn’t move lest he break the flow of her words.

  “Alex was my first real boyfriend. The Pride kids all went to public schools and I met him my sophomore year. He bought me a charm bracelet on my sixteenth birthday. It had ballerina shoes and music notes and a peridot, my birthstone. He said it fit me because peridot symbolizes intense happiness and protection.”

  Ezekiel rolled on his side so he could watch her face as she spoke. She didn’t look at him, though. She kept her eyes on the ceiling. He could see the corner of her mouth turn up at the memories of this Alex guy. Knowing what he did, Ezekiel was thankful this guy gave her something to smile about during that time in her life.

  “Alex was human and he liked to ask questions about the seclusion of our Pride. He never knew we were shifters; he only thought we were some religious group. Fanatics or something. He was a good person. Sweet, kind, honest. And for some insane reason, he was crazy about me. I’d never had someone dote on me like that. He didn’t mind that we had to hide our relationship. Ty knew, Mel knew. They would help me see him.

  “I remember watching how Tyrone was about Melissa, ya know? That focused determination to be with her, the near obsessive affection. Of course, Alex wasn’t my mate. He couldn’t be and I knew that. The Nevada Pride didn’t mix with humans. Period. It was just so easy to be around him.” Ami looked over at him, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “He was my first. I loved him, I did, as much as a sixteen-year-old could understand love.” She turned back to the ceiling. “I was afraid that my father had caught on to us. He started asking me exactly where I was going before I left the house. His buddies would randomly show up if I was in town. Our time had run out and I knew, for Alex’s sake, I had to end it. My father was trying hard to get in good with the powers that be and Brian had already approached him about me. I had Brian’s attentions and he saw something in me he wanted.” Ami let out a deep breath and Ezekiel reached for her hand. “After a training session with Brian, I snuck off to meet Alex so I could end it. He was so confused, so upset. He kept telling me he loved me and that we could run away together. Sometimes, I think I should’ve. I kissed him goodbye and, suddenly, we were hit with headlights. My father and Brian had followed me.” Ami’s lip quivered and she closed her eyes tight.