by Jenika Snow
Closing her eyes and breathing out as euphoria washed though, all of that was tossed away when she heard his angry curse. “Motherfucker.” The hoarse, furious sounding voice that came from the bathroom had her pushing herself up and staring at the partially shut door. The sound of water running followed his words, and then he opened the door and stood there for a moment. He was nude with the bathroom light shadowing the front half of him. Of course she could still see the monster between his legs. Even flaccid it was impressive. He swore again, tightened his hand on the rag he held, and stalked to the edge of the bed.
“What?” Oh God. Did he regret it or something? “What’s wrong?” She almost regretted saying the words. He was staring at the mattress for several long moments so she was starting to become uncomfortable. “Okay, well maybe I should go?” Why in the world did she phrase it like a question? Oh, yeah, because she honestly hoped he asked her to stay the night, or told her he wanted to see her again, or anything that wouldn’t make her feel like an idiot. Before she could move from the bed he sat down and sighed heavily.
“Fuck.”
She jumped at that lone word. He barked it out, and her skin tightened. What in the hell could be so wrong that would make him this angry?
“It broke.” He turned and looked at her, and the seriousness in his expression had her heart pounding and sweat breaking out across her brow. It only took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. She rushed to the bathroom, not caring that the less than favorable parts of her body were jiggling away. She grabbed a towel, got it wet, and started cleaning herself off. Sure enough, that wetness she had felt just moments ago was not from her arousal, but from the damn condom breaking. Shit and double shit. Ary knew the odds of this turning into anything was pretty slim, but she also knew her fertile time was only days away. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub she let her head fall into her hands and breathed out. She sensed Charlie before he said anything.
“This is bad.” She was talking to herself, but knew he heard nonetheless.
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Lifting her head and looking at him, Ary still grew warm in all the right places as he leaned against the doorframe naked. His dick lay against his tree-trunk sized thigh, and with his arms crossed over his chest and his forearms and biceps bunched and unrestrained, he looked like the dangerous male that had stalked into the bar earlier tonight. She needed to go, like twenty minutes ago. She stood and walked past him and back into the bedroom. Fuck, her clothes were scattered out in the living room.
“Listen, I’m going to head out.” Maybe she was overreacting, but it didn’t matter either way because she was suddenly feeling frazzled. She should have gone with her gut and not done a one-night stand. All she could think about was getting pregnant because she had been wild and reckless and done something so out of the norm, and then being left alone because a male like Charlie surely didn’t stuck around. Of course she knew nothing about him aside from the gossip said by the females in town, but what male wanted to be saddled with a female he had a one-night stand with all because the latex had broken? Ary shook her head because it was all a moot point. So what if he had come inside of her? And so what if she was far too close to her fertile time for comfort? Nothing would happen, and she was just freaking herself out. Leaving was sounding better and better, because once she was away from the powerful magnetism that surrounded Charlie the brighter this night would look. Once she was downstairs and had her clothes picked up and haphazardly put on Ary turned toward Charlie when she heard him enter the room. The stillness was a heavy presence that surrounded her, not to mention the sudden weirdness that bounced between them.
“Thank you for … tonight.” God, Ary. Smooth. Real freaking smooth. They stood there, neither saying a word. The whole situation had felt so very right at one time, and now it was so very wrong. She turned to leave, but then remembered he had driven.
He sighed heavily and said, “Come on, Kitten.” Charlie grabbed his keys off the counter, and she followed him outside. Once she was on the bike with the helmet on Charlie climbed on. He reached behind him and grabbed her hand, bringing it around his waist then doing the same to the other one. His abs clenched under her hands, and she swallowed. Her arousal started to creep through her body, and she pushed it away. Everything had gotten so weird between them, and instead of her being curled around his hard body, and in his warm bed she was feeling awkward sitting behind him as he raced down the road. The roar of the engine didn’t soothe her as it did earlier in the evening. They reached Shifty’s quickly, and a part of her was relieved while another part was disappointed. It had been several hours, and she could see her car sitting alone under the streetlamp. Candace and Melissa had driven together, and Melissa’s car was vacant. Climbing off the bike she handed Charlie the helmet, but before she could turn and escape he took hold of her hand and stopped her retreat.
“Listen, I didn’t mean to freak like that, it’s just…” He ran his hand over the back of his head. The engine stilled roared, but it seemed to fade in the distance as she stared at him.
Sighing, Ary knew that she was acting ridiculous, but she had never encountered anything like this. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” It wasn’t like he knew she was fertile in just a few days. Shifters had a great sense of smell, but they couldn’t scent something like that days away. She was at least thankful for that, because she’d really hate to see Charlie’s expression or how he’d act with that. No, nothing bad would happen, and she needed to chill the hell out. “I just freaked.” Looking at the gravel she kicked a few stones. “As hard as this may seem to believe I don’t go home with random men.” Lifting just her eyes to look at him she was surprised by the gentle expression he wore. It changed his whole demeanor.
“I know, Ary. I never thought you were easy.” The brush of his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand soothed her. “I wanted you, and I knew you wanted me. It was as simple as that.”
A one-night stand.
She had gone in knowing this, of course, but hearing him all but say it still made her feel slutty. “I just wanted you to know.” Pulling her hand away she offered him a smile. God, this is so damn strange. Is this how all one-nighters are when everything is said and done?
“Okay, well, thanks.” Ary cringed at her words and internally berated herself. She walked away, not expecting him to call her back, but feeling even shittier that he didn’t. No more going home with random men. If she had to go through this again she might be liable to shoot someone later. Once in her car she forced herself to keep her eyes anywhere but where Charlie still sat. She could hear the purr of his Harley, and like a string being pulled and forcing her gaze to his she looked at him. He sat there in all of his hotness, one hand on his thigh and one leg braced on the ground. His blue eyes regarded her curiously, and maybe if she wasn’t surrounded by metal and glass she could have scented the air to gauge his emotions. Lifting her hand in a pathetic wave she started her car and left, yet he still sat there, and she watched him disappear through her rearview mirror.
She reached for her cell in her purse and slid her finger over the screen to unlock it. She needed to talk to Melissa about everything. Although she knew Candace would have been the comforting friend she needed right now, Melissa’s quick wit and matter-of-fact attitude would slap some sense into her. She also didn’t want to freak Candace out with the gritty details of her night, but knew she had to talk about them. No, Melissa was the right one to speak to at the moment, and when she felt calmer and less frazzled she’d talk to Candace and get her thoughtful advice. The phone rang four times, and just when Ary would have hung up Melissa answered. At the sound of her friend’s heavy breathing and intimate giggles she instantly regretted making the call. How could she talk about having sex with Charlie Wylde when Melissa was no doubt sleeping with his brother right now?
“Hello? I know you’re there, Ary. I can hear your obscene breathing.” Her obscene breathing? Did Melissa not hear the way she
panted? “Come on, girl, I’m right I the middle of doing some crazy contortionist positions over here.”
Oh. God. Yeah, this was a really bad idea.
****
Charlie watched Ary drive away. He curled his hands into tight fists. He had meant to have her stay with him, wanted to ask her to, even after the whole broken condom fiasco, but he had seen the freaked-out look in her eyes and had kept his mouth shut. She was already on edge, and he knew he was to blame for that. When he went into the bathroom and realized the latex had broken he had instantly worried. It had never happened before, but then again he had never fucked a female like he had Ary. He had no doubt been rough, but then again she hadn’t complained, but had asked for more. Even now his damn cock was sore from pounding her so hard. That had his mouth forming in a smile, because fuck he wanted to do it again. Charlie wanted to do nothing for an entire day but be buried deep inside of her tight, wet heat. He wanted them so exhausted that the following day they couldn’t walk, and could only stay entwined with each other. It had only taken a few hours of feeling her clenching around his shaft for Charlie to be an addicted fiend when it came to her. He would let her run, but she wouldn’t get very far, because for the first time in Charlie’s life he wanted a female for more than one night.
Chapter Five
“I still can’t believe you let loose and fucked Charlie Wylde.” Leave it to Melissa and her foul way of stating things. Oh no, Ary’s friend couldn’t put it more eloquently, but then again that was one of the reasons she loved her so much.
“Ugh, Melissa, can you keep your voice down if you’re going to talk like that?” Candace said in a hushed voice and glanced around the small café they were currently in. A few days had passed since Ary had been with Charlie. She hadn’t spoken or seen him, although that wasn’t much of a surprise since she didn’t have his number, and hadn’t gone back to the bar.
“Candace, stop being a damn prude.”
Candace narrowed her eyes and leaned back in the chair.
“Ary, you have to tell me all the raunchy details.” Melissa took a large drink of her iced tea and seemed to be waiting expectantly.
When she had called Melissa right after she drove away from Charlie she had quickly hung up. No way was she planning on explaining everything while Melissa was naked and in bed with one some male. It turned out she hadn’t gone home with one of the Wylde brothers, but instead with a lion shifter. It had taken a few days before the three of them could get together, but now Ary was debating whether this had been a good idea. But it was too late for any of those doubts because Melissa already could tell she’d fucked Charlie, even if Ary hadn’t confirmed anything, and no way in hell would her friend let it go. Candace on the other hand was more interested in her phone all of the sudden, and the smile on her face led Ary to believe it might have something to do with her coyote shifter.
“Why don’t we talk about Candace and that coyote she was flirting with at the bar?” Melissa turned and looked at Candace. Ary mouthed “I’m sorry” to Candace when her friend pinched her lips together and tossed her phone back in her bag.
“You bitch.” Candace’s words held no heat. She sighed and glanced at Melissa. “First of all, Ary, you called us here to talk about your drama. No way in hell are you turning this around on me.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Candace is right.” They both glanced at Melissa. “But we will be getting back to you, Candace. I’ve been dying to ask you about the waiter with the tight ass anyway.” Candace groaned, but didn’t otherwise respond. Both of her friends turned and glared at February. “Well, spill it, girl.”
Ary rubbed her eyes, finding this so much harder than it actually was. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, not when the three of them had talked about sex many times before, but now, telling them about Charlie, was a hell of a lot more difficult for some reason.
“Okay.” Ary inhaled deeply and looked between them. “So, yeah, I slept with Charlie Wylde.” Melissa grinned in a way that made her think her friend was silently saying “I told you so.” Ary immediately lowered her voice and glanced around. Fortunately, no one paid them any attention.
“I knew it, you whore.” Melissa’s grinned from ear-to-ear. “You go first.”
“I go first what?”
Melissa gave her a bored look. “Pulease! You tell me the dirty details, and then I’ll spill it on Nick and the wild freaking sex we had.” Melissa took another drink and said, “I’ll even tell you the freaky shit he wanted to do.”
Ary didn’t bother responding on the whole Nick the lion shifter thing, or question her friend on why she hadn’t gone home with Bram, because she had only been on the phone with Melissa for one minute, and it had been sixty seconds too long. It seemed like Nick enjoyed talking dirty, or at least that was what she had picked up on when she heard him in the background while talking to Melissa.
“So, yeah, I was with Charlie, and it was incredible, but then…” Melissa and Candace’s eyes grew wide and they both leaned in closer. “It broke.” Candace’s brows dipped low, and she glanced at Melissa.
It didn’t take Melissa any time at all to understand what she was talking about. “Oh. My. God. Ary, what happened? Was he angry? Did he turn in to the biggest jackass? You know how those bear shifters can be, all growly and territorial, like it is the female’s fault everything in the world goes wrong.” Melissa waved down the waiter and ordered an oversized margarita. “I’m going to need some alcohol to get through this conversation.”
“Well, yeah, he freaked out, just like I did, although I think I took it to a whole other level.” The waiter came back with a big ass margarita and set it in front of Melissa. “I walked out, but then realized he drove us to his place. So after I looked like an idiot he took me back to my car.”
“So, was he an ass?” Melissa sucked down her drink and watched her. “I bet he was. Lord knows Nick was a hot piece of ass, but way too alpha and pushy for me, and that was just in bed. I hate to see how he acts with a female he’s in a relationship with.” That had Ary lifting her brows in surprise. “Yeah, I mean I like my men all controlling and whatnot, but some of the stuff he wanted to try at the end just wasn’t for me.” Melissa waved her hand in front of her. “More on that later, though. Anyway, finish up, girl.”
Ary spilled the rest of it. The more she talked the better she felt. She told them in detail how she freaked out so much because her fertile time was nearing. That little tidbit had their eyes widening even further, because any shifter female knew the full severity of the situation. Over the past few days Ary had thought long and hard about what would happen if she did end up pregnant. The chances were slim, of course, but it was still possible. When a shifter female went into heat there was a one-hundred percent probability that conception would occur. Most single males stayed away, for obvious reasons.
“Holy crap, Ary. That is serious.” Leave it to Candace to state the obvious. “What did he say when you told him? You have to know that unprotected sex even days before a shifter’s fertile cycle is dangerous.” Candace’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Oh my God.” Candace looked between them. “You could be pregnant with his cub.”
“God, Candace of course she knows that. You’re cute, but sometimes I don’t know about you.” Melissa turned her full attention back on Ary. “What did he say, and when are you going to see him again?”
Ary wasn’t going to admit that she had been thinking about him nonstop. She had one night with him, that was all, and chances were nothing unexpected would result from that mind-blowing night of sex, but a tiny voice in the back of her head kept whispering “what if”.
“Every male shifter knows that if they don’t want a kid then they better keep it in their pants when a female is ovulating. Of course I suppose if you weren’t ovulating at that time he wouldn’t have known.” Melissa’s brow dipped low, and she looked thoughtful.
Shifters senses were precise and keen, and a female in heat could be sc
ented a mile away. It was kind of like a big neon sign that hung over their head stating they were ready to procreate. “I was a couple of days away from it. I mean it wasn’t like it was flashing across my face.”
“I suppose, but still.” Melissa shrugged and sucked down more of her margarita. “What are you going to do?” That was the million dollar question.
February shrugged and picked at the bagel she’d hardly touched. “I guess just wait and see. I mean it isn’t like we weren’t staying safe. The damn thing broke.”
“Was he just that big, or was he going so hard he tore right through it?” Melissa wagged her eyebrows in a lewd fashion. Ary didn’t need to respond because when she felt her face heat and saw Melissa’s grin widen she knew that had been answer enough. “I’m just going to assume he was both.”
“You should just tell him, Ary,” Candace said.
“Why get him worried and worked up when I don’t know for sure? If my period doesn’t come the day after tomorrow I’ll take one of those tests that detect pregnancy like five days before your missed period, just to be on the safe side. If it happens to come out positive I’ll tell him.” God, just thinking about possibly being pregnant sent everything inside of her tightening. The thought terrified her. She wasn’t young, and she’d always wanted children, but certainly not from the result of a one-night stand.
“Sweetie, don’t worry about it until you know for sure. You’ll just end up worrying yourself to death, and that’s not healthy. Now, how about I cheer you up with some of the dirty details of Nick Jamison?” Ary couldn’t help but laugh at the almost dreamy look on her friend’s face.