Happiness flashed in his eyes and she couldn’t resist putting her arms up to rest on either side of his neck. His arms instantly went around her waist, and his warmth and male scent surrounded her in that sense of comfort, safety, and love she always felt when her cougar held her close.
There was also no denying his thick, hard cock against her stomach. Yet more wetness rushed between her legs and Sean’s nostrils flared as he said, “Lauren, I’m tempted to rip off your clothes right now.”
Since he could extend his claws while in human form, she knew he wasn’t bluffing.
As she caressed the skin at the back of his neck with one of her thumbs, she whispered, “Not before I give you one of my presents.”
“Fuck your present. You’re turned on and I need to take care of you.”
That was a bonus she’d learned about shifters—they usually made sure their females orgasmed first.
“No.” She stepped back and he let his arms fall with a growl. She smiled at the mix of understanding and possessiveness. “Stop pouting. I think you’ll like what I have for you.”
“Then hurry up. I want to fuck you at least three times before dinner.”
Heat flashed through her body and her nipples hardened at the image of Sean taking her against the wall, then over the table, and maybe in the shower. Her man always surprised her, and she loved him for it.
But tonight, it was her turn to surprise him.
She cleared her throat. “Wait here.” She took two steps and then added, “And no peeking.”
Crossing his arms over his broad, muscled chest, Sean grunted. “You have five minutes before I come find you.”
She tried to frown but failed. “Believe me, it’ll be worth it.”
Sean’s expression softened. “Baby, you’re always worth it.”
Her throat tightened with emotion. Rather than have her voice crack, she nodded, picked up the bag she’d brought with her, and rushed into the bathroom to change.
***
Sean struggled to think of anything but freeing his hard cock, which ached against the fly of his jeans. His female was wet and craving for his touch, and both man and cougar wanted nothing more than to ease it.
But she’d gone to some trouble to put together a surprise for him, so he contented himself with readjusting his dick to a slightly less uncomfortable position and waiting for her.
Exactly five minutes after she’d left, he heard the bathroom door open. His inner cougar’s ear perked up. What had she done for them?
While his hearing wasn’t as keen as a wolf’s, it was good enough to hear the soft fall of Lauren’s footsteps down the hall. A few seconds later, she appeared and stood in front of him.
Sean stopped breathing.
His female’s breasts were covered by white lace, held up by thin straps that went around her neck. The contrast of Lauren’s deep brown skin against the white lace all but begged him to kiss her soft skin, nuzzle her small, high breasts, and then relieve them of their lacey prison so he could suck her hard nipples into his mouth.
With great effort, he managed to move his gaze away from her nipples poking against the lace downward to see her shapely hips and thighs just visible through the red, semi-sheer material that stopped just past her pussy. If that wasn’t enough, she had on white garters.
She was like a Christmas present that needed to be unwrapped.
Lauren cleared her throat and he forced his gaze back up to hers. “Well? Do you like it?”
Uncertainty danced in her eyes, and neither man nor cougar liked it. “I love it. But...”
“But what?”
He moved closer and traced the warm skin of her arm with his forefinger. “All I can think about is unwrapping you.”
Her breath hitched, and he smiled. He moved his finger to her right breast and traced the edge where the white lace lay against her dark skin. With each pass, not only did her breathing speed up, the scent of her arousal grew stronger.
Yet he decided anticipation would make her come faster, so he moved a hand to her upper thigh and squeezed. “My beautiful human, let’s see how wrapped up you are.”
Before she could reply, he moved his right hand between her thighs. His fingers instantly came into contact with her pussy, and a swipe of his fingers between her wet, swollen folds caused Lauren to grab his biceps as she let out a soft cry. “Sean.”
Rubbing once more, Lauren moaned and he removed his hand, skimming it around her hip to hold onto her full, round ass cheek. Pulling her tightly against him, he whispered into her ear, “I meant what I said about fucking you three times before dinner. I think the first time I’m going to take you while we’re both still mostly dressed.”
Her hand touched his cheek and he moved to look into her deep, nearly black eyes. She whispered, “Love me any way you want, Sean. I know without a doubt it’ll be fantastic.”
Lauren’s words simultaneously squeezed his heart as they made his cock turn rock hard. She had such trust in him.
After giving her a gentle kiss, he nuzzled her cheek and whispered, “You are all the Christmas present I need. I love you.”
His human tightened her grip on his arms and whispered, “I love you, too. But I do want one more present from you.”
Moving back to look into her eyes, he said, “Right now you’re thinking of presents?”
She gave a sexy smile and he knew she was up to something. “What I want won’t kill you.”
Kneading her ass cheek, he whispered, “Then tell me because my restraint is about to snap in that way you like so much.”
“That’s what I want, Sean. You, unrestrained and inside me. I want to be able to feel how hard you fucked me for the rest of the night.”
Chapter Two
Six months ago, Lauren never would’ve had the nerve to ask any man to fuck her, let alone in a husky whisper, but Sean had changed all of that. The cougar-shifter treated sex as being necessary to happiness and nothing to be ashamed of. She tended to agree with him.
Before she could think of anything else, Sean squeezed her ass and lowered his head. A hairbreadth away from her lips, his words were a hot caress as he said, “As you wish, baby,” before taking her lips in a possessive kiss.
Opening at once, his tongue slipped inside her mouth and she threaded her fingers through his hair. She met him stroke for stroke, and tilted her head to have better access to his mouth.
Damn, his heat, his taste, and even his scent made her even wetter.
Sean growled and backed them up against a wall, not hard enough to hurt her, but enough to let her know his cougar-side was coming out to play.
One hand moved between them to pinch her nipple and Lauren cried out. Sean pinched again before running his hand down her ribs, her stomach, only to stop just shy of her clit. Wiggling, she tried to tell him she wanted to feel his fingers through the shimmery material of her baby doll lingerie, but instead of touching her, he removed his hand.
Growling in frustration, she was about to break the kiss to ask what the hell he was doing when she felt his hard, hot cock where his hand had just been.
When had he done that?
She moved one of her hands down his back to land on his tight, round ass only to feel the fabric of his jeans under her fingers.
He really was going to fuck her with his clothes on, and she found it hot.
Sean broke the kiss at the same time he rubbed the head of his cock against her clit, the friction of the material making her legs weak. Only because she clung to his neck with one hand did she remain standing.
Sean’s voice was husky when he said, “Are you wet and aching for me?”
He gave an extra swirl on her clit and she hissed, “Yes.”
“Good.”
Her cougar-shifter moved his arm behind her to under her ass and lifted. Before she could wrap her legs around his waist, he thrust his hard, long cock into her with one swift motion.
Gripping his neck harder, she reveled in how deliciousl
y his cocked filled her up. “Mm, yes.”
After his eyes flashed cougar blue, he grabbed the back of her head with his free hand and pulled her down for a kiss as he moved, his cock stroking hard and deep into her pussy. Her already sensitive nipples grew more so as the lace of her lingerie rubbed against them; the silky material on the lower half of her body felt like a cool whisper against her skin.
Tightening his grip around her ass, Sean pounded harder, the sound of the flesh slapping against flesh all but drowning out everything else.
At least, until Sean growled into her mouth. The vibrations sent a tingle through her body, straight to her clit. Even without his fingers touching between her legs, she was close. So close.
A few more hard thrusts and she broke the kiss to cry out as pleasure shot through her body. She held on for dear life as her cougar-shifter continued to move in and out as she spasmed around his cock. Just as she came down from her orgasm, Sean growled with one last thrust before he held her close and bit where her neck met her shoulder. The delicate sting caused by his elongated feline fangs sent her over the edge again.
She’d barely formed a coherent thought before her man whispered into her ear, “This time, I’m going to lick every inch of your body before I allow you to come.”
Shivering, Lauren knew he was telling the truth. He was about to torture her in the best possible way, and she would never get enough.
***
An hour later, Sean lay on the couch with Lauren sprawled on top of him, his human female stroking his chest with her soft, delicate fingers. Even after all this time, he sometimes worried that his animal side would be too much for her; shifters were fond of sex that was hard and rough. But after the first few times they’d been together, she’d opened up to him to the point that one day soon she’d be able to outlast him. Hell, she’d soon be as demanding as any shifter female.
Without thinking, he chuckled and Lauren looked up at him. “What’s so funny?”
Hugging his completely naked human tighter, he said, “I was just comparing the first time we had sex to just now.”
She frowned. “Be careful, Fisher. Christmas Eve or not, I can still leave your ass cold and alone tonight.”
He reached a hand up and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “Always the threats before I have a chance to speak.” Her frown deepened and he grinned. “But I love your mouth, so don’t ever change.”
Her lips twitched as she battled a smile. “Well, let’s just say I’m practice for meeting my family. My older brother is as stubborn as any of the shifters I’ve met thus far. He’s nearly as tall, too.”
“You sure there’s no secret shifter blood in the Spencer family tree?”
As she shook her head, her long, straightened, black hair tickled his chest. “I don’t think so. The Spencers are just stubborn. And maybe a bit argumentative.”
“A bit?”
She gave a playful slap against his chest. “Look who’s talking, buddy. You need me to keep you in check. Who the hell knows what would happen if you were let loose on your own.”
The words were meant to be teasing, but all of the sudden, all Sean could think about was how he wanted Lauren with him.
Always.
His inner cougar chirped. Yes. Ask her. Now. Make a claim. She is ready.
Lauren must’ve notice his lack of response because she laid a hand on his cheek and said, “What are you thinking, Sean? I see your heart in your eyes.”
Six months ago, Sean would’ve balked at showing his true feelings so plainly on his face, but with Lauren, he never had to hide who or what he was. She accepted him.
They may be naked under the flashing Christmas lights, but it was time.
He cupped her cheek and his voice was low when he said, “I want you as my mate.”
His human blinked and whispered, “What?”
Sean wasn’t about to back down. “Mated, married, we can do it both ways, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Emotion choked his throat at the thought of her saying no. He couldn’t lose her. “I can wait, baby. It just felt right to ask.”
Giving a wobbly smile, Lauren slapped his chest again. “I don’t want to wait, Sean Fisher, but you know it’s against the law.”
Rubbing his thumb against her soft cheek, he whispered, “Marriage might be, but we could be mated by my clan, and make it official the human way as soon as it’s legal. Momentum is building to make that happen.”
As she silently stared into his eyes, his heart rate kicked up. Maybe he’d asked too soon. Or, maybe she didn’t love him as much as he’d thought. After all, they would face censure just about everywhere they went until the laws changed and human-shifter pairings became more common.
Afraid this might be the last time he held her, he hugged her close. If she said no, Sean wasn’t sure he’d be able to just let her go. Human or not, Lauren Spencer was worth fighting for.
She opened her mouth and he held his breath. “Oh, Sean, I would love to be your mate, but how would it work? We can’t live together, we can’t be married, and we’d always be looking over our shoulders for a cop. Is that what you want?”
She didn’t say no. Grabbing on to that small piece of hope, he said, “We could make it work.”
“How, Sean? I need specifics before I get my hopes up.”
“Well, you’re nearly done with your dental training. Have you ever considered becoming a shifter-specialized dentist? You could set up a practice on DarkStalker’s land. I’m sure my clan would love to have you.”
She searched his eyes. “Are you asking me to move in with your clan? Do they know about this?”
He moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck and squeezed. “I haven’t asked. I wanted to ask you first.”
***
Her heart thumping in her ears, Lauren couldn’t believe Sean had asked her to be his mate. The thought of never having this shifter male tease her, touch her, or hold her close made her heart squeeze. She hadn’t known where their relationship was going, as the law forbade human-shifter marriages, but now all she could think about was spending the rest of her life with Sean Fisher.
Yet Lauren was far too logical to say yes without thinking things through. After all, it wasn’t just her life that would be turned upside down if she said yes; her family, and his, would have to accept them as well.
He squeezed the back of her neck again and Lauren realized she hadn’t responded. Laying a hand on his jaw, she said, “Maybe.”
He blinked. “Maybe?”
“Yes, maybe. First, I want you to meet my parents and charm them like no tomorrow. Then, we can go to your clan. I want to meet them before I even start thinking about living amongst a pack of cougar-shifters.”
One corner of his mouth ticked up. “At least we’re not wolves.”
“Sean.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll be serious.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So when am I meeting your clan?”
He chuckled. “Funny you should ask as I spoke to my sister earlier today about that. She’s determined to scare you off.”
“Oh, is she? Well, maybe I should buy her a scratching post for Christmas and throw down my challenge.”
Caressing the back of her neck, he leaned up and placed a kiss on her lips. “Have I mentioned recently that I love you?”
“Maybe.” She kissed his jaw and then his ear before she whispered, “But I think you should show me how much, just to try to sway my decision into the yes column.”
He slapped her ass. “You know you’d miss my ‘surprises’ if you left me.”
Sean had a tendency of showing up in random places and convincing her to have sex in bathrooms, parks, hell, he’d even made her come with his fingers one night while they’d been out to dinner at a shifter-run restaurant. “Yes, but who would miss having a woman around who allows those kinds of surprises?”
“Allows? Baby, one touch and you melt in my hands.”
“Then make me
melt again, Sean Fisher, and my Christmas Eve will be complete.”
As he kissed her and hugged her tightly against him, she pushed any worry she had about their families to the back burner. If worse came to worst, and neither his clan nor her family could accept the mating, this might be the last night she had with her cougar and she would make it count.
Chapter Three
The next morning, they were driving in silence when that song came on the radio. Sean groaned just as Lauren squealed and jacked up the volume to the rock version of Carol of the Bells.
As she waved her hands in the air in time to the beat, his inner cougar growled. Not that Sean could blame him; the first time he’d heard the song, it’d been cool. But after two hundred times in the span of a week, he was ready to rip the stereo out of the car and forgo any music at all if it meant he wouldn’t have to hear the song ever again.
Glancing over, some of his irritation eased as Lauren swayed to the music. Maybe this song wouldn’t be so bad if his female swayed to it while she was naked.
Yes, if she were naked and swaying, she could listen to the same song a thousand times, and he wouldn’t care.
Tearing his eyes away, he focused back on the road. Despite being the busiest freeway in the state, I-5 was dead this early in the morning on Christmas Day. Lauren had wanted to spend the entire day with her family, so they could get to know him, and right now, he needed as many bonus points as he could until she agreed to be his mate.
Especially since meeting his clan would be ten times worse for his human than him meeting her family. DarkStalker was cautious, and while they’d recently accepted one of their own mating a wolf-shifter, mating a human was a whole different ballgame since it was illegal.
But it wasn’t as if he would put his clan at any serious risk. DarkStalker’s clan leader, Kian Murray, was one of the smartest men he’d ever met, and if there was ever a shifter to find a legal loophole allowing Sean to mate a human, it would be Kian. Provided the Spencer family accepted him, first thing tomorrow he’d call his leader and ask for his advice.
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