She made a breathless cry of pleasure when he pushed her hand away and cupped her pussy. “I – my heat is almost over.”
“But not over yet.” He rubbed her clit with slow, soft circles.
“No, but it’s – oh God, that feels good – it’s not as intense, so I can take care of it myself.”
“Is that what you want?” He slid one finger into her tight warmth, smiling when she clamped around his finger. “Answer me, Em.”
“No, I… no, but you’re tired.”
“Too tired to fuck you. Is that what you’re saying?” He nipped her shoulder and pulled his finger out of her pussy.
She whined and then growled at him. He laughed and rubbed her smooth thigh. “No growling, Em.”
“Will you fuck me, Clay?” she said before purring. “Please?”
“You know I will, baby.” He rolled onto his back and pushed down the quilt and sheet. “I want you on top this time.”
She hesitated, her gaze dropping to her hands. Clay smoothed a hand down her back. “You won’t hurt me, Emerson. Straddle me.”
She threw one leg over his hips and grasped the base of his cock. She slid him into her tight warmth, making that adorable purr she did whenever he was inside of her. She had different sounding purrs depending on what he did to her, but this purr was his favourite.
“Slow, Em,” he said.
“Hmm,” she agreed, her voice languid and pleasure-filled, “slow.”
She took another glance at her hands as if to confirm her claws weren’t out before bracing them on his chest. He cupped her thighs loosely and stayed still, letting her control the pace and the rhythm.
She felt incredible, her pussy smooth and tight and warm. She rode his dick with slow and easy movements, her perfect breasts bouncing with every stroke. His chest stung. He looked down to see Em’s claws out and the tips of them pressing into his flesh.
“Em,” he said, “claws in, baby.”
She pulled her hands away, her body stilling, the look on her face one of horror. “Clay, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”
She tried to climb off of him. He sat up and slid his arm around her waist, anchoring her to him. “It’s fine. Just a scratch.”
“I’ll get on my hands and knees,” she said. “That way, I won’t -”
“No,” he made a slow thrust, smiling when she cried out with pleasure, “I want you on top.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said.
“You won’t.” He fucked her with small thrusts of his hips, smiling when she rocked her hips in response. He nuzzled her tits, licking at her nipples and flicking them with his tongue until her purring started again. She kept her hands at her sides, and he reached around to cup her ass, driving into her with harder strokes as she made a low cry and climaxed. Her pussy tightened around him, and he gritted his teeth, willing himself not to come as she purred and trilled to him.
He stared at her mouth. He hadn’t kissed her since that night in the parking lot. Why would he? He was only fucking her to give her some relief from her heat. This didn’t mean anything to him beyond that. It obviously didn’t mean anything else to her either. She hadn’t asked him to kiss her, hadn’t once tried to kiss him.
She rocked her body against his again, and he gave her what she wanted with some slow thrusts of his hips. She purred happily to him before smiling at him in that way that made his chest tighten.
“Feel good, baby?” he said.
“Yes.” She purred and closed her eyes. “You’re so good at this.”
He studied her mouth again before cupping the back of her neck. “Em, I’m going to kiss you. No biting, okay?”
“Hmm,” she said as she moved a little faster.
“Em, look at me.”
Her eyelids fluttered open. Her dark eyes had turned to jade, and her pupils were narrow slits. He gently squeezed the back of her neck. “No biting when I kiss you. All right?”
“Yes,” she agreed before purring to him. “I won’t bite my human, I promise. Kiss me, Clay.”
He pressed his mouth against hers, kissing her with soft brushes of his mouth. Her purring turned louder, and she parted her lips, her tongue darting out to trace the seam of his mouth. He opened his mouth and sucked on her tongue when she pushed it past his lips.
She moaned into his mouth, and their kiss turned greedy. God, she tasted so good. He nipped at her bottom lip and sucked on her upper one before touching the tips of her fangs with his tongue.
She pulled back slightly, their breaths mingling as she said, “I won’t bite, human. I promise.”
“I know, baby.” He kissed her again and pulled her perfect body up tight against him as they fucked. She came again, crying out into his mouth as her hands dug into the quilt. Bracing her hands on his chest earlier was the only time she’d touched him during her heat. He was surprised at how much he’d liked even that brief touch. He wanted to ask her to touch him again, but her claws were out, and he knew she would deny his request.
Her kisses were the sweetest drug, and he had a hard time stopping himself from coming. He didn’t know why kissing her made it so much hotter and so much more difficult to not come deep inside her body, but if he didn’t stop kissing her, he’d blow his load before she was completely satisfied.
He pulled his mouth from hers, sucking in a deep breath as she trilled to him. “Clay, honey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he gritted out, then, feeling weirdly guilty about lying to her, said, “I’m close. I need a minute.”
She purred and nuzzled his neck, licking a path to his ear before sucking on the lobe and bouncing on his dick. He groaned, his hands tightening around her waist. “Baby, give me a minute. Christ.”
“You can come,” she breathed into his ear. “I’m good.”
“You sure? You’ve only come twice.”
“I’m good,” she repeated. “It’s your turn, honey.” She squeezed her pussy around his dick, and he was done for.
He held her tight, fucking her hard and fast as she purred into his ear and made soft trills of pleasure. He moaned hoarsely, thrusting in deep as he climaxed in a roaring rush of pleasure that made him a little dizzy.
He collapsed on his back, gasping in air as Emerson smiled down at him. “Good, honey?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Fucking amazing.”
She purred happily before sliding off of him and curling on her side next to him. He put his arm around her, and she purred again before pulling the bedcovers up around them.
“You sure you’ve had enough?” he said. “I can go down on you if you need more.”
She shook her head before yawning. “No, I’m good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He rubbed her smooth back as she yawned again before throwing her leg over his and her arm around his waist.
“Night, Clay.”
“Good night, Em.”
Chapter 13
Emerson peered out the kitchen window. The blizzard had stopped in the night, and the world outside looked fresh and clean with the crisp white snow. The sky was still cloudy, and there was no sign of the sun, but she knew they’d be leaving today.
Her heat was over. She’d woken up just after dawn with the relentless ache finally gone and a feeling of relief over making it through another heat.
Not just made it through… it’s the best heat you’ve ever had, Em. Admit it.
She glanced at the hallway leading to the bedroom. She didn’t know if she’d classify it as the best heat she’d ever had, all of her heats were excruciating, and she hated them, but it certainly was the most satisfied she’d ever been in a heat.
Our human is a very good boy.
Emerson almost laughed out loud at the combination of pride and giddy delight in her jaguar’s voice.
He’s not a boy, and he’s not our human.
Her jaguar ignored her. Emerson grabbed the eggs from the fridge and the bread from the cupboard. Clay was sleeping soundly whe
n she left the bedroom this morning, and from the quietness of the cabin, he still slept. She’d make him breakfast as a way to say thank you for helping her through her heat. She reached for the pan in the cupboard, pushing past the pots to grab it.
Breakfast? That’s how you’re going to say thanks? That’s cute, Em. I’m sure he’ll love breakfast in bed. Or if you wanted to actually say thank you, you could give him a blow job.
She froze in place by the stove, one hand still wrapped around the handle of the pan. Why did the thought of blowing Clay bring dull need to her belly? She pressed her hand against her stomach. Jesus, what was wrong with her? Usually, after a heat, she had zero interest in sex for at least a week. But here she was, thinking about how Clay would sound, how he would moan when she was sucking his cock. If she didn’t stop thinking about it, she’d be dripping all over the damn floor.
She heard the click of the bedroom door opening. She brushed her hair out of her face and cleared her throat. She needed to get it together before Clay joined her in the kitchen. They were leaving and, in a matter of a few hours, she’d never see him again. Never touch him or kiss him or…
Em, that wasn’t the bedroom door.
Her nostrils flared as the unfamiliar scent drifted to her. It was a human scent but not Clay’s. Adrenaline dumped in her system, and she turned with the pan in her hand, staring wide-eyed at the man standing just inside the front door aiming a gun at her. He wore green fatigues, and his ears and nose were red from the cold.
He smiled at her. “Hey there, pussy cat.”
She growled at him, and he shook his head before glancing at the gun he held. “Don’t do that, sweetheart. Don’t get upset. You and I both know that a shot to the head will kill you, and I’m a very good shot. Where’s Clay?”
She bared her fangs, and he smiled before walking toward her. He stopped at the island, the gun in his hand not wavering as he looked her up and down. “Fuck, you’re a sexy one, aren’t you? Great legs, by the way.”
He studied her legs below Clay’s shirt. “I drew the short straw in coming in here. I knew if you were awake that you’d smell me right away. I guess I’m damn lucky you didn’t shift immediately and kill me. You’re a jaguar, right? You’re fucking fast, I would imagine.”
“How’d you get in here?” she said.
He shrugged. “Lock was easy enough to pick. Considering what Clay does for a living, you’d think he’d have a better security system.” He glanced around. “Although a cabin at the top of a fucking mountain does lend itself a certain amount of security, I suppose. Where is he?”
“Gone,” Emerson said. “He left me here as soon as we left Wilson’s office.”
“Oh, now that’s some bullshit right there,” the man said. “Tell me where he is, or I’ll blow a hole in that pretty little kneecap of yours. We’ll see how fast you run then, huh?”
“He’s not here,” Emerson’s hand tightened around the pan handle. “It’s just me.”
“Lies,” the man said softly, “so many lies. Where is he?”
“Right here, asshole.”
Emerson cried out, her hand squeezing the pan compulsively when Clay stepped behind the man and shot him in the head. The man fell like a stone to the floor. Emerson stared at the growing pool of blood as Clay took the dead man’s gun and set it on the island.
She stared wide-eyed at Clay. “Clay, you…”
The window behind her shattered, and something brushed past her face, so close it made her jaguar yowl in alarm.
“Get down!” Clay shouted.
She dropped to the floor as more gunfire erupted, and bullets peppered the wall above them. Clay crawled across the floor to her and covered her body with his. When the gunfire finally ended, he cupped her face. “Are you hit?”
She shook her head. “How did they find us? Did Owen tell them about the cabin?”
“No,” Clay said. “He wouldn’t.”
“He might if they threatened Jonathan,” she said.
“He had no idea I was bringing you here,” Clay said. “You’re bugged. You have to be bugged.”
“How?” she said. “I don’t have my purse or my phone or…”
She trailed off, touching her upper left arm as Clay said, “Your jacket. It must be somewhere on your jacket or your shoes or -”
“It’s not my jacket,” she said. “It’s in my arm.”
He stared blankly at her as she reached up and groped for the knife she knew was on the counter. “When you start working for Granger Shipping, you’re given a flu shot. Human or shifter, it’s mandatory. If you don’t agree to it, you don’t get to work there.”
“Fuck,” Clay said as Emerson massaged her upper arm.
“I had the flu shot,” she said, “didn’t think anything of it.” Gritting her teeth, she used the tip of the knife to slice open her arm. “Shit, that burns.”
She reached into the cut, wincing and growling as she searched.
“Let me try.” Clay took her arm, and she growled again when he poked his finger into the cut. After a few seconds of digging, he pulled out a tiny metal cylinder.
“He chipped me like a dog,” she said. “That fucker.”
Clay dropped the tracking chip to the ground and crushed it under his heel before grabbing the dishtowel hanging on the stove handle. He wrapped it around Emerson’s arm and tied it. “We need to -”
“Come out of the cabin, Clay!” The voice calling into the cabin through the broken window was chillingly familiar.
“Fuck,” Clay said. “I should have known he’d send that asshole Dax after us.”
“Surrender, and we all walk away from this.” Dax’s voice had grown closer. “You can see your brother again.”
“Fuck you, Dax,” Clay shouted. “Like I’ll believe a fucking word you say. I know how much of a liar you are, remember?”
Dax laughed. “That’s true. How you doing, big guy? I guess your teleporting shit hasn’t come back, huh? How’s it feel to finally be in a situation where you can’t just snap your fingers and disappear? Not so fucking tough now, are you?”
“I don’t need to teleport to kill you, Dax. But if you leave now, I’ll let you live.”
“Let me live? Oh, that’s real funny, Clay. The way I see it, there’s only one of you and a dozen of us. You can’t win this one.”
“There are two of us,” Emerson growled.
Dax huffed out a laugh. “I have to admit, I’m surprised the woman’s still alive. You growing soft in your old age, Clay?”
Clay didn’t reply, and Dax said, “Tell you what. You save me some trouble and kill that stuck-up bitch, and I’ll tell Wilson what a good boy you were. He might even let you off your leash a few times a year to see Owen if he knows you cooperated with me.”
“Why don’t you come in here and kill her yourself,” Clay said. “See how that works out for you.”
Dax snorted in annoyance. “Stop drawing out the inevitable, Clay. I send my men into the cabin, and the woman dies anyway. You can do her a favour and make it quick and painless. I guarantee you if my men have to kill her, she’ll suffer.”
“Send in your men then, you fucking cocksucker,” Clay snarled.
There was silence, and a bitter grin crossed Clay’s face. “You always were a coward, Dax.”
Dax growled. “You have five minutes to kill the woman and surrender.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Clay said.
“Five minutes,” Dax said.
Emerson heard the crunching of his boots in the snow as the tiger shifter walked away. She stared at Clay as he ran his hand through his hair. “Fuck.”
“What do we do?” she whispered.
“Come on. Stay low.” He reached up and snagged the gun from the island, sticking it into the back of his waistband. He took her hand, and, keeping low, they made their way to the bedroom. The blind covered the only window, and Clay released her hand and moved to the large painting on the wall across from the closet. She started to d
ress, and Clay shook his head as he removed the painting from the wall. “Don’t bother dressing.”
“What? Why not?”
She joined him, staring in numb surprise at the wall safe hidden behind the painting. He punched in a code, and the door swung open. She stared at the contents. “Holy shit, Clay.”
The safe had stacks of money, two guns, half a dozen passports, and the keys to the SUV. Clay pulled out a leather billfold and stuffed the SUV keys and a significant portion of the money into it. “Take this.”
She took it as Clay took the guns out of the safe. He stuck both into the front waistband of his jeans before grabbing a leather jacket from the closet and putting it on.
“Shouldn’t I have a gun?” Emerson said.
“Do you know how to use a gun?”
“You could give me a quick lesson. Just point and shoot, right?”
He took her hand. “Let’s go.”
“Clay.” She tugged her hand free and pointed to her body. “I’m only wearing your shirt. I need to get dressed first.”
“No, you don’t. Let’s go.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and backed away from him. “You need to tell me the plan here.”
“You’re going to shift to your jaguar form. I’ll go out first. When you hear me firing at them, you haul ass to the woods and don’t look back. Find a place to hide. When Dax and his men leave, take the SUV and go. There are some of my clothes in a leather bag in the back of the SUV, as well as another ten grand in cash. You drive west and keep driving west until you hit the border.”
“That is not a good fucking plan,” she said.
“It is.”
“Like fuck it is!” Panic infused her entire body. “You think I’m going to run like a scared rabbit while they kill you, Clay? Because that is not fucking happening, and don’t you dare fucking ask me to do that. Don’t you dare fucking -”
“Em, baby, don’t shift, not yet. Shh.” He pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers. “It’s okay.”
“Nothing about this is okay.” She growled at him and then made herself take a deep breath as her jaguar paced restlessly within her. “I’m not leaving you to die, Clay.”
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