She moaned, threw back her head, and closed her eyes. He kissed her hard, moving her hips in circles to rub against the thick bulge in his jeans. When he lifted her up again, she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist, holding onto him and pressing her cheek against his chest.
Jatred carried Jasmira up the staircase and straight into her bedroom. He crossed the large room and entered the bathroom, careful not to trip on any items that had fallen on the floor during the earthquake. He put her down, and tugged his own shirt off, revealing a well-defined chest and chiseled stomach. A thin line of black hair lead down from his navel and disappeared under his jeans. He unbuttoned them and slowly pulled down on the zipper.
Wordlessly, Jasmira stepped back to watch him. She bit her lower lip, her cheeks reddening. Unhurriedly, Jatred pushed his jeans down all the way to the floor and stepped out them, his manhood straining against the fabric of his boxers. Her gaze slid down to look at him and she smiled in appreciation, as if assessing the size of what was about to bring her immense pleasure. Her fingers gently brushed over the bulge, as if testing his reaction. Maybe she was checking her own response. Jatred grunted, pushing forward, into her hand.
He smiled and caressed her shaking fingers, momentarily trapping her hand over his groin. After a minute, he moved back and said, “Shower first. We are filthy. I want to wash all this grime off of us.”
Disappointment flickered through her eyes, but she nodded. “Yeah, good idea.”
Without taking her eyes off him, she gently pulled down his boxers. His erection sprung up and bobbed against his taut stomach. She inhaled, her mouth open. “You’re gorgeous. Oh, Goddess, filthy or not, I want you so badly.”
He laughed and stroked her hair, not caring about how much it was actually caked with the Garhanans’, the Mahrasets’, and, most likely, some of the Shifters’ blood mixed with dirt. With trembling hands, he unclasped her bra, letting it drop to the floor. Her chocolate-brown nipples became rigid, begging for his lips to close over them and his teeth to scrape them just enough to make her squirm with need. He was smiling in gratitude, his eyes never leaving her enticing breasts.
Jasmira shyly looked away, unbuttoned her jeans, and slid them off along with her lacy underwear, quickly stepping out of them. She shivered, but it wasn’t from cold.
Jatred pulled her against his warm body and wrapped his strong arms around her. “Oh, baby. Here we are, finally naked and ready, but so unsure of what to do.”
She lifted her face to him, her eyes widening. “I feel different than I’ve ever felt before. I’m not the same person. The battle, the powers of the Universe, and the enhancing Spirits changed us for sure. Do you know what I mean?”
He grinned. “Well, yes, my Summer Queen. When I said that we aren’t sure what to do, I didn’t mean we are clueless the way we used to be about sex. We are just unsure how to use the knowledge we gained and how this first time is going to be for us. But don’t worry, because I think the enhancing Spirit that guided me through the battle was a real ladies’ man.” He winked and chuckled. “If I understand correctly, every time the Spirits of the Realm enter and exit our bodies, they leave a bit of a residue behind. I don’t know about you, but my enhancing Spirit left me with some interesting knowledge to make this really good for both of us. I can’t wait to try all the new skills I now have. Although, we might want to start kinda slow.”
She playfully slapped his chest and pretended to look shocked. Jatred tilted her backward and kissed her mouth. It was a long and sensual kiss, his thick, hard penis impatiently pressing onto her stomach.
“Okay, shower.” Squeezing her eyes shut, Jasmira laughed and pushed Jatred away.
“Heeeeeeey! I was very comfortable where I was,” he pretended to look offended.
“I know. I was too. Now, come with me.” She motioned to him, while stepping into the elegant, marble walk-in shower. The walls, which went all the way up to the ceiling, were constructed in a dark stone and inlayed in places with intricate mosaic squares of light-colored types of marble. The shower was the size of a small room. Each of the three showerheads was positioned on a different wall, while the fourth—the largest one—hung straight down from the ceiling. Jasmira promptly turned the large knob on and squealed when cold water hit her naked skin. Jatred protectively stepped in front of her, shielding her with his own body. He was a Winter Shifter, so the icy water had no effect on him.
Jasmira reached for the bar of soap and a thick washcloth. She rubbed the soap onto the washcloth and began to bathe Jatred’s muscular back. He welcomed the gesture with an appreciative exhale. He turned around and let her lather his chest and stomach.
She looked up at him and slowly shook her head. “I just can’t believe this.”
“What?”
“Everything that happened today… the battle, the deaths, the horrors of fighting the Summer and Winter creatures of torment. Even the enhancing Spirits. It’s just so weird to think of some ancient being entering my body and mind, guiding me as if I was a rag-doll with no cognizance, and then leaving me with so much knowledge—knowledge that people normally only gain through years of trials, sweat, and pain. How am I supposed to just accept all this and go on? In mere hours I became a different person. You became a different person. Look at us—do we even look the same as we did yesterday?” She motioned to herself, glancing down at her breasts and lower body.
“I see what you mean. I used to be a scrawny kid, until I hit fifteen and started shape shifting, then I immediately gained muscle mass. I grew several inches almost overnight. It was freaky. I’m sure you went through similar changes when you began shape shifting, right?”
“I guess. But that seems … natural. What happened in the Summer Realm and then in the In-Between was crazy—just crazy! We’re gonna live with nightmares for the rest of our lives. And this,” she motioned to herself, “I … I look like an adult. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like the boobs and the hips and all that, but … it’s not me. I’m not even seventeen yet, but my body changed so much … overnight. How is this not supposed to freak me out?”
Wordlessly, Jatred reached out and pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “I love you no matter how you look—sixteen or sixty.”
“Yeah, you say that now.” Jasmira snorted against his chest.
Jatred pulled back to look at her, his hands clutching her shoulders. His eyebrows drew together and he somberly said, “I meant what I said. It doesn’t matter to me how you look. Even though I’ll never have my memories back, I’m sure I fell for you because of who you were and not how your body looked.”
Jasmira sighed heavily, the water running down her face and body, plastering her black hair against her head, shoulders, and back. “It makes a lot of sense what you’re saying. I just need time to adjust. It’s a big deal for me, and not only because our bodies changed so much and so quickly, but in here,” she pointed to her head and then placed her hand over her heart, “we aren’t the same people anymore. We are different. And it all happened way too fast.”
Jatred smiled sadly and took the soap from her hands. He rubbed it slowly over her left shoulder and down and up her arm. Then he moved the bar over her breast, and her nipple constricted even more. He softly inhaled, his mouth parting. “We can stand here and analyze this for hours, but we won’t change anything back. What we need to do is to accept what happened and just make the best of it.” He put the soap back on the shelf and ran his hands over her full breasts, marveling at their new shape and size. “Beautiful,”ehe said quietly.
When her hands reached for his hard manhood, she hesitated, but he gently guided them back for her to continue. “It’s okay. I like that. I want you to touch me.” His voice was strained and his body quivered in anticipation. Jasmira slid her hand up and down his length, making his abs shiver. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes closed.
“You changed so much, too,” she said quietly. “I like it … even though it’s as if someon
e fast-forwarded many years for us. I really like your new body.”
Jatred chuckled in relief. “Not too adult for you?” he teased.
She lifted her gaze to his and grinned. “Not at all. As you said—the enhancing Spirits of the Realms left us both with a lot of knowledge, including sexual one. I’m eager to put it to good use and see how it goes.”
“I’m sure it will be wonderful.”oHe bent forward and kissed her mouth, parting her lips with his tongue. That sensual kiss made her melt in his arms and moan softly in anticipation of what came next.
But he withdrew from the kiss and smiled at her, motioning to the washcloth in her hand. “You want to continue?”
She burst out laughing. “That’s the worst mood killer … ever. But okay, let’s finish cleaning up before we get to the good stuff.”
“You bet. Now hurry, I can’t wait much longer for the good stuff.” He winked at her.
“Perv.” She snorted.
Jatred hooted in delight. “Look who’s talking.”
Jasmira smiled and blushed. She rubbed him with the soapy washcloth, thoroughly removing the grime and dried blood from his skin. Jatred turned her around and worked on her back, lifting her hair out of the way so the water could rinse off the suds and dirt. He reached for the shampoo and poured some in his cupped hand then started on Jasmira’s hair. She sighed and tilted her head back, reaching her arms behind her to bring him closer to her.
Her fingers closed over his hips, pulling him forward until his raging erection pressed against her lower back. Jatred’s soapy hands cupped her breasts, playing with her nipples. He gently guided her to bend at the waist. She understood immediately and rested the palms of her hands against the marble wall while bending low. His fingers moved along her sides and all the way to her hips, firmly grasping them, while his knee pushed her legs apart. She felt his erection caress her folds, making her squirm in anticipation. She moaned, pressing her face into the crook of her arm and biting on her lower lip.
And then he entered her. Heat and desire exploded inside her, and she cried out. This was her first time, but the Shape Shifter females’ first sexual encounters were never painful.
“Oh, baby, this is … Goddess, this is amazing. You feel amazing,”fhis voice trembled with too many emotions to name.
“I want you on top,” she begged.
He pulled out without protest, turned her swiftly around and lay her carefully down on the stone floor. He kneeled between her legs and, drawing her slightly closer, pushed himself inside her once again. She met him thrust for thrust as they both moved with the sinuous grace of wild animals, making love, lost in one another, taking and giving. Their bodies were slick from the running water, their limbs entangled, mouths joined, hearts beating in the same rhythm.
“I love you,” she said in his mind without breaking the kiss.
“I love you, too. So much.” He slammed into her even harder, growling deep inside his throat, and she came, screaming in surprised pleasure. He kissed her again and again, not slowing down his sweet assault. Her desire built once again until the next powerful climax took her breath away. She came three times before he found his own satisfying release.
They lay wrapped in each other, breathing heavily, and marveling at the immense pleasure they just experienced together. After a few long minutes, Jatred disentangled himself from Jasmira’s embrace. He hovered over her, supporting himself on his extended arms and bent knees, his eyes boring into hers. “I love you. Never mind I don’t remember anything from our past. Funny, Crystal was able to erase my memories but she couldn’t make me stop loving you.”
Jasmira squeezed her eyes shut, stopping tears of happiness that threatened to fall. When she looked at Jatred, there was only joy and longing in her gaze. She draped her arms around his neck and playfully said, “You know, Summer Shifter women are very demanding when it comes to sex.”
“And your point is?” he teased.
“My point is, you’re the Winter Shifter, so I’m not sure you can handle me.”
That earned her a hard smack on the butt. “I can handle you just fine. Watch me.” He was surprisingly hard again and, without warning, plunged inside her, knocking the breath out of her.
He swiveled his hips in small circles, making her cry in need and disbelief, and then changed the way he moved into fast and hard driving thrusts, giving her two strong orgasms in the process and ending with his own. When she begged for another one, he withdrew, laughing. “You aren’t demanding, baby. You’re totally greedy!”
“You make me greedy.” She smirked, but then somberly looked at him. “This was incredible. Just incredible. I can’t believe we waited so long to … wow.”
That statement made Jatred howl in laughter. Finally, he helped her up and, reaching to the side for the shampoo bottle, said, “I’m actually glad we waited. I know this might sound weird, especially coming from a guy, but think about it—if we had gone all the way before we were granted all this fun knowledge from the enhancing Spirits, our first time would’ve never been so amazing. No way.”
She rolled her eyes and watched him wash his hair. Jatred massaged the shampoo into his scalp and moved to stand directly under the water raining down on them. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and, with his muscular arms raised and bent at the elbows, he looked better to Jasmira than he had ever before—like a young god of lust and endless pleasure. And even more importantly: he belonged to her.
“You know … you’re right.” She nodded in agreement, stepping away from the water and wringing her hair. “It could’ve been a really mediocre experience. Or worse—a total disaster.”
Jatred turned the water off and reached for Jasmira. “Where do you think you’re going? I like you best wet and naked.” He grinned and tucked a long, curly strand of hair behind her ear.
She hugged him close, aligning her cheek with his chest.
Jatred lifted Jasmira’s chin with his finger and kissed her gently, feeling her tremble in his arms. “I don’t want us to put any clothes on, but I’m afraid we need to go see your grandma at the hospital and my uncle at the Tornwoods’ house. Although, don’t you get any ideas of sleeping anywhere else but in my bed from now on.”
They both knew the long-established ways of their Races: they promised themselves to one another. It was as fundamental as the wolf in him and the leopard in her: they had in each other a mate for life. The ancient bond between the Shape Shifters that their love had created just deepened and became completely irreversible. With the Universal powers of the ten-thousand-year’s mark trapped in the Amulet and the Summer Goddess removed from the human world, they were safe. At least for now.
***
Sealing The Bond is an extended bonus scene from Forged by Greed by A.O. Peart. It depicts what happened between the protagonists, Jatred and Jasmira, right after the last scene in Forged by Greed.
About the Author
A.O. Peart writes romantic comedy, romantic suspense, paranormal, and urban fantasy novels. Her Bestselling romantic suspense novel Resist Me has been listed as #1 in several Amazon categories and on Bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers.
Books in her NA contemporary romantic comedy series Almost Bad Boys were also listed as Bestsellers on Amazon and were nominated by the Indie Romance Convention 2014 for four different categories, including The Best Indie Upcoming Series, while Angela was nominated as Best Indie Author of the Year 2014.
Almost Matched was voted as #36 among “The 50 Best Self-Published Books Worth Reading 2014.”
Angela lives in the Seattle area with her family and a chronically curious cat Cinnamon. (You can often spot her in one of the countless Seattle Starbucks locations, feverishly typing on her computer and sipping coffee with cream—or rather cream with some coffee in it. Don’t be surprised when a paperback you ordered from her arrives “decorated” with coffee and chocolate stains (kidding!)
Books by A.O. Peart:
Resist Me (Change Me/
McCoy Raven Brothers #1, standalone)
Reclaim Me (Change Me/McCoy Raven Brothers #2, standalone)
Almost Bad Boys series
Forged series
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Roseline’s Redemption
By Amy Miles
A previously unreleased scene from Redemption, Book 3 of the Arotas series.
Fane lies still beneath his foe, barely breathing. Roseline sobs beside him but her cries are distant in his ears. It is his time. He has no desire to fight it.
How long he has yearned for this release. To be free of the multitude of horrors he has beheld in his long years. Roseline was his only reason for lingering. The one good thing he still held on to that could push aside the evil.
She was once his to claim but now she belongs to another. Staring at the tears that streak down her face, Fane knows that she still loves him. Perhaps this bond is not the same, nor to a depth equal to that which he has clung to all of these years, but he knows he still holds a place in her heart. That is enough…in the end.
“Kill me,” he pleads.
“No!” He watches as Roseline struggles against Mateo’s weight. The hulking immortal feels unbearably heavy as he flails above, beating at Roseline with his sharpened nails. She slams her fist into his face and he falls still once more. The twelve-inch spikes that pierce Fane’s body sends his thoughts into a torrent of pain.
“I’m going to save you,” she vows. Sinking her teeth deep into her wrist, she holds out her arm, inching as far under Mateo as she can manage. The scent of her blood curdles in his stomach. His nostrils flare as he tries to turn away.
“Too…late.” He coughs and allows his eyes to close as blood bubbles along his lips. He is weary. Not from the battle but from years of hatred, bitterness and a longing for something that cannot be.
Losing It: A Collection of VCards Page 23