by Becca Van
“Don’t stop. I need you, Zayn.”
“I need you, too, mate.” He withdrew just short of pulling out and then surged forward again. With each thrust of his hips, he increased the pace until his pubis was slapping against her ass cheeks. Every time he drove deeply into her rosette, she clamped down around him so hard he had trouble moving, but he wasn’t about to stop.
Zayn wrapped his arms around her legs, spreading them wider, and gazed down to watch his dick fucking in and out of her tight star. Seeing his dick disappear and reappear was one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen. What was even sexier was the cream continually weeping from his mate’s cunt.
When the warning tingles started at the base of his spine, he realized he was going to have to ramp up his woman’s pleasure to send her over into orgasm before he fell first. He hunched over, hooking her knees over his shoulders, lifting her ass from the table as he continued to fuck his cock in and out of her rosette before reaching around toward her cunt. He speared her pussy with two fingers, pumping them in and out in counterstroke to his gliding cock with his thumb pressed against her clit.
“So good, so good, so good,” Tami moaned out.
When her walls rippled around his fingers and cock, he hunched over her even more, all the while fucking her pussy with his digits, his thumb rubbing lightly on her clit and his dick gliding in and out of her ass.
Juices dripped onto his hand as he swiped his tongue over her hard nipple before drawing it into his mouth. He caged the distended nub between his teeth and then lashed it hard and fast with his tongue. When the heated warning moved around to his groin and his balls crawled up closer to his body, Zayn caressed over her clit with a firmer stroke as he shuttled his cock and fingers in and out of her ass and pussy.
That was all it took to send her flying.
Tami screamed as she fell.
Her ass clenched down on his pistoning dick before releasing and clamping down again. Fiery heat encompassed his balls up toward the base of his cock, and his lower belly felt as if it had melted into a pool of lava.
Zayn withdrew from her ass to the tip of his dick with a groan, waiting a beat or two as his dick pulsed as he tried to stave off his orgasm for as long as possible, but it was a losing battle. He howled as he drove back into her ass hard, fast, and deep, grinding his hips into her butt cheeks as cum shot up his shaft and out of the tip of his cock. His legs trembled with ecstasy. Ropes of cum spumed from his dick deep into Tami’s star.
He was so far gone with desire and love he didn’t even realize his canines had elongated until he was biting down into the crook of her shoulder.
Tami made a wheezing sound as she orgasmed again, the culmination so intense it shook her whole frame, and Zayn followed her right back up toward the heavens. His vision darkened, and he felt as if his soul was reaching out toward his mate’s. Just as their spirits brushed against each other’s in the stratosphere, he went careening back down toward the earth.
He jolted when his ephemeral being slammed back into his physical body. When he realized he was slumped down on top of Tami, he braced his weight on his elbows and prayed he hadn’t hurt his mate. Her eyes were closed, she was breathing heavily, and she was sheened in perspiration. She was the sexiest, most stunning woman he’d ever seen, and he still couldn’t believe she was all theirs.
Zayn wrapped his arms around her, scooping her up against his chest, and hugged her tight as he sank onto the chair. He caressed his hands up and down her back as they both regained their breath, and when she finally opened her eyes to meet his gaze, he smiled happily. Tami’s brown eyes were still hazed over with passion, and from the way she was blinking, her vision was blurry, too. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.
“I love you so fucking much, baby.”
Her breath hitched as tears pooled before welling over and rolling down her cheeks. “I love you, too, Zayn.”
Zayn buried his face against her neck, breathing in her scent as he savored having the love of his life in his arms. How he and his brothers had ever gotten so lucky, he had no clue, but he wasn’t about to question the fates and upset the apple cart.
Just the thought of Tami getting hurt would have brought him to his knees if he hadn’t already been sitting. She was their sweet miracle and sent to him and his brothers to love and protect, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
Chapter Fifteen
“She’s happy?” Karter asked as soon as Zayn entered the store. From the satisfied gleam in his brother’s eyes, their mate wasn’t the only one happy.
“She is.” Zayn grinned.
Karter glanced out the window toward the salon. Tami was cutting another client’s hair, and from the looks of things, she and the other shifter were chatting up a storm. Although Karter had served in the Marines along with the other shifters, he’d only encountered the Louis men a few times while serving their country, and while he’d liked them well enough, right now he was feeling jealous. Liam was the more outgoing of the three brothers, and he was also a consummate flirt, and from the look of the smile on his face, he was flirting with Karter’s woman. His wolf growled and started pacing with agitation. If he hadn’t been watching them through the window across the street, he would have been pacing, too.
No, that was a lie. He would be over there already, giving the Kodiak bear shifter the stink eye for making his woman laugh.
“Calm down, Karter.” Zayn squeezed his shoulder. “Tami’s ours.”
“What the fuck does he think he’s doing?” Karter scrubbed a hand over his face and tried to calm the anger surging through his blood. He glanced at Zayn and shrugged his brother’s hand off his shoulder with annoyance. How could Zayn be so calm while another male dallied with their mate? But that wasn’t the only reason he was feeling agitated. Karter had a huge knot of dread in the pit of his gut. He had a horrible feeling something bad was going to happen.
“What’s wrong?” Jace asked as he came up beside Karter. “I could feel and scent your anger from the back room.”
“Look!” Karter pointed across the road.
“And?” Jace quirked a brow at him.
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Should it?” Jace asked.
“It fucking well should. No man other than us should be able to make our mate smile like that.”
“Fuck, Karter. Get over yourself. If Tami hears you saying things like that, you’re going to end up in the dog house literally.” Jace sighed. “What’s really bothering you? You know damn well that Liam has always had a way with the ladies. That doesn’t mean he’s going to steal her away from us. You know he’s not interested in her in a sexual way now that she’s mated to us.”
“Fuck if I know, but my wolf is driving me insane,” Karter mumbled.
“Maybe you need to spend some time with her alone, too,” Zayn said. “I was feeling a little…out of sorts…horny and restless, but Tami put an end to that.”
“What? You want me to go over there, kick Liam out when she hasn’t even finished cutting his hair yet? The Kodiak bear would rip me a new asshole.” Karter sighed and rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension in his muscles.
“Get your head out of your fucking ass, Karter. You know I meant when she was finished,” Zayn snarled.
Jace moved away from the window toward the shop counter. “If she catches you both watching her, she’s going to know something’s up, if she doesn’t already.”
“Shit!” Karter stomped away from the window. After skirting the counter, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, twisted the cap off, and drained it quickly. Zayn sauntered over toward him as if he didn’t have a care in the world, and after making love with Tami, he didn’t.
“Talk to us, brother,” Jace ordered as he leaned a hip against the counter.
“I can’t explain it. I’ve just got a feeling something bad is going to happen, but I have no idea what.”
“You think this feeling h
as to do with Tami?” Zayn asked.
Karter gulped around the fear constricting his throat, nodding.
“Have you heard something we haven’t?” Jace frowned.
“No.” Karter crossed his arm over his chest.
“Do you want me to call Preston to see if he has anything new?” Zayn glanced toward the window before meeting his gaze again.
“No. I’m sure he would have called if he had anything,” Karter answered.
Jace nodded. “He would have.”
“I hate this waiting and not knowing anything.” Karter rubbed the back of his neck. “The cops could end up putting our mate at the top of their suspect list. Her running is going to be misconstrued as guilt. I’m not sure I’d be able to hold my wolf back if an officer tried to arrest her for questioning.”
Two low rumbling growls made the hair on his nape stand on end. Now that his brothers realized what was bothering him, they didn’t like his thoughts either, and that wasn’t half of his worries. If the guy who’d been following Tami found her, the shit could really hit the fan. However, he didn’t think there was any way the asshole would be able to track her to Ambrose, but there was always the slim chance that she’d be found.
Even though she was only across the street, she wasn’t in his sight at all times, and he hated that he couldn’t be with her in her salon while she was working. The only consolation was that she was right across the street. Surely, he and his brothers would know if a stranger entered their town’s limits and their mate’s place of business? Maybe one of them should start going to work with her after all. Would they be able to get to her in a timely manner if she were in danger?
Karter was so tense he wanted to hit something, but he turned back to the window instead. He was just in time to see Liam paying Tamika for her services before exiting the shop. After placing the money the bear shifter handed to her into the register, she grabbed a broom and started sweeping the floor.
He couldn’t stand it any longer. He needed to go over there and hold her in his arms, just to reassure himself she was okay. Which didn’t make a lick of sense since he could see that she was. What the fuck was going on with him? Why were he and his wolf feeling so…so antsy? Whatever it was that was bothering him besides what he’d just told his brothers wouldn’t be going away until he had Tami in his arms.
Decision made, he glanced at his brothers over his shoulder. “I’m going over there. I just…I just need her.” Without waiting for a reply, he hurried toward the door, racing across the street after making sure there were no cars coming, and entered the hair salon.
“Karter!” Tami smiled at him, but the smile slid from her face and turned to a frown. “What’s wrong?”
Since he couldn’t really explain why he was so agitated, he didn’t bother to reply, just shook his head. When he was in reach of her, he took the broom out of her hands, set it aside, and pulled her into his arms. His wolf rumbled with appreciation before rubbing up against his insides, trying to get his scent on their mate. Karter sighed as he pulled her in tight against his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist as he breathed her in.
The agitation he’d been carrying around with him since early this morning subsided, all the tension in his taut muscles easing. Tami tensed as if she was about to draw away, but he didn’t let her. She tilted her head back until she was gazing into his eyes setting his heart to fluttering when he saw the concern in those gorgeous brown orbs. “Are you okay?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked again.
“That’s the million-dollar question of the hour, honey.” He kissed the top of her head.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure I can really explain it.”
Tami stepped out of his embrace, and he felt the immediate loss of her heat, of her sexy soft body against his, but when she clasped his hand with hers, he threaded their fingers together. “I don’t have any more clients today, and I’m hankering for a cup of coffee. Why don’t you come into the kitchen with me and we’ll talk?”
Karter nodded and let her lead him toward the back room. He just hoped his mate didn’t think he or his wolf was losing their mind. He certainly felt as if he was on the edge of sanity right now, but it had nothing to do with the state of his mind and everything to do with his worry for their woman.
Tami released his hand and headed for the coffee machine. Once she had two steaming mugs ready, she brought them over to the table and sat beside him. “Are you going to talk to me?”
Karter nodded as he took a sip of coffee. “My wolf’s driving me crazy with agitation, but something’s bothering me, too.”
“Have I done something wrong?”
“No, honey.” Karter reached over, covering her hand with his. “You’re perfect, mate. I just can’t shake this feeling of impending doom. I hate that the Louis brothers haven’t contacted us with any updates, and we have no idea who broke into your house and was following you.”
“I understand, Karter. I try not to think of those things because if I pondered over them, I know I’d be a blithering idiot. Why worry over something we have no control over? As my dad used to say, ‘don’t borrow trouble until it’s staring you in the face.’”
“I know you’re right, honey, but what if the cops turn up here and arrest you? You’re a prominent person in all this, and they’re going to want to question you.”
Tami sighed and rubbed at one of her temples. “They already have, Karter. There was nothing I could tell them. I didn’t and don’t know anything. I had nothing to do with my dad’s business. He and his friend went into this venture years ago, and while my father wanted me to go to college and get my business degree, that wasn’t me. He was disappointed but this”—she swept her hand toward the door and the salon they couldn’t currently see—“this was always my passion. After explaining to my father what I wanted and arguing over my decision, he stepped back and let me do what I wanted. He even offered to buy me my own salon, and while that was as tempting as hell, I didn’t want him forking out money. I wanted to earn my place in life just as he had.”
“That’s very noble of you, honey.” Karter squeezed her hand.
Tami snorted. “There was nothing noble about it. I was full of sheer determination and wasn’t going to take the easy road. I knew I would appreciate what I had if I worked my way up to being able to afford my own hairdressing salon.”
“Do you resent us for taking your goals away from you?”
“Oh, hell no,” Tami replied immediately. “I was shocked and in awe that you all would do something so grand when you hardly knew me, but once I walked through the front door, it felt right. I felt as if I was meant to be here, and I was. I hate just thinking about what would have happened to us, to you and your brothers, if I’d refused such a magnanimous gesture.”
“I do, too, mate.”
Karter watched as Tami drained the last of her coffee. When she placed the empty mug back on the table, he clasped her hand, tugged her to her feet, and pulled her toward him. He scooted his chair back, wrapped an arm around her waist, and hauled her into his lap.
“I love you, Tamika Darnel.” He bared his heart as he stared deeply into her eyes.
“I love you, too, Karter Strike.”
Karter cupped her face, lowered his head toward hers, and slanted his mouth over hers. She looped an arm around his neck, moaning as she kissed him passionately.
Just like that, all his angst, his agitation faded. There was nothing in his heart, mind, and soul but his mate and how hungry he was for her.
* * * *
As soon as Karter’s mouth covered hers, Tami went up in flames. She was so hot and ravenous for him she couldn’t get close enough. Without breaking their kiss, she clutched his shoulders, turning on his lap until she was facing him. He combed his fingers in her hair, and she grasped the back of his neck.
Their tongues tangled in an intimate duel, swirling and twirling before rubbing together
again. He removed his hands from her hair and covered her shoulders with his palms before caressing down over her arms and back toward her ass.
She moaned, and he groaned when she shifted on his thighs, pressing her wet trouser-covered crotch against his growing cock. He grabbed her butt cheeks, squeezing the globes, and pulled her tighter against him.
A whimper of need escaped her parted lips when he released her lips before licking and nibbling down to the side of her neck. She tilted her head to give him easier access and began to rock her hips into his. “Did you lock the front door?” she asked breathlessly.
“Hmm?” Karter murmured, too busy sucking on her skin to comprehend her question.
“The front door. Did you lock it?”
He lifted his gaze to hers, and she shivered when she met his blazingly hungry blue eyes. “Shit!” He grasped her hips, lifting her to her feet, and stood. She giggled when he adjusted the fit of his jeans over his engorged dick. There was no way he’d be able to hide that monster if someone decided to enter the shop before they could close up.
Karter winked at her before hurrying toward the front door. “Why don’t you start stripping, honey? There’s no way in hell I can wait to make love to you until we get home.”
Tami began to quickly remove her clothes. She knew just how Karter felt because she was so horny she was sure one touch of his finger on her pussy were send her careening over the edge into orgasm.
She concentrated on slowing her breathing as she stripped. When she was naked, Tami glanced about the room trying to decide the best place to make love with Karter. As her eyes alighted on the table, goose bumps raced over her bare skin when she remembered Zayn fucking her ass just a few hours before. Her nipples hardened, her clit throbbed, and moisture coated her folds.
Karter appeared in the doorway before she could take a step toward the table. He eyed her body over and growled low in his throat when his gaze stopped at her breasts. Tami’s first instinct was to lift her hands to cover them since she still had a hang-up about her weight, but she clenched her hands into fists at her sides instead.