“Why don’t you go find out for yourself? I’m going to make her take a break. Ever since you didn’t show up for work or stop by to visit on Monday, she’s been a wreck. She messed up so many batches of scones I had to make her step back and let Jamie take over. I hate seeing her so frazzled and upset, and I really don’t want her to leave. I’m going to take all of her mistakes and concern about you, whether she admits it or not, to mean she isn’t too sold on the idea of being Devon’s companion. She hasn’t given up on you. I know it. She’s loved you for far too long. Not to mention how excited she would look each time someone walked through the bakery door. No one is that anxious for just any customer.”
Sam scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. He was trying to gain a little control and didn’t need his sister witnessing the Tiger trying to push through. The beast within him had been silent up until the time Corrine said MJ loved him. It too had taken the time to lick its wounds and heal his pride. He knew his mate was near and wanted to get at her. It had been way too long since he had seen her Liger; been near her and basked in her presence. The Tiger wanted to bump up against her, feel her soft coat rub along the side of him.
A shiver wracked Sam’s body. The human side wanted all of those things too but in human form, of course. It was made worse because he knew exactly how she felt curled into him. All of her smooth, naked skin pressed up against his hard edges: the soft, rounded curve of her ass, the silky skin of her hips and thighs. She was made to fit him perfectly.
“Thanks sis. That’s a great idea. Don’t expect her back for a while.”
“Oh, of course it’s a great idea. I am the more brilliant and settled twin. Wait, what? Don’t expect her back for a while?”
“Yeah, remember not two minutes ago you said you were going to make her take a break and that I should find out how she’s doing on my own? Maybe you’re the more forgetful twin.”
Sam kissed his sister on the top of the head, then made his way to the bakery. He pushed the door open and the tinkling of the bells sounded through the room. MJ’s head swiveled toward him. He barely caught the delighted little gleam in her eyes before it went away.
She spun away from the counter she was standing at and practically ran into the back.
“Hey Sam, how you doing? Feeling any better?” Jamie asked, stepping in front of him, stopping him from going after MJ.
“Yeah, I’m better. Wanted to talk to MJ, mind if I go back?”
Jamie giggled and stepped aside. “Sure. Go ahead. Your sister does own the place and I doubt MJ will mind.”
Sam smiled at the younger woman as he walked past her and through the curtains that separated the front from the baking area in the back. As he went through, he ran smack into Kacie. She stumbled back and he wrapped his arm around her waist to prevent her and the tray she was carrying in one hand from tipping over.
Kacie looked up at him and batted those long eyelashes of hers at him. Sam couldn’t stop the frustrated groan that escaped him. Instead of irritation, Kacie took it to mean something completely different. She wrapped her free hand around his bicep and slowly trailed her hand upwards, until her fingers plunged into his hair. Rising up on her tiptoes, she pressed her tits into his chest. A quick lick of her lips and Sam knew what was coming next and had no way to stop it. The kiss, that he didn’t even participate in, was brief, due only to the fact that someone made a growling noise behind Kacie.
Sam looked up and a steaming mad Mary Jane stood glaring at him, hands on her hips. Sam all but shoved Kacie away. He scooted around her, doing his best not to touch the other woman again. Kacie laughed and went through the curtains like nothing happened.
“I can explain, MJ,” he stated. Where are your balls? Act like a man! He took a good look at MJ. Her jaw was clenched, nostrils flaring with each angry breath. Acting like a caveman wasn’t going to work on her. At least, he didn’t think it would. He was second-guessing himself way too much lately.
Before MJ responded, Jamie rushed in. “MJ, I really need your help out there. Kacie and I can’t handle them all. A busload of senior citizens just rolled to a stop and they are all coming in. They want coffee and cupcakes and we just don’t have enough hands. I have no idea where Corrine is either.” The girl looked panicked.
Sam looked to see what MJ would do. If she was going to help, she was going to have to walk by him. He saw the indecision play out on her face. Finally, she rolled her eyes and sighed. Decision made. Sam waited, standing his ground. She tried to steer clear, walking as far as she could around him, but he was expecting it. Reaching out, he grabbed her, pulled her in close and encased her in his arms.
“That was not a kiss I was involved in with Kacie. She kissed me. I felt absolutely nothing when it happened.”
MJ grunted. Still not talking to me. He could deal with that for the moment. He pressed his lips against hers. He licked and nipped trying to coax a response. When there was none, he growled her full first name, letting his need fill the two words. Only then did she press against him, open her mouth and let him in. The instant his tongue made contact with hers, his dick went from half-mast to stiff—almost to the point of pain. He drank from her, alternating between sips and nips to fucking her mouth the way he wanted to fuck her right then and there.
Her arms snaked up around his shoulders, hands gliding over his neck and into his hair. She grasped his red locks much like Kacie did but this time, when MJ did it, sparks of electricity seemed to shoot down from the roots and rocket through him. He groaned and pulled her in closer. Never wanting to let go.
MJ bit his bottom lip, hard and he did have to let go then. He pulled his head back to look down at her. Confusion knit his brows. She had never been violent before.
“I need to go help.” They were the only words she said. One look into her eyes and he knew she didn’t want to go.
He loosened his hold around her. She stepped to the side and, just before she walked by him, he grabbed her hand and waited for her to look him in the eye. “This isn’t over Mary Jane Poppy. You’re mine and you know it.”
He let her go then. Without another word, he walked out the backdoor of the bakery and around the block. He needed to cool down after that soul-stealing kiss.
MJ’s time had definitely run out. That’s all there was to it. Once Sam showed up on Wednesday, he never went away. At least that was what it felt like to her. He was there at her every turn. Just like before. Only this time, like the coward she was beginning to think she was; each time she saw him, she ran the opposite direction. She didn’t think she would be able to resist him if he touched her again. And to her dismay, she really wanted him to touch her again. She just didn’t want to examine what that meant, so she bolted to avoid him. She didn’t think she would get that lucky tonight.
It was Friday night and she was closing the bakery up by herself. Corrine and Jamie having other plans already meant she was the only one left to close.
Jamie had a date with some college guy she’d met. MJ didn’t want her to go. Even going as far as to say they could do a girls night in like the other woman suggested the previous week. Jamie just looked at her funny, then said she thought MJ was just afraid Sam would finally corner her and she wouldn’t be able to run away again. MJ didn’t know if it was that, okay maybe in part, but also there was something off about that college guy Jamie met. He made MJ’s skin crawl whenever he was in the store. She mentioned it to Corrine, being that Jamie was her sister-in-law and all, but Corrine said she didn’t feel anything funky and the guy was really nice and sweet.
MJ chalked it up to being totally off her game in judging any guy. She was still pretty confused about Sam and Devon. Her heart told her to pick Sam, but her head overruled every time saying she was doing what was best for all of them. Sam would get over his infatuation with her—he had to.
Corrine was heading up to Garden for the weekend with Jett. There was something going on with the two of them. She wondered if they could be expe
cting their first kid already. The way they went at it, she wouldn’t be surprised. Or they were just acting like any newly married couple and doing shit together that included family. Hell if she knew. Things were a little strained between her and Corrine still because of the whole Devon thing. If only everything would go back to how it used to be. But then, her friend would never have met her mate or fallen in love.
Sam appeared outside the front door like she knew he would. He was on the phone, turned to the side. Whoever he was talking to caused him to grin. The corner of his mouth kicked up and she was thrust back into the encounter from the other day.
That kiss was still scorched onto her lips. She felt a spark the moment he had her pinned against him. Every bit of him pressing into her curves. It made a girl lose her mind. Well, not at first. She resisted as much as she could for all of five seconds, but when he growled her name—damn it did things to her. Her belly quivered with want, her knees shook and if he hadn’t been holding her so tight, she would have melted straight into the floor. And his lips…those damn enticing lips. A shudder went down her spine. Her nipples puckered and begged for his attention. Those lips should be outlawed.
Sam laughed low and husky. He mouthed a few more words she couldn’t make out, then slipped the phone into his back pocket. As he reached for the door, she turned around and started wiping the closest counter. It was better to act like she didn’t even know he was there. That she was oblivious to his massive body stalking toward her. A nudge from her Liger stopped her from what she was doing. She ran through an internal check. She wasn’t in danger, at least not physically. The only other shifter in the room was Sam, and he would never do anything to hurt her.
The soft snick of a door closing and the quiet shuffling of feet in the back room had her moving in that direction. Sam stopped her before she could make it through to the back to check it out.
“You aren’t running away again, are you Mary Jane?” One of his fingers trailed down her arm. The tiny hairs on her arm stood up like they were begging him to do it again. How the hell did he get that close already?”
MJ listened for more movement from the back room and heard nothing. She turned toward Sam. It was time she faced him. No more running. For now. “No, I thought I heard a noise. I was just going to check it out.”
Sam laughed. Much like he had when he was on the phone not too long ago. “Really? That’s the best you can come up with.”
She frowned and crossed her arms in front of her. “I’m serious, Sam. I thought I heard the door and someone walking.”
He seemed to study her, gauge whether she was telling the truth. He must have decided she was since he walked around her and into the back. A couple of seconds later he came out and shrugged. “I didn’t see anyone. Are you sure it wasn’t me you heard? You did have your back to me and when this place is empty, the sound kind of bounces around and plays with your mind.”
She didn’t think so, but if no one was there, then he was probably right. Not that she was going to admit it to him. He had that indulgent little smile on his face; the one that reminded her of when they were kids, and he would try to brush her off by saying something nice in a condescending way to make her go away.
“Whatever. Thanks for checking. I could have done it though.”
“I know. I wanted to do it for you. Make sure you didn’t escape this time.”
MJ snorted. With her rag in hand, she moved around to the backside of the bakery counter. Pulling out the empty trays, she started stacking them to take them to the back. “I had no plans to escape. I figured it wouldn’t do me any good anyway. It’s Friday and you would probably hunt me down at home. You know I don’t have anything else going on or anywhere to be…thanks to you spending your every waking hour around here.”
Sam smirked; taking the trays she just picked up and carried them to the back. She followed behind him, not sure what else to do. He slid them onto the counter next to the sink and started the water.
“What are you doing, Sam? I’m perfectly capable of cleaning up on my own.”
“I know, but I want to help and get you out of here so we can talk. Maybe spend some time together.”
“We’ve spent time together. I’m not sure a moment went by this week when I didn’t see you flirting with every female customer that walked in.” She pushed him aside and began cleaning the pans. Keep your hands busy and you’ll stay out of trouble.
“You’re jealous,” he crowed. “I was just being friendly. And you know that’s not the kind of time I meant.” He leaned against the counter next to her. “I wanted to get back to reminding you why we are meant to be together.”
Arousal spread swiftly through her. The pan she was cleaning slipped and clanked in the sink. She grabbed it up and rinsed it off. “Oh, you mean that kind of time together.” Her body screamed yes while her mind reluctantly said no. “I think we’re good. We’ve done it before. Don’t need to revisit it. Besides, I told you I’ve decided to take Devon’s offer. There’s nothing you can say or do to change my mind.” She knew that was a big, fat lie. She was sticking to her guns whether it finally killed her already slowly dying heart or not. Sam needed to find the perfect mate for him. Not some half-breed that couldn’t feel or be like everyone else.
Sam growled. “Did you just challenge me?”
MJ carefully slid the last tray onto the drying rack. Oh shit! He loved a good challenge. Didn’t those cupcake competitions between the guys teach her anything? “Um, no?” She turned to face him and knew instantly she was in trouble. Sam’s brown eyes were glowing. He drew back his lips in a menacing smile, showing off one of his elongated canines. Yep, no doubt about it, she was about to get the full force of Sam being pissed.
When he stepped toward her, she made yet another mistake by taking a step back. Another step forward and she had to force her body to stay still.
“That was a challenge, Mary Jane, and you know it. You wouldn’t have that panicked look in your eyes otherwise.” He reached out and caught her by the wrists, tugging her flush with his body.
Surprise blasted her; he pressed his lips to hers, gently, as if asking for permission to go deeper. She couldn’t resist, no matter how much she thought she should. MJ lost herself in the feel of Sam, knowing this would likely be the last time they were ever together like this again. She would savor the moment for those lonely nights looming in her future with Devon.
MJ’s Liger took that moment to poke her head out. The inner cat purred and pushed to get out. MJ was too stunned by her beast’s actions to react when Sam deftly took off her apron, followed by her shirt. She jolted back to the present when he unsnapped her jeans and shoved them to the ground. He stepped on the middle and pulled them off as he lifted her onto the cold metal counter.
Her squeak of protest was smothered when his lips claimed hers. Soft, supple kisses assaulting her senses. She was pulled under by her need to taste him. To commit his touch and kiss to memory. He nipped her bottom lip before laving the wound with his tongue. She gasped in pleasure, and he took the opportunity to surge into her mouth. She suckled his tongue, trying to pull it in deeper, convey the need she was feeling.
Sam moved in closer, grinding his erection against the crotch of her silky panties. Her body heated on contact and the more he rubbed, the wetter she became. Her pussy pulsed with a need that only Sam could fill.
She slid her hands down his chest to the top of his jeans, unsnapped the button and carefully pulled down the zipper. His erection sprang free and she wrapped her hands around it. Squeezing and tugging the hard length from root to tip, pulling grunts and groans from his lips. Satisfaction at being able to draw that kind of sound from him, a sound that signaled desire and desperation, filled her.
Sam shoved her hands away. He took a small step back while glancing down her body. His gaze landed on her panties, a feral smile tipped his lips seconds before he ripped the seams. The small triangle in the front fell away and left her exposed for his perusal. He
ran a finger over her folds, through the moisture she knew was trickling out. He teased her with light strokes over and over again. The pulsing turned into tingling, as waves of pleasure washed over her. MJ was torn between wanting more of his feather-like ministrations and the need to feel him filling her body one last time.
Sam pulled her ass to the edge of the counter and dropped to his knees in front of her. His hands pushed her thighs wide as he wedged himself in. He leaned in and took a deep breath. MJ would have been embarrassed if it hadn’t turned her on so damn much. She knew how much Tigers loved to inhale the scent of the person they were with. The action seemed to twine them together and act as an aphrodisiac. It made the euphoric sensations of sex even better.
MJ let her head fall back and shuddered, as Sam took in one more lungful of her arousal. Crying out in relief as she felt him swipe his tongue through her slick folds. Her hand found its way to the top of his head and fingers fisted in his hair, keeping him pinned against her cunt. Sam used his lips and tongue to tease and torture her. He slid two fingers into her hot, wet channel and pumped. The rhythm matching the tempo of his tongue flicking back and forth over her clit.
She felt her body begin to spiral out of control. Her pussy fluttered around Sam’s thrusting fingers. Her clit throbbed and ached under his tongue. She was going to come and it was going to be big. With her free hand she palmed her breast, massaging the flesh before pinching her nipple roughly. It was enough to set her off. Like a fuse on a stick of dynamite, fire raced from her nipple, down her belly, straight to her clit. She arched her back, pressing her pussy harder against Sam’s face. He grabbed her hip and held her in place, as pleasure like she had never felt before flooded her being, burst over her flesh and lit the rest of her on fire. She screamed Sam’s name and vaguely wondered if people out on the street could hear her. Not that she cared.
Sam stood, meshed their mouths together and slid into her still pulsing channel. They both gasped as he seated himself fully against her. A look passed over his face, one she couldn’t quite name. She didn’t want him to think about what was going on, too afraid he would figure it out right then that they really weren’t meant to be mates. And for this one last time, she wanted to pretend, to believe he was right. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she locked her ankles together and squeezed her inner muscles.
Claiming More (Tiger Nip) Page 10