by Em Ashcroft
He pulled her legs apart and shamelessly stared at her cunt. The aroma of her arousal coursed through them. His mouth opened, his intentions clear a fraction before he laid his mouth to her clit and sucked.
With a cry she jerked upward, but he pressed the flat of his hand against her stomach, roughly holding her in place while he feasted on her. He gulped her juices, licking around her hole, and then back to her clit, setting his teeth gently on either side. He let her feel their hardness as he pulled the peak of flesh into his mouth and rhythmically sucked.
Her cunt fluttered, and she cried out, clutching handfuls of his hair. “Now, Brennan, now!” She’d never been more primed, never felt so ready.
Rising up on all fours, he prowled up the bed. That feral look darkened his gray eyes, and the single-minded hunting instinct he betrayed displayed his basic nature.
Humans were just another form of animal, weren’t they?
Arching up, Reilly lost her mind when he left her. Cool air washed over her slit as he rose up on his knees, his hot eyes reflecting her need.
“If you were a sadist you’d leave now,” she said.
He smiled, reaching for one of the foil packets lying scattered around them. “It’s a good job I’m not then, ain’t it?” He paused only briefly when he took the disk of rubber from the pack. His brows went up, but he rolled on the condom, incidentally giving her a good look at his dick.
Shit, he was built. She’d swear on a stack of bibles that was the biggest cock she’d ever had. She had no doubt he could fit it inside her because right now her pussy felt like a gaping void, aching to be filled.
He came down over her, his big hands on either side of her head, and nudged her legs wider. Sliding her feet up the bed, Reilly opened for him, inviting him in without words, and then finding the right ones to use. “Do it, you bastard. Fuck me before I explode!”
With a sharp, harsh laugh he did exactly that. She was wet enough for him to thrust right inside without hesitating. His lips drew back, until he looked as if he was snarling. Before he was fully embedded, he ground his mouth against hers, seeking and finding.
The taste of her cum on his lips drove her wild. Her cunt fluttered around his cock, clenching and pulling in the throes of her first deep, pulsating orgasm of the night. What she’d felt before when he’d tasted her was a tease compared to this full-on, devastating climax. Howling, she grabbed him, digging her nails into his back. Reilly held on for dear life while he took her on the ride she’d been longing for.
She bucked under him, pressing hard, sucking on his tongue as he drove hard inside her. He gave her no quarter, slamming into her like a desperate man, forcing her higher. She never came down from the first orgasm before the second was upon her, intensifying the thrills coursing over her body.
He lifted his head, gasping, his eyes still open. “Fuck, you are good! Take me over, princess.”
She’d learned a trick or two while she’d been researching. When she tightened her vaginal muscles, he howled. His thrusts increased in speed until his cock gave one deep throb, and then another as he emptied his seed into the protection.
For a fleeting instant Reilly wanted to feel his cum spurting into her body. But she wouldn’t take the risk.
After all, though she felt like she’d known him a long time, in point of fact she’d only met him today. They hadn’t even spent twenty-four hours together.
But as she subsided into his arms and let him roll them over so he could pull the covers over their rapidly cooling bodies, she couldn’t think of a single place she’d rather be.
* * * *
That bitch was going to pay for what she’d done, and soon. Then he could cross her off his list and move on to the next one.
When he saw the lights go out in the motel room, he knew what they’d done. Patiently he waited for the man to come out, but he never did. The bastard was settling in for the night.
That meant he couldn’t go to her tonight. Well, that was just too bad, because one day he would. He hadn’t smashed the lights next to her room for nothing. Although he hadn’t gone inside, he meant to tomorrow. Maybe he’d move to the room next door. That would work fine. Unfortunately some low-life was occupying it.
He’d see about that.
Chapter Three
Brennan came awake as he always did, suddenly and completely. He blinked, staring at the cracked, stained ceiling he hadn’t been able to see the night before. The bedside lights were still on, their yellow glow feeble and ineffective in the daylight. They were bad enough last night, but figuring Reilly might be a bit shy their first time, he’d let her have her way.
Besides, he just partially shifted, enough to use the night vision of his cat. He saw it all.
He peeled an unused condom off his ribs. When he’d seen the decoration on them, he’d nearly cracked up. He’d take one with him. His breed partner would get a kick out of that. The tiger head printed at the top made him grin even now. Big tiger, little tiger.
The woman in his arms stirred, then settled back down to sleep. They’d only fucked once, despite his intention to keep her busy all night, but when he’d sensed her exhaustion, he’d let her sleep. She’d been driving all day, he guessed, too eager to get here to take a proper break. Now that she was asleep, he didn’t have the heart to wake her. That was part of his problem. The other was that he needed to get out of here without anybody seeing. Small towns were the worst for gossip, and he didn’t want her to start her new life with people making assumptions about her. Or of him, for that matter.
When he moved, she stirred and murmured his name.
He was screwed. He’d gone wild last night. The minute he had seen the little tuft of hair between her legs he’d lost any sense he came in with. True redheads always drove him crazy. This one had hair so fiery red he was a goner the minute he saw it. She’d come in to the store from the street outside, the sun behind her, and all he had seen was a nimbus of fire surrounding her. He had wanted her from that very moment. Now he had had her, he was only going to get worse. The minute he had tasted her he had recognized the distinctive flavor of a breedmate.
That didn’t mean she was his breedmate for sure, but he wanted her, and he wanted to find out. He’d have to talk to his breed partner first, and he wasn’t going to like it. Seth didn’t want a breedmate, although he was willing to share his bed.
Slowly, Brennan began to move away from Reilly. That was difficult, because they were bound together, her leg between his, and his arms around her. It took him ten minutes of careful, concentrated movement to separate their bodies. She stirred, murmured his name again, and then settled back into sleep.
He didn’t like leaving her here. This place wasn’t safe. The flimsy construction of the room meant that anyone meaning to break in just had to nudge the door. Not even kick it.
After glancing into the shower, he decided to wait until he got home and slid into his clothes as quietly as he could. He needed some time to process what exactly had happened to him, and how he’d cope with it. Maybe Seth wouldn’t mind having a woman around, or maybe Brennan should keep Reilly to himself. She might not like the idea of sharing, although to his shifter sensibilities that was the best way of having a woman. Watching, enjoying a breed partner’s pleasure was unbelievably good.
The atmosphere was heavy with sex, even though they’d only done it once. That was another sign of a breedmate. She was so gorgeous that if he didn’t claim her, others would come sniffing around, trying to get in with her enough for her to accept them. Fuck that. She was his.
He had a strange reluctance to leave the room. Usually, when he spent a night with a woman he couldn’t wait to get going the next morning. He had never liked good-byes. This time he knew it wasn’t going to be good-bye. Now all he had to do was explain to his breed partner how he’d managed to meet, fuck, and all but claim his breedmate without any input from him. That wasn’t going to be easy. Seth was difficult at the best of times.
Befor
e he left the room, he glanced back at her. She was awake, watching him, completely silently but with loss in her eyes. Did she know how eloquent those green eyes were, or was it just him?
He didn’t have to force his smile as he walked toward her. He bent to kiss her but kept it brief. “I thought I’d be a gentleman and leave before anybody sees me.”
She smiled back at him. “Why should I care? Do you have a guilty secret I should know about?”
“No.” Just one he hadn’t told her yet. He was fully aware she thought he was human. Now was probably not the best time. Or maybe he was being a coward about the whole thing. She’d told him she was nervous around shape-shifters. Maybe he should wait awhile. He didn’t want to blow this, and he hesitated. Indecision wasn’t in his nature, usually. “I do have stuff to do, though. I’ll come around later to help you move your luggage, okay? It’ll be safer at the store.”
“Sure, but I might be there by then.”
“Okay, I’ll come there first.”
The gleam in her eyes told him she hadn’t missed the way he lingered over the word “come.” “Why don’t you stay?”
With a groan, he bent and kissed her again, loving the way she accepted his tongue and gave him hers. The urge to be watched, specifically by his breed partner, grew, and he knew why he wanted to see Seth. How he’d introduce her to the idea of sharing he didn’t know, but he was prepared to be patient. If she’d let him, once he told her he was a shifter.
“I’ll see you later, princess.” With her glorious red hair spread over the pillow, she looked like a fairy princess, too precious for this world. Even in this shabby room, with the worn furniture and walls that gave if he rested his hand against one, she glowed like a precious jewel in a tawdry setting.
Since when did he get so fucking poetic?
Straightening, he gave her one final perusal before he turned and left, careful to ensure the door latched behind him. He could open that thing with a credit card, and he was no locksmith. He needed to get her out of here and fast. He had an idea, but he needed to run it past Seth first. With any luck, he could present her with a solution later today.
Brennan hummed on his way back to where he’d left his truck at the back of her store. It looked quiet and undisturbed—something else that had bugged him. She hadn’t changed the default password on the security alarms, so he’d better get her to do that, too.
The sun was out, and the day was fine. It reflected his mood as he got in and drove back to the house he shared with his breed partner.
Their new house was set at the back of a cluster of houses on the outskirts of town. It had been their first project when they arrived here, and its construction had created a stir, as they’d meant it to.
They’d created a house that looked like part of the landscape, a low-lying, white-painted adobe building that nevertheless spread into a large family dwelling. Although only the two lived there, they’d made the east part into offices, supplementing the premises they owned in town.
Brennan parked up and strolled into the kitchen. Seth glanced up from his laptop, his short, black hair gleaming in the sunshine. “Morning. You got lucky last night, I hear.”
“Shit, that’s the worst part about living in a small town.” Brennan tossed his hat on to the bentwood stand by the door without looking. Seth didn’t seem impressed by his feat, but then Seth wasn’t impressed by much. Least of all his breed partner. Brennan found the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. Seth already had one. He crossed the tiled floor and sat opposite.
Seth leaned back in his chair and tucked his hands behind his head, stretching as if he’d been there a long time. Anybody would imagine he’d been a cowboy all his life. He looked the part, in his checked shirt and worn jeans. Nobody would have recognized him in his Armani or his tux, but Seth was equally at home in them. He’d taken the business side of their construction company, so the suits had come with the job. But he could also build a wall like a pro. “So, you have something to tell me?”
Fuck the empathy connection between breed partners. “Maybe.”
“Let me guess. She’s a redhead.”
“What does that have to do with it?” Although yes, it kind of did. “Yes, okay, she’s got hair as red as the sunrise. Green eyes, too. She’s Irish, from Chicago.”
“Wait.” Seth held up a hand. “You hit on the new tenant? The one with the store?”
Brennan shrugged. “What clued you in?”
“Chicago. I saw her address on the agreement.” Although they had given the details of the leases to the agency, Brennan and Seth liked to check the final documents over for themselves.
“Oh, yeah. She arrived while I was checking the place over yesterday. I said I’d go help her move in. Seth, she’s living in the motel. I don’t like her in that place.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t rent by the hour or anything like that.” Seth reached for his coffee.
“Her room’s about as far from the main office as you can get. The lights at her end of the row are out, and the lock is only there for show. Would you let your sister stay in a place like that?”
Seth had that rare thing in shape-shifter society—he had a woman in the family. She was currently at university, passing as human, since shape-shifter women were an endangered species and sought out by many. She’d wanted to study undisturbed, so that was what she was doing. Since she was currently a doctoral candidate, she’d done really well, but privately Brennan thought it was time she came out. Not that he would dream of mentioning that to his breed partner. He wanted to keep his balls.
Seth pushed his chair back and got to his feet. Going over to the refrigerator, he glanced over his shoulder. “Breakfast?”
“That sounds good.” Brennan realized he was starving. Seth was a great cook, as long as he kept to simple stuff. Brennan was just fine with that. He could rustle up a few things himself. Between them they didn’t do too badly. “Maybe we can have Reilly over for a meal. There’s no harm in you getting to know her, is there?”
* * * *
From the minute his breed partner had entered the room, Seth had sensed the sex. Jealousy struck him first. He hadn’t fucked anybody for months. He’d meant that crack about small towns. Screw somebody in Goldclaw and the next day everybody knew about it. He’d been too busy to go into Houston for a casual hook-up, and in any case that wasn’t his scene. He’d have to be desperate to do that. Which, he admitted, he pretty much was.
He found some mushrooms to chop, and put in a few tomatoes. The knife sliced cleanly through them, giving him something to concentrate on. Brennan had moved to the laptop, and he was studying the screen. Restless, Seth had got up early and come down for coffee and to look over the schedule of work for the next six months.
He had a slight weakness for redheads himself. Not as much as Brennan, admittedly, but he could run him a close second. But he needed to cool Brennan down some.
Brennan tended to jump first and think after where women were concerned, but not like this. He’d never come home claiming he’d met his potential breedmate before, and that part worried Seth. As he laid strips of bacon on the skillet that lived on the stove, he pondered that little problem. Had Brennan given this Reilly woman any clues about that?
He cracked half a dozen eggs into a bowl and took out some of his frustration in whipping the fuck out of them. The pan let out a satisfying sizzle when he poured them in. “So tell me, how was the store looking?”
“Fine. Just how we wanted it. Except for one of the shelves in the far corner. That sat a little crooked, I thought. I’ll take a level over and check it out when I go.”
“You’re rushing straight back to her.” Seth didn’t like that idea. He wanted Brennan to put some space between himself and the female who’d taken his fancy. Last night he’d guessed as much, but he hadn’t expected Brennan to come home so fired up.
“You’ll understand when you see her.”
“Explain to me now.” Seth turned the bacon a
nd stirred the eggs, keeping his back to Brennan while he worked.
“She’s gorgeous. Petite, red hair, green eyes, and the figure of a goddess. But that’s not it. I felt a connection to her. It was as if something snapped into place. I’ve never felt that so strong before, Seth.”
“You’ve felt it before, though. Remember that little honey in Reno?”
The pause told Seth all he needed to know. Brennan had to think about it before he remembered her. “Sure, but Faith wasn’t all that. She wanted to be a breedmate, sure, but she didn’t much care whose breedmate.”
Seth didn’t remind Brennan who had discovered that little fact. He’d done it, after a particularly draining but fun session when Faith had called him “Steve.” It turned out they weren’t the only breeding pair she was seeing. After that, Seth had gone his own way for a while. “I feel it sometimes. All human women can become breedmates, you know that.”
“This was different.”
It always was, though Seth knew better than to say that now. Or ever. He was bound to this man for the rest of his life.
Like other shape-shifters, he was duty bound to produce children somewhere along the way. Maybe they’d get lucky and breed girls. Brennan wouldn’t take kindly to being told he was in an all-blamed rush, and he needed to slow down. But usually the affair would fade out after a month or two.
But Seth enjoyed sharing a woman with Brennan. That was his particular weakness, and Brennan knew it.
Seth wasn’t about to turn that opportunity down. “Did you tell her about me?” He found two hot plates and began to serve the food, although his version of serving was tipping half on to one plate and half on the other, not the fancy arrangements chefs went in for these days. It all went down the same way, so what was the point of building the Eiffel Tower in asparagus and beef?
Brennan still hadn’t answered him when Seth took the plates over to the table and put them down. Brennan closed the laptop and set it aside, making room for the eating irons and the condiments. No breakfast was complete without at least catsup and hot sauce, according to Brennan.