Good point. She’d be screwed in the zombie apocalypse. It didn’t improve her mood though. She hated being stuck inside. He just smiled. Or smirked might be a better description. Then he flat out laughed. She punched him in the shoulder, though she wasn’t sure if she meant it to be jesting or serious. She had to fight her fox side when it came to playing with him. He grinned, knowing and much too smug.
“What’s so damned funny?”
“You,” he said, rolling over and tucking her under him. “I am perfectly happy being snowed in with you. You’re the one going stir crazy. And you call me the adrenaline junkie.”
She stilled, not quite sure how to respond to that. She shook her head. “I don’t like being cooped inside. Not the same thing.” She paused, took a deep breath and smelled no frustration or detachment. “Aren’t you bored?”
“Do I look bored?”
He looked too sexy for his own good, but that wasn’t the question, was it? He didn’t give her a chance to answer. Instead he took her mouth in a kiss so hot her toes curled. They were both panting when he broke away. “I’ve got all the adrenaline I need right here, foxy. If I was the thrill-seeker you think I am, I’d be out there skiing or snowboarding or hell, even sledding.”
As he spoke, her eyes widened and on the last shone with interest. His little fox was more adventurous than she wanted to admit. He lifted her away from him and rolled to his feet.
“Come on, beautiful. Let’s get dressed. I bet I know where Ajax and her girls are right now.”
Driving the consort crazy. There was a nice little sled run near the Queen’s house, and Ajax wouldn’t be able to resist it anymore than her four year-old daughter. It was a popular spot. There would be several eagles and their children there. It would be a good place, a casual atmosphere, to introduce Sara Beth to his clan.
Sara Beth bit her lip, worried it. “Where are we going?”
“To watch the kids,” he said. Then laughed. “And some of the adults.” He tapped her ass as he walked by. “Come on. We don’t want to miss it.”
He hurried to dress. If he didn’t, they’d never make it out of the house. Thankfully, she didn’t torment him, but her gaze was curious as he took her hand, led her outside and onto a little-used path. The air was chilly and the forest was hushed, coated a pristine white. It wasn’t long before they came to the clearing in a circle of pines and found exactly what he’d expected. Sara Beth released his hand and went to talk to Ajax, who was surrounded by other mothers in the clan.
Patrick sought out Nico. The leopard smirked when he approached, his nostrils flaring as he no doubt took in Sara Beth’s scent on Patrick’s skin.
“The mighty has finally fallen,” he said.
“Oh shut up,” Patrick replied, but he didn’t put any rancor behind the words. “Have the races started yet?”
“No. They’re leaving it to kids right now. It was a nice snowfall, but it warmed up fast and the ground isn’t as cold as usual so we figure it will melt off sooner.”
Patrick nodded. “Kids should get their fun first,” he said.
But he was disappointed. Sara Beth’s eyes had lit up when he mentioned sledding. It was an adrenaline junkie kind of thing to do and it could serve as a connection between them.
Nico must have scented his disappointment, because he gave him an amused, knowing look and, after several minutes, stepped into the crowd and announced the hot chocolate and soup had arrived. Patrick hadn’t even noticed the set-up going up on the opposite side of the clearing. Nico waved him over to the sleds.
“This is your chance, man,” he said softly.
He didn’t hesitate, didn’t even think about it. He joined Sara Beth, grabbed her hand and a sled. After leading both to the top of the hill, he guided her into the seat.
“Ready?” he asked, grinning at the mix of confusion and excitement on her face.
“Are we racing?”
He shrugged. “We can.”
She grinned back. “Let’s.”
He got another sled and returned to the starting line. Before he knew it, they were joined by other sledders, mostly younger teenagers but a couple of the gutsier grade schoolers too. Sara Beth smirked at him. She knew what position he held in the clan. He was dominant to all these kids, supervised some of their training. Training wasn’t just about improving their strengths, but building cohesiveness and loyalty, especially for this group—most of whom would one day join the Queen’s guard. A little healthy competition was a good way to foster that goal. As soon as he agreed to race, Sara Beth signaled the kids to take off. She started a split second later. He had to grin. And he heard his mate’s laughter all the way down the slope.
She was smiling with the kids when he saw her at the bottom. They were thrilled they’d won against Patrick Aquila. He scented her happiness and her eyes were bright, her skin glowing. She helped a couple of the little ones drag their sleds back up the hill, and he followed slowly, listening to them chat. Her joy was palpable, seemed to be from just being with the children.
“I always thought it was her,” a soft feminine voice said at his side. He turned to meet his queen’s gaze.
“Are you disappointed?”
Her smile was wide and she shook her head. “Hell no. You can shake her up and she can ground you.”
“Do I need grounding?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
She pressed her lips together and studied him a moment. “Maybe you both need shaking up. You have been pretty laid back the last few years.”
He stared at her, wondering if she and Sara Beth had been talking about him. “She seems to think she’s not exciting enough for me.”
Ajax blinked. “Oh dear.” She turned back to watch her friend, who was now making snow angels with the kids. “I never would have agreed to this if I thought it would be a problem. I figured y’all would meet again and everything would, well, come together.”
“It will,” he assured his queen. He refused to allow any other outcome. “She just needs time to adjust.”
Ajax looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “What?” he asked.
“She’s my friend. I don’t want to see her miserable.”
“I’m working on it.” The last thing he wanted was for Sara Beth to be unhappy. Did Ajax see something he didn’t? Maybe he needed to up his game. Mind blowing sex was great, but he needed her to be emotionally invested in him.
“You marked her too soon,” Ajax accused. “You should have given her more time to get to know you.”
No, he was pretty sure Ajax was wrong about that. If he’d waited to claim Sara Beth, she would have thrown every obstacle she could find in his path. He didn’t bother explaining that, however.
“She’s mine. Don’t interfere, my Queen. I wouldn’t let anyone stand between you and your consort.”
“No, I wouldn’t expect you to,” she murmured, watching as the kids picked a snowball fight with Nico and he, in turn, pulled Sara Beth into it. “You won’t be able to keep her up here much longer. Her life is down the mountain.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. He wanted her safe, in lands he could navigate blindfolded, and he knew she’d never go for that. “Has Nico found out anything about her stalker?”
Ajax shook her head. “There’s no reason for anyone to target Sara Beth, though. We should focus on that. Why Sara Beth? Is it what she is or who she’s connected to?”
Damn good questions, but he’d been avoiding them while he could. Looked like the vacation was over.
Sara Beth and Nico approached as the kids returned to the sleds. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to pull Sara Beth to his side and wrap his arm around her shoulders. She tensed for a second before leaning into him.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“We were just wondering why you in particular were targeted,” Ajax said.
“Jeff Nichols has plastered my picture all over that rag he passes off as newspaper. So maybe that’s where the other guy got the idea.”
Patrick couldn’t fault that logic, but it begged another question. “But why did Nichols latch onto you?”
She shivered. He wasn’t sure if it was from fear or cold, but she didn’t protest when he held her closer, tighter.
“I have no idea how he came up with my name. It was more annoying than anything else, until the other guy showed up. Maybe they’re working together,” she mused.
Hell, he hoped not. Then he’d have two to worry about. If Nichols was just chasing a story, he probably wasn’t a real danger. But if he’d hired someone to kidnap her? Patrick would kill him after he beat the kidnapper’s name out of him. He met Nico’s gaze and the leopard gave him a very subtle nod. Permission to do whatever was necessary to protect his woman. Not that he needed it.
“I think we need to pay this Nichols a visit,” Nico said.
“Good idea. Can we scare him?” Sara Beth asked.
He was pleased to hear the bloodthirsty edge in her voice, but there was no fucking way he was letting her near the reporter. One look at her face, though, and he knew he would have a fight on his hands.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
She narrowed her eyes and stepped back. “Don’t even think about leaving me behind,” she said, much too sweetly. “I’m not helpless.”
No she wasn’t. But she also wasn’t a soldier. She hadn’t been training her whole life like he had.
“Let’s talk about this at home.”
Hopefully he could get her horny and naked before she brought it up again.
“Fine,” she snapped and stalked away.
He followed her back to his house, but stayed outside, hoping a few minutes alone would cool her temper. He could still feel her anger and frustration lashing at him. At least she wasn’t afraid of him. Finally, he went in. She was pacing. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, wondering what had her more agitated: him and his instinct to protect her, or why she was the focus of a reporter and an unknown assailant.
She stopped on the opposite side of the room and met his gaze. “None of this makes any sense, Patrick.”
“You mean the reporter and would-be kidnapper? We really need to find something to call him.”
She waved a hand as if she was waving off an annoying fly. “Stick with stalker. Short and to the point. And yes, them. And…”
“Us,” he finished for her.
She nodded. Reserved. Wary.
“I want to go home, and I need to be involved in figuring this out.”
Fuck. How the hell was he supposed to respond to that?
“We’ll probably be able to leave in the morning,” he said.
“And the rest?”
He ground his molars together. Logic warred with instincts. “You follow my lead, Sara Beth. If I think something is too dangerous, I want you out of it.”
She huffed. “And I’m supposed to let you decide what’s dangerous or not?”
“Yes,” he snarled, striding toward her. “You don’t have my training. You aren’t a soldier. And you said yourself, you’re not the predator I am, baby.”
She opened her mouth as if to argue then snapped it shut. Smart move. But there was a look in her eyes that made him think she was just retreating temporarily, not conceding the fight.
Chapter Eight
Patrick wasn’t sure what to expect when he entered her home. Maybe cool and modern or stuffy old-school Southern. It wasn’t that at all. It was inviting and eclectic. Comfy without being generic. The floors were dark, the trim and moldings crisp white. The rooms were big and had high ceilings. The house had big porches on two stories. The furnishings were a mix of new and antique. The house felt warm, welcoming. He saw her light touch everywhere, and wondered what miracles she could work for his homes.
“Nice place,” he said after he’d swept the house for signs of danger while pretending to just have a look around. There was no point in alarming her.
It was neat. Nothing looked disturbed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling someone had been inside during her absence.
“Thanks.”
She’d taken her coat off and stood in the living room, hands pushed in the back pockets of her jeans. She was nervous and sexy as hell. She worried her bottom lip, turned and walked away.
“Are you hungry?”
Hell yeah, but not for what she was offering, he realized as he followed her into the kitchen. It had a long counter in the center with stools on one side that faced the wall where the stove and other appliances were. He sat and watched as she started a pot of coffee. Then she got eggs and bacon out of the fridge.
“Sorry, this is about it. I haven’t been to the grocery store in awhile.”
Her voice trailed off when she turned back to face him. Her eyes widened and she took a deep breath. She could scent his arousal just as he scented hers spike in response. He stood and slowly rounded the island, stalked her as she retreated. Until her butt was against the counter and she had no where left to go. She looked up, breathing fast. He heard her heartbeat accelerate and her desire lashed at him. Called to him. His mate. He knew she was growing weak, desperate with her need for him. He set his palms on the counter, one at each hip, caging her in. Leaning down, he scraped his teeth over the mark he’d left on shoulder. Felt her shiver in response.
“I’d rather have a bite of you,” he whispered.
“Oh gods.”
She tilted her head to the side, giving him access to her smooth, tender skin and her jugular. A submissive, trusting action. A vulnerability she’d only show her mate. His heart thudded. He pressed his lips over her fluttering pulse, trailed up her neck, then across her jaw to claim a kiss. She was sweet, hot and giving. He’d never get enough of her.
He broke the kiss and shoved up her shirt, released the catch on her bra then palmed her breast, and lowered his head to her nipple. He licked her before closing his lips over the hard point and sucking. She rewarded him with a long, needy moan and dug her fingers through his hair. When he switched to her neglected breast, her nails scraped his scalp. Snarling, he looked up at her. Stared. She was flushed. Her eyes were bright amber, the color of her fox, and dazed.
“Oh gods, Patrick, don’t stop now.”
He grinned at the desperate plea, pulled her shirt off and went to work on her jeans while she reached for his, but he stopped her. He needed to be in control and her touch would blow it all to hell.
“Not yet, foxy.”
He placed her hands on the countertop on either side of her hips then pulled her jeans and panties down. Helped her slip off her shoes. In seconds she stood before him, naked and hot and breathtaking. And he had to taste her. He dropped to his knees, spread her thighs with his shoulders and her sex with his fingers.
Sara Beth stared down at Patrick. How the hell had things gotten this out of control this fast? She wasn’t sure she cared. His smile was pure sinful intent. His eyes shone with avaricious hunger. She trembled as he watched her, as one finger slid into her pussy, stroked back and forth once before he lifted it to his mouth and sucked. She would melt in a puddle before him if he wasn’t holding her up. And oh, she liked it. She wanted more.
She held her breath when his mouth moved closer to her, jerked when that wicked tongue darted out to stroke over her, and barely grazed her clit. Then it thrust inside her. Slow, teasing. He moved again, this time his lips on her clit, teeth scraping.
“You taste so good, baby,” he murmured. “I could lick you all day.”
She groaned, recognizing this mood—that tone of voice. He wanted to tease, to draw it out. To make her beg. She’d thought returning to her house would allow her a bit of distance, would remind her why they were so wrong for each other. No chance of that happening. She’d never be able to enter the kitchen again without remembering this moment.
He licked her again as he thrust one, then a second finger into her pussy. She rocked against him, welcoming the invasion with a breathy sigh and a silent demand for mo
re. Her eagerness, her greed for this man’s body and possession overtook her. Demolishing any hope of emotional distance. Ruining any chance of protecting her heart. And at the moment, she just didn’t care. He was making her feel too good, winding her body so tight she thought she might break when he made her come.
He sucked her clit and thrust his fingers, curling them so they brushed her G-spot each time. In minutes she was crying out, her muscles locked around him as he continued to suck her. Kept her coming again and again until she was sure she would pass out from the pleasure. She was still shaking when he rose to his feet, shoved his jeans down and lifted her.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, gasping at the sudden hard invasion of his cock. He perched her on the edge of the counter and thrust slowly as he stared in her eyes.
“You still with me, baby?” he asked, voice teasing. “You look a little dazed.”
He hadn’t stopped moving as he spoke, and at the end of his statement dragged his cock over her G-spot. She couldn’t have spoken if she wanted to. Every muscle in her body locked up with the pleasure.
“Hmm, I like this look,” he said, breaking the spell. She trembled as the release broke over her.
Then he dipped his head, his lips brushing hers, once, twice. She caught his bottom lip between her teeth and tugged until he opened his mouth for her. She gripped his shoulders. Tilted her head to the side for a better angle and stroked her tongue against his. It started out gentle. Tender. He let her explore a few moments before taking over. And she let him. Reveled in his wild claiming.
He moved inside her again, this time harder, faster. The orgasm took her by surprise, fast and fierce and rushing through her. Exquisite pleasure and mind-bending torment. If the sex got any better she’d never survive it. She was so lost in the aftermath she barely noticed Patrick come, paid no heed as his teeth closed over the mark on her shoulder. He held her still as he shook. It seemed a long time before he finally straightened and moved back.
She missed the connection immediately and looked around the kitchen, not wanting him to see a lost expression in her eyes. But he cupped her face in his palms—softly, gently—and held her gaze.
Secret Passions: Forbidden Passions, Book 5 Page 5