by Leela Ash
Janie was quiet, wondering to herself about the line of opening doors for customers to ensure further business versus opening the doors for an old friend. Maybe she would never understand the nuances of shifter culture.
The place was so thick with trees that it took Janie a few minutes before she realized that they were walking in the direction of a large house. It blended in perfectly with the trees, and it was the biggest place she had ever seen. It wasn’t like a typical mansion, the marble and polished kind that human billionaires liked to flaunt. It was a practical type of elegance that seemed to suit Dean and other shifters like him.
And it was private, that was the biggest thing. Nobody would have been able to find it on their own even if they had already been there once before. It was nice in a way, though it seemed lonely.
“Come in,” Dean said. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Janie climbed several stone steps to a vast porch, and followed Dean through large double doors made of thick cedarwood. She paused in the foyer, her body trembling as a cold draft struck her from inside.
“I said come in,” Dean’s insistent voice called. The foyer alone was already bigger than the apartment she’d lived in during college. What would be in store for her next if she followed Dean’s voice?
She crept through the open archway and into an elegant little room, presented with only a long, spiraling staircase and two options; a doorway leading left and a doorway leading right.
“I’m in here,” Dean said. She heard him begin to rummage through cupboards and cursing quietly to himself as he sought something that was eluding him. Finally, he sighed in satisfaction, a disembodied sound that immediately brought her mind to the other types of satisfaction he might receive, and called impatiently to her to come inside.
When she finally went through the doorway on the left, she gasped in shock. It was an elegant dining room, with a huge kitchen through a door in the back, and a huge washroom to the left. Dean emerged, holding gauze, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and antibiotic ointment, and sat Janie down promptly in one of the beautiful wooden chairs. They looked hand-carved.
“Now this might sting,” Dean said, pouring the alcohol onto a white cloth and pressing it against Janie’s wound. She flinched away but Dean held it adamantly.
“Who were those people?” Janie asked miserably.
Dean sighed heavily. “Bear shifters. Like the guys I told you about when you first moved here. Things are getting pretty bad with them. There’s even a ban on pregnancy for shifter women.”
“What? Why?”
A ban on pregnancy? That just sounded ridiculous.
“The bear shifters, long ago during the wars, used to strike against the wolves by destroying the new prodigy. To be safe, it’s been advised that women avoid pregnancy. The bear shifters are gaining more power than ever before, and the elders fear the worst. Terrible things happen to the women and the men who impregnate them once the bear shifters get a hold of a pregnant woman, and the man who comes to save her.”
Janie felt an inexplicable chill down her spine, but Dean smiled comfortingly at her. “It’s all right. You’re safe with me now.”
He finished dressing her wounds, his broad chest bare and tantalizing after being pressed so protectively against it.
“There,” Dean said with a handsome smile. “All set.”
Janie’s heart fluttered despite herself and she swallowed hard.
“Come,” he continued. “Let’s go to the living room. It’s more comfortable there.”
“All right,” Janie agreed reluctantly.
It seemed strange to be in Dean’s home. Although it wasn’t flashy the same way most modern billionaire’s homes happened to be, it was still extravagant in its own way. She had never been so close to such valuable items before, and it frankly made her feel a little bit nervous.
Dean didn’t seem to notice her reserve, and brought her to a long, comfortable couch and gestured for her to sit down. She did, and he disappeared from the room, leaving her alone to take in her surroundings.
As dazzling as the brick fireplace was and the beautiful silver decorations on the frieze of the walls happened to be, still, the only thing on her mind was Dean’s rugged features; his handsome, capable body and the way he so easily lifted her in his arms and carried her away from danger. He had nearly gotten himself killed over her. Janie somehow doubted he would have done the same for any of his other interns.
When Dean returned, his dark gaze lingered on her and she felt drawn in by the longing she had been holding back for so long. Dean sat down beside her and offered her a cool glass of water.
“This seems familiar,” she said with a small laugh. She had done the same for him not long ago.
“Are you all right?” Dean asked. He wasn’t in the mood to joke. He was worried about her.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you,” Janie said, a blush creeping across he cheeks. It seemed so strange to have someone who cared so deeply for her well-being.
“I’m sorry that this happened to you,” Dean said with a heavy sigh. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have listened to the stupid wolf…”
“What?”
Dean smiled sadly and shook his head. “I lost my temper. It shouldn’t have happened. And I could have just taken you to any other restaurant…”
“Do you always do this?” Janie asked, raising an eyebrow at Dean. “It’s not very productive. I don’t know how you would get anything done in that case.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Dean said with a frown.
“I mean if you always look for reasons to blame yourself for everything, then you’re never going to get anywhere good. At least not in your own headspace, which is probably the most important place to be all right. Don’t you think?”
Dean considered this and then a broad smile spread across his face.
“I think that makes sense,” he said. “How did you get so wise?”
“I don’t think it’s wisdom so much as common sense,” Janie said softly, looking away from Dean. If she had any common sense she would get the hell out of there before she did something she was going to regret. Her self-control was waning.
“Oh?” Dean said, his mysterious eyes boring into hers. She felt heat rising to her face and nodded. He was coming closer to her, the thought on his mind clear to them both. The fire inside of her blazed instantly and she swallowed hard before answering.
“Yes.”
She had to leave. One false move and she would be past the point of no return. She could lose her job. All of her plans…everything she’d worked so hard for would be for nothing.
But when Dean’s lips found hers again, all of her attempts to resist melted away. She wanted him, more than she had ever wanted anything else in her life. He seemed to sense and reciprocate it, and their bodies were soon caught in a blissful rhythm that sent shivers of pleasure through every nerve in her body.
Janie closed her eyes and gripped Dean’s bare shoulders as he devoured her sensually, refusing to hold back as he showered her with kisses and touches that left fire in their wake.
Every sense in her body was awakened by the delicious torment of Dean’s hands and mouth, and soon, he was standing, leading her by the mouth to a deeper, darker area of the house, until she was lifted and set onto a low bed. Dean pushed her legs apart and she cried out in pleasure when she felt the suggestion of his cock, hard and urgent, against her middle.
It was all Dean needed to strip her of her clothing, and she sat on the bed, breathless and naked as Dean hovered over her, his eyes flashing with need.
“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” Dean whispered.
Janie lost herself in pleasure as Dean buried his face into her breasts. So had she.
13.
The wolf smirked in satisfaction, taunting Dean as he let go of all of his impulse control and tasted every bit of Janie’s flesh that he could see. She was an enigma to him. A beautiful treasure he couldn’t wait t
o claim as his own. The wolf had been right. It was no use in trying to fight it.
Dean hissed in pleasure as Janie reached around his waist and dropped his sweatpants to the ground, suddenly taking his cock into her mouth. The sensitive head of his penis was engulfed by the heat of Janie’s tongue, and he gritted his teeth as his entire body was electrified by her touch.
He reached around Janie’s head and pulled out the hair clip that kept her hair in a tight bun behind her head, and her hair fell down her shoulders in a beautiful cascade of gold.
He was mesmerized by her beauty as she looked up at him, her hands wrapped delicately around his shaft as she tasted him for the first time, and he knew immediately that he had to have her.
She squealed in surprise and delight when Dean lifted her and tossed her on the bed, climbing over her and burying his face into her neck. Janie gasped in pleasure and he gripped her waist in his hands and ran his shaft slowly along her middle. She closed her eyes tightly and shuddered in pleasure, writhing beneath him as he explored the delicate curves of her body.
She was nothing like any of the other women he had been with, and somehow, that was what was so perfect about her. She wasn’t in it for the money or the fame, or even just for the sex. They wanted to help each other, and that was something he had never experienced with anybody before.
Janie gasped in pleasure as Dean moved his cock expertly over the most sensitive of her nerve endings. She shuddered, opening her eyes and holding Dean’s gaze, waiting for him to make his move. She wanted to be claimed just as much as he wanted to claim her.
They both cried out in rapture when Dean finally shoved himself inside, his body electrified as he became enveloped in the soft, warm folds of Janie’s body. He had been waiting for this moment for so long that he just stayed there for a moment, relishing in the feeling of her muscles contracting firmly around his shaft. He panted slowly as he closed his eyes to feel her squeezing him sweetly and sending shooting tendrils of pleasure through his abdomen that electrified his entire body.
When he opened his eyes again, the deep flush on Janie’s cheeks ignited the fire deep within him and he suddenly exploded into activity. Janie’s eyes grew wide as he unleashed his pent-up alpha energy on her body, their sexes merging again and again to create an unbelievable friction that left them both desperate for relief.
Janie moved her hips beneath him, and every slight movement she made provided his cock with a deep, unending pleasure. They both groaned and gasped as their movements sent each other closer to the edge of their self-restraint, until finally, Dean couldn’t take it any longer. He had never indulged in anything so satisfying before, and now he wanted to take it for all it was worth.
Janie gripped his shoulders tightly and he allowed his mouth to find the sweetness of her nipple. She shuddered beneath him, and he felt another delicious contraction around his member. She was getting close now, he could tell.
He slowed the speed of his thrusting and she squirmed beneath him. She was starting to get spoiled now, enjoying the huge power behind his shifter muscles. It made him smirk, and she looked up at him, her eyes dancing mischievously. Dean wanted to taunt her, to bring her to the point of begging him for her satisfaction, and she seemed to be savvy to his little game. They stared each other down, both of them wondering the same thing. Who would give in first?
Dean pulled himself out, tantalizingly slow, and watched as Janie lowered her long-lashed eyes halfway and her breath seemed to hitch in her throat. It was a beautiful sight, and he felt a hot surge of longing swell his cock nearly to its bursting point.
He swallowed hard, surprised that he was already so close to losing their little game. But Dean held steady, relishing in the way Janie’s breasts rose and fell with anticipation, and closing his eyes, tense with the effort of self-restraint as he immersed himself inside of her once again.
Finally, Janie moaned deeply, her fists tight around the bedsheet. She was on the brink of a hard climax, he could tell it from the way she had begun to close around him, squeezing tightly. He would have to call it a draw for now.
Janie cried out in surprise as Dean began thrusting in earnest, unleashing every bit of his power on her body. She writhed beneath him, her body trembling in his hands as Janie was overpowered by an earth-shattering orgasm. Her body began to squeeze and milk his cock, and he picked up the efforts until a hot tingling in his abdomen suddenly alerted him that he was going to release.
The power and the abruptness of his climax shocked them both, and he hissed, gripping Janie’s ass tightly as he continued to thrust against the power of his explosive release. She moaned deeply as her orgasm was taken to new heights with the power of Dean’s hot seed, and he thrust again and again until he was spent of every last drop.
They collapsed in the bed together, both of them out of breath and lost in the realms of their immense pleasure. Finally, Dean held Janie close and they fell asleep together. The wolf, for the first time since he had laid eyes on Janie, felt completely at peace, and he sank into the best night’s sleep he had ever had.
14.
“Good morning.”
Janie woke with a start to find Dean smiling at her. She at first felt a surge of warmth, remembering the night before, but for some reason, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit uncomfortable. Hadn’t she vowed not to sleep with Dean?
“Good morning,” she said, happy to see him despite herself. Just because life was going to get confusing from now on didn’t mean she had to be weird about it. They had made their choices and now they would just have to live with them.
“I’m going to make us some breakfast,” Dean said. “Do you have anything you like?”
“You cook?” Janie asked.
Dean laughed. “Just because I’m rich doesn’t mean I’m useless. Yes, I cook.”
“Then yes, I’d love some eggs or something like that. Do you mind if I take a shower?”
“Not at all.”
“Thanks.”
Dean smiled kindly at her and got up, stretching before he pulled on the sweatpants she had pushed off of his unbelievable body the night before. Bits and pieces were coming back to her, and it almost made her wish that she could have a repeat of some of the events.
When Dean had left the room, she scurried around to gather all of her clothes and shuffled into the bathroom, where she frowned at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Something was different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but whatever it was would have to wait. She needed a shower.
Janie stepped inside carefully and began washing herself. When she got to her belly, she stopped. Something was off. She furrowed her brow and gazed down at her stomach. It was harder than normal, and a little streak of purple was beginning to form around her navel.
She quit washing abruptly and got out of the shower, shaken. Janie rushed to the mirror to examine herself more closely. Something was definitely strange, and she had an unpleasant feeling that she knew exactly what that was.
But she wouldn’t let herself panic. There was no way of knowing for sure. She would just go home and try to be as calm as possible. Maybe do some research or something. It couldn’t be what she was thinking. She dressed and headed for the kitchen.
“There you are,” Dean said. “I was worried that by the time you were done, your breakfast would be getting cold.”
“I’m sorry,” Janie said with a sheepish smile. “Let’s enjoy breakfast together now.”
Dean grinned at her and she sat down at the table in the dining room where he had initially brought her to tend to her wound. It was feeling much better, but now she was feeling sick to her stomach.
“Are you all right?” Dean asked, frowning.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Janie said quickly, pulling the plate closer. She forced herself to eat, despite the fact that every bite made her want to vomit. She wasn’t feeling well at all, if she was going to be honest. It was a difficult thing to hide from somebody as in tune with how she was
feeling as Dean was.
“You don’t look very fine,” Dean said, furrowing his brow. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just don’t think I got enough sleep, that’s all. And… my head hurts.”
The last part was only half a lie, but she thought that maybe it would be enough to keep him off of her back. He sighed and nodded.
“I can drive you home when you’re finished,” he said. “Unless you’d like to spend the day here. But I will have to go in to the office… I don’t think that Kiera and her bear shifter pals are going to let me off the hook that easily.”
“I can work,” Janie said quickly. As long as she didn’t eat anything, she would be fine.
“Are you sure?”
Dean’s eyes narrowed in concern and she sighed. He could probably see right through her. And if her condition was what she thought it was, would the shifters be able to smell it?
The thought made Janie panic and she sighed deeply. Once Dean was finished eating, he summoned the limousine and he instructed the limo to make a pit stop to a fashion boutique.
“What are we doing here?” Janie asked, frowning.
“You can’t go to work with the same clothes on from the day before.”
Janie’s cheeks burned in embarrassment.
“Be quick,” Dean said, giving her a small wad of cash. She opened her mouth to protest, but his eyes were dark and uncompromising.
She hustled inside and bought the first outfit in her size that caught her eye, a dark blue dress with a black blazer, and returned to the limo. She could feel Dean’s eyes devouring her and she swallowed hard.
“All right,” Dean finally said to the driver.
They rode to work together in silence. When they walked in, Janie could feel all eyes turned on her, and blushed deeply. What was everybody looking at? Could they all tell that she was hiding something? Something she wasn’t even sure she could admit to herself yet?