Scarlet Roses

by Angel Nyx

  “Good evenin’, Angel,” Caine growled softly when he reached her.

  Eme had to suppress the shiver his growl elicited. “Good evening, Caine. You look...amazing. You Bayou boys clean up well.”

  Caine laughed. “Dat we do, cher, dat we do.” He offered her his arm. “You are absolutely stunning tonight.”

  Emelise blushed a little at the compliment. “Thank you.” She slid her hand into the crook of his arm. Her fingertips brushed his forearm, where the sleeves to his shirt were rolled up, and a jolt of electricity went through her. Yeah, this was a bad idea, but she was here, there was nothing she could do about it now.

  Caine

  Caine had watched the boat approach and had gazed at his mate as she’d stepped off of it. She’d taken his breath away and he’d had to give himself a mental shake to get moving. The way her dress draped her body and drew the eye to her very lovely breasts had his cock stiffening with need and he’d stifled a groan. It was going to take a lot of willpower to not pounce on her the moment he got her alone. He craved another taste of her lips, ached to feel her body pressed against his. Tonight he wasn’t letting her get away until he made her scream his name in pleasure.

  Once at her side, Caine had offered his arm to keep from embarrassing them both by ravishing her in front of Remy. The warmth of her small hand on his skin caused goosebumps and he shifted closer to her as they walked. “How are tings goin’ wit’ da club?” He was genuinely curious about it.

  “They’re going well. The contractor has been hard at work getting the upstairs remodeled. He says it’ll be finished by the end of the week and the electrician can come back in to finish the wiring. If all goes as planned, we’ll be opening our doors in a month.” She was so excited that it showed in her voice. “I’ve already started advertising for help and some of the local musicians have voiced an interest in checking out the acoustics in the club once it’s open.”

  “Dat’s great, cher. Your dream is comin’ along nicely.”

  “It is. I can’t wait for it to be finished. It’s going to be great, I know it.”

  “A’course it will,” Caine replied, voice filled with conviction.

  Eme arched a brow at him. “It’s nice to have your vote of confidence, but I have to wonder why you feel so sure of it.”

  “Because, Angel, you are a woman who is determined to succeed and dat makes a world of difference.” Once at his home he opened the door and ushered her inside. He hoped that soon it would be their home and not just his. He’d let her make any decorating changes she wanted if if meant she was there in his arms every morning for the rest of their lives.

  Emelise

  Eme wasn’t sure what to expect when they reached his house. She really didn’t know much about him beyond the fact he was the Alpha of the Pard and he could be an arrogant pain in the ass when he wanted to be. She found she was looking forward to getting to know him. She really was in so much trouble. When she stepped into the house she arched a brow. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a man who liked vibrant colors,” she said, motioning to the paintings on the wall.

  Caine chuckled. “To be completely honest, cher, I’m not. I was informed dis mornin’ dat my house was one big man cave and needed to be lightened up a bit so I let one our females do some shoppin’.”

  Emelise laughed. “One big man cave. Now that I can see. I don’t want you changing who you are out of some misguided belief that you need to do it to impress me or some shit, Caine. Whoever picked all this out, she has a good eye for color, but it doesn’t really feel like it’s you. It feels more like things an ex left behind and you’ve just not gotten around to removing them.” A spike of jealousy went through her at that thought. Who was this female who went shopping for him?

  Caine smirked at her. “No, cher, it’s not someting an ex left behind and dere’s no’ting between Sabine, who went shoppin’, and me other den I’m her Alpha. She’s da only one of da Pard, in our generation, who has really left da bayou and I wanted da opinion of someone who had more experience with the world outside of New Orleans.” He leaned down before she could get away from him and brushed his lips across hers. “It’s cute dat you’re jealous, Angel.” He winked and went to the kitchen where he’d left the roses he’d gotten her.

  Emelise was mildly embarrassed by the fact he’d heard the jealousy in her voice. She hadn’t planned on that. While he stepped away from her she moved around the living room. She could tell which influences were from this Sabine, and yes she still felt a little spike of jealousy at the thought of another woman buying things for Caine’s home, which was totally ridiculous. She should most definitely not be feeling jealous. So what if he was her leopard’s mate, he was a man, he’s probably fucked a lot of women, and as the past taught her, she couldn’t count on him sticking around once he got what he wanted.

  Caine returned to her with the bouquet of dark crimson roses in hand. “Dese are for you, cher,” he said and held out a bouquet of Black Beauty roses.

  Eme turned and a soft gasp escaped her. “Oh, wow, they’re gorgeous.” She took them from him, lifted them to her nose and breathed in the soft scent clinging to them. “Thank you. They’re Black Beauties, aren’t they?”

  “Dey are. How’d you know dat, Angel?”

  “Black Beauties are my favorite of the large tea roses,” she admitted. “Another of my favorite type of rose is the Rosa Mundi. It’s a gorgeous Gallica rose that comes in a variety of colors splashed across the petals like paint.” She blushed a little. She adored roses, you name them she liked them. The only other thing she’d ever wanted to do, besides open a club of her own, was own a greenhouse filled with roses.

  Caine

  Caine found himself more and more intrigued by his mate. She was a bit of a paradox to him. She was tough, independent, stubborn, strong, and then she would say or do something that exposed a sense of vulnerability in her that she quickly covered up with bravado. Finding out she was such an avid fan of roses made him want to give her a bouquet every day. “Someting tells me dis is more den a passing fancy for roses.” He offered her a crystal vase for the flowers and watched as she placed them in it with a hint of reverence.

  Eme looked up at him and her cheeks were slightly pink. “You are too fucking perceptive for my own good. I used to talk about building a greenhouse in our backyard, back in Phoenix before my Mama died, so I could grow my own roses, maybe come up with my own hybrid.”

  “Dere’s no’ting stoppin’ you from doin’ dat, cher. Dere’s plenty of land here where you could build your own greenhouse.” Yes he was trying to tempt her into moving to the compound so she’d be closer to him.

  Emelise shook her head. “You aren’t going to give up on trying to get me out here, are you?”

  “Not a chance, Angel. Dis is where you belong; wit’ me, wit’ your Pard.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I understand your need to be independent but dat doesn’t mean I’ll stop tryin’ to get you in my arms every night. I have every intention of makin’ you beg for my cock before I have you screamin’ in pleasure.”

  Emelise

  Emelise couldn’t believe how easy it was to talk to him. She’d never shared her secret wish for her own greenhouse with anyone but her mother and yet she’d told him about it as if it was common knowledge. How the fuck did he get past her defenses, past her walls, so damned easily? Was it because he was her mate? Or was there more to it? Did she really want to risk getting her heart broken by letting him in?

  His admission, and the very naughty thoughts his words put into her head, combined with his growl, made Emelise blush as a shiver worked it’s way down her back. “There you go, ruining a perfectly good conversation again by putting kinky thoughts in my head,” she said and was rewarded with a startled look from him. That was the first time she’d admitted he put those thoughts in her head.

  Caine chuckled. “Oh, dat’s good to know, cher. Dat means I’m makin’ headway.” He ushered her toward the table where di
nner was waiting for them. He held her chair for her before he took the seat across from her.

  Emelise wasn’t sure what to expect in regards to their dinner. Would he cook it himself or order from a restaurant? Looking at the platters of food on the table she still wasn’t sure which it was. “Did you cook all of this yourself or did you cheat and get take-out?”

  “No’ting on dis table was bought from a restaurant.”

  Eme blinked. “You cooked all of this? How in the hell did you find the time to do that?”

  “A combination of wakin’ up while it was still dark out and determination, cher.” He’d made steak, steamed crab legs, scallops sauteed in garlic and butter, shrimp etouffee, asparagus cooked in butter with creole seasoning, and for dessert he made both bananas foster and blueberry cheesecake.

  She looked at the food then looked at him. “It’s a damn good thing we’ve got such high metabolisms or I wouldn’t be able to eat half of what you fixed. It all looks delicious. I had no idea you could cook.”

  “I am a man of many talents, cher.”

  “I see that.” She filled her plate and took a bite of her steak before she turned her attention to him. “I’ve only recently realized I know very little about you, Caine.”

  “What would you like to know? I’ll tell you anyting and ever’ting.”

  “When did you become Alpha of the Pard? What led you to decide to challenge the old Alpha?”

  “Da old Alpha, Zachary Eitenne, he was a hard man who cared more for his own comforts den he did da Pard. Da compound you see today, it wasn’t always in such good condition. Da yards were unkempt, many of da houses needed repairs, some had leaky roofs and holes in da walls. It was worse den an inner city slum.” There was anger in his voice as he spoke of the conditions he’d had to grow up in. “Eight years ago I decided it was time dat Zachary was removed as Alpha. He’d let his self go; he was soft, weak, because he didn’t tink anyone would ever challenge him. I defeated him easily and once he was gone I focused on makin’ dis a safe place for da Pard to live. Anyone who couldn’t afford to pay for dere own repairs, I took care of it for dem.”

  “You took care of it? How?”

  “I’m an investor. I’d already made quite a bit of money by da time I became Alpha.”

  “Ah. That makes sense. Mamere Eulalie said he was the reason my Mama left here, after she got pregnant with me, because he would have forced her to abort, and if she’d tried to come home with me once I was born he would have killed me.”

  “Dat’s true, he would have. He didn’t like anyone who wasn’t full leopard. He only interacted wit’ humans when he had to for business. Or when he had an itch he needed scratchin’.”

  Emelise shuddered. “I’m glad he’s no longer here.” She tipped her head at him. “Are you an only child? Where are your parents?”

  “I am. My Mama died when I was a babe; Papa ended up drinkin’ his self into an early grave. He couldn’t handle losin’ his mate.”

  “I’m sorry. That couldn’t have been easy to go through.”

  “Tink no’ting of it, cher. It was a long time ago. Now it’s your turn to tell me a bit about you. What was your childhood like?”

  Emelise’s face lit up a bit at the question. “My childhood was great. I mean, sure, there were times when money was tight, but Mama always managed to provide the things I needed. Sometimes she had to work extra hours at the diner to do it, but her boss would let me hang out there when I was little and after school as I got older, on the days she had to work late. She always encouraged me to chase my dreams, no matter what they were, and she told me to never let anyone try to hold me back. Mama had to grow up fast, you know? She was sixteen when she got pregnant with me, she was on her own, she had no support system whatsoever, and yet not once did she make me feel like she’d wished she’d never had me.”

  “You and your mama were close?”

  “We were. We didn’t have anyone but each other, not after...well, not after the only father I ever knew decided six years into their relationship he no longer wanted a ready-made family.”

  “Dat was a really shitty ting for him to do to you and your Mama,” Caine said with a growl in his voice.

  “Yeah, well, he’s a man, what do you expect?”

  Caine cocked a brow at her. “No, he was a boy. A man wouldn’t have abandoned da woman and child he claimed to love. You have a very poor opinion of men, cher. Is dat why? Because of what he did?”

  “Not just him. I’ve learned that lesson on a more personal level, too.” She looked down at her plate a moment before she turned her attention back to him. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about men, Caine, it’s that they cannot be counted on to be there when you need them the most.”

  Caine got up and moved to her side before he pulled her out of the chair and into his arms. “Dat is untrue, Angel. Whoever made you tink dat, dey weren’t worthy of you to begin wit’. If it takes a lifetime to make you see dat, den I’m up for da challenge,” he said and claimed her mouth in a heated kiss.

  Emelise felt weak in the knees when he kissed her. Her fingers curled into his shirt and a soft noise escaped her. She should push him away, she even moved her hands to do that, but her body decided to betray her and instead she wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his body.

  Caine

  Caine had watched his mate as she’d enjoyed bites of food in between talking. The way her eyes lit up and the little pleased noises that had come from her told him she’d really enjoyed everything she’d tasted. Every time she’d licked her lips he’d felt himself harden. He’d wanted her, desperately. He’d wanted to peel that dress off her body and kiss every inch of exposed skin.

  The animated way in which she had talked about her childhood had brought a smile to his face. She’d grown up without a Pard, and without a father, but her mother had done the best she could and she’d given Emelise unconditional love. That was what a parent should give their child but he knew there were many parents out there who didn’t. His own father was one such parent. He’d blamed Caine for the loss of his mate because she’d had complications during childbirth that eventually led to her death. He was never outright cruel to his son, but he was never very affectionate either. He’d loved getting to know more about her; loved getting to see little glimpses of her past. There were so many layers to his mate; much like an onion, but where onions were often strong and bitter, Emelise was soft and sweet.

  It wasn’t until Emelise outright said all men were pretty much worthless when it came to counting on them to be there that he’d decided it was time to start changing her view on his entire gender. Sure there were some men who took off when things got tough, but not all did, and he sure as hell wasn’t the kind to walk away from his woman.

  It didn't matter that they were in the middle of dinner. He needed to start changing her view of men, immediately. He moved to her side and pulled her out of her chair. The moment their lips touched Caine pulled her closer to him and let her feel how much he wanted her. The way her body molded against his, it was as if they were made for each other. The noises escaping her as he deepened their kiss made him harden even more than he already was. He lifted her up and when he legs wrapped around his waist he growled against her lips. “You’re drivin’ me crazy, cher,” he said and kissed her again. Her body fit perfectly with his.

  Emelise

  Lost. She was completely and utterly lost. The feel of his arousal against her sent shivers of anticipation down her spine and Emelise felt dampness pooling between her thighs. For the first time in her life she really and truly felt aroused and it was both startling and a little scary. It scared her that her body responded on such a deep level to even the slightest touch from him. She didn’t want to lose herself in him, didn’t want to lose sight of who she was as an individual, and she feared that was exactly what was going to happen if she let him burrow his way into her heart. The problem was, no matter how hard she tried to keep him at a distance, he slipp
ed past her defenses. How the fuck did he do that?

  When Caine lifted her up, Emelise wrapped her legs around his waist. The position pushed her dress up to her thighs and placed his very hard cock against her heated mound. A strangled sound escaped her and her hands gripped his hair. Was that needy sound really coming from her?

  “Tell me what you’re tinkin’, Angel,” Caine growled against her mouth before he trailed kisses down her throat. He nibbled on her collar bone and smirked when she shuddered against him.

  Did he really expect her to form a coherent thought? It took her several seconds to respond. “I’ve never felt such... need before.”

  Caine lifted his head to look at her. “What do you mean, cher?”

  She wanted to look away but his gaze held hers. “I mean I’ve never really gotten much from sex. “The only fucking orgasms I’ve ever had have come from a vibrator.”

  Caine

  When Caine heard those words he froze. “Is dat a joke, cher?” His voice was gruff with need.

  “Do you really think I’d joke about something like that, Caine?”

  “Oh, Angel, you have been missin’ out. You must have been wit’ boys who didn’t know how to please a woman. A man knows how to make his woman scream in pleasure. Their dinner was all but forgotten as he headed towards the back of the house to his bedroom. He was going to show his mate just how much she’d been missing out.

  Emelise snorted. “Uh huh.” There was skepticism in her voice.

  Caine smirked. He wasn’t going to try to convince her with words. No, as the saying went, actions spoke louder. He carried her into his room and laid her down on his king-size bed before he crawled onto it with her. His hands slid over her body with the thin material of her dress between them. “By da time I’m done wit’ you, cher, you’re goin’ to know exactly what I’m talkin’ about.” He slid his hands beneath her dress to slowly move it up her body. As her skin was revealed to him he dipped his head and trailed kisses over her body. When the black ink he’d gotten a glimpse of was finally revealed to him he trailed his tongue over the design. Roses with an intricate swirled design graced her right side from hip to just below her breast. The entire thing was in black ink and it was beautiful. “Dis is beautiful work, Angel. What inspired it?”