Scarlet Roses

by Angel Nyx

  Emelise’s eyes closed as his lips trailed along her skin. She shivered her and a soft whimper escaped her parted lips. “I got it after my Mama passed away. Our mutual love of roses was one of the few things we had in common.”

  Caine lifted his head to look at her. “In a way you’re honorin’ her memory wit’ this.”

  Eme nodded. “Yeah.” She swallowed at the desire burning in his gaze.

  Caine kept his gaze locked with hers as he finally got the dress up and off her body leaving her in just her lace bra and panties. He leaned back so he could look her over before he ran his hands down her body. “You are absolutely beautiful, Angel.”

  A faint blush tinged her cheeks as she stared up at him. “You really think that, don’t you?”

  “I never say anyting I don’t mean.” His hands cupped her breasts and massaged them until her nipples were tight little peaks. He kept his eyes on her face as he lowered his head and suckled one through her bra while he lightly pinched her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

  Emelise whimpered and arched her back, pushing her breasts into his touch. Her hands went to his shoulders and she clung to him.

  Caine kept up the attention on her breasts with his mouth while his hand slid down her body to dip between her thighs. “So wet already, cher.” Her panties were soaked from her arousal. He shifted the material out of his way and slid a finger into her. He’d intended to discuss the impulsiveness of her decision to go to Phoenix but any thought of that was long gone as her hips bucked into his hand.

  Emelise

  She was on fire. That was how she felt from every touch of his fingers, every brush of Caine’s lips on her body. He was burning her up and she wasn’t sure she was going to survive it. Or maybe she’d be like the phoenix and be reborn. When he teased her nipples, pinching one between his fingers while his teeth nibbled on the other, Emelise thought she was going to go mad. Then he slid a finger inside her. Her entire body reacted to it and her hips bucked. She’d never felt anything so intense in her life. Not even her best vibrator could make her feel the way he did with just a single finger inside her.

  “Dat’s it, Angel,” Caine growled against her breast. He worked his finger in her a moment before he slipped a second in to join it. The snugness of her sheath was testament to the fact she’d not had a lot of sex. As her movements increased so did the thrusting of his fingers before he moved his thumb up to caress her clit.

  Eme moaned and writhed against Caine’s hand as an orgasm rushed over her. When it broke she gasped and stared up at him. “Holy fuck,” she panted while her muscles quivered in little aftershocks. “I’ve never... gods, Caine, I’ve never come that fast in my life.”

  “It’s not over yet, cher. Not by a long shot,” he told her. He leaned in and kissed her deeply before he trailed kisses down her body. He removed her bra and tossed it to the floor before his hands slid her panties down her legs. Those he shoved into the pocket of his slacks as he kissed his way down to her sex. Her legs parted for him and he pushed them further apart before he buried his mouth against her.

  Emelise’s back arched when Caine’s tongue delved into her wet heat. “Oh fuck...oh Gods, Caine.” A husky moan escaped her as her hands slid into his hair to grip it lightly. How in the fuck had she gone this long thinking sex was boring? How could she possibly have been so wrong? Or maybe she wasn’t wrong, maybe it was just different with Caine?

  Caine

  Caine was determined to give his mate more pleasure than she’d ever known. Sure she said she’d never orgasmed from sex before but he wanted the pleasure she’d gotten from her toys to pale in comparison to what he was doing to her. Her taste, her scent, drove him crazy and his cock throbbed painfully in his suddenly too tight pants. He was holding onto his control by a thread that threatened to snap at any moment. His mouth moved up to suckle her clit and he slid fingers inside her again. He needed her to find her release because he needed to be inside her.

  “Caine...please...oh Gods, please....” Eme writhed against his mouth.

  “Please, what, Angel?”

  “Please... please fuck me. I need to feel you inside me.”

  Caine groaned against her. “Not yet, cher. Come for me one more time.” He curled his fingers to stroke her G-spot while he teased her sensitive clit with his teeth and tongue.

  The combination of his tongue on her clit and his fingers against her G-spot sent Emelise crashing over the edge. She cried out as her entire body shook from the orgasm.

  “Dat’s my girl.” Caine quickly shed his clothes. He gazed down at her as he moved up to position himself between her welcoming thighs. He kept his eyes locked with hers as he pressed into her one slow inch at a time. “Fuck, Angel, you’re so snug. You feel so good.” He dipped his head to kiss her heatedly.

  Caine watched her face as he filled her. The stark hunger and the need in her eyes made him smirk a little. The tightness of her sheath around him, however, made him groan. “Fuck, cher,” he hissed before he kissed her again. “You just hold on and let me show you how it’s supposed to feel,” he growled. And then he began to move.

  Emelise

  Eme had glanced down as he’d pressed his shaft against her and she’d swallowed at his size. He wasn’t a small man. All she could think at the time was how in the hell was all of that going to fit inside her? He didn’t give her time to question him before he was pushing into her. Her hands went to his shoulders and she clung to him as her hips arched to meet him.

  Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined sex would feel this good. She’d been completely honest with him before. The only orgasms she’d ever had, until now, were ones she’d given herself with a vibrator. Those orgasms paled in comparison to the ones he’d already given her with his mouth and fingers. How much more intense was it going to be when he pushed her over the edge while he was inside her? Hell, she hadn’t even realized she could orgasm more than once.

  Emelise gripped his shoulders and clung to him as they moved together. Each thrust of his hips sent him deeper into her and caused the fire burning in her to flare that much hotter. Soon she was whimpering and whining and her nails raked along his back. She became a veritable wildcat beneath him.

  “Oh Gods...Caine...please...” She wasn’t sure how much more she could handle before she completely lost it. Her nails left angry, red marks along his back and she writhed and bucked beneath him.

  “Tell me what you need, Angel,” Caine growled in her ear. He wanted to hear her say the words.

  “Please..please make me come!” Later she might be mad at herself for giving in and begging, because she'd always told herself she would never beg a man for an orgasm, but right now the only thing that mattered was finding relief.

  “Wit’ pleasure.” He slipped a hand between them to tease her clit while he pounded into her.

  That was all Emelise needed to send her crashing over the edge. She nearly screamed his name while her inner walls clenched and spasmed around him, urging him to follow her in release.

  Caine

  The first time he’d kissed her he’d suspected that Emelise would be a wildcat in bed. She’d been too passionate in her response for her to be a meek lover. Even so, he’d not fully expected her to be as wild as she got. The feel of her nails raking his back was maddening. When she begged him to make her come he could do naught but comply. Her walls clenching around him dragged him over the edge with her and he roared his pleasure. He knew the Pard would hear him but he really didn’t give a damn.

  When she finally stopped quivering beneath him, Caine half collapsed atop her before he rolled and took her with him. He kept his arms around her so she was draped over him and dipped his head to nuzzle her. “Dat was magnificent.”

  Emelise lifted her gaze to his. “I had no fucking idea it could feel like that. That...I have no words.”

  Caine chuckled and dipped his head to claim her lips. “Dat’s okay, Angel, you don’t need any. Stay tonight.”
He nibbled lightly on her bottom lip.

  She paused for several seconds before she responded. “Okay.” The word was almost a whisper as she curled against him.

  Caine tugged the sheet up and draped it over them before he ran his hand up and down her side, caressing her skin. “Sleep, cher. We can talk more tomorrow.”

  Before she could do little more than murmur a sleepy “M’kay,” she was drifting off to sleep.

  Caine held her and watched her sleep. He suspected that come morning she would try to find a reason to push him away again, but he’d had a taste of her now, he wasn’t about to let his mate slip through his fingers. With renewed resolve to make her see that her belief that she couldn’t depend on him to be there when she needed him was a false one, Caine finally allowed sleep to claim him as well.

  Chapter Seven

  Emelise

  Eme awoke to find herself half draped across Caine with his arms wrapped around her. Her head was on his chest and as she shifted against him she realized he was already awake. She took a breath to calm her racing heart before she lifted her face to look at him. “Good morning.”

  “Mornin’, cher,” he replied and dipped his head to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. “ I could get used to dis.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t get your hopes up, Caine. I’m not moving to the compound.”

  “I can be patient, Angel,” he informed her and nuzzled her lips. “I tink dat’ll change in time.”

  Eme shifted to try to get up but Caine’s arms tightened around her. “Where you tink you’re goin’, cher?” He trailed kisses along her jaw before he moved her onto her back and continued the kisses until he took a nipple in his mouth.

  Emelise shuddered and her fingers found their way into his hair. Any thought of getting out of bed fled under the onslaught of desire coursing through her. Soon he had her writhing and whimpering and she’d all but forgotten what they’d been talking about.

  Caine

  Caine had awakened with the sunrise but for the first time in years he’d had no desire to get up and start working. No, he’d wanted to lay there and enjoy the feel of his mate in his arms. Her scent clung to his skin and had caused his morning arousal to become almost painfully hard. He’d known sex with Emelise was going to be great but he was still blown away by just how intense and mind-blowing it had been. The combination of watching her let go while simultaneously clenching around him had sent him to another plane of awareness for a moment.

  Caine had watched her sleep and when he’d felt her stirring he’d smiled. He’d been able to tell she was trying to pull away, trying to create some distance between them, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. He’d captured her lips in a kiss and ran his hands over her body. It didn’t take long for him to ignite the fire in her again and he focused on fanning the flames for as long as he could.

  It wasn’t until much later that he finally let her out of bed. She was stubborn and proud, he knew he could only push so far before she pushed back. Still, the fact she was there with him, the fact she’d stayed the night, meant he was making headway.

  They showered together-- and damn if that wasn’t a test of his willpower to keep it at just a shower-- before he fixed them both breakfast. “Now, about dat little trip you and Lily just came back from.” He’d waited until they were at the table with plates in front of them.

  Emelise groaned. “I know you think it was foolish, Caine, but we were careful and I had to go get my things from storage. Besides, you don’t fucking own me.”

  “I don’t just tink it was foolish, I know it was. It’s not about owning you, cher. It was dangerous. Da Red Moon Clan was targetin’ ever’one who was associated wit’ the Pard. Da jaguars from Declan's team, dey infiltrated da Clan and found dat out. Da Red Moon Clan knew who you were. Dey knew what hotel you were stayin’ in. Dey even knew what room you were in. Dey knew when you were at da club, doin’ clean up. You and Lily tink you weren’t followed, but you were. Da ones followin’ you were called back by dere Alpha because he’d decided to attack da Pard’s compound. If he hadn’t called dem back, dey would have forced you and Lily off da road and taken you both. Da Alpha would have used both of you as leverage against us. What would you have done, den?”

  “It doesn’t matter because it didn’t happen.” Her chin lifted in defiance.

  “It does matter!” He all but growled at her. “If dey had gotten dere hands on you, tings would have gone very bad, very quickly. You’re right, I don’t own you, but you are my mate and I would have slaughtered all of dem if dey’d harmed you. I wouldn’t have spared a single adult member of Da Red Moon Clan. Not. A. Single. One.”

  Emelise

  When he’d finally let her out of bed she’d felt a pleasant soreness between her thighs. If sex with him was going to feel that good all the time, she was okay with being sore. Because holy fuck, the man had rocked her world and then some. “Breakfast smells really good,” she’d murmured when they sat at the table. She was looking forward to enjoying it and then he’d had to go and ruin things.

  Okay, she understood his anger over her and Lily taking off, she really did. He was an Alpha so he felt all protective of them and shit, but he was acting like she and Lily were careless little girls who weren’t capable of thinking for themselves and it pissed her the hell off. Then his words sunk in.

  Emelise stared at him. He was serious. He genuinely meant what he was saying. “I’m sorry, Caine.” She realized, looking in his eyes, that she’d nearly driven him crazy with worry about her at a time when he’d needed to be focused. “What happened, with the jaguars?”

  She watched as Caine rubbed a hand down his face. It was pretty obvious to her that he hadn’t wanted to talk about it just yet, but he’d brought up her trip, which in turn reminded her that the Pard had taken on the jaguars while she and Lily were gone.

  “Da Alpha and his lieutenants, da ones who weren’t incapacitated before da fight, dey died. Da Red Moon Clan has a new Alpha and da Pard has a new ally.”

  “Did...we lose anyone?” She was finally showing some interest and she was ashamed to realize that beyond using some of the younger males to help her with the club, she’d not given the Pard, as a whole, much thought.

  “No, Angel, we didn’t lose anyone. We had some injured, but dey healed fine.”

  Emelise breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Goddess. I’m sorry I’ve been so selfish and self-absorbed. Here I am using some of the younger Pard to help me get the club ready and I can’t even bother to ask about the welfare of everyone else.”

  Caine shook his head. “Tink no’ting of it, Angel. You’re not used to bein’ part of a group so dis is all new to you. You’ll do better wit’ time.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I should get back into the city. I have a lot of work to do. I’m thinking of buying myself a boat so I don’t have to keep asking Remy for a ride. Would you be willing to teach me the route to get here?”

  Caine

  Caine had watched her from across the table. He’d watched as the realization of what he was saying hit her. She’d really not thought much about the conflict because it hadn’t directly impacted her. Maybe it was also because she wasn’t there with the Pard, she hadn’t grown up there, so it didn’t seem to touch her. When it’d hit her that people died, that the Pard could have lost someone during the fight, he’d seen shame fill her eyes. Given the fact she hadn’t grown up there, she didn’t know or understand what it meant to be part of a Pard, so he didn’t blame her for not giving it much thought beyond the help she was getting from them.

  “A boat? You really do plan on stayin’ in da city, eh cher?” At her nod he wanted to growl but sighed instead. “A’course I’ll teach you da route. Dat way you can come and go as you please. Maybe it’ll help you change your mind about livin’ here.”

  “Don’t bet on it.”

  “A man can hope, cher, a man can hope,” he replied with a wink. “I’ll take you back to da city.”
r />   “Are you sure? I’m sure I can get Remy to do it.”

  “I’m sure, woman. I’ll take you back.” He offered her his arm before he escorted her out of his home and down to the docks where several boats were tied up. He helped her onto his boat, got her settled, and headed through the swamp toward New Orleans.

  Emelise

  Emelise watched him as he headed his boat toward the city. She’d only ever ridden in Remy’s and Caine’s was a little nicer. It had thicker padding on the seats and he’d put a canopy up to shield her from the sun. She could feel the humidity rising in the air and she reached back to pull her hair up off her neck. “It looks like it’s going to be a hot, sticky day.”

  “Mmhmm,” Caine said then flashed a wicked grin at her. “I wouldn’t mind someting else being hot and sticky.”