by Jenika Snow
Once fully in her house he turned around and saw the barely restrained desire and anger on her face. That amused the shit out of him.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” She shut the door, crossed her arms under her chest, and dammit, all that did was pop her breasts out in all their glory. Scrubbing a hand over his mouth, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her hard nipples, or the way the mounds jiggled from the action. Shit, he could see the fucking outline of her areolas.
Letting his arm fall back to his side, Trace took a step closer to her, which had her moving back until the door stopped her from retreating from him anymore. “Go to lunch with me.” He came right out and said it, not seeing any point in beating around the bush. “I gave you three days, Candace, and that was three days too many.” She breathed in and out heavily. For several long seconds neither said anything else, but then she inhaled deeply and licked her lips.
“I can’t be the mate you need, Trace. I can’t be the mate anyone needs.” He couldn’t keep his eyes from closing at the sound of her saying his name. He didn’t know what she meant by that statement, but it was a load of shit. Fate had put them together as mates, and even if for whatever fucked up reason she thought she couldn’t be what he needed, he would just have to show her how much he needed her.
“How can you possibly know that you can’t be my mate if you haven’t given us a chance?” He stared into her eyes but didn’t give her a chance to answer that question. He could see that she understood him well enough. Whatever was making her feel like she couldn’t at least try whatever the hell was happening between them wasn’t good enough for Trace. He wouldn’t just fucking back away. “I just want to start with lunch, Candace, just lunch.” Her blue eyes were so big, so expressive, that he didn’t think she realized how easily he could read her. “What do you have to lose?” It took her a moment to answer, but finally she exhaled and dropped her gaze to his chest. He didn’t want that, didn’t want her hiding from him, even if it was just her breaking eye contact. Taking hold of her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he lifted her head so she was forced to look at him again. “Quit fighting the inevitable, and let me buy you some food.” He grinned, hoping to appear nonthreatening, because no matter how gentle he tried to be and appear, he knew he was rough around the edges. It wasn’t something he could help, no matter how much he wanted to show his mate that he would drop to his knees before her and worship her like the goddess she was.
Chapter Five
Was she actually going to do this? Yeah, it looked like she was since she’d agreed to go with Trace to lunch. Candace smoothed her hands over her shirt and picked a loose thread on her jean shorts. He had told her to go and change, that he wanted to take her to the little deli in town so they could talk about whatever in the hell was going on between them, and she hadn’t even put up a fight. In her defense she was a bit shell-shocked to actually see him at her house, to feel his presence, and the way he didn’t even have to say anything for her to feel him as if he were touching every part of her. Yeah, she might not have been surprised he had found her, but that didn’t make her shock any less intense. The scent of him still surrounded her, and the images of seeing him look up and down her body haunted her. He wanted her, and hadn’t even tried to hide the fact he had grown hard right in front of her. This male had no shame, and just did whatever the hell he wanted to. Despite the knowledge they had both lived here for several years, they had never run into each other. Strange in a sense because Sweet Water wasn’t that big of a town to begin with, but Candace did stay to herself, and it was clear Trace ran in a very different circle from hers.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her bedroom door and made her way down the hallway. He was still standing in the foyer, but had his attention on the photos that lined the walls. “You were cute as a kid.” He looked at her by only turning his head, and he already wore a grin. “Tiny little thing, too.” A shiver raced up her spine when he glanced at her thighs. Fortunately, she had been smart enough to put on jeans. He faced her fully, leaned against the wall, and crossed his arms over his chest. It seemed he liked that position, but then again it was a very nice look on him, what with it making his muscles bulge out. He started eyeing her up and down, and she felt naked in front of him.
Clearing her throat, Candace tried to calm down. “Yeah, I have just recently gained some weight. I blame it on the fact I work from home.” Why had she just told him that? Ugh, it was like she was a mess when around him, and blurting off things she would have normally kept to herself. It was verbal vomit at its finest. He watched her with unrestrained heat in his eyes.
“I like the way you look, like that you have curves and can handle everything I give you.” He took a step closer, and closer, and Candace found herself staying in place, able to move away from him. She really should be more offended by his arrogance in the fact he was damn sure she would just give him whatever the hell he wanted. “Looking at you makes me think of all kinds of filthy things I want to do to you.” Before he was close enough to touch her he stopped, and she let out a breath. He watched her for a second, and she could clearly see the struggle not to reach out and just take her. “Food.” He grunted out the word, turned, and walked to the front door. Candace stared at him, a bit confused and flustered. “Come on, mate, it’s time for us to have a nice long talk.” He glanced at her over his shoulder and pulled the door open. Candace grabbed her purse and followed him out of her house. After locking up she faced his bike just in time to see him climb on it.
“Maybe I’ll just meet you there.” It was more of a statement than a question. She eyed the bike, and then felt her pulse jump when he reached behind him and patted the seat.
“Come on, little wolf. It’s all good.” He slipped his glasses on, and she couldn’t help but think he looked so sexy, so dark, and so damn sinister in all black. “I promise I won’t let you fall.” The teasing note in his voice lightened the mood marginally.
“I’ve got to be out of my mind,” she said under her breath as she made her way toward him, but she knew he heard her nonetheless because he started to chuckle. Stopping right in front of the huge motorcycle, she eyed its full length. The chrome was polished until it was almost blinding under the sun, and the red and black detail work was sharp and beautiful all at the same time.
“Go on, straddle it.”
She snapped her eyes to him, because even if he was talking about her mounting the bike, Candace also didn’t miss the sexual innuendo that was an undertone in those words. Doing just that, she sat on the bike and moved as far back as she could so she wasn’t touching him. She was already uncomfortably wet, and the thought of having her body pressed so close and very intimately against his would not help her in any sense. The black leather seat was warmed from the sun, and she shifted, feeling her shorts ride up slightly from the movement. Candace took a moment to take in Trace’s broad, strong shoulders, and narrowed waist.
“Gotta get a little closer, Candace.” His voice was low, and even though he didn’t turn around when he spoke she heard the amusement laced in his words. Moving down on the seat a little bit, she still kept a bit of space between them. In the next second he reached around, curled his long fingers around her waist, and yanked her down the seat so her chest pressed against his back. The air whooshed out of her, and she closed her eyes at the feel of all of his hardness. He hadn’t let go of her waist, and his body was tensed. His chest rose and fell, and the scent of his polar bear right there was a strong, heady smell that filled her nostrils.
Hands on her thighs, she curled her fingers into her legs, knowing that whatever was happening between them was so extreme she wouldn’t be able to deny it the longer she stayed in his presence. He grabbed his helmet and handed it to her. “Gotta be safe.” He looked at her from over his shoulder and grinned. After she had the helmet secured on her head and her purse crossed over her chest, she took a deep breath.
“Baby, you have to wrap your arms around
my waist.” The way he sounded, like he was barely hanging on as well, wasn’t lost on her. Candace should have told him “baby” wasn’t her name, but the words lodged in her throat, and instead she wrapped her arms him. The muscles of his abdomen jumped when she gripped the material of his shirt. It was like he was smuggling damn paint rollers beneath his skin. It didn’t take him long to start the bike, and as soon as he did she bit her lip to hold off from moaning. The vibrations were crazy intense and coursed throughout her entire body. Her clit swelled, and she swore she felt his cock start to become hard. He grabbed her hands, placed them right back on his lower stomach, and gave them a tight squeeze.
Trace backed out of her driveway, and then they were on the road, passing houses and trees at an astounding and freeing rate. Candace rested her head on the center of his back and tightened her arms around him. She had never been on a bike, and as scary as it had been at first, she could definitely see the appeal. There was something about not being confined in a car and feeling the wind whipping by her.
They were at the deli far too soon. Trace dismounted, and she took her helmet off and handed it to him, but before she could climb off, too, he was holding onto her hips and hauling her off.
“You have to watch this.” He tilted his head to a big piece of metal on the side of the bike. “It’s easy to burn yourself.” He had her back on the ground and grabbed her hand before she even righted herself.
The deli he had taken her to had been a staple in Sweet Water for as long as Candace could remember. Originally owned by two sloth shifters, the deli had been bought by a human couple. The sandwiches were the best in town, and although small, it was cozy and the atmosphere eclectic. They chose a table on the patio, and when the waitress, a sugar glider who had a cute little Australian accent, had taken their drink and food orders, they were left alone. All that arousal that had been strong inside of her since she opened the door and had seen Trace standing there was now gone, and in its place was her uncertainty.
“So.” The napkin in front of her seemed very interesting all of a sudden.
“Relax, Candace.” She lifted her eyes so she could see him. Dammit, he looked good just sitting there. He had one arm thrown over his chair, and one of his legs was straight out in front of him. He had the appearance of being relaxed, and maybe he was, but he also looked like he could break someone in half with just a glare.
Candace reached deep inside, straightened her spine, and decided that being nervous in front of him wasn’t going to get her anywhere. “Well, in that case, you wanted to talk, so let’s talk.” The corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn’t make a move to speak. The waitress came back with their drinks and set the glasses in front of them. Trace watching her was quite unnerving, and suddenly she was dying of thirst. She grabbed her lemonade and downed half of it.
“Why did you run from me at the bar?”
Well, she knew he was a right to the point kind of guy. “Honestly?”
He cocked a dark eyebrow. “Of course. I wouldn’t expect any less.” Funny thing was, as she looked at him straight on, the very noticeable scar on his face wasn’t that noticeable to her. In fact she hadn’t even paid any attention to it when she had opened the door and seen him standing there. Maybe she’d get the nerve to ask him how he got it? Oh, who was she kidding? Not only would that be rude, but wasn’t she trying keep her distance? Yeah, she was, but with each passing minute she was asking herself why she was doing that? Would he really disrupt her life that much? Yeah, he would, but keeping her distance seemed so silly when she was right in front of him. Hadn’t she tried to tell herself over and over again since she realized she now had a mate that he just wasn’t for her?
And why isn’t he for you, Candace? Why are you trying so hard stay alone when it hurts so much? Because you don’t know if you can trust a male, especially after the shit Chad did. And you also are anal enough to think his very presence would ruin your perfectly OCD life.
She might as well just come out with it. “Because this might come as a shock to you, but you have this sovereign and domineering presence about you. It is pretty freaking intimidating.” She looked down, spread her hands over the napkin she had placed in her lap, and said, “And because I was screwed over by my ex, and because of that don’t think I can trust another male not to hurt me.” And as she looked at him again, Candace knew that Trace could very well hurt her, and pretty damn bad. They had barely touched, but already she wanted him like she had never wanted another male. She wrapped a hand around her glass and refused to break the stare first. “Besides, I didn’t know what else to do. You came out of nowhere, trying to place some kind of claim on me, and I wasn’t ready for that … at all.” Trace didn’t say anything, and she couldn’t get a read on what he might be thinking because his face was emotionless.
“First, I’m sorry that some douche-bag hurt you. I can beat his ass into next week if it would make you feel better?” She cocked a brow, but he was being totally serious. “In fact, I might just have to kick his ass to make myself feel better.” His voice was dangerously low, and the deep rumble that came from him told her she should have just kept that little piece of information to herself.
“No, I don’t want anyone’s ass being kicked. He cheated on me, but it was over a year ago. I’ve moved on, started my life once again, and just want to keep it behind me.” He ground his teeth, held her stare, but finally he leaned back and nodded.
He cleared his throat and lifted his hand to rub his hand over his short dark hair. “Yeah, I do come off pretty abrasive, but—” He leaned forward again and rested his forearms on the table. His eyes looked so very green in the natural light. “But I am even more so now that I’ve found you. I’d say sorry for coming on so hard, but it would be a lie, and I won’t ever lie to you.” He snatched her hand and brought it into the warmth of his. “I am what I am, a bear that is used to getting what he wants. You put up a fight, and as much as it infuriates me to have to chase what I want and to not have you bend to my will immediately,” he lowered his voice to a husky, seductive growl, “I won’t deny that it makes me harder than I have ever been. You make me fucking harder than I have ever been, Candace.” His total disregard for what people might think if they heard him, which she didn’t doubt since a few glanced their way, should have had her running in the other damn direction.
“You are so uncouth and lewd.” She said almost as low and seductively as he had, and that wasn’t even her intent. But dammit his attitude and very presence made her annoyed and yet feeling lust the likes of which she had never even known was possible. His nostrils flared only a millisecond after she felt herself become even wetter, and all it had taken for her lust to spike was the way his eyes lit up and his jaw clenched. He may be used to others rolling over and presenting their bellies to him, but she wasn’t about to do that, and he would need to realize that sooner rather than later.
“Yeah, I am, and I’m a hell of a lot more things than that, little wolf.”
“Don’t call me that.” Candace meant to sound sterner, but of course she didn’t. The truth of the matter was she kind of liked the fact he was like this, like how she knew a male was supposed to be when he found his female. But just because she got all girly because of it didn’t mean she had to submit to him just because he expected everyone to bow before him.
“No?” He took on that relaxed position once again. “And why is that?”
She swallowed, but before she could say anything the sugar glider shifter came with their food. The atmosphere was silent yet felt loud. Their food sat in front of them, but neither could take their eyes off the other. “Because that isn’t my name, and you don’t even know me well enough to be calling me endearments like that.” She cleared her throat, licked her lips, and wished she had sounded surer.
“Baby, I’ll call you anything I want.” He had one hand on the table, and she let her gaze drop to his long fingers, ones that had her picturing him holding her down as he moved over her. �
��You and I also know that you don’t want me to stop being crude and vulgar, because, little wolf,” he had a hell of a lot of heat in his voice, “it makes you wet and has your nipples nice and hard.” To emphasize his point he looked down at her chest, and she knew her damn nipples were hard, as he so clearly pointed out. If that wasn’t enough he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and growled low in his throat. “Admit it. Tell your mate how wet you are for me, that as much as you’re denying me, you want to have me over you, thrusting in and out until you’re clawing at my back and screaming my name.” Candace gripped the edge of the table, her breathing labored. “That’s it, pet.” He leaned in closer until there was only an inch separating them. Candace lowered her eyes and looked at his lips. She felt drunk, drugged, oh hell both. His lips were full, and hers tingled to have him kiss her, to just stop talking about all these things he was going to do to her, and just take her already. God, she was being so wishy-washy, but she couldn’t help it, not even if her life depended on it. “Tell me.”
Oh, that bastard. He was a sadist, clearly liking to witness her suffering in arousal purgatory until he got exactly what he wanted, but right now she didn’t give a shit, and would have been one of those that rolled over and showed him her belly. She wanted him that much, his cockiness and all. But there was that damn little voice telling her to stay away, that he would surely screw up the progress she had made in her life, and the strength she had acquired after the shit with Chad had gone down. Candace kicked that little voice in the balls.
“You know all of those things to be true, so why not just stop torturing both of us and man-up already?” Fire snapped and crackled behind his eyes, along with the pheromones that called to her and made her putty in his hands. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything she had the sensation of someone behind her, and that was solidified when Trace moved back an inch and stared at whatever was over her shoulder.