by Mina Carter
“Back to the problem at hand.” Logan pitched his voice to get the attention of everyone in the room. “What, exactly, do we know about James’ organization? Anything new?”
Several head-shakes around the table gave him his answer. He suppressed the urge to curse like a sailor.
“How about the werebear? The one from the Scarlet Moon who defected?” Veyr asked. “Did we manage to get anything from him?”
“Unfortunately not.” Logan sat back in his seat, shaking his head. “The shock of having his bear stripped from him shattered his mind. We have him under observation in the league’s medical unit but so far, nothing doing.”
“How about the other one? Oh, mention the devil and he shall appear,” Veyr commented with a chuckle as, at that moment, the door opened and the league’s chief medic, Ethan, walked into the room.
“I’ve been called many things,” the tall werewolf smiled. “Devil’s a new one though. You were taking my name in vain?”
“Something like that.” Logan motioned to an empty seat next to Jai. Given the dislike Alex had for pixies, which was totally understandable since a group of them had tried to kill his mate only last year, seating the level-headed Ethan next to the warlord was the most sensible option. “We were looking to get an update on Johnson’s condition…”
He trailed off, holding Ethan’s gaze meaningfully. He wasn’t just interested in an update on the fighter who had been injured in the illegal fight club, but on an update for his newly pregnant mate as well. Just the thought of Zara and the cub she carried filled him with warmth. He was going to be a father and he had a beautiful mate… or he would have, just as soon as he could get his fangs into her and leave his mark on her shoulder.
But to do that, he needed to be sure Zara and the cub were okay. Werelion pregnancies were often fraught with problems, and he refused to do anything that would put either his mate or their child at risk. If he had to wait to make Zara his in every sense of the word, he would—even if it killed him. The ache in his cock and balls said it probably would. Death by sexual frustration… that’d be a new one for Ethan to write up on a death cert.
Ethan held his gaze meaningfully and nodded before looking around the room. “I’m afraid there’s no change in Johnson’s condition. I’m keeping him in an induced coma because of his injuries, so he won’t be talking anytime soon. We’ll need to find another source of information.”
Zane spoke up from the back of the room. “Leave it with me. I’ll rattle some cages in my network, see if we can’t shake a few rotten apples loose.”
“Same here,” Jai added, rubbing a hand over his stubbled chin. “I’ll get my guys out on the street, see if they can’t get a sniff of where the next fight’s going down, pass the info back if you guys wanted to put another shifter undercover?”
Logan nodded, a growl in the back of his throat. Even though James was Zara’s father, Logan had more than a few bones to pick (and break) with the guy.
“Yeah. Do that. Because we will be.”
The rest of the meeting had been short and sweet. Each member resolved to see what they could find out about James Hunter’s illegal fight clubs and then they’d all gone their separate ways. Without bloodshed, which given the bad feeling between Alex Kingwood and the pixies was nothing short of a minor miracle. Yeah, so they’d had to make sure Jai left first, and that both Ethan and he had kept Alex occupied, but Logan was taking that as a win.
Hell, he should be taking the meeting itself as a damn win. He couldn’t recall an instance where all the faction leaders in the city had actually sat down in the same room and talked, but they’d managed it. From shifters to vampires to pixies… the only ones they’d been missing were the warlocks… and if there were more than a handful in the city, he’d eat his hat. There certainly weren’t enough to count as a true faction, and he couldn’t see the presence of an illegal fight group bothering them, so to his mind, it made no difference if they hadn’t been invited.
But he sure was glad it was over. Tiredness tugged at his body, seeping down to his very bones as he pulled the car to a stop outside his apartment building. A quick glance upward confirmed all the lights were still on. Zara was still up then. He hadn’t expected otherwise. His little kitten moaned that she couldn’t sleep without him now.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He intended to make her moan in a different sort of way when he got up there.
Turning the engine off, he slid from behind the wheel and strode toward the building, triggering the locks as he went. For a moment, the parking lot around him was lit up in orange, but almost before it had faded, he was through the door and nodding at the guard at reception.
Brax nodded back, the big shifter one of Logan’s most trusted men. He’d have to be, to be here looking after the two most important things in Logan’s life, both wrapped up in the curvy form of the woman in the penthouse apartment upstairs.
The elevator took far too long. One shoulder against the wall, he counted as the number above the doors rose, already moving before the thing pinged to a stop and the doors slid open. Long strides took him down the corridor, his key card already out to swipe him into the suite.
The door banged shut behind him, the click telling him it was locked again. Not that security bothered him, not with Brax guarding the door downstairs and the other penthouse currently empty. No one would sneak up on him in his “den”… they were safe and secure, and his mate was within reach.
Her scent drew him like a moth to a flame. He stalked through the apartment, tracking her. Given the lateness of the hour, he wasn’t surprised to find the large screen TV in the main room off. Not that Zara actually watched it much. Instead, she kept it on in the background as she read, curled up in the corner of the large sofa. Of course, when he was there, she preferred to lean against him, which meant she didn’t end up reading for long…
Soft music from the direction of the bedroom welcomed him. Zara was in the bathroom, humming softly to the music as she poured bubble bath under the running water. He loitered in the doorway for a moment, his gaze greedy as it swept over her luscious figure. Clad in a silky wrap, her feet were bare, the nails painted pink. The sight made him smile. She was so alpha when dealing with club matters that the baby pink on her toes had surprised him at first. It hinted at the softer woman under her hard-nosed manner.
She put the bottle back on the shelf behind the taps, and the wrap pulled taut over the curve of her breast and waist. He sucked a hard breath in. She’d always been curvy, but with her pregnancy her figure was even more voluptuous. Bending over, she swirled her hand through the water, distributing the bubbles, and his cock hardened in response. He moved without thinking, across the room in a heartbeat.
“Oh!” Zara jumped as his hands slid over her hips, and she laughed. “Logan, don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“I’m a cat. What do you expect?” He snagged her around the waist, pulling her back against him. Her ass ground against his crotch and she gasped as she felt his rock hard erection. The scent of her arousal flooded the air around them. The groan escaped him before he could stop it. “Fucking hell, kitten. You know how to get a guy going.”
Chapter 2
“Not any guy, just you.”
Zara smiled as she leaned back into Logan’s embrace. His hands felt so good on her, smoothing around her waist before parting company. The left slid upward to cup one breast as the right made its way down to press the satin of her wrap between her thighs. Strong fingers cupped her mound, firm pressure against her still hidden clit making her body ache.
“It had better be just me,” he growled, his voice heavy with both possessiveness and his cat. Her own purred at the sound, wanting nothing more than to roll over for their powerful alpha mate. But the human had other ideas. He couldn’t have this too easy… Or at the very least she couldn’t let him think it was that easy, even if it was.
“Well… I dunno, with a lioness of my own now, perhaps I should
cast my net a bit wider,” she teased, tilting her head to the side to allow his lips better access. He kissed up her neck, leaving a fiery trail until he reached her ear. Nuzzling behind it, he found the spot that weakened her knees just as his hand made its way beneath the satin of her wrap. His purr of approval was loud as he discovered she was naked underneath.
“Do that and men will die,” he promised, finding her pussy lips and parting them to stroke between. Clever fingers zeroed in on her clit and stroked, making her gasp aloud. “You’re mine, kitten, and I’ll kill to keep you.”
“Uh-huh,” she nodded, wrapping her fingers around his wrist for balance as he carried on stroking her. Her thought processes went up in smoke when he circled her clit, collecting the slickness he found there and smoothing it over the small bundle of sensation. He didn’t let up, didn’t give her time to think, much less react. He also didn’t take his time, playing her reactions as he usually did. Instead, each touch, every slide and stroke, seemed designed to propel her up and over the edge as quickly as possible.
“God, Logan,” she managed on a shaky breath, clinging to him. “That… Ohhh…”
Words failed her, her knees weak as pleasure coursed through her body. Familiar tension coiled low in her belly, a hard knot between her legs that built and built. Higher and tighter, until it was all she could do to cling to Logan’s arms as she rode his hand.
“Just a little more, kitten,” he whispered, human blunt teeth grazing her earlobe. “I want you to come, want you nice and wet when I slide my thick cock where it belongs.”
At his words, he slid two strong fingers into her pussy. Something cracked deep within and sensation flooded her, dumping ecstasy right into her bloodstream. She screamed, or moaned…she had no idea which, as her release washed over her. Hard waves of heat and pleasure robbed her of every thought but those of him.
“That’s it, kitten. Ride it.” His voice was a low croon as he pumped his fingers slowly, stretching out her release.
Finally though, the waves died down and she sagged in his arms. Holding her easily around the waist, he reached around and snapped the water off. She nestled against him as he tested the water. Grunting in satisfaction, he stood upright, and turned her to claim her lips in one hard, possessive kiss. His hands weren’t idle, slowly stripping her silky wrap from her until she stood naked in front of him.
She met his gaze levelly, searchingly. She’d always been curvy, but since finding out about her condition, her curves had gone into overdrive. Would he still find her attractive now she wasn’t quite as slender as she had been when they’d met?
His gaze swept her, and his eyes flared amber. “Mine,” he growled, voice filled with heat and desire.
Taking half a step back, he didn’t take his eyes off hers as he stripped his clothes. Each garment hit the floor, one after the other, until he stood naked before her. The ache of need filled her again, her cat purring for the virile male mere steps away. The male it wanted for their mate, but who had yet to claim them properly.
He lifted his chin, eyes golden. The look was a challenge but the purr that trickled from his throat belied any aggression. Of the violent sort anyway. She lifted her own chin, meeting his challenge head on. His answer was to stalk her. Just a few steps until the heat of his skin whispered against hers. Before he could touch her though, she shot a hand out, placing it in the center of his broad chest and stopping him in his tracks.
The silent message was clear. They were both strong-willed, and physically he’d always be more powerful than she was, but this was because she allowed it, not the other way around.
He growled, his cat obviously not liking being denied its prize, but when he reached out to stroke two fingers under her chin, his touch was gentle. It wasn’t a commanding touch. It was a seductive one — one he knew she liked. A request for more…
She relaxed her arm and he surged forward, sweeping her up into his arms.
“Logan!” she squeaked, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him. He wouldn’t drop her, she knew he wouldn’t, but the sound was instinctive. “I’m way too heavy.”
“Shut up.” He dropped a kiss on her nose and stepped into the tub. “If I can bench press small cars, I’m sure I can handle one…” He kissed her again. “Deliciously.” Another kiss. “Curvy.” A nip on her lower lip. “Little kitten.”
The moan escaped her without permission as he bent his head and kissed her thoroughly—a long, heat-filled tangle of lips and tongue that wiped her mind of everything but him. Eventually, he lifted his head to look at her and the expression there stole her breath.
“I love you, Zara. Never forget that.”
The obvious emotion in his voice and the honesty in his eyes made hers tear up. Since she’d found out about the cub, her damn emotions had been in overdrive. Swallowing back the thick feeling in her throat, she nodded and leaned in to press her lips against his.
“I love you too,” she whispered, his little purr of happiness triggering her own as he lowered them both into the bath. The warm water welcomed them into its fragranced embrace, lapping against her skin in a sensual caress.
Words weren’t needed as he turned her to straddle him, the water sloshing against the side of the tub as they moved. His gaze intent and focused on hers, he reached up to slide his fingers through the hair at the back of her neck. His cock throbbed between them, trapped in the slick grove of her pussy lips as he pulled her down to claim her lips again.
She parted for him instantly, groaning as he thrust his tongue in to tangle with hers. She’d never tire of kissing him—or anything kissing led to for that matter. Just something about the way he kissed did it for her, slid past her defenses and rendered her pliant and eager in his arms.
With a masculine groan, his grip tightened and he held her still to plunder the soft delights of her mouth. He nibbled and licked at her lips before catching the lower one between his teeth and tugging gently. The tiny bite was enough to set her on fire, her soft moan of surrender accompanied by the gentle slap of water against the side of the over-sized tub.
His hands slid down her sides, lingering in the cello curve of her waist, then continued on to cup her ass. This time it was his turn to groan as he gripped her hips and slid her up and down his engorged shaft, teasing them both. She moaned against his lips, dueling with his tongue, and rolled her hips at the end of his slide. The movement ground her clit against the hardness of his cock and he broke away to curse.
“Playing one up, kitten?” he murmured, abandoning her mouth to trail his lips against her jaw and then along her throat. “I can do that too…”
Holding her hips, he lifted her up off him and held her still in an iron hold. She whimpered, hands braced on his broad, heavily muscled chest as he moved. He rubbed the broad head of his cock through her folds and against her clit. Already sensitive thanks to her recent climax, the tiny bundle of nerves throbbed, but it was her pussy that ached with each pass, desperate to be filled.
He wouldn’t give it to her though. Instead, he seemed content to just tease her, winding her frustration higher and higher until she was ready to explode.
“Logan, please,” she begged, panting as her nails curved into the granite-like muscles under her hands. “Now…”
“Hmmm? What was that?” He pretended not to understand, instead circling his hips so the head of his cock slipped and slid over her clit. “Now what, kitten? What do you want now?”
“You know what I want,” she growled. The temptation to punch him was almost overwhelming, but her need was too great to resort to violence. She needed him now. Needed him to slide that thick cock deep inside her where it belonged and make them whole again.
His lips quirked, but he didn’t back down. “I do, but I want to hear it. I want the words.”
“I want you inside me,” she breathed, leaning down to whisper a kiss over the side of his neck. When she reached his ear, she nipped the lobe lightly. “And, so help me, if you want it ev
er again this side of the next century, you’ll damn well be inside me befor—“
She had been meaning to say he’d be inside of her before she finished her sentence but he didn’t let her get that far. Instead, he moved his hips to fit the thick, broad head of his cock against her entrance and with one hard thrust, filled her to the hilt.
“Ohhhh…” Her soft feminine sound of pleasure was echoed by his deep growl. His cock throbbed and pulsed in her depths, filling and stretching her in just the way she liked. So full and tight that the pleasure bordered on pain, but she didn’t care. It was the best kind of pain and one that she could become accustomed to.
Logan leaned back against the side of the tub, hands on her hips and every muscle in his body tensed as he watched her. She could see the iron control it took for him to stay still. To wait until her tense body relaxed about him and for that tiny rock of her hips as her sheath ached and sought more sensation.
His gaze shifted, became darker, and his hold on her hips tightened. He lifted her up almost all the way and she pouted at the delicious withdrawal, already feeling bereft and empty. Then his eyes flared, gold eating up the blue, and he thrust again. Surged back inside her in one hard movement. She held his gaze, matching him look for look as he lifted her again.
Her hands, too small to get anywhere near circling them, curled around the thick muscles of his upper arms as she started to move. She matched his movements up and within her, bringing pleasure to them both. Water slapped over the side of the tub, the sound almost unnoticed under the sounds of their love-making, as he set up a hard and fast rhythm.
And she was utterly lost, his to command, to take… To love… She wouldn’t have it any other way.
Logan thrust deeply into Zara’s tight, wet heat and didn’t bother to stifle his moan. Being inside her was the kind of heaven he’d never thought he’d be lucky enough to experience. She fit him like a glove, silken inner walls gripping his cock as she rode him. For a moment, he just watched her, committing every little expression to memory. She was so expressive, every ounce of pleasure showing in her dark eyes and across her flushed face.