Ray smiled at his sister as she followed Synia out the door. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair. “What am I gonna do now?”
* * * *
Rennia watched as her mother made her way through the maze of tables and chairs cluttering the floor of the club.
“The restrooms are clear,” said Kitania. “Everybody but us is out.”
Lyssa picked up her sweater. “Are you heading home now, Rennia?”
She scowled. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now. This place has to be cleaned up before I can open up tomorrow night.”
Lyssa smiled. “So, you’ll be here for a while?”
Kitania narrowed her eyes. “What difference does it make to you, Lyssa? The club is closed now, so you need to be heading on home.”
The young woman shrugged and turned toward the door. “Very well, I’m going. Thanks for the invite, Rennia. It’s a great club.”
Rennia watched until the door closed behind Lyssa and then turned to her mother. “Sometimes she gives me the willies. I hope she doesn’t make it a habit to show up here every night.”
Ethan came through the kitchen door followed closely by Latan. “We let Jonah out the back door and then locked up. He’s got the kitchen pretty clean, and he said to tell you to go home. He’ll be here bright and early tomorrow to help get the rest of the club back in order.”
Latan walked over and put his hands on Rennia’s shoulders. “I happen to think that’s excellent advice. You’ve had a rough night and you could use a good night’s sleep. Let’s all of us go home and sleep on things. We can get together for breakfast tomorrow and see what, if anything, we can do to make things right.”
She stepped away from her father. “I think that ship has sailed, Dad. You saw his face when he walked out. He’s furious that he was lied to. I don’t think there’s much chance of him changing his mind now.” She sniffed, blinking back the moisture she could feel forming in her eyes. “I’ve driven my mate away, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Kitania walked over and hugged her daughter close. “Please, don’t give up hope. Sometimes men need a little time to work through a problem. They always make the right decision in the end. I don’t believe you’ve lost him. The mate pull is extremely strong. I think he’ll be back once he thinks things through.”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll go home and soak in the tub with a glass of wine for a while and worry about things tomorrow.”
“That’s my girl.” Latan pulled her close and kissed her cheek. He took Kitania’s arm and pulled her toward the door. “Come on, everybody. Let’s get moving. There’s a bed out there calling my name.”
Chuckling, Rennia followed them out, locking up the club behind her. She walked to her car and quickly unlocked the door.
“Go straight home, little girl,” said Ethan, “and be careful.”
She smiled. “Will do, Dad. See you all for breakfast at the house.”
Ethan waved as their car slowly moved toward the parking lot exit. Rennia slid into the seat, shutting the door behind her. She started the engine and then paused, looking all around the area, paying close attention to the wooden area behind the club. She felt like someone was watching her. “You’re getting paranoid, girl.” Laughing, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed south on Takoda’s main street.
“If Ray leaves tonight I might never get to see him again.” She sobbed and turned off the highway. “I’ve got to see him one more time. He won’t even know I’m there. I need something, anything to help me over the loneliness that’s coming my way. Nobody has to know.” Silently, she turned the car around and headed for one more glimpse of her mate.
Chapter 11
Ray grabbed a beer from the fridge and then rummaged through the drawer for a bottle opener. Taking a deep breath, he popped the top of the brew and turned it up, letting the cold liquid slide down his throat. He groaned when he glanced at the clock on the stove. “Wow, a whole ten minutes have passed since I last checked the time.” He wiped his sweaty hands against the sides of his jeans. “What the hell is wrong with me?” Shaking his head, he moved to stare out the window above the sink. Moonlight shining through a lattice of leaves made the black trails snaking through the undergrowth barely visible.
A movement directly behind the house caught his attention. As he watched, a small animal moved into the flickering moonlight. Ray caught his breath, his heart rate speeding up, as he recognized the small, brown wolf. “It’s you, isn’t it?” he whispered. Moving quickly, he sat down his beer and opened the back door. He swallowed against the dryness in his throat as he moved off the porch into the grassy yard. Taking a deep breath, he took in the scent of the rich earth and pine needles. His heart slammed against his ribs as he took another step toward the animal. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
Clouds moved across the sky sheathing the woods in even deeper shadows. He flexed his fingers when he experienced an irresistible urge to touch the silent beast. “Why do I feel this way, Rennia? What is it that makes me want to forget everything else and just be with you? My sister said it’s some kind of mating pull, but I have trouble believing that. I know it sounds crazy but I feel like I’m gonna be leaving something of myself here when I go.”
Cursing silently, he let his head fall back, watching the clouds as they slowly passed between the treetops and the moon. After a moment, he looked back at the animal and scowled. “Would you please change into a human so we can talk?” His breath caught when the air seemed to shimmer around the wolf, its limbs popping and re-shaping. In less than a minute, a naked Rennia moved slowly toward Ray. “What are you doing out here?” he asked.
She stopped and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I was afraid you’d leave in the morning, and I wanted to see you one last time.”
Ray nodded. “I was going to leave tonight, but I don’t know, something is keeping me from walking out that door.” He cocked his head and studied her face. “Is it the mating pull that my sister told me about?”
“I don’t honestly know. I’ve never felt this way before.”
Ray took a few steps until he was standing right in front of Rennia. Her eyes were shining with tears. “God, help me. I can’t stay away.”
* * * *
He bent his head and claimed her with a hard, demanding kiss. She could feel his hardness pressed against her belly. Rennia’s knees went weak as his tongue swept over hers. When he slid into her mouth, she felt heat pouring through her body. She clung to him, her arms around his neck, her body straining to be closer. Ray picked her up effortlessly and made his way swiftly into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him. After setting her on her feet, he backed her up until she was trapped between him and the wall. She felt his body—and his arousal—pressing against her.
Ray reached up and fingered a strand of her hair. “Like silk,” he murmured right before he dipped his head to nuzzle her neck. Heat rushed through her veins and gathered to swirl low in her abdomen. He stroked a hand over her hair, trailed his fingers over her cheek, and swept his tongue up to the hollow at the base of her throat. Her breath caught when his hands slid down her back to cup her buttocks.
“I want you,” he said in a low growl. “I want you naked and begging and desperate. I want to bury myself inside of you until you forget who you are.” He stroked her bare back, his fingers moving slowly over her skin. “Your body is softer than silk,” he breathed into her mouth. “Warm and sweet to touch. I want you, Rennia. I need you to be mine.”
Humming low in his throat, he gathered her breasts between his hands and pressed his face in the valley between. He stilled for a moment and then pulled her closer. He raised his head and covered her lips with his. Rennia went willingly into his embrace, kissing him back, needing him more than she’d ever needed anyone. She clamped her lips around his tongue and sucked, reveling in the moment. The soft, hungry, openmouthed kisses made her want to whimper. Her entire body clenched as her breasts swelled in anticipation.<
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Rennia’s breasts ached and between her legs she felt a distinct longing. She stroked his shoulders, his back, and then ran her fingers through his short hair, raking her nails lightly across his nape.
Ray kissed his way down her neck, his warm mouth making her moan. Tingles and shivers and ripples overtook her. Hunger for her mate consumed her. Without warning, he kissed her almost frantically. There were no preliminaries, just him wrapping his arms around her as he claimed her mouth with his own. He pushed past her lips, stroking her tongue, and then sucked on her lower lip. His mouth was hot and firm and soft, and she wanted to give him everything.
Rennia slid her arms around his neck and opened her mouth under his. He groaned, a shudder passing through his body.
“I can’t wait,” he whispered. “I need you now.” Ray bent down, gathered her in his arms, and carried her toward the bedroom.
Her arms lifted to wind around his neck while her fingers fisted in his hair. Eyes closed, she inhaled deeply as she floated, savoring his scent, gathering memories to examine later. Ray let her feet slide to the floor, and then with a groan he crushed his mouth over hers again. When she thought she might die from lack of oxygen, he moved his lips to her neck, along her jaw, and then jumped to her earlobe where he bit down and sucked.
“Ray,” Rennia groaned. “Are you sure? I don’t think I’ll survive if you suddenly have second thoughts.”
“Shhh.” He smoothed her hair away from her face. “Let’s not try to analyze this right now, please. Just feel with me.” He bent again, but this time his mouth was less desperate. It was tender, teasing. He nibbled her lower lip and smiled again as she parted her lips to lure him closer.
He shrugged out of his shirt. His broad chest was well-muscled and defined. She liked the faint dusting of hair that trailed down to his waistband. Ray took two steps back and shucked off his pants. And then he was naked. Beautiful and hard and ready.
Ray moved to take her back into his arms. He was all honed muscle and warmth. One of his hands tangled in her long hair. He tugged slightly, pulling her head back. She let him have his way and was rewarded when he kissed his way down her neck, across her chest to her breast. There was immediate heat as he sucked deeply and then circled her nipple with his tongue, stroking the sensitive tip over and over.
Pushing Rennia gently, he laid her out on the bed. His powerful body eased down over hers, one long leg insinuating itself between both of hers. It was all hard, lean muscle that she felt as her thighs brushed against his. Ray explored her mouth, kissing lightly, gently, but with enough passion to keep her breath locked in her throat.
After a moment, he broke the kiss and bent his head to take one of her breasts into his mouth. She dragged her hands down his back, up along his arms, framed his face, whispering his name over and over again. Her head dropped back with a soft cry of pleasure as he suckled.
Before she knew what was happening, Ray knelt between her legs and pressed an openmouthed kiss against her center. Flooded by sensation, she pressed her head back further, gasping as he shaped his hand over her mound and squeezed.
“You’re so responsive,” Ray groaned. “I can’t get enough of those little sounds you make.”
“I never thought we’d be together like this. I didn’t think you’d ever see me as a woman.”
“Darlin’, you are all woman. Never doubt that.” He bent toward the apex of her thighs. At the first intimate stroke of his tongue, a shudder raced through her. Deep inside she clenched in anticipation of what was to come. He parted her swollen flesh with his fingers and then she felt a faint breath of air, then a warm tongue began to explore her. He licked and kissed and nipped, leaving goose bumps and tingles in his wake. With his fingers between her thighs all coherent thought fled her brain.
Ray explored her, circling, stroking, licking, driving her to the edge only to back off just enough to make her whimper. His scent even teased her. “Please,” she begged. “Don’t leave me like this. I need to come.”
“In time, you will. Be patient.”
Exquisite desire coiled through her, pulsing with each gentle suck of his lips. He began to flick his tongue over her center in an age-old rhythm. At the same time, he inserted first one finger, then two. He filled her, pushing up as if to caress her from the inside as well. He kept moving his tongue back and forth, drawing her in deeper, pushing her to the edge, then pulling her back. Twice she was sure she was going to come, then he slowed and she was lost.
“Damn, Ray. Is this my punishment? Please, don’t torture me like this.”
His large body slid up in the bed. “Don’t fight it,” he whispered against her lips. Her nails dug into the hard muscles of his shoulders as she gave in to the sheer delight of being close to her mate. The wolf and the cat were both stretching in pleasure.
Leaning over, Ray opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a strip of condoms. Using his teeth, he ripped one of the packages open, pulled on the condom, and then eased fully between her thighs.
Rennia reached down to guide him inside of her, then gasped as he filled her, stretching her with his hard thickness. She arched her hips toward him, wanting to take all of him inside her. Her mouth opened on a silent cry of pleasure as he filled her, then closed to smother a moan as he began to move, each thrust taking him deeper and deeper. She heard a low moan and looked up to find his eyes were squeezed shut, his jaw clenched. She nearly wept at the slow, sensual roll of his hips against her groin. When he ground his pelvis against hers, she found her release.
* * * *
Ray leaned forward so he could brace himself above her and began to pump his hips. The movement was enough to keep her own climax going on and on, seemingly endless. He pumped harder, faster, in and out, losing himself in the growing pressure.
Rennia pulled her knees up and dug her heels into the bed, her nails firmly planted in the muscles of his arms. Her body shuddered and quaked, and she gave herself up to the pleasure. She wrapped her legs around his hips and drew him in closer. Waves of heat washed over him, the sound of her rapid breathing filling the quiet of the night.
Feeling the pressure in his body build, Ray wrapped his arms around her and drew her up against his chest. She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his in a kiss so gentle it made him want to give her anything she wanted. When he felt the pressure in his groin build, Ray shifted so he could touch her while he continued to move in and out of her heat. His release claimed him with an unexpected force. He lost control and cried out at the same time her body convulsed around his erection. She’d thrown her head back, her mouth open in a silent cry, when another orgasm ripped through her body.
Ray gritted his teeth as his body erupted in a firestorm of pleasure. The only way it could have been better would be to spread his seed into the body of his woman. The condom felt like an intruder, something foreign that needed to be evicted.
He rolled off her onto his back, then wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Lifting his head, he searched her wide, apprehensive eyes. “What’s wrong?” He brushed the hair back from her temple. “Wasn’t it good for you?”
“God, yes. It was wonderful. It’s never been that good before.”
“Then why the sad face?”
“I guess I’m afraid of what happens next. I don’t want to have to walk away.”
Ray drew her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss against its center. Bending over her, he brushed his mouth over her eyelids, closing them. “Shhh. Let’s just take this one day at a time and see where it takes us. I don’t want to think about the future tonight. I just want to savor this moment. Can we do that?”
She snuggled up against him and rested her head on his shoulder. “All right. I can try to be patient.”
“Tell me about yourself, Rennia. The truth this time.”
“I’ve always been honest with you, Ray. I was waiting to tell you about my animals until I felt the time was right.”
“My sister said i
t was her idea for you to hide the truth from me.”
Rennia sighed and ran her hand over Ray’s chest. “She advised me, but it was my decision. I don’t want you to be angry with her. You’d already shown an aversion to shifters when we rescued you in Tennessee. I’d hoped that you’d changed your opinion when your sister began planning her wedding, but I couldn’t see any changes in your attitude. I guess I began to think that I should spend as much time as I could with you now, in case you rejected me when you discovered the truth. I was afraid I’d have to live on memories alone for the rest of my life.”
“Kati told me that you’ll never have another true mate. Is that true?”
She nodded. “We only get one true mate. My family’s been blessed since so many of us are finding our mates.”
“What happens if you never find them?”
“You could still make a life with someone that you cared for, but there would never be the same soul-deep connection you get with your fated mate.”
“So you could eventually meet someone and fall in love?
“No, not now. Once you meet your fated mate, your animal will never accept anyone else.” She swallowed hard and met his gaze. “But you don’t have to worry, Ray. I never marked you as a mate so when you leave here, the mating pull will fade and eventually disappear over time. You’ll be able to lead a full, happy life.”
“What do you mean, you haven’t marked me yet? Are you talking about that bite that leaves a scar on someone’s shoulder? I’ve seen several of those since we’ve been here.”
“Yes, that’s a mating bite.”
“How does it tie two people together?”
“When the bite occurs, saliva enters into the wound and a chemical process basically ties, genetically, the two together. A psychic bond forms, and in some cases, they can even communicate telepathically. I can’t explain it, but its soul deep. It’s like you’re living in each other’s conscious mind.”
Do You Take This Cat [Wind River Pack 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 13