Undeniable Craving

by Marisa Chenery

  “Cool,” Derrick said excitedly. “Can you turn in to a wolf now?”

  Gage didn’t think there would be any harm in doing so. He took on his wolf form in a matter of seconds. He looked at Derrick to find him grinning from ear to ear. Jaimie, on the other hand, he seemed to have caught off guard. She stared at him with an expression that gave the impression she wasn’t too sure whether she wanted to get any closer.

  Chapter Five

  Jaimie stared at Gage in his wolf form. It’d happened so fast she hadn’t had time to assimilate the fact he was going to shift. One second he was a man and then he wasn’t. He didn’t make her afraid. That wasn’t the reason she could only stare at him. She did because he was as gorgeous as a wolf as he was a human. His fur was black, the same color as his hair. The light green eyes—the identical shade when in his other form—gazed up at her. He was also huge. A lot bigger than a normal wolf. His back had to reach her waist.

  Before Jaimie could say anything, Derrick stepped over to Gage, reached out and petted him. Gage didn’t appear to mind at all. He leaned in to her son and titled his head to give him better access to scratch behind his ear.

  “Mom,” Derrick said as he continued to pet Gage, “his fur is really soft.”

  “Rob, when I saw you walking Sam with a collar and leash, I don’t remember him being as large as Gage in wolf form.”

  Her brother-in-law chuckled. “I forgot you’d happened to stop by then, and that Lynne told you Sam was a neighbor’s dog we were watching.” Rob ran his gaze over Gage. “Yeah, Gage is quite a bit bigger. I’ve met quite a few of Sam’s pack, and seen them in wolf form, and they were definitely a bit smaller.”

  “I wonder if it has to do with the fact the Helena pack as become more human than wolf. That’s how Gage described them. He lives in Canyon Creek in a log cabin on the mountain in the middle of the forest. He said he needs to go wolf and run through the trees.”

  “Maybe. Sam told me about a family pack who lives there, and how they keep to themselves. How did you meet Gage?”

  “In a roundabout way through me,” Lynne said. “Gage and his family have been bringing their pelts to the fur buyer for years. They’re all trappers. He came in yesterday, smelled Jaimie’s scent on me and the rest is history, as they say.”

  Derrick continued to enthusiastically pet Gage, who remained still for it. Much to her surprise, Gage went down on his belly, and with nod toward his back, had her son climb on. Derrick held on to the fur at Gage’s neck and let out a happy giggle as Gage rose to his paws, then walked the circumference of the entranceway. The sight of the two of them getting along so well made her warm inside. She longed to get her fingers into Gage’s fur. When they could be alone.

  “What are you going to do about Neil?” Rob asked. “He will come back. If you stay here, he’ll be constantly knocking on the door, demanding we give him the right to see Derrick.”

  Gage’s wolf body blurred as he shifted forms. He caught Derrick before he hit the floor and then set him on his feet. He kept his hand on her son’s shoulder. “Jaimie is already fine with the idea of moving to Canyon Creek to my home, and plans to make the move in a couple days. Both she and Derrick can stay with me at the hotel.”

  “That’ll piss Neil off.” Rob smiled. “Do it.”

  Jaimie was of the same mind set when it came to Neil. The move to Gage’s cabin now became even more appealing. She didn’t want to remain in the same city as her ex. Since she had full custody, there was nothing he could do to stop her from taking Derrick and leaving Great Falls.

  * * * *

  Jaimie stayed at her sister’s place for a few hours before she packed a bag for her and Derrick. Once she was ready to go, Gage had them outside and inside his SUV. Derrick was excited at the prospect of staying in a hotel, and soon getting to live with Gage. Her son had taken an instant liking to her mate. Derrick hadn’t had much in the way of male interaction. The only man in the family had been Rob. Neil’s parents, who lived in Great Falls, had nothing to do with Jaimie or Derrick. His mom and dad acted as if she and her son didn’t exist, and had since Neil had run from his responsibility.

  After they arrived at the hotel, Jaimie and Derrick sat in the lobby while Gage went up to his room to retrieve his things. Once he returned, he arranged for them to have two rooms that were connected. She wasn’t sure if he’d made that choice for Derrick to have a room to himself or if it was for her and her son to share.

  They took a ride on the elevator up to their floor, then walked down the long hallway to the very end to their rooms. Gage slid one of the keycards he held into the lock before he pushed open the door. Jaimie walked inside, holding Derrick’s hand. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d stayed at a hotel. Come to think of it, she didn’t think she ever had. Her parents hadn’t been much for taking trips, and after she’d had her son, she couldn’t afford to go on any herself.

  Gage followed them in and then placed his duffel bag onto the floor close to the bed. “What do you think?”

  “It’s nice.”

  “I like it,” Derrick said as he climbed up onto the high mattress.

  “Good,” Gage said. “One of my brothers and his mate made the trip here to offer me help if I needed any. Shyla, being a human, thought maybe you’d feel better talking to her about being a wolf shifter’s mate if you found yourself unable to accept what I am. They’ve decided to stay a few days for a honeymoon. They became mated during the winter and haven’t had a chance to get away until now.”

  “That was nice of Shyla, but as you already know, I’m fine with everything.”

  “Yes, which gives me one less thing to worry about. I should call Cyrus and tell him we’re here. They have a room on the same floor. They’ll more than likely want to come by and say hi to you and Derrick. Do you mind?”

  Jaimie shook her head as she sat on the bed with her son. “Of course not. I’d like to meet them.”

  After Gage made his phone call, there was a knock on their room door a few minutes later. He went and answered it. A man who had the same color hair and eyes as Gage, and looked an awful lot like him, walked in with a woman at his side. They had to be Cyrus and Shyla.

  The couple came to stand in the middle of the room. “You must be Jaimie,” Cyrus said with a smile. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you’ve recovered. And who might the little guy beside you be?”

  Jaimie grinned. “I am. This is my son, Derrick.”

  Derrick climbed off the bed and went to stand in front of Cyrus. “I’m not so little. I’m eight.”

  “Sorry. I guess I should have called you a big guy instead. I’m Cyrus, Gage’s brother.”

  “Are you a wolf shifter too?”

  “Yes. My mate, Shyla, is human like you, in case you were going to ask that next.”

  Derrick nodded. “I was going to. Will you turn into a wolf and let me ride on your back? Gage let me do that at my aunt and uncle’s house.”

  “He did, did he?” Cyrus asked with humor in his expression. “Well, guess what? Gage and I have four other brothers, who are wolf shifters too. When you get to Canyon Creek and meet them, especially Memphis, Rhett and Talon, you should ask them for wolf rides as well. When they do, make sure you pull on their ears and kick them in their sides. I’m sure they’ll love it.”

  Gage made a choking sound as if he tried to hold back a laugh. Jaimie looked at him and saw laughter lurking in his eyes. It wasn’t hard to guess that Derrick getting wolf rides from his brothers would be something he found funny.

  Shyla shook her head at her mate. “You’re bad. You know, they’ll think up something to pay you back.”

  “I know, but it’ll be worth it,” Cyrus said with a laugh.

  Cyrus’ mate turned her gaze on Jaimie. “You’ll soon get used to the boys’ pranks. The only one who doesn’t do it is Kiel, the oldest. I can tell you it wasn’t a boring winter with those guys around.”

  Cyrus caught Shyla around the waist and
pulled her into his arms. “I should hope you weren’t bored. I did my best to keep you entertained.”

  Shyla gave her mate a slap on the chest. “Don’t you dare say anything more. There’s a child in the room.”

  He kissed her cheek. “I’ll be good.”

  Jaimie smiled. That was the kind of relationship she’d like to have with Gage. One where they could joke with one another and be close. After Neil, she really hadn’t dated. She’d focused on raising Derrick and then the cancer had come into her life and ruined it. She’d longed to have a man who loved her at her side, but had figured it was never meant to be. Now she’d been given a second chance.

  She focused on Gage. He stared at her with longing, which caused her to silently suck in a sharp breath. For a few seconds, as they locked gazes, it was as if they were the only ones in the room. If he opened his arms, she wouldn’t hesitate to throw herself into them.

  The spell broke when Shyla said, “It’s getting close to dinner time. How about we all go out somewhere to eat?”

  “I don’t know,” Jaimie replied. “I haven’t had much in the way of solid food lately. My sister made me a sandwich earlier and I had a hard time getting a quarter of it down. My stomach has shrunk.”

  “All right. How about this instead? You and Gage can stay here and order room service while Cyrus and I take Derrick out to eat.”

  Derrick turned to Jaimie with a pleading look. “Can I, Mom? Please?”

  Her son loved to go out to eat. Jaimie hesitated in answering. Derrick would enjoy himself, but she was reluctant to let him go. It’d been a week since the last time she’d seen him. Her days had been running out even then, and she hadn’t been able to hold him for very long. A part of her want to cling to him, which he would probably only tolerate for a minute. He was getting too big to cuddle with his mom for very long.

  “We can have Derrick back whenever you want,” Shyla said. “I thought it’d give you and Gage a little time to be alone together.”

  That was something Jaimie wanted. She and Gage hadn’t spent any time alone, except for at the hospital. Feeling better and better as each hour passed, a craving had set in, one she found she didn’t want to deny. Every time she looked at her mate, she craved his touch. She ached to have him hold her close so she felt every inch of his hard body pressed to hers. There was also the need to celebrate life in the most elemental of ways with the man she had strong feelings for.

  Jaimie met Gage’s gaze. The longing was still there inside his eyes, easy to read. She nodded as she turned her attention on Shyla. “Okay, Derrick can go out to eat with you and Cyrus.”

  “Yay,” Derrick said with a huge smile.

  “Then it’s settled,” Cyrus said as he put his hand on Derrick’s shoulder. “We’ll have him back in a couple hours. Both Shyla and I have our cell phones, so if you need to call, you should be able to get a hold of one of us.”

  Derrick was quick to give her a goodbye kiss before he left with Cyrus and Shyla, not once looking back. After the room door closed behind them, Jaimie turned her gaze on Gage to find him staring at her. A surge of arousal shot through her, warming her blood.

  She patted a spot on the bed next to her. “Are you going to just stand there or will you sit with me?”

  *

  Gage was over to the bed in one long stride. He sat beside Jaimie and shifted so he faced her as she turned in his direction. The scent of her arousal filled his nose, causing his cock to harden in an instant. The need to make love to his mate had been steadily increasing to the point where he felt as if he wouldn’t make it through another hour without being able to touch her in some way.

  He brushed his lips across hers. She sighed and leaned toward him. Gage kissed Jaimie again, taking her mouth fully. She didn’t hesitate to open as he pushed his tongue inside. He swept it along hers, reveling in her taste.

  Gage wanted more, but he had to take things slowly. He didn’t want to pressure Jaimie in to doing something she wasn’t ready for. Even though it could possibly kill him, he’d wait for however long it’d be before she was ready to have him make love to her. It’d be her decision when they took that next step.

  He released her mouth with a groan. “I think this is when we’d better stop. I don’t think you’re ready for where this is leading. Plus, we need to get more food into you.”

  Jaimie did the unexpected and threw herself at Gage. Caught off guard, he lost his balance. He wrapped his arms around her and twisted so they fell onto the mattress with him on his back and her on top him.

  She met his gaze. “Who said I’m not ready? And we can eat later.”

  Gage couldn’t hold back a moan mixed with a growl as she bent her head and captured his lips with her own. This time she pushed her tongue into his mouth and twined it with his. She ground her pussy along the hard length of his cock, ramping up his arousal.

  There was no way he could hold back now. Her kiss blasted through his control. The urge to connect with his mate the closest way he could was too strong. His scent grew stronger as desire beat at him. Obviously affected by it, she moaned and sucked his tongue into her mouth as she continued to grind on him.

  Gage kept his hold on Jaimie and rolled them so she ended up on the bottom. He took control, kissing her deeper as he thrust between her legs. Soft growls rumbled out of him, not to be held back.

  He shifted position so he laid half on Jaimie and half off her. Gage shoved a hand up her shirt and palmed one of her breasts. He stroked the taut nipple through her bra with his thumb. She arched her back, pressing herself harder into his hand.

  He released her mouth and placed kisses down the side of her neck. He took hold of the bottom of her shirt and lifted it until he tugged it over her head and off. Gage reverently kissed the mate brand that marked Jaimie as he worked on removing her jeans. She helped by kicking them away.

  Now that Jaimie only wore a bra and panties, Gage pulled away and gazed down her body. She’d lost a lot of weight, but she’d fill out. He looked at her to find her face had turned red. She raised her arms and crossed them over her chest as if to hide herself from him.

  “Don’t do that,” he said huskily.

  She blushed even more. “I’m too skinny. You can see me ribs. I’m skeletal. That’s not exactly sexy.”

  Gage slowly peeled each of her arms away from her chest and put them at her sides. “You’re not that bad. Don’t ever feel as if you have to hide a part of you from me. You’ll always be sexy to me, no matter what you look like. You’ll gain weight, but you being too skinny doesn’t bother me. I’ll prove it to you.”

  He reached under her and undid the hooks on her bra before he removed the garment. He tossed it aside and bent his head to drag the flat of his tongue over one of her nipples. Jaimie sucked in a sharp breath, then released it on a moan. Gage did the same thing to the other before he latched on to it and took it into his mouth.

  He made sure to give the other tight bud the same attention before he moved lower on her body. Jaimie grew restless, her breaths coming in small pants. His cock throbbed in time with his rapidly beating heart as the scent of her arousal perfumed the air around them. It made him want to tear off his jeans and sink into her with one thrust, but he wouldn’t do that. He’d make love to her the way she deserved.

  Gage continued downward until he drew even with the spot between Jaimie’s legs that he longed to explore and taste. He wasted no time in pulling her panties down past her hips and then off her legs. The under garment tossed aside, he settled between her spread thighs. His shoulders pushed them open wider. He got his first look at her glistening sex and growled with pleasure.

  He dipped his head and ran his tongue along her pussy. Jaimie moaned and sank her hands into his hair, holding him against her. Gage had no intention of stopping just yet. He wanted her crying out in passion before he took his pleasure.

  Gage lapped at the wet opening of Jaimie’s body, making sure to pay attention to her clit as well. She clutched
the strands of his hair tighter and arched her hips toward him. He focused on that small bundle of nerves at the top of her pussy and pushed a finger inside her. After a few strokes, he added a second, plunging them as deep as they’d go. She rode them, matching the pace he’d set.

  “Gage,” Jaimie said on a whimpered moan. “I’m going to come.”

  “Let go. I want to feel you climax on my fingers.”

  He increased the speed and angled to hit her G-spot with each stroke in. She squeezed her inner muscles around the plunging digits, her moans growing in volume. He took her clit into his mouth and sucked. That seemed to be all she’d needed to push her over the edge into release. Her pussy clutched his fingers, which had his cock twitching inside his jeans.

  After the last spasm ended, Gage pulled out of Jaimie and rose between her legs. He lay beside her and reached for his t-shirt to drag it off over his head. She turned toward him and dropped her hands to the button on his pants. His shirt hit the floor at the same time she pulled down the zipper.

  He shucked his jeans and underwear and then stretch out on top her with his hips wedged between her spread legs. The tip of his cock brushed against her wet pussy, which had them both sucking in sharp breaths. She was more than ready for him, and he couldn’t hold off any longer from possessing her.

  Gage reached between them and fisted his cock at the base. He dragged the head through Jaimie’s wetness, coating himself, before he pushed slowly inside her. He took her in short, shallow strokes until he was seated to the hilt. He waited a few seconds for her to grow accustomed to his thickness, then canted his hips back until he was almost all the way free of her body before he sank as deep as he could once more. He growled, loving the sensation of her inner walls gripping along his entire length.

  He worked his cock in and out in slow, hard thrusts. Jaimie lifted her bent legs to either side of his hips and met each of his strokes. Gage propped himself up on his straightened arms and looked down at her. She had her eyes closed and her lips were parted as she panted. The love he had for her welled up inside him.