by Hazel Gower
“What is he doing there? I thought you said Sasha lived with just her boyfriend?”
“She does, but her brother came for a visit. Look I’ll get Travis, or Zeck, to come and take me h—” Jess didn’t get the time to finish before her phone was snatched out of her hold.
Brandon pulled her against his body, and before he put the phone to his own ear he whispered, “I’m not no one to you, Jezebel. You’re my mate, and I’m not letting you go now I’ve had you, so get used to it.”
Jess shivered as his warm breath touched her skin, and her body melted at his words.
His golden eyes captured hers as he put the phone to his ear. “Hello, Mrs. Dibson, I’m Sasha’s boyfriend’s brother, Brandon. I will happily bring Jezebel back home. And once you and your husband have met me, if it is okay with you, I’d love to take her out to lunch and a movie.”
Jess gasped and tried to get the phone back off Brandon, but he wouldn’t give it up. Jess heard her mother’s flustered voice. “Oh, I would really appreciate you dropping Jezebel home. I look forward to meeting you.”
“And I you. Jezebel is just getting into the shower, and then Sasha and Jezebel were going to cook something. Is it okay if I have her home after that?”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you then.” Her mom hung up, and Brandon grinned down at her.
“What the hell did you do that for?”
“I told you, because you’re mine. You, Jezebel, are my mate.” Brandon pulled her towards the bathroom. He opened the shower and turned the taps on.
“What do you mean by mate? Are we friends now?”
He stopped fiddling with the taps and turned to face her, and his arms wrapped around her back and undid her bra letting it fall to the ground. “Jezebel, we are more than friends. You are now my lover, my mate, and girlfriend. You agreed to be mine.”
“No, I didn’t.” Jess remembered, but she’d said it when her body was burning and eager for release.
He lifted her, and together they entered the shower. Brandon had her back up against the tiles, and his lips came down to rub against her sensitive neck. “Would you like me to remind you?” His teeth scraped over her and sent tingles through her.
Closing her eyes Jess told herself to concentrate on other things and not give in. She had to get home. This man would become an addiction if she let him, and she was already quite attached to him. Jess’s eyes snapped open as she felt his hard cock rub her pussy.
“I want you again.” His words sounded hoarse against her ear. “You want me, too. I can see your breath picking up, and your eyes have glazed over.”
Crap. How could Brandon affect her like this? She’d only had sex for the first time minutes ago. His cock eased into her slick core, and she moaned and wrapped her legs around him and held on tight. She watched as his muscles bunched and strained as he thrust in and out of her, his eyes never leaving hers. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest at the intense look.
“Stroke your clit. I can work you without you holding on.” Jess hesitated, and he stopped. “Do it. I want to watch you come apart around my dick. You’re mine, Jezebel. I will never let you go now. I will do whatever it takes for you to realize this and make you happy. I’m yours, Jess.” He pounded into her, and she let herself go as she rubbed her clit, which brought her climax on quicker. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.” He drove into her deep and moaned. She felt the warmth as he came.
As he kissed her and held her tight as the orgasm of bliss settled, she sighed. “I think you’ve ruined me. I’m yours.”
The smile of satisfaction that spread over his face had her melting. She was in big trouble. He placed her down, and she stood still as her body felt like jelly. She could feel him between her legs.
“You didn’t use a condom. Both times.”
His reached over for a wash cloth he had hanging over a tap, and her cheeks heated as he cleaned her pussy. “I’m clean. I know I was your first. So the only thing is pregnancy.”
Jezebel thanked her parents’ overreaction to her two best friends being male and putting her on the pill as soon as she got her period. “I’m on the pill. My parents put me on it as soon I reached womanhood as my two best friends are males and I sleep over at their houses.”
“No more,” Brandon growled.
“What do you mean no more?”
“You will not stay at those males’ houses again.”
Pushing at his chest she narrowed her eyes on him. “You don’t get to tell me that.”
Brandon reached for her, but she moved away and got out of the shower. She would wash better at home.
“You’re my mate. You’re not staying at other males’ homes.”
“I have just met you, and Travis and Zeck are my best friends. You don’t get to tell me where I will stay.” She wrapped the towel around her and stomped back to the bedroom. Brandon might be gorgeous and amazing in bed, but he was a possessive asshole otherwise.
Finding her clothes she dried herself and slipped them on not bothering with her bra, which was in the bathroom. She heard the taps turn off, and she found her phone on the bedside table. Picking it up she called Travis. She’d always been closer to him, and with Zeck’s infatuation over Sasha, Jess was spending more time with Travis.
“Hello,” Travis said groggily.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Um, yeah. What’s up, Jess?”
“Can you come and pick me up?”
“Ah, yeah, sure. Where are you?” She walked out of the bedroom as Brandon strolled out with a towel wrapped around his waist. She went looking for something with an address on it. She was getting pissed off when she couldn’t find anything and took her anger out on Travis. “Why didn’t you take me with you? I can’t believe you let me go home with a stranger. Why don’t you know where I am? I remember I left with you. I thought I did.”
“Jess, I thought you’d be safe with him. He’s Sasha’s boyfriends brother, and weren’t your own brothers friends with his brothers?”
“Yes. But that doesn’t mean you should have left me with him. My God, Travis, not only did you forget my birthday but you left me with a man I don’t know. Some best friend you are.” Getting angrier the more she walked around the house not finding anything, she went to the kitchen and saw Brandon at the stove. “What is your address?”
Brandon turned, and his eyebrows rose. “Why do you need to know now?”
“So my douche-bag best friend Travis can come and get me.”
He turned to the stove then back to her. “I’ll tell you later, but not now because Travis isn’t coming to pick you up.”
Giving a frustrated squeal, she knew she was acting like a spoilt child, but her anger had taken over, and what she had done this morning and who she’d done it with were starting to sink in. Jess was panicking. Things were changing again. She’d changed.
“Jess, are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he? I’m so sorry. I should never have left you with him. I just felt so damn guilty that I forgot your birthday and I’ve been battling with my—”
The phone was taken off her, and Travis’s words were cut off. Brandon put the phone to his ear. “Jezebel is mine. I will take her home. She is just your friend. Bye.” He hung up, and Jess glared up at him.
“You had no right to take that off me. I want to go home, and I don’t want you to take me. You are way too bossy.”
Brandon’s laugh sounded forced as he shook his head. “I had a right. I told you I would take you home. You didn’t need to call your friend. And I’m only bossy with you.” His gathered her to him and ran his fingers through her hair. “Jezebel, before you I was the level headed one in the family. I’m the one who tells people to calm down and listens to their problems. You bring out a side of me that is possessive and bossy.” His tilted her head back and captured her lips, and within seconds had her body coming to life and willing to do anything for him. He pulled his mouth from hers. “Fuck, looks like we’re getting t
akeout for breakfast.” The fire alarm went off as he let her go and walked to the stove.
Jess stared at Brandon for a moment until her lust-filled mind cleared. Brandon was bad. Jess never acted the way she had since meeting him. Brandon was making her think she had a chance with someone like him. He was making it hard for her to ever get over him. He wasn’t letting her distance herself.
Chapter Three
Jess had given him instructions to her parents’ house. They had sat in the car quiet on the ride there, which had left Brandon with his thoughts. He was in big trouble. He had mated Jezebel without her knowing what he was and what it meant. Brandon had never lost control, but he had this morning. His lion had taken over and he’d fought it at first, but once she came to him and wanted him to make love to her he let go.
Brandon wasn’t a possessive person. He’d fucked and dated many women, and some were even human like his mate. He bit his tongue to hold in his groan. His brothers were going to have a field day with him, especially Savron, when they found out what he’d done. He would have to tell them because once he left Jezebel at her parents’ home he would have to tell his parents. They would have to help him. He wouldn’t survive long without his mate. Brandon had really fucked this all up. He had a plan of wooing her and having her fall in love with him before he revealed what he was, mated her, and got her to move in with him. He was such an idiot. Wasn’t he only telling Savon he was that yesterday? God, that felt like days ago.
He pulled up to a large house in the richer district, not far from his own parents’ house. Brandon glanced at Jezebel to see her nibbling on her bottom lip. Her hands fought one another, and her eyes looked far away. “We are here.” That startled her, and Jezebel looked around her before her gaze rested on him.
“Thanks for the lift. I’m sure you’re really busy and have lots of things to do and other women … um, I mean people to see. You, um, don’t need to come in. My parents will understand.” She opened the door, and he swore as she got out of the car, shut the door and practically ran to the door.
Scrubbing a hand over his face Brandon realized Jezebel was going to make this hard for him. Taking the keys out of the ignition he got out of the car and shut his door. He locked the doors before he walked up to the front entrance as it opened, and a small plump woman in her late forties with chestnut hair and a huge smile on her face welcomed them in.
Brandon followed Jezebel’s mother to a large room with family photos on the wall and cream leather sofas with knick-knacks in show cabinets. A man with silver hair and eyes that only a moment before Brandon had been looking into from his mate’s face glared back at him. Jezebel’s father did not look happy. The look he gave Brandon would have scared another man, but Brandon wasn’t just any man. He was a shifter.
“You must be Brandon. I’m Mrs. Dibson. You look just like your brothers. My boys played football with them. How are Carl and Tyler?” Mrs. Dibson motioned for him to sit on the sofa.
Brandon sat and looked around for Jezebel, frowning when he couldn’t see her. “Carl and Tyler are good. They come down most weekends. It is Tyler’s last year. They’ll be staying with my parents for the Christmas holidays.”
“So will Jezebel’s brothers. Though she usually spends her Christmas with her friends, and we only get the morning.” Jezebel’s mother looked sad for a moment before she shook her head like she was clearing it, and then she smiled at him. “You said on the phone you want to take her out to dinner and a movie?”
“Yes, with your permission of course. Jezebel is a lovely woman, and I would love to get to know her more.”
“No.” Shocked, Brandon turned to Jezebel’s father, who spoke for the first time. “You are too old for my baby girl. I know about you Pride boys, and my daughter is not another girl for you to use and discard.”
“Darrell, Brandon is a guest, and he has been nothing but a gentleman.” Jezebel’s mother turned red as she berated her husband.
Darrell grunted, and then a smirk curved his lips. “If he’s a gentleman he will have dinner with us tonight and invite his parents to show he is serious about our daughter.”
“Darrell, it is late notice to invite his family and—”
Brandon knew his parents would come. “That’s fine if you are okay with it. I will even call them now. I’m also happy to pay for us all to eat at a restaurant and save you cooking?”
Brandon heard the gasp and saw Jezebel’s head as she peeked around the entrance. His lion sat up at the sight of his mate, and Brandon’s eyes honed in on her.
“Oh you don’t have to pay for us, Brandon,” Jezebel’s mother said.
Brandon didn’t let his gaze leave Jezebel, who’d changed into jeans and a black tank top. She looked comfortable and sexy as hell. “What do you think, Jezebel?” he asked, making her presence known to her parents. She came out more from her hiding place. He captured her gaze, smiled, and with his eyes pulled her to him.
****
Holy crap. Jess had gotten into the house and was eager to get away from Brandon. She had convinced herself he had given her a pity fuck or was just being nice to the chubby girl who’d made a fool of herself. She told herself once she let him off the hook to go he would leave, but when she came down from getting changed and calling Travis to come around she could hear her dad saying “no” to him. Jess had been horrified to hear what her dad said and what he’d asked of Brandon, who was, to her shock, still here.
When Brandon had heard her gasps his gaze had caught hers, and she hadn’t been able took look anywhere but him. Her body seemed to move towards him of its own accord. He was like a magnet pulling her to him. He asked her what she thought of the plan, and all she could do was nod. Brandon gave her a megawatt smile, and two dimples appeared, and she knew then that she was a goner. A sigh slipped past her lips as she sat down next to him.
He put his hands in his pants pockets and pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and put the phone to his ear. Jess couldn’t tear her gaze from his.
“Mom, it’s Brandon. Can you and Dad have dinner with my mate, Jezebel, and her parents, the Dibsons, tonight? Yes. Great. I suggested a restaurant. That would be the best one. No, just you two. The others will see her Thursday at games night. Aha. Thanks, I’ll see you later.” He hung the phone up and finally broke their connection to look at her parents, who were staring at Brandon.
Jess’s dad was giving Brandon death stares. His arms were crossed over his chest and his lips in a thin line. Her mother had a huge grin on her face as she looked between her and Brandon.
“My parents would love to have dinner with you. They also said they would love to show you to Cassa Delento. How does a seven o’clock booking sound?”
Her mother clapped. “Oh, I love the food there. That is perfect, isn’t it, Darrell?”
Jess giggled as her dad shook his head, then looked at her mother and changed to a nod. Brandon stood and smiled a bright smile down at her, his dimples again popping. Wow, he was even better looking the more time she spent with him. Brandon held his hand out to her, and she took it and stood.
“I will come by here at twenty to seven to pick you up.” Jess found herself nodding. “I’ll see you, Mrs. Dibson and Mr. Dibson, in a couple of hours.” Her mother nodded, and Jess walked with Brandon to the front door.
Jess opened the door, and he stepped out lingering on the step below. “Why did you run off when you got in?”
It was time she stopped being so awed and spoke up and told him how she really felt. “To tell you the truth the whole ride back my mind went over what I’d done. I’m not usually like this. Actually, I’m never like this. I did what I did with you because I thought I’d never have a chance with anyone like you ever again. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity. I’m not stupid. I know you would never usually give me a second look. I mean look at me…” Jess waved her hands up and down her shapely body. “And look at you. You are way out of my league. I’m a frumpy, nerdy, girl who’s not popular and who
se closest friends are two guys. It’s only since Sasha’s come that I have been to house parties and gotten invited on girlie shopping trips.” Jess stared into Brandon’s perfect face. “I never thought you’d really be interested in me. I ran so I didn’t get more attached to you.” Jess heard a car door slam and looked up to see Travis and a pissed off Zeck coming towards her.
Brandon caressed her cheek, gaining her attention. “Jezebel, you are second and third look worthy. You are beautiful, with your curvy body, chestnut hair, and gorgeous eyes that change with your moods. I don’t care if you’re popular or not, if you go on girlie shopping trips, or have a million or just one friend. I’m not in school, and I don’t care about that stuff. Lastly, I am very interested in you. Jezebel, I am already attached to you and not letting you get away.”
Jess felt like her heart would beat out of her chest. Brandon’s words and his lust-filled look had her melting. Brandon gathered her to him and brushed his lips over hers at first, and then his tongue slipped out and traced the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth and met his tongue with her own.
A throat cleared loudly, and Zeck said, “You have got to fucking be kidding me.” It had Jess pulling away from Brandon. Her cheeks heated as she looked behind Brandon to a pissed off Zeck, and Travis, who had a look that Jess wasn’t sure about. “What the fuck is going on, Jess?” Zeck’s nasty tone had Brandon turning from her, and she stopped him as he took a step towards her friends.
Straightening her shoulders she glared at Zeck. “I was just saying thank you and goodbye to Brandon.”
“You don’t say goodbye to me like that,” Travis muttered.
Something wasn’t right. She studied her two best friends. They were both stiff, and their eyes were troubled. Letting go of Brandon she went to her friends and grabbed a hand of each. “Give me a moment and I promise I’ll be in. I’ll meet you in my bedroom in a second.”
A loud growl sounded behind her as she said bedroom. Travis grinned, and Zeck snarled at Brandon before they let go of her and went inside. Jess turned to see Brandon staring daggers into her friends’ backs.