Win (Were Zoo Book 3)

by R. E. Butler

  He rubbed his thumbs down her throat, tilting her head as he kissed across her jaw to her ear where he nibbled on the lobe before nipping down her neck. He pulled her shirt up and she lifted her arms as he tugged it off. She was thankful she’d worn her favorite butter-yellow lace bra.

  As he slowly pulled the straps over her shoulders, he said gruffly, “Yellow is my favorite color.”

  “Mine too,” she whispered.

  He undid the bra and pulled it free, cupping her breasts and bending to kiss each nipple. He licked the tight buds, sucking on them and flicking the tips with his tongue. He straightened, returning to her lips. She pushed her panties and leggings down, sliding the material past her butt. He made a growling sound in his throat, which she thought was sexy as hell.

  He pushed her gently against the counter, sliding his hand between her legs. He groaned as he ran his fingertips along her wet folds, and leaned back from the kiss to suck one finger into his mouth.

  “You taste as good as you smell,” he said, his voice taking on that gruff, low tone that made her skin prickle.

  She reached for him, and their lips met as he lifted her onto the counter. She squealed as her bare bottom touched the cool granite, and he chuckled as he kneaded her waist.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “I don’t think you are, and I’m not either,” she said, letting her hand drift down the center of his body to the waistband of his jeans. “This feels fast but right.”

  He laid his palm flat on her abdomen, letting his thumb graze her clit. “We can stop.”

  Tugging the button free and lowering the zipper, she shook her head. “I don’t want to. Unless you do?”

  “Hell no,” he said, rubbing her clit more firmly from side to side.

  She wiggled one leg free of her leggings as he pushed his jeans down his thighs, freeing his cock. It was thick and long, the tip glistening with arousal. He stepped into the v of her thighs, and she lifted her knees to wrap them around his waist. He tugged her closer to the edge of the counter as he thrust forward, the thick head of his cock beaching her pussy.

  Groaning, she tilted her face up to his and he kissed her, pushing his cock in a little further and then drawing it almost entirely out. He continued to work her clit, timing the movements to his thrusts. She moaned when he filled her completely, their bodies wed tightly together, as his thumb drove her wild.

  Fisting his hair, she leaned back, her head brushing against the cabinet as he pounded into her. She watched him work her clit as he moved in and out of her. She’d never seen anything as erotic as this, her body an instrument that Win played expertly.

  As her climax roared within her, she cried out his name, her nails digging into his scalp. His rhythmic thrusts faltered and she felt him spasm within her as he came, shouting her name as he pressed himself tightly to her. He pulled her close, breathing heavily and resting his face in the crux of her shoulder. She shivered, her pussy clutching him as little waves of pleasure rolled through her.

  “That wasn’t as romantic as I would have liked,” he said with a rough voice. “Our first time should have been sweet.”

  “Says who?” she asked, rubbing his back and hooking her ankles together. “I needed that. I couldn’t think about anything but us having sex.”

  “Me too,” he said, kissing her neck and then pulling her tighter as he stepped away from the counter with her in his arms. “I’ll be better in round two.”

  She’d never laughed after sex before, but Win was adorable and so sexy.

  “I think round two might make me melt from the inside out.”

  “You’re giving me quite the ego, Sexy Lexy. You screamed my name when you came.”

  “You screamed mine, too,” she pointed out.

  Their lips met and they both smiled. He said, “Point the way to your bedroom, sweetheart. Round two awaits.”

  Chapter 5

  A scream woke Win up. He knew immediately that Lexy was terrified and he growled angrily as he sat up, looking for the danger.

  She was pressed into the corner of the bedroom, her mouth open and her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

  He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong and a gruff series of grunts came from his lips.

  He’d shifted while he slept! Damn it!

  He hooted softly as he climbed from the bed.

  Lexy let out a cry of alarm and slapped her hand over her mouth. Her fear was tangible, the acrid scent making his beast crazy. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Reaching for his human side, he shifted back.

  “Lexy,” he said.

  She lowered her hand slowly. “What?”

  Her brow furrowed and she panted hard for several moments before her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped to the floor. He moved swiftly to her and lifted her onto the bed, pulling the blankets up to cover her. She’d paled by several shades, and the scent of her fear made his beast uneasy. Pressing his fingers gently to her pulse, he was grateful to find it steady.

  “Sweetheart?” he said. “Lexy?”

  She didn’t move for a few minutes, and when she did finally stir and open her eyes, he straightened and put his hands up.

  “It’s okay, Lexy. I’m sorry.”

  She scrambled off the bed. “What the hell?” she shouted.

  “You passed out. I’m sorry I scared you, I never meant for that to happen.”

  “Get out!” she jerked a blanket from the bed to cover herself, her eyes wide with fright and her heart pounding so loudly that he could hear it.

  Leaving was the last thing he would do. She’d seen him shift. He had no choice but to stay until she calmed down.

  “Lexy, it’s still me – the same guy who fixed your tire last night – I just happen to be a shifter. I’m a person, but I’m also able to change into a gorilla.”

  Her hands tightened where she held the blanket around her. “That’s impossible.”

  “It’s not. I’m a gorilla shifter.”

  He took a few steps around the bed and she put her hand up so he stopped. Her knuckles were white with tension, and her heart rate had slowed considerably. He took that as a good sign that she was coming out of the hysteria that witnessing him shift had pushed her into.

  “There’s no such thing as…whatever you said. People can’t change into animals.”

  “We can and we do.”

  “Then why haven’t I ever heard anything about it before? And why the hell didn’t you tell me last night?”

  He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Our kind are secretive. It’s against our laws for our people to tell humans what we are. I couldn’t just come out and tell you. You wouldn’t have believed me, anyway.”

  Her shoulders slumped as she exhaled. “I’m not happy about the secret, but I guess I can understand why you didn’t start off our conversation with the fact that you can magically change into an animal.”

  She gave him a tiny smile, just the smallest curve of the corner of her mouth, and he took it as a good sign. He moved slowly, closing the distance between them until he was in front of her, looking down into her beautiful face. “It’s not magic, not really. You can call it paranormal or supernatural, but the reality is that I’m human.”

  “Mostly.”

  He snorted and smiled. “Exactly. I really am sorry. You must have been terrified.”

  “I was. I thought I was dreaming but you felt real. And then you freaking turned human again.”

  “Are you still scared?”

  “I feel like I should be. Like the most rational part of me is yelling for me to hightail it out of here and put about a hundred miles between us. But that part’s so small. I still feel connected to you, and that emotion is pushing the scared feelings away.” She chewed on her bottom lip and stared up at him for what felt like an eternity. Then she said, “I felt so connected with you from the first moment because you’re a shifter?”

  He held out his hand and said, “Come sit with me so we can talk. I kn
ow I scared you, but it’s the last thing I ever wanted to do. You’re the most important person in the world to me.”

  “How can you say that after less than a day?”

  “Because you’re my soulmate.”

  The air felt heavy, the silence so thick that it felt like invisible fog. He wanted to tell her it was crazy to think he’d ever hurt her, but he knew that wasn’t the right thing to say. She’d just witnessed something few humans ever saw and she had a right to be scared even if it hurt him that she was.

  She sat down on the bed slowly, settling against the headboard with a pillow at her back.

  “Start at the beginning,” she said.

  He nodded and sat facing her, pulling a blanket over his lap since she was still wrapped up in one. “Shifters live in secrecy. If humans ever found out about us, it would be a disaster. We could be hunted, killed, experimented on. It’s not anything that we’d ever want to have happen, which is why we have laws. The laws prevent us from telling humans about what we are.”

  “You didn’t exactly tell me, so much as turn into a gorilla in the middle of the night.”

  “I didn’t do it on purpose. The only thing I can guess is that my beast was feeling content and safe with you. I wouldn’t have shifted if there had been any doubt as to whether you and I are soulmates.”

  “I didn’t say I believed you about that.”

  “Fair enough,” he said. “When our people find the one person on the planet meant for them, that person is their soulmate. The connection is fast, it’s almost like love at first sight. My beast was acting up when I got out of the SUV last night and started walking to your car. Once I talked to you, I knew you were my soulmate. I didn’t expect to come to your home and make love, but I wouldn’t trade last night for anything in the world.”

  “How many of you are there?”

  “There are seven in my group. We live underground at the Amazing Adventures Safari Park. All of us work at the zoo in one way or another.”

  “Besides gorillas, what are there?”

  She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her knees. He scented the air discreetly and didn’t smell any lingering fear. At least she’d decided she wasn’t in danger, and he could be thankful for that.

  “At the park, we have bears, elephants, wolves, and lions.”

  “I went to that park when I was in grade school. Were you there?”

  “No, I’ve only been here for seven years.”

  “This is crazy,” she said, pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes. Then she dropped her hands to the bed and crawled to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

  He laid his hands on her waist, loving the feel of her soft skin. She lifted from his mouth and looked at him. She said nothing for a moment, and then her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Win, I can’t explain what this is between us but every time I think about running away screaming, something inside me shouts that it’s wrong. I’m scared about things moving so quickly, but that’s only because I’ve been burned in the past by jumping in physically without building a relationship first.”

  He pulled her into his lap and kissed her forehead. “In case you’ve already forgotten that you woke up in the arms of a gorilla, I’m not entirely human. This fast connection we have is because of that, but we can take things as slow as you need to so you feel comfortable.”

  “I’m not sure I want to go slow after the way you rocked my world last night,” she said, wiggling her brows. “But I do want to get to know you.”

  “I’m an open book.”

  She brushed her lips over his and said, “Let’s have breakfast so we can talk.”

  He stood with her in his arms and said, “Shower first?”

  “Only if you’ll join me.”

  “I was definitely planning to do that.

  * * *

  Win was convinced that his little human was secretly a wildcat. After they’d made love in the shower, she pushed him to his back on the bed and kissed her way down his body until she took him in her mouth. He’d had a few lovers over the years, but he’d never been in a relationship before, and no one had ever affected him the way that Lexy did. He was already tumbling head-first into love, and his beast wanted to carry her home and lock the door so they would never have to leave.

  After she’d thoroughly driven him crazy with her mouth, he’d returned the favor. Twice.

  And now he was sitting at the kitchen table in his jeans, drinking coffee and watching her make omelets.

  “Are you sure I can’t help, sweetheart?”

  “I love being in the kitchen. It’s nice to have someone else to cook for besides my family.”

  “You’re an only child?”

  “Yes. My cousin Trina and I grew up together. My parents still live next door to her parents. I…gosh, can you even meet them?”

  She turned from the stove carrying two plates and set them down on the table. His stomach rumbled but he didn’t pick up his fork and instead reached for her hand. Linking their fingers on the table, he said, “Yes. I promise not to shift in front of them.”

  She snorted and then chuckled. “Will you get in trouble for what happened last night?”

  “To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t think so, but we have laws for a reason so I might be punished.”

  Her smile slipped. “I don’t want you to be punished because of something you couldn’t control. What if they said we couldn’t see each other again?”

  His beast snarled. “That wouldn’t happen. We’re soulmates, Lexy. Nothing – and no one – will separate us. If I were to be punished, it would be something like house arrest. Okay? Nothing to worry about.”

  “Do I get to see your place?”

  “I’d like to take you there today.”

  She blinked rapidly a few times and then said, “Uh, sure. That’s fine.”

  He rubbed his thumb over the side of her hand. “What’s wrong?”

  “I was going to put a deposit on a storefront today.”

  “Storefront? For what?”

  “My sweet shop. I made five thousand dollars yesterday at the fair, and that was enough to cover the deposit on a small shop in a busy strip mall. I’m supposed to meet the owner today.”

  She looked down at her plate and poked her fork into the omelet, but her movements were slow and he knew she was upset.

  “Let’s eat and then I’ll take you home, okay? Then we can talk about the future. I don’t want you to feel like your plans aren’t important to me, because they are.”

  “But you live at the zoo.”

  “It’s vital that we’re apart from humans. It’s the only way to ensure that our secret is kept.”

  “Okay. I just…need some time to think.”

  His beast grumbled in worry. He didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything. If he told her that she had to move to the zoo immediately, she might balk. He didn’t think he could stand to be apart from her, but there was no way that the council – made up of the leaders of the shifter groups – would agree to allow him to live away from the zoo.

  When they were finished eating, he helped with the dishes and they got dressed. She sat on the bed and looked at him as he tucked his shirt into his jeans.

  “I want to come with you,” she said. “Trina won’t be back until next weekend, so I don’t have to explain why I’m gone. I do, though, have a job, and I don’t know what to say to them.”

  He sat next to her and put his arm over her shoulders. She leaned into him, wrapping both arms around him and laying her head on his shoulder. “The two soulmates who live at the zoo have jobs there as well. My friend Zane’s mate did manicures before they met, and she started a manicure salon in the market underground. Her friend is also a soulmate, and she helps out in the salon. I haven’t talked to anyone about you and your skills yet, but I know that if you want to, there will be a job for you doing what you love – either in the market or actually in the park.”

 
“What’s the market?”

  “It’s a central area underground and connects all our private living spaces together. Each group has its own space, and the market is where items can be ordered, like clothing or toiletries, and food is prepared like a cafeteria. There’s also an aboveground cafeteria for use during working hours.” He kissed her temple, taking a moment to breathe in her sweet scent, and then he said, “Could you ask for a leave of absence from your job until you figure out what you want to do?”

  She moved her hand to rest over his heart. “I’ll just tell my boss that there’s been a family emergency and I won’t be able to come back to work. I have savings, plus my cash prize from the contest, so I’ll be able to help Trina with the rent until she can find a place of her own.”

  She’d earmarked that money to open her own bakery. It hurt his heart to know she was giving up on her dream for him, even though he was also very thankful that she was willing to come with him. He knew there would be a place for her at the zoo to continue baking, he just needed to make some calls.

  “I need to check in with my alpha and then we can leave,” he said.

  “I’ll call my boss and leave a message.” She kissed his cheek and left, leaving him alone in the bedroom.

  He dialed Atticus’s cell. Win was certain that Zane had filled Atticus in on what had occurred when he’d met Lexy, but now he had to explain that Lexy was coming with him to the zoo because she’d already seen his shift.

  “I was wondering when I’d hear from you,” Atticus said when he answered.

  “Sorry. Things got a little crazy last night.”