Unexpected Find

by Nancy Corrigan

  “I will not take chances with your life, Jasmine. Stay here. I can find my own way.” He slammed the door, hit the button to lock it and jogged off toward the barn.

  She watched him until he disappeared inside before closing her eyes to get a handle on her emotions. She was still attracted to him, maybe more so than last night because she knew exactly how it felt to be on the receiving end of his passion. An hour. Two at the most. After the rest of his friends arrived, Rafe would be occupied with them, planning how to take out this rogue shifter. She’d be on the sidelines, away from him and the lust she felt whenever she looked at him. She could ignore the ache settling low in her belly that long.

  Sooner than she would’ve liked, Rafe was at her door. He opened it, took her hand and led her to the garage.

  She shot him a questioning glace. He rubbed at his neck and said, “I changed my mind. I want you to show me around.”

  She glanced back at the others but they were at her garage, a cinder-block structure her pappy had built over forty years ago. It housed Classic Wyns, the restoration shop she’d taken over after he died. They went up the stairs on the outside of the building. The upper floor used to be an apartment—hers for a few months before she’d moved away—but now she used it as an office.

  Rafe ushered her inside. Both the screen and regular doors were slammed shut behind them. She heard the lock click then Rafe’s mouth covered hers. He kissed her as if he were starved for her taste. He swept his hands down her arms, around her waist and up her back. The fevered strokes pulled her tighter against his chest, pushed her pebbled nipples into his hard flesh.

  Wrapped in his embrace, she gave herself up to the lust. It was impossible not to. Rafe knew exactly what to do to make her wild. A simple glance in her direction and her breath quickened. And when he touched her…she was lost. Passion, desire. Nothing else mattered.

  She linked her arms around him, dug her nails into his muscles and held on while he twined their tongues. Sharp teeth scraped her lips and the tang of blood filled her mouth. She jerked but the pain faded in the next moment and his hungered groan whipped through her. She went lax in his arms.

  He lifted her limp body. Her legs dangled a moment before she wrapped them around his waist. The move opened her to him, brought the hard ridge of his erection to her core. She ground against his trapped cock and memories of last night washed over her. Shifter or not, she wanted to feel his steel rod inside her, thrusting and parting her muscles.

  The responsible part of her knew she shouldn’t give in to the lust. It wasn’t the right time for it. They should be discussing the crazy guy who’d tried to kill her, not kissing as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, but she couldn’t tear herself away from the strong arms holding her. She wanted to latch on to Rafe, take the escape he offered along with his protection.

  She pushed against his chest, broke the kiss and studied him—the shifter she’d taken into her body last night. He was a walking wet dream, so damn gorgeous her heart skipped a beat and he wanted to give her the one thing she’d never had—an anchor, somebody who’d shield her from the dangerous world she’d been tossed into.

  “Rafe, why?”

  She didn’t know what she was asking him but Rafe pulled her against him and pressed his mouth to her ear. “Because we want each other. Because I want to please you, make you forget the horrors of this morning.” He licked the edge of her ear and exhaled a warm breath that made the wet skin tingle. “Put your trust in me, beautiful. Let me take care of you, make you feel good.”

  Oh god, she wanted to. Her gaze roamed over his face and she remembered how he looked at her that first night and after dinner yesterday. She wasn’t the only one consumed by this intense lust. Maybe it was clouding her judgment but from the moment she saw him, she’d desired this man. Everything since had only amplified her need. She craved him, didn’t think she could survive without feeling his cock moving inside her.

  Instead of answering with words, she kissed him as deeply as he had her. She led the melding of their mouths for a moment, long enough to tease the tiny fangs she’d felt earlier into descending. She tentatively stroked one. Rafe held still while she explored each sharp tooth but took the control back before she could deepen the kiss.

  Sweeping explorations of her cheeks and teeth came first, then he stroked his tongue over hers in the rolling thrust he favored. He skimmed his fingertips over her hips, along her waist and up under her shirt. The calloused tips stroked the edge of her breasts as he continued to kiss her, but he didn’t touch her nipples. The barely there swipes teased her, made the points harden more until her focus centered on those achy tips. Nothing else mattered besides getting Rafe to touch them. She pushed the buds into his chest, needing the pressure to ease the tingling his wandering fingers ignited, but he abandoned his tormenting caresses.

  He dropped his hands to her waist and lifted her onto his bent leg. She inched her bottom forward, rubbed against his hard length. She rode him while each rolling thrust of his tongue pulled him deeper. Their teeth banged. He changed the angle. Quickened the strokes. She moved faster over his leg and the brush of denim on her panty-less cleft added the extra bit of stimulation. Made her hotter.

  Her back met the door. With his body pining hers to the hard surface, he resumed his teasing exploration. The roughened edges of his fingertips swept up her spine and he tugged the shirt up with the move, pulling his mouth off hers only long enough to yank the top over her head.

  Her core clenched, she whimpered. Empty. The ache was unbearable. She wanted to beg for his sex, beg for him to fuck her until she passed out. Couldn’t. His kiss barely allowed her the chance to breathe. He skimmed a finger over the length of her neck, right over the vein that had tingled last night. Electricity skipped from the spot to spread out over her skin.

  He slid his other hand under her waistband to mold a butt cheek before moving lower to dip into her wetness. He ripped his mouth away. Churning amber eyes locked onto hers. She stared transfixed at the blue and brown specks that moved in the waves of liquid gold. Now she understood why he’d kept the lights off last night. To hide this. His passion.

  “Need you, Jasmine,” he groaned. A tug and the sound of ripping cloth met her ears. He swirled his fingers in her dripping center and plunged them deep. “Now. Can’t wait.”

  He set her back on her feet. The sound of more ripping cloth met her ears. He lifted her and dropped her onto a hard rod. Rafe swallowed her shocked cry. She was wet, more than ready for a man’s cock but she was tight. With his hands on her waist, he moved her, grinding her on his cock while short upward thrusts forced his shaft through her muscles. He had to work his way in—if his grunts and groans were any indication, he loved it.

  The tensing of her sheath grew with his steady pushes. “Rafe, oh god,” she moaned as her muscles seized and clamped down on the shaft piercing her.

  “Fuck,” Rafe panted. “Don’t want to come yet.”

  A tilt of his hips and he rammed inside her. She wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her mouth against him to muffle her scream. The muscles under her palms trembled but Rafe held his body completely still while she writhed. He became her anchor, grounding her as the intense waves swept through her body.

  “Beautiful, my Jasmine,” he uttered once the orgasm waned.

  He used his hold on her hips to lift her off his erection until just the head was held captive by her lower lips. She squeezed and released her muscles over the small invasion. Her focus zeroed in on the emptiness in her core. She opened her mouth to beg him to fill her but he slammed her over the silken steel rod before she could get the words out.

  Heaven. If there was Heaven on earth, it was here in Rafe’s arms. With fingers biting into her flesh, he lifted and dropped her over his cock. Over and over, he pierced her and everything from his rough grip to his groaning pants excited her, fed the desire only Rafe could create. The pressure built in her womb and her muscles tensed, readying for a s
econd release, but Rafe’s driving thrusts kept her from the peak, pushed the ecstasy further out of reach.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “More, Jasmine. You can take more.”

  Her back met the door behind her and he gave it to her. He held her against it with his body so she was sandwiched between two hard walls and fucked her. Each driving push reverberated up through her body until even her scalp tingled. A tilt of his hips changed the angle and with the next thrust, he hit her cervix. Her body tightened, clamped down and she came. Wonderful, sweet release that tossed her bodiless mind into a sea where only pleasure existed. And Rafe. She whispered his name but the darkness spread and took everything away. She was too tired, too sated to fight it.

  * * * * *

  Rafe cradled Jasmine’s body against his chest and carried her to the pullout couch. It was small, nowhere close to the size of the bed he’d spied in her bedroom but it was large enough for them to love each other in. With cubs and his brothers wandering around, he needed to find plenty of secluded spots to love his female. This one would work well. There was a section in the barn that would fit his needs once it was cleaned up too.

  He laid her in the center and let his gaze travel over her body. Flushed from their loving, she looked as sated as the smile on her lips indicated. He’d satisfied her. That pleased him. Gave him ideas, ones he couldn’t give in to yet, but tempted him anyway.

  He ran his tongue over the descended fangs. Saliva pooled in his mouth and his cats pushed their wants into his subconscious. He focused on her shoulder. The delicate slope would be a perfect backdrop for his claim. His feet carried him to the bed. With one knee on the thin mattress, he stroked the spot. Jasmine shivered under the caress and a soft sigh spilled over her lips.

  Gods, she was beautiful. Passionate. Strong. Mysterious and fearful. And it was the secrets she harbored that stopped him from waking her and taking their relationship any further.

  He didn’t know her, not really. But that was changing. Each encounter—sexual or not—gave him another glimpse of Jasmine’s soul, which was what had drawn his cats in the first place. He closed his eyes, allowed her scent to surround him, seep into his lungs. The big predators he housed lay down, rested their heads on their paws and purred.

  They pushed their desires to him, showed him images of Jasmine’s belly swollen with his babes, their cubs. And the only way she’d ever carry his child was if she was bonded to him. They’d made their choice. They wanted her as a mate, not merely a lover. They wanted forever, not a single human lifespan. They wanted to protect her, love her and by the gods, so did he—but Jasmine wasn’t ready. She didn’t trust him, not completely. And he needed her to have complete faith in him. For a human, that level of trust would not be gained overnight. But he would gain it and once he had it, he’d claim his mate.

  He turned away from the bed and the temptation Jasmine posed and studied the room she obviously used as an office. Simply decorated, there was a desk with a computer, a couple of metal filing cabinets and a small table shoved in one corner with catalogs and unopened mail on its surface. The other corner held a tiny kitchen with a sink, microwave and mini-fridge. Next to it, boxes of toys and stacks of books sat on the floor near an ancient boxy television complete with rabbit ears. A photo stood in the center of the old set. He walked toward it, picked it up and studied the image of Jasmine and her boys.

  Brown hair, smiles that suggested their childhood had been a happy one and eyes that stopped his heart just like they had the last time he’d looked into them. Darker than his, their eyes hinted to the fact that one parent wasn’t a royal but the shape was familiar and so was the slope of their noses, the contours of their faces, the shape of their mouths. They were Alexanders. Having been in their presence confirmed it. Without the heavy perfumes tainting their signatures, he picked up on the underlying core scent—the one that belonged to their goddess, the golden one. But no matter how long he stared at their faces he couldn’t decide who they belonged to, just that he knew they were of his blood. In the end, that was all that mattered.

  He replaced the picture and pinched the bridge of his nose. How had Jasmine ended up with them? Her account of finding them abandoned didn’t ring true. She’d lied, at least about not knowing the mother. But why?

  Jasmine had been afraid when she’d delivered her lie. Something bad had happened that had left her alone and fearful. He needed to find out what, get her to trust him with the secret. It would be the first step to earning her devotion.

  He walked back to the bed and traced the length of her calf. He was drawn to her. The desire to touch her, love her consumed him. It was the drive of a mated male. They weren’t mated yet but he recognized it for what it was and wouldn’t fight it. He wanted her safe and happy. He allowed his fingertips to linger a moment against her soft skin before he forced himself away from her.

  He picked up his phone from where it had fallen in his haste to free his cock. A grin spread as he took in the state of his dress. He still wore his shirt but the front of his jeans was ripped open. He’d been eager to get inside his female. He stroked the half-erect shaft. It stirred to life.

  His gaze returned to the sofa bed. Jasmine lay like an offering and her scent tempted him to return to her. Love her. He fisted the shaft and it jerked in his grip. The woman had him addicted to her. Not that he minded. He’d never had such pleasure as he found within her sheath.

  He stroked the length. The tight grip felt good but it didn’t compare to her core. His gaze traveled back to the bed. He released his shaft and took a step forward. Stopped. Jasmine was only human. She’d need to sleep, rest up for another round of loving.

  Rafe moved to the farthest end of the studio apartment so as not to wake her and called Kade. He waited for him to answer and said, “Bring me a spare pair of pants from the car and shorts or something for Jasmine.”

  Kade’s knowing chuckle filled the line. “Overly eager?”

  He glanced down at his ripped jeans. “A little. My woman’s hot.”

  “That she is, brother.”

  A growl crawled up his throat. “Jasmine is special, Kade. I told you that. Do not look at her.”

  “It’s hard not to. She’s fucking beautiful.”

  “She’s also fucking mine. Do you understand me?”

  A long pause then Kade mumbled, “I’ll be right there.”

  The lack of response angered him but Kade ended the call before he could demand an acknowledgement. A couple of minutes later, the door opened a crack and two pairs of shorts came flying in. He placed one pair on the sofa bed for his female and slipped on the other.

  Dressed, he let Jasmine sleep and slipped outside. Kade leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Please tell me you’re not serious,” Kade said the moment Rafe stepped in front of him.

  Rafe studied his brother’s tense pose. “About what?”

  “Jasmine. Are you sure it’s not just an infatuation that’ll fade after a few fucks?”

  He straightened and announced, “I marked her womb.”

  Kade’s eyes widened. He flicked his gaze between the second floor door and him. “Then I congratulate you, brother, and welcome your mate. She will bear you beautiful children.”

  “Thank you, Kade, but I fear it’ll be some time before I can join us. She doesn’t trust me.”

  “Humans don’t trust easily and you haven’t known each other long.” Kade shrugged. “She will. There’s no need to rush these things.”

  “I know and I don’t mind waiting, but it was her lack of trust that sent her fleeing from me this morning. It was my fault and I regret it, but it doesn’t change the outcome.” Rafe closed his eyes so Kade didn’t see the fear in them. “Calum had her in his arms and now he knows I left my scent in her body. For that alone he will go after her, but if he suspects Jasmine is not merely a lover but a potential mate, he won’t back down. He’ll seek to take her
from me and if she pulls another stunt like today, he’ll win.” Rafe glanced at the woods. “He’s out there. Waiting. Planning. I fear he’ll set a trap for her.”

  “Mate her now, Rafe. Once you share the bond, there will be no secrets between you. And she won’t ever be able to leave you.”

  “I can’t, not without her trust.” Rafe grabbed fistfuls of his hair and tugged. “If I don’t earn that, what do you think will happen when it comes time for me to take her human life? If she panics—”

  “She might fight your cats’ presence and die before they can join the two of you,” Kade groaned.

  “Exactly.”

  Kade’s gaze slid back to the door above the garage. “Do you have a plan to gain her trust?”

  “A sketchy one,” Rafe mumbled. “But we also need to come up with a way to take out Calum. This might be our best chance to eliminate him for good.”

  “But at the risk to your female and the cubs?” Kade narrowed his eyes. “I do not approve of staying here. It’s too dangerous. Jasmine lives in the middle of nowhere and it’s going to be near impossible to patrol her property.”

  Kade waved an arm out to encompass the yard. “With Calum masking his scent, he can wait until we are out of sight and slip through. There is nothing to stop him. No cameras. No motion sensors. No electric fences. We’re fucking sitting ducks. We should pack up the cubs and the humans and go back to the compound. There, they’ll be safe.”

  “And how is that going to earn Jasmine’s trust? She’s still afraid we’re going to steal her kids.”

  “But she’ll see how much safer it is. She’ll understand.”

  “Will she? Or will she see it as a betrayal?” Rafe sighed. “Don’t you see? I don’t know Jasmine. I have no idea how she’ll react to moving home or the mate bond. Hell, I don’t even know if she would want me.”

  Kade’s brows scrunched and he looked him over. “Why wouldn’t she? You’re a good male and she’d be getting immortality. What else is there to consider?”