He knew part of it was the ceremony itself. A ceremony as ancient as time that bound two lives together, indelibly, forever. But he also knew that there had to be something there first, something real, to feel this way. To feel this connected. It filled him with elation and pained him all at the same time. But it was done now, he couldn’t keep going back and forth, his thoughts warring with each other on whether he had done the right thing. He had done the only thing. He shook his head. Damn, Fish was gong to laugh his ass off when he hears about this.
Adrien squeezed Morgan’s hand again. He couldn’t seem to let it go since the ceremony ended. There was supposed to be celebrating in to the small hours of the night, but he had quickly whisked Morgan away, afraid someone would slip up and say the wrong thing and the next thing he’d know, Morgan would be running blindly into the woods screaming about half bear, half humans. Or he would have to try and explain that it was all some complicated joke that wasn’t very funny. There’s no such thing as bear people. Ha ha.
He shook his head at his own thoughts. They had escaped the crowd and made it back to the car with just a few stops along the way as people congratulated them. Morgan hadn’t said a word the entire time, in fact, by the time they had pulled into the small parking lot in front of her apartment building, Adrien realized she hadn’t made a peep the entire drive either, as lost in her own thoughts as he was.
He parked the car and forced himself to let go of her hand as he got out to walk around and open her door. He took it again as soon as he could, offering his own in a pretense of helping her stand but he couldn’t let it go again as they walked to the door.
They stood there for a long moment, still not saying anything. It was like both of them were afraid to break the fragile peace that had settled around them, a tiny cocoon of intimacy that draped them both like gossamer.
“Well, I guess I should go in–.”
“I suppose I should say goodnight…” They both spoke over each other in a nervous rush and shared a loaded look before bursting into laughter. The sound of her laughing washed over him and he swore he could live forever just listening to that sweet noise.
“You go first.” Morgan finally said, smiling up at him, her eyes sparkling with humor.
“Okay. I,” Adrien paused, not even sure where the hell to begin. How to even start? “I just want to say thank you. I know today was super weird,” Morgan snorted, and he thought he heard her whisper something that sounded like understatement of the year but he kept on going. “It was weird, and not what either of us was expecting, believe me.” If he had known what kind of shit Harris would have tried to pull, he would have run as far as he could have in the other direction. But it really was too late.
“Yeah. It wasn’t really a joke, was it? Pretending to be your fiancé, I mean?” Morgan asked, and Adrien stalled, not really knowing how to answer.
“It was just a little more complicated, and it got a lot more complicated. I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry I dragged you into all this.”
“What is ‘all this’, Adrien? You still haven’t explained what any of this was about.” She stared up at him, a million questions glimmering in her eyes, and none of them he could answer, at least not honestly. And he found himself detesting the idea of lying to her. It made his skin crawl just thinking about it. And so, he did the next best thing he could think of.
He reached out, sliding his arms around her waist and drew her close, his mouth descending on hers before she could ask any more questions he didn’t have the answers for. At least, not any answers she would believe.
His lips touched hers and all thoughts stopped. It was like his brain had short circuited and all that was left was the incredible feel of her mouth moving against his. It was amazing, it was exquisite, it was almost too much for him to handle.
Morgan moaned into his mouth and he swallowed her soft sound of pleasure, pulling her close because he had to. He had to feel her lush body pressed against his and almost groaned himself at the feel of her curves pressed against his hardness. His body was suddenly on fire her, he couldn’t get close enough and soon found himself crowding her up against the front door, using it as leverage to drag her higher against him. He tilted his head to get a deeper angle and on her next gasp his tongue was sliding between her perfect lips. She moaned again and the feel of her melting against him was pure heaven.
He wasn’t sure if it was the new bond he could feel pulling him closer or the animal instinct rising up sharply from the depths of him, but his body was quickly raging out of his control. He wanted her, no he needed her. More than he had ever needed anything he needed Morgan. More than air, more than food, more than thought. He craved her like a drug and he wasn’t sure he would ever get enough. Or that he wanted to. He felt completely drunk on her.
With a gasping breath, he pulled back before he completely lost control. Every nerve ending was on fire for her and his lungs worked like a bellows as he swiped a hand over his face, wiping off beads of sweat that had beaded there. He had been so close to throwing her over his shoulder and taking her upstairs, satisfying the animal that roared for him to claim his mate in the one way that would satiate the ache splitting him in two.
Finally, he leaned back, certain at least that he wouldn’t go all caveman on her and scare her away for good and froze at the look on her face. It wasn’t fear, or trepidation, or even nerves. The look on her face had him instantly burning all over again. The look simmering in her beautiful green eyes was pure want.
Adrien groaned again, trying his best to be a gentleman. So much had happened that night, he knew he needed time to think it all over. Even though the only think he could think of at the moment was tasting her sweet lips again.
With a sigh of regret, he took another step backwards.
“I, uh, I should get going.” He forced the words out and they sounded hollow to his ears, but he knew it was the right the to do.
“Sure, if you have to go. I mean, you could come inside for a drink, if you want.” Morgan through the words out there and his body tensed at the breathy sound of her voice. But finally, he shook his head.
“No! I mean, no, I really should go. Late night and all, and I’ll just see you at the bar tomorrow?”
He could see the light fading from her eye, and he hated that he was the cause.
“Yep, see ya at the bar.” She turned to head inside, but he stopped her just before she could.
“Hey, do you…would you…that is, will you go out with me? How about lunch tomorrow, before work?”
Her emerald eyes instantly caught fire and she nodded, shooting him a shy smile. “That sounds perfect.”
“Okay great! Tomorrow then, I’ll pick you up at noon.”
“Alright,” She smiled at him again, and it caught at him, the happiness in her face. “Goodnight, Adrien.”
“Goodnight Morgan.” He stood there for a long time after she’d gone inside, just staring at the spot she had just been standing in. He could still picture her, so beautiful, so breathtaking in the moonlight. He shook his head. His mate. What the hell was he going to do now?
Chapter 5
The next afternoon couldn’t come early enough for Morgan and as she waited impatiently for Adrien to pick her up she fought off the pack of angry butterflies swirling around her stomach. She had barely been able to sleep the night before and when she’d finally been able to drift into slumber, her dreams had all revolved around one sexy bar owner leaving her restless and achy when she’d awoken.
It hadn’t been a great night to say the least, and every time she moved she was reminded of the unsatisfied desire that still swirled and eddied through her veins. Morgan had thought long and hard about the previous evening, and still she couldn’t come to any conclusions about what had really happened and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d missed something important.
Before she could think much more about it she heard the buzzer go off from her intercom, startling her into movement. She h
eld down the button and spoke.
“Hello?”
“Hi, uh, Morgan. It’s Adrien! I’m, um, I’m here.” There was a nervousness to his voice that she could detect even across the crackling speaker and it made her smile to herself as she grabbed her purse and headed down. Adrien Black. Nervous about a date? She couldn’t remember ever seeing him unsure of himself and it was a novel experience to walk outside and see him shifting anxiously from foot to foot, waiting for her.
“Hey big guy, I don’t bite you know.” Morgan said, drawing a little closer to him, just enough to feel the warmth from his body. His look of nerves instantly faded to be replaced by a sinful grin that had lust once more spiraling through her body.
“That’s okay. I do.” He grinned at her again before heading to his jeep, throwing open the door for her before walking around and getting into the driver’s side.
She took a deep breath, surprised to find that she was the nervous one now.
“So, where are we going?” She said, more to break the tension than for any real need to know the answer.
“I thought we could go to Rosie’s.” Adrien answered, his eyes glued to the road, but she had a feeling he was waiting for her response. Morgan threw him an arched brow.
“Rosie’s huh? Sounds…perfect.” She couldn’t help the small smile as he relaxed a bit next to her, still not looking at her though. She was actually surprised that he was taking her there. Rosie’s was known all throughout the area as the spot that you took someone you were serious about. She wasn’t sure why, it seemed like the same café she would find almost anywhere else, but it struck her as sweet that he would think of it.
Morgan glanced at him from the corner of her eye, unable to deny how handsome he was, almost overwhelmingly so with his unusual golden colored eyes. She was more than sure he had broken his fair share of hearts in the past. Okay, maybe more than his fair share. And yes, it might have taken him a little longer to notice her than she would have liked, but she could tell that something was different since last night, since that ceremony or whatever it was.
She recalled the odd events of the night before. Morgan still wasn’t sure she understood half of what had happened, but she was damn sure of one thing. There was something real between them, something that she had sensed from the moment they had met. And she was excited to see where it led.
Morgan grinned as a thought occurred to her.
“Hey, I don’t have to keep pretending to be your fake fiancé, do I?” The question finally got his attention and he looked over at her with a shrug.
“Well, technically, you’re not pretending to be my fake fiancé.” Morgan sent him another arch look.
“You know what I mean, Adrien.” It was his turn to grin, and the look sent her heartbeat sky rocketing.
“Are you tired of being fake engaged to me already?”
“Well, I just thought since the dinner thing was over…” She trailed off, shrugging instead of finishing her sentence. But Adrien just shook his head, looking suddenly grim. Morgan could only shake her heads at his next words, still riddled with confusion.
“It’s not over yet. It’s not nearly over.”
Days passed and they fell into a similar routine, one that Adrien found easy and alarming all at the same time. The thing was, it was just too easy. Being with Morgan, being around her. It was like they had been together for a lifetime instead of just the meager half of a week.
He would pick her up a few hours before their shift, or on the days she was off, they go out for lunch at Rosie’s or to some picnic spot when the weather was especially beautiful. They would sit and talk, about each other, or about nothing at all.
Adrien was fascinated by her, by all of her hidden facets and quick fire personality. Everything he learned about her drew him closer and closer, and he just couldn’t make himself care. The bond between them was growing, but still so fragile. Luckily, there were still some topics that had been left untouched.
She hadn’t asked him yet about about the choosing ceremony, for which he was eternally grateful. He still had no idea in hell what he was going to tell her about that, even though it was becoming more and more apparent to him that she knew more that she was letting on. And it was causing him to sweat bullets not knowing what.
But even more than that was his desire for her. It had been an ever present thing since Morgan had first started working at the bar, but ever since the night of the choosing ceremony it had begun to burn out of control.
And every time he saw her only drove the flames higher and higher. Adrien was aware of her even now, talking to their last table of the night. He didn’t have to be looking at her to know exactly where she was. Maybe it was part of their new bond, maybe it was something that had always been there that he’d taken for granted, he wasn’t sure.
The last of the customers finally left and he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall behind the bar. It was just after ten o’clock. The bar was supposed to stay open another hour on Tuesdays but they wouldn’t be getting any more customers that night. Finally, he glanced over at Morgan, struck by her beauty all over again as she gracefully cleared away empty glasses, unconsciously swaying to the music coming from the speakers. Old rock and soul is all he ever played, with the occasional blues thrown in, and that was what was on now.
An old, sad song of love lost and love found again. The blues singer’s raspy voice echoed out through the room and he was trapped, entranced as he watched her dance. Every move she made seemed aimed at making him hotter for her, harder for her, although it wasn’t like he needed any help in that area. He wanted her so bad he could barely stand it.
In the blink of an eye, he made his decision. Adrien stalked over to the door and threw the bolt, simultaneously turning the neon ‘open’ sign to closed.
“What are you doing? We’re open for another hour.”
“Not tonight.” Adrien growled, and moved towards her in the slow, steady gait of a predator narrowing in on its prey.
“Adrien? What are you–.” He didn’t give Morgan a chance to finish her question before his lips were descending on hers. He groaned at her flavor. Sweet, spicy, and all woman. It drove him mad and he pulled her close to him, but it wasn’t close enough.
He moaned again when Morgan melted against him, her mouth just as voracious, her hands busy tracking over every inch of bare skin she could find. His own fingers made their way across her hips, angling her body so that he could feel every lush curve. When she pressed against him like that it amplified just how small and delicate she really was. It was her personality that made her seem so much bigger than she really was.
Morgan sighed into his mouth and he took immediate advantage, thrusting his tongue in just enough to tease, tangling with hers and then withdrawing again, drawing out every ounce of pleasure he could.
He craved her like fire in his veins, like she was drug that he could never get enough of. The mating bond pulled at him, and he could feel the animal half of him raise its massive head, interest keen its golden amber eyes, just like his. Adrien could feel the threat of claws and fur wanting to burst free but he fought it back for the moment.
The kiss deepened and before he knew what he was doing he lifted her up, propping her hips against the edge of the table and wedging himself in between her sweet thighs. He had too many clothes. They both had way too many clothes on.
His instincts were riding him hard, outweighing any rational thought, if he had been capable of any at that point. His body was pure lust, pure desire, the only thing driving him was the need to be with his mate in every way possible, to ease the terrible ache that grew stronger every day. He needed her.
In a moment of weakness, the bear half of him took hold, and it shook him. He’d never been at war with the animal half of himself but he couldn’t risk shifting in front of Morgan. It was that struggle that made it all the more difficult to maintain control. And he had to stay in control. He couldn’t risk scaring her off just yet.
Adrien was seconds from giving in to his, to his animal’s, most urgent desire. He more than needed her. She was his breath, the blood pumping through his veins. She was what he needed to live.
The sound of glass shattering washed over him like a bucket of ice water. He jumped back, instinctively pushing Morgan behind him to protect her, but one look told him it wasn’t necessary. A lone brick sat in the middle of a pile of shards. All that remained of one of the large front windows.
With a curse, Adrien ran to the door, threw the lock and ran outside, hoping to catch whoever had thrown it, but without luck. All he saw was the dark, Nevada night stretching endlessly out in front of him. There was no one there, not even the sound of an engine driving off into the distance. Just the silence and the darkness.
“Hell, Morgan. Be careful.” Adrien said quickly as he hurried back in to find her bending over the mass of broken glass to retrieve the brick. There was nothing on it. No note, no message. Just a senseless act that did nothing to help the temper growing inside him at being interrupted. But it didn’t matter. He was going to find out who did this, and make them understand the consequences of interrupting a bear when he was kissing his mate.
Chapter 6
“What the hell is this supposed to be?” the angry customer stormed up to the bar, catching Adrien off guard. He glanced at the drink, and then at the customer with a dark eyebrow raised.
“Looks like a strawberry daiquiri to me.” It was his own fault if it tasted like pure sugar for ordering the girliest drink on the menu. Adrien just shook his head. The guy should have known better.
“Well, it’s not. It tastes like soap,” The customer slammed the drink on the bar top. “I’m not paying for this.”
BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) Page 57