by Ophelia Bell
He hadn’t given her a chance to answer his question, for which she was grateful. Yes, she needed him, but what good would it do to admit it?
Against her better judgment, she let him guide her backward and shut the door behind him. She could have one more night. Just one.
The next thing she knew, Gaius had lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He released her mouth and drifted his lips down the center of her chest, inhaling deeply as though her scent gave him sustenance.
Nessa combed her fingers through his damp, dark curls, enjoying the way the light caught the shimmering silver strands that were most prominent at his temples. He tugged the straps of her nightgown down her arms, freeing her breasts and cupping them in both his callused palms. With singular focus, he lavished her breasts with attention, licking and sucking until she’d entirely forgotten why she’d ever had a reason not to let him into her bed.
He left her panting and writhing with need when he pulled the gown down over her hips and tugged it off with her soaked panties. Then he spread her thighs and wordlessly bent to cover her core with his mouth. He let out a hungry growl against her wet folds as he delved in, and Nessa clutched at his head, overcome by pleasure the second he began to tongue her clit.
Gaius’ expert licks took her to the edge swiftly, the orgasm rocketing through her and persisting for several seconds, sustained by the slow, gentle licks he gave her as she came down from the high.
She stared up at him when he sat back on his haunches, still kneeling between her legs, fully clothed. Her orgasm had done nothing to shake the earlier uncertainty, and that uncertainty sapped the strength to tell him what she wanted . . . that she needed him inside her now.
But Gaius began to strip anyway, his blue gaze never leaving her face as he pulled his t-shirt off over his head, shifted backwards off the bed and kicked off his boots, then shoved out of his pants.
She closed her eyes for a second, too overwhelmed by the sheer, massive beauty of him. He had a Champion’s body, with scars and tattoos that enhanced the hard planes and bulging muscles.
The bed shifted at her feet when he climbed back on, his warm skin brushing against her legs as he made his way back toward her. He pressed his lips to her left knee and slid both hands down her inner thighs, pausing to caress her still soaked pussy and tease until she arched her back with a moan.
Then he was over her, poised on both arms. The head of his stiff cock found her entrance easily and he shoved home in one smooth stroke, burying his face against her neck with a harsh groan of pleasure.
“Yes,” she whispered, slipping her thighs up his sides and hooking her ankles around his waist. “God, yes.”
It felt too good to have him completely naked and in her bed. They hadn’t been completely naked together since that first weekend, and she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it. But naked meant vulnerable, and the second her next orgasm faded and his spasming cock eased inside her, that sense of impending doom rose in her once more.
Gaius slipped out of her and fell to the side, curling his big body around hers and holding her tight. His breathing grew even and slow, but Nessa still lay awake for some time, her cheeks wet with tears over what had never been hers.
18
Gaius woke to an empty bed and rolled over, stretching in the early morning sun and inhaling deeply, enjoying the invigorating scent of the Precious flowers that had been lined up in pots outside Nessa’s windows.
“Ness? Baby, where are you?” he called, but there was no answer. He got up and threw on his jeans, then followed the sounds of digging out the front door to her cottage. He blinked blearily at the figure digging in the flowerbeds outside the door.
“Levi . . . have you seen Ness?”
Levi set the multicolored fronds into the hole he’d dug and covered its roots with dirt.
“Nope. Just found a note in the kitchen this morning asking that I finish this up for her. Said she hoped to see me at some party her mom’s throwing in a week. She didn’t say anything to you?”
Gaius scrubbed his hand over his face and scratched his beard, frowning down at the other man.
“No,” he growled and stalked back into Nessa’s cottage to grab the rest of his clothes. Where the fuck had she gone, and why hadn’t she told him? He’d known something was up with her last night. Something in the way she’d clung to him and hadn’t bossed him around the way she usually did . . . it had been all wrong. But he had hoped if he made love to her more tenderly, just to show her how much she meant to him, it would be enough.
Goddamn him, why hadn’t he just asked?
He sat down on the bed to pull on his boots and something crinkled in the sheets. He glanced down to see a piece of paper sticking out from under his thigh with her handwriting on it.
Gaius, I am going home to meet my mate. As it turns out, I am not a lost cause after all, which hopefully means that you aren’t either, because if the matchmaker could find my sorry ass a mate, there is definitely hope for you.
I will always cherish our time together. Be happy with whoever it is the matchmaker finds for you. I hope you find someone who brings you the inspiration you need to finish that wonderful house. It deserves a woman who loves it as much as you do.
Love always,
Nessa
Gaius surged up with a ferocious growl, crumpling the note in his hand as he stomped out the door. Levi jumped aside in a flash, clearing the way for Gaius as he charged to his transporter and headed back to his house. The matchmaker was going to hear exactly what he thought.
19
Gerri settled into the transporter and keyed in her Nova Aurora destination just as her communicator buzzed in her pocket. Events were converging as she had predicted they would. A little more than two months had passed since Nina Baxter’s call, the one flooding Gerri with concerns about Nessa’s chosen path and Nina’s uncertainty about whether it was good for her to be so far from the sons of the Hill Clans leaders when they were so close to needing mates.
The truth was that the three heirs to the Hill Clans leadership were indeed close to calling her, but hadn’t yet. She had different plans for them, and she was more certain than ever that Nessa’s true mate was Gaius Osborn. She had finally called Nina Baxter the day before, giving her the good news that she’d found Nessa a mate who would satisfy the older woman’s desires, but she refused to divulge his name. She preferred to meet with Nessa and Gaius individually to give them the good news first, though she finally acquiesced to Mrs. Baxter’s insistence that she plan a celebration and that Gerri should come and bring the lucky man.
The call she was about to answer was from none other than Gaius himself, who she was headed to now to give the good news to in person.
“Gerri Wilder, Matchmaker,” she answered as she watched the beautiful landscape of the shifter home planet speed by.
“Mrs. Wilder. Gaius Osborn here. You’ve made one hell of a big mistake, lady.”
Gerri blinked out the window in surprise. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Nessa’s mine, and I mean to keep her. I don’t want any other mate but her, so you’d best call her back and tell her you were wrong. Whoever it is you’ve got her running off to is the wrong man. She belongs with me.”
Gerri remained quiet for a moment, her lips pressed together as she tried to navigate this shift in events. It had to be Nessa’s mother who’d somehow caused the misunderstanding. She shouldn’t have talked to the woman before her daughter, but Nina had been her original client, so she felt a certain professional obligation to reach out to her first. She thought she’d have time to let Nessa and Gaius know before Nina could say anything.
Apparently, she’d been wrong.
“Gaius, you are a reasonable man. I promise there is an explanation. I’m in your area today. Why don’t I stop by your house and we can talk about it?”
He was silent for a second before his deep voice came over the line again. “Yeah, sure, my address
is . . .”
“Don’t worry, I know how to get there. See you soon!”
She ended the call and settled back, letting the transporter navigate itself the rest of the way to her destination. She would fix this if it was the last thing she did.
When the transporter finally stopped, she got out, marveling at the change from the photos Gaius had shared with her when he’d first contacted her two years ago. Back then there had been little more than a bare foundation with a hammock strung between two big trees and a darkened fire pit. Now the entire clearing was occupied by a beautiful cabin situated in the perfect spot to capture both sunrise and sunset, the nearby waterfall adding to the idyllic atmosphere.
Gerri walked up the front steps and lifted a metal knocker cast in the shape of the Blackpaw’s emblem. It was good to see he hadn’t let go of those old symbols. Gaius was definitely a man with a sentimental streak.
His big frame filled the entire doorway when he opened it and he towered over her, yet despite their difference in size and the fierce scowl on his face, he was as deferential as any of the men she worked with, bowing his head and ushering her inside.
“You want something to drink? I have fresh juice or tea. Made some herbed biscuits this morning. They’re not as good as Nessa’s, but you’re welcome to them.”
“That sounds lovely. Juice and biscuits.” She smiled to herself at the mention of Nessa’s name.
He returned to the living room and set a cup and plate down in front of her. Gerri took a sip of juice and nibbled on the biscuit, humming in appreciation at its delicate crispness. He was a good cook, but she knew Nessa was better—it was in the girl’s blood.
“Before you say anything, Gaius, I need you to know something about how I work. This isn’t common knowledge, but it’s often clear to me long before a client approaches me who they are meant to be with. Obviously I can’t know this without meeting a person, or at least knowing something about them in advance. But with public figures like yourself, it doesn’t take much to draw conclusions.”
His dark brows drew together. “Mrs. Wilder, I already know who I want, you don’t need to find me a mate anymore.”
She held up her hand. “Let me finish.”
Gaius pressed his lips together and crossed his arms, nodding for her to go ahead.
“You Champions are a unique group of shifters, the way you forgo mating until after your careers are over. That habit makes my job both easier and more difficult. I have had time to watch your careers and prepare on the off-chance any of you reach out to me for help. For example, I’m already on the lookout for mates for your friends, Ignazio and Bryer, because I have a feeling they will be in the market sooner than they think.”
Gaius let out a snort. “That’ll be the day.”
Gerri waited patiently for a beat, then continued. “You have been more challenging, which is why it’s taken me so long. I believe your temperament requires a certain . . . tenacity in a partner. The young woman I hoped to send to you is perfect, but her circumstances needed some finessing to get her on the correct path.”
“Mrs. Wilder . . .” Gaius started, but she continued despite the objections he spouted next.
“Her mother came to me when the girl was only a child. Despite her mother’s wishes, I knew this young woman also needed a mate with as strong a will as she possessed. That’s why I encouraged her mother to allow her to come work for Ignazio Karsten. Because I knew you would be here.”
Gaius’ mouth fell open mid-sentence and he sat staring at her, dumbfounded for several seconds. “Nessa . . . You’re talking about Nessa, aren’t you? Are you saying I’m the mate she’s supposed to be with?”
Gerri nodded, wishing she’d been clearer with Nina when they had talked.
“Yes. I have known Nessa since she was a child. I always knew she’d need a particularly dominant male for a mate, and I didn’t see that quality present to a desirable degree in the young men her mother had in mind. Trust me, I prefer to give my clients what they ask for, but when it’s a parent asking for the child, I still need to keep in mind what is right for the child.
“Your retirement was fortuitous. I could see the pair of you on a path toward each other; Nessa’s mother just needed some encouragement to let her go. Despite Nessa’s headstrong nature, she cares greatly what her parents think. She always has.”
“Then why the fuck does she think she’s mating someone who isn’t me?” Gaius snapped, waving the note in Gerri’s face. “She left. If she knew the truth, she’d have stayed.”
Gerri took a deep breath and leveled a stare at Gaius. “Did you tell her how you feel?”
“I . . .” He deflated. “Not exactly, no. I showed her . . . I built her this house. All but the kitchen, anyway.”
“Has she seen it?”
His brows furrowed as he stared around at the house. Then he let out a long sigh. “No. She wouldn’t come back, for some reason. I kept asking her to . . . and now she’s gone off to mate some other . . .”
“Let me stop you right there, Gaius,” Gerri said, holding up her hand. “There is no other mate for Nessa. There never was and never will be. All she’s doing is answering her mother’s call to come meet a man who neither of them know the true identity of. Her mother is throwing a party at the end of the week in that man’s honor. In your honor. I came here to tell you as much, and to bring you to that party. I had hoped that I’d be bringing the news to both you and Nessa, but it seems Nina Baxter has managed to screw up that plan. I asked her to wait so I could talk to Nessa first. My intention wasn’t to cause confusion, but I realize my mistake now, and I’m sorry for that.”
Gaius got up and started pacing the room, raking both hands through his mop of dark hair. He paused in front of the high, east-facing windows and stared at the empty space where a kitchen should be.
“How long until this party?” he asked.
“It’s a week from today.”
“You planning to hang around here until then?”
“I planned to visit a few friends while I was here, but I can adjust my schedule. Did you need my help with something?”
“Only need a woman’s eye for a bit so I can finish Nessa’s kitchen. I want this done before I bring my girl home.”
Gerri stood and walked over to stand at Gaius’ side, rolling up her sleeves. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”
20
Being back in her parents’ house was bittersweet for Nessa. So much of her father still infused the place, but it was also clear her mother had done her best to move on. Thankfully, the kitchen was still the same, and Nessa could sit and commune with her father’s memory here without the imprint of her mornings with Gaius that now tainted the old kitchen at Ig’s house. She had told Ignazio to go ahead with the demolition of the old kitchen, though the new one would be difficult enough to work in as it was.
That was a complication she wasn’t sure she’d be able to easily resolve. Not knowing who her mate was, she had no idea how to prepare for the possibility that he might not be okay with her continuing to work for Ignazio Karsten. But she had made Ignazio a promise that she would stay at least long enough to train a replacement, if it came to that. Her future mate would just have to deal with it.
It was so strange to think of her future mate in such abstract terms, but it was easier than knowing his true identity. Knowing who he was would make it too real, too inevitable, and she wasn’t quite ready to let go of the memories of Gaius. She would have to soon, though. Her mother’s enthusiasm kept her going, and she started to look forward to the party, at the very least as an excuse to visit with old friends she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Halfway through the week, a rumor that was circulating made its way to her mother, and then to Nessa. She and her mother were finalizing the menu to give to the caterers her mother had insisted on hiring. “You are not cooking for your own party, Nessa,” her mother had said. Partway through the debate about how much wine to order, her mother
had dropped the bomb.
“Oh, did you hear that the Blackpaw found a mate? He was always your father’s favorite Champion. I never agreed with his choice to give up clan leadership in favor of fighting. He’d have been mated a long time ago, if he had chosen his birthright.”
Nessa’s heart stopped and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying. “I thought Daddy was the one who disagreed with his choice.”
Her mother tilted her head back and forth. “Oh, well, your father was always more liberal that way. You know how much he preferred sports over politics.”
“I hope he’s happy with her, whoever she is,” she murmured, and she meant it. Gaius deserved happiness.
But her mother was already going on about other recent gossip, how the Hot Wings duo were neck and neck on their annual bet, and how the women’s Arena League teams were abandoning the superstition of waiting to mate until they retired.
“It’s ridiculous for them to wait, anyway,” her mother said. “The Blackpaw is so old by now, he probably isn’t even fertile anymore. How is his new mate going to take the news if she can’t have cubs because he waited too long?”
With that, Nessa couldn’t sit still. She mumbled something about not feeling well and ran out of the room.
The one small blessing of being back in her home town was that there were no reminders of Gaius to taunt her. She could breathe a little easier out in the open, with the hot, dry air of the southern hills blowing across her skin. She wandered the quaint streets of the little village she’d called home until just recently.
It didn’t feel like home to her anymore, though. Neither did her parents’ house, despite the level of comfort she found through spending time with her mother again. She mourned her father less, at least. Her time in his old kitchen at Ig’s had allowed her to finally come to terms with his passing and find a kind of compromise with her feelings there. She had his knowledge—all the things he taught her about cooking were things she would never lose. The old kitchen would be gone by the time she went back to Ig’s, and while it left her feeling depressed, she preferred that sadness to the twisting pain in her heart over letting go of Gaius.