Perfect Mate

by Jennifer Ashley

  Cormac waited. He had laughter in his eyes, which crinkled in the corners. Nell read loneliness in those blue eyes, remembered how he’d described being left brutally alone as a cub. But she also saw that his loneliness had not defeated him.

  Nell drew a breath, put her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him hard on the mouth. Cormac’s lips firmed under her brief assault, and he chuckled when she drew back.

  “That the best you can do?” he asked.

  “Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet, honey.”

  Nell wrapped her arms around his neck. She opened his mouth with hers, darting her tongue inside. She licked him, tasted him, played with him, nipped him. She slanted her mouth across his, taking him in, their lips meeting and parting, the soft sounds of kissing blending with the crackle of the fire.

  Cormac’s large hands pressed the small of her back then moved down to her buttocks. He scooped her up to him, his mouth strengthening on hers, as she kept on kissing him.

  More sliding of lips, tangling tongues, biting, kissing. When Nell started to back off, Cormac pulled her closer, his mouth commanding.

  Something changed in that kiss. The playful Cormac became serious, a Shifter male commanding a female. Nell felt the change, scented it . . . wanted it.

  If she knew what was good for her, she’d push him away, storm back to the truck, and drive it down the mountain, leaving Cormac behind. If he and Eric were so chummy, Eric could come and get Cormac.

  All right, so Cormac probably had the truck’s keys in his front pocket, and Nell digging into the pocket to take them out would be dangerous. Good thing she knew how to hot-wire a pickup.

  She shivered. His pocket would be a warm place, and his cock would be just within reach.

  Nell broke away, struggling for breath. “Kissing only.”

  Cormac’s eyes held less laughter and more desire. “Was anyone doing anything else?”

  “You were thinking about it.”

  “Of course I’m thinking about it. I’m here alone with you, and you’re wearing that sexy dress. I want to peel it off you and lick every inch of your body. I want you down on that soft rug in front of the fire, so you and I can do what Shifters were meant to do.”

  “Fight off the enemies of the Fae?”

  “Yeah, funny.”

  “If I give in and make love to you, you’ll use it to persist with this idea that you want me as your mate.”

  Cormac shrugged. “I’m going to persist anyway, so we might as well have some fun.”

  “I can’t have sex with you!” Nell’s words rang up to the high ceiling of the cabin, circled around the balcony on the second floor, and came back down.

  “If you’ve forgotten how, I’m happy to teach you. You put your arms around me . . .” Cormac demonstrated.

  “Will you stop joking? I have full-grown cubs, for the Goddess’s sake.”

  “Why should I stop joking because you have full-grown cubs? They both have good senses of humor. Shane, in particular.”

  “I barely know you.”

  “Nell.” Cormac slid his hands under her hair, closing the few inches of space between them. “I know I scared you. I know I upset you. I should have been more careful. But reading that letter tore me up inside. I needed to find you—I couldn’t rest until I found you. It was like the Goddess had sent me straight to you. When you walked out in that pink fluffy bathrobe with your shotgun and your boots on the wrong feet, I knew I’d been right to search for you.”

  “I wanted to plant one of those boots right up your ass. Still do.”

  “No, you don’t.” Cormac massaged the back of her neck. “If you did, you wouldn’t be kissing me.”

  “Can’t I want both?”

  His smile returned. “Then you admit you want to kiss me? Good.”

  “Kissing you has its good points.” Nell hadn’t felt so thoroughly kissed in a long, long time.

  Cormac closed more space between them again, still gently kneading the back of her neck. “What else are you willing to do? Besides kiss me and boot me in the ass?”

  “No sex.”

  “You keep insisting. All right, I can live with that for now.”

  “And take off your shirt.”

  Cormac’s eyes widened, and his hands stilled. “What?”

  “I said, take off your shirt. If you’re talking about becoming my mate, I want to see what I’d get.”

  Chapter Five

  Cormac thought his heart would stop. The lady of his dreams was looking at him with her fine dark eyes and telling him to undress.

  No problem. Shifters were used to getting rid of clothes to become beast. If they didn’t, clothes ripped to shreds as bodies expanded, and that could hurt.

  Cormac unbuttoned his shirt, slid it off, and tossed it to the couch. His T-shirt followed. He put his hands on his hips and faced Nell, pretending he wasn’t quivering like a cub nearing his Transition.

  Nell stood with one hand on her waist and let her gaze rove slowly down his torso. She took in his pectorals and abdomen, the black hair on his chest, the indent of his navel. She traversed every inch of him, and Cormac itched as though she’d run her fingers very lightly over his skin.

  “What happened there?” Nell stepped close and touched the long scar that ran from Cormac’s abdomen to his back.

  He found it difficult to breathe. “Hunter. A long time ago, in the wild. Just grazed me.”

  Concern flickered in her dark eyes. “You got away. What happened?”

  “I ran back behind some trees, shifted to human, and then charged out, yelling at him. I thought the guy would shit himself. He figured his bullet had gone wide and winged some crazy kid screwing his girlfriend in the woods. I laughed my ass off.”

  Nell stroked the line of the scar. “You laughed while you were standing there bleeding?”

  “I found a doctor who stitched it up. Healed fast. Like I said, the bullet only grazed me.”

  Nell kept stroking the scar. Her fingers were warm, gentle. His fiery woman could be sweet.

  She drew her hand from the scar and put her palms on his chest, pulling her fingers together over his flat nipples. The fire of the movement made him shift his weight.

  “Everything all right?” she asked.

  “I have a hot woman touching me, driving me crazy.”

  “Yeah? Deal with it.”

  Her voice went low and throaty, a warm contralto that wound heat through Cormac’s bones. When he loved her, it would be good. It would be incandescent.

  Nell tugged his nipples with the tips of her fingers. Cormac balled his fists and made himself not touch her. From the little smile on her face, she was enjoying making him insane.

  She moved her hands again, this time to smooth them all the way down his front. “Good muscle tone.”

  “I like to keep in shape.” Hard for Shifters not to be in shape, but Cormac could play along.

  Nell fanned out her hands around his abdomen, then came back to poke his navel gently with one fingertip. Cormac jumped. “Devil woman.”

  She tickled him, while he grunted a laugh, then she took her hands around to his back and stepped close. Nell ran her hands up his spine, then drew her fingers around his waist again, retracing the scar.

  Cormac held still, not wanting to scare her away. His cock was firm inside his jeans; the bulge must be more than obvious.

  But though the mating frenzy had called him from the moment Nell had laid her head on his shoulder on the dance floor, Cormac wouldn’t push himself on her. Nell was like a wild bird—tough in many ways, but too fragile in others.

  His fragile bird skimmed her fingers around his navel again, then popped open the button of his jeans. “I mean I really want to see what’s in the package.”

  Nell’s eyes sparkled with wickedness. Behind the wickedness, though, Co
rmac saw fear. She wanted to play but didn’t want it to burn.

  Fair enough. He could play.

  “So, unwrap it,” he said. He touched an openmouthed kiss to her cheek, following it with a little lick.

  “You sure?”

  “We’re alone, the fire is warm, and my best girl wants to undo my pants. Of course, I’m sure.”

  Her eyes flickered again when he said best girl, but she tugged his zipper down. Then in one swift move, Nell opened the jeans all the way and slid them down Cormac’s hips.

  “Hmm,” she said. “Boxers.”

  “Disappointed?” The thin cloth of the boxers hid nothing, the fabric tenting straight out with his arousal.

  “Thought you’d be commando,” she said.

  “I was dancing, and it’s cold. Didn’t want to chafe.”

  “It’s promising.” Nell lifted her gaze from his cock. “But I need to be certain.”

  “Woman, you’re killing me.”

  Cormac ended the game by shoving his boxers down with the jeans. He ended up with everything pooled around his ankles, but before he could kick anything away, Nell gave him a little shove. Cormac overbalanced and went back onto the sofa.

  Nell stood above him, her hair spilling forward, her breasts pushing up from the confines of the tight dress. Cormac held still, folding his hands over his stomach. She had to notice how much he was shaking.

  Nell roved his body with her gaze again, lingering on his cock. “That might be satisfactory.”

  “But you’re not sure.”

  “As my grandma used to say, the proof is in the pudding.”

  “Fresh out of pudding, love,” Cormac said.

  “Not from where I’m standing.”

  Nell slid her fingers down his chest, his abdomen, over his hands in the way, and down to the base of his cock.

  Cormac closed his eyes, his own fingers digging into his stomach as Nell closed her hand around his hardness. He clenched even tighter when she squeezed his cock and started to stroke.

  “No,” Cormac said, voice strangled.

  She paused. “No?”

  “I mean, no, don’t do that while you’re standing over me. Come here.” He reached up and took her arms, tugging her down to him. She overbalanced as he had done, and fell full-length on top of him.

  Didn’t hurt a bit. Cormac found himself with his arms full of lush, full-bodied woman, his hands finding every curve.

  She squirmed at first, but that only added to his joy. Cormac kissed her lips, and Nell stopped to slide into the kiss.

  Let me stay here forever with you. Not alone anymore. You and me, we were meant to be.

  Cormac wanted to say the words out loud, but not yet. He wouldn’t rush her.

  The dress proved to be supple for its clinginess. The top eased downward without much effort on Cormac’s part. Sweet rounds of Nell’s breasts came into view, no bra in sight.

  “So you are commando,” Cormac said, his hands full of warm weight.

  “Only on top. The dress looked lumpy with a bra.”

  “Good thing for me.” He drew his thumbs over her nipples, which hardened nicely under his touch. He wanted to lower his head to them, to suckle, but later. He slid his hands up under the skirt and found the elastic of panties.

  Nell didn’t fight him pulling them off. The skirt shimmied upward as he did, and then Nell stilled. His cock lay between her legs, he feeling the tickle of her wiry hair and the liquid heat there. But he made no move to slide inside.

  Nell’s throat worked. The look in her eyes was one of almost panic. Cormac watched her fight to master it, and then she slid one hand between them and found his cock, forming her fingers around it.

  Cormac couldn’t stop his noise of pleasure. Nell fixed him with her gaze, eyes daring him to do anything but lie there and let her pleasure him.

  Hey, if that’s what she wanted . . .

  Cormac wrapped his arms around Nell and drew her down for another long kiss. He tasted her mouth, played over her lips, held her while she stroked him, her hand bringing him to life.

  His vision began to cloud. All he saw was Nell’s beautiful face, her lovely brown eyes, her full lips, red with his kisses. Cormac pulled her closer still, wanting to drown in her softness. He kissed her throat, her clavicle, then down between her breasts.

  He kissed her breasts, one at a time, pausing to lick, then nibble. Nell went on playing, pulling, stroking, every touch bringing Cormac closer to ecstasy. He heard the noises coming from his throat, but he could only revel in the taste of her, the warmth of her on his body, her hand on his cock, palm cupping his balls.

  A groan filled the room. Cormac thrust against Nell’s hand, catching part of her heat under the skirt. His arms were full of gorgeous woman, his mouth full of her too.

  “Holy shit.” The hoarse words were his. He was coming, holding her, thrusting, smiling, kissing. The panicked light had gone from Nell’s eyes, and now she smiled back, a woman knowing her power.

  Cormac dragged her down to him, kissing her lips, biting her mouth, his cries of joy turning to growls. He crushed her lush body to his, never wanting to let her go.

  “I thought you said no sex,” he rumbled as his wild ride eased down to a relaxed, wonderful glow.

  “And there wasn’t.”

  No, Nell had grabbed him and unmanned him before he could throw her to the ground and force himself onto her. Not that he’d intended to do that. He knew he had to go slowly with her, to bring her to tenderness over time.

  He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “But you didn’t get any pleasure, darlin’.”

  “Yes, I did. That was fun.” Nell’s big smile and shining eyes told him so.

  “Don’t play with fire, sugar.” Cormac slid himself off the couch out from under her, leaving her half sitting up and staring at him, startled.

  He showed her then how strong he was. In a few seconds, Cormac had Nell flat on her back on the sofa, her skirt pooled on her belly, his hands parting her legs, thumbs stroking the petals of her opening.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, sucking in a breath.

  “I thought that was obvious.” Cormac grinned at her before he bent down to kiss her damp hair. “I’m giving back.”

  Nell gasped again as Cormac gently blew on the curls at her opening, then licked her. Sweet, amazing taste of woman poured into his mouth. Cormac’s heart pounded for joy as he fastened his mouth over her and proceeded to drink.

  It didn’t last long. Nell’s frenzy began soon, she bucking against his mouth while Cormac savored all he could of her. Then he was back on the sofa, in her arms, both of them kissing and touching, stroking, licking, growling, laughing.

  No sex. Not at all. But oh, such intense and astonishing pleasure. Cormac was in love.

  ***

  A cell phone pealed loudly in the darkness. Nell jumped awake, finding herself lying across a hard male body, his arms around her. His cock, not ramrod-stiff any longer, lay heavily against her bare thigh.

  Clarity hit her, and Nell tried to roll to her feet. Jeans tangled her—Cormac’s—then her bare feet hit the carpet and her skirt slithered back down her legs.

  Her cell phone kept ringing from the tiny purse Cassidy had lent her. Nell usually relied on pockets, but this slinky dress had none. She was breathless by the time she wrestled the purse open and snatched out the phone.

  Shifters weren’t allowed to have voice mail, so they either answered the phone or missed the call. But almost all phones had caller ID these days, so she could see that it was Brody’s number.

  “What?” she bellowed into the phone.

  “Mom, seriously, I don’t want to bother you, but I think there’s a problem.”

  “Problem? What problem?” Shiftertown burning down? Eric dead in a dominance battle? Rogue Shifters tryin
g to take over?

  “I can’t find Shane,” Brody said.

  Nell flashed back to when she’d been a scared thirtysomething, barely into adulthood for a Shifter, with small cubs who kept getting lost. Mama, I can’t find Shane had been a common refrain. Those little bears had gotten themselves into so much trouble.

  She let out a long breath, holding on to her patience. “We’re talking about Shane. He probably ran off with something female. Where are you?”

  “Still at Coolers. He’s not with a woman. I’d know that. I mean, he’s really gone. You didn’t send him on an assignment, did you?”

  “When would I have found time to do that?”

  “I don’t know. I’m asking on the off chance. I’m worried.”

  He sounded it, and Brody wasn’t often worried. Nell felt Cormac behind her, his body heat on her back. He’d put on his jeans, but not his shirt.

  “When did you last see him?” she asked Brody.

  “Sitting at the table we all snagged in the first place. You and Cormac were dancing by the time Shane and I got back with the drinks. Then you two left, and Jace and a human girl came to sit with us. The human girl was way more interested in Jace than us. Shane went off to see if he could find someone for himself, and Jace and the girl went to dance. I sat there for a long time. Shane never came back, so I started looking for him. He was just gone.”

  “How do you know he didn’t find someone to be with? Or a friend to talk to? Or didn’t give up and go back home?”

  “Because he would have told me. Plus, he would have had to catch a ride, since you and Cormac took off in the pickup. I never saw him leave with anyone, and neither did anyone I asked.”

  Nell’s concern started to pick up, but she tried to stay calm. “He could have gone out to find a bus. Or a taxi.”

  “I’d have picked up the scent if he’d walked to a bus stop or even got into a taxi in front. There’s nothing. I can’t find his scent at all, but there’s so many here it’s confusing. He’s not in any of the back rooms, or in any of the cars in the parking lot. I looked. He vanished into thin air, and Shane’s pretty big. Hard for him to do that.”