Tempering Steel

by Lea Barrymire

  The sound of her voice broke through the sensations, popped her eyes open, and she gasped. “You ass. Cut that out.” As he predicted, she smacked him on the arm. “Now I’m all embarrassed and I don’t know which is worse.”

  The tinkle of a utensil being clinked against a glass gave Margie something else to concentrate on instead of her red cheeks and damp panties. Thank goodness for traditions like toasts. Her self-control was gone.

  *****

  Connor watched a very turned-on Margie turn her attention toward the happy couple, who at the moment were standing in the middle of the floor with champagne-filled glasses. She was absolutely gorgeous, all flushed and flustered. The only thing keeping him from scooping her up in his arms and racing to his vehicle for a quickie was his steel will and the look of panic on her face every time someone reacted to her scent. If he gave in and did the sinfully erotic things he wanted to with her, everyone would know. He wanted his scent and marks on her to ward off any other men. Especially dressed the way she was. The dress. He sighed. That dress was fucking fantastic on her.

  The look of excitement that lifted her features was exactly what he’d hoped for. After her little speech about wanting a choice, he’d had to rein back his caveman tendencies.

  He took a moment to watch Ian and Cammie as they walked around, interacting with all of the attendees. They had contact with each other every step. Ian’s arm around her shoulders, a hand on her back, her resting against his chest. It made Connor ache with want. He’d almost had that once—or at least he’d thought he’d have that.

  Thinking back to Lisa, he realized now she hadn’t been what he’d needed nor what he’d really wanted. She’d said the right things, pretended well, but in the end they hadn’t been in love. Not like Cammie and Ian. Shit, he had a better relationship with Zeke than he’d ever had with Lisa. She’d had him all wrapped up and twisted inside.

  Glancing at a grinning Margie had his heart skipping a beat. Yeah. That woman was well worth anything he needed to do to get her. Now to prove he wasn’t just going to turn around and be an ass again.

  Connor’s coyote grumbled in his head. Everyone, including his animal, had been telling him to get over Lisa, let go of the past and embrace the woman he wanted. Who wanted him. How many times had she shown she was waiting? He was lucky she was still willing to speak to him, let alone date him. The whine in the back of his mind let him know the coyote inside didn’t like the idea of not having Margie in their lives.

  He forced his attention back to her and watched her swig her champagne like it was whiskey. Connor grinned. If she thought the alcohol would save her, she was so mistaken. Although he’d have to make sure she didn’t drink too much. He wasn’t one of those guys to mess with a woman who’d gotten drunk.

  “Don’t drink too much, Margie. You and I have some unfinished business.”

  Green eyes awash with emotion stared up at him from over the glass. A sensual smile lifted her lips. His gaze riveted to the tip of her pink tongue as it snuck out and swiped across her full bottom lip. He groaned as his cock twitched. Fuck, she was dangerous. He wanted to nip and suck along the same path, hear her gasp, breathe in her exhalation as she melted against him. The urge to kiss her was strong and for once he didn’t fight it. Leaning toward her, slowly in case she wasn’t on board with a little lip-lock, he watched her eyes widen.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “I’m going to kiss you.” He took her glass and placed it on the table without taking his eyes off her face. She didn’t object. He closed the distance between them, touching his lips softly to hers and reveling in the feel of her mouth under his. Her little gasp gave his heart a jolt. Connor didn’t take the opening she’d given, didn’t delve into the warmth of her mouth and taste her like he craved, but he did flick his tongue out across her bottom lip and drown in her soft exhalation as it whispered across his skin.

  The fight to keep from overwhelming her and claiming her lips was touch and go when she mewled sweetly into his kiss. Every instinct cried out to take what she offered, invade, conquer, mark. But in the end he won. He ended the embrace with feather-light touches to each corner of her mouth and the tip of her nose before leaning back in his seat.

  Margie’s cheeks were flushed anew, her breathing rapid and the cutest smile on her lips. When her eyes opened they were filled with wonder and happiness. “Wow.”

  Her breathy words had him fighting a chuckle. “Wow is right. I want to do so much more to you.”

  She looked around before whispering, “So how long do we have to stay?”

  Chapter Ten

  The ride from Skip’s house had been tense but not in a bad way. After Margie had asked about leaving, Connor had hurried her over to Cammie and Ian. They’d said their goodbyes with everyone winking and snickering at them, then raced to Connor’s truck. She couldn’t even scrape up enough embarrassment to worry about the impression they’d left everyone with. She was burning up from the inside, needy and so turned on she didn’t care if they sped, took a spaceship or just pulled over to the side of the road. She needed relief.

  Never in her life had she been so ready to spread her legs and act the part of a tramp. Muscles clenched, her clit throbbed and she couldn’t keep from squirming. She was sure she was leaving a damp spot on his seat and even though she felt mortified about it she couldn’t concentrate on it for long enough to really feel bad. Every bump in the road had her swallowing a moan.

  “Do humans react to the ceremony the same way as shifters?” She needed something to concentrate on.

  “No.”

  “No, they don’t react, or they don’t react the same way?”

  He sighed. “I’m trying to keep from dragging you across the seat, pulling over and mounting you on my cock right here. Don’t ask questions.”

  Those growled words should have had her ready to run or ready to beat him with a rolling pin—possessive jerks had taught her enough lessons throughout her life—but this was different. His nostrils were blown wide, hands were clenching on the wheel and he really looked uncomfortable.

  “My scent?”

  He jerked his head.

  Margie rolled down her window a little and tried to hide the shiver when cool night air stroked over her skin. It felt good, calmed her racing heart a little.

  “What are you doing? You’re going to get cold.” He shot her a scowl. “Put your window up. I’ll deal.”

  “Right. Like I’m going to sit here and watch you gripping the wheel so tight it might break instead of getting a little draft? Don’t think so.” She rolled her eyes. “I told you already, you need to accept the fact I’m not going to faint if you tell me what’s going on. And if you’re being stupid, like now, I’m calling you on it.”

  He grumbled something under his breath but almost immediately the tension in his hands and shoulders lessened. Nodding her satisfaction, she looked out the window and let the night air caress her.

  “Sorry.”

  The single word drew her from her thoughts. “What are you sorry for this time?” She couldn’t help the snark. She’d used it as a shield against Connor for close to two years. Cringing, she apologized. “God, sorry. I don’t mean to be a bitch. I’m so used to shooting crap back at you. It’s going to take time, I think.”

  Time and trust. It didn’t matter what he’d been saying throughout the night. Margie was fairly sure the man would come to his grumpy senses in the morning and they’d be playing the run-around game again. She wanted to give in and let down her guard completely, but she’d dealt with him too many times to think he could change overnight, or over the course of a couple of days. Habits died hard in his type.

  He coughed lightly. “I’m, um, I’m sorry I keep saying sexual things to you. I’d say I don’t mean to speak that way, but honestly I’ve been dying to say them for months.”

  Huh.

  “I’d just assumed it was part of the shifter thing.” She shrugged. “I mean, Ian seem
s to be overly…um, sensual when he’s speaking to Cammie. I’ve heard Zeke pull some dandies as well.”

  “He’s never said anything like that to you, has he?” The growled words vibrated through her.

  He was jealous. Of Zeke. She laughed. “No. Zeke and I have nothing of the sexual kind in common.”

  Tension bled from Connor’s shoulders once again. He turned the truck into Margie’s driveway and parked. He continued staring out the front windshield after he turned off the ignition. She watched in silence as he opened his mouth once. Twice. The third time was followed by a huff. Whatever it was he wanted to say must be quite interesting. She wasn’t offering help, though. If he really wanted to prove that he wanted her for more than a night, he’d man up and say whatever it was that was causing him to fidget.

  Well, and you get perverse satisfaction out of watching him squirm.

  After a few more moments he finally nodded and turned toward Margie. She watched him closely, steeling her heart for the let down, or whatever he was gearing himself up for.

  “I want to take you into the house and seduce you, but I’m not sure that’s the best course of action. I should walk you to the door and make a date for tomorrow, send you flowers, call you and talk to you about mundane things. Instead I want to push you against the nearest wall and bury myself so deep inside you that I can’t tell where you begin and I end. My coyote is pushing so hard to mark you that I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

  She was going to laugh when he started, but the pain pinching his eyes and the animalistic whine at the end of his words made her chest ache. He wasn’t trying to get into her pants, he was looking for direction. Protecting her virtue? Wasn’t he just an adorable Neanderthal?

  Instead of patting his head, like her hand itched to do, she gave in and helped him, made the decision by unbuckling her seatbelt and crawling into his lap. The hard press of his cock against her thigh as she plopped sideways onto his legs made her moan and him grunt. At least he wasn’t looking forlorn any longer.

  She took his ears in her hands and waited until his focus was on her eyes. “Look here, Mr. Manning. I’ve repeatedly said that you are to have me tonight. Actually, I announced that to nearly the entire pack. If you don’t walk into my house right now, strip off these stupid clothes and make me scream with multiple orgasms, they’ll all think I’m a cock-tease. I don’t tease. Got it? I can take anything you dish out.”

  The flash of animal in his eyes sparked heat in her belly. Her arousal had cooled some with the drive, but being the focus of the lust and need burning in Connor’s gaze had a fresh rush of moisture readying her. Squirming would probably be a bad thing, but she needed to do something with the shock of energy touching him caused to pulse across her nerves.

  Capturing Connor’s lips was a slow burn of desire through her veins. Surprising him with the move and breathing in his slight moan before licking inside his mouth? Divine. His mouth was warm and wet under hers. He was tentative for a split second, then tried to take over control of the kiss. She didn’t give in, though. He tried to follow her lips when she pulled back slightly, but he obeyed the press of her hands against his chest.

  “Come inside the house with me,” she whispered. Even as a blush heated her cheeks, she continued. “Make love to me, spend the night and we’ll face each other over coffee in the morning.”

  Connor stared at her, searching her face for a few moments before pulling her back to his lips for a scorching kiss. He growled against her mouth when she didn’t open for him. The sound vibrated through her and once again she reacted on a visceral level with a rush of heat and moisture to her pussy. If they didn’t get moving, she’d be dripping down her thighs. She groaned and allowed him entrance, twining her tongue with his.

  The kiss was hot and wet. He didn’t give her time to tease him. Instead he invaded, tickling the roof of her mouth, swiping along her teeth and rubbing his tongue against hers in a sensual slide. She mewled when strong fingers dug into her hair, holding her head in place as he sipped and nipped along her chin and down her neck. A shiver and moan shook her. Teeth bit a little into her neck but the sting was swept away by his lapping tongue.

  “Please. Please take me inside. I need more…you…skin.” Her breathy plea sounded whiny to her ears but she didn’t care. Not when a quick click and shuffle had Connor holding her in his arms as he strode toward her front door.

  He carried her quickly up the porch, pausing for a moment. “Open the door, Margie.”

  She’d never been so happy to be in the habit of leaving her door unlocked. She turned the knob and gave the door a little push.

  “We’ll talk about the safety issues of what you just did later. Right now I need to taste you.”

  She gasped and thumped her head against the wall an instant after he’d pressed her against it. With a fluid movement she’d replay in her fantasies for years to come, Connor pushed her up while he fell to his knees. He hooked her legs over his wide shoulders and groaned as he buried his face in the apex of her thighs.

  “You smell so good. It’s been torture not being able to do this.”

  Margie cried out. Rough fingers swept aside her panties and hot breath blew across her soaked core. God, he’s going to kill me. Her brain couldn’t keep up with the actions but it could react to the feel of him. Soft cotton cushioned her legs, sharp tugs of elastic pulled the skin at the crease of her thighs, soft hair threaded between her fingers, all a moment before her world exploded in sensual torture.

  Connor’s mouth pressed reverently against her shaved pussy lips an instant before his tongue parted her and swept through her folds. Hot, moist, rough. He circled her swollen clit, pressing on the bundle of nerves just right. A flash of pleasure seized her muscles and it tore an orgasm from her, shook her body and lit her nerves with molten electricity. There wasn’t enough air in her lungs to scream but her body arched, mouth open, eyes closed in a silent shout. Goose bumps erupted over her skin. Her mind blanked as the endorphins flowed like melted chocolate through her veins.

  The torture continued even as she bucked against his mouth. He continued to circle her sensitive clit, rubbing around the outside in slow, wet movements. She whined and tried to move away from his tongue, but he didn’t let her go. When he hummed against her swollen nub she thought she’d explode again. Another release built so quickly her muscles twitched and clenched in near-pain.

  “More. God, I need more.” The words slipped through her dry lips.

  All it took to send her flying again was the slow push of a finger into her quivering channel. Connor worked one of his digits into her greedy opening, sliding easily through her wetness. The quick flick of his tongue against her clit pulled a loud moan from her lips as the world erupted again, white flashing behind her eyelids.

  She came back to herself gasping and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Connor had lowered her down the wall and had her pinned, held up by his hips. One of his hands was threaded through her hair, holding her head to the side, and his face was pressed to her neck. A shiver went down her spine when he flicked his tongue against her heated skin. Languid and sated, she grinned before blowing out a huff. “Wow. That was…wow.”

  Her brain obviously wasn’t back to full working order yet. Margie was pretty sure she’d be a puddle at Connor’s feet if he hadn’t used his body to hold her up. The press of a hard and hot cock against her thigh brought her fuzzy musing to an end. The poor guy. She wiggled, trying to give him the idea to back off, but Connor’s nose remained buried in the crook of her neck, hot breath feathering across her skin.

  “Don’t move yet.” His voice was deep and gravelly. The words puffed over her shoulder.

  She nodded, relaxing against the wall and into his hold. The release she’d just experience still pinged through her system. Sighing, she turned her head and let it fall farther to the side, giving him more access. He nuzzled against her heated skin, lazily licking and nipping as he breathed across her neck.

  �
�Mmm, that feels good.” She moaned, flexing her hands and noticing for the first time that they were pinned between them. He growled at her as she tried to move enough to get them out of the confined space. “I want to touch you.”

  “Not yet.” His words were muffled against her skin.

  The words brought her mind into a little more focus. He sounded angry or hurt, his voice tight and clipped. “What’s going on?”

  His sigh made her shiver. She gasped at the feral animal eyes that caught her gaze when he leaned away from her body. “I want to mark you and need to calm down before I do something you’ll regret.”

  His words echoed in her mind. Something she’d regret, but not him. A thrill went through her. He wanted to mark her, keep her. She tempted fate just a little by turning her head and baring her throat completely. “I won’t regret it. I want you, coyote and all. I can take anything you dish out.”

  *****

  Connor’s inner beast surged forward and took them both by surprise. But instead of sinking sharpened teeth into the milky column of Margie’s throat, his animal gave the skin a long, wet lick. They both reveled in the smell of her arousal and the taste of her. She’d been earthy and hot on his tongue when he’d had it buried in her pussy. He could easily envision whole evenings spent licking and teasing her, lapping at her release as it rushed over his tongue.

  Once his coyote had been in charge for a moment, he receded back into Connor’s mind and curled up, contented for the first time in almost two years. Yeah, everyone seemed to have known about Fate’s hand on his life. Fighting it hadn’t done anything other than cause Margie frustration and heartache along with himself and his animal.

  Nipping the skin still laid out before him like some sort of pagan offering brought a moan to Margie’s lips and a smile to his. He wanted to lift her back up and slam into her body, needed to feel her come around his cock and milk him. Instead he swooped her up into his arms, chuckling when she squeaked, and headed toward the stairs. He’d make love to her and make her crave him as he did her. He’d show her that even when his animal was riding him, Connor could make her melt time and again.