by Milly Taiden
“I don’t believe in love,” he argued in a low voice so his guest wouldn’t hear him.
“But you believe in keeping your pride!” Stripes snapped quietly. “So you either mate and get some cubs born as soon as possible or fight to keep the pride for another few months until the next person wants to challenge. How long will you go on that way?”
Gray glared at Stripes. From the corner of his eye, he watched Tynder motion for Alyssa to take a seat so she wouldn’t have to stand any longer.
“But how did you know she was the one?” he asked confused.
Stripes shrugged his massive shoulders like a little kid. “I didn’t. But this Mrs. Wilder woman has a great reputation so far. I had a feeling she’d find the right one for you.” Stripes motioned over his shoulder with his head. “And she did.”
“This is crazy. Does she even know what she’s getting into?”
“Yes…sort of...” Stripes trailed off. “Mrs. Wilder said she’d know she was going on a date with a shifter.”
“I’m not looking for a date with her. I don’t even want to mate her, but...she’s mine.”
“Fine. Good. Hell, great. But you sort of have to convince her of that. She’s not here to be turned into your personal sex toy for the mating season. She’s here to meet you and get to know you to see if you are a match.”
“She’s mine.”
Stripes scrubbed a hand over the back of his head. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to date a human? Oh, you don’t. Let me fill you in. They are moody and can decide you’re being a dick just because you want sex all the time. So tread carefully.” Stripes threw a glance over his shoulder at Alyssa then gave Gray a pleading look. “Don’t mess up your chances by letting your lust and desire to mate push you. Not to mention the need to get her to have cubs as soon as possible and that never goes over well with any woman.”
“I can handle it.”
Stripes shook his head. “No, you can’t. You’re likely to get straight to the point and piss her off. ‘Have my cubs’ is not the first thing a woman wants to hear.”
A loud rumble sounded in the back of Gray’s throat. His tiger didn’t like the idea of waiting to mate Alyssa, but he’d do things the right way. Whatever the fuck that meant. So if he had to talk to her before stripping her body of those clothes and getting up close and personal with every delicious curve, then he’d do it.
“Fine. I’ll play this your way.”
“Try to stay within the area,” Stripes said, meeting his gaze. “The word has spread that you have a female here for you. It’s only a matter of time before someone tries to stop you from mating.”
“Just let them try.” He glanced at Alyssa. The need to take her grew with every smile she threw his way. “Now take Tynder and get out.”
“I really think one of us should stay−”
“Now!” he hissed under his breath. They’d done a good job of keeping their argument low enough his new guest hadn’t known they were debating over her. “I don’t need help talking.”
“Yes, you do. You hate people.”
“That’s true, but I like her. I like her a lot.” And he really wanted her naked. As soon as possible.
“Gray, let us help.”
He lifted his lips in a half-grin. “You already have. You’ve found my mate. Now let me claim her.”
Stripes sighed. He turned his back on Stripes and walked down to the other side of the room where Tynder and Alyssa sat. “Let’s go. We’ll be summoned to fix shit later, just watch.”
Tynder and Stripes said their goodbyes to Alyssa. She watched both men leave and then turned to him, pinning Gray with her soulful brown eyes.
“Something got your tail in a twist? You sounded pretty angry before.”
He stopped mid-stride to her. “Did you say I have my tail in a twist?”
She nodded, her big eyes full of laughter. Her lips curved up in a beautiful smile as she glanced down at his crotch. “I would have said panties, but you don’t look like you have anything under those jeans.”
He didn’t. He realized then she was joking and he didn’t know how to react. Nobody joked with him. His serious and reserved attitude pushed most of his pride away. Not to mention he liked his solitary life. Other than making sure nobody bothered his people, he liked peace and being on his own.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” he asked, now wishing he’d let Stripes and Tynder stick around. He hadn’t spent much time alone with females unless it was to have an easy night of sex. And when that happened few words were exchanged.
Women in the pride knew the deal when it came to sex. The need to continue their pride and set up for future leaders was important. Males and females were not as discerning with emotional attachments like humans were. When a female went into heat, she’d look for a single male. Emotions were kept to a minimum. Tigers were sexual creatures. They liked sex a lot. Even more when the need to mate and breed took hold.
She shook her head and swiped her tongue over her lower lip, causing his gaze to zoom to her mouth and linger there. “I’m fine. So want to tell me what it was you and your friend there were all hush-hush about?”
He cleared his throat. Now he really felt all kinds of weird chatting with her. Women didn’t question him. He wasn’t sure how to handle her questions without saying something to piss her off.
Air. He needed to get her outside. The open space would help clear his mind and at the same time allow him to figure out how to talk to a human female. What did one say to a woman other than ‘take your clothes off’?
“Let’s take a walk. You came all this way and you’ll want to see the area.”
He grabbed her hand to guide her to the door. A jolt of electricity shot down his spine. He met her wide gaze and inhaled hard. She was definitely the one. Even if there had been a doubt before, there was none now. Touching her had spread a warmth through him that his chilled heart had never felt before.
“Am I...am I very far from Green Edge?” she asked as they exited his home through a side entrance.
He couldn’t stand living in a space too enclosed, so his cabin had lots of large windows and doors bringing the outside in.
“You are in Green Edge,” he said, holding her hand hostage. She’d tried to pull out of his grasp, but he found he quite liked how she felt near him.
She stopped and frowned. “Then maybe you can tell me where I can find Mr. Green. I bet he’ll be pissed I’m late for our date.”
“That’s doubtful,” he murmured.
She shook her head, her long ponytail of curls bouncing around her back. “No. Mrs. Wilder said he didn’t like people making him wait.” She sighed. “I bet I just messed up the first possible date I’ve had in months. Figures.”
He watched her shoulders droop. The idea of her being upset wasn’t one that sat well with him. His tiger already wanted to push out of the skin and have her petting him again. The normally antisocial animal was ready to get on his back so she could rub his belly.
“I’m Grayson Green.”
She stopped again and swept her gaze from his face down to his bare feet and back up. “You? Why would you sign up for a dating service? You don’t look like you’d need anyone to hook you up.”
He grinned. She said the words with such disbelief it was hard to stop the chuckle past his lips. “I don’t, under normal circumstances.”
“Great.” She jerked her hand out of his grasp and slapped them on her hips. “So what, do you need like a fake girlfriend or something?” Her eyes blazed with anger. “I didn’t come here to play games, Mr. Green. You don’t sound like you even want a date.”
Frickin’ hell. He’d been alone with her for about five minutes and he’d already managed to offend her. Stripes was right. He didn’t know how to talk to women. Hell, he didn’t know how to talk to most people unless he was giving them orders.
“You don’t understand.” He tried to pacify her by grasping her hand again and holding it up to his bare chest
. “I’m looking for more. For someone who will be right for me.”
Her brows rose slowly with interest. She was so warm and her skin was so smooth. He wanted to touch a lot more of her. “More? Like a serious relationship, Mr. Green?”
Mating was as serious as it got so yes. “Stop calling me Mr. Green. It’s Gray.”
“Fine, Gray. Are you looking for a serious relationship?”
“There is only one mate. That is what I need.”
She reeled back as if he’d hit her. “You need?”
Crap he’d fucked up again. “I mean that’s the only kind I want at this time.”
She stared at him quietly for a moment and then turned to glance at the open forest around them. “Why go through Mrs. Wilder, though? I mean. You’re hot. You must know that. I bet you don’t have a single problem picking up women.” She snorted. “Or stopping them from throwing themselves at you.”
Her candor was quite refreshing. She’d called him hot. And he liked it. “Why did you go to Mrs. Wilder?” He followed next to her as they made their way deeper into the woods.
With each step further from the restrictions of his pride or the expectations of mating, he loosened up more. He wasn’t worried. He could protect her and himself if need be.
“Apparently I have a bad habit of staying in a relationship that isn’t working. Mrs. Wilder said she’d find one that would work for me.”
“What exactly do you want in this relationship?”
They were deep out in the forest now, but he knew his way back with his eyes closed.
She glanced at him quickly before turning her face away. “The truth?”
Was there anything else? “Yes.”
“I want a family. I want love. I want to get married one day. I would like to have children. You know. The stuff most women dream of. I am sick of my own mother calling me an old, cat lady.”
He grinned. “You’re not old.”
“Hah! But I am a cat lady. And for your information, I feel quite old at this point.”
“Cats are great. I’m glad you like them. Don’t give age too much thought.” He liked knowing she wouldn’t have problems with his feline. “Old is just a state of mind.”
“Says the hot young one.” She laughed.
There she went again. He could tell she wasn’t thinking about actively flirting with him. There was no sly smiles or overt sexual pouts. That was new. “You’re beautiful. Don’t put yourself down.”
FOUR
Lyss didn’t know what to say. This really gorgeous man she’d never dreamed would need a date was holding her hand and calling her beautiful. Most of her exes weren’t bad looking, but hunk-man gave them a kick in the balls on the sexiness Richter scale.
“Hang on a second.” She glanced around between the trees, searching for a camera crew. “Am I being Punk’d? Because that’d be some real cruel shit but I wouldn’t put it past my mother.”
“What?” Gray asked.
“Look. It’s not every day I get a man that looks like you telling me he is looking for a long-term relationship and thinks I’m beautiful. So yes, I’m questioning it. To be completely honest, I’m wondering if you’re high, being real or joking.”
His lips lifted in a grin. Lord almighty what a smile. His eyes shone with laughter. The previously golden color had sparks of blue in them. They were truly mesmerizing. Why would a man this handsome and clearly in touch with his sexiness go to a dating agency? The women in that town were either blind or stupid.
She had the urge to fidget and glance down at her clothes. Did she look okay? Thank God Gerri had taken her shopping. She doubted he’d be saying she was beautiful if he saw her in a pair of too big sweats, bed head and surrounded by cats. Christ. The image alone scared the shit out of her.
“First, I am not high. There is no drug out there that could do a thing for me. Second, I don’t think you understand. You are beautiful and I am looking for a long-term relationship,” he said. “But I’ll tell you something. If anyone thinks calling you beautiful is a good way to joke then they don’t see what I see.”
She cleared her throat at the quick change of his tone. He’d gone from sexy and flirty to deadpan and serious. “And what’s that?”
“A woman who doesn’t need the trappings of war paint and too tight outfits to display how beautiful she is. Inside and out.”
Oh, wow.
“Um, war paint?”
He frowned. “You women call it makeup.”
A slow smile crept over her lips and a giddy sensation of excitement buzzed in her veins.
He moved forward, crowding her with the heat of his large body. Oh boy. She didn’t move for fear she’d blink and he’d disappear. He slid his hands up her arms, grasping her by the shoulders and tugged her close. So close there wasn’t an inch of space between their bodies.
She licked her dry lips again. Heck, her entire throat had turned to sandpaper.
“You keep doing that and I won’t be held accountable for my actions,” he murmured, his voice low and deep.
“Doing what?” she asked, staring at the fuzz of facial hair she wanted to rake her nails over. She’d never been one to like men with beards but that short hint of one on Gray was making her insane.
“Licking your lips.” He slowly lowered his head toward hers. “It’s like an invitation for me to kiss you.”
Was it? She’d never had that response before. Maybe now was a good time to find out what kind of chemistry they had. It was one thing for her to think he was hot, but quite another for him to make her panties wet. Okay, wetter. The man was a sight with that tattooed body and short blonde hair begging for her to grip.
“Do it,” she said boldly, not believing for a second he’d follow through. “Kiss me.”
Much to her surprise, he did. He dropped his head until his lips brushed softly over hers. Once. Twice. And then she lost patience and gripped the front of his T-shirt, yanking him closer to mesh their lips in a passionate kiss.
His tongue slid into her mouth and dominated. With each swipe over hers, he heightened the passion flaring in her blood. He glided his hands up to cup her face at first. Then he slid them around the back of her head and tugged the ribbon holding her hair up to let the long, thick strands tumble free.
She moaned into the kiss. Christ he was so good with that tongue, rubbing and grazing it back and forth over hers. Her nipples puckered tight under her top. They ached with an intensity she’d never felt before. All her muscles locked into place. It was like none of the kisses she’d ever been given had been real. Nothing compared to Gray’s lips pressing over hers. To his tongue fondling hers. To his hands gripping her hair. And to, oh dear God, the hard bar of his cock rubbing on her belly. Lust pooled at her core and heated her from the inside like a forest fire.
Need grew in her for the man doing with a single kiss what others could not do with months of sex. She moaned. He grunted and moved his hands down her neck to cup her breasts over her shirt. Hot shudders raced down her spine to her clit. A new throbbing took hold of her pussy. She wanted this big, sexy guy naked. Now.
He fondled her breasts, massaging and tweaking her nipples. With every squeeze her pussy fluttered. Her panties had gone past damp to soaked.
She pulled away from him, just enough to catch her breath and look into his bright golden eyes. The need and lust she saw there made her shiver.
“I want you,” he said, his voice firm, low and rough.
Those had to be the best words any man had ever said to her. Not because she’d never been told she was wanted before, she had, but because he said it in such a way she knew it was true. He said it as if it was killing him to not be inside her and by God that made the words all the more special.
“I—”
She didn’t get a chance to say anything. Her words died in her throat. His gaze jerked up from her face and his features turned feral, animalistic and angry. The warmth inside her died a sudden death and was replaced with icy fear.<
br />
He turned around, pushing her behind him until she was pressed between him and a tree.
Loud roaring sounded all around her. She tried to peek over Gray but it was hard since he was so damn big. She was, however, able to listen to the conversation without any problems.
“Leave.” Gray’s voice was loud and harsh.
She finally got around his arm enough to see two tall men standing several yards away.
“We’ve come to speak with you,” one guy said. He glanced down and caught sight of her. He frowned, his face twisting in anger. “You’ve got no mate. A pride leader needs cubs to ensure his line.”
She didn’t really understand what all that meant, but Gray clearly did. His muscles tensed, almost shaking.
“My mate is not of your concern, Lucas. Why are you and Eli really here?”
Great! Now she knew the guys’ names. The bigger, staring daggers at her, was Lucas and the shorter, not as evil-looking, was Eli.
“There’s been talk.” Eli glanced at Lucas, shifting from foot to foot. “Some are saying you won’t be leader for long.”
“We need to know what you will do about the mate problem,” Lucas said, his gaze never wavering from Lyss. “Or do you plan to fight to keep your place.”
“Again, not your business. You are overstepping and you both know what happens when anyone questions me.” He didn’t yell the words, but the effect was instant. The two men took hasty steps back and eyed each other. “You have thirty seconds to go before I decide you’ve come here to fight me yourselves.”
Eli was first to rush back, tugging a hesitant Lucas with him.
“We’ll go,” said Lucas. “But this doesn’t change anything. Others will come. You can’t be leader without a mate.”
Lyss swallowed at the fear clogging her throat. She gripped Gray’s T-shirt so hard in her fists her knuckles had gone white. They stood there a few minutes until she felt his muscles loosen.