by Lia Davis, Milly Taiden, Kerry Adrienne, Vella Day, Andie Devaux
To his surprise, the fact she was a cheetah didn’t bother him. People couldn’t choose their parents just as they couldn’t choose their eye color or how tall they wanted to be. What bothered him was that she’d hidden that fact from him.
Christ. He’d been so upset, he really hadn’t given her a chance to explain, though at this point, he didn’t think anything she said would change his mind. He’d never understand why she’d agreed to marry a man who tried to attack her. If nothing else, she needed to tell her father what had happened.
Dwelling on this whole fiasco only made him madder, so he had to let it go. Cheyenne was off limits and that was that. He glanced around and sighed. As long as he was at the office, he might as well put in a few hours of work. He got busy looking through old files, trying to make sense of Dr. Rapello’s scratchings. It wasn’t until the pounding began that he realized someone was at the front door. Given the force of the fist, this must be an emergency. He jumped up from his seat, ran to the front, and unlocked the door.
“Cheyenne?” Conflicting emotions assaulted him—mostly lust mixed with anger. “What are you doing here?” And why do you look so fucking amazing?
“It’s an arranged marriage.” She wove her fingers together and shifted her weight from side to side.
“I realize that. Chuck basically said the same thing.” It still didn’t matter. She should have told him.
“May I come in?” She glanced behind her as a couple strolled down the street. When they looked his way, Storm waved and plastered on a smile.
“Sure.” As soon as she stepped in, his balls drew up tight. He really needed to keep his attraction at bay.
She spun to face him. “I need to explain. Please, Storm. I’m not a bad person. I’m not a cheater.”
Now that he was calmer, he wanted to hear her side. Did that make him a masochist? Maybe. “Come into my office.”
He prayed this wasn’t a mistake. Cheyenne’s jeans didn’t have any holes in them, and her pink silk blouse flowed about her lithe body. She looked incredibly hot. If she wore a bra, it must be paper-thin because he swore he could see her hard, little nipples pressing against her top, begging to be sucked.
She sat in the chair he reserved for his patients while he took the seat behind his desk to put as much distance between them as possible.
Cheyenne bit down on her lip and then sat on her hands. He hoped she wasn’t worried she’d punch him or shift on him.
“I want to apologize,” she began. “I kept a few secrets from you because I was afraid you’d reject me if I told you I was a cheetah shifter.”
He’d wondered if she knew he’d been aware of shifters when she’d first approached him. “You must not think much of me.”
She glanced to the side. “Humans in general don’t think much of cheetahs. I honestly didn’t think you knew we existed.”
That answered one question. “I didn’t before Dr. Rapello told me.”
“I should have said something,” she said not meeting his gaze.
This was not the Cheyenne he’d seen earlier today—the one who’d turned him inside out then broke his heart. She was hurting, but so was he. “I like honesty in a woman.”
She sniffled. “Okay, here it is then. You know I can’t stand Chuck Lord. He’s scum but he’s ambitious. So ambitious that he somehow convinced my dad that when my father retires in four months, Chuck should be his successor. The only way to accomplish that is to marry me.”
“I’m not really interested in politics. What I want to know is why didn’t you tell your father about what he did to you?”
“I did—about a half hour ago.”
He sat up straighter. “And?”
Tears coursed down her cheeks. “He said he’s known all along, but that since Chuck didn’t actually harm me, Dad needed to think about the Clan’s future.”
That wasn’t right, but he couldn’t do anything about it now. “If you knew about having to marry Chuck, what did you hope to accomplish by seducing me?” Storm worked hard to keep his frustration and hurt in check.
She pushed back her chair and stood. Instead of approaching the desk, she paced in front of it. “I wanted a diversion to the horrible life my father had planned for me.” She shook her head. “I’m almost thirty. I thought I’d be married with a few kids by now, but I never found a man to love—or one to love me.” She faced him. “The night I met you was the day my father dropped the bombshell that he’d be stepping down as the head of our Clan. Since I’m the only child, I must rule. The problem is that women can’t be the head of a pack.”
“Why not?”
She stopped pacing. “Hundreds of years of prejudice?”
“I get it. Go on.”
“Once he steps down, if I’m not married to another shifter by then I will be forced to marry Chuck. Needless to say, I was a bit depressed. I drank. I picked you up, and the rest is history.” She sat back onto the seat and dropped her head in her hands.
He waited until she glanced up at him. “You don’t think you were being a little self-centered? All you thought about was what you were going through. I get that, but didn’t you give any thought to what I might feel after you dumped me?”
Storm understood why she chose to have a fling, but it didn’t make it any less painful. The tears turned into sobs, and as much as he wanted to soothe her, he was still too angry.
She looked up and sniffled. From his desk drawer he handed her a tissue. “I was too blind to think of how my actions would affect you. To be honest, I assumed that being human, you wouldn’t care for me past the sex.”
Now it was his turn to get up and go around to the front of the desk. “Well, you were wrong. I did care. A lot.” More than he was willing to tell her.
“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” Her hands were clenched and her chin trembled.
Fuck me. Storm couldn’t stay mad at her for long, but he wasn’t ready to give in. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you can do to make your father change his mind?” She didn’t deserve to be chained to Chuck Lord her whole life.
She shook her head. “No. It’s Clan law. I always wanted to marry for love, but it’s not like people flock to this place. I’ve always known this day would come, but I’d hoped it was after I was happily married.”
“No one in your Clan fits the bill of a possible lover?” He didn’t like thinking about another man with her, but it was better than her being shackled to Chuck.
“No. The men ask me out, lead me on, and then leave me when they realize I’m not the pushover they’d hoped for. I don’t want a man to marry me for his political aspirations.”
“What are you going to do?” Storm wasn’t sure he was ready for the answer.
“Do the right thing for a change.”
The resignation on her face told him this didn’t bode well for him. “That would be?”
“I need to say goodbye to you. That’s why I came. It’s not fair to either of us.” Her lips quivered. “Though in reality, you’ve already said adios to me.”
Storm should be happy that the woman who’d deceived him would be walking out of his life for good, but for some crazy reason, he wasn’t. She’d wronged him and he should be livid, but he yearned for her too much. “What if I want to see you again?”
She looked down at her hands. “It’s no good. It’s hard enough to walk away now.” Chey glanced up. “The longer I’m with you, the more difficult it’s going to be when I marry Chuck.”
She was right, but the pain of separation was already terrible.
Cheyenne turned, the tears still streaming down her face. She moved slowly through his office doorway, as if she were dragging a lead weight behind her. His gut churned with indignation, but also with desire.
“Cheyenne. Wait.”
Chapter Eight
Everything told Chey to keep on walking, but Storm’s plea had stopped her in her tracks. She turned and fac
ed him, her legs weak. She never should have gone to his office in the first place. Seeing him again had added to her sense of helplessness.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I might regret this, but my heart is telling me that no matter your reason for seeking me out, I don’t want to stop seeing you. I know that sounds stupid since I was so mad, but we have time before you have to marry Chuck. Maybe we can figure something out.”
“What are you saying?” While his words didn’t make sense to her confused brain, she didn’t care. If he was willing to be with her one more time, the pain probably couldn’t get much worse.
“This.”
As his lips devoured hers, her body went limp. Chey snuggled closer, needing to absorb his strength. His scent, his power, and his possible forgiveness healed a small part of her soul. Without breaking their connection, Storm lifted her into his arms and carried her back into his office, kicking the door closed with his heel.
They couldn’t be together in the end, but why not enjoy the time they did have? Her tears of sorrow suddenly turned into ones of joy. Storm set her down in front of his desk, her heart pounding hard.
In one big sweep, he pushed every folder, pen, and paper off the desk. The papers floated like leaves falling in slow motion, while the pens pinged, popped, and rolled on the hard surface.
Storm loomed over her as he clasped her shoulders. “I need you, Cheyenne.”
His words undid her. “I need you, too.”
She grabbed his waistband and pulled him closer. As quickly as she could, she unzipped his pants, reached inside, and fisted his thick shaft. His groan had her pussy weeping. Chey glanced up at his handsome face. Eyes blazing a dark brown, he lifted off her shirt, looking like a man on a mission.
“Fuck, girl, you came to seduce.”
Not really. “I couldn’t decide which bra to put on, and then figured no one would know the difference if I didn’t wear one.”
He pressed on her nipple. “This is the best bra ever.”
“I don’t have one on.”
“Silly me.” Storm lifted her onto the desk, dipped his head, and when he nabbed her nipple, the tip exploded with need.
Chey arched her back and gripped the edge of the desk, her spasming pussy in desperate need of his cock. He wrapped his hands around her waist and tortured the other breast—licking, sucking, pulling, and twisting. Each touch ratcheted her desire.
“I’m not naked enough for this and neither are you.” She needed him to take off her pants so he could impale her.
He smiled, and her insides tumbled. What she wouldn’t give to spend the rest of her life with this man. It just wasn’t fair that he was only human.
“Me, first.” Storm stepped back, removed his shirt in one swift tug then took off his boots. When he dropped his pants, her breath caught. Holy fuck. He was divine. It didn’t matter that she’d experienced him only a few hours before. She had to taste him again.
Not able to wait for him to take off her clothes, she slid off the desk, leaned over, and sucked on his cock.
He stiffened. “Be careful. It’s ready to burst. I haven’t come down from the high of this afternoon.” He threaded his fingers through her hair and tugged, but that only made the animal in her draw him in harder.
She grabbed his firm ass and dug her nails into his butt to keep him in place. If this was the last time they were together, Chey wanted to make this the best experience ever. The tip leaked a bit of cum, and she lapped it up, loving this salty tang. Clearly, he was close to exploding.
“Enough,” Storm groaned. “I need some lick time, too.”
Lick time? She liked that idea. Chey stood and let Storm divest her of the rest of her clothes. As soon as he exposed her black panties, he whistled. “You can’t fool me. You did come here hoping we’d make love.”
Chey wasn’t even thinking along those lines—only Tasha was. “I wore black because my pussy was in mourning.”
He chuckled. “Not for long.” Storm removed her panties and then indicated he needed her to lie back. He glanced behind him and then picked up his jeans. After rolling them into a neat bundle, he placed the newly created pillow under her head. “Comfy?”
“Yes, hurry.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Storm grinned and lifted her legs over his shoulders.
When he drew her closer, her upper back came close to the edge, so she grabbed the desk. The first swipe across her wet opening had her panting. She never would have believed it possible to be so excited after the amazing time they’d had at the river. She had no doubt that she’d never forget running through the woods naked. When Storm had caught her, he’d turned her world upside down with his loving ways.
“I want you to come five times before I impale you,” he said before returning to the torture.
“Five times?” With what he was doing, she just might. “I’ll be too tired to move if I do that.” Chey grabbed one of his biceps and pressed hard, admiring the way his muscles flexed under her hot fingertips.
“Are you saying I can’t turn you on enough to warrant that many climaxes?”
“Not at all,” she gasped. She couldn’t think why he wanted to talk instead of make love with her. “Shut up and eat me.”
Conversation during sex was highly overrated unless she was doing the talking.
Storm unhooked her legs from around his shoulders, slid her back, and placed her feet on the wooden surface. He then slipped a finger into her pussy and rubbed her tender nub with the pad of his thumb. The first stroke sent her spiraling, and the divine pressure had sparks skittering across her skin. Chey arched her back and scooted closer. When he leaned over and pulled her nipple taut, a scream burst from her throat as the unexpected climax claimed her.
She thought he’d stop to let her recover, but her orgasm seemed to spur him on. She lowered a hand to reach for his dick. Given how much pleasure he was delivering, he deserved to be played with, too.
“Damn. I can’t reach,” she complained.
“Good.”
Storm alternated between each breast while he continued to play with her clit and finger fuck her pussy. When he hit her G-spot, pricks of light burst on the back of her lids, forcing her to gulp in air. Overwhelmed with lust and passion, Chey clawed at his arms then clasped his head to draw him near.
“Kiss me,” she demanded.
When Storm smiled, her world turned brighter. His lips hovered over hers, their breaths mingling. She waited, begging him with her eyes to take her. He winked, and then gently bit her bottom lip before laying claim to her mouth. His tenderness mixed with the aggressive bite brought out her feisty self, and she returned the favor. He growled, setting her body on fire. Storm was all man, full of power and passion.
“Fuck me now.” She hadn’t meant for it to sound so much like a command, but she couldn’t help it.
He tapped her nose and shook his head. “You have a few more climaxes to go.”
She sat up, lowered her feet over the edge of the desk, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Using her teeth, she tugged on his ear. “Then excite me.”
As if that was his hot button, he aimed his cock at her opening and drove in. This afternoon’s adventure had left her sore and swollen, and when he thrust his cock straight in, her eyes widened. Not thinking of the consequences, her feral instincts took over with the need to be one with him, and she bit on his neck with all her worth.
To her delight, his reaction wasn’t one of anger. Instead, it was as if her bite had excited him more. He lifted his head and opened his mouth as he pounded into her. The harder he pummeled her pussy, the higher she went. He, too, seemed determined to fuse their two bodies together.
A drop of blood trickled down his neck, but he didn’t appear to take notice, so she drew him closer and then licked his wound, memorizing the metallic taste. His scent infused inside her body and deliciously wicked flames licked up her spine as another orgasm drew near.
&
nbsp; “Are you close?” Chey huffed, not wanting to burst again before he was ready.
“So close. God, I can’t get enough of you.”
Those words seared her brain and robbed her of all sanity. Storm stood straighter and when he pressed on her clit, her tiny pearl strained under the excitement. “Hurry, I’m coming.”
She could no longer contain herself. He was ravaging her pussy with relentless demand, so much so that bolts of electricity set every nerve on fire. She clamped down hard on his cock.
He sucked in a large breath. “I can’t hold it any more either.” Storm closed his eyes, pressed his dick in as far as it could go and let loose.
His hard cock vibrated and expanded, pulsing to match the throbbing vein in his neck. His hot searing seed shot her over the climactic cliff, and waves of ecstasy came crashing down on her. They both screamed at the same time, and her world spun.
Storm held her close as if they were the last two people on earth—or at least she wished they were. After what seemed like hours, Storm pulled out. From his drawer, he retrieved some tissues and wiped her clean.
Neither spoke as they dressed, possibly because their lovemaking had shattered their world. Chey finally faced him. “I know this won’t make any sense after what we just did, but we can’t be together.”
Storm stilled. “Excuse me? Why not?” He stroked her hair and then fingered the strands, his hand tremors visible.
His touch and his smell nearly undid her. She choked on the tears clogging her throat. “Because you aren’t a cheetah shifter.”
“No, I’m not. So what?”
“I told you. My husband has to be a shifter.”
He pushed his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what to say, Cheyenne. I think you are a special woman, one that I can relate to.”
She sniffled. “Thank you.”
“We’ve only known each other a short while, but I think we have a chance together.”
Her heart nearly broke. He didn’t get it. “I would love nothing more than to be with you, but my father is the Alpha of our pack. There are rules, ones that have been in place for hundreds of years.”