Luna felt vulnerable in his hands, and yet, he was only touching her feet. How much sensation did two feet contain? Apparently, quite a bit.
Jason’s attention was inexorable. He continued running his finger from her heel down to the arch of her foot. The other hand squeezed the heel gently. His breath hitched slightly as she responded to his touch.
Luna watched him with heavy-lidded eyes, lost in the sensation of what he was doing. She licked her lips, wanting to tell him to stop. It was madness. Insanity. Fully dressed foreplay.
Using both hands, Jason kneaded her foot. He was huge, his palms seeming to swallow her foot whole. “Beautiful,” he murmured, making Luna feel both pliant and responsive to his touch. She was deeply aware of both the softness in her arch and the hardness of his palms. She wriggled her other foot a little as the unbearable arousal smoldered through her body.
“Oh, my,” she murmured as her left heel scraped lightly over his very sizeable erection.
Jason
“My little Cinderella likes that,” he whispered. He pressed her foot tightly to him and pumped his hips once. Twice. Luna whimpered, head thrown back, body shivering slightly. If they kept this up, he wasn’t going to stop until he was ten inches deep inside her.
“I do,” Luna said, licking her lips as though they were parched.
Jason kissed her toes, his tongue teasing the tops of her toes before biting her the tip of her big toe. She pulled it back with a breathy giggle. He rose and sat on the bench beside her. They sat like that for a moment before he lifted her, so she straddled his lap.
“I’m not. Ready. You know, for all of it,” she protested, grey eyes opening wide in the early stages of panic.
“Shh,” Jason crooned. He nibbled the arch of her neck. “We’re just getting to know each other, Cinderella.”
“Ohmigod, not the neck.” Despite her words, she bent her head and offered the milky white skin to his mouth. “Why didn’t Nana warn me?”
“What?” Jason asked, surprised at her words.
“My grandmother. Didn’t warn me how freaking amazing this would feel.”
Jason snorted. “You talk to your grandmother about men?”
Luna pulled the pin out of her hair, and it cascaded down around her shoulders in a sensual waterfall. “Nana is an earthy woman.” She wrinkled her nose, trying to be cute about it.
“Did she raise you?” He traced his tongue down the long tendon before giving her a gentle nibble on the knot of nerve endings at the base.
“Oooh. Don’t. Oh, it’s too much,” Luna said, her body rolling into his, her hips pressing against the ridge of his cock.
“I know. You can feel it in me, too.” He rocked his hips gently, and she moaned again as pleasure pulsed through her responsive body. His dick leaped and twitched, eager to find the warm home Luna promised him.
She laughed a little helplessly, burying her head in the crook of his neck. “What’s happening here?” she asked, her hips circling while her breathing grew more ragged.
Jason struggled to remember his words. Any words. Because right now the only one pulsing through his mind began with F and ended with -uck. “If I’m not mistaken,” he growled, hands gripping her hips and increasing the pressure between them. “I believe you’re about to have an orgasm.”
The low keening sound was like heaven to his ears. He felt the moment her silk panties slipped, allowing her tight wet center to come into direct contact with the wool of his slacks.
Arching her back, desperately chasing her pleasure, Luna was beautiful. Her stunning blonde hair cascaded down her back, her throat was arched, just waiting for his lips.
With a deep, low grunt, she shook in his arms. Collapsing against him, she shuddered over and over as her orgasm took her away from the everyday world.
Jason wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him. “That was beautiful,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re beautiful.”
Luna turned to look at him with dazed, unguarded grey eyes. “That was crazy.”
“Crazy perfect.”
“I’ve never done anything like that.” She frowned slightly. “What did you do to my body?”
“Not nearly enough,” Jason said, rubbing his cheeks against her petal-soft shoulders. His need was primal. Core-deep. Devastating.
“I thought you weren’t good with delicate things.”
“I’m not. You saw what happened to the wine glass.”
“I’m a little thing. Barely five feet.”
“Maybe you’re the exception that makes the rule.” His voice dropped an octave with his need.
“Oh. That growly thing is so hot.”
Jason made a mental note to growl more often. Luna lay warm and willing in his arms. Their eyes met, glittering in the shadows and lights from the bar. Using a single finger, he tilted her chin up. “You have the most beautiful lips.”
She exhaled. A tiny puff of air that was both simple and deeply erotic. “I do?”
His head tilted towards hers. Open. Inviting. An involuntary growl came from his throat as he touched his lips to hers.
“Oh, my,” Luna whispered after the petal-light touch. “You have beautiful lips, too.”
He grinned. “Come taste them,” he invited.
It was a soft exploratory kiss. Testing limits with timid but curious strokes of her tongue. Jason buried his fingers in Luna’s hair, massaging her scalp while bringing her close.
He couldn’t have sworn under oath how long they sat there. They’d come up for air only to have one or the other initiate the kiss. They were pure, almost virginal in their sweetness but with a deep, hot desire for more.
Suddenly, Luna stiffened as though something occurred to her. It took Jason’s willpower not to let her separate and not push for more. She would come to him when she was ready.
The mating heat pulled at Jason with primal need. He never thought he’d marry. Never thought he’d find a mate, let alone such a tiny one. And yet, here she was in his arms.
“I’m only here for a job,” Luna said, panic edging her voice. She was trying to find control again, but Jason didn’t want her to go professional. Not now when he could still scent her on his body.
Jason smiled. His little Cinderella had a penchant for panic. “It’s okay.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Don’t over think this one. Just allow it to happen.”
“My home is in Maine. My family is there.”
“So?”
“What.” Her eyes closed and Jason found he missed the gentle depths of her grey eyes. “What if I catch feelings for you?”
For a moment, Jason was relieved Luna’s eyes were closed. Catch feelings? He was falling head over fucking heels in love with the woman in his arms. He tightened his grip. His little mate. She sure as fuck better catch feelings back!
Instead, he said. “We can take it day by day. Okay?”
She nodded and snuggled into him. “I should go home.”
“You staying with Lacey, right? Up in Little Yellow.”
Luna nodded, yawning. “I was going to follow Lacey and Quinn up the mountain. I’m not sure I can find it on my own.”
“Shh,” Jason said. He handed her both sets of shoes before standing up.
He expected a little “eep” of alarm, but instead, Luna only tightened her arms and legs around him. “That’s a good girl. I’ll get you up to the cabin.”
She lifted her head and blinked at him sleepily. “I should go say goodnight to the bride and groom.”
Jason chuckled warmly. “I think they’ve already left the building.”
“Oh.” Luna blinked again before falling asleep in a warm, responsive puddle in his arms.
Pulling up every ounce of honor he possessed, Jason got Luna into the cab of his truck. He secured her with a seatbelt before getting in to drive her up the mountain.
He wanted her with him, in the house, he rented on the outskirts of Silver Fells. But, Jason knew he needed to
go slowly with his petite mate. He sensed she had a secret. Something to do with the Lusty Leopard from the way she was looking around the outside.
Whatever it was, Jason knew he had to gain her trust and help her. Only when she was happy could he be happy.
It should worry him, this power she wielded so unknowingly over him. After all, he was a bear shifter. Huge. Scary as fuck in his bear form. He’d served time in the Special Forces and saw action wherever Uncle Sam sent him.
Luna was another mission, he decided. One that would take all the delicate skills he managed to pick up.
He parked in the driveway of Maxwell Mountain Resort while Luna still slept. “How cute. My mate snores.” Holding back a grin, Jason picked her up and carried her into the cottage.
The small home only had one bedroom. Finding it in the moonlight wasn’t difficult. “Sleep well, Cinderella,” he whispered before pressing a kiss to her cheek. She looked uncomfortable in her cocktail dress, but he left her and only tossed a quilt over her prone form.
“Don’t go,” Luna muttered in her sleep.
Jason wished he could stay. “Soon,” he promised her. “Soon, I will be by your side for always.” With a heavy heart, he left his mate, walked to his truck, and headed home.
Chapter Four
Luna
“Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?” Luna asked as Melody calmly painted the lifting solution on her roots. She wanted her hair to look perfect for the live event she was hosting, and that meant a root touch up.
Melody smiled at Luna in the mirror. “Rafe is working on a bobcat sanctuary. We have plans to go to the coast next week. Besides, like I would miss this for the world?”
For a moment, Luna stared at Melody blankly. Miss what? Had word gotten out about her and Jason’s. Well, what was it, really? Assignation seemed old fashioned. Affair? Moment of unbridled passion?
She giggled at the term but straightened in her seat when Melody only looked confused. “Uh, miss what?”
“Your go live with the interviews and new blog posting,” Melody replied, a hint of a smile on her face. “What did you think I meant?”
Luna felt her eyes grow wide. She totally needed to work on her poker face. At this rate, the entire town would know why she was here. “Uh, nothing.”
Melody opened her mouth to argue, but just then, Lacey came into the shop. Quinn’s mate was in a pair of yoga pants with a T-shirt of a llama doing yoga on it with the phrase “llamaste” on it. “Oh, girl, do I have news for you.”
Lacey skidded to a stop when she saw Luna sitting in the chair. “Oh, hey, Luna. Fancy meeting you here. What. Um.” Lacey’s eyes darted to Melody’s. “What are you doing here?”
The too-familiar feeling of being unwanted hit, Luna. She thought she was over the helpless feeling of never quite fitting in anywhere. In a heartbeat, she was the girl without a father. The girl whose grandmother cried over the husband who never came back from Vietnam. She was the ten-year-old with reflexes faster than her peers. Who could run faster than the boys?
The freak no one played with, no one liked, and no one, not even herself, understood.
Calmly, Luna lifted her chin and took a deep breath. The hurt was still there, but she was no longer the vulnerable girl who cried over other girls snubbing her. She didn’t need them. She didn’t need anyone.
“I’m getting my roots touched up. With a name like Luna, everyone expects you to have white-blonde hair.” Luna was pleased her voice didn’t wobble with distress. Learning to control her wayward emotions was a skill she had learned early in life.
Melody smiled, trying to ease the tension. “That must have been awkward in school to have a name like Luna with dark brown hair.”
Luna lifted one shoulder as Melody continued to methodically apply the solution to her hair. “I blame J.K. Rowling,” she said lightly.
Luna watched the interplay of expressions between Lacey and Melody but decided to tune them out. Another lesson she’d learned long ago was there was nothing she could do to make people like her. Instead, she pulled out her phone and began responding to her fan mail.
“All done. Do you want anything to drink? Water? Wine?” Melody offered as she pulled off her gloves and cleaned up her tray.
Luna shook her head. She’d be damned if she’d accept anything from yet another glorified mean girl. “No, thank you. How long to process?”
Melody bit her lip, sensing the coolness of Luna’s tone. Her eyes darted back to where Lacey sat looking through a hair magazine. “Are you sure?”
“So, who do you have an interview with first?” Lacey asked with an artificially bright smile. “My father is ready in Raleigh to bounce the ball as soon as you go public with it.”
“Is Quinn going to join him?” Melody asked.
Lacey nodded, her face drawing tight. “Yeah, he is. As the de facto leader here on the mountain, he thinks it’s his duty to represent us. And the fact that he’s not an apex predator is always a plus.”
“It was supposed to be with Dan and DeShawn,” Luna said, going back to Lacey’s original question. “But I’m not sure DeShawn will show up. Not after what happened last night.”
Melody growled loud enough to rival her new husband. “Those boys. Fighting. And at my reception, too!”
“I’m sorry,” Luna said, looking at her lap with embarrassment. It occurred to her that if she hadn’t flirted with both men, the incident wouldn’t have happened.
“Don’t apologize,” Melody said returning from cleaning her supplies. She handed glasses of water to both Lacey and Luna. “DeShawn overstepped. And I don’t know what’s going on with you and Jason.”
Lacey squeaked at the mention of Jason’s name.
Melody looked at her friend in curiosity before continuing, “But that’s between you two. DeShawn was just trying to get Jason’s goat.”
Luna didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what was going on with her and Jason except for a decidedly sensual foot massage and a burgeoning attraction.
Melody checked to make sure Luna’s hair was processing before raising an eyebrow. “Does anyone want to fill me in on what’s going on?”
Luna blinked innocently. Had they figured out her secret?
But Lacey blushed a bright red. “Well.” She cast an apologetic look towards Luna. “I’m sorry. I should mind my own business, but when I saw bear tracks around Little Yellow this morning, I had to come down and share the news with Melody.”
It took Luna a delayed second to put Lacey’s words together. “There was a bear around the cabin?”
“Probably not just any bear,” Melody said with a smirk. She took a seat in an empty chair. “So, wanna’ dish? What’s going on with you and our favorite bartender bear shifter?”
“What do you mean?” Luna asked. She frowned. “Do you think Jason was watching me?”
Lacey grinned. “Or watching over you.” She tilted her head, looking chagrined. “I’m sorry. I was just so excited that Little Yellow’s magic would inspire another couple that I couldn’t resist coming to dish.” She looked up and smiled. “You aren’t mad, are you? I was just excited.”
Realization dawned on Luna. It hadn’t been rejection in Lacey’s eyes. It wasn’t repulsion. Lacey had simply been in possession of a juicy piece of gossip and wanted to talk about it. She supposed, if the situations were reversed, Luna would have done the same thing.
“I’ve never had a girlfriend to gossip with or to,” Luna confessed. “I lived with my grandmother, and she was.” Luna shrugged, searching for the best word to describe Nana Dorothy. “She made it difficult to make friends.”
Lacey and Melody exchanged another look. “I’m a hairdresser, honey,” Melody said, getting to her feet to check on how Luna’s hair was processing. “You can tell me anything, and it stays with me.”
Lacey made an unladylike “hmpf” sound. “And it’s annoying, too.” She reached out to touch Luna’s hand. “But, girl, if you want friends you have at leas
t two right here.”
The moment grew pregnant with emotions as Luna sensed the genuine affection coming from the other woman. She nodded, blinking back a few tears.
“Okay, let’s get you rinsed out. You look good,” Melody announced, effectively breaking the moment.
And as Luna stood to finish the process on her hair, she realized Melody’s words were more important than she could have known. Luna wasn’t just good, she was taking baby steps to building a future she could be proud of. One where a sexy bear shifter protected her and two strong women wanted to be her friend.
Now, if only she could figure out how to resolve her Nana’s mystery without exposing her secret.
Jason
Jason hoisted the keg up to his shoulder with a soft grunt. After making sure Luna slept undisturbed by any other bears, he’d headed back to his own bed around dawn. His eyes were tired, but he felt more alive than he’d felt in all of his thirty years.
But as he walked the keg into the bar to finish his prep work, he stopped as the undeniable scent of his mate called to him. His eyes scanned the bar, bright and cheerful in the afternoon sun, and found her.
Her white-gold hair fell in shimmering waves below her shoulders, and she smiled up at Dan, a hawk shifter who lived with his mate on the outer edge of town.
“And did you help rescue the kids from the burning building last summer?” Luna asked.
Jason grunted. He’d been there for the fire, too.
“Yes,” Dan answered, brows creasing in a frown. He indicated his eyepatch with one finger. “Since I lost an eye in an explosion injury, I can’t really fly much. I don’t have the depth of field or the visual acuity I’d need.”
Luna nodded and took notes while her recorder picked up Dan’s words. “There was nothing they could do?” Luna asked.
Dan shook his head. “No, the injury was.” He paused and shifted in his seat. “Life changing. It took the sky away from me.”
“But you were able to provide support for the water planes?”
Interview with her Bear (Shifter Special Forces Book 6) Page 3