by Alisa Woods
“Could be mortal!” Murphy’s voice echoed through the van. “I might be dying here!”
Jaxson gave his brother a quizzical look.
“He’s playing it up for Cassie,” Jace said with an unimpressed look.
Jaxson rolled his eyes, then asked in a quieter voice, “How is she?”
Jace grinned. “I found her kicking the shit out of her guard when I opened the back.”
Jaxson snorted a laugh that almost choked him. “Well, she is a Wilding.”
Jace gave an appreciative look over his shoulder. “They grow ‘em feisty in that pack.” Then he swung his gaze back to Jaxson and smirked. “I’m sure her big sister will be very appreciative when we get back.”
Jaxson didn’t answer, just scowled then turned forward to drive the van.
His heart was still racing—the adrenaline mixed with the exhilaration of recovering the girl—but they were far from done with this. Tonight, they’d stopped whoever was hunting shifters from getting this little girl, but there was no telling who else was in that damn warehouse. Or what torments they were enduring. And if these bastards were bold enough to grab Cassie off the street, then they had to know the Wildings were shifters. Or at least the branch of the pack with Cassie’s family. Which mean Terra, Trent, and Cassie’s father were in danger, too. Hopefully, they had realized that already and had gone to Riverwise for safe keeping.
“Get on the phone, Jace,” he called back without taking his eyes off the road. “Tell them we’re bringing Cassie back to the office. And not to go home.”
“On it.” Jace’s voice muffled when he closed the window to the cab, but Jaxson could still make out the pauses and rhythm of his voice. It was no doubt Olivia on the other end, standing by for news that they’d recovered the girl. When he heard Cassie’s muffled voice come through from the back of the van, Jaxson grinned. Terra must have shown up at the office, just like he expected. Which meant he’d left Olivia there to deal with that hot mess all on her own.
He owed her. Big time.
And he’d deal with the mess when they got back.
Olivia couldn’t believe how relieved she felt when Jaxson walked through the door. Jace came first, along with a mini version of Terra that had to be Cassie. They weren’t four steps inside before Terra swept Cassie into a fierce hug. Olivia hung back by the corner to the rest of the office. Trent stayed back too, waiting for Terra to go first.
“Oh, Cassie, Cassie.” She kept saying the girl’s name over and over while clutching her tighter and tighter. The poor thing probably couldn’t breathe at all, but her smile lit up every face in the room. Which included Jaxson striding in behind Jace and Cassie, followed closely by his other three pack members, Murphy, Rich, and Taylor.
They were all bloody as hell.
Olivia’s mouth dropped open. She had taken the call from Jace, and he had told her they were all right… but they weren’t. Jaxson’s shirt was a torn, bloody mess, and Taylor looked like he’d lost more blood than he owned. Yet they were all striding into the room, laughing and grinning, like everything was fine with the world.
“Tell me they’re really okay,” Olivia whispered to Trent. He already knew she was a novice with this shifter stuff.
His brilliant smile for the reunion quirked a little to the side. “They’re shifters, Olivia. They’re fine.” Then he stepped forward to embrace his kid sister because Terra had finally let loose her epic hug.
Olivia searched for Jaxson’s face, just to see for herself he wasn’t as bad off as his shirt portrayed. She found his brilliant blue eyes locked on her from across the room. He beamed a smile for her that made her shoulders relax. Just as he took a step in her direction, Terra popped up between them, cutting off their line of sight. Then she threw her arms around Jaxson, catching him off guard, judging by the startled look on his face.
Olivia’s heart sank… but of course Terra would want to thank him personally. A set of smirks flitted around the room. Olivia’s face grew hot, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the pair of them. Jaxson patted Terra’s back and whispered something to her while she clung to him, jabbering away with something meant for only Jaxson to hear.
Then Terra pulled back and kissed him.
It was no small kiss either—this was a full-body embrace, tongue-to-tongue, Terra’s hands clutching Jaxson’s head and pulling his mouth to hers with what looked like all her shifter strength.
Olivia dropped her gaze to the carpet by her feet. Her face was on fire with embarrassment. She should leave. Immediately. That much was clear.
Jace was suddenly at her side. “Okay, then. Time for us to go.” He threw an arm around her shoulders and steered her away from the front entryway, around the corner to the main part of the office. Olivia let him, simply because she was numb and couldn’t think of anything to say or do differently.
Once they were around the corner, she pulled out of his hold. “I… um… I should get my things.”
“Olivia,” Jace said, voice laden with apology. “You have to understand, they’re supposed to be mates. It’s nothing…” He stopped, looking stricken.
It’s nothing personal. That’s what he meant to say before he stopped himself. Olivia was sure of it. Her heart was banging itself into pieces inside her chest. It physically hurt. She pressed a hand over her heart, sure that something was actually happening inside there. Like she was having a legit heart attack over this. Over a gorgeous man who kissed her twice but never belonged to her.
She fought back the tears and slowly looked up from the floor.
Jace’s grimace turned even more pained at her expression.
“It’s all right,” she said, as much to herself as to him. “I’ll be fine. I just need to… get a few of my things.”
“Olivia—” Jace tried to stop her, but she evaded his arms and stumbled toward her office.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jaxson striding in from the entryway, but she just ducked her head and kept going. The only way she could make it through this was to get to her office, pull herself together, gather up her things, and get out. She could break down, have a good, long heart-breaking sob-fest over ice cream in her apartment, where no one would see.
But not until then.
The tears receded as she reached her office door and strode inside. She swung the door shut behind her and kept walking, but then she stopped short when it didn’t bang closed. She turned to check, but Jaxson was already there, catching it before it could slam shut.
“Olivia—” He had a horrified look on his face.
She put up a hand to stop him. “It’s all right. Really.” She dropped her gaze to her desk drawer so she could fish out her wallet, keys, and phone. There was nothing else she needed to take with her, and she certainly wasn’t coming back.
“It’s not all right—”
“No, you’re right,” she cut him off again. She could feel the anger rising, but she fought it back down just as she scooped her things out of the drawer and straightened up to face him.
He had closed the door behind him, but the stricken look was still on his face.
“You completely went off plan,” she said, mock-chastising him with a shake of her finger. “Dating Terra wasn’t supposed to happen until next week.” She had to look away because the pained look on his face was too much for her. She stared at the images of the three shifter women still open on her computer instead. “Anyway, brilliant work. You didn’t need me after all. Not when you could be a hero and save Terra’s little sister. I mean, who could resist that—”
His hand was on her elbow. “Olivia.” His voice was soft and close.
She couldn’t do this much longer. She set her things on the desk, turned to him, and stared up into his gorgeous blue eyes with as much fortitude as she could muster. “It’s all right. I won’t embarrass you.” She was proud that her voice wasn’t trembling as much as she was afraid it might, especially with him so close. “It’s obviously time for me to leave, b
ut I’ll be okay. Trent’s offered me a job, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Oh, did he now?” Jaxson hadn’t backed off an inch. In fact, he was edging even closer, gazing down into her eyes with a soft expression that was stabbing her in the chest again. “Well, Trent is a slimy womanizing beta that I wouldn’t allow near any female. No way am I letting him steal you away.”
Her mouth fell open. “Well, I have to work somewhere. Some of us don’t have successful businesses rolling in celebrity money, you know!”
“You’re working here. For me.” He was so close now, he was practically, but not quite, touching her in three different places: his hands lingering near her balled up fists; his breath mingling with hers; and his broad, muscular body nearly making contact with her chest, which was heaving with the emotion ripping through it.
“Jaxson,” she said, her voice pained. “I know our kiss didn’t mean anything to you, but I can’t—”
He cut her off with his lips crashing down on her. It was fast and hungry and stole her breath… but it was over in an instant. His hands locked on her wrists and pulled her body against his. His lips weren’t touching hers any longer, but he was close enough to exchange heated breaths. Her heart hammered her chest, soaring with something like hope, but still horribly uncertain. Afraid to believe it was real.
“Terra means nothing to me,” he whispered. “Terra. Thea. Morrigan. None of them will ever mean anything to me. You, on the other hand… how about I show you just how much I want you to stay?” He cupped her cheeks in his large, strong hands and gently kissed her lips, once, twice, a half dozen times. But what he was really doing was turning her around so her bottom was pressed against the hard edge of the desk.
“I think this is about where we left off,” he whispered. Then he skimmed his hands down her body, touching her and lighting her on fire as he went, until he reached her hips—which he hoisted up on the desk, forcing her legs apart with his body. “And this is where I planned to go next.”
“Jaxson,” she protested, but her body was responding to him already. Growing hot and wet, begging for his touch. “Everyone’s just outside.”
“I told Jace to take them to the safehouse.” He kissed her quickly and leaned back to pull off his bloody and ruined shirt.
She couldn’t help sucking in a breath. The full expanse of his muscled chest was on display for her, begging her to touch him. She slid her fingertips along the words tattooed across his chest—omni tempore—but she had no idea what they meant. Something about time? And he had another tattoo, a wolf on his shoulder. But her attention was quickly drawn to the blood-smeared part of his arm.
She gently touched the ridge of pinkish skin, a fresh scar, then looked into his eyes. “Please tell me you’ve magically healed from whatever this was.”
“I’ve magically healed from the bullet wound.” He pressed her hand flat against his shoulder, on top of the scar, then dragged her hand across his chest, holding her fingers flat against his skin. She could feel him rumbling pleasure at her touch deep inside his chest. Then he drew her hand down. Her eyes went wide as he pressed her palm against his rock-hard erection. “But I’m going to need your help with this.”
Breath escaped her. She moved her hand against his cock. It strained against the fabric of his dress pants.
He groaned and snatched her hand away. “On second thought, that will have to wait.” He slid her further onto the desk, hiking up her skirt and spreading her legs wide. Then he ran a hand up her body to her hair, pulling it gently to tip her head back and expose her neck. He nipped kisses from her collarbone to her jaw, causing heat to gush between her legs. Then he devoured her lips with his kiss, plunging into her mouth and making demands of it.
She was open to him, completely, wholly. She wanted nothing more than for him to take her right now, but he was slowly, luxuriously plundering her mouth with his tongue while his hands skimmed her breasts, teasing and squeezing by turns. It was getting hard to breathe.
Were they doing this? Were they really doing this? She didn’t know if it made any sense, or if Jaxson meant what he said—that he would never want the women he should be taking for a mate—but he hadn’t lied to her yet. And even if this moment was all they would ever have, she wasn’t going to say no. Not when this could be part of her life—he could be part of her life—even for a short time before it all came crashing down in heartbreak.
He finally pulled free of the long, breathless exploration of her mouth. His eyes were blazing blue fire, and his hands were on her hips, pulling her closer to the edge of the desk. His raging hard-on pressed against her inner thigh. So close… and yet not close enough. Not for what she really wanted.
“Olivia.” He was panting as hard as she was. “I’m dying to taste you.”
“I think you just did,” she said with a ghost of a smile.
A quick smirk flashed across his face, but it was replaced just as fast by a hungry look so intense, it made fresh heat flush between her legs.
“That’s not what I meant.” His hands slid down her thighs and slipped under her hiked-up skirt. He shoved it up farther, and his large hands sought out the fabric of her underwear. She startled as he literally ripped her underwear in half. Then he dropped to one knee and pulled her leg over his shoulder.
Oh, God, was he…
“I want to taste you.” He licked his lips and dove between her legs.
She gasped as his tongue flicked across her tender flesh… tasting… testing… Oh God, he was going down on her. She pulsed with need for him, and he responded by pulling her tighter to his lips, using every tool at his disposal—lips, teeth, and tongue, oh God that glorious tongue—to flush waves of pleasure through her. Every touch jolted with electric pleasure. She grasped the back of his head, urging him deeper. He plunged his tongue inside her, making her whimper. Her other hand braced against the desk as her head tipped back, and small moans worked out of her throat. She was breathing so hard, she was becoming light-headed, but he kept working her body, flicking shocks across her tight nub. Tension coiled low in her belly, and she could feel it coming—an orgasm like none she’d ever felt.
“Oh, God, Jaxson,” she moaned. “Please.”
He didn’t answer, just hummed his pleasure against her most sensitive parts, making her shriek a little with the intensity. Then he moved slightly upward, and she had the crazy thought that he might leave her hanging there, right on the precipice, tormented… but then he thrust two fingers inside her.
She gasped at the suddenness of it, and the pleasure. He kept his tongue flicking her nub, but then he started pumping his fingers, faster and faster, building the pleasure so tight and hard, she couldn’t keep it inside. She bucked against him and came on his hand, moaning and shrieking the entire time. She rode and rode his fingers, wrenching every bit of pleasure from them. When her body finally slowed its convulsive waves, the orgasm passing like a quieting storm, Jaxson pulled back and pulled out, taking his red-hot tongue and fingers with him.
He stood and locked gazes with her. “You are so goddamn hot, Olivia.” He practically tore off his belt, then shoved his pants and underwear down, springing his cock free. It was so large, so perfectly thick and long, Olivia couldn’t do anything but stare. She was breathing too hard to say anything coherent.
He stroked himself once, then twice. “Take a good long look. Because you won’t see this again for a while—I plan on burying it inside you for a good, long time.”
An embarrassing whimper escaped her, but Oh my God. What did he expect, saying things like that? Then he moved fast, grabbing her ankles and hoisting them up to his shoulders so that she was forced to lie back on the table. He bent over her, his enormous cock teasing her entrance but not burying inside her, like he promised. Instead, he took his time unbuttoning her blouse. To her amazement, a claw slowly grew from one of his fingers and neatly sliced through her bra, liberating her breasts from their restraints. They bobbed on her chest, and he g
roaned, holding them with both hands. His eyes were half-lidded with lust.
“You’re everything I want, Olivia,” he breathed as he worked the globes of her breasts. “Everything I need.” He trailed his fingers down her body, hooking them under the waist of her skirt and leaning back to pull it free. She was nearly naked now, as was he. He slid his cock tantalizingly along the hyper-sensitive flesh of between her legs, but still refused to enter and take her the way she wanted.
“What I can’t figure out,” he said, breath short. “Is what I can do for you.”
“I can think of one thing,” she panted and gave him a wide-eyed why are you waiting? look.
He smirked, and then his expression went hungry, a look that sent shivers racing through her. He pressed the head of his cock against her entrance while leaning over her to bore that look of desire straight into her eyes.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, still teasing her.
“God, Jaxson, please.” She grasped at his hands, which were holding her hips motionless so she couldn’t buck against him.
He sighed his pleasure. “I just wanted to hear you beg, sweet Olivia.”
Then he eased his cock into her, slowly and teasingly but oh freaking God he was so big. He stretched and filled her like no man had before. Her back arched, and she moaned uncontrollably. Then he slid almost completely out and thrust back in fast. She gasped, but it was nothing like the moans of pleasure rumbling in his chest. After a few rapid, hard thrusts—and she gloried in all their power—he slipped into a rhythm that was just right. The pressure was building fast inside her, and before she could catch her breath, she was rocketing toward another orgasm.
“Jaxson,” she panted. “Oh, God, Jaxson, I’m going to…”
“Come for me, baby,” he said, voice tight. “I want to feel you come undone around me.”
His words pushed her over the edge, and her body convulsed, waves of pleasure so extreme washing through her that she was certain she’d passed out and traveled into some other realm filled with nothing but body-wracking pleasure, electric touches, and love.