Blake: The Whitfield Rancher – Tiger Shapeshifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “I don’t understand. When was this building ordered to be put here? I mean, I’ve only lived here for a couple of days.” He told her what he knew. “You mean he ordered this for me today? And you’re this far along with it? How the hell is that possible?”

  He pointed to the area were the large posts were going in. They seemed to be moving on their own, but then she saw little people—very small winged people. Had the man not been standing there, she was sure that she would have fallen over when a woman, one of the tiny women, came to stand on her shoulder.

  “It is so wonderful to meet you, Lady Shadow. I so love your name. I am fae. I am with the great vampire Tanner, and my name is Flora.” She curtsied to her, and Shadow just caught herself from doing the same thing. “I like to order things on the shopping channels. Tanner told me just last night that I must find something more to do with my time than to order small things for myself and gifts for my friends. Will you be my friend?”

  “Yes, of course.” She looked for the man who had walked away. “I wondered why it was going up so quickly—the building, I mean. I didn’t know...are you a real person.”

  “I am. Yes. But I am fae also. My friends and I are happy to help out the Whitfields. They are a good family, and my master, Tanner, he thinks the world of them.” Shadow asked if he was the one that had given them all immortality. “Yes, that would be him. He lives forever as well and does not want anyone to leave him behind again. He lost his mate and lover not long ago, and it rips at his heart still.”

  “I’m sorry about that. Is he here?” Then it occurred to her that it was still daylight out, and he’d be resting.

  “He rests, yes, but he does not need as much as younger vamps do. Tanner is very old and very powerful. If he should wish it, he could command the building to be up and all your things here in a snap of his fingers.”

  “I wish that were possible. Some of my stuff is very heavy and fragile.” The ground shook beneath her feet, tumbling the little fae to the ground. Catching her was no easy feat, as she didn’t know if touching her wings would hurt her. When the rumbling stopped, she was flat on her back with Flora in her hands, and a tiger was standing over her. “What the hell was that about? Blake?”

  It’s Adam. I was taking a walk in the woods when I felt your fear. Here comes Blake now.

  Blake stood over her when Adam moved. He told Blake that she was just fine. Apparently, it didn’t matter to him what his brother said. Blake licked her face and neck and then asked her to sit up.

  “I don’t know what happened here. Did we have an earthquake or something?” Flora laughed. “I don’t know what you think is so funny. You might have been squashed by me falling on you.”

  “I am as immortal as you. But it was very kind of you to try and save me. I should have warned you.” Shadow asked her about what. “That Tanner was nearby. He has granted your wish for you. I think you will be most pleased now.”

  “I don’t understand.” Blake nudged her to turn her face to the building. Shadow could only stare not only at the finished building, but the loading dock as well as lots of windows. “Did he do that? Just now?”

  “I did.” She turned and saw a tall man dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. “I have decided to dress more for the times. What do you think of my choices?”

  “You’d fit in with whatever you did. Why would you do this for me? You don’t know me from anyone.” He pointed out that she was Blake’s almost mate. “Almost?”

  Then it occurred to her what he meant. Her face heated up, and he laughed. Shadow walked toward the new building, cursing at herself for being such a fool. She should just get laid so everyone would stop embarrassing her about it. But then it was her fault.

  “I’m game if you are.” She turned almost too quickly and nearly fell again. Blake held her in his arms as she got her feet under her again. “You were talking out loud. I came in to tell you that Tanner said he was sorry for making you blush. But he said you did it so prettily.”

  Instead of letting her go like she thought he would, he pulled her slowly up to his body. He was hard—not just his cock, which she could feel too, but his body like he’d been working out his entire life. But for some reason, Shadow didn’t think his lean muscles came from a gym. He was just naturally a strong man.

  “Can I kiss you, Shadow?” She nodded, licking her lips for him. “You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, have I told you that before? If not, then you should know that it’s true.”

  “You’ve been out of the house when I’ve gone to bed.” Blake asked her if she’d been looking for him. “Yes. Well, last night, I did. I’d taken a bath in that monstrous tub, and was feeling sort of warm and cozy. For you.”

  The kiss was wonderful. Shadow felt like he’d touched her from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head with the magic that was in the kiss. When he lifted his head as if he might be finished, Shadow pulled him back and took all he had to offer her.

  Shadow found herself in the barn, her bottom on a table. Before she had a chance to look around, even if she had wanted to, Blake was tearing at her clothing. As soon as she was naked, he pulled her legs apart and started eating her. Christ, she was coming already.

  Blake’s hands were everywhere he could reach. Her breasts were fondled. Her nipples were pinched. Each place that he touched her, she felt her need for him to take her spike up to unfathomable heights. It was all she could do to hang on while he ravaged her entire body.

  I need you. Nodding, she told him that she needed him as well. Then she threw back her head when a climax simply took her over. Come again for me, love. You have no idea how wonderful you taste to me.

  The more she came, the more she seemed to need. It didn’t matter that her body felt spent. That she was sure, there was no more inside of her that she could give to him. It was as if every time she gave him more of herself, the more she needed to give him. Everything she had in that moment, she realized, belonged to Blake.

  After what seemed like forever, he lifted his head from her body, his mouth was covered in her juices. His face was red from what he’d done to her. When she reached out to touch his cheek, to kiss him again, she felt his cock in her other hand. Blake had put her hand around him.

  “You’re really thick, aren’t you?” Blake moaned when she rubbed her hand up and down his shaft, using the precum there to lubricate him. “If I did this long enough, would you come on me?”

  “I’d rather be deep inside of you, fucking you hard enough to move this table.” She moaned and let him go. “I want to bury myself so deep inside of you that you can no longer tell the difference between you and me.”

  “Take me, Blake.”

  As soon as he filled her—there was no other way to describe what he’d done when he took her—Shadow screamed. There was some pain from how thick and how incredibly long he was, but it was pushed aside for the wonderful feeling of having him inside of her, his cock filling her to the back of her throat, it felt like.

  When he pushed her back to the table, she held onto his shoulders. Before she could think what he could be doing, Blake lifted her up and pressed her to the floor. She had thought before that he was deep inside of her. Now he did feel as if he were one with her.

  They were moving across the floor; her body being pounded by his felt wonderful and fulfilling. When he lifted her ass up, pressing her groin closer to his, she came so hard that the need to bite down on something had her turning her head and biting hard on his forearm.

  The taste of his blood filled her mouth. Not only did it not taste coppery, it was so good that she wanted more of it. Drawing deeply on the wound she’d created, she screamed with his flesh still in her mouth when he leaned down and did the same thing to her throat.

  It should have been scary, having someone tear at her neck, but it was as natural feeling as if he’d only kissed her. Then when he moved again,
his body bowed back to what looked like nearly in half. She watched in fascination as his cat moved over his human body. Then Blake cried out a primal cry that made the hair on her body dance around. It was at that moment that she felt him come deep inside of her.

  The heat of it, the feeling of volcanic lava being released into her, made her cry out as well. The climax that took her had her holding onto Blake again. Shadow was sure that at any moment she was going to combust, that her body would become nothing but a crisp. As she came with Blake, seemingly only a heartbeat behind, Shadow felt the world around her seem to blink out and refresh to brighter colors than it had ever been before.

  Blake dropped down atop her, and she didn’t have time to complain about his weight because he turned over, taking her with him as he rolled to his back. They were both breathing hard, sharp breaths of air that seemed as hot as his skin was. When he laughed, Shadow jerked his head from her neck by a handful of his hair.

  “Ouch. What was that for?” She told him. “I was thinking how we might look if anyone were to come in and see us. Then I thought about all the noise we made and figured that every animal in the field behind us has run for cover.” He kissed her again. “That, my dear lady, was fucking fantastic. I never thought...well, having you is all I’ve thought of over the last few days, and now that I have, all I can think about is having you again. When I’m rested. I don’t think I could even move right now.”

  “I don’t mean to sound like an ass about now, but your cat, he was there for me to see him.” Blake asked her if she was afraid of him. “No, never that. I don’t know why, but no, I don’t think I could ever be afraid of him. He won’t hurt me, will he?”

  “Never. The reason he was there is because he was making his claim on you as well. He also helped me bite you. Not that he’d do something like that on his own, but when you bit him, I guess he felt like he could reciprocate. He loves you too.” Shadow asked him if they were two different beings. “Yes. At least mine is. There are times when I might wake up and find myself in the woods, naked. I guess when he feels the need to roam, he does it. He doesn’t speak to me, but I like to think that he has a mind of his own.”

  Blake looked at her before turning away. When she jerked his head back to look at her, he asked her if she was always so violent. Then he smiled at her.

  “I’m thinking you’re not telling me something. Are you keeping something from me?” He nodded, then looked worried. “Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you in some way?”

  “No, it’s not that at all. I didn’t realize you were in heat.” She asked him what that meant. Shadow had a good idea but wanted facts, not guesses. “You’re going to have our child. I’m sorry, I should have realized it sooner.”

  “I’m pregnant?” He nodded. “I’m pregnant. I’m going to have your baby. Well, isn’t that about the worse timing in the world. We’re not even married or anything yet.”

  Blake started laughing, and she hit him again. As soon as she got up and moved away from him, it hit her. She was going to have Blake’s baby. Holy crap, a baby of their own.

  ~*~

  Thomas stood in line with the rest of the scum of the earth. He was being nice, he thought. He’d not hit one or cussed at any of them, but he was oh so tempted to go out, get some fresh air, and bring back bars of soap for them all.

  When he was the next person in line, he noticed that there were two desks that had no one at them. They were laughing and talking, and he figured that he could just cut that shit out and make his way there to get this shit finished. When he’d looked up on the Internet last night what he had to do, he was shocked at the poppycock list of things.

  Thomas sat down and told the woman there that he needed to be the next president. She stared at him like he was someone special. Which, Thomas had always thought he was. Smiling at her, giving her a little of his pearly whites, he asked her if she could help him.

  “I don’t think there is no hope for humanity, but I guess I can steer you in the right path. How many signatures do you have? You need...let me think. For the presidency, you need a thousand of them. Also, you need to be a natural born citizen of the United States, live in this country for fourteen years, and be at least thirty-five. You got all that?”

  “No.” Then he laughed. “I’m all that other crap. Born and raised here, and I’m thirty-six. But the signatures? Can’t we just say I have them and go on from there?”

  “No, you can’t say you have them. After you get them, you’re going to have to file with the FEC. Federal Election Committee. You can file with them either in person with the forms filled out, or online. It’s faster in person, I’d think. They’ll be needing their thousand dollars too. There won’t be any fudging that.” She grinned at him as he started looking for something to write on and a pen to do it with. Thomas thought she started talking faster after that. “You need a tax identification and a bank account for your running funding. Ballot access, as well as someone to watch over your money. A treasurer. A statement of candidacy will need to be filed too. That’ll be form number two, not one. And just so you know, it’ll be about ten million dollars to run for the presidency. I’m thinking that includes the airtime to get your platform out there. You do have one of them, don’t you?”

  Thomas shook his head, then nodded. “I don’t think anyone is going to be happy with it. I’m just going to be running for things I want.” She told him that most people did that anyway. “What about Adrian Whitfield? You think that he’ll have his shit together?”

  “Together? That man has the backing of the United States of America President.” She made the title of the president sound like a lot more syllables than it really was. “Not only that, but he’s been mayor of his little town and made a tremendous difference there. Governor of Ohio, too, where he made people sit up and take notice of him and his efforts of making things better for the entire world. If he ran for president of the world, he’d have my vote there too. Yes, that man has his crap together. Now, do you have all the things I’ve listed for you?”

  Thomas left the office but was still determined to be the president. How hard could it be, really? While he’d never listened to any of the speeches that the sitting president had given, it didn’t look to be that hard of a job. You just had all the people working for you go out and do good things so that you could take the credit for it.

  Laughing to himself, he stopped by the drug store to pick up some things to use when he went to his mom’s today. He had a hammer to break in with, but he thought with all the fucking wolves around, he should have something to combat them too. If she was not at home, that is. If she was, then he’d have to deal with Mom the best he knew how. With the hammer.

  He wasn’t a terrible person. Thomas was an all right guy, he thought. He helped out when he had to at things. Just last week, he’d spent four days at the shelter handing out food for the less than stellar people in the city. Of course, he’d had to do it as part of his sentencing, but he’d done it, hadn’t he?

  People had told him that he couldn’t be a criminal and run for president. That simply wasn’t true. You could run, but you didn’t stand much of a chance of winning. Thomas knew that he would be the first to do so—he’d not just run, but he would win as well. And the laws about that would change as soon as he was in office. Just where was he going to get ten million to run for office?

  Seeing another sign for Whitfield, he wondered if he was using the money he had to run for president. Since the other man—Thomas couldn’t remember his name right off the bat—since he was now taking care of Anna and the rest of his foolish family, maybe Adrian would let Thomas use it. Thomas thought they could sort of like scratch each other’s back about it. Thomas would get to be president, and Adrian wouldn’t have to pay taxes on the money he had set aside for his presidency. The man was newly married, right? He didn’t need any distractions right now.

  “Or at least I�
��d not think so.” Thomas laughed at his own little joke and took a glance at the paper as he walked by the stand. Going back when what it said hit him, he jerked the paper from the stand, knocking all the other papers to the ground. “What the fucking hell is this? Who thought they could print this sort of malarkey?”

  He didn’t get any answers, but he certainly was being stared at. Picking up the other papers as best he could, Thomas took his copy to the front counter and paid for it. As soon as he was outside, he read the entire article three times before he could believe what his eyes were telling him.

  “Shadow is marrying a Whitfield?” Thomas looked at the headline again. Last of the Wealthy Whitfield Bachelors is Marrying. It wasn’t the marrying part that bothered him now, it was what it said about his wealthy niece. That she was an artist to reckon with. A rising star. “When the fuckery did that happen?”

  He wanted to go to his mom’s house more than ever. If Anna—he could not believe that people were still attaching that name to her—was anything more than just someone that played in the barn out back, he’d eat a horse. Standing up, he left his paper behind and made his way to the house.

  By the time he got there, he was hot and sweaty. He’d been trying to go to the gym to work out, but there was something always getting in his way. First, this thing with his sister, who he still had to find out how she’d gotten away. Then this with his presidency. Who would have thought that it would be a nightmare to try to have his sister dead and his mother in a nursing home?

  He wanted them both dead, but he thought people would wonder if he’d done them both if he did that. One at a time. And Thomas knew that people in nursing homes died all the time without anyone bothering to figure out why. Thomas thought that if he bided his time, things for his mother would just come naturally.

  “And if it doesn’t, I’ll just help her along with it.” Smiling, he was standing up on the front porch when he realized that he’d gotten by the dogs. Which he supposed was good since he’d not picked up the hammer he had or anything to deal with his mom. Turning the knob, Thomas was shocked to find the door locked. Looking in the window, he could see that the place looked empty. Something wasn’t right. Going to the back door, Thomas found the same thing. Not only was the back door locked, but it looked like there wasn’t any food cooking on the stove, as there usually was about this time of day. Nor did it look to him like there was anything sitting on the counters.