In the Mood Fur Love

by Eve Langlais

  “Don’t stop, baby,” she heard Hawke whisper as her need pushed her higher than she’d ever been before.

  Shawna bit her lip and moved the toy slightly so it aligned and began to suckle at her clit. This time the ragged moan was ripped from somewhere deep inside at the overwhelming pleasure that filled her body.

  “You’re fucking gorgeous. I can’t wait to be the one making you scream in pleasure like that,” Hawke growled.

  “Yes, god, yes,” Shawna begged. She was losing her mind. The pleasure was causing her to hallucinate, but she didn’t care. That voice was driving her pleasure to unbearable new depths.

  “If you taste half as good as you smell, it will be like nirvana. I want to bury my head between your thighs and make you shake and beg for mercy.”

  “Fuck me, Hawke.” She didn’t know what she was saying anymore; it was mindless pleasure as her body danced to his tune alone now. If he actually touched her, she was afraid she’d spontaneously combust. “Oh, fuck me, fuck me,” she cried as his voice filled her once again.

  “That’s it, baby. Ride that toy; show me what you’d do to my face, my cock.”

  “Hawke!” Shawna screamed as her whole body splintered into a million pieces and fell back to earth.

  “That’s it, baby; ride those waves. You’re so beautiful when you come apart like that. I can’t wait to feel you wrapped around me when it happens. I want to take you to the stars and hold you tight as we float back to reality.”

  She’d never felt so relaxed and exhausted as she did at that moment. That was an orgasm to end all orgasms. Never in her life had she experienced anything even close to that. She’d hallucinated! That was a first.

  As she lay there trying to catch her breath she became aware of a feeling of being watched; she slowly eased up her heavy eyelids and gasped as she saw the man standing a few feet away.

  “Hawke!” she exclaimed as she jumped up and attempted to cover herself with the bedspread she was lying on. “What in the hell are you doing here in my room?” she screamed as she tugged unsuccessfully at the blanket trapped under her wriggling body.

  “Don’t cover up on my account. I could stare at your luscious curves for eternity and never get tired of them. You are the epitome of a goddess, love.”

  She bit her lip as she saw the lust that shone from his eyes. His wolf was close to the surface. The knowledge both excited and scared her.

  “I came to check on you after you ran out,” he said as he took a few more steps, easing his way closer to where she lay panting in shock. “I knocked, but you didn’t answer. Then the most intoxicating smell reached me and I heard your moan of need.”

  “What are you doing?” Shawna whispered as she watched him kneel beside her on the bed.

  “I just watched you, listened to you call my name and beg me to fuck you. Babe, I want to claim what’s mine more than I want my next breath.”

  “We have to go.…” She trailed off as he lowered his head to her chest and took her swollen nipple into his mouth. Her back involuntarily arched off the bed as she felt his teeth scrape against the sensitive bud. Shawna felt his hand trail its way down her thigh and sweep closer and closer to where she secretly wanted it the most. She knew she should stop this, but it felt too good to be touched by him. To have what she desired come to life.

  “Hawke,” she gasped out as he rubbed one finger through her slick, moist heat.

  He leaned back and smiled. “We don’t have time right now for me to do what I’m craving. For now, this taste will have to satisfy us.”

  She watched as he pulled his hand back to show her his glistening fingers covered in her juices before he licked them clean with a moan of delight.

  “Just as sweet as I’d imagined you’d be. Now, get up and get dressed. No shower; just get some clothes on.”

  She started to protest, but one look at his steely-eyed stare and she knew it would be futile. There was barely controlled need staring back at her. She nodded and climbed to her feet on wobbly legs that didn’t want to support her.

  “I need to clean up,” she said as she felt her face burn in embarrassment.

  “No,” he growled before stopping himself and taking a deep breath. “No, baby. Please don’t. Just put on some clothes and let’s go before it’s too late.”

  She paused and glanced back at him over her shoulder in confusion. “Too late?”

  “My control is going to snap if we don’t get out of here soon. The smell of your arousal and orgasm is going to push me past my limits. If you want to make it to the benefit, we have to go now. Otherwise I’m going to throw you on that bed and worship at the altar of your body for the rest of the night.”

  Shawna knew he was telling the truth; she could see how he was straining to hold himself in check. But a part of her wanted what he said. She knew she’d probably never have this opportunity again. To have a man like him lusting after her, to see the evidence of his need so strongly, was a heady thing.

  “I’ll get dressed, but I hope that when you drop me off you’ll consider joining me back in this bed. I want one night of the promise I see lurking in your eyes. I want to feel the power of your wolf as you claim my body.”

  Never had she felt so wanton as she did now getting dressed. Part of her felt dirty and ashamed for not getting cleaned up, but one look at the man standing a few feet away almost drooling and that was quickly quelled. She was tempted to get dressed as slowly as she could to watch him mesmerized by her body, to feel his gaze devouring her, but the quicker they got to the benefit, the sooner they’d be back here, she hoped making her scream.

  “I’ll be outside. I can’t,” Hawke grunted out as he took deep breaths. “You’re killing me.”

  With those few words he spun on his heel and exited her small apartment. The sexual tension left behind was still strong, though. She shook her head and quickly grabbed her most sensual matching panties and bra set. If she was honest, it was also one of the only ones she had that actually matched. Next she pulled out the dress Josie had let her use. It was not her usual type of dress, but she couldn’t deny it was gorgeous.

  With a grin of pure evil, Shawna had an idea. She could zip up the small zipper on her lower back, but it would be so much more fun to have Hawke do it. She called out to him knowing he’d hear her with his superior shifter senses.

  “Hawke, I need your help, please.”

  Within moments the front door opened again. She tracked his footsteps as he moved closer to her. Without a word, she spun and gave him her back. “Can you zip me, please?”

  “Beautiful, you know my goal is to get you undressed. Not put clothes on you.”

  She laughed, but her breath caught as she felt his warm breath against her ear. “You are the most mesmerizing creature I’ve ever seen in my life. You have enchanted me,” he whispered as he pulled the zipper up slowly while trailing one finger against her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

  “I’m almost ready,” she said breathlessly as she stepped away and shivered. “Five minutes.”

  “That’s fine. We’ve got a bit of leeway.” He grinned ruefully. “It’s a bit easier now that you’re dressed and I’m not seeing temptation quite as much.”

  Five minutes later she was ready as promised. She took a moment to stand in front of her full-length mirror and take in her appearance. It wasn’t often she had the time or inclination to dress up anymore after all.

  She was glowing, not that she expected any different after that mind-blowing orgasm a short time ago, but it was more than that too. It was the way she felt in the dress, the way Hawke’s eyes tracked her every move with hunger.

  “I see I’m going to have a long night ahead of me fighting off everyone who sees you in that bit of witchery,” Hawke drawled with a wink.

  Shawna shrugged impishly as she took in her dress, seeing what he did. The long-sleeved black dress fit her to perfection with its teasing glimpses of skin under the lace and beaded sleeves and bust. It had an
empire waist with a keyhole back that left a good portion of her smooth, tawny skin exposed. But by far her favorite feature of the dress was the slit that went from her toes up to midthigh.

  “I’m ready; just let me grab my purse and we can go.” Shawna bent over to retrieve her black clutch from the floor of her open closet and heard Hawke’s indrawn breath.

  “I swear, woman. You will be the death of me. Do not bend over tonight or I will end up killing someone.”

  Without waiting for a reply, Hawke led the way back out of her apartment. When he reached the door, he faced Shawna and grimaced. “I really don’t want to share you with the world after I’ve seen what you’re hiding under there. Just please stay close to me tonight, so I don’t have to call Keir or Xander for bail money. It’s a benefit for charity, after all. It’s bad enough you’ll probably end up giving one of the old geezers a heart attack as it is.”

  They made small talk as they headed to the garage and his waiting car. Nothing important, just “get to know you better” things. Shawna was amazed at how much they had in common. They came from entirely different worlds, yet they were so similar in so many ways.

  “Have fun, Miz Shawna!” Robbie called from his corner of the garage with a wave and a nod of greeting to Hawke.

  “Night, Robbie, be safe for me,” she replied as she climbed into the car.

  “What’s his story?” Hawke asked as he joined her and started the car. “He’s very protective of you.”

  “I don’t really know. He was here when I moved in. I’d say hello or wave when I saw him and we just sort of became friends. Robbie’s one of the good guys. He always watches out for the people he calls too good for this place. When Josie and Ally come by he escorts them to and from my place. Does the same for me too, actually. He’s a vet; I know that from something he let slip one day.”

  They lapsed into silence as she watched the scenery pass by the car window until she suddenly realized she had no idea what tonight was about. “What’s the benefit for? I mean, what’s the cause they are raising money for?”

  “It’s for a group called Tomorrow’s Hope. They run shelters for homeless kids, give them a place to live, feed them, and get them in school.”

  “I’ve never heard of them. How did you get involved?”

  “I used to volunteer with at-risk kids. Through them I heard about this group and all the good they’ve done. I began helping them too. Actually, twice a year all the employees of my companies get a paid day to go volunteer for a few hours at a charity of their choice. I believe in giving back and doing what I can.”

  This man was a mystery to her; every time she thought she knew him he surprised her with some other detail. Had she been misjudging him the whole time? “Why did you create Mate for Hire?”

  Hawke grunted out a small laugh. “That was out of the blue.”

  Shawna shrugged. “I was just thinking it was an odd thing for you to do. Then again, most men don’t run lingerie companies either, I’d imagine.”

  “True, but you know my story. My family created it and I just took over. As to the matchmaking side of things, that was all me. My grandparents have one of those relationships most people only read about. You know, the ones where they met, fell in love and married, and stayed together for seventy years until death separated them hours apart.”

  “Of course, everyone’s heard of those. Some part of me always wondered if they were true, though, you know. I’d love to believe they were. I mean, to live your whole lives together and when one dies the other follows quickly because they can’t live without the other. To be so in love that you’ve been inseparable for five times as long as you were apart. It’s surreal and kind of awe-inspiring.”

  “That’s my parents. They met when they were in middle school. They were twelve years old, but they knew right then they’d be together forever. They dated all through high school and got married the day after graduation. Even now, they don’t go more than twenty-four hours without seeing each other.” Hawke grinned. “Do you know that last week I surprised them and found them slow dancing in the living room? They’ve been married over fifty years and the love I saw on their faces for each other blew me away.”

  “That’s beautiful, but that doesn’t explain why you started it.”

  “Because I think everyone should have a chance to find their soul mate, their other half, the person that brings meaning to their lives. Yeah, shifters know when they meet their mate, but they still have to find them. I created Mate for Hire to help them achieve that goal. Some of the matches don’t end up being their mates, but they usually at least end up being friends. That we do have such a high success rate, or at least we did, is in part thanks to you.”

  “What about you then? You put your information in, but you haven’t found your mate yet. I know the system was flawed and the matches weren’t working, but what about before that? How did your dates go?”

  “To be honest, I didn’t sign up until recently and that was only for a couple reasons. One, I wanted to see for myself how bad the matches being created were, and two, I needed a date until I could convince my mate that she belonged to me.”

  Shawna gasped in surprise and alarm. “Wait, you’ve met your mate?”

  “A few months back. She’s been rather a pain in the ass up until recently, though. Wouldn’t give me the time of day. Things might be coming around now, though, finally.”

  She didn’t know what to say. All her thoughts were focused on that one word: mate. He’d found his mate; he belonged to someone. She wanted to weep at the news; all she’d wanted was one night of unbridled passion, but how could she do that with him now? Her eyes burned and her heart hurt from the sudden sense of loss. Never in a million years had she expected that, and she wasn’t sure how to react now that she had heard it.

  “Is she a shifter too?” Shawna asked hesitantly. The last thing she needed was a female shifter chasing her down for daring to encroach on her territory.

  “No, she’s human. She knows about shifters. A couple of her friends are mated to shifters, in fact. But for some reason, she’s got it in her head that because she has curves no one would want her. I’m trying to prove to her how wrong she is. Stubborn wench.”

  Shawna grunted, “What do you expect when you spend your whole life being judged and deemed less than because you aren’t that model size zero? Women with curves are looked down on, called names, and ridiculed. Hell, I went to see my doctor and he harps on losing weight even though he admits I’m healthier than ninety percent of his patients.”

  “I guess I never thought of that. I don’t see any of that when I see her. Just the woman I want to spend my life with. The woman that makes me want to worship her body in ways she can’t even begin to imagine.”

  The silence filled the car once again as they both thought over the things that had been said. For Shawna’s part, she wanted to scream and cry and run home to drown her sorrows in a bowl of ice cream. “Does your mate know you’re out with me tonight?”

  “We’re here. I hope you’re ready for this,” Hawke said as he ignored her question. “I’m sure as hell not,” he grumbled softly.

  CHAPTER 8

  He wasn’t sure how he was going to survive this night. He was already rock hard and aching and now he had to watch these old perverts fawn and drool over his clueless mate. He was just lucky she hadn’t maimed him when she realized she wasn’t alone earlier. When he’d walked up to her door and heard those sounds, smelled her arousal, there was no way he could have stayed away. Lucky for him he knew how to pick a lock and within seconds he was in the door and watching the most erotic moment of his life.

  His wolf had pushed him to claim his mate right then and there, but he knew she wouldn’t accept that yet. Instead, he watched, fantasized, and waited. When she’d called his name, he’d almost lost his mind. It’d taken all he had not to climb between her luscious thighs and take over for that toy.

  Hawke groaned silently as he remembered the
taste of her on his fingers, the way her eyes darkened as she watched him. Only his iron control kept him from coming right then and there.

  “Are you okay?” Shawna asked as he stopped beside her outside the entrance to the benefit. “You look like you’re in pain.”

  If she only knew the half of it, he thought. “I’m fine, babe. Just remembering the taste of you.” He grinned wickedly as he heard her intake of breath. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

  Hawke placed his hand on the small of her back and led them into the overflowing abundance of people littering the entryway. He hated these types of people. They were only here to be seen and to see. Always ready to spread a rumor or gossip no matter who they hurt. He’d have hoped, considering this was a charity event for kids, that they’d be better behaved. It was clear that wasn’t going to be the case. And if that one Botoxed, leather-wrapped harlot didn’t stop sneering at his mate, she was going to find herself in a world of hurt.

  “Hawke, stop,” Shawna whispered as she pulled on his arm. “Ignore them. They aren’t bothering me. I swear I’m used to it, nothing they say can hurt me; I promise. Let’s have fun and ignore the old biddy.”

  Hawke laughed as she said that last bit, loud enough for the shrew to hear. Her gasp of outrage could be heard all around the room. His mate was perfect and apparently a bit more tactful than he was at the moment.

  “Excuse me,” a cultured older voice said softly beside them. “I couldn’t help overhearing and observing what just transpired and I wanted to say that was, to put it mildly, fantastic. It’s about time someone, and pardon my French for saying this, had the balls to put that bitch in her place.”

  “Reginald, it’s wonderful to see you again. May I introduce you to my date and very good friend, Shawna Goode. Shawna, this is an old friend of my family, Reginald FitzWilliams.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Shawna said with a blush. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”

  Reginald’s smile broadened. “Never, my dear. You merely did what I wish I could have so many time before you would have. I’d be delighted if you’d both join me for dinner at my table tonight. I fear if I have to sit with the usual people I will go quite mad.”