Trusting Her Protector

by C. D. Gorri

  Backing up a beat, Carolina had only decided to sunbathe and listen to a little music trusting her bodyguard wouldn’t show for at least another hour. Out of nowhere, this behemoth of a man showed up blocking her rays and the rest, of course, was history. She’d reacted rather predictably. Well, for a woman in her position anyway.

  “You shot me,” the enormous, and yes, hot as hell, man said for the second time since she’d gotten her clothes back on and introduced herself properly.

  After a little more screaming and a phone call to Jennifer, Caro was a little embarrassed about the whole thing. Mostly, because her chubby little body had been on display for who knows how long while he’d stood there.

  “So? You were staring at me! What are you some kind of pervert?”

  “First of all, you had headphones in and couldn’t hear me. Not the smartest move for a woman in hiding. Second, you were naked,” he said as if that was not obvious.

  “I’m sure I am not the first woman you’ve seen naked,” she scoffed, and rummaged through the cabinets for tea.

  “No, but you are the first one I’ve seen who looks like that,” he said as if it were a compliment but she couldn’t be sure.

  She decided to ignore the remark and concentrated on the task at hand. It was a self-defense thing. When Carolina got antsy, she drank tea. And there was something about this insanely tall man that made her nerves go into hyperdrive. Especially with that little comment he’d made.

  Did he like the way she looked? Her ex had made it no secret that he’d rather she tried to lose weight. He’d even bought her exercise machines and fitness club memberships as presents during the holidays. Talk about a jerk! Like Joffrey was some kind of perfect prize.

  Now, if this man here had certain fitness expectations of his sexual partners, well, Caro could totally understand. Jasper Wessex was physically perfect as far as she could see. Tall, muscular, and completely gorgeous.

  He was obviously some kind of fitness nut. Hell, she’d never seen so many muscles. Thank goodness he wasn’t all veiny and oiled up like some of those bodybuilders who went around posing and sporting thongs on Facebook. Not him, his physique looked much more natural.

  Of course, she supposed good genes counted for a lot in life. Maybe his ancestors were like dark-haired Vikings or something. Carolina was a mutt herself. A mix of over half a dozen ethnicities from both her parents. The Moore’s were a melting pot. She was proud of her family’s mixed history, even though she seemed to get the shit genes.

  Hell, she was short and chubby with wide hips and big feet. Size tens. Ugh. She did like her eyes though. They were her best feature along with her thick, long hair. As an artist, she appreciated beauty and she was honest about it. It didn’t make her conceited to like certain things about herself.

  This guy here though, he hit the jackpot with his genetics. His height alone was extraordinary. Like a titan amongst men, she snorted at her own flight of fancy.

  “Did you just snort?” he asked and she turned around eyes wide.

  Shit. She’d forgotten he was there. Adopting a nonchalant expression, she shrugged and poured the boiling water, watching as the liquid darkened.

  “Thank you,” he grinned, and damn, it was like a sucker punch to her long-since used female bits.

  Ooh, she wished she had some clay. He was like sex on legs. Wouldn’t she just love to sculpt him? With his muscles and height, she could fashion gods after him. Maybe she could do some gem work as well with those crazy eyes of his, they were unlike anything she had ever seen. A dark golden color, and every now and then, she was certain they glowed.

  “So, was that a Taser 2x?” he asked referring to her stun gun.

  “Um, yes actually,” she shrugged, embarrassed now.

  “Where did you get that? It’s for law enforcement.”

  “Don’t you know you can buy anything online these days?” she shook her head and handed him one of the mugs, “So, do you often drink tea?”

  “Sure,” he replied much to her surprise.

  He looked like the kind of guy who only drank protein shakes during work hours and straight whiskey at night. No rocks. No water. Just fiery liquid passing those full lips and running down his throat. Would his Adam’s apple bob up and down when he swallowed? What would he taste like if she kissed him there? Salty or sweet? Maybe both.

  Uh oh. There went her imagination again. You’d think after one failed marriage she would be immune to men. Sigh. It was her curse, she supposed. Eternally optimistic and frequently disappointed. Well, at least this relationship was purely business, she thought. For some reason, that fact depressed her.

  “So, tell me about your trouble,” he said, and his rapt gaze made her squirm under the robe she’d put on over her bathing suit.

  Was it her or did his eyes just drop to her chest again? Hmm. She narrowed her gaze and removed the Moroccan Mint tea bag from her mug, nodding at him to do the same. She’d grabbed a box from the gas station on the way up. Jennifer was pretty well-stocked, but Caro did like her tea.

  “How much do you know?” she asked, ignoring the sexual tension in the room.

  She’d only been divorced a few months, but it had been nearly a year since she’d had sex. And even then, sex with Joffrey was nothing to write home about. Sex with her bodyguard however, seemed a much more interesting prospect.

  Jasper leaned forward and closed his eyes, while he sucked in a deep, long breath. When he opened them, she noticed they were glowing.

  “Holy fuck, you’re a Shifter!” she exclaimed.

  Knowing about Shifters and having tea with one while daydreaming about the naughty things she wanted to do with him were entirely different things. Excitement filled her as a million questions emerged in her mind.

  “Uh, yeah, about that, Jennifer said not to-”

  “Uh, please, ask the woman to pose for you once in her Owl, and I have never heard the end of it-”

  “What?”

  “Look, I was a newbie back then. I hadn’t perfected my sculpting technique, and her eyes are that big, I don’t see the problem, but everyone is a critic these days,” Caro realized she was rambling, but she couldn’t seem to stop, “anyway I made up for it with that piece she keeps on her mantle.”

  “Wait, slow down,” he grinned again, and damn, if she didn’t need new bottoms before she sure as hell did now, “you’re a sculptor, I got that part. I take it you sculpted Jennifer and she didn’t like it?”

  “I don’t know, I guess. But in my defense, I was really young. Like twelve maybe when I did my first study on her, and let’s just say she was not flattered,” heat burned her cheeks, but for some reason she kept talking, in fact, she found him perfectly attentive and enchanting.

  “I’m sure anything you made was perfect,” he said in a deep voice that had her very aware of him and the closed space of the cabin’s kitchen.

  “Oh,” she said, hypnotized by that amber fire glowing in his eyes.

  Carolina was a passionate woman. Like most artists, or at least that was what she’d always assumed. But even she had never had such strong feelings for a stranger before. Sure, she knew his name, had gotten it from his credentials after she’d tasered the poor guy, but Jasper Wessex was unlike any man she’d ever met.

  Animal magnetism was like his own personal brand of cologne. She was drawn to him. Her ovaries were practically exploding with lust and need. Dang it, what was she going to do? It would be way too embarrassing for a thirty-seven year old divorcee to jump her bodyguard, wouldn’t it?

  “What are you thinking about over there, beautiful?” he seemed to purr the words and she felt her nipples tighten in response.

  Carolina sipped her tea, willing her hormones to slow the heck down. She hadn’t even told him about her problem yet. It was only fair.

  “So, if you read the file on me you’ll know I was in Egypt up until yesterday,” she began, waiting for his signal to continue, “while I was there, well, er, I kinda, sorta, mayb
e let an ancient Egyptian Demon, whose hieroglyph resembles a giant dildo by the way, free from an old tablet where he’d been imprisoned.”

  “Uh, is that it?”

  “Nope. Did I mention that now he wants me for his bride?”

  “What?!” he seemed to growl.

  “Yeah, so, that’s me,” she finished.

  Carolina didn’t know what she expected from him. Some laughter maybe? A joke, a snarky reply, a suggested trip to the ER to have her head examined? But the one thing she’d not been expecting was for him to move lightning fast out of his chair and over to her side of the table.

  Holy shit! He’d gone from one place to another in the blink of an eye. Jasper pulled her into his embrace, one-syllable on his lips, and it had her hotter than the steaming pot of tea. She swallowed nervously.

  “Mine,” he growled and his large hands squeezed her upper arms.

  Heat and moisture pooled between her thighs. She had no time to think before he claimed her lips in a kiss so roughly fantastic that Carolina dropped the thankfully empty mug that she’d been holding. She needed her hands. Had to use them to grab onto his incredibly wide shoulders just to steady herself.

  Chapter 6

  Jasper’s Wyvern roared in triumph as he claimed Carolina Moore’s lemony vanilla flavored kiss for his own.

  Her sweet lips parted and he delved into her mouth, running on instinct rather than skill to show her the depths of his regard. Her small hands clutched at him and he reveled in his strength, allowing her to touch and feel where she wanted.

  He was so big and she was delicate and petite. The last thing he wanted was to overwhelm the beautiful flower that she was. Still, he couldn’t stop his desire from growing with renewed hunger every time her pert little tongue tangled with his.

  The woman was amazing. Beautiful and smart, funny too, he could hardly believe Fate had blessed him with such a mate. Without words he showed her how desperate he was for her, pressing the bulging evidence of his desire against the apex of her delightedly plump thighs.

  Jasper slid his hands down her back, past the indent of her waist, over her rounded hips, to the full globes of her ass. Fuck, she was perfect. He wanted more, wanted to feel those legs wrapped around him.

  Swallowing her soft moan, he lifted her onto the counter. His eyes found hers at half-mast, glazed with lust as he parted the short, terrycloth robe that hid her splendid curves.

  “Mine,” he growled again kissing her chin and neck as he slowly revealed her supple form.

  He pulled her arms gently out of the robe. Careful with her, as he always would be. She was precious to him after all. The tiny swatches of black material she’d called a bathing suit must have been designed with the intentions of torturing a man.

  His Wyvern pressed, growling deep at the beauty of his fated mate and his desire to claim her then and there. Jasper had to wrestle him down for control. Claws were no good here. No. He needed hands, lips, and the rest of his human body to love her with.

  The beast understood and withdrew, though not entirely. He returned to her mouth, kissing and drinking from her sweet lips while her sharp nails dug into his shoulders. Fuck, that turned him on. He relished the scratch marks she placed there, would wear them like a badge of honor. A proclamation to one and all that she was his woman and he was hers.

  Mark. Bite. Claim. His Wyvern pushed the thoughts at him, and he wanted to. So fucking much. But he needed to explain the situation. Just because she knew about Shifters, didn’t mean she knew about mating.

  As his fated mate, his sweet Carolina was the only woman in the entire universe he would ever want. She was the most important thing to him, bar none. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to procure her happiness and satisfaction.

  “Mine,” he growled and nibbled her chin, wild with lust for her.

  “Yes,” she moaned and wiggled on the countertop to get closer to him.

  Her arousal was sweet and heady in the small space. He wanted more, wanted her moaning and wild with need for him. So, he worked at it. Teasing her skin with carefully placed touches. Under her breast, inside her thighs, close, so close to heaven, but always retreating to keep her wanting more.

  Yes, he would give her what she wanted, but never rushed. Always with the aim of providing the most pleasure for his sweet, succulent little mate. Carolina pulled on his shirt until he got the gist and finished the job. Taking the hated cotton garment over his head and tossing it across the room.

  His skin burned for her touch. Too many clothes. Even in just the bikini, she was too concealed for his liking. Ever since he’d seen her sunbathing by the lake, he’d been dying for a taste. One tug was all it took to remove the flimsy bathing suit top. Her bountiful breasts spilled out and into his waiting palms.

  Grrr. His chest rumbled with the strength of his growl. Jasper was a big man. Big everywhere. But even his frying pan sized hands weren’t large enough to fully catch her magnificently plump beauties.

  He dipped his head, impatient and oh so hungry for her, and caught one dusky nipple between his teeth. She whimpered in need in time with the pulls of his mouth on her sensitive pebbles. The pink flush of arousal that tinted her tanned skin deepened in color.

  He couldn’t help himself, he bit down slightly on the nubbin, taking satisfaction in her lustful cry and the way she pressed herself more fully into him. Jasper soothed the hurt with his tongue and lips, lapping and suckling each cherry-tipped breast in turn, until his lips moved southwards, down her stomach to her navel, and finally, to that glorious treasure between her legs.

  “We shouldn’t, you shouldn’t,” she gasped and moaned, widening her legs for him and tugging him closer by his hair, “shouldn’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

  “I won’t,” he grunted and tugged her bottoms to the side.

  There before him was his prize. Glistening with her dew, Jasper pressed his face into her heat, sucking in a breath, and swallowing down her heady fragrance before nuzzling her wet folds apart.

  “S’perfect,” he growled.

  It was all he could do to hold his beast in check, this close to her core, the Wyvern inside of him wanted to claim and bite, after he made her come screaming his name of course.

  Jasper was on board with that part, but there would be no claiming until he had a conversation with his sexy little mate. First things first, his tongue snaked out of his mouth and he got his first taste of her.

  Holy fuck! Jasper went cross-eyed. He damn near exploded in his pants just from one swipe of his tongue along her honeyed slit. Sweet nectar of the gods, she was sublime.

  The saucy little minx was a fucking paragon of womanhood. The image of her bare-breasted wielding a taser gun would be forever imprinted on his brain much like the taste of her honey slick folds.

  Jasper could hardly describe his mate’s beauty as she sat naked on the tiled countertop. Her lush legs spread wide, that secret part of her on display. Her fingernails bit into his scalp. She was ravishingly kissable. An anatomical feast for him alone.

  “Oh, God, I’m gonna,” Carolina gripped his hair, rocking her hips, riding his tongue until he felt the first ripples of her orgasm take her.

  “Yes,” she moaned and he swallowed down her cream, glorying in the first of many orgasms he planned on giving her.

  Fuck it. He wanted to join her in that pleasure. Couldn’t hold back anymore. In two moves, he had her ass in the air, palms flat on the counter with his dick in hand, ready to penetrate her sweet heat.

  All he could think about was sinking deep inside her velvet sheath. To feel her sweet pussy grip him tight and milk him of his cum would be as close to heaven as a man like Jasper would ever get. He wanted that. Wanted her. Now. Cock at her slick entrance all he had to do was flex his hips.

  Then all hell broke loose. Literally.

  Jasper’s keen senses picked up on the sounds of an intruder a split second before he could stake his claim on his tasty little normal.

  “Shit,” h
e growled, and barely had time to zip his fly and hand her the robe she’d been wearing before the front door flew open.

  A black cloud hovered at the entrance, but something seemed to bar it from coming in. Jasper grabbed the gun he’d tucked under the counter and aimed it at the vaporous apparition.

  “Who the fuck are you?” he growled at it.

  The thing seemed to try several different ways to enter the cabin, but for whatever reason it couldn’t get through. A sound boomed, much like thunder but the sun was still shining, either way Jasper wasn’t lowering the weapon.

  “It’s him,” Carolina covered her mouth with her hand as she watched the vapor cloud dissolve.

  “There’s something at the door. Don’t touch it,” he growled possessively.

  He didn’t know if whatever that thing left was harmful. He couldn’t risk her getting hurt. As he neared the doorway he saw a small gold box covered in what looked like tiny pictures. No, not pictures, hieroglyphs.

  “Can I see it?” she said as he retrieved the thing.

  Was it wrong that he felt a bit of jealousy over the fancy gold box that had obviously been left for her? Possibly, but oh fucking well.

  Until she was claimed, he imagined this was going to be the constant state of his emotions. Horny as fuck one minute, and irrationally jealous the next.

  “Let me open it, please,” he added and placed the box on the coffee table.

  Still gorgeously disheveled from their passionate interlude, Jasper’s Wyvern rumbled softly in his chest as Carolina leaned forward to study the gilded present. Dark brows furrowed, she was breathtaking in her study of the thing. She reached out a hand to touch the box, and he tried to stop her before she could make contact.

  “Wait,” he said, but she was already handling the object, “I said to wait in case it was rigged,” he explained and expelled the breath he’d sucked in when she touched it. Thank goodness it did not hurt her.

  “Oh,” she blushed prettily, “and here I thought it was because you were jealous that I was getting gifts from another man, er, Demon.”