Edge of Night

by Ramona Gray

  Daisy rolled her eyes. “I told you – we’re only doing all of these things because it’s beneficial for both of us. I have a place to stay while I look for a new apartment and Cooper’s lion is happy.”

  “What will you say when he asks for sex?” Megan said.

  “He won’t.” Daisy folded her legs under her and hiked the quilt a little higher. “He told me himself that he’s looking for another woman to have sex with.”

  “Seriously? He said that to you?”

  “Well, not in those words but the message was clear,” Daisy said.

  “You sound jealous,” Megan said.

  “I’m not.”

  “Aren’t you?”

  “Shut up, Meg-head.”

  She expected that would make Megan laugh, it normally did, but her best friend just stared solemnly at her through the phone. “You should try sleeping with him, Daze.”

  “What? You know I can’t.”

  Megan shrugged. “I’m starting to think you could. It’s obvious you’re attracted to him. Hell, you made out with him in his office, remember? Maybe sleeping with him would help you get over your fear of him.”

  “I’m not afraid of him,” Daisy said. “I used to be but now I’m… well, I’m not. I don’t think. Jesus… this is confusing.”

  “I know I told you it wasn’t a good idea before, but I’ve changed my mind. I think you should try sleeping with him. You’ll know then for certain if you’re still afraid of him and if you’re not, maybe banging him will help you get over your fear of other shifters.”

  Daisy laughed. “How exactly would that help me?”

  Megan grinned at her. “For God’s sake, girl, I’m trying to get you laid. Work with me here. You need to find out how amazing sex can be, and you know that lion shifter will be game.”

  “You don’t know he’ll be good at sex,” Daisy said.

  “He will be,” Megan said. “Trust me on this.”

  “How many lion shifters have you slept with?” Daisy asked.

  “Enough. Look, obviously you shouldn’t do anything you don’t want to, but I do think you should at least consider the idea. Honestly, I haven’t seen you looking this happy and relaxed since… well, ever, to be blunt. You don’t have that pinched look on your face anymore, you don’t jump at every little sound… Cooper is good for you, babe.”

  “I had a pinched look on my face?” Daisy said.

  Megan waved her statement off. “Just consider it, okay? You could get some good sex for once in your life, and from the sounds of it, maybe an awesome boyfriend too.”

  “I can’t date my boss. That’s weird.”

  “No, what’s weird is letting him mark you until you’re so horny that you’re making out with him in his office,” Megan said.

  Daisy cocked her head, listening intently as Megan peered at her through the screen. “What? What’s going on?”

  “I thought I heard the stairs creak,” Daisy said in a low voice. “I don’t want Cooper hearing us discuss my sex life.”

  “More like lack of sex life,” Megan said.

  “Ha, ha,” Daisy said. She listened for a few seconds more but when it was completely silent, decided the noise she heard was her imagination. “What if I try and I can’t actually go through with it? I would feel like a horrible tease. Or what if the sex isn’t good and I don’t want to keep sleeping with him? That wouldn’t be fair to Cooper. It would be basically leading him on. His lion already thinks I’m his mate. If I slept with Cooper and I didn’t like it and never did it again, it would be even harder to convince his lion that I’m not his mate. I don’t want Cooper going crazy just because I don’t like the way he, uh, bangs me.”

  Megan tugged absently at her hair. “Well, you make a good point. But, Jesus, girl, don’t you want to experience good sex at least once in your life? Maybe have a man actually make you come?”

  “Jeff made me come,” Daisy said.

  “Once,” Megan said. “He made you come once in how many years of sleeping with him? Face it, babe, you have no idea what good sex is.”

  “Maybe not,” Daisy said. “But, again, you don’t know that Cooper is good at it.”

  “I stand by my statement that he will be awesome at sex. I’ve only slept with one shifter who wasn’t great at it.”

  “Seriously, how many shifters have you slept with?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know, you perv,” Megan said. “I gotta go, I have an early day tomorrow and I want to relax in the tub for a bit. Love you, babe. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Love you too.” Daisy ended the call and tossed her phone on the bed before lying back and staring at the ceiling.

  Tonight had been very… pleasant. After work, she and Cooper had stopped at the grocery store and picked up groceries for the week. She grinned up at the ceiling. If she thought Cooper’s scent had kept shifters away, it was nothing compared to having the actual Cooper with her. It had been crystal clear which shoppers were shifters and which were humans just by their reaction to Cooper. For the first time in her life she’d felt strong and almost powerful, which was stupid because she was small and weak.

  Cooper makes you feel strong.

  She rolled onto her side and stared at their shared wall. Yes, she supposed that was true. She did feel strong when she was around him. Maybe it had something to do with him being literally the only shifter she didn’t feel nervous around. Even her anxiety over certain actions – like when he talked to his lion and his pupils changed, or when he growled, or his eyes changed colour – had faded and been replaced with a weird kind of fascination.

  And the purring. Don’t forget how awesome his purring is.

  She sat up in bed and pushed the covers back before swinging her feet over the side. Even though it was after ten, she wasn’t tired. After dinner, she and Cooper had watched TV for a couple of hours and kept any conversation related to the shows they watched. She’d sat on the couch, a small part of her hoping that Cooper would sit beside her, but he’d sat in the armchair across the room.

  She ran her hands through her hair before standing. She’d make herself a cup of tea, maybe that would help relax her enough to sleep. She walked toward the door, pausing when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the wall. She was wearing just a pair of sleep shorts and tank top, but she didn’t bother grabbing her robe. Cooper had gone to bed over an hour ago and it would only take her a few minutes to make her tea.

  She walked down the staircase in the dark, keeping her steps light, and walked to the kitchen. She stepped inside, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Cooper standing next to the sink. Shit. He had been walking down the stairs earlier.

  He was wearing just a pair of shorts again and the moonlight shining through the window over the sink highlighted the utter perfection that was his chest.

  “Can’t sleep?’ Cooper’s deep voice washed over her, and a shiver went down her back. He sounded like he did when he told her he could smell how wet she was for him. Heat flashed in her pelvis and zipped down her legs.

  Jesus, she was losing it.

  “Uh, thirsty.” She hovered in the doorway, acutely aware of the way her nipples had hardened and pressed against the thin cotton of her tank top. She wanted to put her arms over her chest but that would draw attention to them. Maybe Cooper wouldn’t notice.

  His face hidden in the shadows, he stepped back from the sink. She took a deep breath and walked to the sink, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water then taking a sip.

  She made herself turn to face him, leaning one hip against the counter. Her face flushed red. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim light and she could see Cooper staring at her tits. She cleared her throat. “You couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

  He cocked his head and sniffed the air before rasping out a purr that sent another wave of shivers up and down her spine. “Your friend was right, my little mate.”

  “I…what?”

  He took a s
tep closer. The moonlight filtered across his face and although his eyes were still blue, she could see the desire and the lust stamped across his features.

  “I can make you come,” he said. “I can make you come until you’re crying my name and begging me to fuck you.”

  The muscles in her belly cramped in a spasm of pleasure and her pussy was immediately wet. He sniffed the air again as she said, “You… you heard us on the phone?”

  He nodded. He hadn’t touched her at all, but the heat in his gaze made her feel like she was on fire with need. “The wall between our rooms is thin and I have excellent hearing, sweet Daisy.”

  She turned to face the window and gripped the edge of the sink, staring blankly out the window. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  He moved closer. She felt the heat of his body when he stepped behind her and rested his hands on the sink beside hers, caging her in. Instead of feeling fear, another rush of desire rocketed through her.

  He bent his head and nuzzled the side of her throat. “Don’t be.”

  He marked her neck, and the roughness of his stubble made her moan and arch. Something hard brushed against her ass and she pressed against it instinctively, gasping when Cooper immediately cupped one breast in his big hand.

  He rubbed his erection against her ass and pulled at her nipple through the thin cotton. “Would you like me to show you how easily I can make you come, little mate?”

  “I… yeah, sure, okay.”

  He laughed and then purred to her, plucking gently at her nipple before sliding both hands under her tank top and cupping her tits. She cried out when he rubbed his thumbs across her aching nipples, and he purred and kissed her throat.

  “I’ve wanted to touch your perfect breasts since the day you walked into the office.” He kissed her throat again. “Lift your shirt, baby, and show me how gorgeous your breasts are.”

  Blushing, feeling a little self-conscious, she grabbed the hem of her tank top and lifted it to her collarbone. Cooper made a growl of approval and she stared at the contrast of his tanned hands and her pale breasts, another slow spasm of desire rolling across her lower body.

  “So beautiful,” Cooper said. “My mate has such pretty pink nipples.”

  He pinched her nipples lightly before rubbing them again with his thumbs. She arched her back as pleasure radiated down to her pelvis. She knew her nipples were sensitive, but the rough feel of Cooper’s fingers was raising her desire to a level she’d never experienced before.

  “Cooper,” she moaned, “please.”

  “Tell me what you want.” Cooper marked the top of her shoulder before kissing along the curve of it. His hot wet mouth against her skin made her cry out and rub her ass against his cock again.

  “Kiss me, please,” she said and turned her face toward his.

  “Yes, my mate.”

  He captured her mouth in a hard kiss, one that stole both her breath and any lingering trepidation. She kissed him back frantically, thrusting her tongue into his mouth with a shameful lack of finesse. She didn’t care. She needed him, needed his kisses and his touch.

  He sucked on her tongue, his hands kneading her small breasts, his cock rubbing against her ass. He purred to her before teasing her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue.

  “Does my mate want me to make her come?” Cooper said teasingly.

  “Yes, yes she really does,” Daisy said.

  His low chuckle made her flush. Or maybe it was the feel of his fingers circling around her belly button. He traced the waistband of her shorts. She was getting ready to beg in a decidedly undignified manner when he slipped his hand inside her shorts.

  To her relief, he didn’t tease. He cupped her pussy, his warm fingers pressing against her folds, his thumb stroking the small patch of hair at the top of her mound.

  “Your pussy is so wet for me,” he breathed into her ear. “Good mate.”

  She moaned and spread her thighs wide, hoping he’d get the message. She clutched at his forearm when he immediately rubbed her clit with his fingertips. Her head fell back with a heavy clunk against his chest, and she bit at her bottom lip as she rocked her hips back and forth, working herself against his hard, rough fingers.

  “Oh God,” she moaned. “You’re so good at this.”

  “I am.” His smug tone brought a smile to her lips. “Your clit is very swollen and wet, sweet Daisy.”

  His touch on her clit turned light, and she dug her nails into his forearm. “Cooper, no. Harder.”

  He purred and marked her neck repeatedly as his left hand kneaded her breasts and his right hand rubbed her clit. He slid one thick finger into her, and she clenched hard around him, the sound of his low groan making her feel powerful in an entirely different way.

  He rubbed hard at her clit and she was shocked to realize how close she was to coming. It never happened this way. She never felt this needy, this desperate for an orgasm. She dug her nails into his arm again and made a pleading, mewling sound that sounded nothing like her.

  Cooper purred to her. She could feel the vibration from his chest against her back and she moaned his name as she pumped her hips faster against his fingers.

  “Come for me, my mate,” Cooper breathed into her ear.

  She cried his name, her orgasm bursting through her in a rush of heat and light and pleasure. She shook wildly, sagging against his broad chest as her legs trembled and her breath heaved in and out of her chest.

  Cooper purred again, his big hand squeezing her breast before he slid his hand out of her shorts. With a low growl, he pulled her to the table and boosted her up onto it before placing his hand against her sternum and pushing her onto her back.

  He crowded between her thighs. The front of his shorts was tented, and when he made another low growl, she glanced at his face. His eyes were dark yellow and glowing brightly in the darkness and she could see the tips of his fangs gleaming in the soft moonlight.

  A flash of fear went through her. It was brief but it was enough to make Cooper stiffen and push away from her. She sat up, shoving her tank top down as he clenched his big hands into fists and backed toward the doorway of the kitchen.

  “Cooper, wait.”

  He shook his head. “You’re afraid. You’re afraid because of me and I can’t -”

  “I’m not,” she said. “I’m not afraid of you.”

  He slammed his fist against his thigh. “You are. I can smell it, Daisy. I’m sorry… this was a mistake.”

  She slid off the table and he backed out into the hallway. She felt like she was the big cat stalking her prey as she went after him. “Cooper, no, let me explain. I was afraid but only -”

  He muttered a curse and shook his head. “I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have – look, just go to bed, okay?”

  “We need to talk,” she said. “You need to listen to me.”

  “In the morning. I can’t… I can’t talk tonight. My lion is too riled up and I – please, Daisy.” He gave her a pleading look that hurt her heart. “Go to your room. Please, baby.”

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  He took the stairs two at a time. She heard his bedroom door slam shut and she leaned against the wall, covering her face with her shaking hands. She’d just had the best orgasm of her life and then managed to ruin everything.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “This isn’t any of my business, but are you okay?” Eleanor glanced at Daisy in the rear-view mirror.

  Daisy managed a wan smile. “Fine.”

  She wasn’t fine. Not by a long shot. She’d woken this morning to an empty house and a note from Cooper saying he had to go in early and Eleanor would pick her up and drive her to work.

  “You sure?”

  “How come you didn’t pick up Wes this morning?” Daisy said.

  “Oh, he texted me and said his boss was picking him up, but could I pick you up instead,” Eleanor said.

  Daisy rubbed at her aching forehead. Cooper was avoiding her and dragging poor Wes into
their stupid drama as well.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to Eleanor.

  “For what?” Eleanor said.

  “You normally drive Wes to work and now you’re stuck with me.”

  “I get paid either way, right?” Eleanor grimaced. “Sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant is, I know I don’t know you very well, but I’m kind of worried about you this morning. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what’s upsetting you?”

  Feeling miserable and lonelier than she’d ever felt since moving to California, Daisy said, “I don’t have very many friends here, and the one friend I do have, I messed up with him and now he’s avoiding me.”

  She could feel the sting of tears and she wiped at her eyes as Eleanor stopped at a light and twisted in her seat to face her. “I’m sorry, Daisy. He probably needs time. I know I tend to need space when I’m upset with someone.”

  “Maybe,” Daisy said. “But it sucks because it was so nice to have a friend and now…”

  The light turned green and Eleanor stepped on the gas. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Eleanor said, “What are you doing Friday night? You wanna have drinks or something? I know a hole in the wall pub not too far from your office. It’s got a great vibe to it.”

  Daisy grimaced. “Thank you, but I don’t want a pity friendship, Eleanor.”

  “It isn’t,” Eleanor said. “Look, honestly, I don’t have that many friends either. I’m kind of a lot to take and you either end up loving me or hating me, you know? I talk too much and I’m awkward in social situations and my dad always said that my filter is broken. So, like, I always say the wrong thing at the wrong time.”

  She turned left on the street that their office building was on. “If you don’t want to hang out with me, that’s cool. But my invitation for drinks on Friday had nothing to do with pity, and everything to do with me being a little lonely myself.”

  She parked in front of their office building and turned to smile at Daisy. “So, what do you say? Drinks on Friday? I promise to try and rein in the weird.”

  Daisy smiled at her, the depression lifting a little for the first time since she woke up to Cooper’s empty house. “Yes to the drinks and you can be as weird as you want.”