by Elisa Leigh
Ruby rolls her eyes. “You said you had coffee.” She motions to the cups I placed on the counter.
I grab hers and hand it to her. The smile on her face as she drinks her first sip has me thanking god I went to Ms. Molly’s this morning.
“Sooo good. It’s the perfect temperature. Usually, I have to wait like fifteen minutes to drink it because it’s so hot. Not today though.” She takes another sip then puts it down on the coffee table.
“Would you like to sit down?” She offers, gesturing towards the couch in front of the already lit fireplace.
I wave my hand over at the couch so she’ll sit first. She shakes her head at me with a small smile on her face and sits down with her coffee. I grab our food and place it between us before sitting down beside her.
“What were you doing just now?”
“I installed floodlights. Two are pointing at your garage, so whenever you come home at night, they’ll turn on. Then there’s one pointing near your door so as you walk up you’re whole front yard should be illuminated.”
“I really didn’t need those.”
“You really did.” I counter.
When I think she’s going to argue with me some more, she surprises me. “Thank you, Rett. You didn’t have to do that, but it was sweet that you thought of it.”
Pride wells up inside me, and I’m thankful that she’s let this drop. I need to know I’ve done everything I can to make her safe, even if she doesn’t like it.
Bending down, she inhales the food in the bag, and her eyes roll in the back of her head. “That smells delicious. I’ve been going to Ms. Molly for years to get my coffee fix, and I’ve never been disappointed.”
I hand her a chocolate croissant and take out my breakfast sandwich, a different one than I got the day before. At this rate, I’m going to try a new one each day. When Ruby eyes my sandwich and licks her lips, I hand it over to her, and her eyes light up. “I’ve never had one of these before, but it smells amazing.” She takes her first bite and moans. When she’s done chewing and swallows she licks her lips. “What?”
“You’re cute while you eat.”
She rolls her eyes, something I’m finding she likes to do all the time, at least with me. She keeps eating, and I take the second sandwich I picked up, you know just in case she wanted one too, and finish it off in only a few bites. Over breakfast, Ruby tells me about the construction company that she owns with her brothers. I heard about it some yesterday, but it’s different hearing her perspective on it. She tells me about how her dad built up the company, and as they got older, it really became ‘an all hands-on-deck’ company within the family. Once we’re finished, I grab our trash and take it into the kitchen, looking around for the garbage can.
“It’s under the sink,” Ruby says standing at the entrance of the kitchen watching me fumble around.
“Thank you.”
“I should be the one thanking you. I needed to go to the grocery store, you saved me from going shopping hungry and without caffeine.”
“I know exactly how you can thank me.”
“Oh yeah, big man, what’s that?” She snorts when she laughs, and a blush covers her cheeks.
“Will you go out with me tonight Beautiful?”
“Like a date?” She squeaks. Her innocence is adorable.
“As in a date. I’ll come to pick you up. We’ll do something fun, and then I’ll bring you back home when you’re ready.”
Six
Ruby
“This is a bad idea.” I shouldn’t have agreed to this stupid freaking date. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I feel like a twelve-year-old.
“No, it’s not.” Aubree laughs. “This is a great idea. Especially since he’s your mate.”
“How do you know he’s my mate? Who told you? Do Cole or the others know?”
“Relax! Ruby, you have told Maura and me several times that you will only date someone if they are your mate. The guys haven’t put two and two together yet. I’m sure they will soon though.”
“Well, I was stupid. I should have practice dated or something. Now I’m a twenty-five-year-old woman, and I have no experience. Zip, zilch, nada, nothing. Are you hearing me, Aubree? What am I supposed to do?” I am freaking out. I’m standing in my panties and a bra rummaging through my closet while on the phone with my best friend trying to figure out how I’m going to make it through this night.
“Wear something that will have him begging to tear it off you. Which since he’s your mate could be literally anything.”
“I’m just going to cancel.”
“So help me God, Ruby. You better not cancel this date. Woman up, I know you’ve got more lady balls than this.”
“I have small lady balls compared to you.”
“Whatever. Your boobs are exactly what Rett likes. That’s the beauty of having a mate, you’re both made for one another.” She sighs, probably thinking about Cole-gross! I know she’s right though.
“Fine, just tell me what to wear.”
“Wear those dark skinny jeans and your black camisole. Then put your white long sleeve shirt on, the one you refused to let me borrow because you said I would stretch it out, bitch.”
“You’ve seen your boobs right? They’re like three times the size of mine.”
“This is true. Anyway, wear that and your knee boots. Ooo and a pretty scarf.”
“Are you sure? That doesn’t sound very dressed up.”
“You want to look good. It’s too cold to wear a dress, and those leggings you like to wear are not date clothes.”
“He didn’t seem to mind last night,” I mumble.
Aubree gasps. “What happened last night? Why didn’t you tell me something happened?”
Whoops, forgot to mention that. “He kissed me. It was freaking amazing, and I want him to do it again.”
“Awww. Yes, wear the jeans then.”
“Thank you.”
“When you come into the shop tomorrow I want to know everything.”
“Okie doke. Talk to you later.”
Yeah, I might not be telling her everything. I quickly pull on what Aubree suggested and then go do my hair and makeup. By the time I’m finished Rett is knocking on the door. He looks even better than before wearing newer looking jeans and a button-down black shirt, rolled up at his elbows. God, and he smells incredible.
“Hey.” I bite my lip, unsure of what to do or say.
He whistles as he looks me up and down. “Wow, you look amazing.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.” I walk out of the house and past Rett, but he grabs the back of my jeans, stopping me.“Hold on. Get your sexy ass back in that house and grab a jacket, it’s freezing out here.”
I laugh. “Oh yeah, might need that huh?” I turn to walk back into the house but end up tripping over my feet.
“Shiiiit, oomph.” I fall into Rett, and unlike last night he isn’t able to catch me. He falls back landing in the freshly fallen snow from this afternoon.
Laying on top of Rett awkwardly, I groan. Why does this always happen to me? If it’s not one thing, it’s another. I have to be one of the clumsiest people I know. Of course, I had to ruin my first date with it. I try standing up but only end up slipping and landing even more awkwardly than I was before. “Fuck my life.” I moan, resting my head on his stomach and letting my body go limp against him.
Rett starts laughing and the more he does, the louder he gets. Grabbing a hunk of snow, I lean up and smash it in his face. He stops laughing immediately and goes silent for a moment, making me reconsider what I just did. Before I can apologize, he’s flipping me over, straddling my middle, and staring down at me with a severe look spread across his handsome face. This is the wrong time to be turned on, but he looks delicious looking at me with snow stuck in the scruff on his face.
I’m about to reach up and wipe it away when he pulls the top of my shirt away from me and stuffs snow down my fro
nt. That’s it. This is on! He jumps up and away from me, and I quickly stand to get my bearings. Scooping up another handful of snow, I throw it at him and run like hell, not wanting him to get me before I can get more snow to throw. Unfortunately, he ducks and I miss, then he’s throwing his shot at me, getting me on my butt.
I laugh and run around my front yard with him chasing behind me. At one point I end up slipping and falling on my back. Rett is there, immediately, leaning down and stealing a kiss. The kiss goes from innocent to not very quickly, with Rett lying between my thighs, grinding his hard dick against my needy pussy.
“Fuck Ruby, you’re so goddamn beautiful.” He says pulling away from my lips and kissing and nipping down my neck to my chest. He grabs my boobs and squeezes them, then pushes them together. Everything he does to my body is turning me on even more. He pulls the front of my shirt and camisole down and under my boobs, then pushes my bra down, so my boobs are free. He twists one nipple between his fingers and sucks the other into his mouth.
“Evereeeett.” I moan, needing more of him. Pushing my hand between our bodies, I grab his belt and start pulling at it wanting to touch him too. When the belt is undone, and I’m zipping down his pants, he pulls back and stands up.
I’m about to get pissed thinking he’s going to deny me for a second time when he picks me up and walks us into the house. He quickly closes and locks the door before he’s walking down my hall. “Where is your bed?” He growls.
“The room on the end.”
Once we’re in my room, he sets me down and flips the light on. I wince remembering what my room looks like, but he only laughs. “Exactly how I pictured it, love.” Then he’s kissing me. I don’t have a chance to think about what he said before he’s pulling my clothes over my head and walking me to my unmade bed.
Seven
Rett
I unzip her boots and pull them off then I’m pulling down her soaking wet jeans. This was not how I planned for our night to go, but I can’t deny us again. She wants this, and I’m going to give her everything she wants and be everything she needs. She’s wearing a red lacy thong that is driving me crazy. “Where did you get this?”
Ruby sucks on her bottom lip before letting it pop out of her mouth. “I got it a while ago.”
“How long?” I say, roughly grabbing the sides and tearing it from her body.
“It’s been years Rett, but I’ve only ever worn it for you.”
“That’s a good girl. I’m the only man that will ever see anything like that again. Isn’t that right Ruby?”
“Yesss.” She moans right as I swipe two fingers over her soft pussy lips that are dripping with her need.
“I’m going to take care of you baby, but first you have to tell me that you’re mine.” I rest my thumb over her clit but only press down lightly, not giving her what her body is craving.
She looks at me, desire mixed with frustration consuming her features. “Are you mine?”
“I’m always going to be yours. You own me, Ruby. Everything I am is yours.”
“I’m yours too, Everett.” She moans.
I rub her clit in fast circles needing her to come before I take her for the first time. It’s been years since the last time I was with anyone, and I know that her tight virgin pussy is going to be more than I can handle. Pushing one finger into her tight heat, I know this battle is going to be harder than I expected. She’s strangling my one finger, how is she going to handle my dick?
“You’re so wet, baby. Is this all for me?”
Her pussy creams on my finger and I’m able to push in and out of her. Finding her g-spot, I rub it until she’s wiggling beneath me and wanting more. Adding another finger, I push them in and out of her pussy, giving her what she needs.
“Everett I need you inside me. I want you, please.” She begs.
I make quick work of shedding my clothes and boots. “Look at me, Ruby.” Sitting up on her elbow, she watches as I jerk my hand slowly over my dick. The way she licks her lips and her eyes go wide has my dick leaking precum.
“Can I taste it?” She asks hesitantly. If it were any other time but now I’d say hell, yes, but I’m not going to make it as it is.
“Not yet love. You can do anything you want to me, my body is yours to explore. But this first time is going to be fast.”
“Okay, Everett.” She says speaking softly.
“I’m going to be as gentle as I can baby, but look at the size of me. There’s no way this isn’t going to hurt. If you need me to stop, let me know. Okay?”
Biting her bottom lip, she nods then lays back down and spreads her thighs for me. Her pink pussy is the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen, and if I don’t make it through this at least, I’ll have died inside my own nirvana.
Sliding my dick through her wet lips, I push inside her slowly, giving her a chance to stop me. When she doesn’t, I pull out and push back in, our combined pleasure easing the way for me to go deeper. Brushing up against her barrier, I pull back a little and lean down to kiss her. Deepening the kiss, I fuck in and out of her until she’s wet and ready for me to tear through her innocence. When I push through, my dick goes impossibly deep, bottoming out until my balls are resting against her ass and she’s crying out.
“Shit, baby are you okay?”
“Don’t stop Everett, I just want to feel you.” She says lifting up and moving under me.
I lace my fingers through both of hers and pull our hands up over her head. “I’m never going to stop.” I’m so far gone over this woman. Everything about her is driving me to the brink. Holding both of her hands in one of my mine. I grab her chin with my free hand and hold it while I make love to her mouth, fucking deeper and deeper into her.
Pulling her hands out of my grasp, Ruby rolls us over, so she’s on top and starts riding my dick. I hold onto her hips, guiding her movements into a rhythm that has both of us calling out. Her pussy starts to flutter around my dick telling me she’s seconds from coming. Kissing down my neck her movements become more erratic as she begins to lose control. The moment her kisses and sucks turn into a hard bite I’m coming with her.
I don’t realize anything is wrong until I’m looking up at Ruby and her lips are covered in blood, and she looks like the world is ending. At first, I think something is wrong with her and then I understand what has happened. My hand goes to my neck, and when I check it, there’s blood there too.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry Rett.” Tears are spilling out of her eyes, and she’s becoming more and more upset as the seconds tick by.
I sit up and hold her in my arms, trying my best to reassure that I’m fine. “Shhh, it’s going to be okay.”
This only makes her cry harder, and I feel helpless to make her feel better. It’s really not a big deal, I’m sure people get caught up in sex and get rougher than they intend. “Ruby, baby. I’m okay. I’m going to be fine. You just wanted to leave your mark on me to let everyone know I’m yours.” I joke needing to hear her laughter, but it doesn’t work.
Ruby jumps up and runs out of the house naked as the day she was born. I call after her, wanting to stop her from going out in this snow, but she doesn’t listen. When she runs into the backyard, the floodlights turn on as she passes and I watch as she turns from a human into a black bear in the blink of an eye.
What the fuck just happened? My mind wasn’t playing tricks on me, I definitely saw Ruby turn into an animal. A huge fucking apex predator capable of tearing me apart.
Eight
Ruby
What have I done? I’ve totally screwed this up. I wasn’t even sure I wanted a mate, and now I’ve mated him, partially, without asking if it’s something that he wants. Screw that, he has no idea that shifters were anything more than a story until about fifteen minutes ago. I run until I get to Cole’s house and bang on the door still in my bear form.
“Ruby?” Cole and Aubree say at the same time when they answer the door.
“What happened? Did he hurt y
ou?” Aubree asks, and I shake my head no.
“Who is he?” Cole asks with an edge to his voice looking at Aubree and then at me.
“Ruby had a date with Rett tonight.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me that my baby sister was going out with a man for the first time?” Cole demands of Aubree.
Hands on her hips, she squares off with him giving him the same look he’s giving her. “Excuse the hell out of me? Am I your mate or your fucking secretary?”
Cole’s face immediately changes and the hard edges soften. He holds her face in the palm of his hand and strokes her cheek with his thumb. “You’re my mate, always my mate first.”
Aubree’s anger quickly deflates, and she turns and looks at me. “Do you want clothes?”
I nod and watch as she disappears into the house. Cole closes the door and comes out to stand with me.
“Why didn’t you tell me you found him Ru? I thought we were closer than that. Finding your mate is huge.” I want to answer him, but I can’t. He goes into the house and comes back out with a blanket and drops it on one of the rocking chairs. “Yell if you need something. If I don’t hear you, I’ll wait for you inside.”
I wait for him to go back in before I change back and wrap the blanket around my body. I go into the house to find Aubree and Cole locked in an embrace. Seeing the clothes she pulled out for me, I grab them and go to the bathroom to change. When I come back out wearing some black leggings and a hoodie, Aubree and Cole are sitting on the couch with three mugs of something hot waiting on the table.
“Ready to talk?” Cole asks, much calmer this time. Aubree really is good for him and what he needed to take the edge off.
“Not really, but I guess now is as good a time as any.”
I sit on the loveseat, the same place I sat the night before with Rett and take a sip of the tea they made for me.
“I have a mate.” I start, and Cole and Aubree give me a deadpan look.
“It’s Everett,” I add and Cole raises his eyebrows telling me to get on with the part he doesn’t know.
