“How do you propose to do that?” she asked with a sniff, lifting her chin ever so slightly.
A hint of a grin touched his lips. “Well…first…” His hands found her waist and his thumb played with the top button of her jeans. “I’ll be taking these off.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. “You wore these to torment me, didn’t you?”
Her breathing changed instantly, as it always did when he touched her. “Maybe.”
He chuckled softly. “Well, it worked.”
He kissed her again, but this time it was a slow, drugging kiss that made her only partly aware that her zipper had descended, quickly followed by the offending jeans.
“We’re in the middle of the Wildlands, Raph,” she uttered.
He nuzzled her neck in response. Ashe groaned at the feeling of his lips on her skin, his teeth scraping gently against her pulse point. His hand…
A snarl vibrated in her ear and she gasped.
“You’re not wearing underwear,” he said darkly, cupping her shaved pussy. Her very wet pussy. “You truly did come prepared to torment me.”
She whimpered and thrust herself against his palm.
“You will bring my cat to the surface if you’re not careful,” he warned, sliding two thick fingers inside her.
“Good,” she replied breathlessly. “I have no issue with him.”
He drew out and thrust up hard and deep inside her. “Just don’t forget who you truly belong to.”
She gasped. “You’re right. Here, kitty…kitty…kitty.”
On an irritated snarl, Raph dropped to his knees and spread her legs as far as the jeans at her ankles would allow. He was in a hurry, hungry, not to be played with. She knew this Raph… She adored this Raph.
“The cat wants to lick you, ma cher,” he said, sliding those talented fingers back inside her and curling them into a C, massaging that soft spot he knew made her scream. “Wants your cream on its tongue, down its throat.”
Ashe cried out into the balmy bayou air as Raphael drew his tongue through the wet lips of her pussy. Slowly. Up and down. Up and down. While he played her G-spot.
Knees weak and trembling, Ashe could barely speak, barely breathe, but she forced out the words, “And what…about my mate? What does he want?”
Raph drew back slightly and glanced up. With his long hair, stunning eyes and chiseled features, he looked like a statue in the light of the purple moon. A god.
Her god.
Her breathing labored, lips dry, need on the edge of reason, she reached up and gripped a thick branch for support. She knew what was coming.
“To please you,” he said with a satisfied grin, his mouth wet with her juices, as he slid a third finger inside her. “Only to please you, ma cher. And your mate is starving. Ravenous. I’m afraid he’ll never have enough.”
His eyes flashed before his head dropped, disappearing between her legs. Ashe gripped the cool branch, desperate for support as her knees threatened to give out completely. His mouth was like liquid fire as he suckled her clit, his tongue like the flames, sending her down, down, deep into the caves of sweet rapture. Her mind was blank, her skin so sensitive it made her want to cry out with every waft of night air that struck her.
She wanted him.
Inside her.
So desperately.
That extraordinary cock that gave her unbridled pleasure, as well as their sweet, rebellious, wonderful child.
But her mind and throat and tongue could form no words, much less give a demand. All the trio would allow her were shallow breaths and frantic whimpers as her body raged and surged with the need to release. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked down. At her massive, impressive male—her sexy warrior—on his knees, one hand lost inside her, working her G-spot, the other splaying her pussy lips as his tongue danced over her clit.
And then she saw canines descend as he suckled her swollen bud into his mouth…the tips of his fangs piercing the sensitive skin around her clit ever so gently.
Her belly clenched and her hips slammed forward.
“Oh, Goddess!” she cried out. “Raph…fuck!”
Waves of torment, of pleasure, of white-hot electricity coursed through her. She couldn’t see or think or hold herself up. The waves just kept on crashing. Over and over. Her clit filling with blood, her heart filling with love.
Until her grip on the branch above her failed…and she dropped boneless into her mate’s waiting arms.
Chapter Three
Crouching in the damp grass, I watch the tiny fawn sip from the clear water of the channel.
This is my prey.
My claws lengthen, digging into the mossy ground. But I don’t pounce. Instead I watch in fascination as the doe lifts her head and flicks back her ears. She’s young enough to still have spots on her light brown coat, and her legs are thin and wobbly. She quivers. Maybe she knows I’m here.
Watching.
Waiting.
But she doesn’t run. Instead she searches through the shadows, meeting my gaze with big, trusting brown eyes.
A purr rumbles in my throat. There’s a magic in the air this night. A sense of peace that soothes the beast inside me.
Settling on the soft ground, I lower my head to my paws and allow my heavy eyes to close.
Even death needs a nap…
Raphael led the way through the thick foliage, hyperaware of the female at his side. Her pale ivory skin, her eyes that were as velvet dark as the night sky. Her intoxicating scent.
He’d hoped that the raw urgency of her release would ease the tension and frustration that hissed and crackled around her like a cloud of hornets. But strangely, it seemed only to have intensified it. As if she was angry with herself for having given in to the intimacy.
The thought opened a wound deep inside his chest.
How had they come to this point? He’d heard about other mated pairs that had conflicts. Some that had even ended in the two unable to live in the same space. Mother Nature wasn’t perfect.
But not him and Ashe. They were…perfect together.
Two halves that made one glorious whole. And Soyala had only added to the perfection.
They should be rejoicing in their blessings. So why did Ashe still look as if she’d swallowed a rotten andouille sausage?
They were nearing the far channel when the silence threatened to overwhelm Raph. He was the head of the Diplomatic faction, for fuck’s sake. He was trained to smooth over the most difficult situations, and bring together sworn enemies.
So why couldn’t he find the words to reach out to his mate?
Because she mattered…more than anything or anyone had ever mattered to him before.
The words whispered through the back of his mind, even as Ashe cleared her throat. Was she having the same difficulty as he was, trying to find the right words?
“Cat got your tongue?” she at last asked, her light tone only emphasizing the wary frustration that smoldered in her eyes.
He ducked beneath a branch that hung low over the narrow path. There’d been endless troubles and near disasters for the Pantera over the past years, but the one bright spot was the return of the Wildlands. They were once again lush and mysterious and magical.
“Just…thinking,” he told her.
“About work?”
“About us.”
She snorted, turning her head away so he couldn’t see her expression. Not that he needed to. His cat could catch the scent of her emotion.
Right now it was a tangled mess of anger, frustration, and unwavering devotion.
“That makes a change,” she muttered.
With a low growl he reached out to grasp her shoulders, turning her to meet his fierce glare. “How could you think for one damned second that I no longer wanted you? That I was no longer attracted to you. Goddess, female. My cat stays in perpetual hunger for the sweet taste of your cream.”
A heat stained her cheeks, and his animal purred in pleasure. He loved the fact he could still
make her blush. Now if he could just make her happy with him too.
“Wanting me—needing me—involves more than sex,” she muttered.
Raph frowned. “I know that.”
“Do you?” With a surprising strength, she jerked out of his grasp and headed back down the pathway.
His frown deepened as he watched her walk away into the moon-dappled darkness, her back stiff and her shoulders set at a dangerous angle.
“Ashe.” With a burst of speed he was walking at her side again, studying her tight profile with a growing sense of confusion.
“Tell me.” She marched forward, refusing to glance in his direction.
“Tell you what?”
“What it involves.”
Oh. Raph hesitated. He’d been a clumsy fool when it came to this female. No…when it came to communicating with this female. He wasn’t going to blow it again. Not if he could help it.
“Loving you,” he said, his tone cautious.
“And?”
“Protecting you.”
“And?”
He heaved a frustrated sigh as around them a sudden breeze whipped up, cooling the air. He loved and desired this female beyond reason. He was compelled to protect her, make her feel safe. That seemed strong and right.
That seemed like enough.
“What do you want me to say, ma cher?”
She sent him a quick, searing glare. “I want you to be interested in me. Not as a warm body. Not as the mother of your child. But as a woman with a brain and talents that have nothing to do with what goes on in the bedroom.”
Raph swallowed the teasing words that fairly danced on his idiotic tongue in that moment. Ashe didn’t seem in the mood to hear that her talents extended far beyond their bedroom. They included the shower, the back garden, and occasionally the roof when they could sneak away from their sleeping daughter.
Instead, he said, “Of course I’m interested.”
“Are you?” There was an edge in her voice as she sidestepped a patch of mud. As if she was clenching her teeth. “Do you know how I spent my day today? Or yesterday? Or the day before?”
Raph stiffened. Was this a trick question? “I know you’ve been taking care of our beautiful daughter and making sure that our house is a home. My heart warms as soon as I step through the front door.”
She made a sound of exasperation. “I’ve been spending each morning with Julia in the clinic.”
The words came as a surprise. He’d had no idea. He’d just assumed…
He grimaced, realizing he’d been more than an insensitive ass. He’d been downright neglectful. And it didn’t matter that there’d been one emergency after another at HQ. This was his mate. Priority One.
He should know what she was doing. Even when they were apart.
Hell, he wanted to know!
“Why have you been in the clinic?” he asked.
“Julia’s been training me to assist her as a midwife.”
Raph blinked in surprise. “Midwife?”
Ashe shrugged. “With the surge of pregnancies among the Pantera, she said she could really use an extra pair of hands.”
Raph felt deep satisfaction at his mate’s words. For endless years the Pantera had struggled to produce cubs. They’d been dying along with the Wildlands. Now their homeland was filled with females proudly cradling their cubs or rubbing their extended bellies in anticipation.
At the same time, he wondered why Ashe hadn’t said anything to him about her desire to become a midwife.
“Does it make you happy?” he asked, glancing over at her as they walked.
A smile curved her lips. A smile he realized he hadn’t seen in weeks. “Very happy.”
“Because…” He stalled, forced to clear the lump from his throat. “Because you were bored?”
“Because I need something in my life,” she corrected.
Raph flinched, feeling as if he’d just taken a blow to the gut. “You have me. And Soyala.”
“Just as you do, but that doesn’t stop you from being the leader of the Pantera,” she pointed out in tart tones.
“It wasn’t my choice,” he protested.
She arched a brow. “No, but you wouldn’t give it up, even if someone offered to take over.”
Damn. She was right. He walked with her in silence, his mind alive with deep thought. It hadn’t been his desire to take over leadership. That headache was supposed to belong to the elders. But for years the ancient trio had been in one war after another, barely able to battle back the evil intent on destroying them. The Pantera had needed a leader who was knowledgeable about the outside world, and willing to make the tough choices. But now that he was in charge he knew he could never step aside. He’d sacrificed everything for his people. He wasn’t going to let it all fall apart now that they had the chance for a better future.
“It’s my duty.” His voice was solemn, reverent.
“And your passion,” she pressed.
He shook his head. “You are my passion, Ashe.”
She clicked her tongue. “You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” he muttered. “Then why does my gut feel like it’s being twisted in a knot?”
“Because maybe it scares you a little. Me having another passion, other than you and our daughter.”
Speaking of our daughter. He muttered a low curse, veering off the path into the tangled underbrush. He scented Soyala. She’d come through here just a few hours ago. In her cat form.
It was time to have a good, long talk with that cub. Set down some rules.
But first…he needed to understand his mate. And, more importantly, make her feel understood.
“My time in the clinic brings me joy and a sense of purpose,” she continued. “It also gives me a greater appreciation when I return home to Soyala.” She tossed him a mock sour glance, followed by a soft smile. “And maybe, occasionally you.”
He returned the smile. He truly adored this female. And there was nothing he wanted more than her happiness. “It’s not that I fear your new passion, ma cher,” he assured her, taking her hand in his. “It’s that I didn’t see that you needed one. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
Her smiled warmed. “Thank you for that. It’s all about balance, Raph.”
Balance. That was always a difficult one for him. How many nights had he been determined to leave HQ early to surprise Ashe and Soyala, or to spend a weekend doing nothing but lazing at home, enjoying the company of his family, only to have some emergency force him to take command of the situation? “It’s hard to find that balance when your people have faced near extinction.”
She squeezed his hand. “I know, but you have dozens of competent Pantera eager to help ease the burden.”
It was the same thing he’d heard from Parish, and Talon, and Hiss.
“You trust your people, right?” she asked.
“Of course I do.”
“Then maybe share the load with them.” Stopping, Ashe reached out to carefully part the thick reeds that circled a small cat on the mossy ground. “It will make everyone happier.”
Raph’s heart twisted, then splintered into a thousand pieces at the sight. With a soft growl he fell to his knees next to his sleeping daughter. Bathed in the warm purple light of the moon, Soyala was in her cat form, her tawny fur coated in a layer of dew.
With gentle care he scooped her into his arms and held her tight against his chest. Then, pressing his nose to her tiny body, he breathed deeply of her sweet, innocent musk.
“Balance.” He whispered the word as a pledge.
And a promise.
“Did you tell them?” Ashe asked her mate as he strode into their bedroom later that night. She’d just come from a quick shower while Raph was putting Soyala to bed.
Well, putting her back to bed.
Little rebel cub.
“Just Talon,” he said, his gaze taking in her thin white robe and still-damp skin with those predatory eyes. “I didn’t want to wake everyone up. I
’ll speak to the other two in the morning.”
“Good.” She rounded the bed and pulled back the covers.
“And by morning, I mean eleven o’clock.”
She glanced up. “Excuse me?”
He shrugged lazily, grinned. “I told T I’m taking the morning off.”
“Again…I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
His grin widened and he gave her one low growl before heading into the attached bathroom. “I’m going to sleep in,” he called out, turning the water on in the sink. “And by sleep, I mean make you come at least a dozen times before breakfast.”
Ashe’s skin tightened at his words, and a low hum began to vibrate between her thighs. Raph’s sexual promises were always gloriously graphic. Yes, please. Laughing softly, she stripped off her robe, climbed into their large bed and settled back against the cool pillows. She didn’t bother covering herself. Because…why?
Let the cat see its prey before it strikes.
“Just so you know,” she called back with a teasing air, “I work at nine.”
The water shut off instantly. “No problem, ma cher,” he drawled, appearing in the doorway.
Looking confident, sexy…relaxed.
That is, until he spotted her, lying on their bed, naked.
His canines descended.
The cat flashed in his eyes.
“We’ll start now,” he growled, pushing away from the door. “I can’t wait to taste that sweet, plump clit one more—”
The buzz of his phone cut off his words. His very delicious words.
Cursing, he reached into his front jeans pocket and yanked the thing out, irritated. With one glance at the screen, he muttered a terse, “Parish.”
“If you need to take it—” she began.
Raph let the phone drop to the rug. “It can wait.”
“You sure? Maybe it’s important.”
He headed for the bed, for her. “Nothing is more important than you.”
His words were a tonic, what she needed so badly to hear. She was his priority.
Tonight.
Now.
Her body was on edge, every inch of her skin anticipating his touch. Their encounter in the bayou—her back pressed against the tree, Raph’s tongue playing between her legs—was just the beginning. An appetizer.
Raphael: Bayou Bites (Bayou Heat Book 1) Page 2
