Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALSO BY SUZANNE WRIGHT
From Rags
THE DEEP IN YOUR VEINS SERIES
Here Be Sexist Vampires
The Bite That Binds
Taste of Torment
Consumed
Fractured
THE PHOENIX PACK SERIES
Feral Sins
Wicked Cravings
Carnal Secrets
Dark Instincts
THE MERCURY PACK SERIES
Spiral of Need
Force of Temptation
THE DARK IN YOU SERIES
Burn
Blaze
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2017 Suzanne Wright
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
www.apub.com
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781477848753
ISBN-10: 1477848754
Cover design by Janet Perr
For Rhys and Paige—I adore you both.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
Waking up to find yourself sweating tequila was not fun.
Riley Porter groaned. She was dying. She had to be. Everywhere hurt. Her head was throbbing, her stomach was spinning, and it felt like someone was jabbing her eyeballs with a dull blade. It would seem she’d spent the night exploring the wonder that was tequila, and now she’d descended into a black hole of pain.
The hum of the ceiling fan was like nails on a chalkboard, but the breeze felt good on her heated skin. She swallowed, wincing at how dry her throat was. That bitter taste in her mouth was foul. Water. She needed water.
No, she needed to throw up.
Since she couldn’t feel her legs, both needs would be hard to answer. That was bad, because her senses were drowning in the pungent smell of tequila and wouldn’t be able to take much more of it.
Flashes of fuzzy memories came to her. Music. Dancing. Laughing. Party poppers. Mojitos. Shots.
Ah yes, the Phoenix Pack had thrown a party to celebrate the birthday of one of their wolves.
When she came to the pack for sanctuary six months ago with two young lone shifters, Riley hadn’t once thought that the Alphas might offer her a permanent place. It wasn’t such a surprise that they’d adopted Savannah and Dexter, given that the kids were so utterly lovable. But Riley was a lone raven shifter who’d refused to give them an explanation for why she didn’t live within a flock. Despite that, and despite the fact that she hadn’t accepted or declined their offer to stay, the pack still treated her as one of their own—well, most of them did, anyway.
The snippets of the party she could remember had been fun, but most of the night was pretty much a blur. God, she detested tequila. In fact, while every part of her ached and death seemed so close, she detested everything. Except Tylenol. All she needed in her life right then was Tylenol. Or maybe to just crawl into a hole and crash.
Forcing her heavy eyelids open, Riley winced as the sunlight stabbed her eyes. It shone through the glass balcony doors, casting shadows across the smooth, light-cream sandstone walls. It had been one hell of a surprise to find that the Phoenix Pack inhabited a modernized cave dwelling. The place made Riley think of a giant ant colony with all its tunnels and levels. There were dozens of bedrooms, and this particular one was more like a luxurious hotel room with its plush carpet, modern furnishings, canopied bed, and lush linens.
Speaking of the bedding . . . she was guessing the black smudge on her pillow was mascara. That meant it was probably smeared all over her face—great. She clumsily reached over to grab her phone from the nightstand, intending to check the time. She frowned. Where the fuck was her phone? Probably in the gutter, right alongside her dignity.
See, this was why she was single.
On the upside, getting smashed had helped her sleep the whole night through. That was something that very rarely happened, thanks to her good friend Insomnia.
She shifted slightly and groaned as a sharp pain lanced through her head. She was going to have to somehow manage the impossible and get up so she could find some painkillers. She took a centering breath, nose wrinkling as she picked up something else beneath the overwhelming scent of tequila—something that didn’t belong. Was that . . . ? She tensed. Oh God, no. No. Even her drunken self couldn’t be that stupid.
Clamping her lips to stop herself from retching, she stiffly rolled onto her other side. Waves of nausea rose up, but she was more hung up on the fact that, yep, she was that stupid. The proof was sleeping right beside her on his stomach, smelling of sex and his signature scent—harvest spice, warm apple, and wood smoke. Honest to God, she was looking at six and a half feet of solid muscle, olive skin, and raw animal energy.
Tao Lukas, the pack’s Head Enforcer.
Riley closed her eyes, silently cursing herself as it all came flooding back. Oh yeah, she remembered it now. Remembered his cock stretching her, his teeth digging into her neck, his tongue licking into her mouth. Remembered coming hard as she clawed at his nape and shoulders while he hammered into her. She opened one eye and winced at the sight of her brands on his sleek skin, raking over the tribal tattoo on his upper back.
Damn, this was bad. While Riley didn’t have any hang-ups about one-night stands—shifters needed touch, social and sexual—she did have some standards, believe it or not, and she at least required that any guy she took to her bed actually like her. Tao might want her, might even act possessive of her, but he didn’t like her. And yeah, that kind of chafed.
His attitude might not have bothered her if she hadn’t been stuck in the grip of a wicked, sensual need since they first met. Her raven wanted him with that same primitive intensity, not at all hung up on the fact that he didn’t like her. The avian was much too intrigued by him to care, which was understandable. Tao had a v
ery warrior-like mentality: he was fearless, brutally blunt, action oriented, and forceful, and he had no time or patience for diplomacy.
Many seemed to find his outspokenness off-putting, but Riley admired his refusal to tailor his judgments to placate others. She liked people who were up front and didn’t dance around what they thought or believed. That didn’t mean she liked waking up in bed with him after a one-night stand.
Well, as far as she was concerned, if they’d been drunk, it didn’t count. Nope.
Now what to do . . . The best option would be to wake him up and send him on his way. But there was nothing wrong with enjoying the view for a few minutes, right? It was an incredibly hot view, with his smooth jaw, prominent cheekbones, and broad shoulders. And then there was all that taut, toned skin . . . She hadn’t before noticed the caramel ribbons streaking through his tousled brown hair that made her think of liquid milk chocolate.
Asleep, he looked peaceful. Awake, he was constantly alert and watchful. Like those dangerous, menacing guard dogs that eyed strangers with suspicion and a snarl that said, “Fucking try me.”
When she’d first arrived, he’d looked at Riley with that same distrust. But after a month or so, things had shifted between them. The distrust in his gaze had been replaced by something else. Something just as intense that made her tingle in places that had no business tingling. That intensity made Riley a little wary, because she had super-bad judgment when it came to guys and didn’t always make good decisions—case in point.
And now she’d need to do something to address that dumb decision. She slowly and carefully eased out of the bed. The room spun and pain spiked through her head, wrenching a soft moan out of her. Tao’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing golden-brown orbs that reminded her of tigereye stones with their silky, lustrous quality. His gaze locked with hers and he stilled in surprise. Then those eyes drifted over her and, just like that, tension—thick, electric, and hotly sexual—snapped the air taut.
She probably should have grabbed her dress from the floor to shield her naked body, but there seemed little sense in trying to rescue her dignity now. That ship had sailed hours ago.
Riley swallowed, and there was an audible click of her tongue. “You should go.” No, it wasn’t a nice thing to say, but really, was there a nice way to kick someone out of your room?
One dark brow slowly lifted, but he said nothing.
“I say we agree to forget it happened,” she proposed.
“Forget it?” he echoed, voice deep and gruff with sleep. It made her a little tingly.
“No one has to know. We’re adults. We can have a one-night stand and not make a big deal out of it.” Even if she would have to look at him every day and remember how it had felt to have him inside her. It was fine. Riley totally had this. Really.
He looked at her through narrowed eyes for a moment. “All right,” he finally said. “We forget it.”
His easy agreement disappointed her, though she’d expected it. Her raven didn’t like it either. “Fine,” she clipped.
“Fine.”
Riley ran a hand through her hair. “Savannah and Dexter will probably be here soon. Be gone by the time I get out of the shower.”
Before he could say another word, she turned and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She fairly staggered to the counter, tripping over thin air. Apparently walking would not be her strong point today. God, she needed to lie down. Forever.
Riley cringed at her reflection in the mirror. Her mascara was everywhere, her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair looked like a bird’s nest.
She was never drinking again. Never. And she totally meant it this time.
Fumbling through the cabinet, she dug out the Tylenol and swallowed two with the help of the tap water. Staring at her reflection yet again, she frowned. Where had the bruises come from? And wait, had Tao actually marked her neck? Damn, he really must have been wasted.
Knowing that water alone would not get off all that mascara unless she was interested in rubbing her skin until it was raw, Riley plucked a makeup remover wipe from the pack. Cleaning off the mascara, she cursed herself for being such a—
The door hit the wall with a thud that made her jump. Riley whirled around so that the room spun once again, causing her knees to buckle. Tao stood in the doorway, his jeans on but unbuttoned.
For a moment they just stared at each other. Tao had an intimidating predatory stillness about him, exuded an unshakable confidence and too much smoking-hot badass-ness for Riley to deal with—yes, she did know that “badass-ness” wasn’t a word, but it sure did fit.
She waved her hand, ushering him out, as she said drily, “Nothing to see here.”
Jaw tightening, Tao kicked the door shut and stalked right to her, making lots of muscles ripple and clench deliciously in his shoulders and hard chest. “Now, if you’re done talking bullshit, let’s have a real conversation,” he rumbled, planting his hands on either side of her, caging her in against the counter. “You don’t want to forget last night, Riley. You want to do it again. Over and over. Which is a good thing, because that’s exactly what I want.”
Um, she might have been down with that plan if the guy didn’t dislike her so intensely. A girl had her pride. Even her raven had her objections, despite how much she wanted him. “Look, it was fun and all—”
“It was more than fun.” He nipped the fleshy part of her lower lip. “I swear I can still taste you. Still feel you squeezing my cock. If you expect me to walk away and forget what it’s like to be in you, tasting you, exploding deep inside you, you’re out of your mind.”
Well, considering that was the last thing in the world she would ever have expected him to say, just maybe she was out of her mind. “You were supposed to regret it.”
He scowled, looking incredulous. “I was supposed to regret it?”
“That was what I figured you’d do.”
“Well, you figured wrong. I don’t regret it, and I don’t intend to forget it.” He went nose to nose with her. “And I won’t let you forget it either.”
CHAPTER TWO
Tao gripped the marble counter hard, fighting the urge to touch and taste and take. His cock was so hot and hard it was uncomfortable to walk. Well, of course it was. The object of his every fantasy stood before him, deliciously naked. The air hissed and crackled with a sexual energy that beat at his control. It was a struggle not to let his eyes stray down to those pretty breasts.
He’d wanted Riley Porter from the very moment he laid eyes on her. Wanted to taste that gorgeous mouth, bunch all that dark iridescent hair in his hand, and see her violet eyes glaze over as she came with a scream. Wanted to explore those sweet, lush curves and high breasts that made him long to take a bite. Her fantasy mouth was full and sultry—he’d wanted to take a bite out of that too. And last night, drunk out of his mind, that was just what he’d done.
He had no idea how either of them ended up in her room, but he remembered whipping off her dress and throwing her on the bed. Remembered the feel of her pussy hot and tight around his cock, her hands pulling at his hair, her claws practically shredding his skin, her heels drumming into the base of his spine. And what a birthday treat that had been.
The memories made his cock throb painfully. Even now—while his stomach churned, a sour taste coated his tongue, and it felt like someone had smacked his head with a slab of concrete—he wanted nothing more than to shove himself inside her and fuck her raw. Hell, just her scent alone could do that to him. The blend of dark-red fruit, coconut milk, and black lace was like a magnet to him and his wolf.
In the beginning the wolf hadn’t liked her at all, since she continually toyed with his patience and refused to recognize anyone’s authority but her own. But she’d charmed both Tao and his wolf over time and earned their respect with her wit, her fearlessness, and the protectiveness she displayed toward the young.
“They’re just tits, Tao.”
He hadn’t realized he’d been
staring at them until then. Tao forced his eyes back to hers. “Your nipples are hard.”
“So is your cock.”
Fuck, he’d walked right into that one.
She rubbed her temple. “Can we do this later? I really don’t think I can function well enough for a conversation.”
Good. That would give him an advantage of sorts. “No, we’re going to do this now. Last night was no mistake, Riley. It was always going to happen. You know it. I know it.” He breezed his thumb over the bite mark he’d left on the curve of her shoulder. His wolf released a soft, contented growl, liking the sight of his brand on her skin. “The hell of it is you’re not even my type.”
Bristling, Riley lifted a brow. “Because I’m not inflatable?”
“Because you’re trouble. You might look harmless enough, but I know crazy when I see it.” He tapped her nose. “You, little raven, are far from sane.”
She smiled. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Tao ground his teeth. It seemed impossible to offend her. It was probably a good thing, really, because it wasn’t wise to upset a raven. They were fierce, vengeful creatures with a wicked temper who always went for the face in a fight. Riley’s temper seemed to be hard to trigger, but he knew it would be a sight to behold if she ever lost it. A perverse part of him wanted to see it.
“For the record,” she began, “you’ve already told me that I’m trouble. Multiple times, in fact. It’s why you’ve been a shit to me since day one.”
“I’ll admit that I don’t handle change well, and my natural reflex to strangers is to reject them. I also have a problem trusting lone shifters, which is pretty common.” Most loners had been banished from their pack by their Alphas for a serious crime, and they often became guns for hire to earn money and protection, hence their particularly negative reputation. “You wouldn’t tell me why you’d become a loner, which didn’t help. So, yeah, I was a shit to you. But once I was satisfied that you mean no harm to this pack, I eased off.”
“But you still don’t trust me, do you?”
Fierce Obsessions Page 1
