Heart Stopping

by L. P. Maxa

  Naked.

  “What are you doing?” She was a little shocked, and a little excited. She certainly hadn’t expected him to get in the shower with her.

  He started shampooing her hair, massaging her scalp. “You smiled at me.”

  “Oh.” She barely held in a moan; he was doing a really good job. “How dare I? I need to remember to keep my smile in check so I don’t have random people following me into bathrooms.” She closed her eyes, letting her head fall back to rinse the suds from her hair.

  “It was the way you smiled, Pen.” Baze wrung out her hair, making sure all the shampoo was gone before applying conditioner to her ends. “You used that wicked little grin that always drove me wild.”

  She had and she knew that it amped him up, there was no denying it. When they were kids, he’d always reach for her, always respond. Had she done it tonight on purpose? Had she wanted him to join her? Had she wanted a reaction out of him?

  He pulled her back, his fist in her hair, and rinsed the conditioner out. Her hair felt silky soft when he let it fall against her back. “We’ve never showered together before.”

  They hadn’t. They hadn’t really ever seen each other all the way naked before either. She wanted to turn around, she wanted to feast on every inch of him. But she was suddenly feeling shy, timid. What would happen next?

  “Pen.” The way he said her name, so soft, so reverent, shot chills down her spine despite the hot water falling around her. “Do you trust me?”

  Did she? She used to. She used to trust Baze Carter with her life. And she realized in that moment that she wanted to again. She wanted to get back to that space, where her world began and ended with the man standing patiently behind her.

  He put his hands on her hips, pulling her back against him. She could feel his erection against her lower back. There was no distance between them, no clothes, nothing stopping them. He put his mouth next to her ear, and whispered, “Please trust me, bumblebee. I know you aren’t ready, and I’d never do something you weren’t ready for.”

  She leaned her head on his chest, letting the water hit both of them. She was nervous. Baze reached above her head, adjusting the spray from the shower head. Then he put one arm around her chest, making her recline back even farther. The water started lightly falling on her clit and she had to bite her lip to stifle a moan. Baze’s palm curved around her ass, and his finger slid inside her center.

  That time she couldn’t have stopped the whimpers coming out of her mouth if she’d tried. The hot water, Baze’s scent…the way he was working her over. It was all too much, too good.

  “God I’ve missed this.” He nipped at her neck.

  She knew exactly what he meant. The closeness, the feel of being completely consumed by each other. She’d missed it too, and more than that, she craved it now. She reached behind her, palming his cock when he fingered her expertly. She began to stroke his length, until he was thrusting into her hands. The faster his hips moved, the faster his fingers did too.

  Before long they were both chasing a release, their panting breaths mingling with the steam from the hot shower.

  “Fuck, Pen,” he growled against her neck, using his free hand to pinch her nipple between his finger and thumb. “Stop holding back, I want to hear you come.”

  His words against her ear, his hands on her body, the feel of him losing control behind her. She came almost instantly, and the second his name fell from her lips, so did he.

  ***

  They were lying in bed, her head resting on his chest. She felt more content than she had in almost ten years. She hadn’t realized how on edge she’d been all this time. It wasn’t the orgasm, although that had been fucking phenomenal. It was Baze. It was the way he held her, the feel of his lips on hers. It was in how much she’d missed his arms around her.

  “You okay?” He pulled the blankets higher up her shoulder. “Are you cold? The temperatures are about to start dropping. You’re used to South African winters. I need to get some warmer clothes for you to wear.”

  It was sweet, the way he was concerned with her comfort. It was the way a mate would act. Speaking of concern for a person’s well-being… “Maddi and Molly mentioned that you guys haven’t been shifting lately.” She propped her chin on her hand, meeting his eyes.

  Baze pursed his lips. “Yeah, I guess it has been awhile since we’ve gone for a run.”

  “You need to.” She wrinkled her nose. “Did you know the longer you go in between shifts, the more your shifter senses dull?”

  “Makes sense then why Jace and I couldn’t smell Ox’s dead body tonight and Matias could.” He traced her lips with his fingers. “Things have been crazy around here and I guess none of us really felt like it was safe enough to, you know?”

  “It’s pretty important. Not only will it heighten your senses, but it’ll help you guys relieve some stress, clear your minds.” It was essential for shifters to stay in almost daily contact with their wolves.

  “I know some other ways to relieve stress.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  And she rolled her eyes. “You literally just came.” She grabbed his watch from the nightstand. “Like ten minutes ago.”

  He quickly rolled them over, pinning her to the mattress. “But there are so many more things I want to do to you, bumblebee.” When her eyes moved to his chest, he put his finger under her chin. “I’m not pushing you.” He shook his head. “Don’t you remember how creative we got when we were kids?”

  She giggled. “I’m pretty sure we defiled every mile of that hiking trail on Mount Moresy.” Baze had always put sex on hold, but they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other. It was like she couldn’t get enough of him. Would it be that way again?

  “Is it like you remember it?” Now it was Baze’s turn to break eye contact.

  She dipped her head down, getting back in his line of vision. “It was even better than I remember. But at the same time, it was familiar.” She smiled, then placed a kiss on his chest. “It was perfect.”

  “Good to know I’ve still got it.” He winked and squeezed her bare ass under the blankets.

  She scoffed. “I guess all those random hookups were less than complimentary?”

  “What random hookups?” His forehead wrinkled, like he was honestly confused. “I’ve flirted, made out a little. Maybe hit third base a few times, but that’s it.”

  “Are you serious?” He nodded. “You aren’t joking with me right now?” He shook his head. “But Maddi said—”

  Baze chuckled, the sound booming through the room and making her smile despite their less-than-pleasant conversation topic. “Don’t go listening to a word you hear from the pack.” His chest was still shaking with laughter. “They think I’m into BDSM and fucking a different girl every night.”

  “What? Why do you let them think that?”

  He sobered a little, shrugging. “It was easier than trying to explain why I wasn’t interested in chasing tail like they were, I guess.” He picked up a lock of her hair, wrapping and then rewrapping it around his finger. “Linc made a joke one night about me being the type of guy who liked it rough and I never corrected him.”

  “That’s insane.” She pursed her lips, still curious about a few things. “So you aren’t into BDSM?”

  “No. Well, I don’t know, I’ve never tried it.” He squeezed her ass again, pulling her tighter against him suggestively. “You want to get some toys and find out?”

  “Maybe.”

  He hovered over her for a few moments before dipping down and capturing her lips. He ground his hips, his boxer briefs the only thing between them. He kissed her throat, nipping at her flesh as he moved a little farther down her body.

  “So, all that time without sex? And now we’re going to keep with the foreplay until I’m ready for the bonding?” She wrapped her legs around his middle, dragging him even tighter against her. She was craving the feel of his body on her; she wanted to come again. All their old lust was seeping
back in. “Seems to me you’d be more than ready for more.”

  “Did you know that I started planning the night of my eighteenth birthday after our first date? I knew you were the one for me and from that moment on all I wanted to do was claim you.” He propped himself up on one elbow and tickled the flesh on her stomach with his fingertips.

  “Why did you want to wait until that night? Why not practice a little?” She waggled her eyebrows. “You knew I was game.”

  “How could I not?” He laughed quietly, the sound getting lost between them. “You used to get so mad, you called me a cock tease.”

  “You were.”

  “I wanted our first time to be our bonding. I don’t know why. It was really important to me.” He seemed comfortable in his spot between her thighs. But it was turning her on so much she could barely concentrate. “It’s the same this time around. I want our first time to be special.”

  It was almost comical to her, the way his pack thought of him. Surly, brooding, and into bondage. Baze Carter was one of the sweetest, most romantic men in the world. He treated her like she was the center of his universe; he always had. He was funny, and he laughed so easily.

  “What about you? Did you leave a trail of broken hearts from Switzerland to South Africa?” She could hear the trepidation in his tone, like he was afraid of her answer.

  But he had no reason to be. “No. When another male touches me, it starts to make my skin crawl after a few minutes. It feels—”

  “Wrong,” he finished for her.

  “Yeah. It feels unnatural.” She traced circles on his shoulder, whispering her next words, “I’m basically a born-again virgin.”

  “Good.” Baze grabbed her thighs, spreading them wider. “That means I get to take it all over again.” She sucked in a sharp breath, making him chuckle against her bare hip bone. “Not tonight, bumblebee.” He placed a sweet kiss on her claimed tattoo, making her heart melt a little.

  And then he moved farther south, his kisses quickly turning from sweet to very, very naughty.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Baze

  “We need to pick a day.”

  “How does one go about picking a day to lure someone to their death?” Baze looked at Jace, a smile playing on his lips. “Sunday sound good to you?”

  Jace rolled his eyes. “I think I liked you better when you were brooding all the damn time.”

  Baze had been in a great mood all damn day, which was incredibly out of character for him. Or at least the him his pack knew. He’d lain in bed with his girl for hours, kissing and playing. Getting to know each other’s bodies again. Pen still gave head like a fucking porn star. Damn, he’d missed her mouth. But it was more than the physical stuff. He could feel their connection growing, feel them getting back to where they were ten years ago. And he was ecstatic.

  Penelope was making him so damn happy that it was spilling over into every encounter. Linc had caught him humming while making his morning coffee, and Keller had choked on his sandwich when Baze made a joke about something during lunch. He’d spent most of the morning wrapped in the sheets with Pen, and then he’d run to campus to get some stats he’d left behind yesterday.

  Now he was in the kitchen, watching while Jace prepared dinner like a five-star chef. Had he always known how to cook like this? Who taught him to make enchiladas?

  “What are you two evil villains plotting in here?” Dom took a pinch of cheese out of a bowl and Jace whacked the back of his hand with a wooden spoon. “Hey, watch it, kid. You may be in charge around here, but when we get back on that field, your ass in mine.” Dom pointed at him for effect, then took another pinch of cheese.

  “Boss Baby says we need to pick a day to off his father.” Baze chopped down on a slice of avocado, grinning at Jace.

  Dom turned to him, a what-the-fuck look on his face. “Did you just make a joke?”

  “Yeah, he’s been doing that today.” Jace moved the cheese out of Dom’s reach. “Yay us.” He rolled his eyes and pretended to wave around a flag or something. “But we do need to pick a day. We need get all this in order so we have a game plan. I can’t start rigging things until I know a timeline.”

  “How ’bout Sunday?”

  “That’s what I said.” Baze ate another slice and Jace looked like he wanted to scream in frustration. “Let’s stick with Sunday.”

  “Fine.” Jace was talking through clenched teeth, like Baze typically did.

  Maybe Jace needed to get some ass? Baze couldn’t remember if he’d ever heard the kid talk about girls. Maybe he was into dudes. Maybe he should take the time to actually get to know his beta.

  ***

  They were all back around the dinner table, stuffed full of the best enchiladas he’d ever eaten. Jace was a hell of a cook; the kid had an interesting set of skills to say the least.

  Pen was sitting next to him and he had his palm on her thigh under the table. Every few minutes he’d inch it up higher, working his way to her pussy. He loved seeing the flush bloom on her face. He loved seeing the way she reacted to him, the way she responded. And he was seconds away from hauling her back upstairs to get rid of her pants when he remembered part of their conversation from the night before.

  He leaned in, whispering against her blonde hair. “Hey, you okay with talking to everyone about Riley and the baby?” He didn’t want to put her on the spot; she always seemed so hesitant to talk to the pack as a group.

  “Oh, yeah, of course.” She put her napkin on the table and sat up a little straighter in her seat, giving him a mean side-eye when he flicked her clit through her leggings.

  “Corey, Riley.” When they turned their attention to him, he gestured to his girl. “Pen said she knows a lot about Riley’s connection to the baby. It was covered in a class she had to take.”

  Corey smiled, her eyes round. “Really?”

  Pen nodded. “We spent a few days on the subject, it was one of my teacher’s favorites.” She smiled, like she was remembering something fondly. “It’s really pretty beautiful.”

  Corey looked excited, Dom looked interested, and Riley looked terrified. Poor kid. He was about to get details of how the rest of his life was going to play out. Baze figured he’d be a little freaked out too.

  “The name for the connection between you and the baby is Custos Mundi, it roughly translates to Cosmic Guardian, which is a nod to the fact that shifters believe things are written in the stars. That the universe wills them to existence, right?” No one nodded, because no one knew the answer. Pen was literally the most knowledgeable person at the table at this point. “Because you now live in packs, all children born will be guarded—”

  “Wait. Plimpton told us that the baby was special, that she was going to have a little more shifter magic than most baby girls and that was why Riley was going to have to protect her.” Corey looked to Baze. “Right, that’s what he said?”

  Baze nodded in agreement. “That’s what I understood too.”

  Pen laughed, the sound shocking most of the people at the table because they’d never heard it before. “That’s not accurate, although some people believe that females born into packs have more shifter traits than those born into human family dynamics.” She took a sip of her wine and continued her lesson. “So back when packs were where shifters lived, all baby girls born were gifted a guardian by the universe. Another male, besides their father, who would guide them and keep them safe. It’s always a younger male, so it’s like they’ll grow up with an older brother.”

  “Holy shit.” Jasper made a sour face. “Does that mean I’ll have to be one too? I change my mind. I want out of the pack. I don’t want kids, and I sure as hell don’t want to be connected to any of yours.” He looked scared, like he wanted to run from the house and never look back.

  So of course his brother had to torture him. “It’s too late.” Jace’s voice was grave, like he was delivering a bad omen. “Tell him, Linc.”

  Linc nodded sadly. “He’s right. I’m
so sorry, Jasper.” He put his palm on Madden’s flat stomach. “We’re pregnant, and it’s a girl.”

  “What? No.” Jasper got to his feet. “No way, man. Find someone else.”

  “I wish I could.” Linc let out a mournful sigh. “It’s as much my punishment as it is yours. My poor baby girl is going to be stuck with such a schmuck for a guardian.” Linc snorted. “Sit down, you little shit. No one’s pregnant.”

  Jasper clutched his heart while the rest of the table erupted in laughter. “That’s not fucking funny.” He pointed at Linc, then Madden. “You two are the worst.”

  “No, you’re the worst.” Madden shook her head, an exaggerated frown on her face. “The sad part is, we probably would get your ass as guardian.”

  They probably would. Linc and Jasper were so much alike, they deserved each other, the universe had to see that.

  “What will happen after she’s born? I hate being away from her now. Will it get worse? Will I ever live a normal life?” Riley’s voice was soft, cautious, like he was afraid to hear Pen’s answer.

  “You don’t want to be away from her now because there is always a threat to her safety. Franklin, the attacks…all that makes your protective instincts kick into overdrive. Once things settle down, your need to be around Corey’s pregnant belly will subside a little.” Pen smiled tightly, squeezing Baze’s hand under the table to stop him from playing with her clit anymore. “And then, once she’s born, you’ll get to be her big brother, and as she gets older, her best friend.”

  “So we’re still not talking about imprinting here, right?” Corey pursed her lips, glancing at Baze and no doubt catching his annoyed sigh.

  “No, Riley won’t ever look at her like that.” Pen laughed. “And heaven help the first boy that does.”