by Vella Day
Brandon glanced at Sam. “I don’t see why not. I’ll arrange a meeting,” Sam said.
“Thank you.”
Sam stood. “Will you excuse us for a moment?”
“Sure.” She didn’t even want to know what was so important that they had to discuss in private.
The men headed down the hall. She leaned back on the sofa and covered her face. How was she going to tell her aunt that Cheryl could be all the way to China by now?
* * *
“We can’t let her go back to Jay,” Sam said.
Brandon paced. “He hasn’t hurt her yet.”
“Yet, being the operative word. The man has his orders. It’s a matter of time before he fulfills it.” Sam had seen what happened to a Colter when he didn’t do as requested.
Brandon faced him, anguish written all over it. “Given her fragile mental state right now, what do you think would happen if we tell her that her cousin is a Colter? Mackenzie seemed determined to find Cheryl. I don’t see hopping on a plane tonight because we say we don’t like Jay. She’ll want proof, and we don’t have any.”
This was bad. “As much as I think it would be wise, she won’t stay here. We did win her confidence somewhat when she found out I was a deputy, but she’s still leery of us.”
“She has good reason to be upset. We could always tell her we’re Pack members and that Jay works for Statler. But again, we can’t prove it.”
Sam stabbed a hand through his hair. “If we say something bad about Jay, she’ll probably stalk off. I’m not sure anyone could handle a second blow. Hell, it nearly killed me to tell her that Cheryl had been held captive in a cage. If she learned her trusted family member not only might have had a hand in Cheryl’s capture, but had been tasked with taking Mackenzie out, she might crack.”
“Right. We should wait until she’s had a chance to process everything. It’s not like we can lock her in our house. That would be more traumatic.”
Sam had to do something. “I got it. Give me a minute, and then call me on my cell. I’ll pretend it’s the sheriff, and then head over to Jay’s. I’ll station myself so I can hear what’s going on inside. When Mackenzie returns home, I’ll make sure nothing happens to her.”
Brandon stuffed his hands in his pockets. His lips twisted. “That might work. I’ll keep her here as long as possible. Maybe Jay will be asleep when she gets home.”
“Good thinking.” Sam turned to leave.
“Wait.”
He spun around. “What?”
“Shouldn’t we tell her we’re her mates? It might help clear up why she feels this attraction to us, and help her trust us more. That way when we do tell her about Jay, she might believe us.”
Sam shook his head. “You don’t know that she feels any attraction. With all that’s going on in her head, she probably doesn’t know what to think. It’s too big a risk.”
“You’re wrong. I could tell she felt something when I was in the bar. I really think that if she knows we’re her allies, she’ll do what we ask.”
Sam felt so sorry for her. “Just call me, okay?”
“Roger that. But she might already suspect we’re her mates. Her dad was a werewolf.”
“Let’s hope so.” Sam headed out to Mackenzie. He prayed they weren’t making a mistake by letting her go back to Jay, and then telling her she basically was tied to them for the rest of her life.
* * *
Mac thought it was a bit strange for the men to jump up and go into another room, especially after dropping the bombshell about Cheryl. All she could think of was that they wanted to give her time to grieve and pull herself together. Her eyes were probably bloodshot and her face bloated.
As she pulled a tissue from her purse to blow her nose, she spotted her gun. Now she saw how pathetic she’d been pointing her weapon at those two. Not only couldn’t she kill a man, taking out two werewolves before they could charge was preposterous. Thank God, they were who they said they were or she might be stuffed in a cage like Cheryl.
She blew her nose and forced back her pain.
“You okay?”
Mac jumped at Sam’s presence. She hadn’t even heard him come back down the hall. Given his boots probably smacked against the wood, she should have. “Yes. Well, as good as I can be.”
Sam slipped next to her on the sofa, shooting her pulse into the danger zone. What the hell was going on? She never reacted to a man like this before. She needed to focus on facts instead of on her body’s betrayal.
“I’m sorry I was blunt. If you’d feel better staying here for the night, it would be cool. We have a spare bedroom.”
He was a sweet man. “I’m good. Really. Besides, Jay would worry if I didn’t come back.”
She probably should go. They’d already been so nice. Her heart turned even heavier knowing she might not see them again. That was a shame on so many levels. Not only did she believe they could provide her with more information about Cheryl, she was drawn to these men, more so than she had been to anyone before. It was totally crazy. Here she’d been told her worst nightmare, yet she wanted to get close to them. It was as if they could heal her woes.
“Out of curiosity, how much do women go for these days?” If she knew the amount, she might be able to narrow down the list of possible buyers by hacking into their bank accounts and searching for such a sum.
“Depends,” Sam said. “I’ve heard anywhere from ten to twenty thousand dollars.”
Her breath caught. “That’s a lot.”
“True, but sad to say there are a lot of men out there who are willing to pay.” Just then Sam’s cell rang. “Shit.” He plucked it from his pants pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s work. Damn.” He swiped his finger across the screen. “Crenshaw. Yeah. Where? I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He disconnected the call and stuffed the phone back in his pocket. “I am really sorry. It’s work.”
“I understand. The men I work with would get calls at all hours of the night.” She stood and hugged him. “Thank you so much for telling me everything.”
“Maybe we’ll see you around.” He opened the drawer in the coffee table, pulled out a card, and scribbled a number on the back. “Call if you learn anything. Or if you need to talk.”
She stuffed it in her purse. “I will.”
Sam grabbed his jacket and headed toward the back. Voices sounded. Brandon came into view, and once more her body vibrated with need.
He sat next to her. “Sorry about ducking out on you like that. How are you holding up?”
She appreciated the apology and his concern. If he was in law enforcement, too, he’d probably seen people under the worst of conditions. “As well as can be expected.
He lifted up her hands, like he had before. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”
Her body shook and a sharp pain seemed to materialize in her chest. “I don’t think I can take much more. Is it about Cheryl?”
Brandon winced. “No. This is actually a kind of a good thing, I think.” He let go of his grip.
She leaned back. “I could use some good news.”
Brandon ran a finger across Mac’s wrist, causing a desire stronger than the pull of the moon on the earth. “You feel that?” he asked.
Her throat turned dry. “Feel what?”
“The attraction, the dizziness, the racing heart. I know you’ve been through a lot, but I can see it in your eyes that you feel a connection to us. It can be overwhelming if you don’t know what it means.”
“You have the same reaction to me?” She wasn’t ready to divulge her feelings yet. Her insides were too raw.
“I do.”
Those two words were such a balm to her soul. All she wanted to do was crawl in his arms, and let him hold her and tell her everything would be okay. Be truthful. She desired something more; something that would blot out all the horrors that were beating against her.
Brandon drew her close, and it was as if some erotic being had invaded her body.
“It’s okay to let loose, PI-girl. You deserve it.”
The nickname spoke of affection. She glanced down at his crotch. “So do you.”
“That’s because you’re our mate.”
She bolted upright, and an eerie sounding laugh burst out of her. “I’m your mate? Are you kidding me?” She was incapable of understanding anything right now.
“Yes, Sam and I are your mates.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “You really believe in that destiny shit? Who’s been filling your head?” If it were true, her father would have told her.
Brandon grinned. “Come here, and I’ll prove it to you.”
Before she could move away or question him further, Brandon slipped an arm under her legs and lifted her onto his lap. She was about to say this wasn’t right until her butt met his thighs, and her body caught fire. She shouldn’t be turned on, but she was. Overtly so. What was going on? Was Brandon right? Were they mates?
Did it really matter? Mac was totally and utterly unable to stop herself. She wanted him. Bad. Sure, she should be looking for clues, but the moment his lips descended and met hers, all of those logical thoughts flew out the window.
An instinct, stronger than any animal in heat, took over her mind, body, and soul. Without a shadow of a doubt, she needed this man then and there. It didn’t matter the reason. It didn’t matter if this was right or wrong. Nothing mattered more than having her hands and lips all over him. She was without a doubt possessed.
She loved a good romp in the hay, but no man had ever turned her into a pool of need like Brandon just had. As her tongue probed his mouth, her head swam. He tasted of beer, mixed with a hint of mint, as if he’d brushed his teeth before returning to the living room. It was as if he knew they’d be making love.
Her nipples turned painfully taut and dampness pooled between her legs. This was the first time in her life that this crazy sensation of pure lust had assaulted her, but she liked it; needed it more than life itself.
“Mackenzie.” He said her name on a breath, as if he cherished the sound.
Brandon cupped her face and looked deep into her soul. His eyes shimmered, alternating between gold and a sultry hazel-brown. His passion poured into her body, and the urge to touch his cock overtook all common sense. She reached for the buttons on his jeans, but he grabbed her wrist before she could pull the metal through the hole.
“Not yet, darlin’. It’s ready to burst, and I need our first time to be special.”
That might have been a line he’d used a hundred times with dozens of other women, but his sincerity squeezed her heart. As he barely brushed his lips against hers, she closed her eyes, and suddenly she was floating.
She looked up at him. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” His gaze never left her face as he carried her through the living room and down the hall. It didn’t really matter where he was taking her, as long as she could have him—fully, totally, completely.
With his booted toe, he pushed open a door, and then flicked on a light with his elbow. He set her down. “Don’t move.”
Mac should have been afraid to be with a stranger in his bedroom. Both her father and mother had warned her about overtly sexy men and how they could affect your decisions, but Mac couldn’t help herself. She wanted him. Deep inside her.
She was about to turn around and study his bedroom, but when he lifted his shirt over his head, she could no more move than she could give up breathing. A sprinkle of black hair spread across his upper chest and trailed down to the waistband of his pants. Muscles upon muscles covered his torso with very little fat in between. At six foot two, he was a beast of a man. The shirt floated to the ground, but she never saw it hit; her gaze was locked onto his chest.
“Now it’s your turn, darlin’.” His words woke her up. She reached for her waistband to pull her shirt from her jeans, when he swatted her hands away. “That’s a man’s job.”
Mac lifted her hands away from her body. She couldn’t remember the last time she let a man undress her. Hell, she could barely remember when she wanted a man to touch her so much. “Be my guest.”
And he was the man to do it. As Brandon freed her shirt from her pants, his pecs rippled. Jesus. How had the women of Gulfside kept their hands off him? Why didn’t he have a slew of ladies pounding at his door right now? Did that mean he really was destined to be with one woman? Was she his mate? Her heart told her the answer was yes.
She would have given more thought to the whole concept had he not toed off his boots and slipped his jeans down his slim hips. Mac was spellbound. The man was magnificent. Then the bulge under his briefs drew her attention and her breath caught. His cock was huge.
“Have you ever made love with a shifter before?” he asked as he closed the gap between them.
Oh, shit. Was he trying to see if he’d fit? “No.”
He grinned. “Oh, darlin’. Aren’t you in for a surprise?”
Chapter Nine
Brandon’s fingers itched to touch her luscious breasts. How he hadn’t impaled her already was beyond his comprehension. The flood of adrenaline made him want to shift, and his desire urged him to rush, but his good sense told him to go slow. Mackenzie had been through so much tonight, and she needed kindness and some tender loving more than anything.
Brandon had waited long enough to find her. Thirty-three years to be exact. He’d seen the change in Trax and Dante when they’d found Liz, and he’d certainly seen it in Dirk Tilton when he mated with Elena. Dirk’s was perhaps the most profound personality shift. The big brut had turned from a bulldog into a lapdog. Brandon was glad his friends had found happiness. Now it was his turn, though he suspected the road wouldn’t be an easy one. Mackenzie would be a handful.
He raked his gaze over her body—beautiful, sensuous, and ever so feminine.
Brandon lifted the top over her head. The moment he spied the red lace half-bra, his cock leaked cum. Jesus. “You’re perfect.”
“You do know how to sweet talk a girl.” She ran her tongue over her lips, and his resolve to take his time melted, though he was determined to do right by her.
Didn’t she realize she didn’t have to do anything to ramp up his desire? “It’s true. You’re perfect.”
Her breasts weren’t large, but they were round and pert, exactly the way he liked them. Given she was his mate, one lick or suck, and she’d be screaming his name. Brandon’s body was cracking and threatening to shift. Damn. Perhaps a quick taste would calm him down. Or was that wishful thinking?
As gently as he could, he lowered the straps on her bra. The moment her pretty pink tips peeked out, he clenched her shoulders. “Jesus, Mackenzie. You’re an early Christmas present.”
With a quick pinch to the back, he released her bra and let it drop to the ground. His head swam. Dirk told him that after a while a shifter’s body would get used to being near his mate. Brandon wasn’t so sure he could last that long. He dipped his head and drew in the eager tip.
“Ah, ah, ah,” she panted.
Had his mouth not been full, he would have smiled. With the pad of his thumb, he brushed the other tip, and loved when she latched onto his arm. When the delicate nipple puckered and turned hard under his touch, he groaned. Damn. That came out too loud. Having her know how much she affected him wasn’t good. He was the one who needed to stay in control.
Brandon figured if her tits were this glorious, what would the rest of her be like? Her body was sleek, like that of a wolf, and he couldn’t wait to taste her sweet honey.
“Let’s finish undressing you. Kick off those shoes, will you?”
In a flash, her sandaled feet were bare. He loved the sparkly purple nail polish. Everything about Mackenzie was fantastic. He unhooked the waistband and lowered the zipper one notch at a time, though why he was tormenting himself he didn’t know. Perhaps he wanted to give her time to voice any second thoughts.
Once the zipper lay wide open, he lowered her jeans,
taking in her flat belly and matching red panties. She’d come to seduce. He should be upset she’d agreed to follow them home because he had answers, but right now he didn’t give a damn. She was with him now—almost naked—and that was all that mattered. If he had his way, once they finished, she’d have no thoughts left in her head.
“Don’t you want me to get on the bed?” she asked.
Her question took him by surprise. Had her previous lovers been that unimaginative? “Just stay where you are darlin’ and let me take you someplace you’ve never been.”
She nodded to his cock. “I don’t think it’ll fit.”
For some reason, that made him laugh. “Oh, it’ll fit all right. Once I get you hot enough, it’ll slip in just fine.” If he thought she was ready for his kinkier side, he’d spank her ass until it was the same color as those panties. Then she’d be more than ready.
Wait until she had both him and Sam at the same time. She’d need a spanking to ease the way for two cocks. At that thought, his hard-on throbbed.
Control. Stay in control.
Brandon slipped off her panties. He closed his eyes and inhaled. Her scent altered his cells. Mackenzie was his mate for sure. Excitement surged, and he spread her legs wide.
“How about closing your eyes, darlin’ and dream of what it will be like when we come together?”
She drew in her bottom lip, forcing him to look away. He didn’t wait to see if she obeyed. Instead, he held onto her ankles so she couldn’t move. He leaned over and swiped his tongue between her folds.
“Oh, my God.” She immediately sucked in a breath, acting as if she hadn’t meant to let loose.
“It’s okay. I want this to feel fantastic. Enjoy it.”
Brandon let go of one ankle and opened her pussy lips with his thumb and forefinger, allowing him access to stroke her sensitive clit. The muscles in her thighs tightened as he wiggled the tiny nub back and forth.
“It’s too much. I’m going to come.”
