Cimmerian Shade: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Collection

by Kiki Howell

  Seemingly satisfied with what he found, Mac returned to toss a dry t-shirt at her.

  “Take your bra off, and I’ll toss both your shirt and it into the dryer for a few minutes.”

  “Huh?” That was the last thing she’d expected him to say.

  “You heard me. I’m not going to allow you to catch a cold on my watch. Up that bra or I’m coming in to get it.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  A thick, dark eyebrow arched in warning. “Wouldn’t I?”

  Deciding not to push him, she put the t-shirt on, making sure to cover herself as she released the clasp of the bra. Throughout the event, his eyes never left her chest. Bronwyn could almost swear she heard his breathing from the few feet away from where he stood watching and waiting for her to deliver the wet piece of her intimates. Little did he know her panties were just as wet but from his doing.

  Giving the bra to him, she stayed transfixed to where she sat waiting and watching. He removed his wet t-shirt to reveal a rippling of muscles so defined, the whispered “Damn” that escaped her wasn’t enough to do the exquisite sight before her justice.

  “You like what you see?”

  “Don’t fish for compliments, it doesn’t fit your style.” She couldn’t believe she’d said that. His brazen approach to their conversation was wearing off on her.

  “You’re right, and I’m not fishing for anything. I have what I want sitting before me. Answer the question. Do you like what you see?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I’m going to ask only once more.”

  “Or else?”

  “Or else you won’t see anything again until you beg.”

  “Hah! MacMillan Kelnar, you’re full of yourself.”

  “And you’re playing coy. That’s a big no-no. When it comes to us, always be upfront. No need to beat around the bush or play games. Remember, no games or tricks? My promise is that I’ll do the same. Now...” he gave her another smile, this time licking his lips in a manner that was so seductive a wayward gasp floated out of her and on the air between them. “Tell me what you want. I won’t bite, not yet anyway.” The wink that punctuated that had Bronwyn thinking he might be capable of biting her, and boy was she willing and ready.

  “Tell you what I want? All right then. I want...”

  She paused, taking the notion seriously. No one had ever posed this question to her. What did she want? He waited, managing to stand there like a Herculean god in the glory that was his physique. Sitting here exposed as she was with only a t-shirt covering her top half and her skirt dangerously bunched around her hips, Bronwyn felt the most at ease she’d been in possibly forever. Gone was that constant void of being alone. She couldn’t explain it but try as she might think about money or things that Mac could most certainly give her, the only thing that came up for her was that she wanted—him.

  When she focused on looking back up at him, still standing there waiting on her answer with quiet command, instead of doing something to make her feel pressured to answer, he wore an expression of hope that she’d answer truthfully.

  Mustering up the ability to walk into a new realm of being Bronwyn closed her eyes and said, “I want you.”

  This time she let herself go, allowing the moment to take her where it would. Mac pounced more than moved as he rejoined her on the bed. This kiss pulled her need and hunger to the surface. In free fall of emotions, Bronwyn granted Mac her blind trust to keep both of them cushioned within the safety of his strength. Each nip, flick of the tongue, and suckle led her down the path of arousal so powerful her body hummed and buzzed. Mac explored every part of her mouth taking his time to allow her to respond to his invitations to tango.

  Before her eyes opened, strength so powerful she felt minuscule in its wake enveloped her in a warmth almost too hot to be humanly possible. He was on top of her using that skillful tongue of his to bring her back into his cocoon of pleasure. He wedged himself between her thighs to fit snugly between her legs. Thoughts of how stupid it had been to wear that too little skirt would have to wait. Despite her inability to think straight, her body continued to respond in ways she couldn’t imagine.

  Bronwyn’s pelvic area continued to arch up in wicked invitation as Mac wrapped her tight in his arms.

  “If you don’t stay still, I might not be able to continue to contain myself.” His voice was deeper, with a throaty sexiness to it. Another deep kiss and Bronwyn felt the rumble of his groan pass through her. “You’re killing me with how your body responds to mine. Stop it my little minx, or I’ll take you right here.”

  “Promise?” was all she said against the velvety smoothness of his impressive lips. Wanting him in every way had become her insatiable quest. “What do I have to do to be completely taken?”

  “Stop.”

  “Or else?”

  “You become mine.”

  “Confident much?” He was right, she could be a naughty brat. She liked this version of herself.

  “Bronwyn, behave,” his warning only served to fuel her need to push onward.

  Biological instinct took control. Thrusting up, moans of pleasure emanated from deep within as she caught the outline of his hard, large cock. Angling herself to rub her clit against him through completely soaked panties was a huge win. In unison, they moaned in ecstasy increasing the synchronistic dance of primal pleasure. Insatiable and needing more of him closer, harder, faster, deeper, Bronwyn looped her legs around his powerful thighs. Her body was in the driver’s seat, directing every action. She marveled in how she rubbed her pussy hard and fast against his steel pipe of a cock. Even through their clothes, he felt amazing. She had to have as much of him as possible—had to go deeper.

  “Take me, now,” she whispered into his ear. “I want to feel you deep inside me.”

  As if her words were the spell to stop momentum and time, Mac stopped and looked down into her eyes. His eyes were swirls of complexities she couldn’t fathom. The sight of his reaction to her was fearsome, arousing, and full of dread. Instinct had her bracing for the worse. Once again, her gut was rewarded with being right. Swift as the wind Mac was off her and scrambling off the bed.

  “Wait, what? What’s happening?” Her disorientation and confusion had Bronwyn scrambling to put coherent sentences together. She had to plea and make her case for him to continue. She wanted and needed to know it wasn’t what she’d said, or worse yet, who she was. Fear that he’d come back to his senses and didn’t want to encourage her, an averaged girl, that he was into her, Bronwyn forced the question out. “Is it because of what I said?” She refused to ask the real question of if it was her that he didn’t want. “I take it back. We can slow it down.” Her words came too fast, too much begging in them. They sounded pathetic, even to her.

  Pacing on the side of the bed like a caged animal, he fought to slow his breathing. She watched, fighting the drive to go to him, to touch him.

  “Mac, talk to me. Say something. What did I do?” It was official, she was that girl. Stamp Desperate Loser on her forehead and relegate her to the corner, she’d blown it with Mac.

  Finally, he spoke. “You’re not ready. I don’t want to move too fast. Trust me, you’re not ready for what I have in store for us.” He ran a hand through thick, unruly chestnut brown hair as he began to pace again. When he made it to stand at the middle of the foot of the bed, he looked at her, eyes still dark with simmering passion. “It wouldn’t be right for me to take you here, now. There’s too much important information you need to know about me before you make that level of commitment.”

  “Mac, it’s fine. I’m an adult, and I know what I’m doing.” Forcing her voice to calm and show maturity she pressed on. “You’re not coercing me to do anything I don’t want to.” She was upright, on her knees, moving to the edge of the bed where he stood. Bronwyn couldn’t help herself. She needed to be closer to him. The pull he had on her was too powerful to refuse. Before she could get close enough to touch him, he went and stood n
ext to that damn chest of drawers, putting what might as well be an ocean of space between them. Despite the pang of rejection at his change in mood and proximity, she forged on. Bronwyn would make her case. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to do anything to try to keep you tied to me. Let’s call this what it is. We have chemistry. The attraction is off the roof. You want me, I want you, and I’m adult enough to take it for what it is.”

  “For what it is? What do you think we’re doing here?”

  Somewhere in that question, Bronwyn felt a pivotal piece of how the outcome would manifest had embedded itself in however she responded.

  Answering with caution, she chose her words as non-emotionally as possible. Guys weren’t like women. She didn’t want to scare him completely away.

  “I get it. This is a hookup. I might not be in the know about a lot in the way of how men and women interact now, but I do know what a hookup is. And, yes, I promise to not become clingy or try to stay past my welcome. I told you, we’re good.”

  Icy gray-blue eyes narrowed. Uh-oh, that had been the wrong answer, but how?

  “Bronwyn, I think we should hold off on the course of this conversation.”

  “Okay, I didn’t mean any harm.”

  His voice softened to take a little of the granite edge off as he said, “I know you didn’t, but I think we’re still on completely different planes when it comes to what we’re doing here.”

  Anger at his assumption that she was too stupid to get what he wanted lashed an angry streak across her heart. That one statement hurt more than most of the stuff she’d endured the last year. His words wouldn’t stand as they were. Bronwyn summoned up the power behind the hurt and let it go.

  “You egotistical brute. How dare you try to come off as high and mighty, like I’m the trap who doesn’t get what you’re trying to have with me here. Don’t play like that. You and I both know all you wanted was some ass today. I wanted you too, but for whatever reason, you’re getting cold feet. Please, for the sake of both our intelligence, don’t try to put that off on me. Let’s be honest as you like to say and tell it like it is. You’re not that into me. Fine, I’ll make it easy for you. I’m out.”

  She was off the bed and through the door before her mind could catch up with what she was doing. Bronwyn made it downstairs determined to find her things and get out of here. What she didn’t hear were footsteps behind her. That hurt, more than it should. Shaking off the need for him to come after her, she pressed on, ignoring the thudding pain in her foot and ankle that would be hell to pay in a little while. With her phone, suit jacket and shoes in her hand, she turned to leave.

  Anger was a dominant force. Bronwyn would walk before she stayed here. Flicking through her apps to find a ride share, she made it to the foyer to stand in the front doorway before she heard him.

  “Bronwyn, please don’t go. You’re right. I fucked up. Come back so we can work this out.”

  She ignored him, opening the door to get away from the person who’d hurt her too much to look at him.

  Outside sat a brand-new work van. It was red with her logo and business information wrapped around it professionally. It gleamed in the noonday sun. More emotions collided into each other. Gratitude, joy, and relief flooded in. He’d more than kept his promise about her van. That was sweet. As soon as that thought appeared, anger demanded to keep the top spot. Those other emotions were powerless to combat anger before it had its pound of flesh. She wanted him to feel how embarrassed, rejected and hurt she felt.

  “The keys are in the ignition. If you want to leave me, I won’t keep you from doing so.”

  “Please. Don’t try that psycho-hypnotic trick on me. You’re not going to try to turn your bad behavior into guilting me to stay. Yes, I’m leaving, and I’ll take the van. Thank you very much.”

  She hobbled more than walked over to the driver’s side and managed to get into the seat. He didn’t come close to her, instead of watching from the side. Anger-fueled energy had her spinning out of the drive on her way as far away from him as possible.

  Chapter Ten

  MAC

  “You have to go after her,” Danny said, holding Bronwyn’s purse and portfolio out to him.

  “Why? She made it clear she’s done with me. You saw, she peeled out of here so fast she left her purse.” Pointing at the practical leather pouch that swung from its strap before him, Mac grappled with the weight of defeat heavy enough for her to leave such an important item behind. She’d rushed, no, more like run, to get away from him. He wasn’t used to the pain Bronwyn had inflicted. It was new, deep, and hurt like a Mofo. “I mean, come on man, women don’t leave those behind, right? They’re like the most important thing they have, besides their shoes.” Allowing the hurt to sting him again he added, “She took the van too, without a backward glance. I need to give her time to cool off before I make another attempt.”

  “Un-huh.” Disbelief dripped heavy from the young wolf’s response. “Sounds like you need to get your courage back up after that strike out at bat.” Danny swung the little bag around in a circle, twirling the strap around his finger.

  Anger flared as Mac watched Danny fingering the purse. That was his mate’s. “Watch it, Danny,” he motioned to the purse while letting Danny know his mouth was going to get his ass beat if he kept on. “Those are my mate’s personal belongings. Show some respect.”

  Holding his hands up with the purse and portfolio dangling in surrender, he looked more like comic relief than a confidant. Danny laughed at how it looked with him holding the little purse as he let a lazy smile slide into place before saying, “Look, dude, I don’t know much about how you Dragon’s mate, but I can tell you for my kind we have to earn the right to claim our mates. From what I can tell, you ain’t done that yet.”

  “You don’t say.” Mac hated that Danny of all people was giving him advice—good advice. Their power dynamic had shifted to where he was forced to consider the wolf might know more about how to fix this situation than he did.

  “Yeah, you can’t treat this like any of your other negotiations. From what I can tell, that one is stubborn. She’s not going to come back if you give her time to get over you. Nope, I saw it in her eyes the first time we met. You have to go after her, hard and strong—now. Mac, take the pocketbook and find her.” Danny placed Bronwyn’s things on his desk before him. “Even she can’t deny she needs her wallet, keys, and identification. I checked, and her driver’s license is in there too. Go to her now before she has a night to sleep on it and get really pissed off.”

  “You make it sound so easy. She made it clear. She doesn’t want me as her mate. Bronwyn was only interested in having a hookup with me. What the hell? My mate only wanted to have an afternoon tryst and then be done with me?”

  “Oh, now it’s starting to make sense. She hurt your delicate feelings when she wasn’t all yes, I want to be your mate forever. Mac, how many times to I have to remind you that full human women, the non-gold-digging ones, aren’t like that? You have to sell them on what it means to mate. Bronwyn isn’t after your money or prestige. You have to initiate her into what it’s like to be mated to a Dragon. Have you paused to consider she might not have a clue what you are?”

  “Cut me some damn slack. Yes, I’ve thought about that and a lot more. She’s my mate, remember? It’s my first time doing this, trying to court my mate. So, sue me if I botched it up. I’ve never cared about any other woman like this. I had too much on the line, and she wasn’t interested.”

  “How do you know that? All you did was stopped yourself from bonding with her before she knew what she was about to get herself into. If anything, you did her a huge solid. Man, quit tripping and go to her. If nothing else, go check on her injury and do your magic to finish healing her foot.”

  “It’s her ankle and foot. That’s another thing, I didn’t have a chance to finish mending the hairline fracture she has. I said she had a sprain, to keep her from freaking out about the break.”


  “All the more reason for you to get your ass up and go see about your mate. Boy, I tell you, if I hadn’t had to come back over here to get my cap for tonight, you would have totally fucked this up.”

  “Don’t give yourself too much credit. I tell you, she wasn’t into me like that. It was as if she was keen to sleep with me as a novelty but not to be with me.”

  “Again, with the sad Dragon reasoning, Mac, that woman needs time to understand what you are and how you are when it comes to her. Have you stopped to consider that for her it might not be deep, unwavering love at first sight like it is with a Dragon?”

  Mac had to pause with that. Both his parents were Dragons. That’s the only way he knew how to mate—both would know it. Bronwyn was definitely human, her scent announced that the first time he got close to her. She might be strong and perfect for him, but she was still human. The same human that had him stopping before he’d gone too far.

  Hating to admit it, he relented. “You’re right, man. I need to get my ass over there.”

  “I would drive you, but this is private. You have to show her how much she means to you. Drive yourself—don’t fly—over to her place and win her back. Grovel, court her and do everything you can to explain what you are.”

  “Now? After everything that went down today?”

  “Yes, now. How else do you expect her to give you a second chance?”

  “I was going to ask her to meet me to get her check for that meeting she was hellbent on having.”

  He watched as Danny face palmed himself hard.

  “Oh my God you can’t be that fucking stupid?”

  “Watch it before I show you how stupid I can be when I kick your ass all over this house.”

  “Meant no disrespect there, but for real, you can’t be this serious about being so clueless. The last thing you want to do is dangle money in front of her as a way to get her to meet you. That’ll come off as you trying to buy her, which equals exactly what you said she kept accusing you of—being a man whore.”