by Ravenna Tate
No amount of ogling over porn with friends or speculating about what sex felt like had adequately prepared him for this reality. Touching her skin sent shockwaves to his groin. His balls hurt, his dick throbbed, and it took every ounce of concentration not to completely shift. He didn’t want to hurt her, but the urge to possess all of her was overwhelming.
Hands tugged at his clothes, which Arizona found incredibly sexy and unexpected. When Canyon had described how shy but curious Fiera had been their first time, Arizona had imagined Gillian would be the same way. Not even close. She was aggressive and focused, and her determination was a huge turn-on.
His clothes couldn’t come off fast enough, and when they both were naked, she stared at his body as though she’d never seen one before. The lust and admiration in her beautiful blue eyes took his breath away.
“Wow. You are absolutely gorgeous. I’ve never seen so many perfect muscles.”
Words were impossible. Anything he said right now would come out unintelligible or as a growl. He was certain he’d frighten her if he let too much of his lynx nature show, but the urge to simply take her filled his entire being. Every cell in his body had one mission only. To claim her and make her his, forever.
****
No man had ever captivated Gillian the way this one did. She couldn’t stop staring at his naked body. The human part was all muscle, but not gross, overly-defined muscles. These were sleek and perfect. Tats of a design she couldn’t identify covered his torso and upper arms.
Every few seconds, his face shifted from a human look to a lynx one. At first it had freaked her out, but now that took a back seat to the rest of him. His legs were lean and long, and his cock was swollen, red, and dripping with pre-cum. Gillian swallowed hard as she imagined it inside her. She wanted it to fill her mouth, her pussy, and her ass. She wanted that so badly she could hardly breathe.
This had never happened to her before. This need to be possessed by a man. She didn’t understand it, but it wasn’t a frightening thought. Instead, she realized she’d never been so excited about sex. None of the encounters she’d had before had ever filled her with such obsessive, hot desire.
As her gaze finally roamed back to his face, and those intense dark eyes, she smiled. “I guess it’s safe to say we each find the other desirable.”
A short laugh escaped his throat. Or it could have been a growl. She wasn’t sure. “That’s an understatement. I don’t know where to go first.”
“Same here.”
The air in the room felt charged, as if there was a storm outside. Gillian didn’t need to glance out the window to know there was no storm. The energy she felt—this unbridled lust—came from her and Arizona.
Every fiber of her being ached for his touch. She wasn’t sure if she should make the first move, and as she watched the emotions cross his beautiful face, she realized she wouldn’t have to. The very second Arizona moved toward her, Gillian gasped as a profound change came over him. She finally understood what it meant for him to be an alpha shape shifter.
Chapter Six
There was no time to react before Arizona crossed the small space between them and pulled Gillian into a bone-crushing embrace. She sucked in a deep breath, only to have it taken away when he captured her mouth in a kiss so hot, she was certain the entire room would catch fire.
Low growls escaped his throat as he shoved his tongue past hers, but instead of frightening her, the noises sent tiny jolts of electricity straight to her already-throbbing clit. Her pussy walls contracted, and a slow, deep orgasm began that was so powerful yet insidious, that Gillian had to grasp Arizona’s torso with both hands so she wouldn’t crumple to the floor.
The heat from his body was intoxicating. All those hard muscles pressed up against her skin, forcing loud moans from her throat as his mouth ravaged hers. She already knew he could kiss like no one’s business, but this … this was almost unbelievable. The man wasn’t human.
A giggle at her unintentional mental joke rose up amidst the moans, but if he noticed, he gave no indication of it. He dragged his hands through her hair, tugging just hard enough not to cause her actual physical pain, but enough to give her no doubt he intended to possess every inch of her body. They made their way down her back, sending shivers up and down her spine as he caressed her skin.
Even his fingertips were hot, and the possessiveness with which he explored her body was intoxicating. When he reached her ass cheeks, he released her mouth and trailed his tongue across her neck, sucking at various points. Would he really bite her? The idea made her pulse race and filled her mind with erotic images that were more decadent than anything she’d ever imagined.
“This ass…” He squeezed her cheeks, pulling her hips closer to that huge dick of his. “It’s so round and perfect.”
No one had ever called her ass “round and perfect” before. Fat, yes. Plump, more than once. A few other choice words meant to convey pleasurable, but without graceful contours, definitely. When he gave those cheeks a few hard smacks, Gillian moaned loudly. She wrapped her arms tighter around his body and kissed his neck.
“Oh, Gillian … the things I want to do to you.”
“Do them.” Her tongue dipped to his chest and traced the outline of the closest tat. “All of them.” He tasted salty and musky, and Gillian nearly giggled again as she wondered if he tasted the same everywhere. She intended to find out. “Do everything to me that you want to.”
Before she had time to react, Arizona picked her up in his arms and carried her across the room. No man had ever done that. It was so romantic and dominant at the same time. Gillian was mesmerized by the look on his face, filled with lust and determination.
The door to the bedroom was open, and she briefly wondered what he would have done if it had been closed. Would he have kicked it open? She watched his face, smiling, and when he gazed down into hers and winked, she nearly came. This man could reduce her to putty in his hands with the slightest gesture.
Arizona laid her gently on the bed and sat next to her, simply gazing at her body. “You’re stunning. So beautiful.”
Gillian reached for his hand. “Touch me. Everywhere.” Her voice was all breathy and shaky, but seriously, how could she help that? “Take me. I need you inside me.” She rolled toward him. “Please.”
A desperate growl filled the space around them. Arizona rolled her onto her back again and lay on top of her, kissing her neck, her collar bone, and the valley between her breasts. Gillian cried out in pleasure as he sat back on his heels and grasped her breasts in strong hands that she swore felt furry, like a cat’s paw. But she didn’t care. She was far too lost in the exquisite pleasure of that touch, so hot and strong yet gentle and careful at the same time.
When he bent his head to suck and bite her nipples, Gillian cried out again and pulled the band that held his hair back. She tossed the elastic away and grasped his locks, tangling her fingers in them. His hair was so soft. She could touch it all day long.
Long, luscious strokes across her nipples from his tongue made her gasp. “That feels so fucking good!”
“You taste like heaven. Gillian, I had no idea it would be like this.”
As he returned to torturing her breasts with exquisite pleasure, she closed her eyes and smiled so hard her face hurt. Tears welled up at the intensity of sensations cascading through her. She’d never felt this emotional or this connected during sex. She’d been waiting to feel this way her entire adult life.
Wasn’t that what he’d meant about her being his mate? That’s what this was to him. She was the only woman he would be with for the rest of his life, and he wanted it that way. He’d waited twenty-eight years for this.
Arizona straightened up and gazed down at her with nothing short of love in his eyes. “I’m not sure how much longer I can hold off.”
A quick glance at his cock, and she couldn’t believe he’d held off this long. “Then don’t. Fuck me, Arizona. Take me now. Make me yours.”
&nb
sp; The sound he made now was definitely a growl, and it sent delicious shivers down her spine. “Are you ready, though? Have I done enough?”
“Oh, you are too adorable.” With a wicked grin, she grasped his dick and pulled on it. His growls filled the room. “I am more than ready. Besides, we have all night to explore each other’s bodies, don’t we?”
“Oh, Gillian. We have the rest of our lives.”
For a man who hadn’t had sex before, he had no trouble settling himself between her legs and lifting her hips to rest them on his hard, muscled thighs. He also had no trouble teasing the soaking wet opening to her pussy with first one finger, followed by two, until he was able to slide them in and out with ease.
Gillian moaned and writhed against his touch, unable to process anything except the touch of his hands and that scent. Warm, musky, animalistic, it filled her head with wanton images unlike anything she’d imagined before. She clawed at his arms, clinging for support as their bodies grew slick with sweat. Was the room really that warm, or did all that heat come from him?
“Are you ready?” His voice was gravelly as if he was barely hanging on.
“I’ve been ready for weeks! Please!”
With a soft chuckle, he grasped his cock and eased it into her pussy, so slowly that Gillian wanted to scream in need and frustration. By the time he got it halfway in, another climax began, and there was no way to hold it off.
“Oh, my love. Is that because of me?”
Tears spilled over her lashes. Gillian moved her hands higher on his arms, over his shoulders, and finally to his beautiful face. “Of course it is. This feels absolutely incredible.”
“I can’t stand it. It’s too damn good! I just want to shove it into you and fuck you like crazy.”
“Arizona, do it. Please! I promise you won’t hurt me.”
As if he wasn’t quite sure she meant it, he blinked a few times. She nodded for encouragement, her entire body waiting. With a loud groan, he pushed his dick all the way in. Finally!
Gillian cried out in pleasure and clung to his arms as he thrust in and out with impossible speed. She’d never felt anything so perfect in her entire life. He hadn’t been kidding about the alpha gifts, apparently, because she’d been with a few experienced men and they had nothing on Arizona.
The bite came as a complete surprise because she hadn’t even noticed that he’d bent his head. A sharp, burning pain settled over the left side of her neck, but it was so brief she didn’t have time to let it ruin this amazing fucking. He licked the wound, and her orgasm intensified until the contractions were coming fast and furious, one on top of the other, and she could barely breathe.
Gillian let out a long, low moan and slid her hands down to Arizona’s thighs, loving the way his muscles flexed with each thrust. As he moved his head to kiss her, she parted her lips and tasted blood on his. That must have been her own, but once more she had no time to process the fact because he released her mouth and cried out loudly.
“Oh, Gillian. Oh my stars…” As he came, pumping into her with crazy speed and force, her orgasm was still going. She briefly thought about reaching between them to finish herself, but she was too fucking worn out.
On the heels of that thought, a giggle rose up that this time she couldn’t stop. As Arizona lay over her, holding her close, she laughed as quietly as possible. Their bodies were wet and slid together as she moved, and that made her laugh more.
Finally, he lifted his head, that wicked sexy grin filling his beautiful face. “I have to ask. Was my lovemaking that hysterical?”
“Oh my God, no. It was … shit. I don’t even have a word for it. Fabulous. Fantastic. Incredible. Awesome. Those don’t do it justice.”
The sweetest emotion filled his eyes. He leaned over and gave her a quick, tender kiss. “It was everything I have ever imagined it would be, but better, because it was with you.”
“Wow,” she whispered. “You keep saying things like that and I’ll let you do anything you want.”
“Anything?” He raised his brows.
“Anything.” She wrapped her arms and around him and pulled him closer. “I mean it. I can’t explain it, and I don’t want to try. I feel … I don’t even know. Complete. Like this is what I’ve been waiting for.”
“It is. It’s what we’ve both been waiting for.” A quick kiss again, before his expression turned serious. “But why were you laughing?”
“Silly things.” She shook her head, unable to recall now what had set her off in the first place. “So much emotion.”
The soft caress on her face sent shivers down her spine. “Gillian, will you consider doing something for me? Sooner rather than later?”
“What is it?” She didn’t need to ask, but she did anyway. How she knew what subject he was about to bring up, she couldn’t say. It had simply popped into her head.
They had talked about this several days ago, and all the reasons she’d given him for waiting now seemed petty and selfish. Why was that? Was she basking in the afterglow, or had their mating changed everything for her, just like that?
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He was nervous about asking again, and she hated that for him. “Arizona, I’m yours. You’ve claimed me, and I have the bite to prove it.” At those words, the wound on her neck began to throb. She went to touch it, but he caught her hand, frowning.
“Are you teasing me?”
“I’m not. Honestly.”
“I really want you to go off the pill.”
“I know you do.” She swallowed hard. “You want children right away. Like we talked about last week.” Except last week he hadn’t done more than kiss her, and she didn’t have an open wound on her neck that he had put there.
“Of course I do. Don’t you?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Gillian.” Her name came out as more of a sigh than an endearment, and now she had to blink back tears for real. “No one in the village will understand if we wait. Especially since you’re human.”
“Is your desire to get me pregnant as soon as possible because you want to prove the legend is wrong, and our kids won’t be assholes, or because it’s simply your way?”
“It’s our way. I already know our kids won’t be assholes.” He kissed her, lingering this time, and her body responded as she’d expected it to. Despite this conversation, her climax still hadn’t completely dissipated.
“They can’t be,” he said. “Because you’ll be their mother.”
Oh, that’s not fair. But there was nothing affected in his gaze or his tone. He meant it. “And what about my career?”
“I want you to keep working because I know it makes you happy. Human women do this, don’t they? Have a family and a career?”
“Yes, they do.” She smiled. “But to do that, their husbands need to be very supportive, and be willing to help with housework and baby duty.”
“I will gladly do that.”
She pulled him close and laughed softly. “As long as you don’t tell anyone, right?” Gillian had spent enough time in the Benedict house these past few weeks to observe the clearly-defined, traditional roles at work. She had already accepted this was their way and Arizona meant no disrespect or misogyny by embracing those concepts.
It wasn’t a question of accepting one way or the other as an absolute. They could make this work for both of them. He was that open-minded. She’d already seen proof of that, and he was showing that willingness once more, right now.
“I didn’t say that.” He cupped her face. “I will do anything to make you happy.”
How could any woman resist such a man?
“I am happy. Happier than I’ve ever been. I will go off the pill.” The truth was that she’d already made that decision before making love to him. She knew it in her heart. “Now about that exploring of each other’s bodies you spoke of…”
Another low growl, and she felt his cock stir between them.
“Actually, I believe it was you who spoke
of it, but who am I to argue?”
Gillian giggled as he nuzzled her neck. This was going to be the most erotic night of her life. No doubt about it.
Chapter Seven
It was a struggle for Arizona to shake off the nagging suspicion Gillian hadn’t completely made up her mind to go off the pill this soon. Even as he kissed her again, and his dick grew hard almost instantly, he replayed the tone of her voice and the look on her face just now.
To be fair, he didn’t expect her to want the same things female shifters would want. She hadn’t been raised that way. She hadn’t lived her life in a tiny, remote village where the Internet connection was spotty at best, and where people still used land lines because the cell service sucked. She worked in Seattle, and she had a law degree.
And it wasn’t his intention to deny her the right to live her life the way she wanted. At the same time, he couldn’t pretend to fully understand her human ways. But he knew enough about them, and about her, to comprehend how important things like maintaining her sense of self and having her own place in the scheme of things was to her.
That independence and her desire to accomplish meaningful and fulfilling goals were among the qualities he loved in her. They made her strong and exciting in his eyes. They would make this work because she was his mate, and he loved her. This was a career-minded woman he was lying on top of and kissing into next week, and the fact that she was willing to share that life with him so she could be his mate blew him away.
But he couldn’t expect her to stop being who she was and become an entirely different woman. He had fallen in love with her, not with another person. She was his mate, and that meant he accepted her exactly as she was. It also meant he would do anything to make her happy. The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up one day and regret agreeing to mate with him.
Intellectually, Arizona knew this. Along with Stone and Canyon, he’d had numerous discussions about this very subject. Both men had reminded him that things with Gillian would not be the same as they would have been had his mate been someone of their own kind.
