ROMANCE: SHIFTER: Shifter to the Max Collection (Dragon, Bear, Wolf and Panther Shifter Romances) (Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection)

by C. J. Ayers

  She hoped that he couldn't feel the quickening of her heartbeat, or hear her shallow breathing. But, damn, it felt good to be wrapped up in his warmth. She wondered idly if he would feel as warm within her. The thought turned her face a bright scarlet hue, and her hand gripped his arm a bit tighter.

  “Are you hurting?” His concern melted her heart instantly. God, he was just so kind and gentle. It made her want to stay like this in his arms, held safe and secure.

  “N-No, not that much. I'm sorry that I can't move yet, making you carry me like this. I know I'm not exactly light.”

  Rumbling laughter came from him a moment later. With a little smirk he responded, “ You're perf... I mean, your weight isn't a problem in the least, Mira.”

  Perhaps he was as attracted to her as she was to him? A curious little thought.

  When they entered the bathroom, she swung her head around, mouth agape. The room was huge with a sealed cherry wood slat floor and a sink and tub that both looked like they were carved from a massive slab of pure white marble. The faucets and fixtures were golden, plated or real, she wasn't quite sure. Just how much money did this man have, anyway?

  “It's... Goodness. It's beautiful!” Mira's awed gasp made Cade smile widely. He stepped over to a chair, gently setting her on it as he leaned over and started the bath. Mira watched as he wandered to a wall cabinet and opened it to reveal numerous bottles and jars, unmarked and filled with what appeared to be different herbs.

  “Not allergic to Calendula, are you?”

  “No, marigold is fine. I thought that was just an old wives tale, though, that Calendula could help the healing process?” Mira thrilled at the proud look in his eyes. He seemed to like that she knew a bit about herbal remedies. He shook his head, taking the jar and emptying a good handful into a pouch, putting it under the steaming water and crushing it between his fingers.

  “My mother used it on me many times when I was little and I felt better after soaking in it for a while. It's been used continually through the years, though not many still believe in it since over the counter medicines get quicker results.”

  Cade got quiet, suggesting to Mira that he was remembering times long ago. His voice held a fondness when he mentioned his mother that made Mira's heart swell.

  “Your mother sounds very wise. What does she think of you being way out in the mountains here, by yourself?”

  Mira smile faltered when the warmth in his eyes was replaced by sorrow. He turned and smiled at her, but she noticed that the smile didn't reach his eyes.

  “She passed several years ago, sadly. She lived a good life, and was a strong, admirable woman. Like you.” His voice changed. It had a softness to it. He looked back at the satchel of Calendula soaking in the tub, his brows slightly furrowed, lost in bittersweet memories of the past.

  “I'm not really all that strong. It's been proven time and time again. I'm too weak for my own good,” Mira's voice was quiet, her eyes looking down at her feet. She suddenly felt quite small in that spacious room. She could hear a man’s laugh in her mind, whispering that she would never escape her weakness, that she was nothing, not worthy to walk the earth. When she looked up, Mira blinked several times at Cade's fierce gaze.

  “I'll not hear any more of that. You're fire itself. You tried to fight off wolves that had every intention of making you their meal, woke up in a stranger's house and instantly found a weapon to defend yourself with, allowed me to dress your wound with naught but the covers shielding you, not even crying out at the pain.” Cade's tone was earnest, passionate even. Mira’s lips parted in silent shock. He leaned down slightly and lifted her chin with his forefinger and thumb, his eyes nearly golden in color.

  Wait, golden? That color was familiar, that exact color. The large wolf? Mira's head tilted back a little as he lifted her chin, and a small shiver coursed through her at the electric feel of his touch. She had felt the same electricity through his touch on her thigh as he changed her bandage, but this was a far more intimate gesture. She couldn't help it, she felt herself lean towards him, looking into those half-golden, half-hazel eyes, their lips inches from one another.

  She could hear her heart beating ringing loudly in her ears, her soft lips brushed gently along his. As she pulled away, she saw Cade’s eyes almost glow before they darkened again, a hungry look crossing his face. He responded, in turn, by sealing his lips firmly against hers, stealing the very breath from her lungs as he snaked his arm around her arched back.

  He tasted amazing, just the right amount of spice along his tongue to draw her in deeper, the musk of his skin tickling her nose. His tongue played so delicately with hers, teeth pressing against her soft muscle and causing a involuntary moan to escape her lips.

  Cade's hand pressed into her lower back, and Mira felt a fire race along her skin. Goosebumps dotted her hypersensitive flesh. She could barely breathe as his grip pulled her in towards him, and she felt his body heat spike in response to the sensual contact. Her arms curled up around the back of his shoulders, craning her neck into the increasingly explosive kiss, and feeling his tongue dominate her mouth.

  As quickly as it started, it was over. Cade withdrew his lips from hers, and he instantly wrapped his other arm around her, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. Mira could hear his rapid heart rate, and feel her own pulse through her very teeth. She gasped short little gulps of air to try and settle herself down. Damn, that was what you call a moment of extreme passion. She didn't want to let go of him, didn’t want him to let go of her. The warm embrace led her mind to naughty thoughts.

  A shallow laugh slipped from her lips and he loosened his hold enough to lean his head back and look at her. She was breathless and he was pleased to witness the glow of pleasure beaming from her face. He made this Goddess sparkle with just a kiss... What else could he do?

  “That was... God, that was amazing. And here I am, kissing a stranger, loving it, and... Ooh, what would Amanda think?” Her cheeks flamed again, though her radiant smile hadn't left her face. He returned her quiet laughter as he slowly, reluctantly, released her, and knelt before her.

  “I'll apologize to her later, then. Though I'll not regret a moment of it,” a warm rumble came from him, and he grasped her hand and pressed a tender kiss along her knuckles, before clearing his throat, and standing once more.

  “Now, how did you wish for this to work?”

  Mira blinked at him in confusion, having forgotten that they had come in here so that she could have a bath. She shuffled anxiously a moment as she watched him remove the satchel from the steaming hot bath water and place it in the sink to dry out.

  “Well, you could always join me,” she replied, only half-teasing. She hadn't quite expected the heated gaze that he suddenly focused onto her. She gave an impish little smile, wincing briefly as she shifted and pressed her palm to her leg. “J-Joking, ouch... Um, well, I could undress, and...,” she trailed off, looking at him shyly, watching a vein along his jaw throb briefly from the teasing temptation. Now that she thought about it, she truly wouldn't mind it, actually, if he were to join her. Cade shook his head once, closing his eyes and offering his hand to her.

  “Strip down, I'll help you into the tub. The bandage has sealed the wound, so don't worry about it. Best to not allow the water to touch it at the moment, that could cause more pain, and it's an annoyance to dry it out afterward. Don't worry, I won't look,” His reply was courteous and gentlemanly, yet as her eyes traveled down, the outline of the hard-on in his pants was clearly evident.

  Mira murmured in agreement, untying the robe and hefting herself, not too gracefully, on one leg, her hand grasped his tightly for stability. Even without opening his eyes, his reaction was swift. His other hand came up quickly, then slowed as it neared her body, pressing against her shoulder, allowing her to use both hands to remove her bra.

  She struggled a moment before sliding it over her shoulders. His hand moved and returned as the straps slid down her arms and the bra dropped
to the floor. Now she had to tackle getting her legs free from her underwear. Biting her tongue and stifling little whimpers of pain, she shimmied her way out of her panties and gasped as he scooped her into his arms again.

  Even now, his eyes were closed, scrunched together tightly as if he were battling with himself to not look. He turned slightly, feeling the marble with his toes and slowly lowered her body into the water. While not bubbly, the bathwater had a decent film from the preserved flowers. Her body arched ever so slightly as he lowered her into the tub.

  The water was steaming hot to her bare skin, though once her body got used to it, a soft low moan of delight escaped her and she relaxed entirely in the soothing warmth. Cade slowly withdrew his arms and smiled at her soft moan. His inner wolf was scratching at his skin, begging him to claim this woman as his mate.

  It killed him, but he did say that he wasn't going to look. If she ever gave him permission, however, he'd make those legs tremble in ecstasy every day until the day she died.

  Chapter 9

  Although his eyes were closed, Cade could hear her settling in the water, and he felt the lovely and invigorating tingle of the Calendula spread along his own arms where he had immersed them. Mira let out another little sigh of bliss. He felt quite at peace himself for the moment. He was sitting on the floor, back pressed up against the marble tub, allowing its natural coolness to temper his heat.

  With his heightened sense of hearing, he could tell when her breathing deepened, and her heartbeat softened. He was severely tempted to look at the Goddess in the water, though didn't quite trust himself to look without touching, so, he simply rested his head back against the marble.

  “Um… Cade? I was wondering if, by chance... Could you help me wash myself? I still don't have all my strength.” the shy little request from the human jarred him and he had to actively resist the urge to swing his head around and scan her expression. Was she joking? Trying to seduce him? What?

  “To do that, you realize, I would have to look at you.” He couldn't keep the lust out of his tone, nor her soft, supple skin off of his mind.

  Mira was quiet for a moment before again shifting in the bath water. Cade stiffened briefly when he felt her fingertips brush his neck, and then he let out a relaxed breath as she traced small circles along his skin.

  “I don't mind, Cade. You have done so much, and, well... you make me feel so much more valued than I ever thought I would. I know you’ll have to look at me.” Mira's voice was slightly hesitant, but firm. He slowly turned his head and looked into her eyes. As they made eye contact, Cade watched her spark grow, passion spreading through her until it became a fiery inferno that she transferred to him through her fevered gaze.

  Electricity crackled between them. Cade glanced down, taking a sharp breath in. Soft, pale skin just beneath the water, the tops of her breasts glistened with water, Mira's cheeks tinged with a lovely little tint of honest passion. He moved slowly, so as not to startle her, and grabbed a rarely used loofa, spreading some concentrated clove liquid soap along it, massaging it slowly in front of her face. He dipped it in the water once, stroked it and built a lather.

  “Lean forward, Mira. Back first,” he said, in a quiet growling tone.

  He placed two fingers behind her neck, encouraging her to lean forward. He massaged her skin with the soap-covered loofa spreading the lather along her back. Cade smiled at her sigh of bliss; he loved giving her pleasure. He could become addicted to this.

  With each stroke of the loofa, he used his other hand, pressing his thumb into the tense knots, slowly work them out, much to Mira’s delight. He frowned at feeling so many knots and kinks, and now that he looked closer, he could also see a few scars. Small ones dotted her back, but some were more like angry slashes there as well. It looked almost as if she’d had to defended herself. He felt his wolf become irate at discovering more injuries on his mate. His wolf battled for control, but Cade was able to stifle him. He certainly didn’t want to terrify the woman. She'd evidently had enough of that in her life.

  Even without her speaking about it, he could tell that this lovely creature had been a victim not once, but countless times. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss on the back of her neck, smiling as he felt her shiver and moan quietly. By the sound of it, Mira was deeply relaxed from his efforts to work out her tension. He let his hand dip into the water, setting the loofa to the side and massaging her back, mindful of the marks.

  “Mmm -Cade that feels... Ah...” She shuddered and arched against his hands. Her head tilted to the side as he planted gentle kisses along her neck. It had been a while since anyone had treated her so tenderly, and this was an unbelievably intimate experience for her. Not only was she highly aroused, but she also felt safe and secure, even while her heart was pumping hard in her chest, arms limp at her sides. This was amazing, experiencing Cade’s rough, yet gentle hands along her back, her muscles loosened entirely and she closed her eyes.

  A soft bite made her gasp, goosebumps rising along her flesh, though rather than pull away, she leaned into it. His affectionate touches were getting... Rougher? She glanced at him. Cade cupped her cheeks and drew her head to the side, pressing his lips against hers with far more hunger this time. Mira let out a shaky moan as he nibbled her bottom lip. Her body leaned into him deepening the kiss of her own accord.

  Cade increased the ferocity of his kiss and accompanied it with his tender touches. Lather slid down her neck and he gently swirled the loofa just above her breasts. Mira hadn't felt a lust like this in a very long time. God, she wanted this man. She wanted all of him. Without the loofa, his hand moved to her breasts massaging them with slick, soapy later.

  His grip became stronger and he firmly squeezed and massaged her ample breasts. How could a man handle her breasts so gently and yet so roughly? He raked his fingertips along her sensitive skin, leaving pleasure-filled welts, and scraped gently over her nipples. He pinched her tightly pebbled nipples between his thumb and forefinger as his mouth began a sweet assault of her neck.

  He kissed, licked, sucked, and nipped at the flesh of her neck. Her body was writhing in pleasure as Cade raked his teeth down to her throat while his strong hands massaging the underside of her breasts and flicked her nipples.

  “Cade, please, I... Mmm...” a whisper of a cry left Mira's lips, but Cade continued pleasuring her, roughly twisting her nipple, before stroking it soothingly. Every inch of her body felt alive with the electricity of his touch.

  His hand slid over her soft belly creeping its way downward while the other hand continued to stroke her breast, his eyes were now watching her reaction. Mira's eyes met Cade's and she moaned as his hand dipped suddenly down, fingers brushing over the lips of her sex.

  For someone that had been so terrified of men, she couldn't seem to get enough of this one. Her body jerked and writhed against his teasing fingers in anticipation. The corner of his mouth turned up before he leaned in to place another bite on her neck.

  “Careful, you'll spill all the water out of the tub,” Cade whispered against her ear, a teasing tone to his voice. Mira tried to summon a glare for him, but couldn’t quite manage it when his finger suddenly slipped inside her. Another shaky sound left her throat and he swiftly pressed his mouth to hers, muffling the sound and grinning lightly against her lips. He swallowed down every sound she made, relishing the muffled moans of bliss. Her body arched against his hand begging for more.

  His finger moved slowly, grinding deep within and sliding back out slowly, and then he added a second finger, filling her completely. Her insides clenched snugly at his digits. She was practically purring, lost in the blinding pleasure of his touch. When his thumb brushed against her clit, her eyes widened at the shocks of pleasure that shot through her body. His thumb massaged circles around her sensitive nub as his fingers thrust into and back out of her pussy, making her toes curl from the pleasure. She could feel the warm tingle building and building, her eyes were watering from her body’s hyper- arousal. She f
elt light-headed from the overwhelming sensations. Mira struggled to speak, to warn him, but he kept his mouth bearing down on hers. A firm bite of her lower lip made her fall apart.

  Her scream was muffled by his mouth, her body arched and her hands clutched at his forearm tightly. She felt herself reflexively tremble. A searing pleasure that started in her core shot through her to every nerve ending in her body. Cade was aware of each tiny reaction, and the hand that had been stroking her breast was quickly rerouted. He curled his arm around her tightly, holding her securely as he continued to pump and flick her pussy, making damn sure that she was spent.

  Mira's thrashing eventually stopped and she collapsed back against the arm that held her. Her breathing was shallow, her body still a spasmodic delight of sensations. Cade reveled in the look on her face- a hint of a smile bathed in the warm afterglow of intense release. He would love nothing more than to be the man who put that look on her face every day for the rest of her life.

  “That was amazing. I didn't know I could, ah, come that powerfully.” Her cheeks had a pinkish tint.

  Cade beamed with pride. “You need some rest; it’s off to bed with you,” he said. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes glowed a beautiful golden color. Mira smiled as she recognized the color. He lifted her out of the tub and wrapped her in a fluffy terry towel.

  She relaxed against her wolf, her fierce protector.

  Chapter 10

  She looks like an angel Cade thought as he watched her lying on his bed sleeping heavily. Her face was softer than before. It made his inner wolf even more protective of her.

  He was suddenly afraid. He began pacing the room. What would happen when the storm died down, and her leg healed sufficiently? Cade smothered the growl that tried to escape from his chest. What exactly did he wish to gain from this? A lover, a beloved, a play toy? Certainly not just a play toy, his feelings for her were far too strong. Mira shifted on the bed and let out a contented little sigh. His shaft was rock-hard at this point, the desire to bed her was overwhelming. He didn’t trust himself to lie beside her.