by V. Vaughn
A low growl filled the room, his lips curling back in a snarl. “I want to find your ex and give him the—”
I squeezed his hand. “He’s not worth it. Believe me, I’ve dreamed of paying him back, of making him hurt, but you know what? I’m better than that, and so are you. I finally realized the reason he chose to make me miserable. It was because he was searching for happiness. That he hated himself so much the only way he could feel good was by being an asshole.”
Zane stroked a finger down Xander’s cheek, his eyes full of adoration. “How did you get to be so wise?”
“Time. Working through the hate. By deciding that the best payback would be by living a wonderful life filled with happiness and joy and everything he could never have.”
“You’re an extraordinary woman, Lara.”
“Extraordinary enough that you want to kiss me?” My heart skipped a beat when he looked at me, hunger flaring through me at the look in his eyes. That’s a yes then.
Careful not to squash our son, he leaned forward, his lips sealing onto mine, rubbing and teasing in a kiss so gentle, so perfect, I couldn’t hold back the tears.
He jerked back, worry in his eyes. “You’re crying, what have I—”
“Nothing,” I murmured, tugging him back down. “Everything,” I added between kisses. Our tongues tangled, dueling in a slippery dance. “Yes,” I breathed into his mouth. “Yes, to everything.”
His arms slipped around me, holding me tight. “Come live with me, I promise I’ll make you happy,” he whispered, deepening the kiss and stealing my breath.
On a gasp I broke away. “You already do, you already have.” How he had crept into my heart without me knowing, when I had done everything in my power to keep him out? I wasn’t sure, but he had. I had refused to see it, too scared of being hurt again. Until now. “Yes, we’ll move in with you.” I traced the line of his jaw with a finger, my nail dragging on the rough stubble. “And I love you, too,” I whispered, the words almost lost as he devoured my mouth, his arms cradling me, cradling our son.
Our family.
Epilogue
LARA
A couple of months later…
Hustling into the nursery, I lifted a cooing Xander from his crib and gently laid him down on the changing station, unfastening his sleepsuit. He blinked his big green eyes at me, his lips puckering into a rosebud as he sucked at the air, his hands flailing. Finally managing to get one near his mouth, he latched onto a finger, sucking furiously.
“Is little man happy?” I murmured, expertly whipping the diaper away and replacing it with a new one. I wasn’t planning on breaking my perfect score—so far I had escaped being peed on, but Zane hadn’t been so lucky, Xander managing to hit him square in the cheek. Remembering Zane’s face still made me chuckle, his look of utter bemusement and dismay as he fumbled for something to cover his son. Chalking the success on my mental scoreboard, I popped him back into his crib so I could tidy away.
“What are you laughing about?” Zane whispered, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. “No, don’t tell me.” He groaned, adding, “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” He kissed the side of my neck, his voice gruff and tinged with amusement.
“I had warned you just seconds before—”
“What can I say? My son is fast.” He nipped at my skin, sending a shiver of need cascading down my spine.
I nearly spilled the beans, but managed to clamp my mouth shut at the last minute. It would be more fun this way.
“Wanna make out?” he growled, his hands smoothing over my hips and pulling me back against him.
I rubbed my ass against the thick, hard length of him, teasing a strangled groan. “You’ve got work, remember?”
“I own the place. They can’t tell me what to do.” He rocked forward, and it was my turn to stifle a groan. I tilted my head, seeking his lips, my hands gripping the bars of the crib.
Losing myself in the kiss, his mouth expertly playing over mine, I reconsidered my plan. Should I tell him—?
A loud wail shattered the silence.
Zane pulled back, resting his head on my shoulder. “Thwarted again, by my own son!” He tried for a scowl but it quickly melted into a grin as he moved around me and picked Xander up.
“Go on, go to work. We can make out later,” I said, plucking the baby out of his arms and shooing him toward the door.
“We just saw him leave; we were hiding behind some plants in the courtyard,” Kate drawled, kissing me on the cheek as she walked in the door.
Tina strolled in, adding, “I’m pretty sure he didn’t see us. We’d make great undercover agents!”
I closed the door behind them, following them through to the lounge. “Thanks for coming over, guys. I really appreciate it.”
Making a beeline straight for where Xander lay on his play mat, Kate crouched down beside him, stroking his soft, downy hair, a look of longing in her eyes. “You don’t even have to ask, you know that. Auntie Kate doesn’t need an excuse for snuggles with her favorite nephew! Anyway, you have your man to seduce and conquer, though how you’ve managed to keep your hands off him until you got the all clear, I have noooo idea.”
“Yeah, he’s hot, Lara,” Tina added, sprawling on the floor opposite Kate. “Like, hormone twitching, pantie dropping, wow-yeah-he’s hot!”
Dumping the contents of my bag on the counter, I pawed through the mess, searching for my lip-gloss. “Yeah…I know.” I couldn’t keep the cat’s-got-the-cream smirk off my face, my friends’ groans only making it even bigger. “We haven’t exactly been keeping our hands off each other, but so far, no main event.” It had taken me a couple of weeks to recover from the birth and not feel so tired that all I wanted to do was eat and sleep, but since then…we’d been acting like a pair of teenagers, making out at every opportunity, doing everything but full on sex.
“Quit it with the dreamy smile. Some of us don’t have a man at the moment and have to make do with Mr. Battery-Operated,” quipped Kate, but she wasn’t really mad.
I already knew how happy my friends were for me—they’d told me a million times. And I’d told them they needed to go see Gretchen, to see if they could be dated and mated with a sexy shifter. I was still working on them, but I already knew they wouldn’t be able to hold out. The longing in their eyes gave them away, and I desperately wanted them to be as happy as I was.
Slipping on my shoes, I checked the mirror for the hundredth time. I’d already changed in the time it had taken Zane to get downstairs, so all I had left to do—
“Go! You look beautiful, and every second here is a second wasted. You could be riding your—”
“Okay, okay! I’m going.” With the all clear from the doctor, it was finally time to claim my mate.
And be claimed by him.
ZANE
I heard the door to my office click open. How many times did I have to tell everyone to knock? I was never going to get any work done with all these interruptions, which meant my plans of returning to Lara and her warm, welcoming embrace before morning were diminishing. Fast. Gritting my teeth, I glanced up from the paperwork I was buried in, ready to snap.
Lara stood there, bundled up in a coat, her cheeks flushed from the cold autumn air.
My heart lurched in my chest as I pushed back the chair. “Lara! Is everything okay? Is something wrong with Xander?”
“Everything is fine. Sit back down.” Her tone was firm, but underneath it I could detect a tremor of nerves.
What was going on?
The click of the lock turning echoed loud in the silence. She turned back to me, her hands reaching for her coat, heat burning in her eyes as she locked gazes with me. “I want you to stay sitting down. Can you do that for me?”
I swallowed, my mouth dry as she pulled off her coat in one smooth movement, letting it drop to the floor. Acres of luscious flesh wrapped in delicate lace filled my view, plump curves undulating as she stalked toward me on h
igh heels. My cock twitched in my jeans, all the blood rushing south in a matter of seconds. “Can I touch?” I asked in a hoarse voice. Because I had to touch and caress, she couldn’t expect me to—
“Eventually,” she murmured. “For now, you keep your hands to yourself.”
Her hips swayed as she paused in front of me, just out of arm’s reach. “Can you be a good boy?”
“I thought you liked it when I was bad…” I growled, gripping the chair arms as I tried to follow her instructions.
“Oh, I do,” she murmured, dropping to her knees.
Sweet fucking hell!
“But let me be bad first, just for a little while, then you can have your wicked way with me.” She pursed lips, slick with gloss, her hair tumbling over her naked shoulders and curling over her ripe, heavy breasts.
“Do your worst,” I managed to grind out through gritted teeth as she reached for my fly, unzipping me and cupping her hand around my thick, hard shaft. She pumped me once in a slow tease, then dragged my jeans down in a jerky movement, freeing my cock. Her lips closed around my shaft, sliding over the sensitive flesh in a move that sent my head rocking back onto the chair, my fingers digging deeper into the supple leather. On a moan, she took me deep into her mouth, her tongue swirling and teasing, her cheeks sucking, her head bobbing up and down.
A loud knock sounded on the door.
She paused.
“Go away!” I roared, my hips jerking as she tongued the ridge on the underside of my shaft.
Footsteps faded and I let out the breath I had been holding. But then she moved, letting my cock slide free of her mouth.
Groaning in frustration, I opened my mouth to protest, to plead. Her tongue slid against mine as she straddled me, sliding her lace clad pussy against my cock, rocking back and forth as her mouth fed at mine, her hands tugging at my t-shirt, breaking the kiss until it was gone, then coming back together in a tangle of teeth and lips.
My hands hovered in the air, inching closer. “I need to touch, Lara…”
“God, yes. Please!”
My hands flew to her ass, dragging her even closer and kneading the soft flesh, my cock grinding against her, sliding against her moist heat. I swallowed her gasp, shuddering when she gripped me with her thighs, working herself against me in a relentless pace.
Kissing and licking my way down her neck, I cupped a heavy breast, bringing it to my mouth, and tongued my way around her erect nipple, sucking it into my mouth.
Her hand crept between us, her finger brushing against my cock.
I gently bit down, knowing by now that my mate liked a little teeth, that it drove her wild.
She shifted on my lap, rocking back, then my cock was enveloped in wet heat, pushing inside of her, inch by slow inch.
I froze. “Lara—”
“I got the okay from the doctor,” she whispered in my ear, her voice sounding strained. She lowered herself a little more, taking another inch. “I just want to take it slow…at first.”
The feel of her closing around me, squeezing me tight, nearly sent me over the edge. I bit the inside of my cheek, tasting blood. I could do slow and easy, anything for my mate. I forced myself to hold back, letting her work herself down my shaft until she had taken every inch.
“Ohhh,” she murmured, her eyes closed and lips parted. Her pussy fluttered around me, pulling an involuntary jerk from my hips.
Eyes flying open, she swiveled her hips. “Now you can be the bad boy in charge,” she said, challenge in her eyes. “Don’t you think it was time we made this mating official?”
I had never prided myself on taking instruction before, but hey, I was a quick learner. Watching her face for any sign of pain, I grabbed her hips and thrust up inside her. “Abso-fucking-lutely, though you’ve got to promise that you’ll tell me if it gets to be too much.”
“I will,” she gasped, her hips tilting to meet my strokes.
I pulled back and thrust into her again, her breasts bouncing and swaying with the force. My thumbs smoothed over her rounded stomach, the skin still a little bit stretched and loose—but she was gorgeous to me. She was my mate; every part of her that she thought was a flaw, I viewed as perfect. She was my Lara. Why would I change anything?
The friction built as my hips pounded back and forth, gasps and moans and growls shattering the silence of the room, then she wriggled, her back arching, her breath coming in ragged pants. “Harder! Please, Zane!”
I growled as I pushed out of the chair, lifting her with me. But before I could press her to the floor or against a wall, she pulled away, sliding out of my grasp.
Spinning around she bent over my desk, bracing herself against the chrome with her legs spread wide. Inviting me.
Extending a claw, I sliced through her panties and positioned my cock at her entrance, sliding the head through her slick folds.
“Zane!” she cried, her hips rocking back, urging me on.
Slamming one hand down on the desk, with the other I cradled her jaw, turning her head so I could look into her eyes. Giving her no warning, I thrust back inside her, driving even deeper. Not giving her time to catch her breath, I thrust again. And again. Until it was a blur, my hips pounding, her back arching and eyelids fluttering.
“Look at me, Lara. I need to see your eyes as I claim you,” I growled, low and hoarse.
Her eyes blinked open, glazed pools of brown.
I had already bitten her; all that was needed were the words. “I take you, Lara, to be my true mate. I will run with you, live with you, and love you. I swear it now and forever.” The bond between us clicked into place, linking us soul to soul. Her emotions flooded me, the heat of her desire, her passion for life. Her love for me, for our son. All that was needed now to seal the bond was the completion of our mating. My come filling her.
She bucked beneath me, her eyes glazed with heat and lust, her core slick and pulsing around me. A strangled cry left her lips, her head thrashing.
“Say the words, my love. Mate with me.” Though she was human, the mating words would come to her. I knew they would; through the bond she would find them. I grabbed her hip, slick with sweat. Leaning down, I stole a kiss, whispering in her ear, “Be mine, forever.”
She groaned, her words loud and clear. “I take you, Zane, to be my true mate. I will run with you, live with you, and love you. I swear now and forever.” She ended on a scream, her back going rigid, her pussy clenching around my shaft, pulling me over the edge with her.
Letting out a deafening roar, my hips stuttered and jerked, my shaft swelling as I came in thick, hot spurts inside my mate.
I collapsed down onto my elbows, nuzzling her neck until she turned her head. Kissing her brow first, I made my way to her lips at a slow, languid pace. Then, scooping her up into my arms, I sank into the chair, nestling her against my chest. “Best…surprise…ever,” I declared.
She snuggled against me, a happy sigh leaving her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I smoothed back a damp curl. “For what?”
“For being one of the good guys.”
“Hey, don’t go spoiling my reputation!” I mock growled.
She giggled, the sound warming my heart. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Though, I hate to break it to you, but I think they’ve all guessed.”
I shrugged, not able to bring myself to care. So what if people knew I was a softie when it came to my mate and child?
I could protect my own. My club, my child. My mate.
More from Olivia Arran
TRUE MATES (Wolf Shifters - series complete) - HERE
THE EVERSON BROTHERS (Bear Shifters - series complete) - HERE
ALPHA PROTECTORS (Wolf Shifters - series complete) - HERE
HEARTSRIDGE SHIFTERS: SOUTH-ONE BEARS (series complete) - HERE
From the Author
Thank you for reading Lara & Zane’s story, I hope you enjoyed it! If you’d like to read more of my books, you can find them all on Amazon.
Happy reading!
Love,
Olivia
About Olivia Arran
Olivia Arran is a USA Today bestselling author. She has been an avid reader her whole life and prefers to live in the land of books, including making up her own fantastical worlds. Steamy paranormal romance with strong alpha heroes and feisty heroines - Olivia writes what she likes to read and hopes you like it too!
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Bil-Lion-Aire Protector - Harmony Raines
Fiery Tales Spin-Off
After being cruelly let down by her first husband, Jen, mother of two wonderful boys, has found happiness with billionaire property tycoon, William O’Donnell.
He is the man of her dreams—even the most erotic ones.
He’s also a lion shifter, who promises her the kind of forever love she could only dream of after her husband walked out.
To Will, his mate and her boys, Jack and Cody, are the most important thing in the world. So when they are kidnapped, a man has to do what a man has to do—find them, at all cost!
All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
