by Lynn Howard
Shawnee threw her head back when he cupped her tits and massaged them, tweaking one of her nipples between his thumb and finger. He couldn’t take anymore. He had to feel her wrapped around his cock. With a quick tug, he ripped the side of her panties, tossing the fabric off the bed. She gasped, but giggled, lifting and backing up until she was hovering over his hard dick.
Her thin hand gripped him, and she locked eyes with Colton as she slowly lowered herself onto him, taking every inch until he was fully sheathed inside her pussy. When she went to move, Colton gripped her hips hard to keep her still. She was too tight, too warm. He’d lose it within two pumps if she started riding him now.
In the dim light of dawn, Shawnee stared down at him with hooded eyes, her lips parted and her breath coming in short pants. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, teasing him, begging him to touch her, taste her. With Shawnee still wrapped around him, Colton lifted and took one of her breasts into his mouth, teasing the tight bud with his tongue, sucking it while cupping her ass in his free hand.
He’d meant to slow them down but all he did was cause Shawnee’s need to rise higher. Before he could stop her, she began to rise almost to the tip before lowering onto him again. Releasing her breast, Colton dropped back against the pillow and watched as her breasts swayed with each movement of her hips. Damn, she was sexy. And she didn’t even realize it.
She moved slowly at first, just lazily riding him as she watched his face. He wanted to kiss her while buried inside of her, but with their height difference, it would be almost impossible with her straddling him. He settled for running his hands along her hips, her sides, playing with her tits, her thighs, before reaching between her legs and stroking her clit with his thumb. He needed her to come. Because he was so close to losing the war with his balls.
After a few minutes, Shawnee began to grind on him faster, rising and falling so fast her tits bounced and hypnotized Colton. She tossed her head back and actually cupped those tits in her hands and Colton gritted his teeth and tried to think of every unsexy thing he could conjure in his mind. He could watch her like that all fucking day.
And then, she opened her mouth and released a low, throaty moan and he could feel her walls clenching around him. That was it. That was all the control he had. As Shawnee’s orgasm milked his cock, Colton squeezed his eyes shut as his balls tightened and he came hard, filling her with shot after shot of his seed. They hadn’t used protection. He wasn’t one hundred percent positive she was in heat, but if she was, there was a good chance they’d be parents sooner than he’d planned.
Chapter Six
Her bones were gone. That was the only explanation Shawnee could come up with for the reason she couldn’t feel her arms and legs. They must’ve disappeared when she’d come apart around Colton.
Collapsing onto his chest, her hair tickled her back as his heavy breaths blew against the strands. His arms were tight around her now. He kissed the top of her head, her temple, anywhere he could reach. With a groan from both Colton and Shawnee, she maneuvered until Colton was no longer inside of her.
“You’re incredible,” he said, pulling her further up his body so he could take her lips. One. Two. Three pecks of those sexy lips of his.
Shawnee laid her head on his chest while the rest of her body rested on top of his. He didn’t grunt about her being too heavy, didn’t complain about being too hot. He’d made sure she found her release before he did. He’d played her body as if he’d known exactly what she needed when she needed it. Her orgasm was like an explosion, or like she’d imploded. She’d never admit this to him, but that had been the first orgasm she’d had with another person. Her first mate, Kyle, had never cared enough about her needs to take his time and help her find her release.
Wow. She’d not only made the first move, but Colton had let her control the pace. You’re incredible. He was the incredible one.
Minutes passed and Colton never asked her to get off him, never released his hold on her. He just kept planting little kisses to her temples. He was such an affectionate person it made her wish she was more like him, more comfortable doing all that.
But wasn’t she growing to be more like him? She’d kissed him last night. She’d made love to him this morning. She hadn’t waited for him to decide what he wanted. And she didn’t fear he’d reject her advances.
“We didn’t use protection,” Colton mumbled after he’d caught his breath.
She lifted her head and rested her chin on her folded hands. “Were we supposed to?”
“I figured we’d hold off on kids for a while. Just enjoy each other before we decided to add a few babies to the mix.”
Shawnee narrowed her eyes on Colton and frowned. Wasn’t one of his biggest reasons for wanting a mate to have cubs? “I thought you wanted cubs. Isn’t that why you wanted a mate?”
Colton lifted and kissed the tip of her nose. “At first, yeah. I was tired of waiting. I wanted a home filled with a woman’s touch and crying babies. But that was before you.”
Her heart clenched a little. She was trying her best to block out her mother’s voice in her head, but now her disapproval was loud and clear. Shawnee could hear her mother clucking her tongue and telling her how she must’ve done something wrong if her mate didn’t want to breed her. “You don’t want a family with me?”
His head jerked off the pillow and he raised his brows high. “Are you serious? Of course I want a family with you. I can’t wait to see your belly swollen with a litter of cubs. But…I guess I just don’t want to share you with anyone else yet, even my own cub. I want you all to myself, at least for a while.”
Chin on her hands, Shawnee studied Colton, searched his eyes for any form of a fib. There was none. He was being honest with her. He wanted just her. He didn’t feel the need to keep her in his life for no other reason than to increase numbers or pass on his name. Colton was satisfied to just be her mate until they decided otherwise.
Although, there was a good chance all that flew right out the window after the first time they’d made love.
“What if I just got pregnant?” she asked, moving her hands and turning her head to lay her cheek on his warm, solid chest.
“Then I’ll have to spoil you even more while you’re pregnant, then continue to spoil you while being the best dad and mate possible.” He did an awkward shrug thing while he still laid on his back with her sprawled along his body.
“Am I heavy?” she asked, turning to rest her chin on his chest.
“Seriously?” he asked, raising one brow.
“Why don’t you see anything bad in me?” she asked after a few minutes. Maybe she was being stupid and foolish to ask him to look for her flaws, but she wasn’t used to being treated this way. It almost made her nervous.
“Because there isn’t any bad. Wait. That’s a lie. There is something that drives me insane.”
When he didn’t answer, she lifted her head and prepared to roll off of his chest. “What?”
“Your inability to see how beautiful and strong you are. Seriously, drives me nuts. I mean, is every mirror you ever looked in broken or something? Trust me when I say I wanted to kill my brothers today. I didn’t miss the way Carter and Luke both checked you out.”
“I was half naked. Of course two unmated males checked me out.” Rhett used to threaten to pass her down to his Second if she did something that made him mad. Luckily, that never happened.
Colton would never allow something like that. That wasn’t even something that would cross through the mind of a man like Colton. And even though she didn’t know them as well, she couldn’t see his Clan brothers thinking that way, either. All of them, the bears and the wolves of Big River, were honorable people.
“It was more than that, Shawnee. Face it, you’re hot.”
Shawnee’s face burned. She buried it against Colton’s chest and giggled, her laughter growing when she realized he was vibrating with his own laughter. Before long, she rolled to the side and let the giggl
e fit take over as Colton guffawed deep and loud. The mattress shook beneath her and tears rolled down her cheeks, but she couldn’t stop laughing. She wasn’t even sure what she was laughing at anymore.
After close to ten minutes, both of their laughter began to fade. “I don’t even know what I was laughing about,” she said through intermittent giggles.
“I was laughing at you. I swear you have the most contagious laugh in the world.” He pushed a hunk of curls out of her eyes. “I’ve already said it, but…I’m so glad I found you.”
And there went her heart, getting all fluttery in her chest. “My parents would beat me when I didn’t follow the rules,” she blurted out. “Sorry. We’re sitting here having a good time and I just blew it.”
“No, you didn’t. You felt comfortable enough to tell me.”
She did. They’d just had the most wonderful hour of her entire life. Her body felt like a jellyfish and her mind was actually calm. Her poor animal was silent as usual. She felt safe, both physically and mentally. Just being with Colton made her feel brave in a way she’d never felt, like she could say or do anything, and he wouldn’t take his affection away from her.
“What were the rules?” he asked, turning on his side to see her better.
Shawnee rolled over until they were facing each other. She slid one hand under her cheek and reached for his hand, playing with his fingers as she spoke.
“It’d be easier for me to tell you what I was allowed to do. There were so many rules. I was to be pleasing and available,” she said, imitating her mom. “My hair had to be perfect, my makeup, my clothes. Everything had to be a certain way. She always hated that I wasn’t thinner, that I couldn’t lose weight.”
“Your body is amazing. Why the hell would she want you to lose weight?” Colton asked, a crease developing between his brows while he looked at her like she was crazy.
Shawnee lifted the shoulder that wasn’t crammed against the mattress. “I always thought I looked good, too. But she was constantly taking food away from me and demanding I work out more.”
“She’s an idiot. You do look good.” There was the slightest glow to Colton’s brown eyes as if he was growing angry for Shawnee. “What else? What other rules did your ass backward parents have?”
Shawnee inhaled deeply. She’d never shared any of this with anyone before. It was just the way her life was for the last twenty-four years. But, now that she was there with Colton, now that she saw how life could be both when she was with Hope Pride and now with the Blackwater Clan, she realized she could have so much more. She could have happiness. She could have a mate and a Clan who cared for her for more than how many cubs she could pop out.
Studying his long, thick fingers, she lifted her shoulder again. “Your happiness comes before mine. I smile only when it’s obvious that’s what you’re looking for. Stay quiet. Be pretty. Never reject your advances. Never criticize you. Never correct you, even if I know you’re wrong. No arguing…seriously, it would be easier to just tell you what I was allowed.”
And his eyes were glowing brighter. “What about your siblings?”
“I only had two brothers. No sisters. Their lives looked pretty damn fun. They did whatever they wanted, when they wanted. They had cars – which my parents bought for them, by the way. Sometimes, they’d have two or three girlfriends at a time. Me?” She laughed sardonically. “I was to sit at home and wait until a male deemed me worthy to be his mate. And then he’d pay my parents whatever sum they agreed upon. My first mate…he’d been friends with my oldest brother.”
“Rhett wasn’t your first mate?”
She shook her head and had a hard time looking Colton in the eye. “No. Rhett was my second. My first was killed, too. He attacked a Pride when the Alpha refused to allow him access to any of the lionesses. He always thought the world was his for the taking.” Memories of the moment her brother came to her door to let her know she was no longer mated haunted her. There was no sorrow, no support for Shawnee. He just stood by as their parents packed up her belongings and started searching for a new mate. “I was mated to Rhett within three weeks of my first mate’s death.”
“Fuck,” Colton cursed under his breath. “No wonder you were…you know it’s not supposed to be like that, right? You know I would never expect any of that shit from you, don’t you?”
“I do.”
Her eyes went a little wide as she jerked her eyes up to his face. She’d been so used to agreeing to anything her mate said, the words just rolled from her tongue. Then the realization that she’d meant the words, that she did believe him, that she did know how messed up her life before Colton had been shocked her into silence.
Her life. It was her life. It was their life. She was mated to Colton and the only opinion that mattered was his. Not her mother’s. Not her father’s. And definitely not her family Pride’s. They’d, more or less, shunned her after Rhett had been killed in the war against Big River. They’d told her it’d been her job to protect him, that she and the other lioness’s, his other mates, had failed him.
If they hadn’t cared about her when she was no longer mated, if they hadn’t cared about her when she’d had nowhere to go after Tammen fell apart, then why the hell should she care about them?
“You said you wanted to take me shopping again,” she said, sitting up. She pulled the sheet with her to cover her breasts so he wouldn’t be distracted.
“Yep,” he said, his eyes glowing as they darted from her face to where she hid herself under the sheet then back up again.
“Can we go today?”
“Absolutely. Stores aren’t open yet. We’ve got some time to kill.”
He wiggled his brows and gave her a sexy boy smirk. Shoving his shoulder, she shook her head with a laugh. “Stay focused, mate,” she said.
His smile faltered then grew wide. “I like when you call me that.” He scooted closer, the mattress shaking under her. “Say it again.”
“Mate. Mate mate mate,” she said, and burst into giggles when Colton lunged at her and tackled her against the bed. He nuzzled and nipped at her neck and shoulder. When his teeth lightly clamped onto the spot where bears marked their mates, her breath hitched and she waited to see if he’d do it.
“I’m not going to mark you. Stop holding your breath,” he said against her skin.
“Why not?” Lions marked their mates on the back of their necks during sex. Bears…bears were a lot more affectionate and tended to mark their mates so everyone would see it, right on their chest over the collar bone.
He pushed up onto his elbows, his forearms framing her face. “I don’t want to mark you just so everyone will know you’re mine. When the time is right, we’ll mark each other. We’ll wear our scars proudly.” He leaned in and stole a quick kiss. “I want you to ask me to mark you. You’re not my possession. You’re free to go anytime, although I really hope you won’t.” He winked. “You’re my mate. My companion. My friend.”
“What if I asked you to now?” she said. Why did she sound so breathless?
“I’d say no. Because I’m not sure if you’re saying it because you want it or you think you’re supposed to want it.”
“How will you know the difference?” she said, as he pushed off her. She suddenly felt cold without his solid body against her.
“I’ll know.” Colton climbed from the bed and pulled his boxers back on. “Get showered. I’m going to make you breakfast. And then we’re going shopping. What did you want to buy? Lingerie?” he asked with another waggle of his brows.
Shawnee pulled the pillow from below her head and tossed it at him. He caught it and set it on the foot of the bed.
“Not lingerie, perv. I thought maybe we could buy something together for the house.” Now that she said it out loud, she felt a little silly.
Colton had an indecipherable look on his face. Well shoot. She’d pissed him off.
“I mean, we don’t have to. We could get some lingerie—”
He held his han
d up to stop her rambling. “Two steps forward, one step back,” he mumbled to himself with his eyes closed. When he opened them, that faint glow was back. “I want you to do what you want. I want you to lay claim to our home. I want you to feel like it’s just as much yours. Because it is. This is your house, too, Shawnee. This is your home. Everything in this house, everything I have, is yours. And, yes, I’d love to go shopping and be all domestic and find girly shit to put in our house.”
“How do you know I’ll want girly shit?” She threw her legs over the side of the bed and let the sheet drop.
His eyes roamed her body. He groaned and slammed his eyes shut. “I’m going to have to ask you to either get dressed or go get in the shower. Otherwise, our shopping trip is going to be postponed.”
Colton’s boxers were tented as his dick grew, tempting her to guide him back to the bed and take that length in her hand, her mouth, her core. Before she could stop herself, she began to purr with desire and something else, something she couldn’t define. Need? Joy? Love?
Crossing the room, she ran her hands up Colton’s stomach, over the ripples of his abs, over his solid pecs, then wrapped her hand around his neck and dragged his face down. His lips crashed over hers, he cupped her ass and lifted her, guiding her legs around his waist.
If she’d thought making love to Colton before had been the best thing she’d ever experienced, she’d had no idea how much better it could be when his weight pressed her into the mattress and he settled between her thighs.
The second Colton was sheathed deep inside of her, she felt her body clenching. “Colton,” she whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Condom.”
His eyes opened and he looked down at her. And then that smile she was growing to adore stretched across his lips.
