The Mating (Black on Black, #1)

by BJ Cunningham

  “I’ve adopted two cubs.” He put the angel on top of the tree and waited for her to tell him that he was certifiable.

  “What!? Are you serious?” Bouncing up and down, she hugged him tight. “I’m so happy for you, Hun!” Kissing his cheek, she beamed. “You are gonna be a great dad, Babes, and I’ll babysit if you need me.”

  He hugged her back, relieved at her reaction. “Thanks. I may need it.”

  “Is it me or is the new year looking like it may be a good one? When do you get them because I want cub snuggles!”

  “I hope it is. They’re already here, but napping right now.” He finished off the tree.

  “Lemme know if I can help out.” Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Fishing it out she read and smiled softly. “Crap Hun, I gotta go, but keep me in the loop, and I expect to see you at the wedding.” Grinning, she pinned him with a, 'don’t you dare say no,' look. “I love you. You know that, right?”

  Jared laughed. “I’ll be there. I have no idea why you would. But I’m glad you do.” He hugged her and watched her leave. Kara was a good reminder that not everything Emma had brought into his life was shit. If nothing else, he’d gained one hell of a friend. Chuckling, he returned her wave as she pulled away from the curb and closed the door. He hoped that rat bastard she was marrying, knew how good he had it.

  Jared pulled the SUV into the mall parking lot and got out, feeling bad that he’d passed out early last night and hadn’t gotten any of this done. “Gods, Christmas shopping. What a pain in the ass.” Going into the mall, he decided to start with the small things and headed for Bath and Body Works. He hoped that Kara and the other ladies would like this stuff. Gift cards made things so much easier.

  Serra needed more coffee. She’d slept like crap last night after pissing off the Panther, and her brain was firing like and engine badly in need of a good tune-up, rough. She should have put this off, but when she felt like an ass, a little retail therapy always made her feel better. Finally, with her steaming, lidded cup of Starbucks in hand, she began wandering through the mall, her heels clicking lazily on the hard, commercial tile floor.

  Her eyes scanned the signage, stopping and bouncing between the toy store and the B&BW. She still had to find gifts for the Cubs of the Mangas horde, but she was out of the vanilla and lavender lotion that she loved. Shrugging and sipping from the cup, she turned right, purring at the wonderful scents that soothed her raw nerves. Lotion first, then toys.

  Gift cards in hand, Jared slid them inside his jacket pocket. He stepped out of the store and headed to the small Harley shop. He was thinking about getting Brian new saddle bags for his bike, or maybe a helmet. Brother bear’s stuff was rough. And Jared knew that Daniel had no leathers. Looking down at his phone to check the time as he came out of the store, he bumped into a guy and stopped to let the crowd of people pass. “Holidays. Bah humbug!”

  Serra groaned when she saw the crazed crowd of shoppers fighting over this year’s must-have toy and considered the merits of Amazon. After a slow browse through Victoria’s Secret, she stepped back into the mall, her pink bag hanging loosely from her fingers, checking out the soft looking lingerie on the manikin in the window and waffling on if she should go back in and see if they had it in her size.

  His reflection in the glass caught her eye. It was the panther that she had a way of pissing off. Great. Serra considered slinking away. Hiding in the rabid Christmas crowd would be easy. Not that Serra thought that Jared would mind if she avoided him. She was almost positive that he couldn’t stand her. Shaking her head and sucking in a deep breath, she turned, pasted on a smile and weaved through the humans toward him. She may be a lot of things, but a coward wasn’t one of them.

  “Hi, Jared.” Serra stopped in front of him glancing up through her bangs. “Come here often?” Shaking her head at the lameness that was her, she blushed.

  Jared looked down at her and sighed. Fuck, he didn’t need this today. “Not if I can help it. It’s hell with a food court.”

  “Pretty accurate description.” She nodded with a smile. “I’m trying to convince myself to go to the toy store to shop for the Cubs but,” Serra glanced over her shoulder to see one woman beating another with a Monster High Doll. “Those bitches are crazy.”

  He put his phone away and looked at her for a moment, seeing the coffee and bags in her hands. “Find everything okay? I know how females are about shopping.”

  Pulling her eyes away from what was becoming a brawl, she turned back to him and nodded toward the bags hanging from his hand. “How’s yours going and how did I miss the Harley shop?”

  “It’s stuck in one of the hallways, by some men’s store. And I haven’t had to kill anyone yet. Other than an old lady running over my foot with her little rascal thing, I’m okay.” He watched the people pass by and went through the checklist in his head, thinking about what he still needed to get. “Where are you headed? I’m going to the music store. I want to see about a new guitar for Daniel and look at amps. Mine’s junk.” He moved for two little girls as they ran past him and smiled as he watched them.

  Serra noticed his smile as the kids ran by and felt herself relax a little. She’d heard that he’d adopted not one, but two cubs and that said a lot about the kind of male he was, even if he wouldn’t admit it to her. “I’m all about the music.” She smiled at how true that was, growing up at The Asylum. “You need an amp? Line 6 just released a killer half stack that everyone is drooling over. Mind if I tag along? I’ve been dying to check it out for myself.”

  “Free country and all.” Jared started for the music store, wishing that she would just go, take the hint and leave him alone. As he walked, he watched couples go past them. Listening to them talk about their plans and how much they cared for each other made his stomach knot. All of that happy love crap was nothing but a joke. He curled his lip and moved faster.

  She fell in beside him walking fast because his legs were longer than hers. She was used to it. She was short compared to her family, just how it was. Glancing up at him, she felt his mood shift. Serra groaned as she watched his eyes move over the happy couples, his jaw stiffened, and the sneer appeared. Fuck. They were managing to be civil for a change. Sighing, she tossed her hair back and slowed her gait when her boots hit the carpet of the store.

  In her mind angels sang as she took in the wall of guitars. True Nirvana right there. Momentarily forgetting about the panther, she slid her fingers over the Dean with the cemetery gates finish. That was a true thing of beauty. Her hands itched to handle it. “So you play?” She looked over her shoulder, thinking that all of this had to lighten his mood because how could it not? She was almost fucking giddy.

  Taking it all in once inside the store, he turned to her. “I play a little of everything. You?” Seeing the amps, he went over to them.

  Turning away from the twelve string, new love of her life, Serra slid her hands into her jacket pockets, she shrugged and followed Jared to the amp display. “I play, but not well.” Again she was all about the tactile as she slid her palm over the Marshall with the diamond plated front. It would look amazing on the stage. Glancing up with a smile, she watched him study the display. “What are you looking for?”

  “I’m not sure.” He saw an amp like the one he used to have, picked it up and looked at the price tag.

  Nodding she walked past him to look over the effects pedals, glancing back at the sweet Dean. Oh yeah, that was going to be hers. Keeping her head down, pretending to read the specs on the box, she watched Jared through her hair. It was a shame that he’d shut her down. She got that bad shit had happened. She had her own closet full of skeletons that she wished she could forget and struggled with daily not to let it cripple her. Each day came with varying results, so she understood where he was coming from. And damn it, she couldn’t shake him from her mind, no matter how hard she tried. It was starting to piss her off. “I heard you had cubs. Didn’t know you had another one old enough to play.”

  Jared
nodded. “The twins are three months and Daniel. Just three I...” He stopped not wanting to word vomit the past few months of the bullshit that was his life.

  “Twins.” She grinned. “Sounds like you have your hands full, but they are so much fun when they’re young,” Serra smiled warmly. Not many people knew it, but she’d spent most of her spare time in the family nursery playing with the little ones when she used to go home, and she missed it.

  “So no one has helped you play better yet? You should ask one of the Violent Offenders to work with you while you’re in town.” He changed the subject.

  Squatting down to pull a different pedal from the peg board display, she grinned up at him. “I don’t know them. And as you know, I blow at first impressions. You could help me, though.”

  He laughed at her comment. “All you have to do is tell them that I sent you. Best bet is Brian. He’s less likely to try and maul or hump you. The others just might. You’re their type.” Jared found a guitar for Daniel and had a sales person take it down off the wall.

  “Didn’t realize humping or mauling would be involved.” She snickered, standing and keeping the pedal. “Nice choice.” She nodded toward the Fender Strat the clerk was taking down. “So, what if I dared to ask you to help? You’ve made it clear that I couldn’t be safer.” She made the clerk take down the Dean and chose a black hard-shell coffin case to go with it. Shrugging, she smiled at his arched brow. “What? If it’s good enough for Dimebag, it’s good enough for me.”

  “I could, yes. If you want me to.” Looking at her, he wondered why she was so damn friendly with him. It had to be more than a business thing.

  Smiling, she asked the clerk’s advice on strings and snagged a few packets of the ones he suggested. “I do. Thank you. When can we start? Because my level of badness embarrasses the hell out of Pops.” She snickered glancing over her shoulder at him. “You’d be doing the old man a huge favor.”

  “Well, I’m free for a while. I took time off work, for the Cubs.” Jared paid for the amp and guitar and wondered if he should go out to the SUV to put the stuff in it.

  Looking at the pile on the counter, she groaned at the idea of carrying it around, although a weapon in that crowd out there wasn’t all bad. “You just tell me where and when and I’m there.” Serra opened the case to toss the strings and pedal inside and snapped it shut after she’d paid. “We could do it at my place or yours.” Closing her eyes, she realized how that sounded. “Or somewhere public if you prefer, and the Cubs are welcome.”

  Jared started out of the store after she paid, then found a quiet corner and ghosted his stuff to the SUV and then turned to look at her. “Yours is fine. When is good for you? I have a sitter for the Cubs right now, so I’m free ‘till I go get them.” He took her bags for her and walked out through the closest exit. “I hope you have a vehicle.”

  Glancing down when he took her bags, Serra couldn’t help smirking at the pink Victoria Secret bag he was now holding as they stepped outside and into the parking lot. “Black Miata.” She pointed to the shiny convertible in the next row. “I have time now or later, but don’t expect this to be a quick fix. I’m bad with a capital B.”

  He ghosted her stuff to her car. “Now is fine, I guess.” He said, and looked at her. “How can you suck? Isn’t music genetic?”

  She laughed. “I think I’m the exception to the rule, and I might exaggerate my badness, a little.” She held her finger and thumb about an inch apart, shaking the hair out of her face as the wind gusted. “I mean I haven’t been disowned yet. At least not for that.” She gave him the address before opening the driver’s side door.

  “And thanks, Jared, for giving me a second chance. Not so sure I deserve it.” If he could see the thoughts flashing inside her head, she knew he’d change his mind fast. Turning away before he could see the flush in her cheeks, she slid behind the wheel. “See you in a few, Panther.”

  Jared nodded and went to find his SUV in the massive parking lot.

  CHAPTER 5

  Parking the car in the garage, Serra left the door up, wondering if Jared would change his mind and blow her off. She hoped not. She wanted the chance to redeem herself, although why she gave a fuck what he thought of her mattered, she had no clue. She’d never wasted a moment’s thought over it when it came to any other male that wasn’t family. She was who she was, and if someone didn’t like it, they could go pound sand. Growling at herself, she pulled the bags out of the car and headed inside.

  Pacing, she checked that everything was in its place. Nothing like a carelessly dropped undergarment to scare the guy to death. And it probably would. He was skittish as hell where she was concerned. Once satisfied that the coast was clear, she sat on the floor, leaning her back against the sofa, pulled the new ax from the coffin case and busied herself with the drop G tuning that she favored.

  Sighing, she leaned her head back on the cushions and waited, hating that she was looking forward to this as much as she was. It was like she was becoming a fucking girlie girl or some shit and she didn’t like it. If she giggled, Serra swore to the gods that she would drown herself in the pool because there was no way to save face after that.

  Pulling up in front of her place, Jared got out and went to knock on the door. He shouldn’t be here. Nothing good could come from it. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. Fuck, if she wasn’t wearing him down.

  She couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face at the knock. Hopping to her feet, she crossed the room and opened the door. “Hey!” Motioning with her head for him to come in she padded into the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?”

  Jared came in and looked around. His brow furrowed. It all seemed too vanilla for the anything but dull female that insisted on turning his life on its ear. Maybe she was renting, and this was how the place came? “Sure, what do you have?”

  “The usual staples and beer.” She opened the fridge door so he could see inside and snagged a beer for herself. “Help yourself.”

  He got himself a beer and sat down. “So what would you like to do?”

  Sitting on the floor, she lifted the guitar by the neck and handed it to him with a mischievous smile. “Nothing much, just transform this,” she gestured toward herself. “Into a rock god.”

  “Show me what you know so far?”

  “If you insist.” She grimaced theatrically and considered pretending that she knew nothing, but doubted he would buy it. “Hope you don’t go deaf from this.” She snickered as she took the guitar back and plucked out the beginning riff of Sweet Child O Mine, wincing at the occasional wrong note. “See?” She laughed. “I need help. Right?”

  He moved behind her and adjusted her fingers. “Try it now.”

  Smiling to herself, she leaned back against him and let him adjust her grip, almost purring as his scent curled around her. Nodding, she tried again before tilting her head back against his chest to look up at him. “Better?”

  “Yes better, but the cord change should be a little slower,” he said putting his hands over hers and showing her how to do it. “Okay once more.” Jared removed his hands from hers.

  Scooting back between his spread knees, she watched what he was doing, trying to concentrate. Not easy when he was right there, and her mouth was watering to find out what his lips tasted like. What the fuck was wrong with her? Taking a deep breath and centering herself, Serra tried again before tilting her head up with a questioning brow.

  “Very good. It’s not that hard. It takes practice. You should think of the guitar is an extension of yourself. Part of your arms.” He leaned over and picked up his beer, being careful not to knock her over, he tightened his legs when he leaned over and then sat back up, taking a drink. “Do you have any sheet music or do you just play by ear?”

  “By ear. Should I get sheet music? And thank you.” She beamed at the praise, sliding against his shoulder and into him as he reached for the beer and staying there as she watched him drink. She liked the view bet
ter from here. “So, I’m not hopeless?”

  Jared shook his head no. “Sheet music will help you more with the right notes, and you can get some that show the finger placements too. Also if you go online, you can find helpful videos that will teach you. You’re not hopeless you just need a few tips and to break some bad habits.” He laughed and sipped his beer. “No one can know everything there is to know about playing. We all learn something new every day. And trying new styles and such will help your skill level too.”

  She smiled softly as he talked, she let the deep timbre of his voice wash over her, fuck it was sexy as hell. Without thinking she slid her arm around his neck and pulled his lips down to hers, her teeth nipping at his bottom lip and her tongue sliding across it to sooth the sting. Shit, what was she doing? “Um. Yeah. Sorry.” She felt her face flush and waited to be growled at again.

  When she pulled him down, and their lips met, the kiss shocked Jared and sent heat through his whole body. He looked at her blushing and wasn’t sure what to say to her. “Kissing a guy like that can start something. You know that right?”

  The gruffness of his voice made her tingle and knew exactly what it could lead to cranked up her body’s temperature a few hundred degrees. He wasn’t pulling away though and to Serra, that was as good as a yes. Pulling his lips back to hers she dropped the guitar and turned into him, her tongue sliding against his and her pulse pounding in her ears. Her hand slid over the hard planes of his chest, wishing the t-shirt wasn’t between them. “Only if we do it right.”

  He looked at her with a smirk. “Yes, if we do it right.” He touched her hair for a moment. It was so soft that he wanted to bury his face in it and feel it sweep over his bare skin.

  Smiling, she nuzzled his neck and purred. “So are we?” Gods that scent and his hard body against hers was short-circuiting her brain leaving only her panther instincts that were screaming for her to get closer. Trailing her tongue over the lobe of his ear, she nipped before blowing over the damp skin. “Doing it right, that is?”