The Mating (Black on Black, #1)

by BJ Cunningham

  He slipped his fingers into her and then worked them slow. “I need you.” He whispered in her ear.

  “Fuck, Jared.” She whispered back, sliding against him opening her thighs until his hips were snugly between her knees. “I need you too.” Pulling his jacket tighter around them, she slid her core down over his hard cock, biting her lip hard to keep the moan trapped in her throat.

  He gripped her hips and moved her on him, groaning. The feeling of her moving made him rock hard. Growling, he bit her shoulder.

  Serra closed her eyes and dropped her head to his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. “Gods Jared.” She purred, rocking her hips against him, her muscles tensing and the pleasure building with every stroke. Only when someone bumped into their table did she remember where they were. Smiling and kissing him, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

  Moving her faster, he pushed the booth table away to make room for them and moaned. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

  Leaning back a little with her hands on the table behind her, Serra changed the angle of penetration and had to lunge forward to bite the shoulder of his jacket to stop from screaming his name. Sweat broke across her forehead as she came hard, her core clenching around his cock tightly.

  Enjoying her exploding, he shook and drove himself deep into her. “Fuck!!”

  Cupping his face between her hands, she plunged her tongue into his mouth, sliding against and twirling with his. “Fuck baby,” she whimpered as he drove into her.

  He kept going, not ready to stop and purred as they kissed.

  Trying not to draw a crowd was getting harder by the second, and when she broke and shattered against him again, she was confident that she left tooth marks in the leather.

  He released into her again and purred. “Want me to stop?” He continued rocking into her slow.

  She shook her head and purred against his ear. “Never want you to stop.”

  Not caring who saw, he ghosted them home to their room. He kicked the door closed and ghosted her naked, making her smirk. Growling low, he bent her over the bed. His hands roamed her back and gripped her ass. Before she could speak his tongue was exploring her from behind.

  Her breath caught in her throat turning to a growl when his mouth covered her. “Gods Jared.” Growling and pushing her hands against the bed, she arched into him and dropped her head when her thighs began to shake. “Baby.”

  He made sure she was steady and slipped two fingers into her slow. His tongue working her, he purred against her core, his jeans growing tighter by the second. He smirked when he felt her start to shake, slapped her ass lightly and continued his assault on her. “Yes, Baby?”

  Glancing back over her shoulder, she growled and ghosted away his jeans, and tried to talk, but only managed a squeak when she shattered apart. Clearing her throat, she gave up on shy or nice. “Fuck me, Jared. Now!”

  He took her hard from behind, twisting her hair in his hand pulling it as he drilled into her. “Happy?”

  “Yes!” She growled, her claws dug into the mattress to hold her in place and push back to take him deeper.

  Rocking his hips, he felt her tighten around him. A growl slipped out and he lifted her up, put her on her knees on the bed and slid her over him slow. He listened to the sounds she was making and grinned, his mind sharing every dirty thing he wanted to do to her.

  Shaking her head and purring as the images and words filtered through her mind, and his hard cock slid back inside her made her body spasm. She tightened the muscles of her core on purpose, just to give him an extra squeeze.

  “Fuck.” He exploded but kept thrusting into her, growling her name.

  Meeting each surge of his hips with her own, she growled and bucked against him. “Gods Jared.” More whimper than growl as she shuddered violently, her core gripping him and coming hard.

  Putting his hands on her ass, he pumped her on him faster. As he felt her release, he reached around her and rubbed her swollen nub.

  Growling his name, she reared up, turning her head back, and reached over her shoulder to grab a handful of his hair and pull his mouth to hers, nipping his lip when she came again. “Fuck!”

  “Yes, that’s what I’m doing, Baby.” He grinned at her as she coated him again. Growling, he pulled out and pushed her forward, more on the bed, and rolled her onto her back. As she watched, he buried his face in her core needing to taste her. Purring and licking, he pulled her legs over his shoulders.

  Jacking her head back her body wanted to crawl away at the same time she wanted to rock against his mouth. She both loved and hated that he loved to do this to her. Spearing her fingers into his hair, she bucked against him shuddering as every muscle quaked.

  Jared shook his head a moment and sucked on her. As she wiggled away, he grabbed her legs and held her in place. ‘Keep it up and I’m gonna tie you down,’ he linked her.

  She raised and brow and smirked as she tried to decide if that was a good or a bad thing. Growling low in her throat she twisted her hands in the blanket and tried to be still, but damn, he didn't make it easy.

  Feeling his cock jerk when she wiggled, he moaned. He found his way up her body again and slammed into her, his mouth all over her breasts, growling.

  “God’s, yes!” She purred and locked her ankles around his hips, pulling herself up with her thighs to pull him deeper. “Come for me, Baby.” She arched her back and pulled his lips back to hers for a frantic and hard kiss.

  Hearing her words, he pumped into her hard. He was coming undone. Jared growled her name as he emptied himself into her. He stared down at her in awe. He gulped air and ignored the way his muscles vibrated on the verge of collapse. “I love you, Serra.”

  Serra cupped his face and kissed him softly. “I love you.” She smiled as her eyes swept over his face, locking with his hazel eyes.

  He nuzzled and kissed her. “Sated, my love?”

  She’d fallen for this before and wasn’t going to again. “Are you?”

  Jared smirked and kissed her. “I am, Baby.”

  “Thank fuck,” she giggled. “Because I don’t think I can move right now.” Purring, she kissed him and nuzzled her mate’s neck, pulling him down against her.

  He laid on her, grinning and resting his weight on his elbows. He nuzzled her.

  Purring happily, she rubbed her face against his and nipped his ear. “Mine,” she whispered in his ear.

  “Always and forever.” He laid beside her, kissed her neck and shifted into form, wrapping his tail around her leg.

  Running her fingers through his fur, Serra closed her eyes and shifted, pushing her face against his neck.

  Jared drifted off wondering if Edge was traumatized.

  CHAPTER 16

  Jared ghosted into the hallway outside Damion’s office with a large bottle of three-hundred-year-old whiskey. “Damion, you in there?” He rapped his knuckles on the door and raked a hand through his hair while he waited.

  Damion had spent the last three days locked inside his, trying to make heads or tails out of the situation with Serra. She was too young to be dealing with this shit. Mated. Cubs. Hell, the girl could barely keep her checkbook balanced, and now she was trying to run a household? It was too much, too fast. He scrubbed his face and looked up at the muffled voice coming through the door. Jared Fucking Morgan. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t come here. Yes, he would. Sighing, he dreaded what this could be about or how it would spiral out of control this time. Using his magic, he turned the lock and then the knob, letting the door gap open. “It’s open.”

  Jared nudged the door the rest of the way open and caught the look in Damion’s eyes. This was a bad idea, but it was too late now. “Got a minute? I came by to give you something and to have a chat with you.” He closed the door and set the whiskey on the desk in front of him.

  Damion looked at him and motioned a hand toward one of the plush chairs in front of his desk. “What can I do for you, Jared?’ His chest ached at the memory of Serra in that same seat
not long ago. Leaning his elbows on his desk, he lifted the bottle to read the label. His brows popped with surprise. “Holy fucking...” Words failed him. He hadn’t seen a bottle of this in over two centuries. “Where did you find this?” He lifted his appreciative gaze to his daughter’s mate, trying to ignore the way his mouth was watering to taste it.

  Jared sat down and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “You like this stuff? It happens to be one of my personal favorites. The last time I was in Europe I bought a shit ton of it and have been hoarding it like mad.” Jared licked his lips and tried to decide the best way to go about this. “Yes, and it’s been too long. I gave up trying to find it.” Damion removed the top, holding the bottle under his nose and purring when the familiar scent greeted him like an old friend. Ghosting in two glasses, he poured carefully, not wanting to waste a drop. He doubted that this was a social call, and no matter how badly he was itching to taste this delicacy, he wouldn’t sell his soul, or his daughter’s for it. His eyes rolled to the male across the desk. “You might as well come out with whatever it is that brought you and this,” Damion slid one of the glasses closer to Jared. “Here.”

  Jared took the glass and held it in his hands. “I came because I want to marry Serra and to do it the human way. She deserves that. I want to give her the wedding of her dreams, whatever that may be. I know she wants both you and Monica there as well. And I don’t want you not to be a part of it because of me.” He sipped the whiskey.

  “You may not like me, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make your daughter happy. So I’m here to ask you to start over. I mean no disrespect to you or anyone else in your family. I only want what is best for Serra and our family. I understand, man to man, how shit went down. I own my part of it. So if kicking my ass will make it all go away? I’ll let you.” He drank the rest and put the glass on the desk.

  Damion sipped, savoring the velvety caress of the well-made liquor sliding over his tongue. His brown eyes snapped from the glass to the Panther when he apologized. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Jared as a smile crept over his face. Would wonders never cease? Damion inclined his head and pursed his lips thoughtfully. Pushing back his chair, he stood and turned to look out through the tinted glass to the club below. “It is hard when you’ve lived so long and gotten stuck in your ways, isn’t it?” He mused watching the party below. “I see them down there, year after year and nothing changes other than fashion and the status quo.”

  He glanced up when Jared joined him at the window. “I was so busy watching them, that I missed the fact that my Little Munchkin has grown up and become a fine woman. It must have happened when she disappeared, but now she’s back...” Damion’s voice trailed off as he remembered searching high and low for her. “Perhaps that is why I reacted so badly. I too will own my part.”

  Jared watched the crowd, stealing glances at Damion’s face, half expecting this to be a trick. “She disappeared?”

  “Aye. For ten long years, no one could find her and then she was back with a mate. It was a lot to swallow.” Damion took a long drink, his eyes not turning from the bar below. “She’s not the same girl that she was before.” He sighed and nodded. “Yes, we both need to wipe the slate clean and start over. I apologize for the fire and my own disrespect, Jared.” He laid his hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Don’t be so surprised. We both want the same thing, for Serra to be happy. You are what she wants. You make her happy. How can I not give you my blessing and foot the bill for the wedding? I believe that is the responsibility of the bride’s parents. Have another drink with me?” He clapped the younger panther on the back and returned to the bottle on his desk.

  Jared followed him and nodded, wanting to ask more about his mate’s disappearance, but now wasn’t the time. “I don’t mind if I do. She wants to have the wedding in Rome. Well, we do. She asked me for some input. I just said I wanted to go someplace I had never been.” He sat back down in the chair. “As for paying for it? I guess. If you want to. I know my parents have already started house shopping here in town as a surprise for Serra so we will have a place to go when we’re here.”

  “I see,” Damion nodded and refilled their glasses, holding up his glass and smiling at the amber liquid. He’d missed this. It almost took the sting out of knowing that his little girl wouldn’t be staying under the protection of his roof when she was in town. Almost. He sighed. “You’re always welcome to stay with us, but I get it. Rome?” He smiled and nodded. “My munchkin has grown up. It’s hard to remember that. She’ll be a good mate for you.” He chuckled and sank into his chair behind the desk. “She won’t be an easy one, but a good one. How is your oldest taking all of this? I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

  Jared sipped the whiskey as Damion asked about Daniel. “Honestly I’m not sure. My next stop on the list of wedding things is to make him one of my groomsmen. I still need to see how he really feels about Serra. His mother fucked him up royally.”

  Damion was aware of the hell that Heather had put them both through. The cub had been reserved with everyone but Serra and after she’d left? The boy hadn’t taken that well at all. “I’m sure he'll be all right with it, in time.” Yeah, even Damion didn’t believe that.

  “How do you know my son?” Jared leaned back in his seat and crossed and ankle over his knee.

  “He used to come with Brian when the band played here.” Damion smiled, remembering the way Daniel followed Serra around. “And then Brian came with him when he came to visit our Serra. He was like her shadow. I think he took her disappearance as hard as the rest of us, maybe harder than some. Monica always said the boy had a touch of puppy love.” He shrugged. “Leave it to a female to infer that.”

  “I had no idea. He never mentioned it.” Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and Jared had to remind himself not to rub his face or groan. “So where did she disappear to?”

  “No one knows, and she’s not talking.” Damion sighed. “Enough about the past. On to the future.” He raised his glass, inclining his head to Jared. “To new beginnings, family, and my daughter marrying a good man.”

  Jared toasted with his mate’s father. “To new starts and a new family. May the world live in fear of us all.” He smirked and downed the whiskey.

  “Hear, hear!” Damion chuckled and tossed back what was left in his glass. “You may be alright, after all, Jared. Serra thinks so, and you’ve gained my respect, son. It took balls to come here like this.” He smiled his approval. “More whiskey? Get Fer Schneckened before going home?”

  Jared laughed and held his glass out. “I’m not sure what she sees in me, but I can tell you what I see in her. She’s an amazing female, and I know she gets that from Monica and yourself.”

  “She is her father’s daughter, but she does have a lot of her mother in her as well.” Damion chuckled as he refilled the glasses. “But if you like walking upright, don’t tell her that.”

  Jared shook his head. “This will be my last glass. You can enjoy the rest.”

  “Oh, believe me, I will. I’ll be saving it for special occasions.” Damion raised an eyebrow and gave him a teasing wink. “Can’t go home sloshed?”

  “I can. I just may not live to see tomorrow.” Jared laughed.

  Damion chuckled with him. “That would be the Monica in her.” He took a pull from his glass and held it up looking at the amber liquid. “You must tell me, did you have this for centuries or did you find it when even I couldn’t?”

  Jared smirked at him. “I may have had a dragon time travel for me. I have some connections here and there.” He drained his glass.

  “Well now. That would explain it.” He barked a laugh. “The next time I get a craving, I know who to go to.”

  “I’m happy to help out family.” Jared nodded and stood. “Anyway, that’s all I had to say, and I’ll leave you to enjoy your night.”

  Damion gave his future son in law a fierce hug. “You’re a good man, Jared Morgan. Now go home to your mate and family but k
now that you’re welcome here anytime. And give Serra my love.”

  Jared nodded and hugged back before ghosting home to his mate and children.

  Damion sat down with a sigh of happiness and lifted the old glass of the bottle to admire it, smiling. After a few minutes, he finished his drink and went out into his club to join in the party, feeling more at peace than he had in weeks.

  Serra came out of the bathroom, smoothing her skirt and hoping that she could pull off the nothing out of the norm that she was trying to sell. What she’d done could get her killed, and now that she’d tied her life to Jared’s, she’d put him in danger as well. She regretted that, the possibility of putting Jared in harm’s way. But killing the tiger? She didn’t regret that a bit. Still, her conscience chewed at her, making her hands a little shaky and feeling like she was about to come out of her skin. She owed it to her mate to tell him. Warn him. Every time she tried the words stuck in her throat and made her choke, never getting past her lips. Fuck. What had she done?

  Reaching up to check that the bun she’d coiled her blond hair into was holding, she stepped out of the bathroom and froze in mid-step when she saw Jared leaning against the dresser. A sudden warmth punched through her as she watched his fingers push the buttons through the holes of the shirt, slowly covering his tattooed torso. Dark hair hung over his eyes while he bowed his head to see what he was doing. She growled softly, her hand moving to her throat and busying itself with fingering the pendant that hung around her neck. Gods. He looked so fucking good. “Good morning,” she purred, devouring him with her eyes. "How did things go with Pops?"

  Jared looked up, a cocky smile curling his lips when he heard her growl. Reaching out, he hooked a finger in the waist of the skirt, that showed almost too much of her long and shapely legs, and pulled her to him. “Good morning, my love.” He kissed her hard as his hands rubbed her back. "We have his blessing."