by Celia Kyle
Copyright Page
Published by Summerhouse Publishing. Like a Fox. Ridgeville, Book 7. Copyright © 2013 Celia Kyle. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
Celia Kyle
http://celiakyle.com
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
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Chapter One
“Love at first sight doesn’t exist. There is, however, love after five orgasms in one boinking.”—Maya O’Connell, Prima of the Ridgeville Pride and woman in love. Alex is such a giver…
The alluring, seductive scent of his mate woke Gavin Mara from a dead-to-the-world sleep. He bolted upright with a gasp, rock-hard cock stiff between his legs and a sheen of sweat on his brow. He drew the flavors into his lungs, and he had no doubt that his mate was a cat…and very, very close by.
He took a deep breath… Yes, she was a purring lioness. He knew those underlying, feline scents. He’d been visiting his sister Elise in Ridgeville ever since she’d mated her werelion Brute, and Gavin had come to recognize the various shifters the town held.
Lioness.
Would she roar for him? Or better yet, purr?
The heavy aroma of breakfast from downstairs in the Drool and Dine reached out to him, distracting him momentarily. Well, his stomach, anyway.
Each time he visited his sister, he rented the room above the diner, unwilling to share Elise and Brute’s home. He liked the guy. He just didn’t want to listen to his sister have sex with the gigantic lion.
Rushing from the bed, he scrounged around for something to wear. He was spending his last week of peace in Ridgeville, and he’d wanted to visit with Elise before he began his job in Chicago with the Council. They’d hired him to be the Director of Communications. He snorted. Tech support with a fancy name.
Gavin tossed clothes around, sending T-shirts flying as he hunted for something freaking clean to put on. God, he should have taken his sister up on her offer to do his laundry a few days ago. But he’d had a plan, a stack of quarters, and a Laundromat down the street. Right. Digging into the bottom of his suitcase, he came up victorious, clutching a semi-wrinkled, thin T-shirt he’d forgotten about.
“I Lick!” was emblazoned across the front in bright red letters.
His sister thought it’d get him a little action since “all ladies like a little downtown lovin’.”
Another round of searching netted him a pair of jeans with some sort of weird stain on the leg. He brought the fabric to his nose and sniffed. Well, at least it wasn’t a toddler by-product. He’d gotten enough of that from the pride Prima’s twins. The fuckers were messy little things.
The A/C kicked on, and more of his mate’s alluring scent drifted to him. Shit, he needed to get down there. Now. Before she managed to get away from him.
Gavin rushed to the front door, slipping into a pair of worn sneakers on the way, and then he was outside, pounding down the metal steps. Clang clang clang clang. He sprinted around the side of the building and raced toward the front entrance.
He looked through the windows and scanned faces while he ran, attention adeptly split between the space in front of him and the interior of the diner. He recognized the werebear owner, Seno, and his wolf mate, Alice. A few other pride lions occupied the restaurant, as well as some rabbits and a wolf or two.
He rounded a corner, and then it was only three strides to the front door. He gripped the handle and practically tore it from its hinges, the need for his mate spurring him on. The slam of the metal and glass panel against the exterior of the building had everyone inside falling quiet. The hush rolled across the diner, and all eyes focused on him.
He stepped inside, took a deep breath and drew more of his mate’s arousing scent into his lungs. She was still here, her aromas concentrated within the room. They called to him with invisible arms. Another step in. Then another. Seno, a big bear of a man, rounded the counter. With a frown etched onto his features, he closed the distance between them.
“Gavin.” The man’s growl was a deep rumble.
He waved the bear away and inhaled again, hunting for the source of the alluring fragrance. He moved to the left, nose raised.
Seno cut him off. “Gavin.”
Gavin growled, curling his lip and baring a fang. “Mine. Mate.”
His fox had taken over, the beast within searching for the woman who belonged to him. To them.
The bear’s eyes widened, but he backed up. “Gavin?”
Suddenly Elise was there, her attention shifting from his shirt to him and back again. “You wore it! I’m so excited.” His sister grinned and then frowned. “We should have added ‘a lot’ to it. Or would that be false advertising? I don’t want too much info, but we want to be accurate. Do you, you know, do it a lot?” Elise gagged. “Never mind, even asking the question made me throw up a little in my mouth. I take it back.”
Gavin squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring Seno and Elise while absorbing the essence of his mate. He inhaled, let the scent fill his lungs, and released it in a rush. It was stronger now, and Elise carried hints of the aroma.
He grabbed his sister’s shoulders, leaned down and ran his nose along Elise’s neck before pulling back. “Where is she?”
“Where’s who?” Elise wiggled away from him.
“His mate.” Seno answered her question while Gavin fought for control.
Close close close.
Elise stilled. “Your mate? And I smell like her?”
He jerked his head in a nod.
“Uh.” She glanced over her shoulder and then back to him. “The only non-mated woman I’ve been around all morning is Gina.”
Gina. He let his mate’s name roll through his mind, tasted it on his tongue. Gavin and Gina. Cute. They’d name their cubs and pups Gabriel and Gemma. A big “G” family.
Gavin followed his sister’s gaze across the diner, and his attention fell on the corner booth packed full of women. He recognized Maya (the pride Prima), Carly (a rabbit), Maddy (a lioness) and Elly (a squirrel) all sitting together. But there was a single, gorgeous, seductive woman he didn’t recognize.
“She’s here?” He could smell the sudden case of nerves that filled his little sister. “Elise?”
She nodded. “Yeah. The brunette next to Maddy.”
It had to be her: the brown-haired, hazel-eyed goddess hidden among the Ridgeville pride’s troublemakers. He let his gaze linger on her long wavy hair, her round face, wide eyes, pert nose, and lush mouth. The cut of her shirt allowed him to see a hint of her abundant cleavage, and he noticed more than one man appreciating the same view.
Gavin growled. “Elise? I need…” He snarled.
“Okay, okay,” she stroked his arm and then twined her fingers with his. “Let’s go.” A slig
ht tug got him moving. “No growling though. She’s had a rough time after Jenner and all that. It’s been a year and a half, but… She doesn’t need you being a meanie.”
He recalled the lion who’d tormented his sister. Jenner had been living a double life as both a depraved member of Freedom and a Ridgeville pride member. And the man had dated Gina through it all. His Gina.
Even though Alistair McCain was dead, courtesy of Ridgeville’s newest resident squirrel, Elly Karn, Jenner was still in permanent custody by order of the Council.
“Never. I never would. I’ll make her so happy, sis.” The closer they got, the more he saw. The small mole near the corner of her left eye. A tiny scar on her chin.
Her beguiling scent grew stronger with every step, slinking through him and wrapping around his cock like a ghostly hand. He rapidly closed the distance between them, and then she was there before him.
“Gina, this is my brother, Gavin.”
He extended his hand and she answered his silent request, placing her fingers on his palm. The skin-on-skin touch sent a bolt through him, a rough zing of electricity and pleasure racing along his nerves.
“Gavin, this is—”
Gavin’s fangs burst from his gums, lengthening in preparation of claiming his lioness. “Mine.”
*
Oh.
Oh wow.
Gina took a deep breath, drawing in the scents of heavy oak, dirt, and all around deliciousness.
This. This is what a mate smelled like. The feelings weren’t forced, and her lioness didn’t have to be convinced. This was her mate. Her man. Their man.
With Jenner, she’d had to cajole the cat into being happy with the male lion. She’d deluded the feline into agreeing to be with him. And then… And then they had found out Jenner had been working for his cousin Alistair McCain, the leader of Freedom. He’d been one of the men who’d raped her new friend Elise while Freedom held her captive.
But this guy… Gavin.
Heat tingled through her with Gavin’s touch, the warmth of his fingers somehow crawling deep into her body and grabbing hold of her soul. He was her match, her other half.
He didn’t release her fingers, but held on as he eased closer to her. She sat at the edge of the circular booth, the rest of the women crowded in beside her.
With Gavin’s pronouncement—the single word she felt all the way down to her essence—their corner of the world exploded.
“Mate?” Maya screeched.
“I don’t think so, mutt.” Carly jumped in.
“What does he lick?” Gina recognized the laughter in Maddy’s voice. “Because if I wasn’t mated…” The woman purred, miming a claw and scratching the air.
Gina snarled at the other lioness, baring a fang. Hers. All hers.
“Well, no reason to get your vagina in a bunch,” Maddy harrumphed.
When Gina turned back to Gavin, she found heat and a bit of cocky bravado in his gaze. Jerk.
Sexy as hell jerk.
Where lions tended to be wide and heavily muscled, her mate was long and lean. The man topped six feet and was head-to-toe hotness. Beneath his thin T-shirt, she could see the carved lines of his body. She wanted to nip each one, and by allowing her tongue to transform a tiny bit, see how he liked the cat’s rough lick.
A smile formed on his lips, and she returned the expression. A small curl fell across his brow, the lock catching the early morning light, and she restrained the urge to brush it aside. His eyes sparkled a deep, dark brown. Not quite black and not some blah color everyone else in the world possessed. No, it was deeper, a hue that drew a person into its depths. Gavin lured her with his gaze, pulled her in with the carved muscles that coated his body and the seductive scent that flowed from him in a constant stream.
Her lioness purred, stretching and flexing her nails in Gina’s mind. The kitty wanted to rub against the man. Mmm… The fox. He was a fox. Literally and figuratively.
Gavin grasped her fingers securely, claiming more of her and rubbing his thumb over her palm in a small, alluring circle. Her body melted, and tendrils of arousal plucked her nerves. The cat craved him like a drug, and the human half of her wanted to fondle him. She ached to trace those corded muscles and see which spots would make him moan. Gina wasn’t normally Wonder Slut, but this was her mate. Slutasticness was called for. Necessary even.
The arguments and exclamations surrounded them, but her gaze was intent on Gavin. Nothing mattered but him.
“Do you think there’s a licking hall of fame? I bet there is.”
“Dude! Can we not talk about licking anything? He’s my brother.”
“You bought him the shirt. Hell, you were just asking him if you should have added ‘a lot’.” Maddy tapped her ear. “Super hearing. I haz it.”
“I don’t want my girl mating a butt-sniffer. Is he housetrained? I mean, Elise was, but you never know about boys.”
“Is he gonna pee on her? Dogs do that, right?”
A grin threatened to emerge, laughter battling with her desire, and she nibbled her lower lip. Gavin’s focus centered on her mouth, and she let her tongue peek out to wet her lips. His eyes darkened, and the scorching scent of his need wafted over her. Silence descended on their table. Gina tore her attention from her mate and focused on the women only to find her friend’s gazes on her and Gavin.
Maya cleared her throat. “Okay then. Puppy gets the pussy.”
A low rumbling growl came from Gavin, the sound traveling through his hand and right into her, shaking her from inside out. Of course, it slid right to her clit, thrumming the bundle of nerves.
Gavin’s nostrils flared, and pure unadulterated desire poured from his gaze. His white fangs peeked from beneath his upper lip. He tilted his head to the side as if asking her permission to take them out of the diner, and she nodded her agreement.
That fast, he had her out of the seat and following in his wake. He didn’t drag her to the front door. Instead, he tugged her behind the counter and back through the kitchen.
“Just cuttin’ through, man.” Gavin yelled to the bear, giving Seno a smile and a wave as he passed.
Mimicking her mate, Gina opened her mouth to say “hello”, but she didn’t get a chance to pause for niceties. They went from the kitchen to the storeroom and then were in the back parking lot. She kept pace with Gavin as he pounded up the rusted metal stairs that hugged the back wall, giggling with every step. The man was practically running to the apartment. She remembered that his sister Elise had rented the space at one time. It’d been gutted and redone after Jenner destroyed the place in an effort to run Elise out of town.
Unease slammed into her, memories of Jenner and his lies assaulting her with each move closer to the door.
Gavin froze, turning toward her. “Baby?” Worry inched into his features.
“Sorry,” she waved her hand. “I’m being stupid and—”
He backtracked to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close. Gina’s lioness purred in response, loving the feel of his lean body against her curves.
“Shh…” He stroked her hair and she nuzzled him. “I shoulda thought.” He sighed. “We cleansed the place, tore everything out, and Seno even got one of his witch friends to ‘purify’ the space. Brute and my sister “helped.” Though, she winked when she said it, and I so don’t wanna know. Plus, with Elise happy now, I kinda push away the past. We can put on the brakes and slow down. Maybe go somewhere else.”
She shook her head. No, that’s not what she wanted. At. All. “No, I’m being a baby.” Her emo bullshit crap was nothing compared to what Elise went through with the apartment and Jenner and… If Gavin was cool, so was she. “I’ve got my mate, and I want to be alone with him. Driving over to the motel so isn’t happening.”
Gina hugged him, tugging him tighter against her body. She rocked her hips, shivering at the feel of the hard cock branding her.
“Yeah?” His voice was strangled.
“Yeah.” She gri
nned, loving the bit of control she had over her mate. Gavin was trembling in her arms, his eyes now looking more like his inner-fox than human. If she wasn’t mistaken, his claws were digging into her back. If she hadn’t been turned on before, she sure as hell was now.
Gavin leaned down and pressed his face against her neck, the rough scrape of his morning scruff causing goose bumps to race over her skin. “Good.”
He took a deep breath, and then warm air bathed her. His scent wrapped her in a welcoming blanket. A shudder overtook him and he stepped away, putting space between their bodies. Without another word, they were on the move again, stomping up the stairs toward their destiny.
Okay, that sounded lame. True, but lame.
Chapter Two
“Never, ever be nervous about having sex. Women are always awesome. If there’s no big ‘O’, it’s his fault. That’s your story and you’re sticking to it.”—Maya O’Connell, Prima of the Ridgeville Pride and total sex-pert.
A lot of people say that when they are nervous, butterflies take up residence in their stomachs.
Gavin got rhinos. Giant, ungainly, dangerous beasts that stomped and frolicked on his intestines, and the urge to vomit stabbed at him. His rising cock deflated the moment they crossed the apartment’s threshold. Gina followed him, her scent teasing his fox with its alluring flavors, but he couldn’t shove down the unease.
He’d found his mate, for fuck’s sake. And wasn’t that scary as hell.
She strode past him into the renovated apartment, and he tried to look at it through her eyes. He noted the bright walls, splashes of pale color that lightened the tiny area. Furniture had been purchased from the local stores, and the apartment appeared brand new. He remembered what Jenner had done, remembered Elise’s descriptions of cow’s blood splattering the walls. With Jenner out of the picture, Gavin tended to forget that the apartment was anything other than a place to crash when he came to town. But Gina had lived through the worry and danger, and he’d brought her to the scene of one of many crimes committed by her ex.
