by Gem Sivad
Hot, hot, hot. And delicious. She loved the rides he took her on. “Let me loose so I can—”
Miz struggled to release her hands from his grip but Thomas pressed his chest against her breasts, rubbing his whole body against hers. She groaned and rotated her hips.
He widened his stance and began grinding his flesh against hers in between bumping his groin against her clit. She saw stars, her lungs stopped working, prickles of pre-orgasm danced up and down her spine, she hovered—Right. On. The. Edge.
Thomas leaned down and captured her nipple between his teeth, sucking on it with strong pulls before biting the end.
“Oh my God!” she screamed and came—once, twice, three times. Thomas released the wanton witch in her and she forgot about being a lady.
“More,” she demanded.
He pumped in and out of her, his skin sweaty and sticking to hers until she bucked against him and another climax rocketed through her with jarring force. When she was no more than a limp noodle, any excess energy of hers burned into nothing but sex-scented air, he was still going strong.
Too tired to hold their grip, her legs started to slip from around his waist. Thomas released her wrists and draped her knees over his arms, never missing a beat as he continued to stroke in and out of her.
Well he said it wasn’t about me this time. Guess he was telling the truth. Thomas made her body hum like a well-tuned Harley. If there was an angle of pleasure, he knew it, exploited it and made her crazy with it.
She didn’t have enough energy left in her to light a match when he pulled out, cradled her in his arms and strode out the door and into the elements. He kept walking until they were in the middle of the yard.
Had she any idea what he planned, she might have protested. Probably not. He put her on the wet ground and arranged her so that her head rested on her crossed arms, her thighs were spread and her rump waved in the air. Then he mounted her.
Ye-haw, cowboy. “What day is it?” she muttered, staring at the moon and the eerie glow it cast, silvering the drops of water striking the ground.
“Wednesday,” Thomas grunted, riding her in jarring thrusts beneath the pelting rain. The air pulsed with earth magic and their lust fed its power.
“Samhain,” she breathed. The moon was full and directly overhead. The chant came from nowhere and spilled out in a mumbled incantation interrupted by her moans and his growls. It was totally wacked. But she couldn’t stop once the words started.
Beast and man from two to one.
From this day forth, your roamin’s done,
I own your lust, I own your heart.
From me again you will not part.
“Mine,” Miz whispered, releasing her spell into the storm. Lightning crackled and struck close by and she breathed in the smell of brimstone. What the fuck did I just do?
It seemed impossible, but Thomas’s cock grew bigger, stretching the walls of her channel as every thrust created more heat and friction.
“Mate,” Thomas roared and sank his fangs deep, branding her with his mark as he came.
Thomas rolled with her until they lay spooned together, panting in the wet grass, still connected. He pulled out of her, slapped her fanny and stood, looking down at her with a satisfied grin. He’d never felt so synchronized.
The spell Miz had chanted in the rain had brought all his fractured senses together. Inside, his beast agreed. Finally, they were one. Everything was different. He was steady as a rock. He wondered if the enchantment had a shelf-life. He hoped not.
She’d mumbled some incantation to weld his lust to her, which she didn’t understand had already happened. During the process, she’d blended the dissonant connection of jaguar and man into one harmonious entity. Nice side-effect.
“You okay?” she asked, her expression tinged with guilt. Miz was edgy. “I mean, uh, both of you? You know, the cat too, is he—?”
Thomas’s change had always been fast. But a touch of her magic was part of him now and it gave him a boost. He shifted smoothly into jaguar.
“Well, all right then,” she said. Since she’d always seemed reluctant to pet the cat, Thomas was surprised when she knelt on the ground and inspected him as the rain kept pouring over them. After she ruffled his chin whiskers she ran her hands over his pelt. He purred.
She snorted and stood. “You’re fine. Just checking. You can shut up now.”
Thomas shifted back to man form. Their bond had snapped in place, he knew it and after her spell casting, there was no way in hell Miz could claim she didn’t want it. Beast and man grinned wickedly at her.
Miz remembered her stupid chant and felt like a complete dork. She could only hope Thomas hadn’t heard it.
Well I guess I get the prize for asinine this time. She crouched on the ground where she’d checked Sunny to make sure he had all his parts. He’d looked fine. Now staring at Thomas’s man form, her gaze paused on his groin. His shaft was already springing back to life. It looked fine too.
Miz took the hand Thomas offered and let him pull her to her feet. She focused on the storm and tried to avoid his glance. He’d heard her. She knew he had. She was embarrassed. She needed to be tough. He’d be leaving soon.
“Not without you,” he answered her unspoken words.
Thomas wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck, kissing his way upward. We belong together, Miz. He punctuated the thought with a nip on her ear.
You’re my mate, forever. He stroked her back, molding her body to his and Miz stared into molten eyes that promised things she’d thought impossible.
“The Hess women don’t do forever, Sunny,” she whispered weakly, repeating her mantra against commitment.
It was amazing the way his eyes had a way of changing from beast to man and back. Miz shivered in his embrace as a growl rumbled in Thomas’s chest, sending prickles of heat cascading through her.
Then I’ll love you one day at a time, Miz. He claimed her lips in a kiss that left her senses befuddled when it ended.
Did you say the L word?
Thomas smiled down at her. Sunny purred.
“After we take the ’copter back, how do you feel about spending the first day of forever visiting the Smithsonian?” He winked at her and the last shred of her resistance to the sexy beast disappeared.
She was in love. Dammit.
Epilogue
Welcome Home
Rhee stood in the middle of the path leading to Hess House, clutching Godie and staring at Shep Buchanan. In the distance, a motor thrummed and she knew Miz was abandoning her to Bitter Creek Holler.
The family curse loomed nearby urging her to climb inside. She could feel it breathing, waiting to gobble her up. On the other hand, its presence was comforting. Shep had just changed from being a grizzly bear and for all she knew he might be one again soon.
There were three reasons she’d avoided this place all of her life. It was creepy. Her mama had told her to stay away, and she didn’t do country well. Since Miz had willingly hunkered down in the sticks, keeping the old house company, it hadn’t been an issue.
Apparently that had changed. Miz was gone. Rhee assumed the mantle of Hess martyrdom for three more reasons.
Fairness to Miz wasn’t one of them. Her cousin could stay stuck in the house all her life for all Rhee cared. But, at the moment, the opportunity to leave New York for quieter climes had been fortuitous.
A former client and several bill collectors had been making home an unpleasant experience.
The rent on her dinky apartment had just gone up as her income plummeted.
But the most important reason for Rhee’s visit to Hess land stood across from her, bare, brawny and currently looking befuddled. That was good.
Shep Buchanan needed her help. Shep Buchanan was rich. She felt certain she could put both of those things to work and feed her bank account.
She inhaled and held the smell, analyzing it. No question about it, this place was fecund, fairly dripping with enchantment.
Magic coated the trees and provided the under scent of autumn spice stinging her nostrils. She moved toward the front steps. They grew longer, reaching to accommodate her.
Shep took a step toward them Rhee stopped. He stopped.
“See you later,” she said, trying to make her voice upbeat. “You probably want to go home and put some clothes on.” She added in case he didn’t know, “You’re naked.” Though he didn’t seem to care, she did.
Shep was a big man. All over. His junk was mighty. She tried not to look at it, but it seemed giant even on a giant. She’d seen him from afar a couple of times in the city, and well yeah, like a groupie, she’d clipped articles about him because he was rich. Besides that he looked like a Viking. Handsome just didn’t begin to describe his male yumminess.
She felt as if she kind of knew him even though they’d never met because his land was next to Hess land and that made him a neighbor sort of. And, well, okay, maybe she’d dropped his name some and claimed friendship that wasn’t quite true.
This was an opportunity to change all that. She’d make him like her. They’d be friends. Doors would open for her she’d never anticipated. Rhee tried to remind herself of all those possibilities when his thingee bobbled and twitched.
Speaking of doors, the front one on Hess house swung open invitingly. She edged in that direction, trying to remember when dealing with a wild predator if she should look at the ground or hold its gaze.
“I could go with you,” he suggested. For a moment, those lovely strong hands she’d been admiring, developed a case of bear claws that flexed and retracted. He stepped toward her.
“That’s not a good idea.” She backed toward the house and then turned and took off running, holding Godie tight in her arms. When she’d safely scrambled onto Hess porch, the steps retracted.
Since she was only five two and Shep was more than six five, she was on eye level with him when the house stood. He reached for her, hit the protective ward, and shuddered. Fur rippled across his arms and torso confirming her decision to evade.
“Go home. Put some clothes on. You may visit me this evening at seven o’clock.” She felt like some royal princess dispensing orders to her minions. Shep looked confused, then nodded his head and trudged toward his cabin.
She wasn’t quite ready to go inside the house. That was too much like a commitment. Instead, she hung over the rail and admired Shep’s backside. Taut thigh muscles, nice rump, long back, broad shoulders—Godie growled when she squeezed him too hard.
The opened door swung shut, and the house began moving, carrying Rhee in the opposite direction. While she clung to the rail and kept focused on the motivation for her change of residence, said residence lumbered up the corridor toward Hess property.
Godie whined and Rhee hugged him closer. Sheesh, he’d almost been killed.
“You’re going to love it here. I can feel it. What’s not to like, buddy? No rent. A new client. And a cozy place to lie-low.”
As if it listened and approved her mumblings, a pinkish glow emanated from the house and surrounded her in a comforting embrace. Rhee tried to ignore it.
“Who knows? When he gets his pants on and his wallet out, we might live happily ever after.”
Though she mumbled the words to herself, and no one should have heard her but Godie, the house hummed its approval, the surrounding trees swayed as if in agreement, and Shep stopped, changed into a bear and disappeared into the woods.
“Oops.” She was going to have to readjust everything, including her voice and thoughts. Bitter Creek Holler was steeped in magic whether a local citizen was a Hess or not. But add in the family gifts and interesting events seemed destined to follow.
You’re here to mend the tears in his aura. She had to remind herself what had precipitated Miz’s call. Shep Buchanan had been magic poisoned with a hex sachet.
Rhee had donated her time, devised a counter spell, shared it with her talentless cousin, Miz, and together they’d saved Shep. She was here now to reap her reward.
She’d explained to Miz how to reverse the spell and obviously it had worked. Wyatt’s patchy hair and scaly looking skin as well as his rotting black teeth had proven that he’d ordered the snake-eyes death spell and gotten it back ten times stronger.
Rhee didn’t care if Wyatt was dead. He’d thrown Godie against a tree and almost killed him. Remembering Godie’s close call, she stifled a sob and blinked back tears.
And a grizzly bear she refused to think of as Shep, attacked the hex sender and tore his arm off.
“It was pretty gory. We’re going to have to do some adjusting, I think.” She’d become accustomed to the shootings, knifings, bombings, abductions, and daily depravity back home. Evidently Bitter Creek Holler had its own brand of violence.
“We saved the day, just remember that.” Still waiting for a thank you, everyone. Her usual inner resentment was disrupted somewhat when the house stopped and then turned slightly to the left.
Rhee held onto the porch rail to keep from tipping over when the house sighed, folded its legs and settled back into its familiar spot.
“I guess we’ve arrived,” she whispered against one of Godie’s floppy ears. He wiggled in her arms and licked her chin.
Thank God she’d brought him along. Otherwise, she’d be alone. She shivered, not quite ready to step inside Hess House. As if reading her mind, the door swung open.
She hesitated too long. Godie took matters from her and wiggled free, jumped to the porch floor and then trotted through the opening.
“All right, I’m coming.” Rhee wasn’t exactly frightened of the house but she didn’t trust it either. Her phone rang and she clutched it, afraid to believe in her good luck. She hadn’t expected to get reception up here.
“Hello.” It was Miz. “I need some of my things. Thomas knows where I keep my boots and stuff. He’s coming—”
“Thomas can come by tonight at…” Rhee interrupted and then hesitated.
Shep was coming at seven. Did she want an audience or did she want to handle Buchanan and his millions, or was it billions, on her own?
“Tell your guy to be here by five to get the boots. And no, I haven’t pilfered anything from your drawers or peeked in your closet. I don’t need to look. I’ve seen what you wear. Black leather with black leather.”
Nevertheless, the call gave Rhee an excuse to snoop. Well, since she lived in the house now, it wasn’t really snooping. Godie made himself comfortable by the fireplace, which suddenly had a wood fire burning that Rhee didn’t light.
She could freak out or forge forward. She decided to inspect the premises.
~ The End ~
Synopsis
People are mean, life is hard, and then you die. Grab as much as you can on the journey.
The Rhee Hess mantra for survival has reaped very little happiness for her and sown lots of discord. When her cousin, Missouri Hess asks for help, Rhee is already dodging a drug dealer, a repo man who’s after her new Harley, and a government agent who claims he’s from the IRS. Bitter Creek Holler seems like a great place to lay-low, and lending a helping hand to Miz’s neighbor might be Rhee’s ticket to gold.
Shep Buchanan is a billionaire lonely genius with eidetic memory. He’s the perfect head of a secret paranormal agency that collects information on magical beings for the government. He can’t be bribed or his files hacked—until he’s attacked with a death hex spell and loses his wits. Enter Rhee Hess, cousin of Shep’s neighbor in Bitter Creek Holler.
The mouthy, mercenary, conniving, spirit-weaving witch has no fear of Shep’s thousand pound alter ego and shows no respect for the man who houses the beast. But Rhee soon discovers mating heat can throw the most stable shifter out of whack, and this shifter can be a real grizzly when he’s courting his mate.
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Keep reading for an excerpt from
; Miz Behaving
Bitter Creek Holler Book 3
Chapter One
Miz frowned at the clumps of sea grass blowing sideways against mounds of sand. The sight wasn’t pretty, that was for sure. Looking around, she had to be honest and admit that if they never left the house, it was okay.
She sighed and trudged on. The beach wasn’t for her. Thomas liked this place, though, so she’d humor him and pretend that she liked it too. She was trying to get the hang of this mate thing.
Mates don’t have to fake it. He purred his opinion into her mind. She glowered at his back but her gaze traveled lower admiring his ass.
Like what you see? He was picking up her thoughts and beaming his own back at her with no problem but when she tried to tag his, she got nothing but a garbled impression of waves, fish, seaweed, wind and excitement.
I like it even better when it’s bare. She didn’t bother hiding her frustration from him. She was irritated. He knew she needed him. She’d wanted to investigate the mattress in the big bedroom before they’d left the house to explore the beach.
But no, Thomas had been impatient to be out and about. They’d no sooner arrived, carted their luggage up the steps to a house on stilts, when he’d grabbed a blanket and said, “Come on.”
“It’s getting dark out here. Maybe your cat eyes can see, but my people eyes can’t.” Grouchy from the heat and reluctant to follow Thomas one more step, Miz kicked a spray of sand at him.
Since she’d left Bitter Creek Holler and the mountain magic behind, she felt almost naked. Thomas, being Thomas, said that was good. He liked naked. He’d arranged for the use of a private beach house just so she could get naked for him next to the ocean.
