by Gina Kincade
Blanche hooks her arms over his shoulders, and pulls him in for a kiss. "This is amazing. I love it. When did you have time to shop for furniture?"
He clears a stand of hair off her face by tucking it behind her ear. "I didn't. I guess I haven't been too forthcoming about this because well... I was embarrassed for you to know."
"You? Embarrassed?" She crooks a brow at him. "I thought we don't have secrets any more?" She pouts while her fingers play with his short hair.
Hunter runs his hands along her sides, ending on the curves of her hips. "I designed them." He hid his embarrassment in the crook of her neck.
"I thought they were just sketches."
"Sketches?" Hunter straightens.
"Yeah. I snuck into your old room one day and saw a bunch of designs, but I thought they were just sketches. I didn't know they're real furniture. How long have you been doing that?"
"Since college. I had to pay my way through it. Dad taught me some carpentry. This was a great way to fund my artistic vision. What say you? Do you want us to live here?"
"Yes please. I'd like to stay here now."
His face brightens. The smile that stretches on his lips reaches his eyes. "That's a fantastic idea. We can christen the new bed. I'll get our bags. And we can grab the rest of our things from the apartment later."
When Hunter returns with the bags, he finds Blanche in one of the bedrooms. The walls are painted a cerulean blue, except for one wall which has a mural of a castle surrounded by a forest of trees. Along the wall is a white crib, which Hunter himself has worked on. Blanche stands beside it, swiping away tears off her cheeks.
He doesn't have to ask what has caused her to cry. Those are tears of joy. The nursery is bare aside from the crib, but he doesn't doubt that Blanche can fill it with all the necessary items they will need before Aria comes along.
And when their dear daughter comes, he doesn't doubt that she will fill their lives with joy and happiness neither of them have ever imagined.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Blanche arches her back. Perched on a vanity, her fingers grip its edges. Her legs spread wide, wider as Hunter delves between them. She peers at him through shuttered eyes. The ever-present hunger for her intensifies his gaze as he looks up to his wife.
His tongue invades her, causes her to hiss, and then it flicks up and hits a spot too sensitive from his earlier touches. Blanche convulses. Her toes numb. Her fingers ache from her clawing at the hard surface. Her body ablaze. Another invasion, another flick, another lick, and she gasps. She holds a breath until she shatters. A powerful orgasm overcomes both her body and mind.
Hunter stills. His tongue grazes her sex for one more quiver. Tenderly, he kisses the insides of her thighs before he straightens to his full height. On shaky legs, Blanche stands, but she knows he is not done with her, judging the impressive bulge in his pants. She can taste her flavor on his lips as she kisses him. And without a word, but with one searing gaze, she turns around, facing the mirror.
Blanche's arms spread on the smooth vanity. Her breasts press against the surface. They watch each other through the lit mirror. The sound of Hunter unzipping his pants heightens her excitement.
Hunter gathers her long dress over her hips, exposing her to him. He teases her entrance with the tip of his cock, enticing a gasp form Blanche, followed by a small smile on the corner of her lips. He wants to ravish her every which way he can. And he has. But it is never enough. A primal urge to claim her creates a want, a need in him that will not cease to exist until he witnesses her panting, fragmented, satiated by him. His Blanche. The love of his life. The mother of his child.
His.
And he is hers just as much, if not more.
Through the reflection, he catches the flutter of her lushes as she moans, and sighs when he enters her. Inch by inch she receives him. Her heat scorches him, throws him off kilter. Hunter moves his hips, pumps in and out of Blanche, while his hands rakes her smooth skin until he finds the taut aureoles through the fabric of her dress. She mewls and begs him for more. He props one of her legs over the vanity, braces himself and hurries his pace, ramming her forward. He's about to lose his mind. He's about to explode, but he waits for her. When Hunter feels her inner muscles undulate, he pounds harder, losing all control. Shockwaves travel through his entire body, hitting each nerve endings, and causing him let go.
"Baby...fuck," he growls. He bends at the waist and licks the line of her spine, exposed by the backless dress, up to the nape of her neck. With her long hair pushed aside, he trails kisses to her ear and whispers, "You drive me crazy, Bee. You're amazing."
Blanche turns to him and meets his kisses. "You too, baby. You're the best stress-reliever." She reaches up to fix his bow tie.
A knock on the door disrupts them. "Blanche, you're on in five."
Hunter nibbles at the tip of her shoulder before straightening up. Carefully he pulls out of her. He reaches for a tissue box and helps Blanche clean up, before he tucks himself back into his boxers. With splayed hands, he smoothens her dress over her curves, which remained after childbirth. He loves every inch of her, especially those curves.
"Do you know where my underwear went?" Blanche asks, looking around.
Hunter produces the lacy undergarment from his trousers pocket, but when Blanche reaches for it, he shoves it back in.
"Hey, give it back!" Blanche cries out. "I need those, Hunt."
He shakes his head, and kisses the tip of her nose. "Nope. You don't need them. They're mine."
"Hunter..." she begins to protest.
"No, I want it to be our little secret." Mischief glimmers in his eyes. A wicked smile plays on his lips. "I want you up there on that stage like this. Whenever you feel the vibration while you play, I want you to think of me. I want you to think of what we did just now, and what I will do to you after the concert."
The knock returns. "We need you out here, Blanche."
She throws Hunter a warning. "If I make a mistake, it's all because of you. Remember that."
"You won't make mistakes. I guarantee it." He massages her shoulders and turns her on her heels. "Get out there and show them how masterful you are."
Blanche takes a deep inhale and exhale, and rolls her neck, releasing any leftover tension. She has played for hundreds and even thousands for years, but it never stops causing her undue stress beforehand. This time, she has Hunter to cheer her on, and release any pent up frustration pre-concert.
Once she has taken careful consideration what she wanted to tell her mother, Blanche gave her a call, while Hunter sat right beside her, holding her hand throughout the entire conversation. They agreed on completing any postponed concertos planned for the rest of the year and rescheduled anything else after she gave birth. Reyna agreed. She didn't huff or hum. Blanche suspected that her mentor, Andre was right there with her.
Tonight is her first time returning to the stage after Aria's birth, and just a couple months after her and Hunter's simple wedding back in Bar Harbor. Her daughter has given her happiness that she never thought possible. Hunter was with her through the arduous, twelve-hour labor. The pain was readily forgotten as soon as she set eyes on her beautiful girl, wailing in her father's arms.
"Is Aria good with Mare?" she asks while they walk hand-in-hand out of the dressing room.
"She's with your mother," Hunter causally tells her.
Blanche stops walking. "My mother?" she nearly yells.
Hunter fixes the strap of her dress, which has fallen on her turn. "She's fine. Trisha and Mare are both with them. Andre too. Don't worry."
Blanche narrows her eyes at him. "You better worry. Knowing my mother she'll have Aria playing the violin before she can even walk."
"It's not such a bad thing. Aria is drawn to music like you, but she has us as parents. I'm cool with it if you are." He raises their intertwined hand and kisses her knuckles.
They find Aria cooing in Andre's arms, and Reyna wiping of white vomit off her
designer dress. Trisha and Mare are both watching, suppressing giggles behind their hands.
"We had a little accident," Andre says, nodding his head at Reyna.
Aria kicks her legs when she sees her parents.
Blanche takes her from Andre and takes a whiff of her baby scent. "Thanks, Andre. And mother, don't worry, baby spit washes off easily. If not, you can send me the dry cleaning bills." Blanche addresses her little girl, whose eyes widen at the sound of her mother's voice, "Mommy will play for you now, okay?" She kisses the top of her little head before handing her off to Hunter.
"I love you, babe," Hunter tells her, leaning in for his pre-concert kiss.
HUNTER JOINS HIS GROUP in the secluded balcony of the concert hall. He sits Aria on one knee, and points at his wife making her way to the sleek grand piano on the stage. "There's Mommy."
Aria bounces on his leg, and then quiets down with the applause when the hall lights dim. One spotlight illuminates Blanche on the piano bench. Her face relaxes. A smile tickles her lips.
When she plays, the world listens.
When she plays, Hunter falls in love with her over and over again.
His heart thrums to the beat of the music.
For a moment, he wonders, what would have happened if Blanche did not escape to New York City? What would have happened if she didn't come into that bar, looking uncomfortable and totally out of place? What if they hadn't spent that one explosive night together? Now that he has experienced the wonders of true love—a love of a woman who fulfills each one of his dreams, and all of his wishes, even surpassing them—he cannot think back to what his life was once like. He imagines a dark and empty life without her, without the constant music in his life, without the trill of laughter from his daughter, without Blanche's sighs and moans, without hearing the beat of her heart next to him. Without hearing her profess her love to him each and every day.
Blanche raises her chin up and her eyes dart toward where he and Aria are seated. Even though he's in the dark, not visible from where she's perched, he mouths the words, "I love you, Blanche." And his heart leaps when she smiles.
One night is all that it takes to change two people's lives forever. For the better.
THE END
About the Author
Quinn is a USA Today Bestselling Author of dirty books with heart. Her stories are full of humor, sass, drama or angst. But guaranteed, they are filled with steamy scenes with hot Alpha heroes.
She has a healthy obsession with reading and writing romance, and an unhealthy addiction to red wine, bourbon, and dark chocolate with sea salt. She doesn't people until after coffee. When Quinn is not scribbling Erotic Romances, she loves to curl up with her puppy and watch foreign films.
Quinn lives in a house that never stays clean, no matter how much she wishes it would. She also writes sweet, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and chick lit under a different pen name.
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RUN THE WORLD SERIES
Like a F*cking Boss
Like a F*cking Lady
Miss Chief (coming soon)
RED INK SERIES
Red Ink
White Lies
RUTHLESS (A Dark Romance Serial)
Alpha's Surprise Mate
A Perfect Mate Series
M.M. Chabot
Copyright © 2017 M.M Chabot
Edited by: Genevieve Scholl
What is a girl to do when everyone wants her for their own reasons?
Desiree "Dez" Osmond is that girl, and she runs. As the only wolf and tiger shifter, she keeps her scent hidden. Dez is very aware that most shifters like her don't make it past 20 before their minds can't take any more, but she has an added bonus.
Her magic keeps her safe, yet rare. As the only shifter able to make new shifters, she is a prize for many. If only she didn't tell her ex, she wouldn't be in this position.
Kane Black spent years looking for his mate, yet he could never find her. The threat of an impending alpha trying to take over his territory becomes his main focus ... until he sees her.
Will Kane be able to save his pack and Dez, or will he be stuck to watch those he loves suffer?
This is book One of the ‘A Perfect Mate Series’, but all books are written to be read as stand alones. Each book will focus on a different character. Hope you enjoy!
Dez
She thought he loved her. She thought he would be her happily ever after. How wrong she had been.
Yanking herself out of her usual thoughts, Desiree Osmond drives along the road, no longer seeing the trees and buildings that flash past. She has been driving for eight hours, with only little stops here and there for food and bathroom breaks. Her eyes start to flutter, fighting off sleep, before becoming too heavy. They close for a second too long, causing her grip on the handle bars to relax.
"Ahh!" Dez shrieks as she’s sent toward the gravel along the deserted road.
After over correcting and then righting herself, thanks to her animal reflexes, she pulls off to the side of the road, her heart in her throat. Why didn't you guys keep me awake? The gravel crunching under her tires is all she hears. No answer from her animals. Damn it! I have two of you. You have never let me fall asleep like that before!
Turning off the roar of her bike, the quietness of the area surrounds her like a blanket of warmth. The crickets in the long grass, the wind feathering through the blades, causes the stress in her shoulders to melt off. She isn't sure of the last time she felt so free, but she misses it. From the feelings she is getting, her animals miss it, too.
"Sorry, guys. I promise I will let you run free when it is safe."
Normally, Dez doesn't talk to herself, since she can do it just as easily in her head, but being alone for so long, not hearing anyone else speak, can really test your sanity.
Waiting for her animals’ replies, expecting the same things they always show her. A family, another shifter—one she cannot see—no longer running, finally truly happy. As much as she loves seeing it, it has been over a year running and it hasn't gotten any easier seeing what could be. But her animals don't show her what she needs to keep moving forward. They don't even acknowledge her, which causes her lips to turn downward. The dust from her abrupt stop settles in her throat, causing her to cough. She grabs her plastic water bottle, the once cold water now lukewarm against her hand. She takes a gulp, the dry country air something she hasn't adjusted to yet.
Putting her water bottle back, she hops off the bike and takes in the open field with woods beyond. Far to the right, she sees a cattle field. Little dots from this distance, but her improved senses tell her she is right. Letting her eyelids drop, she lets her animals take in the fresh scents, open air, and the coolness of the late night. In her mind, she sees two animals—a large, seven hundred pound, three-foot-five-inch tall tiger, and a one hundred and twenty pound, two-foot-five-inch tall wolf. Both running and playing happily together, nipping and attacking each other. She feels their happiness and excitement, knowing they miss being able to run free. She misses it, too. She hasn't shifted since the first month of running, when she was almost caught. She realized while she can block her scent, regardless of what shape she is in, a wolf's footprints in the dirt with no scent would give her away before a human scent would.
The smell of grilled meat reaches her nose, causing her stomach to rumble, and both her animals to pause in their fight, salivating at the scent. Seeing her tiger upside down on her back with her wolf standing over her, both with big round amber eyes and drool gathering on their lips, clearly excited, causes her to laugh.
"Guess you guys are hungry, too, huh?"
They answer with some chirps and yaps, the excitement they are exuding causing her
heart to pump and her own mouth to salivate at the prospect of fresh food. Now you guys answer me. Shaking her head at her temperamental beasts, she climbs back on her bike. So where should I head?
They show her the way. It looks to be in the middle of nowhere, a single gravel road, but the trees are beautiful. The sun-dappled leaves create flickering shadows on the forest floor. The scent of pine and fresh water followed by the sound of the trickle of water and animals scurrying in the undergrowth all paint a beautiful picture in her mind. How do you know this place? Again, they give her no answer.
They have never let her stray too far before, so she follows their guidance. Starting her motorcycle, the rumble under her is both soothing and upsetting. Being on the road, just driving on her bike, was something she always enjoyed. But now, having to always run, always on the road, it takes away some of the joy she once had.
Taking off, a plume of dust gathers where she once was—the only sign she was there— then disappears as the crickets start up again.
Kane
"Get the fuck out of here!" Kane growls, a snarl on his lips.
The encroaching Smith pack spies scamper away, howling and yipping to each other while making a getaway while they can. Kane knows he could have killed them. Any other Alpha probably would have. He was tired of the fighting, though. The Smith pack didn't need his territory. They just wanted it.
The rumor floating around was that something happened to their pack. No one knows what it was, but it made their pack infertile. The males of their pack say it is just the females, but Kane isn't so sure. It doesn't matter. The Smith pack wants to take over. Not for the territory, but for the four females in breeding age. One being a daughter to an alpha. Kane would never allow his pack to be harmed in that way. Treated like objects instead of people.
