by Liz Paffel
“I was going to carry you off. Over my shoulder and everything.”
Allie started to laugh, but he looked completely serious. Dax shrugged and pulled a bottle of wine from the bag. “It’s how shifter men get a woman they’re interested in to come around.”
“That’s barbaric. And illegal. And completely sexist.” Allie threw up her hands. “What if the woman isn’t interested in you? You carry her off and hope she’ll change her mind?”
“No. It only works when a shifter knows the woman is interested, but for whatever reason, is being a difficult shrew.”
“You’re calling me a shrew?”
“It’s a reference.”
“A really insulting one.”
“Kind of like calling me a caveman?”
She huffed and grabbed her signature coffee cup off the stainless-steel table by the door. Dax came through the service door and took the mug, grabbed her hand and pulled her into him. Allie gasped but didn’t resist. Her body started to sing at the press of his hard torso against her soft, hard-peaked breasts. He set the mug down with the wordage facing them.
“Yeah, yeah, the tears of your enemies. I know. But I’m not your enemy, Allie. You can have my tears. You can have my blood, my body. My heart. All of it. You could easily take whatever you wanted from me and I wouldn’t be able to stop it—I wouldn’t want to stop it—because you’re my mate.”
She tried to ignore the joyous emotion welling up inside her, as if her very soul was screaming, “yes, yes, yes!” to his theory. But it was absurd. People didn’t do this. This isn’t how love is supposed to go. History showed her what happened when she rushed. No more rushing love!
Besides, what if it wasn’t true and real? What if he changed, just like Blake had?
“No, I’m not.”
Even as she spoke the words, Allie knew they were wrong. Resisting made the truth less glaring, though. She didn’t want it to go like this. After months and years of waiting and hoping for the right guy to show up, well, she wanted the slow, sweet and steady fall. Being blindsided by a man she’d only known a few days wasn’t at all what she was expecting.
How could she trust the little voice inside that said he was the man for her?
Dax’s eyes drew down her body, making her flush. He paused at her waist where the tie to her apron had come loose. His fingers trailed slowly over her sides, fleshing out a reminder of how it had felt to be under his hands while he made her cum. Little electric sparks jumped on her heated skin. He trailed along the tie and pulled the loose knot free with one finger.
Allie let out a breath. His head was bent as he worked to slowly work the strings, all that golden hair at the perfect level for her to dig her fingers into. She itched to do just that, but held back, too consumed by the sweet sensation of his fingers brushing against her body.
“One thing about bear shifters, Allie.” Dax said in a low voice. “Is that we can sense the key element in a female that makes them compatible as a mate.”
His palms gripped her hips, his fingers splaying wide over the rise of her ass. She moaned and closed her eyes as his face moved to the crook of her neck. His breath washed over the exposed skin there, his lips promising a kiss there.
God, how she wanted him to.
“Do you know what the key element is?”
She shook her head, too enraptured to speak. She might be suspicious in how fast she’d become attracted to him, but she couldn’t deny the immediate and forceful pull he had over her body.
Dax’s lips feathered over the curve in her neck. Allie jerked at the gentle touch, her fingers knotting into fists to keep from pulling him closer. Yet, her head fell to the side in complete supplication. It might be wrong to take the pleasure he was offering her, but she didn’t care.
She’d be a selfish bitch, just this once. Because damn, she’d never felt like this before.
“Your scent is the key. Usually, only the man meant to be your mate can detect it. Sometimes more than one can, and then you get the classic love war. But your scent, Allie. It’s just for me.”
One big, warm hand pressed into her lower back. He gripped the hair at the back of her head with the other. In one gentle but firm move, he pulled her head back and hovered his lips over hers.
“You weren’t compatible with the shifter you dated, or he would have made you his mate.”
She made a noise of disgust. “Thankfully.”
Dax brushed her lips with his. “Was he an Alpha?”
She wanted to sink into the sensations roving her body, but she gave herself a mental slap.
“I... I don’t know the difference.”
Dax cruised her jaw with his lips. “I’m an Alpha. Our genetics are very strong, demanding and potent. We must take mates and produce cubs before our thirty-fourth birthday or we lose the ability. Beta shifters get a little longer. Drone shifters are the lowest, the weakest. They can mate their entire lives, because their genetics are weak, and it often takes several tries for them to successfully reproduce.”
He kissed her neck with luxurious slowness. Her mind absorbed his words, but she didn’t really process them.
“He... wasn’t an Alpha.”
Dax groaned—or was that a growl?
“A woman like you demands and Alpha. You’re mine, Allie. Deep down, you already know that, don’t you?”
She breathed against his mouth, her body tight with anticipation. She felt equal parts safe and nervous, and with everything inside her, she loved his dominance. No man had ever taken control like this. She didn’t even need to think about whether she liked it; it was instinctual and right now, she’d allow him to do anything he wanted. Allie gripped his sides, trying to hold him back while wanting nothing more than to pull him closer.
“Humans detect their most compatible partner initially by scent, too, but most are too far removed from their animalistic pasts to be conscious about it. The second component is taste.” His lips brushed over hers. Allie parted her lips, immediately seeking more.
Dax grinned. “I already know you taste amazing and I want more.”
His mouth covered hers in a deep draw that meshed their tongues and breath. The kiss pulled the plug on her restraint. Allie wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer with a desperation she’d never experienced before. Her flesh ached to feel him hot and naked along every inch of her body. She wanted his lips and hands all over her, his cock filling her until she was completely dominated by him.
She worked her left leg around his thigh and hitched it as high as she could. Pressing her hips into him, Allie grabbed fistfuls of his shirt.
Dax smiled against her mouth. Allie realized what she was doing. She was literally trying to climb him.
“See? Look what a wild kitten you are for me.”
Disgusted with her lack of restraint, Allie put her palms on Dax’s chest, and with a pang of regret, pushed him back. He moved but kept one hand on her hip.
“This is getting out of hand,” Allie breathed. What an understatement. That’s twice now she’d almost had sex with Dax in her bakery, of all places. Despite the shame in that, she wanted him to pull her right back against his body and pick up where they left off.
But this had to stop. She wasn’t after the one-night fling, and really, how could this be more than that? All this talk about her being his mate was nothing more than a bad shifter pick-up line.
She crossed her arms. “You should go. I have a lot to do.”
“Why do you keep resisting what’s happening so naturally between us?” He gently squeezed her hip in a kneading motion that sent shivers down her spine. Her body’s response made it difficult to refute his statement.
She couldn’t bring herself to answer because thoughtful words refused to come. After a moment, he gave a slight nod as if acquiescing to her hesitation in continuing the conversation. He spread his hands wide.
“Make me your servant. How can I help?”
She hitched an eyebrow. A sudden image of Dax in a pink apr
on and nothing else, with a mixing bowl in the crook of one elbow came to mind. She could refuse his help, but though she was trying to keep space between them to slow down this crazy heat, she didn’t really want him to go. Her usually chaotic mind seemed more at peace when he was around. If he wrapped her up in his arms and held her through the night, she’d probably sleep for hours straight. He had a calming effect on her that she was coming to crave.
A random idea popped into her head.
“Were you serious about ordering the chocolate bacon cupcakes?”
“Hell yes. My family is having a... party of sorts and I think they’d be a hit.”
Allie nodded that he should follow her as she walked into the back and went to the refrigerator.
“I imagine it takes a lot of food to feed a party of bear shifters. Let’s make that test batch you mentioned.”
She grabbed out some heavy cream, butter and eggs and made a half turn to deposit them into Dax’s waiting hands. He was looking at her ass and not even trying to hide it. She plopped a small package of bacon onto his pile. He followed her obediently across the room as she took down flour, baking chocolate and vanilla. She reached for a stainless-steel bowl below the work table at Dax’s hip. He didn’t move, forcing her to brush against his thigh to grab it. She stood and gave him an annoyed look—one that deepened as his gaze fell to her breasts.
“We have big appetites; that’s true.”
She set the bowl down hard. “Focus, man.”
He put his hands up in mock surrender. Allie giggled. Warm contentment spread through her and she had to swallow hard to keep herself focused.
Dax proved a willing helper as she instructed him on how to make the cupcake batter. He melted chocolate without burning it, only drank half the stout ale and somehow managed to refrain from eating all the bacon. By the time the cupcakes were in the oven, his face was streaked with flour and his shirt had come untucked.
“Frosting time,” she prompted. She’d already melted more chocolate and it sat like a decadent pool in the bottom of the waiting bowl. “Here, add in this powdered sugar.”
Dax took the measuring cup of fluffy sugar and, before she could stop him, dumped it in all at once. The powder billowed up like a cloud and spilled all over the counter. Coughing, Allie, waved in front of her face as he did the same. They looked at each other and she couldn’t hold back laughter. His gorgeous face was covered in shimmery, white dust.
He wiped his face with one hand. “That’s not regular sugar.”
Allie laughed as she swept his bottom lip with her thumb. “No, but it’s still sweet.”
Impulsively, she brushed her thumb over his sugar-coated lips. The humor between them died as lust quickly replaced it. Damn, why had she done that? Unable to help herself, she popped her finger between her lips and sucked the confection off.
Why did he taste so good? She licked her lips again savoring the faint taste of his lips blended with the added sweetness.
Dax’s face grew dark, his expression a twin to the one he wore when he’d first walked in tonight.
“Damn it, Allie.”
A hard breath squeezed out of her and she knew there was no way to stop the passion between them. The timer on the oven beeped, pulling her attention away from the man with the serious sex face. Glad for the distraction, she turned off the oven and opened the door to pull the test batch of cupcakes out. She set them on the counter and was about to slip off the oven mitt when Dax’s arm went around her waist from behind. He spun her, so her breasts bumped into his chest right before he hauled her up and over his shoulder.
Just like he’d threatened to do.
She gasped and flailed to grab ahold of something for support. Twisting a little, she tried to shimmy down, but his grip was too serious, too strong.
“Dax!”
This couldn’t be happening. This... this was insane! Men didn’t just carry women off over their shoulders and whisk them away like this. Dax was oblivious to manners and the law, obviously.
“You can’t really do this!”
He strode through the kitchen as if she weighed nothing. She was a little dizzy from being mostly upside down by the time he got to the front door. Locking the door, he turned off the lights save for the one soft glow she kept on behind the counter.
“Then why’d you stop struggling?”
Had she? Allie gripped big handfuls of the back of his tee shirt to keep herself steady. Her body was still.
“Because...I didn’t want to fall while you — “
“Bullshit.”
“Dax!”
He strode into the back of the bakery again, flipping off lights while she clung to him. “If you wanted down so badly, you’d be fighting me tooth and nail until I either dropped you or you wiggled free. Truth is, kitten, you don’t want to be set down.”
His palm came down hard on her ass. Allie’s head shot up as a slight sting spread over her rear and punched a shot of pleasure between legs. Had he really just spanked her?
“You want me to take you home and fuck you until you’re walking sideways. Don’t you?”
She twisted, and the bulge of his shoulder dug into her belly. Every inch of her longed for more contact with his body, to feel his hands, and lips on her skin. God, he was right! She wanted exactly what he’d said.
Dax saw her purse sitting on the end table in the back hall, grabbed it and opened the back door. He stepped into the darkness outside, locked the door behind him and pulled it shut.
“Tell me you want this.” His voice was so thick and low, she almost didn’t hear him.
She took a breath. Let it out. Took another. Where was the anger? Why the hell wasn’t she furious right now?
“I... I... yes. Okay? Yes.”
His big palm cupped her ass right before he gave her another smack that forced a dart of pleasure between her legs.
“Fuck, woman, you’re in for a hell of a night.”
Chapter Eight
He’d never been this ready to give a woman pleasure in his life.
He’d had one-night stands, yes. But he’d never acted on the time old tradition of shifter men to simply carry off a female he wanted to make his mate. The rules said he had to keep her and mate her for three days and nights before she’d be officially his. Maybe the theory was that if he fucked her enough, she’d have no choice but to fall in love with him and agree to be his. Or maybe she’d be too exhausted afterward to protest.
He didn’t care.
He wanted Allie and if the docile way she was sitting in his car was an indication, she wanted it too.
He hadn’t really meant to be a caveman, but once Jett had put the idea in his head earlier, it was all Dax could think about. Then the instinct kicked in and he couldn’t help himself. If she’d said no, he would have put her down and walked away. If she’d run away from him and called the cops and put him in jail for the night, it would have been her right and he would accept the consequences for being so bold.
But she’d said yes.
And the way she was looking at him right now still said yes.
The key sat in the ignition, waiting for turn of his hand. His heart beat a nervous staccato inside his chest. It wasn’t like him to feel this way. Nervousness and uncertainty were not in his repertoire, but the weight of importance on this one decision couldn’t be denied.
Allie sat softly in the dark beside him, the glow of the streetlamps casting shadows around her pretty face. Her eyes were brilliant relief against the dim backdrop as she stared at him. Just looking at her made his body ache.
“My place is just outside of town, ten minutes from here.”
“Allie — “
“Look,” she grinned. “The answer is yes. And for the record, I like the caveman thing you had going on.”
Dax started the truck and the roar of his Chevy had never been more musical. She moved as if she were going to pull her seatbelt on, but he stopped her with a tug on her wrist. She tilted sideways
and half-twisted into him. Dax cupper her face with one hand, the other sliding around her body to hold her tight. She wanted caveman, she was going to get it.
Without mercy, he ground his lips into hers. His tongue demanded entrance between her plump lips. A groan pushed out of him as her slick heat welcomed the intrusion. God, how he couldn’t wait to do that to her pussy. She cupped his face between her hands and pulled him closer, meeting his kiss with abandon.
Her breasts pushed against his forearm. He snaked a hand to the front of her shirt and quickly popped the top three buttons. Allie arched into him as he slid his hand inside the fabric and cupped her full, hard-tipped breast. He loved the soft weight in his hand and with an impatient tug, ripped the remaining buttons and cupped her other breast with his free hand. She gasped as his thumbs brushed over her nipples.
They had to get out of here before he positioned her curvy body under him and they got tangled up in the front of his truck. Reluctantly, Dax pulled away and squared himself in the seat. Allie did the same, attempting to right her shirt before putting her seatbelt on with trembling hands. He could barely keep his eyes off her and on the road as he pulled away. Her breasts were mostly bare, thanks to the ripped shirt and askew bra. He should have ripped that away, too.
Allie gave him directions and somehow, he processed them. He’d took a right, then a left and was about to speed up when she tucked the shoulder strap of her seatbelt under her arm and leaned over the center console. He glanced down as she began working the button of his jeans.
His heart skipped a beat as she pulled the zipper down and quickly opened his jeans.
“Allie.”
Like he was going to stop her. No, he wanted whatever the hell she was about to do. She didn’t respond. Her eyes were riveted to his crotch. Talk about an ego boost. Caressing him over his briefs, Allie worked the band of his underwear down and moaned as she bared the tip of his cock.
“Oh, yes,” she gushed with appreciation. Her thumb swept the top and a little spiral of heat followed the movement of her finger. Dax groaned and slid down just a bit, silently begging in his mind for her to take him into her mouth.
