Pierce: McCray Bruin Bear Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Oh, Pierce, you’re wonderful with words.” She took a step toward him, slowly, in the event that he asked her to stop. “I’m betting for every wonderful romantic word that flows past your lips, your hands and body are ten times more devastating to a girl.”

  “Only you.” His words, like before, struck her body like a well-aimed bow, touching her heart and soul like nothing else could have. Or would, she’d bet. “I want to taste you.”

  Putting action to words, he dropped to his knees before her, pulling her body to his face. She screamed out the first climax she’d had in a very long time. But instead of letting her fall to the floor—it had taken that much out of her—Pierce ate her like a man on his last meal. His tongue moved inside of her like she was sure his cock would, filling her and pounding her clit like he was literally making love to her with it. Each time she came, he would growl again, bringing her over the edge so many times she was weak with it. Finally, pulling away from him, Joey staggered to the bed.

  “I’m finished.” He was standing over her now, his body hard with his need. “Or perhaps not. Christ, will you even fit in me? I want to taste you as well.”

  “You put your mouth on me, and I’m never going to get to take you the way you deserve. As it is right now, even the thought of being inside of you has me so close to coming I’m afraid to touch you.” Her heart flittered again. “Baby, I’m sorry.”

  Before she could ask him what he was sorry for, he filled her—from her pussy to her throat, she could feel his cock there. Even though it had been a painful entry, she wanted more. All of him. Wrapping her legs around him when he leaned over her, she pulled his mouth to hers as her body slowly adjusted to his.

  “Christ, I love you.” As soon as he moved, just moving his hips on the bed, she came hard. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she was sure she could see stars. “I’m going to move us up on the bed.”

  Whatever he wanted to do, she was fine with it. Every little movement, from his fingers or his body, would send her off. At this rate, she was going to be nothing but a puddle of skin when he finished with her. When he laughed, she realized she was thinking out loud.

  “I promise you, love, I’ll never leave you a puddle of anything.” He moved again, adjusting them so they fit where he wanted them. Thankful that the bed was huge, she decided she was never going to have a headache where this man was concerned. Joey doubted she’d ever have to fake anything with Pierce in her arms.

  In the middle of the bed, he made love to her body, touching parts of her that she didn’t remember having. Awakening her skin to new and delicious sensations she loved. His moans told her he was enjoying this as much as she was. Even after coming so many times, so many wonderful, fulfilling times, she knew the one she needed was yet to hit her.

  Pierce spoke to her, not with words but by worshiping her. His mouth paid homage to her breasts, ribs, and earlobes even as he moved inside of her, taking her to the highest of peaks only to bring her down slowly.

  Joey touched him as well. Licking at his flesh so that she could taste him, she discovered she loved the taste of him. The way his sweat tasted so warm as it lay on her tongue. Even his nipples, hard as tiny stones, had an appeal to her she’d never thought of before.

  “Mark me, Joey. Make me yours.” While she didn’t know what he might have meant by that before making love to him, all she wanted to do now was bite him. To taste his blood as it flowed from his body. Nuzzling his neck, she could feel the pulse there, pounding against her tongue as she found where she wanted to mark him.

  Dragging her teeth over it, she felt Pierce shudder. When she sank her teeth into his neck, his blood filling her mouth, he held her to him as he cried out his own release. Joey felt like she was being turned inside out. Her body shattered and came back together, with parts of Pierce filling her out. Even as she drank greedily of him, she came again and again.

  “Again.” She had no idea if he could come again but wanted it. More than she did anything in the world, she wanted to feel him filling her again. When he threw back his head and roared out, she saw the bear inside of him rolling over him. It was by far the most erotic thing she’d ever witnessed. Then she came.

  Never in the history of sex would anyone have been able to prepare her for her release. Such a tame word for what happened to her. Even as she was being tossed around in the vortex of her mind and body, she knew on some level that this wasn’t normal. This was extraordinary.

  Her mind blinked out when thoughts, memories of his, came to her. Joey felt the small cuts to his body he’d done when younger. The pride he took in his work for Demi and the others. Not only did she see him there, but she was also sure he was seeing her as well.

  When he collapsed atop her, Joey didn’t care that he was crushing her. She could have died for all she cared. Her body would be found days from now with a sated smile on her face and her entire body limp with sex. Closing her eyes as Pierce rolled them over to his back, sleep didn’t just take her, but it ran her down and took over.

  Waking up, the room was dark. They’d not drawn the curtains, but she could tell someone had. Reaching for Pierce, she came up off the bed when his side of the bed was cold. He was sitting at the little table, looking at what appeared to be a laptop.

  “Are you seriously working right now? How the hell do you have even the slightest bit of energy for something like that.” He turned and grinned at her. When he wiggled his brows, she laughed. “What has you so interested that you had to get out of this nice bed and leave me here to freeze? I just realized how warm you are.”

  “Your sister. She’s been arrested.” She got up, wrapping a blanket around her, and went to sit on his lap. “Meadow reached me and told me I had to look into it. She didn’t want you to find out when we went into work today. They’re saying she was trying to set fire to Peter’s home. There aren’t a lot of details just yet.”

  “She tried to burn down Peter’s home? Christ, I wonder what happened between them that she’d do something like that. She’s been in love with the prick since we were children.” There was a video of her being arrested that she watched twice. “Do you suppose she’s stoned? She looks like she’s out of it.”

  “Drunk. I guess after she left your building earlier this evening—or I guess yesterday now—she went home and did some heavy drinking. I didn’t know she lived alone. Anyway, she got drunk and decided to go talk to Peter about a few things. Whatever they are, she’s not telling the police.” She asked if she’d been hurt. “Not that they’re saying. But they would have taken her to the hospital had she been. Peter is pressing charges.”

  “Of course he is. The bastard is old enough to be her father, and he’s been sleeping with her since she was barely old enough to cross the street on her own. Mom said she’d tried her best to keep them apart, but nothing ever worked. Does it mention Rebecca or Becky?” He said it didn’t. When he didn’t say any more, she looked at him. “Tell me. I have a feeling it wasn’t just this arrest that had you up at this ungodly hour.”

  “No. There is more. Nothing that can’t wait if you don’t want to hear it.” She told him she wanted to hear it. “All right. Meadow is very powerful. I’ve mentioned this to you before. Today she was able to break into Margie’s mind while she was drunk and found out a few things that could potentially have her put in prison. She killed Rebecca. Margie not only pulled the trigger, but she also tried to kill Becky. Getting them out of the way so she could be with Peter has been her goal since Peter married the other woman. There have been other murders she’s committed. She’s sort of the hitman of choice for Peter, I guess you could say.”

  “Does anyone else know about this? I mean, her killing Rebecca? Like my mom?” Pierce hesitated, and her mind went all over the place. “She does, doesn’t she?”

  “I don’t know that she knows for certain, but she does know that Margie has killed before. Some people
that had— I guess for lack of a better way to put it, people that tried to tell her she couldn’t do things. Like, be a killer. Be married to Peter. She also doesn’t care to be proven wrong. People around her don’t last when they point that out to her.” Joey asked him if he had this sort of information on Peter. “Peter is a homosexual. That is something he tries to hide from everyone, but Meadow found out and told Margie he was never going to marry her. That he prefers men over a woman. Also, Peter is a very wealthy man, but not in this country. Meadow is looking into getting his account information now. She told me it would be enough for Becky to be able to get help if she needs it, as well as college money. It’s something she’s done before for victims.”

  Wrapping the blanket around her tighter, the chill of the information she was getting made her slightly ill. She didn’t want to think about things that were going on, but she had a feeling it was going to be worse before it got better.

  “Would you like to go home today? And take me with you? I don’t want to be at work for the next few days until I can get my head wrapped around all this. I’m sure it’s not going to end nicely for anyone, but I’d very much like to meet your family, get married, and have some fun.” Pierce told her that was what he was going to suggest. “I’ll call Harvey and have him take care of things for me. There is enough they can do there for today, and they can have Friday off. With pay.”

  “Something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I don’t know what your finances are like, but I have enough that you’d not have to work if you didn’t want to. I know you enjoy your job and you’re very good at what you do. But now that we’re together, whatever I have is now yours. I also have a big house.” She asked him about children. “As many as you want to give me. By your body or adoption, I’m game if you are. Even kidnapping one if you’d like.”

  “How about we stick to the standard way of getting children, by me getting pregnant or adoption. I like your body too much to think we’d have that much fun in a prison cell.” She got dressed and hated that she’d have to wear her same clothing. “I might have to bring a duffle all the time if we’re going to be going other places.”

  “Think of what you want to wear. I don’t know for sure that it’ll work for you, but— Well, I guess it does.” She was blown away at how easy it was to be dressed. “It’s a mate thing. Madden can’t do it yet, but once he finds his mate, he’ll be able to do it as well.”

  She was thinking of all the applications she could use this particular trick on while they ran by her building. The kits she wanted to take home for his nieces were ready to go. They were on the road toward the airport by the time the sun was coming up. She was so happy she forgot for a while that she was hiding out. Joey was so excited about seeing his family that she’d almost forgotten she’d be seeing her mom too.

  Chapter 5

  Demi watched Joey with the girls. To say she was in her element would have been a gross understatement. All the kids sitting around the massive table with their eyes glued to their new aunt was just what they all needed. And she was impressed as hell that they didn’t think she was stupid for having them dress dolls with their creations. Lucian came up behind her while she was standing there.

  “I just left, Dad. He said to tell you he’s going to take the baby home with him, and he’d make you come to visit him.” She laughed. It had been the same threat he’d given her this morning when she’d come into the living room to find him telling her son that his mommy was a fighter. “What going on with that?”

  “He said I’m selfish with his namesake. Something about having to come all the way over here to have a manly talk with him. I told him as soon as he could prove to me that he could lactate, he could take him overnight. I think I embarrassed him.” Lucian laughed, and the girls smiled at him. “I don’t think the kids are ever going to live with their parents again. They’re having the time of their lives right now. Even Jilly, who I didn’t think would want to be a part of making clothing. But as Joey pointed out, she had to wear them, so why not come up with something comfy and functional too.” They made their way into the living room. “Tomorrow, I’m going to take Joey over to a couple of buildings we own. I have a feeling she’s going to be moving here with not just her business, but everything, as soon as possible. The rent she’s paying for the one she’s in now is really eating away at her profit margin.”

  “I’m thinking she’ll like the one next to the old Cameron building. You know which one that is?” She did and hadn’t thought of that. “If we really do end up taking the Cameron building down, she’ll be able to expand too. I saw Meadow telling her about the shipping equipment she had left over after renovations were done at the plant out on Forty.”

  “I love that idea. And she and Pierce will be close to all of us. I did worry about that, her moving him to New York.” Lucian said he had as well. “I have a question for you. What do you think of her mom?”

  “Lauren, Joey’s mom? I don’t know. I don’t talk to her all that much. I think she’s mostly in hiding.” Demi said that was just it. She didn’t have to hide while there. “Did she say why she wasn’t coming over? I’d think she’d be right here now that you mention it.”

  “She’s embarrassed.” Pierce walked up and handed her a large glass of juice, then winked at her as he continued. “Her daughter, Margie, found out a few things about her that has her too embarrassed to show herself to us. She’s thinking that all your kindness, it’s only because I’m going to marry Joey.”

  “That’s the most stupid thing…I guess I can understand it. But you go and get her and bring her here. I mean, it is your house anyway.” Pierce winked at her again as he walked away. “Love sure does look good on him, don’t you think? I mean, he’s not even touching the floor when he walks. When are the others coming over? I have his license all fixed up for tomorrow. But we’re going to have dinner here tonight, right?”

  “Yes.” She sat down on the couch and watched as Alden took a nap with her baby on his chest. They’d both be well rested when they woke up, and she couldn’t think of a safer place for either of them to be. “Do you suppose he’ll be like this with all the babies? I mean, talking to them as if they have a clue what he tells them?”

  “Pretty much. I just spoke to Alan. He is coming over tonight since we’ll all be here. Also, Gaea is going to show up. They want to give the rewards to Lucy and Ian. How well do you think that is going to go over?” She told him it wouldn’t at all. “I didn’t think so. Alan told me the other day that he was getting his finances in order. You don’t think he’s planning to off himself, do you?”

  “No. I mean, I don’t think he would. But he did tell me it had been centuries since he’d taken a look at his portfolio. I look at ours daily, but to go centuries without even peeking at it would make me crazy.” They both laughed as she drank her juice. Setting the glass by the couch arm, she wasn’t surprised to see it fill again. “I wonder if we were to pool all of our magic how much damage we could really do.”

  “Why do you ask?” Lucian sounded so suspicious she had to laugh. “Joey was telling my mom that she is so excited about the clothing thing. She has been trying on the different colors with outfits the girls come up with—sort of a demo mode. Cybill is loving every second of this. Just as I knew she would.”

  Closing her eyes, she must have fallen asleep. The next thing she remembered was the voice of Alan in the other room. Getting up, she noticed that not only was her son awake, but so was Alden. The two of them were watching something on television. She thought it was a game but didn’t look at it long enough to figure it out.

  “She’s stubborn.” Demi kissed Alan on the forehead and told him they all were. “Yes, but she must take this gift for saving my life. I have worked very hard on it.”

  The rest of the family was there now, including Lauren. She was talking to Becky, and that made her happy. The woman would just have to realize that her daught
er wasn’t any different than any of the other family members each of them had.

  “Lucy, take the damned gift.” Lucy started to tell her she didn’t want to be rewarded for killing a man. “Would you rather he had killed Alan or any of the other people in this room? I didn’t think so. Now, take the gift, and we’ll move on. I’m to understand that Gaea is going to be here as well sometime this evening. Please.”

  “All right. But it had better not be something huge.” Alan just laughed. “I’m serious. It wasn’t hard for me to kill him, thanks to you. And the fact that we’re getting rewarded twice for his death is almost too much for me.”

  Everyone gathered in the living room. Just as Alan cleared his throat, Gaea materialized in the room as well. When she bowed before them all, Alan smiled at her. Thanking her for her help, he turned to Lucy and Ian.

  “As you all know, I’m a very old and very powerful vampire. It isn’t often that I put myself in a position that might get me killed. My only thought that afternoon was to give Lucy whatever she needed in the way of magic to keep herself safe from the monster that had tried to trick them.” Hollie had too, Demi remembered. He’d tried to make it so Ian and Lucy finished out his life sentences in prison. It had been a mess. “It did and still does amaze me that someone so giving and so wonderful wouldn’t allow someone to repay her kindness. Well, I’m happy to say that today I get to repay her.”

  “You don’t have to do anything. I want you to be aware of that.” Lucy hugged Alan when he said he understood that. “You’re a very nice person. Vampire or not, I would have saved you anyway.”

  “I know that as well, my dear. It’s what makes me so happy to be able to do this for you and yours. I have worked for some of the nicest people. Some not so much, but working with the McCray family gave me more than a reason to live, but a reason to be a good man. The bruin here have become family to me as well. More than I ever dreamed possible when I was set upon this world as a creature of the night. Now. I know this family well enough to know that no matter how small a gift I gave, it would be something that they share. I’ve taken that into consideration when I thought about the gift for you. I have magic to give to you first. It is the gift of immortality. I cannot give you the gift of complete immortality because I can still be killed by silver.”