by Sophie Stern
The Jaguar’s Baby
Sophie Stern
Contents
The Jaguar’s Baby
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Selena didn't expect to fall for Alex, but she did.
Hard.
Now she's pregnant with his baby and everything is going to change.
Can they make it through the journey together?
Copyright © 2016 by Sophie Stern
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For anyone who has ever dared to dream
Prologue
Selena
1 year ago
“I had a lot of fun last night,” Alex is next to me. He traces the curve of my clavicle, then moves down to my breasts.
“Did you, now?”
“I did. Do you remember?”
I was drunk. He was drunk. We were both completely drunk. That’s the way it has to be for me. I’m not ready for a commitment. I’m not looking for a relationship. I like drinking and I like simplicity.
“I remember,” I say. My voice comes out breathless. Oh, I remember. Alex was a fucking vampire and I was his willing victim.
“What do you remember?”
“Everything.”
“Do you remember rubbing my dick in the bar?” He asks. He nibbles my ear and the memories come flooding back.
***
We’re sitting side-by-side laughing. We’re drinking rum and it’s late. It’s much too late to be out. It’s much too late to be having this much fun.
We should go home.
We should leave.
We should get out of here before we do something we’ll regret, only we don’t. We don’t leave. We keep drinking.
I reach for my glass and he takes the opportunity to lean in close, to whisper.
“I’m wide open,” he says.
“For what?” I sip my drink, laughing at something a girl across the table says.
“For you to rub my dick,” he raises his eyebrows, as if to see if I’ll do it, as if to see if I’ve really got what it takes.
Is this asshole really trying to dare Selena Bertrand to get crazy?
Does he really think I’m going to back down?
I reach for him and rest my hand on his knee. A shiver shoots through Alex. I see him shake, just a little, and I smirk. I’ve got this cat by the balls and I’m not about to let go. No, he wanted to play: now I’m going to play.
I run my hand up his thigh, slowly. Then I leave it there. He groans quietly, and I can tell exactly what I’m doing to him. The bulge in his jeans is growing bigger by the second, but I’m not ready to take him yet.
I’m ready to make him want this: really want it.
I’m ready to make him need this.
I say something to one of my girlfriends and everyone laughs. Alex reaches for his drink, but before he can get it, I slide my hand the rest of the way up and get his dick. I rub up and down, covering his cock with my palm, and his eyes meet mine.
There are a hundred questions in there.
There’s also unbridled lust, unhinged desire.
Slowly, I run my hand up and down his length. He’s hard: just the way I want him. I tear my eyes away from him and continue chatting with my friends, all the while touching him. He doesn’t move. He holds perfectly still, as if he’s afraid I’m going to stop, as if he’s afraid the moment could end at any time.
***
“I remember rubbing your dick,” I blush. “That was bad.”
“It was fucking dirty is what it was,” he bites my neck, and I close my eyes. Alex slides his tongue over my soft skin and ignites me once more. There’s a fire inside of me that only he can quench. There’s a craving that only he can satisfy.
“It was pretty naughty, wasn’t it?” I kiss him, pressing my lips to his. Alex tastes sinful. He tastes like raw sexual energy. He tastes like magic.
It’s been a long time since a shifter made me feel like this. It’s been a long time since I let my guard down enough to spend the night, but I know Alex. I trust him. I know that when I’m with him, he won’t let anything bad happen to me.
I don’t think Alex is my mate or any nonsense like that. My darling sister might buy into the idea of true mates and forever love, but not me. The only person I can count on these days is myself, and that’s fine. That’s good enough for me.
But that doesn’t mean a girl doesn’t have needs, and Alex is the perfect one to scratch my itch.
“Sorry if I came on too strong,” I whisper.
“You didn’t,” he says. “Don’t be sorry. I fucking loved it.”
There’s something about the way Alex speaks to me that I like. I like that he doesn’t bullshit with me. He’s not trying to rush me this morning. He’s not trying to make me think he suddenly loves me, but he’s not trying to run off, either.
Most of all, he’s not pretending like last night didn’t happen.
He’s not pretending I didn’t rub on him until we couldn’t take it anymore.
He’s not pretending I didn’t suck his dick outside of the bar.
He’s not pretending we didn’t end up here, back at my house, completely naked.
He’s not pretending he didn’t screw my brains.
Alex fucked me like I was a damn queen and he was the king of my pussy. He fucked me like there had never been anyone else, like this was his first time. He fucked me like he meant it, and that meant something to me.
Only now it’s over, and it’s time to get out of bed.
“You should go,” I whisper, but he doesn’t stop touching me.
“Do you want me to go?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“You don’t look like you want me to go. You’re all wet,” he circles my nipples with his finger, then repeats the motion with his tongue. Alex sucks one of my breasts into his mouth and I groan, fisting his hair as he tortures me with pleasure.
“I’m not wet,” I lie. “This is a bad idea. You should go home.”
“I’m not going home until you’re satisfied,” he says. “And I’m going to make you very, very happy.”
He begins kissing his way down my stomach, slowly teasing me until I practically push him at my pussy.
“I knew that’s what you wanted,” he grins up at me. “My dirty girl.”
Chapter 1
Selena
Present day
“Order up,” my cook calls, and I grab the plates of burgers and fries from the warming station. Balancing them on my arms, I scurry over to my customers.
“Wow,” says a teenage girl. “That’s amazing. You carried five plates at once.”
“Years of practice,” I say, brushing off her compliment, but the truth is that I take pride in the fact that I move like a cat. I might be a cinnamon bear, but I like to think of myself as sleek and graceful. I like to think I can be elegant. Bears have a reputation for being clumsy, but I try extra hard not to be.
I try extra hard to fit in to the world around me.
Once everyone is settled, I head back behind the counter of Bumble’s
Diner and start another pot of coffee. More of my regulars will be trickling in as the day wears on, and I want to be ready.
I’ve worked at the diner for years, but I’ve never felt like I was “just” a waitress or “just” an employee. No, this place has become a second home to me and it’s one I really never want to leave. I love my boss, I love my customers, and most of all, I love getting to hang out in the center of shifter-town, USA.
Honeypot is one of those sweet havens where we shifters can be ourselves. We don’t have to worry about being judged or made fun of when we shift unexpectedly. Not that it happens much after puberty, but you never know. It’s nice to be surrounded by other people who understand the needs of shifters. It’s nice to be surrounded by other people who get what it’s like.
Humans are amazing. I’ve got some really special ones in my life, but sometimes it’s just nice to be around others who understand exactly what it’s like to be me. Sometimes, it’s nice to be around people who understand that being a shifter isn’t always easy.
The coffee is brewing and I begin wiping down counters. It’s just another day in paradise. One of the most important parts of running the diner is keeping things clean. This isn’t always easy when most of your customers can change into bears or wolves or tigers in the blink of an eye.
Shifters can get messy, dirty.
They can be a little bit crazy, a little bit raw, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My mind wanders a little as I clean because today has been one of those days. Nothing bad happened. Not really. Things were just busy and now that they’re finally slowing down, my exhaustion is quickly creeping up on me.
I need a nap.
I need a long fucking winter’s nap like the bears in storybooks get.
I’m putting the washcloths away when my phone beeps. I pull it out and take a look. I shouldn’t be so damn pleased when I see that it’s Alex messaging me, but I am.
It’s been a year and he still makes my stomach turn in knots. I still get goosebumps. I still get excited. I still feel like a fucking princess when he talks dirty to me.
Alex: 10pm. My place.
We stopped hiding our relationship, or whatever it is, long ago. My sister and her mate caught us in the kitchen at the Blair Ranch, but were smart enough not to ask questions about “this.”
It was smart because Alex and I have never defined what “this” is.
We aren’t hiding anything, but we also don’t have anything defined. Maybe that’s bad. Maybe it’s just who we are. I’m not sure.
We’re not dating. Not really. We don’t go on dates. That’s not my style and it’s certainly not his. Maybe we’re just more private than our friends. Maybe we’re just more independent. I’m not sure.
Selena: See you there, bb.
Alex: You know I love it when you talk dirty to me.
Selena: See you there. Can’t wait to get on my knees and suck your dick.
“Well,” a voice sounds from beside me. “That’s graphic.”
I jump and turn around.
“Savannah,” I say. I didn’t even hear her come on. “What’s up?” I shove my phone in my pocket.
She laughs and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“I could ask you the same question, but I think I already know.” She winks and grabs a mug. She pours herself a cup of coffee, then sits down on one of the barstools on the opposite side of the counter.
Seeing Savannah isn’t strange to me. She’s the mirror image of me, but after growing up together and being the best of friends, it’s no longer strange to see “me” in another person. People always ask us, when they meet us for the first time, if it’s weird.
It’s not.
It’s just part of who we are.
Only today, there are dark circles under her eyes, and I wonder if I look just as tired as my sister does.
“Long night?” I ask, and she nods.
“Josiah is teething, so nobody got much sleep last night.”
Savannah lives in this huge house with her mate and their son, Colby. Her brother-in-law, Wyatt, and his wife, and their son also live in the same house. Personally, I think that’s a lot of shifters for one house, but they make it work. Somehow.
Except for nights like last night, apparently, because Savannah looks like she needs more than one cup o’ Joe.
“But let’s talk about you,” Savannah says, and I groan.
“Can’t,” I say. “Table four needs their check.”
I rush out from behind the counter and head over to the table of teenagers, who are finishing up their meal. I leave their bill and tell them I’ll come back in a minute for their money. Then I start clearing off another table.
It’s not that I can’t talk about this with Savannah.
It’s that I can’t talk about this with anyone.
I don’t want to. I don’t need to. I can handle this on my own.
That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway. I’ve known for a long time that eventually, Savannah would start pestering me about my relationship with Alex. To be honest, I’m surprised it’s taken her this long to ask. My sister isn’t exactly known for being discreet. Maybe she could tell I needed some time with this one or maybe she’s just been busy with her new family, but I’m thankful for the lengthy respite I had when it comes to questions.
As I ignore her and go about my business, I realize I can’t keep avoiding the questions for much longer. Eventually, I’m going to have to deal with the fact that Alex and I have been sleeping together for a long time. We’ve gotten to know each other on a deeply physical level I’ve never experienced before.
Eventually, I’m going to have to deal with the fact that I’ve fallen in love with him. I don’t want to admit it to anyone, least of all him, but I love everything about him from his easygoing laugh to his seriousness about work.
Eventually, I’m going to have to deal with the fact that I’m going to have his baby and he has no idea. Neither one of us planned for this. Neither one of us expected this, and I’m not sure how he’s going to react when I finally do tell him.
Eventually, I’m going to have to deal with the fact that I’m going to be a mother.
And I’m going to have to deal with the fact that Alex might not want to be with me anymore.
Chapter 2
Alex
Feeding the cattle is all part of the routine. I slosh through the muddy grass to the feeding trough and pour in the bag of feed. The cows come running and before I’m finished, they’re nuzzling up against me.
“Easy there, Bess,” I say, patting one on the nose. I didn’t name her: that was all Carter. That bear has the softest heart I’ve ever seen, even if he does suck at naming cattle. Bess? Really? He couldn’t have chosen anything more obvious or plain. Still, the cow doesn’t seem to mind. She nudges me again, and I reach in my pocket for a range cube. I hold it out to Bess, and she quickly gobbles it up and silently begs for more.
“Sorry, girl. That’s all for today,” I say.
Easing my way out of the crowd of cows, I head back to the ATV with the empty feed bag. It’s time to go back to the house. The ride back to the main area of the ranch is quick, but seems like it’s even shorter than usual because I spend the whole damn ride thinking of her.
Selena.
I wish I could get her out of my head, but I can’t.
That’s always been my problem, really. I’m addicted to her. Oh, we both play the fool when it comes to our “relationship.” Neither one of us has bothered to label what we have because we’re both such pussies. We’re too damn scared that we’re going to mess things up. We’re too worried to give it a real try because we’ve been hurt before.
But Selena doesn’t know that I feel this way. She hides behind dirty talk just as much as I do. She pretends she doesn’t care about me beyond a booty call, but we both care.
We’ve just been going about this whole thing all wrong.
I park the ATV and hop off. I’m ready fo
r some lunch and I head up to the main house to make myself a sandwich. One of the best things about working for the Blair brothers is that Hope, Wyatt’s wife, makes everyone lunch each day. It’s something she started doing recently and I can’t quite get enough of it. I don’t think women belong in the kitchen or anything like that, but Hope loves to cook. She’s damn good at it, too.
“Wipe your boots,” she calls out as I enter the house. I roll my eyes. For a human, she’s got the senses of a shifter. That must be something that comes from living around them for so long.
“Yes, ma’am,” I call out. I wipe my muddy boots on the worn welcome mat and step inside.
Home.
The house feels like home.
Hell, it even smells like home.
Hope likes to have those smelly wax things everywhere and ever since she moved in, the entire place smells like heaven.
I hope sometime soon Selena and I will have something like this. I hope we have a place like this. I hope we have a home together.
Oh, she’s got a house and I’ve got a cabin, but we need to get a place we can share. We need to get a place with some space, a yard, and maybe some land. We need a place that’s big because I want babies with Selena and lots of them. All kids need to run around, but shifters need even more space than usual.
I want our kids to be able to be free. I want them to be able to run and be wild and be happy and content. I want them to be able to be themselves.
I want them to be able to be free without worrying someone is going to judge them or laugh at them or make fun of them for shifting.
I want them to have good lives.
“What’s cooking?” I step into the kitchen and Hope smiles when I do. Damn, but that woman’s grin could light up the darkest night. No wonder Wyatt snatched her up the second he could. I’ll be the first to admit that Hope and I got off to a rocky start, but now that she’s here, I can’t imagine life without her.
