Be My Princess: A Billionaire and Virgin Romance

by Lauren Wood

  She heard a low rumble in his chest, and she shrieked just a little when he flipped her over and settled his weight on top of her. Her jaw dropped open when she felt his hard length settle between her thighs. “So soon?”

  He nipped at her shoulder. “That’s what you do to me. God, I want you in my arms. I want to be inside of you all the time.” He raised his head. “But I know you’re probably sore.”

  He tried to lift off her, but she raised her legs and trapped him in them. “I’m already wet,” she admitted.

  He probed at the entrance, and she lifted her hips. Slowly, he sank down in her.

  Before, they were wild and untamed. But now, he was unhurried as he slowly pulsed inside her. She felt sexy and luxurious as she stretched her body to test the different angles. She mewled. God, he felt good.

  His skin was warm under her fingers, and she explored him without hesitation. Where she was soft, he was hard. The muscles rippled under her touch, and she moaned. There wasn’t a single part about this man that she didn’t love.

  Love.

  The word wrapped around her as he touched his lips to hers. As much as she might want to deny it, she’d felt it the first time she’d laid eyes on him. This wasn’t a blind date that turned into a forever kind of love. This was the man she was always meant to be with.

  He manipulated her hips up, and he she cried out as he touched that spot. Christ. It was going to be death of her. She swung her legs up higher and was rewarded as he sank deeper in her.

  “I love the noises that you make,” he muttered. “Fuck, baby, I think they actually make me harder.”

  She panted. “You’re the reason I’m making these noises,” she pointed out. “That cock is so good. And you’re tongue,” she sighed as his tongue swirled around her nipple.

  He pulled her hips off the bed as he cradled her, and he began to thrust quicker. At first they were shallow and teasing, but soon he was pounding her. She gasped and cried out, and as the tension built, he changed the angle again.

  There. He was hitting both spots in one thrust. She clawed at his back. “Cole,” she cried out. “I can’t handle it,” she gasped. She struggled to hang on as he relentlessly drew her to the brink of madness.

  “Baby, baby, my love,” she moaned. “Gonna come. Oh God, you’re going to make me come.”

  “I’m close. Come with me. Together,” he murmured. She closed her eyes and released the control as he slammed into her. Suddenly, he lifted her off the bed and rocked back on his heels.

  She clasped an arm around his neck, and when her whole weight settled on him, she lost it. Closing her eyes, she screamed as the orgasm rocked her, and he was gripped her hips, grounding her to him, as he let out a long guttural moan and spilled his seed inside her.

  Slowly, the fell back to the bed, and she squealed when he twitched inside her.

  “You are insatiable,” he muttered.

  She laughed tiredly. “Can’t help it. You’ve turned me into a monster. I have a feeling I’m going to be wet for you for the rest of my life.”

  He stilled on top of her.

  I love you.

  The words whispered around in her head, and she smiled. She was his mate. He belonged to her, and he would protect her. With a sight, she closed her eyes and let her guard down.

  I love you too.

  THE END

  DRAWN TO ONE MAN

  Chapter One

  Lydia leaned back and rolled her head from side to side to ease the ache in her shoulders. The letters were piled high on the desk, and she was making little progress. As the mastermind behind Hairy and Fluffy, a dating agency, she had the duty to create the perfect matches. The last meet and greet party turned into a high success. Most of her matches paired up together, and she’d managed to finally pair the elusive Cole Greyson with his mate. It had taken some extra effort to finally get Sasha at the party, but it was well worth the effort.

  Maxwell Torrent was now at the top of her list. The alpha lion shifter had refused to settle down, and the lion community was growing uneasy. If he didn’t find his mate soon, they would have to replace him with the second-in-command, and they weren’t keen on that idea. Maxwell was their favorite.

  They’d turned to her to find his mate, but it wasn’t easy. As she sifted through the letters of women who wanted to be matched, she hadn’t found anyone that stood out. None were strong enough to withstand the lion’s domineering personality. Most wouldn’t last a night with Maxwell.

  “Lydia Jones?”

  She looked up to see a brunette standing in the doorway She was tall and curvy with an irritated look on her face. Lydia blinked. She hadn’t heard the bell on the door.

  “That’s me. If you want to fill out an application, the paperwork is outside the door. We’re on a waiting list right now, but I might get you in at a fall party,” she said absently.

  The brunette laughed. “Oh, no I’m not here for that. My name is Cassie Branders. I’m a reporter for The Weekly Report. My editor would like a human-interest piece on your dating service. Would you be able to do an interview for me?”

  Lydia narrowed her eyes. She was keen on reading people, and the vibes coming off this woman were most interesting. “Cassie Branders from the Cassie Column?”

  The writer smiled. “So you have heard of me!”

  “Yes,” Lydia said slowly. “You tend to write rather strongly worded editorials. Why would you be slated for the human interest story?”

  “You caught me,” Cassie said with a frown. “The last column I wrote hinted about the inequality of dating services, and the advertisers were not pleased. I didn’t mean for it to have such a negative response, so I offered to do an in-depth study on one dating service. You have a high success rate of couples meeting at your parties and sticking it out long after the wedding. I’d like to discuss your process.”

  Lydia cocked her head. Cassie was known for her independence, her witty words, her talent, and her beauty. An idea started to form in her head. “Are you married or seeing anyone, Cassie?”

  Cassie shook her head. “Married to the job, I’m afraid.”

  “And have you ever been to one of my parties?”

  Again, the lovely brunette shook her head. “It’s by invitation only, correct? I don’t do much dating.”

  “I’m putting a party together for Friday evening. Why don’t you come to the party, and then we’ll do there?”

  Cassie smiled. “That sounds great.” She offered her card. “Here is all my contact information. Would it be okay if I talked to the guests at the party? I’d like to know what they’re looking for.”

  She was making it too easy for Lydia. She took the card and nodded. “I think that would be perfect.”

  Cassie nodded and existed the office. Lydia pulled out the invitation and a blank envelope. With an air of satisfaction, she addressed the envelope to Maxwell Torrent. It was time to knock another big name off her list.

  Cassie Branders was going to make the perfect lioness.

  Chapter Two

  Max’s stomach rumbled. He’d been forced to skip out on lunch when his assistant hadn’t showed up, and now that the workday was over, his stomach was demanding some attention.

  The breeze rippled through his gold hair as he rolled the window down to grab his mail, and he was torn. Work had been hell, and he really wanted to put on his tennis shoes and do a few miles around the neighborhood, but running on an empty stomach tended to make him even more temperamental.

  And Max was not a stand-up guy when his temper got the best of him.

  So his shoved a frozen lasagna in the microwave and flipped through his mail while he waited. A black envelope with gold lettering caught his eye, and he frowned.

  Hairy and Fluffy Dating Agency

  What the hell? Max tossed it aside without bothering to open it. He’d heard of the agency of course. It was big in the shifter community, and rumor had it that they were good. But Max was far too busy to search for a mate. H
e had his own business to run not to mention a pride to oversee. Even though the pride was demanding that he finally settle down, there simply wasn’t enough time in the day.

  In the past, he’d been interested. His former days were filled with women and dreams of a mate and a family, but eventually, all of his flings ended the same. None of them could handle him at his worse, and sometimes, his worse was all he had to offer.

  The microwaved beeped, and Max devoured the cardboard tasting meal. Something tugged at his peripheral, and his eyes slid over to the counter.

  With a low grown, he snagged the envelope and ripped it open with far more aggression than was necessary.

  You are cordially invited to a meet and greet Friday evening. Shifters and carefully sifted human applicants will be there in hopes of finding their true love. Eighty percent of shifters find their mates. Are you ready for yours?

  He rolled his eyes. Nonsense. He certainly did not need to find his mate in a room of pumped up testosterone and alphas or alpha wannabees. That’s just a recipe for disaster.

  As he tossed the card aside, he flipped over, and he noticed a message on the back.

  Maxwell, your pride encourages you to attend.

  His eyes widened. The barstool hit the floor as he lunged to his phone. It only took two seconds for his father to pick up. “Before you say anything,” Charles said mildly.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Max hissed. “Is this a threat?”

  His father had obviously been waiting for the phone call. “Maxwell, the stipulations for being an alpha are clear. You have to mate. You’re pushing thirty-five and the pride is getting nervous. If you don’t take a wife soon, they’re going to be forced to place Jerome as alpha, and nobody wants that.”

  Max gripped the phone. His father wasn’t wrong. The Torrent family had been the alphas of the local tribe for several generations, and it would continue as long as the pride was happy and the alpha took a mate and continued the line. If an alpha died without an heir, the strongest male took over, and while Jerome was the strongest, he was also the most temperamental and unpredictable. It was a recipe for disaster.

  “But a Hairy and Fluffy party?” he said as his anger escaped him. He leaned against the counter and dropped his head. “That’s degrading.”

  “It’s hardly degrading. That agency has the best reputation in the shifter community. I know you’re busy. They do all the work for you. Just give it a shot.”

  Charles had been a great leader, and had he not fallen ill several years ago, he would still be alpha. But the community feared he would not make it, so Max, as the oldest son, took over. Charles recovered, and he had no issues with his son taking over. Max wanted to earn the pride’s respect like his father had earned it.

  He wanted his father to proud of him as well.

  “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll go. But we’re going to have some words about personal space at the next meeting,” he snapped.

  “Good luck with that,” Charles snorted.

  Max hung up the phone and sighed. Shrugging his shoulders to ease the tension, he stripped out of his business clothes and put on his jogging gear. He had quite a bit of frustrations to burn before he tried to take on the dating agency.

  Even the pounding of his heels hitting the ground didn’t do anything to release the anxiety he had about potentially meeting his mate. It made him anxious to think that he was meant to be with one person. What if he got it wrong and he picked the wrong woman? What if his woman didn’t like him?

  So he ran harder and farther, but before he could completely escape the situation, he turned back around to take a shower and get ready for the damn party.

  Chapter Three

  Cassie checked everything in her bag. She had her recorder for longer interviews, her notebook, a couple of pens, and her camera. She stepped into her strappy sandals and hung her press badge around her neck. She didn’t want any of the shifters to get any ideas.

  “Why are you taking the badge?” her friend asked with a mouth full of ice cream. In her third trimester, Sara was usually found munching on something.

  “Because I’m writing an article,” Cassie said as she rolled her eyes.

  “But you’re single,” Sara said.

  “Uh huh.”

  “And you haven’t gotten laid in over a year.”

  Cassie narrowed her eyes. “Your point?”

  “My point is that there are going to be many hunky men at that party. So ditch the press badge and relax. Even if you don’t find Mr. Right, you can still enjoy Mr. Incredible One Night Stand.”

  “I didn’t pick the assignment, Sara. You did,” Cassie pointed out.

  Her friend and editor smiled. “You were the one who said dating agencies set women back to an age where looks and profits were all that mattered in a marriage. I’m just trying to save your column. But more than that, I also wanted you to see how wrong you are. Dale and I met through a dating agency. Just because you’re not getting any doesn’t mean you have to hate on the people that are.”

  “I’m not hating on you. I’m hating on the agencies that profit from people’s ridiculous desire to find love. What are you doing in my house anyways?” Cassie said irritably.

  “I wanted cookies and cream, and you always have at least two gallons in your freezer. And I also wanted to make sure you didn’t leave this house dressed in armor.” She pointed to Cassie’s outfit. “Ditch the blazer.”

  “It’s work, Sara. It’s work for you. Shouldn’t you want me to keep it professional?”

  “You’re my friend as well as my reporter. Besides, how can you truly get the feel for the party if you’re only there as an observer? Go undercover. Find out what the men and women are really like.”

  Cassie snorted. “Nice try. The badge and the blazer stay. Don’t eat all my ice cream,” she said as she shouldered her bag.

  “Cassie!’ The warning tone in Sara’s voice made Cassie wince. “I’ve known you for a long time. You have to let someone in at some point,” she said softly.

  Cassie closed her eyes as she thought back to her past relationships. Men cheated, lied, and abused the power of having a woman’s heart. Cassie wasn’t single because she worked too much or because she couldn’t find men who were attracted to her. She was single because it was just easier.

  “Lock up when you leave,” she said without turning around. She could feel the disappointment in Sara without facing her.

  When Cassie joined the newspaper, she and Sara were instant friends. That was nearly fifteen years ago. Now Sara was an editor, and Cassie wrote a successful column. They both had achieved what they wanted, but Sara was moving on with her life. She had a husband and a baby on the way. Cassie was still struggling with what to do now that she’d achieved her career goals.

  Safely away from Sara’s pointed observations, Cassie sighed and started the car. She didn’t need a man to be happy. She just wasn’t the one to melt after a single touch or get drawn into long romantic stares. She was happy being single.

  As the backed the car down the driveway, she swallowed hard.

  The lie was exhausting even when she was simply saying it to her reflection.

  Chapter Four

  Everything was in full swing by the time she got to the party. She stood in the corner for a moment to observe and doodle some notes. Some of the women were dressed in animal print, and Cassie cocked her head. Wasn’t that just tacky?

  She could feel the tension in the room. It was clear that some of the shifters were very much in tuned to their animal side, and everyone was silently fighting for dominance. The women seemed to lap it up, but it made Cassie uneasy.

  “There you are!”

  Cassie turned to see Lydia making her way over to her. The stunningly beautiful woman was dressed in a sleek black dress and four inch stilettos. Cassie took a moment to appreciate the affect the shoes had on the woman’s legs. “What do you think so far?”

  “It’s classy,” Cassie admitted. S
he’d thought there’d be awkward music, prom balloons, and glittery streamers, but instead quiet upbeat tempo music was coming out of the speakers, and the decorations were at a minimum. Food and drinks were plenty, and while some couples were dancing, others opted to sit at the tables and get to know each other.

  “Thanks! It was tough in the beginning to come up with a party that shifters of all shapes and sizes might like. We’ve got groups that prefer water, others that prefer land, and some that are odd about concrete and hardwood floors. The key is variety. I try to have a little bit of space for everyone,” she said beaming.

  “How do you keep the alphas from fighting? I can see the uneasiness in some of the men.”

  “There are very strict rules at these parties for the shifters. No fighting is at the very top. I have lavender scented sprays in the corners to help calm everyone, but just in case, there are several undercover operatives with tranquilizer guns. In all the years that I’ve been doing this, we’ve never needed to use them, but safety is the number on priority.”

  Cassie jotted the quote in her notebook. “Why shifters? Aren’t they destined to be with just one person? How can do you have such a high success rate when the odds are stacked against you?”

  Lydia gave her sly smile. “That, my dear, is a trade secret.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Cassie saw some people moving quickly. Curious, she followed the movement and saw that the crowd was parting for one man. Her jaw dropped.

  “Damn,” she whispered. He was gorgeous. Thick blonde hair framed his square face and amber eyes. She watched his smooth jaw clench, and immediately, she wanted to run her fingers down those high cheekbones and over those lips. He was tall and built with muscles that rippled under the tight shirt.

  “See something you like?” Lydia asked softly.

  Cassie blinked and blushed. “You have some gorgeous men here,” she muttered.