Whisper

by Lockwood, Tressie

  “Mm, this wine is delicious. Will you try to get me drunk?”

  “Never,” he answered. “I want you sober when I hold you.”

  She sucked her teeth but giggled.

  The dinner progressed as he expected with them chatting. Alec kept conversation light about nothing in particular. He did discuss her relationship with her sister and why it was so strained, but when he saw her becoming upset, he steered it away to gentler topics. Something told him Whisper’s sister considered her a failure and that the woman had little patience for her. He felt the offense. Even while he and Max had their differences and his brother pissed him off regularly, he couldn’t imagine not running with his brother. They were close, and he had no doubt they always would be.

  “So, do you dance?” he asked when they had finished eating for almost half an hour. Her eyebrows went up.

  “Um?”

  He extended a hand. “Come on.”

  “Where? Here?”

  Again he felt the tremble, but she hid her nervousness well. The sweet smile got to him. He liked the crooked tooth at the topside of her pretty mouth. How he wanted to kiss her again, but he’d promised to behave himself. Already he’d broken their agreement about her selecting where she wanted to go. He had planned the entire evening without her input, so he would settle for holding her in his arms for the time being. Keeping his hands to himself didn’t include what they were about to do, which was why he made sure they danced in the first place.

  “Okay, fine, but don’t get grabby.” She laughed, and he joined her.

  Alec pulled her against him. He thought she’d protest at the close proximity, but she didn’t utter a word when her breasts pressed into him. Of course if she knew how hard she’d just made him, she might run. He shifted away to keep her from finding out and then rocked her to the beat of the music. At the same time, a breeze stirred her hair, and a tendril blew across her cheek. He brushed it away. She smiled her gratitude with an upturned chin. The invitation seemed clear, but he fought the impulse.

  He whipped her away from him, guiding her movements with his hand in hers. He enjoyed the chance to watch her hips moving to the rhythm that only black women seemed to have, a hypnotic twist and dip that felt like his doom.

  Her lips had been sweet that last time, and her body… Does this woman know how sexy she is? How delicious she was in that thong? He’d covered his desire with a smart remark, and he’d thought he made her hate him after that and her friend’s actions. So it surprised him how easily she came when he held out his hand. She drifted into his embrace while he tried not to think she belonged there on a permanent basis.

  No, Alec, this is about possessing her body, not her heart. That’s all I want. She’s not my mate. I have no mate and never will.

  Alec spun her once again, and this time when he drew her, it was with her back to him. He let her feel what she did to him, and he grinned at her sharp intake of breath. One would think she was a virgin. No way a man had never enjoyed all of this. He peered over her shoulder and saw down the deep cleavage on display for him. Her breasts were a good size and would fill his palms. He wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t dream of sucking her nipples until they were rigid. Alec dipped his head and rested his mouth on the top of her head. He drew in a deep breath. She smelled amazing.

  “You’re…uh…enjoying the dance,” she commented.

  “Does it bother you?”

  Her smile widened. “No.”

  Alec nuzzled her cheek and kissed it. Damn, he’d broken the rule, but she didn’t protest. “Good.”

  When she raised her chin, he didn’t resist going further. He captured it to hold her still while he claimed her mouth. Plundering the warm, wet interior was the only thing he could do as he splayed fingers over her belly. Soft and so good. He sucked her bottom lip between his and bit down just enough to startle but not hurt. She moaned in his mouth, driving him insane.

  A roar rumbled to his throat when she moved out of his arms and walked back to the table. He stood where he was for a few moments, trying to pull himself together. At what point had the tables been turned and she began to seduce him?

  He sat down at the table and smoothed his jacket front. “Would you like more wine?”

  She held out her glass. “Please.”

  Alec obliged her in silence. His mind raced, and he searched it for conversation, something to get him back on firm footing and her into the palm of his hand.

  “So why are you afraid of commitment?”

  “Wha—?” His hand dipped, and red liquid stained the white tablecloth. Alec swore under his breath. Whisper laughed at him. Something harsh and arrogant trembled on his lips, but he bit it back. He didn’t want to hurt her. In fact, looking into her eyes, he realized it would get to him to see pain there, worse if he caused it. What the hell is the matter with you? Get it together. This is child’s play. “I’m not afraid of commitment. I’ve simply made a decision not to settle down.”

  She picked up a roll and began buttering it, not looking at him. For some reason, Alec needed to know what she was thinking. He hated that he didn’t.

  “A heartbreak can cause it or seeing your parents’ failed relationship.”

  Nothing could have cooled his desire like their current conversation, and she’d done it on purpose. Of that he was sure. “My parents have a solid marriage, one built on respect and understanding.”

  Whisper glanced up, eyes wide. “Respect and understanding?”

  He compressed his lips.

  She patted his hand as if he were a child. “I’ve never seen two people more unalike as you and Max are.”

  He grunted. “Are you saying you like my brother better?”

  “Oh don’t be so touchy,” she teased. “No, I’m not saying that at all. Just from what I’ve seen of Max, he’s more open to loving. You said he’d just lost the love of his life, and he’s grieving. You fight it like a wild animal.”

  She couldn’t be closer to the truth, he thought. Still, he resented her insinuating that he was closed off. “Do I have to have a reason for choosing to live as I do? Why can’t I just prefer it?” Alec heard the grumpiness in his tone, but couldn’t stuff it down. The worse part of it was even while Whisper dug at him, he wanted her. He couldn’t stop looking at her, breathing her in, listening to her voice. Maybe she was more of a seductress than her friend. Sheila was gauche, and that had always turned him off in a woman. Whisper was everything her friend was not. The table sat between them, and yet it wasn’t enough. He needed her on his lap, moaning while he pleasured her with his hands between her legs. “I need to get you home.”

  “I thought—” She stopped, and the hurt he’d wanted to avoid surfaced in her gaze. “I’m too direct. I say the wrong things every time. I’m sorry.”

  Alec blinked in surprise when she suddenly jetted for the trees. He paused only a few seconds and then ran after her. “Whisper,” he called.

  Ahead, she made a sharp turn and left the path. He lost sight of her. The woman was fast on her feet, but that meant nothing. Even in his human form, he could pick up her scent. Whisper’s natural fragrance teased his senses and felt like a seduction even when she wasn’t trying. She called to him in her own way, and he followed with ease.

  She stood, head down with her face in her palms. He thought at first she was crying, but she held herself very still. Maybe she fought tears. He walked up behind her and lay hands on her shoulders. She jumped a little but didn’t pull away. Alec planted a kiss on the top of her head.

  “I’m sorry,” she said again.

  “Don’t be.” He turned her into his arms and pulled her close. “I should be the one to apologize. I was a bear with you, and you didn’t deserve that.”

  She glanced up at him in surprise, but he didn’t give her a chance to speak a word. He covered her lips with his own, tasting that sweetness anew. Whisper didn’t pull away, so he drew her closer and molded their bodies together. His body came alive with need. Had he w
anted another woman as much as he wanted this one now?

  The erection in his pants strained to be set free, and he found his hand exploring the side of her thigh to her hip and higher to her waist. When Whisper didn’t stop him, he brought his hand around to stroke her breast. Through the thin material of her dress and bra, he felt the rigidity of her nipple, and it was his undoing. He craved much more. He wanted to taste more than just her delicious mouth.

  The problem with dealing with humans was that his kind could be very aggressive when it came to sex. Not giving in to the instinct to slake their lust was a near impossible task. That was one of the reasons he never gave in to a relationship. No one woman had ever been enough for him, certainly not a human one, and he’d met few female shifters he could tolerate for more than a single night.

  Alec pushed Whisper back against a tree, and she bumped it, expelling a soft breath. He followed with his body, pressing in tight. Without a second thought, he grabbed hold of the collar of her dress and tore downward. She cried out as the rending sound filled the quiet night. The swollen mounds straining against her bra took almost all of his attention before he forced his gaze higher to her eyes. Fear in the tawny depths stopped him. Shame washed over him. He had never and would never force a woman.

  Alec fell back a step and dropped his hands to his sides. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  He would have turned away and told her he would take her home, but she stumbled toward him. Alec had to close his eyes and swallow over and over when her breasts brushed his chest. Did the woman get what she did to him? A man could take only so much.

  “Don’t,” she said.

  He heard a rustle of clothing and opened his eyes. To his surprise, she’d drug her dress lower and tugged her bra straps over her shoulders to expose her nipples. They were puckered and dark like ripe berries. His mouth watered. “You don’t know what you’re doing, Whisper.”

  “I’m using my prerogative,” she answered without hesitation.

  Again he forced his gaze to meet hers. This time while there was nervousness, there was also determination. Her lips were set in a straight line, her jaw clenched and chin high. He hesitated, but then she raised one of his hands and laid it on her breast. A soft touch on his hardened cock put him beyond the point of no return.

  “Let’s just have some fun,” she said.

  He knew this wasn’t what she preferred. Sex wasn’t all fun for her. The act was more a physical expression of the love she felt for the right man. He knew all this, and shame washed through his mind before desire drowned it out. He couldn’t say no.

  Alec said nothing. Although her dress was ruined, he used the zipper at the back to loosen it some more and slipped it down her body to drop on the ground. She reached behind her to unhook her bra, and he caught her hands before she could follow with her panties. She stood there in nothing but her heeled shoes and her red panties. Her skin was smooth and brown. Her luscious figure rounded, breasts full and hips wide. He took in the sight of her thighs, thicker than any of his previous lovers, and he tormented himself with thoughts of them wrapped around his waist or parted while he delved between them with his tongue.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he demanded.

  She uttered a laugh that was half clipped, half trembling. “You don’t have to say that. I’ve said yes.”

  “Foolish,” he growled and dropped to his knees. She yelped when he ripped her panties to shreds and tossed the material away. Alec expected her cream to taste good, but he never imagined it would be this good. He pushed his tongue deep into her pussy and lapped at her juices. Whisper whined and shifted her hips. He caught them in a strong grip to keep her still while he feasted.

  “Alec,” she moaned in protest. He lapped faster, hungry for more. A tremor passed through her thighs, and he squeezed them as he pulled her closer. Alec came up higher to support her weight and let her legs rest on his shoulders. He ate her sweet pussy with relish, alternating between sucking at her clit and lips and delving inside her.

  He hadn’t been at it long before she cried out once again, and her limbs began shaking. A gush of cream rushed down her channel and filled his mouth. He moaned and massaged her little bud with his lips until the orgasm eased. After she was done, with his face bathed in her juices, he kissed his way up her belly and then stood up. Alec cleaned off and then undid his pants. He watched for her reaction to his erection. At nine inches, he knew he was a little too much for some women and just right for others. What was important in his opinion was that he knew how to use it.

  Whisper’s eyes widened when she saw his tool, and he grinned in satisfaction. She appeared more turned on than fearful, and he liked that. Once more, he parted her legs and aimed his cock toward her entrance. First, he teased her clit with the tip. Precome coated her bud which was still erect, but he pulled back.

  “I need to cover up.” She appeared alarmed at his words, but he chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m prepared.” He peeled a condom from his wallet, tore into the packet, and had himself gloved within a matter of moments.

  From the first entry, chills raced over his arms. She was so tight, he couldn’t catch his breath. He leaned a hand on the tree behind her and paused. If he wasn’t careful, he would come much too soon. So he seated his cock as deep as it would go and waited until he calmed down.

  Whisper clutched his shoulders. Her eyes had drifted closed, and her lips parted. The panting told him she was just as affected by their intimate connection as he was.

  “Just a moment, honey,” he murmured.

  “Yes.”

  Alec hoisted her up into his arms but kept himself buried to the hilt. He switched their positions so he could lean against the tree and support her weight.

  “I’m too heavy,” she protested.

  “You’re perfect.”

  He took his time withdrawing and then pushed hard and fast into her. She threw her head back and moaned. Alec took that as a sign that he should continue, and he let go. Pounding into Whisper, he let pleasure overtake him. His orgasm built, but he maintained control. With each thrust, he spoke into her ear.

  “You like that, baby? You want more?”

  “Yes, yes,” she pleaded.

  Alec complied. He pounded a steady rhythm, raising her up and allowing her to fall onto his cock. At the same time, he pushed in. The friction was out of this world, and it shook him from head to toe. He moved to kiss her lips, then her neck. His hunger built, and he had to lick and taste her skin in every spot he could reach.

  Whisper called his name and dug her nails in his back. The pain added to the pleasure and drove him on. Her pussy clenched around his dick, milking it to the point that he couldn’t hold on any longer. A growl rose in his throat, and he clamped his teeth together. With a heavy breath, expelled through his nostrils, he let loose. His come shot out into the condom, and he sagged against the tree in bliss.

  Whisper whimpered as he let her legs down. At some point, she’d come out of her shoes, so she stood on tiptoe in the grass. She’d never looked cuter. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “Are you tired?”

  She’d been searching the ground, he imagined, for her clothing. When he spoke, she looked up at him, embarrassment plain. “No, are you?”

  Alec grinned. “Not at all. If you can take me again, I’d like more. Maybe we could go to your apartment?”

  She nodded.

  Alec got her into her dress and shoes, and left the panties and bra. If she needed him to replace them, he would, but he couldn’t wait to feel her under him in a bed. Or maybe riding me. At his errant thoughts, his cock began to grow again. He stuffed it away into his pants for the moment, and they hurried back home.

  Alec couldn’t get her stripped and prostrate before him fast enough. He gloved his cock and flipped Whisper onto her stomach. She squealed in delight. “You’ve got a big appetite.”

  “You don’t know the half of it, honey.”

  With an
arm around her middle, he hoisted her to her knees and drove into her juicy pussy. She cried out in pleasure, and he echoed it. Alec yanked her roughly back to his cock and watched as he pounded inside her. Just seeing his dick disappear into her sweetness drove him insane. He wouldn’t get enough. Not all night if he could help it. He just hoped she could take him as many times as he needed to take her.

  Chapter Seven

  Whisper opened her eyes and shifted on the bed. Her head bumped something hard, and she muttered. Just as she forced her eyes opened, she remembered the night before. Oh hell, what did I do? Her blurred vision cleared to reveal Alec, asleep beside her. Damn, damn, damn! Why?