by Dianna Love
“As it should be.”
“Definitely,” Brantley replied, enjoying this moment to shine. “He has agreed to help the Black River pack as long as he remains anonymous.”
“Power Barons believe staying in the shadows will keep them safe. Such fools.” The mouse smiled.
“He is enjoying anonymity for the moment by having me as liaison between him and the Black River pack. He did provide me with a boost to my kinetic power, as we agreed. Only time will tell if he is truly an ally.”
“Wise decision to wait and see, my son. What is your plan now?”
“To set a trap for the Gallize wolf. If he has bonded with his mate, he will hand his life over to protect her. If he has not bonded yet, then she will watch him die and I will take her as mine.”
The huge mouse chortled with pleasure.
Brantley had made Mother Cadellus proud, but she would truly be happy when he took Tess to meet her.
Mother Cadellus would bond them as one.
Chapter 29
Big hands clutched Tess’s neck and squeezed.
She couldn’t see. Everything was black. She fought, struggling to breathe. Somehow she screamed and screamed.
Her arms were pinned alongside her body. A heavy weight held her down. He was going to kill her now.
No. Jaws opened wide with long fangs to attack.
He wanted to change her into a ... she started sobbing.
“Come on, baby, wake up.”
Soft words kept pouring into her ear. She blinked her eyes open to find she was wrapped up with her face against Cole’s chest.
How humiliating. She forced out, “I did it again?”
“If you apologize to me one more time, I might have to punish you.”
“Promises, promises,” she grumbled.
His chest moved with laughter, but his voice sounded tired. His hand continued stroking her back up and down, soothing her.
This was nightmare number three.
No one was getting any sleep, especially not Cole. Dragging in another ragged breath, she said, “If you’d just climb into bed like I suggested, I’ll probably sleep because I’ll feel you close.”
“You might be right.”
He was capitulating? She didn’t react or make a big deal out of it for fear he’d change his mind.
When she eased over to make room, he followed her.
She immediately rolled away from him and he spooned her back like old times. Blood pumped fast through her, which she could blame on the nightmares, but that wasn’t the reason.
Her energy had changed. It slowed and hummed in a rhythmic beat. She felt two heartbeats.
Cole’s heart and hers were in sync.
When she shivered in surprise, he must have thought she was cold and wrapped her snug within his mighty arms. He had some serious guns. She’d been crazy about him before, but those arms were sexy as hell.
He also had a serious boner tucked up nice and warm against her.
She sure as hell wasn’t mentioning that.
Cole would probably leave the house.
“Sorry,” he said, moving like he was uncomfortable. “Just ... ignore it.”
Now she wanted to laugh at the absurdity of ignoring that, but she mumbled something that could be construed as her saying no problem and lay there wide-awake.
She tried to be still. Really. It was a monumental effort when her body had a serious desire to inch backward.
“Tess.”
“Um hmm?”
“Go back to sleep.”
That was not happening. Having him close had sounded like a solid idea after three crazy nightmares, but that energy she’d been fighting cranked into high gear.
Her female parts were buzzing, too.
She wanted him.
“Cole?”
“What?”
He sounded surly. She sighed. “Are you or maybe I’m, uh, I’m just wondering if, uh, crap ...”
“What the hell?”
At least he was laughing now. She scowled at him. “I don’t want to say something to piss you off.”
“You can’t, baby.”
“That’s not the way I remember it.”
He didn’t reply and she started wondering if she’d lost him with that comment.
When he did respond it was in that sexy nighttime voice she loved. “I never minded fighting. You never backed down, always willing to go toe-to-toe with me and I’d forget what we fought over because you were so damned sexy when you got your back up. I knew we’d have lots of make-up sex.”
She fell back in love a little more with him when he gave her that sweet memory. She smiled and snuggled back against him.
He jerked and pushed his lower part back. “Holy hell, Tess. You trying to kill me?”
That was funny. “Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Okay, maybe I’m not. You going to punish me?” she taunted in the same voice she’d used once on a camping trip that had turned kinky.
A deep, painful groan climbed out of Cole. “Stop saying stuff like that. I’m ... I’m uncomfortable as it is.”
Uncomfortable? Was that all?
She wasn’t trying hard enough.
“What were you trying to ask me?” he asked, putting a little bit more distance between his chest and her back.
She was having second thoughts about what she had wanted to say. Would she sound weird? On the other hand, what could be much weirder than being captured by three jackal shifters?
Good point.
Licking her lips to stall, she said, “Do you remember touching my arm at the SCIS compound when I thought you were Colin?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been, well, for lack of a better word, I’ve been buzzing since then.”
“What? What do you mean? Explain it.”
This is when she was glad no lights were on to show her full humiliation. “Remember the night you showed up at my place after you escaped?”
“Yes.”
Here goes nothing. “I was having trouble dealing with feeling aroused. When I went to shower, I started thinking about Colin and everything ached. I think it’s because you were there. I was thinking about taking care of myself and—”
He flipped her on her back so fast she yelped.
When she looked up into his gaze, those beautiful golden-brown eyes were too bright to be normal. “Cole? Are you okay?”
He closed his eyes. “Tell me what you were going to do.”
The night in the shower was nothing like the energy rocketing through her now. Her skin felt on fire and needing more fuel. She wanted Cole to touch her everywhere, but he wasn’t even looking at her.
He wanted to know what she’d been about to do when he showed his face that night?
She’d give him something to think about.
In a sultry voice, she said, “I was going to start out with massaging my breasts. My nipples were hard and they’ve ached so much. I ran the rough cloth over my tits, teasing them, but that only made my need worse. I brushed the cloth between my legs and dropped it. My skin felt too alive to touch, but I used one finger between my legs, playing there. Oh, it hurt so good, because it wasn’t enough. I scraped a fingernail gently back and forth in my wet heat, over and over, rubbing that one spot until I wanted to scream.”
She shivered, needing to get out of this pain she was causing herself.
Cole inhaled deeply and opened his eyes on a shuddering exhale. “You are so fucking hot. You’re making me crazy. I want to taste you and push deep inside you so bad.”
That sounded like a winning plan right now. She lifted her hips and rubbed against his oh-so-ready erection.
Cole’s hands were pressed into the bed on each side of her. His arms shook and she knew damn well the strain he was suffering had nothing to do with those arms being tired.
She cupped his face, turning it down to look at her again. “Why are you holding back?”
Drawing a ragged br
eath, he said, “You’ll regret it tomorrow and I can’t face that look on your face.”
“When did you ever think I needed someone to make my decisions?”
Muscles in his jaw twitched. His eyes were now far too bright to be human. He said, “This can’t work for us, Tess, and you know it. Your father hates us. You’re a part of SCIS. I don’t want to pull you deeper into this world. I’m trying to keep you safe, baby.”
She leaned up and kissed his chin. “Who keeps you safe?”
Dipping down, he kissed her lips in a slow roll, taking his time as if he savored every time he touched her.
She broke the kiss and asked, “What is it going to take to tear down the wall you’ve got between us? I want you, Cole. I’m a big girl. I understand what you’ve told me and I’m wide-eyed about this. I’m not afraid and I’m not going to regret anything except not having this moment together.”
His eyes were a normal blue again, but filled with sadness she wanted to take away. Everything about him said yes, but he still held back.
He said, “I have no tomorrow to offer you. To take what you offer tonight and leave you again would be worse than the first time. I can’t live with myself if I hurt you again, and I will, because there is no scenario where we end up together. I would give anything for that, but it won’t happen.”
They were at a standoff unless she could ease his mind. “I’m okay with whatever tomorrow brings. I’m willing to let tomorrow take care of itself. I would have given everything I possessed to have seen you one more time before you left. I have that chance now and I’m just as determined not to lose even one minute of this night. Don’t take this from me. Love me tonight and I promise you I’ll cherish it.”
She’d pleaded her case and left everything on the table.
If he still said no, she’d have to accept it.
Chapter 30
I’m going to burn no matter where I go after I die.
Cole was stuck between two lives. One was the man who had loved Tess so freely at one time and the other a cursed shifter headed for his death.
Was he selfish to give in?
“Stop it,” Tess said.
What had he been doing? “Stop what?”
“Ripping yourself apart with trying to make up your mind. It’s real simple. Do you or don’t you want me?”
“Ridiculous question. I want you twenty-four-seven.”
Her whole face relaxed at that. Why couldn’t he make her happy all the time?
“Five.”
“Five what, Tess?”
“Four.”
What the hell was going on?”
“Three.” She had that determined look on her face.
“Two.” Now she had an evil smile lighting her eyes.
“What are you counting down to, Tess?”
“One. Okay, had your chance.”
Now he got it. “I hear you. I’m getting up.” And he climbed over her to get off the bed. He turned to leave when he heard her moan.
Slowly turning around, he saw her shirt pushed up.
His shirt and he liked it on her.
She grasped a breast in each hand and started working those puppies.
His dick hurt, like really hurt. Blue balls kind of hurting.
She drew her legs up. When one of her hands moved south, he was done.
Cole dove on the bed and yanked her legs out straight.
She jerked her head up and stared at him. He watched her eyes while his hands inched up her thighs. Now her legs were shaking.
But she wasn’t afraid.
Not his Tess.
His fingers went on autopilot. They knew this body. His eyes stayed on hers, not wanting to miss the least reaction.
His arms were around the outside of her legs as he pushed his fingers slowly to her bottom where he inched his thumbs around to slowly massage the inside of her legs.
She made a strangled sound, but didn’t break eye contact.
He eased her legs into a bent position, spreading her thighs carefully inside his arms. He leaned and kissed her on the core of her heat.
On the heels of a keening noise, she mumbled some threat if he stopped.
Damn but he loved her.
He put his hands back under her sweet bum and lifted so he had her right where he could put his tongue to the best use.
Trembling started in her legs and traveled up her body.
He didn’t stop no matter how much she begged him, “Now, do it now. Now!”
She was wet and sweet.
He’d waited a lifetime, never expecting to have this woman in his hands again.
Cole took her up and down that tightrope of tension until he knew she couldn’t take any more. With one hard flick of his tongue, she came off the bed, calling his name.
When she shuddered back to the bed, he made another swipe across her damp heat and she came again.
“Cole,” she whispered.
He had to stretch up over her body to get close to her lips. “What, baby?”
“You better not be done,” she warned, struggling to catch her breath.
“Tell me what you want and it’s yours.”
She reached down and had his dick out of his shorts before he could stop her. “This. I want to feel it inside me.”
“Tess,” he warned.
“Thought you said I could have anything I wanted.”
“I’m not as ... human as I was.”
She looked down at what she had a damned snug grip on, then glanced back at him. “And you think I’m passing that up?”
Only Tess would have that reaction. “
“Or are you afraid the condom won’t fit?” she asked, running her hand slowly down his length and back up as he now shook. “Tell you what, we’ll sew two together, because I know you have condoms.”
Gritting his teeth to keep from drenching her hand on the next swipe, he said, “I need to be able to reach the nightstand.
She opened her hand. “You have ten seconds.”
He started to lean over. “Takes more than ten seconds to—”
“Nine.”
“Tess, dammit.”
“Eight.” She was laughing so hard she could barely speak. “Seven.”
He put a condom on faster than he’d disarmed a bomb with seconds left to go.
“Four.”
Sitting back on his knees, he crossed his arms to see what she’d do.
“Two ... One.” She sat up and pushed him back.
He let her, thoroughly entertained by the Tess of years past. The one who made him laugh, curse, shout and love her every minute they were together.
Now she kneeled with her legs on each side of his hips. She lifted up and fed him into her an inch ... then stopped.
He clenched his teeth, wanting to shove inside of her. “There’s plenty more, baby.”
“Oh, I know.” She smiled as if torturing him was her new favorite pastime. Then she sank down another inch.
His fingers gripped the sheets. “Come on, baby.”
“You mean like this?” She leaned down and bit his nipple as she took a little more of him.
His heart pounded his chest. He wanted to give her this lead, but he might not survive it.
She reached around and massaged his balls.
Every muscle in his body tightened with the struggle to hold back. He would not end this show on one stroke. Not happening.
Squeezing gently, she said, “Are you ready?”
Was she kidding? He grunted out, “Born ready.”
Straightening up, she slid all the way home on him.
“Oh, fuck yes.”
Joining with her felt so incredible, he might be the first shifter to die of a heart attack.
She started moving up and down. He grabbed her hips to help her when he shoved up to meet her.
She dropped forward and grabbed his shoulders, keeping her rhythm. He met her over and over again. He felt the heat building between them and moved his hands. One cuppe
d a breast and tweaked her tight nipple as he stroked fingers on the other hand between them.
Her body tensed.
He kept hammering up into her.
She arched and dug her fingernails into his arms, letting go with a wild banshee cry.
Hallelujah, he was right behind her. Stars blazed through his gaze and the burning need for this woman uncoiled in a sharp whip of ecstasy.
He could hear both heartbeats thumping together.
Why, why, why couldn’t he have this forever?
Chapter 31
Buzzing woke Tess. She sat up, or tried to. A heavy arm was draped over her middle. Her hair fell around her face like a mistreated mop head and the shirt she’d worn last night was gone.
The room looked like a disaster.
She grinned. A really, really good disaster.
Something buzzed again. Not her this time, thankfully. Come to think of it, the energy was so low she hardly noticed it.
“Cole. Where’s your phone?”
He muttered something dark.
Laughing, she popped his sexy, naked butt, which she could look at all day long. “Get up. The phone. It might be important and I want coffee.”
Rolling over on his side and giving her a heart-stopping smile, he said, “So it’s all about you?”
She loved that rough morning voice. “I thought you’d figured that out by now.”
More phone buzzing.
Growling, he rolled off the bed and stood up, scratching his hair that looked like he’d been hit with heavy voltage. All of that was adorable, but not as sexy as his morning woody.
Oh, yes, she remembered that very well.
Without looking at her, he warned, “Stop ogling me or I’ll never find that miserable phone.”
“Sounds like it’s coming from your cargo pants over in that corner.” She pointed.
“Ah.” He retrieved the phone and walked into the bathroom, closing the door.
She’d let him do that. He needed to talk to his people and she’d pushed as far as she could last night. He thought she’d regret making love with him.
Not in a million years.
After a few minutes, the toilet flushed, water ran in the sink, then he came back out with wet hair he’d managed to tame. But he had the start of a beard shadow and every rock-hard muscle was on display.
