Shifter In Ascent (Louisiana Shifters)

by Wood, Vivian

  at Tessa. She was frowning, but the flush and darkened eyes remained. God, his female was sexy.

  “Well, no, but-“ Tessa started.

  “Exactly. Because it was between mates. It’s like jumping in to break up a fight between two vicious dogs. Only a crazy person would do that,” Jace said.

  “I can’t believe you let her exchange bites with him in the first place,” Tessa said, stubborn.

  “My only problem with this whole thing is that he had a gun pointed at you. If it’s between you getting shot and Maddie getting saddled with a mate who’s at least as stubborn and dramatic as she is, I’m gonna let Maddie take one for the team. Especially if it’s something she clearly wanted anyway.”

  “I didn’t see her jumping up and down to be mated. Like you said, he had a gun.”

  Jace stopped, pulling Tessa to face him. He braced his hands on her hips gently, looking down into her face.

  “Madeline Copeland has never once done anything she hasn’t wanted to do. There were a number of ways she could have handled that situation, but she chose this path. She must have her reasons, and I for one am choosing to respect that unless I see evidence of a real problem between them,” Jace explained, his eyes serious.

  “She had to be tied to her infirmary bed to keep from hurting him. Does that not count as a problem?” Tessa asked, frowning.

  “Jasper can defend himself against Maddie. And to tell you the truth, I’m pretty sure it’s their way of flirting. The pattern goes all the way back to childhood, trust me.”

  Tessa’s face softened, and finally she nodded.

  “Okay. If you say to leave them alone, then I will.”

  With that she shimmied out of his embrace, catching his hand and pulling him toward the now-visible house. Jace was slightly overwhelmed for a moment; he’d fought so long for her trust, and here she simply gave it freely. Looking at Tessa and the changes they’d wrought on each other was the biggest reason that he could let Maddie work through this without his help.

  “What do you think about the new female, Cassandra?” Tessa asked as she crossed the front yard to the porch. Jace followed, a rumble building deep in his chest.

  “You’re the only female I’m thinking about right now, and I can prove it,” he said, corralling her until her back was up against the front door.

  “How would you do that?“ Tessa asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to keep up.

  “Back at my office, I really did leave to get something I’d forgotten,” Jace said, producing a blue velveteen ring box from his pocket and showing it to Tessa.

  Tessa’s jaw dropped. For a girl who was rarely without a quick response, she was rapidly becoming used to speechlessness. Jace chuckled at her expression, turning the box in his hand.

  “I had this whole plan, you see. You’ve accepted Shifter culture so well, you’ve been a great sport. I wanted to do something the human way for once,” he explained, watching Tessa’s face closely.

  Tessa shook her head, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She was in complete disbelief, never having come close to guessing Jace’s true intentions.

  “Don’t worry, I looked up how to propose online. You’ll just have to tell me if I’m doing it wrong,” he said, only half-joking.

  With that, Jace sunk to one knee. Tessa let out a flustered squawk, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth. Jace opened the box to reveal one of the most striking rings Tessa had ever hand to her mouth. Jace opened the box to reveal one of the most striking rings Tessa had ever

  seen, and silent tears began to run down her face.

  “I just-“ Tessa mumbled.

  “Wait, wait. I think this is my part. Give me your hand,” Jace said, trying to cover his

  emotion-roughened voice with humor.

  “What are you doing?!” Tessa asked, panic rising in her voice.

  “Do you trust me?” Jace asked, looking up into her face.

  “Yes-“ Tessa started.

  “Then let me do this properly. Give me damned your hand, Tess.”

  Tessa reluctantly gave it to him, trying hard to fight a panicky giggle. Jace cleared his throat,

  his obvious nervousness making Tessa’s heart flip flop in her chest. This might be the first time she’d ever seen him anything but supremely confident. “Tessa Anderson, would you do me the honor of being my mate?” he asked, looking up at her.

  “I, uh. Yes?” Tessa replied.

  “Did I do it right? Are you happy?” he asked, his voice turning a little anxious. He rose to his feet and reached out to his mate.

  The next second Tessa flung herself at him, sniffling and laughing. Putting her arms around his neck, she buried her face against his chest and made nonsensical soggy noises of happiness. Jace grinned, pulling her closer into his arms. The feeling of rightness flooded his senses, and in a flash he had scooped Tessa up in his arms. Tessa’s hands and mouth were suddenly everywhere, and he could barely focus.

  Jace stilled slowly, pulling back a little.

  “Tessa,” he said as she dropped greedy kisses on his neck.

  “Mm?” was her response.

  “Just hold off for a second,” Jace said, his voice tormented.

  Tessa growled and tugged his shirt up, trying to expose more skin. She was nearly mindless with need, wanting to be closer to him.

  Jace’s big hands caught hers, stopping their explorations. Tessa pulled back from him indignantly, her need consuming her ability to think.

  “I swear, Jace Copeland. If you turn me away again, I won’t be responsible for my actions,” she warned.

  “I’m not, Tessa. We just forgot something important,” he teased. He waved the ring box in front of her eyes, then popped it open and grasped her hand. Slipping it onto her finger, he grinned.

  Tessa rolled her eyes but beamed right back at him. The ring was a hair too big, but Tessa barely even noticed it. Her eyes were only for her mate.

  “Have I mentioned yet that I love you very much?” she asked, her eyes luminous with adoration.

  “Actually, now that you mention it, no,” Jace teased.

  “I guess I didn’t think it needed saying,” she said, a rueful smile playing over her lips.

  She pressed closer to Jace, murmuring her approval. Already her breaths were coming faster, making her incredible breasts rise and fall temptingly. Digging in his pocket, he produced a quarter and held it out to her in his open palm.

  “What’s this for?” Tessa asked, licking her lips as if nervous.

  “I can’t decide where we should make love first, so I figured we’d flip a coin,” he said, “I can’t decide where we should make love first, so I figured we’d flip a coin,” he said,

  expression deadpan. Tessa gave a startled laugh, picking up the quarter. She gave him a teasing look, and then threw it over his shoulder toward the couch. Jace was confused for half a heartbeat, but then Tessa slid her arms around his neck and put her mouth just under his ear.

  “That’s an easy one,” she breathed.

  “Is it?” Jace said, reaching behind her to open the front door.

  “I’m a dirty girl, so you should probably take me to the shower and clean me up,” she teased,

  catching his eye. Jace didn’t even bother to respond, just scooped her up and made for the shower. His only pause was to kick the front door closed, and then Tessa was trying to peel off his clothes as he carried her to the bathroom. He hit the remote switch by the bathroom door, turning the shower on before he set Tessa down on the marble counter. He pulled her tee shirt up and over her head, exposing her creamy pale skin and lacy ivory bra. He bit his lip to keep himself from immediately putting bite marks all over her breasts and her lovely neck, marking his territory.

  She purred under his gaze and began trying to help him take his pants off, then stopped for a second and looked down at the counter.

  “Did you know you’re missing a big chunk of marble here?” she said, looking amused.

  J
ace dropped a kiss on her shoulder and groaned when she made a soft noise in response.

  “Remind me later to tell you why that’s your fault,” he said gruffly, practically shredding her bra in an effort to remove it quickly. Jace had to force himself not to look at her full breasts and already-hardened pink nipples lest he lose every shred of dignity and self-control.

  The room was heating up quickly thanks to the now-steamy shower, and Jace was nearly out of his mind with need. Their hands flew as they rushed to discard the last scraps of their clothing.

  Then they moved into the large, luxe shower and Jace had to force himself to set her down and pull away from her so that he could adjust all the shower heads to point to one corner. When he was done, he backed Tessa into that corner, not touching her yet but merely enjoying the play of the water on her magnificent body.

  Jace couldn’t help but reach down to stroke himself firmly as he drank in the sight of his mate, her breath coming in pants as she waited for him to make the next move. Water flowed off her perfect curves, gleaming wickedly. Jace couldn’t remember ever being so damned thirsty in his whole life.

  He felt her eyes travel down to his chest, his abs, then to his growing arousal. His female knew what she wanted, but he wasn’t ready to take it there yet. He first wanted to touch her with his hands until she begged, to wring every drop of pleasure his mouth could produce until she wept with desire.

  Jace moved forward until his body was only inches from Tessa’s, and he continued to drink in the sight of her. She squirmed impatiently under his gaze, more than ready for his touch. Reaching out, Jace brushed his fingertips just under her jaw, then the sweet curve of her hip bone. Tessa watched with wide eyes as he trailed his caress upward over her ribcage and up just to the curve of one breast.

  Tessa bit her lip and leaned her head back, looking up at Jace with heavy-lidded eyes the color of an afternoon storm. Watching her teeth knead her bottom lip had Jace’s imagination running wild, thinking of where he’d like those lips to be next.

  When he brushed his fingertips up to her hardened nipple, she opened her mouth just enough When he brushed his fingertips up to her hardened nipple, she opened her mouth just enough

  to let out the first little “oh” of pleasure. Jace couldn’t help but move closer and run his hands over every inch of her satiny skin. Tessa stretched up on her toes like a cat asking for a scratch, and Jace slanted his mouth over hers in response.

  He felt Tessa’s small hands at his waist, exploring his hips and then his lower back, urging him on. Jace gave a low growl and she shivered deliciously, moaning into his mouth. His female was asking for more, and more she would get.

  Breaking their kiss, Jace slid his hand under her jaw again and gently tilted her head back to expose the slender white column of her throat. She obliged him by making a series of breathy gasps and writhing under his touch. Smiling, Jace nipped her neck and shoulder a few times, interspersing the love marks with simple kisses.

  Shifting his hands one more to her ribcage, Jace slowly cupped the fullness of her breasts. When Tessa shivered and moaned in answer Jace ran his large, calloused thumbs over both her nipples. He could feel Tessa’s touch growing bolder, her hands clutching at his thighs and hips in search of yet more. She knew what she wanted, but Jace still had a surprise in mind.

  Jace slid to his knees, giving his dismayed mate a devilish grin. She wrinkled her nose at him, but he just smirked and pushed her flush against the cool tiled wall. Jace ran his hands down her stomach to her hips and leaned in to dip his tongue into her navel. She giggled impertinently, and Jace nipped her hip bone. Before she finished making one of those sexy noises of hers, Jace’s hands were sliding down the outside of her thighs to the knee. He slid his hands back up her inner thighs as she squirmed.

  “What are you-“ Tessa started to protest, but Jace merely leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her mons. She froze up for a second, and Jace tenderly nuzzled her soft curls as his hands shaped her inner thighs. His thumbs gently parted her flesh, and he rubbed the tip of his nose against her softness, testing.

  “O-oh,” Tessa breathed suddenly, wobbling at the unexpected sensation. Jace merely chuckled, and removed his nose. Ignoring the shower’s spray, he kissed her once more and then explored her sweetness with his deft tongue. Tessa’s hands dug into his wet hair urgently, which only made him more excited.

  He tongued her clitoris gently, eliciting a guttural moan. He experimented with a combination of licks, nuzzles, and rolls, trying to find what she liked best. But already her thighs and innermost muscles were clenching, close to release. Jace waited until she was mindless with need, then sucked gently on her most sensitive spot.

  Tessa lost herself completely, crying out her pleasure as her shaky legs collapsed. Jace reached out and caught her before she hit the ground, amused that his mate’s eyes had just rolled up into her head. He knew what he was doing, sure, but he’d never actually made a woman faint before. He hadn’t really even had time to use some more advanced maneuvers.

  Still hard as a rock, he cradled his mate against his body and stepped from the shower. Her eyes fluttered open as he set her down and wrapped her in a towel, and she gave him a completely adoring smile.

  “Are you okay?” he teased, drying her off with another towel before giving himself the same treatment. His movements drew her gaze downward to his fully primed manhood, and she flushed prettily.

  “We’re not finished yet, are we?” she asked, her gaze lifting back to his face. Jace couldn’t help but grin and shake his head, awed by his female.

  “Not by a long shot, kitten.”

  Her squawk of protest at the nickname was muffled as he swept her up and nearly ran to the bedroom. Dropping her on the bed, he tossed all their towels to the floor. As he settled next to her, she leaned up and caught his mouth in a demanding kiss. Those hands of hers were roaming again, this time deliberately seeking out his hardness.

  Jace groaned as he watched Tessa run her fingers over the velvety skin of his cock, slip back to explore his sack, and then take him in her fist. Her hands were small enough that they barely went all the way around, which didn’t bother Jace one bit. She slid her hand up his length tentatively, smiling when he growled and thrust against her. Biting her lip, she gave him a nervous look before slipping down to the end of the bed.

  Jace tensed as he realized her intention, preparing to stop her. He wanted to fuck her properly, but that mouth would surely ruin his plans.

  Intentions be damned, all thought flew out the window the moment her hot little tongue touched his head, sampling. Jace let out a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush, but his sweet mate didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. Instead she slid her soft lips around the tip of his cock, running her tongue around experimentally.

  And that quickly, Jace had to pull himself away.

  “I’m not finished!” she protested, pouting.

  “Well I’m about to be if you don’t stop,” he said sternly, pulling her back up to him.

  Tessa leaned in and kissed him gently, and he ran a hand down her flank to her inner thigh, seeking. She made another “oh” sound, and he rolled her onto her back. He quickly sought the center of her heat again, and found her damp with readiness. He rolled to center his body over hers, and she parted her legs eagerly. Settling himself against her warmth, Jace had to bite his lip when she wrapped her legs around him.

  Using one hand, he guided himself to her opening but didn’t press in immediately. Jace wanted to make sure he didn’t hurt his mate by moving too fast. Slowly, painstakingly, he began to move in all-to-short thrusts to work himself into her dampness.

  Tessa, of course, had her own ideas. While he was busy restraining himself from pounding her until she screamed, she got tired of waiting. Using more muscle than he’d known she had, she flexed her thighs hard and pulled him all the way down in one rough stroke. They both cried out, and Jace looked at her to make sure she was unharmed. Wrinkli
ng her nose, she smacked him on the arm.

  “Quit stalling!” she ordered. Jace’s humorous snort of response was lost as he withdrew and plunged back in to the hilt, leaving her breathless with pleasure.

  He set a faster rhythm than he’d planned, realizing that neither of them would last very long like this. Tessa was moving relentlessly under him, meeting each stroke as he pounded against her. Fissions of pleasure shot through his body, pooling heavily in his groin. When he started to feel Tessa’s innermost muscles clench, he grabbed both her knees and pressed them back toward her body to give himself access to her G spot.

  He could feel the spongy spot of her inner lining, and guided each stroke to rub against it. Suddenly she was shaking like crazy, every muscle coiled on the verge of release. He stopped holding back his own orgasm, and was immediately on the brink. When Tessa cried out, halfsobbing his name, a flood of pleasure washed through Jace. The release barreled through his body and mind, so intense that for several heartbeats he was blind to everything around him and deaf to his own shouts of pleasure.

  Collapsing next to his mate, he pulled her closer and gasped for breath. Feeling her delicate Collapsing next to his mate, he pulled her closer and gasped for breath. Feeling her delicate

  heartbeat against his own, he closed his eyes and knew no more. Around midnight, Tessa sighed contentedly in Jace’s arms. They were curled up in Jace’s bed between the silky sheets and the wonderfully thick quilt, and Tessa couldn’t remember ever being happier. Jace, for his part, looked like the cat that ate the canary. He was still running his hands over every part of Tessa’s body as if he were making sure she wasn’t a dream.

  Every couple of minutes, he’d give her a sultry look and Tessa would laugh. Her mate might have the stamina of a bull, but she hadn’t quite caught up yet. This whole thing was still pretty new for her.

  “Do you really think Camilla is safe around that Raphael?” Tessa asked, twisting her gorgeous ring around her finger.

  “Why wouldn’t she be safe?” Jace asked, gently nuzzling Tessa’s neck as he spoke. She shivered at the lick of flame that shot down her spine, but resisted the temptation to respond.