“You don’t trust the ladder.”
“I don’t need the ladder. Werewolf, remember?”
She eyed him with alarm. “What, and jump down with me in your arms? No way.”
He shrugged. “Jump or stay, your choice.”
“You probably don’t care either way.”
“Why are you actin’ like this?”
Her heartbeat wobbled. “I’ll fucking do it, okay? I’ll jump.”
She sucked in a deep breath and slid herself slowly toward the edge. The more her weight shifted in the direction of a bad fall, the harder her heart pounded against her sternum.
“On three,” Jayson said. “One.”
“Wait! I’m not ready yet.”
“Two. Three. Go!”
Trying not to picture both of them winding up with broken bones, she finished pushing herself to the edge and let go. The drop was faster and shorter than she’d imagined, and she wound up in Jayson’s strong, capable arms.
He held onto her with a concerned expression. “Are you hurt?”
She eyed her hand, which looked a bit raw. “My wrist feels a little strained.”
Even after setting her down to take hold of her hand, he was still close enough for her to feel welcome body heat radiating through his gray tank top and matching jeans. Damn, he looked good, and she let herself take in an eyeful while he ran probing fingers over her wrist and arm.
“It ain’t broken.” His eyes glittered while he examined her, and when his gaze met hers, she felt the jolt all the way to her toes.
“Thank you for catching me.”
“What were you doin’ up there?”
A flicker of guilt overrode the pleasant tickle in her stomach. She’d been so determined to find out whether the men would respond to her distress call that she hadn’t thought of what to say if her plan worked.
Lana shrugged. “Oh, you know, I thought I’d get in some light dusting while I’m not doing anything with my life.”
He shot her a look. “Seriously. Why’d you get on the roof if you’re scared of heights?”
She heaved a sigh. “If you must know, I was trying out a theory I had. About you.” She glanced at him and bit her lip.
Jayson arched a brow. “I don’t get it.”
She turned away from him and began pacing back and forth. “When you left, I could still feel you, and I figured that meant you could feel me too.” She stopped and folded her arms. “I just didn’t know if you’d still come if you sensed I was in danger. I thought maybe you wouldn’t care anymore.”
The confusion in his eyes morphed into understanding. “You were testin’ me.”
“And Zane.” Who hadn’t come, and she had to wonder about that.
“You deliberately stranded yourself on the roof just to see if we’d show up?”
“I didn’t strand myself on purpose. Knocking the ladder over wasn’t part of the plan. I was just trying to get high enough to give me a good scare.”
“Well, I reckon you succeeded.” He shook his head and took his phone from his pocket. She watched while he dialed. “She’s fine,” he said. “False alarm. I’ll explain later.” He hung up and shot her a look. “Zane about bolted straight out of the market when we felt your danger. I was already close by and convinced him to not get fired. Good thing he didn’t bother, since you had no better reason for scarin’ the hell out of us than makin’ us jump like puppets on your string.”
She pressed her lips tight.
“To quote my sister, what the fuck, Lana?”
A hot surge of emotion rose in her stomach. “I’m sorry, but it’s your own fault.”
Jayson pulled off his hat and wiped his brow. “My fault? How do you reckon that?”
“You left me here all alone with no way to contact you. What if he shows up while you’re busy being mad? Or is that my punishment for not telling you about Jayel?” She folded her arms. “Maybe you figure I have it coming.”
His jaw tightened beneath the hat he settled back on his head. “That ain’t true. And I didn’t leave you in danger. Tyson ain’t comin’ after you anymore. Zane and I fixed it.”
She stepped over to the cabin wall and leaned against it. “I wish I’d known that day under the cherry tree was no more to you than a good deed you could finish with, zip up, and move on to the next female in distress.”
Jayson growled at that, and the sound clenched tightly around her middle. He stalked closer, the sparkles in his eyes glowing out from under his hat. “That ain’t what happened, and you know it.”
She raised her chin. “I know nothing of the sort. For all I know, you’ve already got another virgin roasting on the spit.”
His nostrils were flaring while he grabbed her upper arms and glared down at her. “Why are you accusin’ me like this? You’re the one who betrayed us.”
“I didn’t betray you. I had no idea Jayel was your sister.”
“You knew she was huntin’ us.”
She pulled away. “She wasn’t hunting you at all. I made sure of that. She only wants revenge on the werewolves who killed her family. Your family. And forgive me for saying I have no problem with that. Victims of murderers deserve justice.”
“So you figured you’d keep a werewolf killer a secret from your mates.”
“Mates? You mean one-night-stands?” He let out another warning growl, but she shook her head. “Save the intimidation, Jayson. Look, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. But you have to understand that before I ever owed you two a lick of allegiance, Jayel and I had vowed not to tell anyone about each other. I couldn’t break that promise to her without putting both our lives at stake.”
“And if she’d been lyin’ about huntin’ other werewolves?”
“She wasn’t. I trusted her.”
He let out a snort. “You trusted her, just like that? That ain’t the Lana I know. Or whatever your name really is.”
Her eye twitched at that. “I trusted you enough to give you a part of me I can’t ever get back. No matter how much I wish I could.”
He froze. “You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do. Jayel was right. I never should have let you and Zane touch me, especially after hearing what your kind is capable of.”
“Humankind is capable of a whole lot of ugly shit I don’t blame you for.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “You should have trusted us enough to tell us.”
She looked away to hide rising tears. “You shouldn’t have left me.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and Jayson swore. He pulled her to him. “I didn’t leave you. I didn’t mean to stay gone so long. I’m sorry.”
Lana melted in his embrace, warmer and safer than she’d felt in days. Hot tears barely fell before they were absorbed by the soft fabric of his shirt. “But you and Zane were too mad to come back.”
“I was, at first. Zane had his own reasons for stayin’ away. Besides, we’ve been busy tryin’ to find Jayel so we can fix this mess. We just can’t get a lock on her scent.”
Lana sniffed back her tears. “That’s because of the herbs she uses.” She paused. “Damn, I can’t remember what they are right now. I can’t think.”
“Me neither. All I can do is feel how incredible it is to have you in my arms again.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then each of her cheeks, and finally to her lips. Longing flooded her at his touch, and she clutched him to her as though he might run away again and not return.
“You didn’t mean it when you said you wished I hadn’t ever touched you,” he murmured against her mouth.
“No,” she admitted.
“And you know I ain’t like those other wolves,” he continued.
“I know.”
He picked her up in his arms.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Inside. Unless you’d rather finish making up back on the roof.”
Jayson carried her through the back door, kissing her every step without missing a beat,
and set her down on the kitchen table. Clothes came off in a desperate hurry, flinging this way and that until they were both naked. His cock was red and straining when he pulled her bottom near the edge of the table.
He took hold of her braid and gave it a tug to bring her mouth closer. “You’re so damn beautiful it makes me ache,” he whispered, his breath feathering her lips. “Just knowin’ you wanted me bad enough to pull that damn fool stunt makes me crazy.”
“It wasn’t a booty call,” she said.
“Oh, I think it was.”
His hand slid over her curves, finding spots that had her moaning and wriggling shamelessly. He pinched her nipples and rolled them in his fingers until she felt damp and so ready for his thick cock that she reached out and tugged on the stiff flesh to try and get him inside her.
Jayson gave a knowing smile and pulled back, teasing her instead by slipping his fingers between her thighs and wetting them with her juices before stroking them over her clit. Lana leaned back on her hands and arched, giving herself to the waves of steamy pleasure he aroused.
“Stayin’ away from you felt like pullin’ myself inside out,” he said, pushing a finger into her cunt. “I kept relivin’ the moment we claimed you.”
His finger fucking in and out made it hard to think, let alone answer. She let her hands reply for her by roaming over his hot, hard flesh, landing on his ass cheeks.
“Please, Jayson,” she managed, her nails digging into his ass to drive the point home.
“You need me to fuck you, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
He gave a growl of satisfaction. “Ever seen a wolf mate in the wild?”
He didn’t wait for an answer. Taking her by the waist, he set her feet on the floor and spun her around, bending her over the table.
“I don’t recall any wolf mating that involved being bent over furniture,” she said, gripping the table with sweaty palms. Her wrist protested a bit, but she barely noticed. The rest of her was too busy throbbing for Jayson.
He ran a hand over her backside. “Mm. Just look at that ripe, luscious ass.”
To her shock, a firm slap came down. She jumped. “What was that for?”
“You really need to ask, after how naughty you’ve been?”
Another slap, harder this time, stung the other cheek. “No more climbin’ on the roof, you hear me?” A third slap. “No more secrets. No more lies.”
“No,” she said, whimpering at his spanking.
A hot sting spread all over her ass as he delivered another blow. “And don’t ever accuse me of not wantin’ you.”
“Only if you promise not to ignore me anymore.”
His lips feathered along her spine. “I couldn’t stay away from you for long even if I wanted to. But I don’t.”
Despite the relief she felt in hearing the words, frustration coursed through her. Maybe she deserved the spanking, maybe she didn’t. But if she didn’t have Jayson’s cock inside her soon, she was going to go insane.
She bucked her ass back, seeking his stiff dick.
“Oh, I know what you want,” he said. To prove it, she felt his erection slide along her crack, and she moaned happily.
The head of his cock pressed against her cunt opening, and to her overwhelming relief, he didn’t tease her with it. He drove in deep with a guttural moan.
“Gods, yes,” she said, arching against him.
Having Jayson inside her transformed her into a shameless, feral creature. She wanted to claw the maple finish and carve in a reminder of just how damn good he felt. She needed him to ram her fast and hard, mate with her like an animal fulfilling a biological imperative. His fucking was as vital to her survival as eating or breathing. Yet despite her rampant lust for him, he held himself still, gripping her hips while his were pressed tight to her ass.
She moved against him impatiently, letting out little animal grunts of annoyance.
Finally he pulled back, and she froze to hone in on the marvelous sensation. With his dick almost all the way out, he stopped and gave her bottom another sharp swat.
“Ouch,” she called out, but then he plunged in again, drowning out the stinging flare of pain.
The spanking continued this way, Jayson slapping each cheek in turn with every stroke of his cock. His motions grew faster and less controlled, and her ass was burning like hellfire before long. But she didn’t care. Finally he stopped slapping and leaned over her, tugging her braid back so she could meet his rough whisper.
“Tell me you won’t never keep secrets from me again,” he said, the words coming out choppy while he continued fucking. “Tell me you never want to go another night without my dick inside you.”
His scent surrounded her, sending her pleasure up higher until she wanted to scream. Orgasm was just out of reach.
“I’m sorry,” she said, the word turning to a loud moan when his other hand reached around to tweak her nipples. “Never again. I swear it.”
“Damn right you do,” he ground out, and then he stiffened. “Now, tell me your name, darlin’. Your real name. Just once.”
She knew he was about to lose control and come, and his hand slid between her thighs to take her there with him.
“Violet,” she whispered. “My name is Violet.”
His probing fingers sharpened her arousal, but tugging her braid hard while he let out a fierce grunt is what shoved her into climax.
His orgasm erupted right behind hers, and as they rode it out on the kitchen table, she felt his sharp teeth sink into her shoulder. Sweet pain exploded through both mind and body, and she lost track of planet earth for a time. She was barely aware of Jayson turning her around, but came back when he pulled her into a tender embrace and kissed the top of her head.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he murmured. “Violet.”
“I noticed.” The words were muffled against his damp chest. “I missed you too.” She laced her fingers together at the small of his back and let herself ride the wave of contentment. “Just please call me Lana. I’ve found her life a lot more fulfilling than Violet’s ever was.”
He lifted her chin after a moment, and she found herself gazing up into a serious expression. “I’m sorry you put yourself in danger because you thought we wouldn’t help you,” he said. “Don’t ever do that again.”
She nodded. “Believe me, I learned my lesson.”
They dressed in silence, although Jayson stopped her from putting her sweater back on until he’d tenderly cleaned her shoulder. She hadn’t even thought about the fact that he’d drawn blood when he’d bitten her. The spot tingled, but not as much as her sore bottom.
“I’m surprised my pants aren’t ringin’,” he said as he slid into them. “I know Zane had to have sensed what we were doin’.”
She remembered something Jayson had said earlier. “You told me he had other reasons for avoiding me. What did you mean?”
Jayson finished buckling his belt. “He stayed away on account of his fertile phase.” He grabbed his boots and sat on the nearest chair. “I know he fucked you the first night of it, and believe me when I say I let him hear plenty about that.” He sighed. “I feel partly responsible. I saw how he was actin’. It was all I could do to keep my mind on the search, so I told him to leave. I should have guessed he’d follow his hard-on straight to you.”
She sat in the chair opposite him. “It’s all right. We were both using protection.” Although Zane’s had apparently malfunctioned somewhat. “Besides, from what I know of biology, it wasn’t even the right time of month for me.”
“Don’t matter. A werewolf’s phase will trigger a breedin’ female’s fertile cycle.”
She stared at him. “You’re saying I might have gotten pregnant despite a condom and the Pill?”
“Maybe not.” He cocked his head and gave her a scrutinizing eye, as though he could tell something like that just by looking. “But maybe.”
Her hand slid low over her stomach. “Oh, Gods.”
“I
know it’s too fast,” Jayson said. “We’ve barely had a chance to discover what mates can mean to each other. I told Zane as much.”
“It’s not that.” Her heart pounded with worry. “I’ve spent so long being afraid for my own life that the thought of putting an innocent baby in danger scares the hell out of me.”
“Because you went up on the roof? You didn’t know.”
She stood up shakily. “I’m not talking about the roof.”
The rest was left unspoken, but Jayson’s expression tightened. “Come here.”
He reached for her, and she went into his arms. Holding her against him eased the quivering in her limbs.
“I know it’s hard to let go of the past,” he said. “Believe me, I know. That’s why you still keep your magic braid and the fear that goes with it. But that part of your life is behind you now. Tyson’s hold on you ended when Zane and I claimed you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’ve seen it happen.” He let go of her and took a step back. “I was in a pack once who went after a werewolf’s intended mate.” She stiffened. “Our alpha, Blaise, was obsessed with Lily. She was fated for the rival pack he believed had stolen one of his betas. He was determined to take her as revenge.”
She swallowed. “What happened?”
“Several of us didn’t support his plan, but we couldn’t break free of his will. I can’t say we didn’t notice her allure, though. Few males are immune to a breedin’ mate’s charms. Worse, everyone in a pack feels the same attraction for a mate claimed by one of its members. In this case, it was the beta whose bond to Blaise had only been partly severed by his new pack.”
While it wasn’t the point of his admission, Lana couldn’t help but feel her stomach tense at the thought of him wanting another woman that way. It was stupid, she knew. It wasn’t like she thought Jayson had also been a virgin when they’d met. Nevertheless, jealousy burned in her throat.
“Understand it was a hollow, empty feelin’,” he went on. Maybe he’d seen the look in her eyes. “One I knew wasn’t meant to be. Point is, that draw was severed the minute I bonded with Zane, my rightful mate. You and he are the ones I’m truly meant for.” He reached out and stroked her braid. “Tyson’s fascination with you will have ended just as abruptly as mine did with Lily. You were never his. You’re mine.”
Disorderly Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 17
