Jace was grateful for the reinforced walls surrounding them. Nobody would hear his mate as he made love to her one last time.
By the time she’d relaxed, she looked beautiful, her afterglow radiating in the soft light of the bedroom. But her eyes were still full of fire, wanting and asking for more.
She would get it.
Jace ran his hands up along her thighs to her midsection and, with one swift move, turned her over, revealing her sumptuous ass and her soft back. He dipped his hands down between her thighs and felt inside, first with one finger, then two, then three. The warm slickness was erotic and inviting, and he knew she was fully ready.
Jace threw off his pants and rolled on a condom, then came behind her, teasing at her entrance as he kissed down the length of her spine, making her mewl with want. Then, with one slow push, he thrust up and into her, filling her completely as she gasped with arousal.
Being inside Amber was like nothing else in the world. As if he could be a part of her, and, in so doing, give her the greatest pleasure on earth. Inside, she was so warm, so hot that the attraction and pleasure burned so brightly Jace felt it would consume them both.
As Amber leaned over, Jace pulled out and thrust back into her, again drawing a long, ragged moan from her. As he moved into a slow, terrifyingly wonderful rhythm, he reached down and cupped her generous breasts in his hands, holding and squeezing them to further her pleasure, running his finger over the hardened tips of her nipples in time with his pumps.
By now, Jace could tell Amber’s body was almost completely exhausted from the heat of their passion, and he planned to draw out one last, ultimate climax from her.
Jace brought his hands down to the curve of Amber’s hips where they met her thighs and began to move fast inside her, paying attention to every little response from her that signaled her growing pleasure, burning it into his mind so he would never forget how wonderful it had been for the both of them.
“Ah, yes, yes, yes,” she called out, panting with pleasure and thrusting with her own hips into him, desperate for release but loving every second near the plateau just before.
Jace could feel his own body tightening, responding to hers and climbing closer. All his nerves felt like they were on fire, the sight of his mate so thoroughly pleased enough to send him over the edge if he let it.
But he held Amber tighter, and as he felt her clench inside and her entire body tense and freeze, he reached his hand down to stimulate her clit the split second before she came to further intensify her orgasm.
And orgasm she did. Hard. She pushed down over him, engulfing him with overwhelming heat as she screamed his name in ecstasy, and he felt himself slip over the edge as well. His body clenched as his cock tightened inside her, then released with incredible force as his hips melded skin to skin with hers. It was as if he could never be close enough, never be far enough inside her. That if it were possible, their two bodies would be one in this supernal, all-encompassing event.
As Amber screamed long and loud in the throes of her release, Jace’s hands gripped at her sides as she came. It was all so beautiful it made him want to take everything back and keep her forever, as selfish as that was. Even as she wrung out every last drop of energy from him as she finally relaxed in his grip, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was making a mistake.
He kissed her on the back, then came out of her, and she rolled onto her side, exhausted and beautiful and sweaty and perfect. He quickly cleaned up, then came back to the bed to pull the sheets over her.
“I’ll miss this,” Amber said quietly with a tired smile as her breathing relaxed and slowed.
“Me too,” Jace replied as Amber quickly drifted off to sleep, her skin still glowing from pleasure.
Me too.
Chapter Eight
The following day greeted them with a heavy gloom that settled over Amber, in spite of how wonderful and hot last night had been.
Somehow, sex with Jace had only gotten better and better, and last night was no exception to the rule. Even now, she still felt the aftereffects of being pushed so far past her own limits of pleasure that she could swear she had an out-of-body experience, and just thinking about it made her quiver with recollection.
The only problem was it was becoming more and more apparent that Jace didn’t want her in the same way. He didn’t want to stay with her forever. He was already pushing her away mentally. She could feel it.
Without a word, he’d gotten out of bed to make breakfast for them while she called to talk to Josie about coming over and packed her few belongings. Josie had promised to take her shopping that morning to make up for the other night, her treat, but Amber had never been much of a shopper like her friend.
Still, she needed every distraction she could get right now. Last night, she’d thought if they just had one more time, she could get Jace out of her system and finally be done with it all. But her heart clearly had other ideas. And no matter how logical the things he said sounded, her heart still ached at the thought of losing him, like something was terribly wrong and nothing could be done to stop it.
Amber tried to tell herself it was just a stupid crush. In a few days, she’d be over it and happily enjoying her new life with her new job and the prospect of finishing up school soon, but her feelings told her otherwise.
Aside from ironing out the last few logistics, served with a hefty dose of advice on how to “be careful out there” and “always keep an eye out,” there was an awkward silence between the two of them that had never existed until this morning. It had been one of the reasons she’d trusted him so readily at the outset—he communicated with her and made her feel listened to, even if his own thoughts were sharp and succinct.
But as the morning progressed, it was obvious neither of them really knew what to say. Why didn’t Jace fight for her now like he had from the very first moment they’d met?
In the back of her mind, she could hear the vicious, self-critical voice seeping over her, telling her all the heinous things she’d told herself too many times. Jace wasn’t interested in her anymore because she really was just a boring, chubby woman with nothing going on in her life and nothing at all that interesting about her. If that had been different, he would want to keep what they had.
Amber’s heart tried to resist. She knew he was different. But his conflicted, almost cold indifference didn’t help her argument much.
After she ate a few bites of breakfast, her stomach rebelling at having anything inside it, Jace grabbed her things and led them up to his car. The drive to her friend’s apartment building was silent, only broken by the sound of his muscle car thrumming as he accelerated and decelerated down the streets through the city.
When they finally arrived at Josie’s building, Josie waiting outside to meet her as she’d promised, Amber had had enough. She wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Even though she knew very clearly from the start this was all going to be a temporary thing, she suspected there was something more, and this was going to be perhaps her only chance at finding someone like Jace ever again.
Desperate? Maybe. But she’d rather risk it all for the chance that what they had was real rather than simply throw in the towel and let life make the decisions for her.
“Jace,” Amber said. He turned to look at her, his orange-gold eyes glistening in the late-morning sun. “Why does this have to be good-bye? Why can’t we keep seeing each other?” she asked, trying hard not to get emotional about the whole thing.
“Because it won’t be safe for you,” he said stoically. “It’s better this way.”
“Better for who?”
“Better if you just move on with your life and forget all about me,” he said resolutely.
Amber could see Josie waiting for them at the bottom of the steps leading into the building, but she could wait another minute. “I don’t get it. From the moment we met, you acted interested in me, and heaven knows I was interested in you. What changed so suddenly?”
�
��This was never meant to be a long-term thing,” Jace replied. “You won’t be safe if I’m ever seen around you.”
“That’s what I don’t get. You obviously know a lot about things I know nothing about, yet you refuse to tell me what you do for work. Or why you live in a freaking bomb shelter. Hell, why you were even at that guy Brenner’s apartment in the first place. Why can’t you tell me these things?” she asked, feeling her voice raise a little but trying not to get hysterical about something she’d promised herself she wasn’t going to take too seriously. “Don’t I mean something to you?”
Jace took a long breath and waited. She could see his knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel, considering his answer. Finally, he turned to her and spoke. The look in his eyes chilled her. It was flat, pained. Dead. “I just don’t think we’re a good match,” he said quietly.
There it was. The thing she’d expected him to say from the first minute she’d shown interest in him, yet somehow she’d hoped beyond hope it wasn’t the case. Of course, the sexy, perfect, protective man wasn’t interested in her. And why should he be?
Still, Amber’s heart was rarely wrong about things, and from the start, it had felt like there was something right about him. About the whole thing.
But she’d just been silly, obviously. Wanting to see what she’d wanted to see, while all along, he’d made it clear it wasn’t going to go on forever.
Somewhere along the way, things had gotten really screwed up. And Amber had no time to waste on men that would throw away everything because they “weren’t a good match.”
No matter how right it had felt.
Amber threw off her seatbelt and got out of the car, stomping to the trunk so she could get her things. When Jace got out and offered to help, she brushed away his hand and pulled the bags out herself and set them on the curb.
“If anything ever happens, let me know—”
“No, I won’t.” Amber cut him off. “You take care of you. I’ll take care of me. You’ve done more than enough, and I think you’ve gotten plenty back in return.” She scoffed at the impossibly high man in front of her. She was tired of pretending this was more than a convenient lay for him, even if he had saved her that first night.
“Seriously, Amber,” Jace said, looking grim.
“Good luck finding someone who’s a good match for you, bastard.” She stormed off, traitorous tears filling her eyes as she went. She could feel Jace’s eyes boring into her back, watching her go, but she couldn’t face him again. Not like this.
Good riddance, Jace.
* * *
Jace’s mind and heart were going berserk. The sight of Amber, his mate and probably the only woman he’d ever love, walking away, tears welling in her eyes, was the last straw. It was full-on rebellion now between what he logically knew was smarter for them and what his emotions for this woman demanded he do instead.
He hadn’t meant to hurt her like that. He just didn’t know what else to say that would send her the message that she should move on and forget about him. The fact was they were a perfect match. Too perfect, because she was everything he could ever want, but a lowlife like him wasn’t the person she deserved.
Whether she knew it yet or not.
Jace drove home recklessly and tried to work, but his thoughts wouldn’t cooperate as he pored over city records and tax documents that might lead to more information on Egan.
Every time he tried to focus, his thoughts wandered to the time they spent together. Their walk in the park. The conversations over meals. Their heated lovemaking. And then he would get ideas about going back to her and telling her everything. And then he would have to remind himself he was basically one step from being a criminal and Amber could do better.
She was going to be safe. This was better, right? If they’d known where her friend lived, they would have already looked for her there. So the best thing for him to do was find and put these criminals to justice, once and for all. And the best thing for her to do would be to forget he even existed.
For the rest of the morning, this cycle repeated until his phone beeped, reminding him of lunch with his brothers.
Since all of them currently lived in the city (though Jace and their youngest brother Kel’s work often took them far away from it from time to time), they’d promised to keep in touch and see each other periodically. Because they’d basically only had each other growing up, the bond between them was very strong, and their adoptive mother’s dying wish was for the three of them to stay close. Their own little tiger pack.
Jace considered texting them and rescheduling, but he decided against it, hoping instead that being with his brothers would help clear his mind. He grabbed his jacket, checked his phone as it traced Amber for the millionth time and saw she was still at the mall with her friend, and headed out.
The location where they would meet changed every now and then, but they always shared two things in common: discrete atmosphere and good steaks. The new location, Studio B, which had been suggested by his older brother Carter, was a good ways across town for Jace, so with midday traffic, he arrived five minutes late.
When he got in, Carter and Kel were already there waiting for him. Carter wore the regular suit and tie his detective career called for. Carter was one of the top cops in the city, well known for closing even the most difficult cases. Of course, being a powerful tiger shifter didn’t hurt.
Carter was tall and built like Jace but had deep, jade-green eyes, so bright they almost seemed illuminated by some unknown source, and he kept his dark hair trimmed to look more professional. It was closely shorn and only highlighted his intense, masculine features.
Kel, the youngest, was the most unique. To start, he was even larger than Jace and Carter, standing a couple inches taller at an almost unnatural height of six feet eight inches. And instead of dark hair and tanned skin, Carter was lighter, with bright-blue eyes that went well with his short, white-blond hair.
His demeanor was always very quiet, almost unnervingly so at times, and his natural beauty had chicks falling head over heels for him all the time. But as a bodyguard, his clients just liked that he looked the part, didn’t ask questions, and had a flawless track record of protecting whoever was under his care.
But it made sense. As a white tiger, Kel stood out where he went, no matter what he tried. So as he grew up, he just stopped caring what people thought and found his own path to walk.
Jace came up to the booth, and Carter stood to give him a quick hug. As the oldest, he knew Carter took their meetings very seriously, whereas Kel could probably care less.
The youngest didn’t stand, just waved nonchalantly to Jace as he sat across from his brothers.
“So how’s it been? Dragons run out of money yet?” Carter joked. Of the three, he was probably the friendliest, though he also had a real deadly side if you happened to be on the wrong end of the law or crossed his family.
“Seriously, Carter, you need to give up on trying to fix the city and its shifter problems the conventional way. The pay’s much, much better, and you don’t have to deal with all the red tape,” Jace replied as he took a quick glance at the menu. He didn’t feel hungry since his stomach was still in knots as his mind recalled over and over Amber’s face as she left.
“Maybe someday. For now, you just keep taking care of things your way and stay out of the department’s business,” he said with a smirk. “And how about you, Kel? Work still going well?”
“It’s good,” Kel said indifferently as he cracked open pistachios from a large bowl in front of him and popped them in his mouth. Even when prodded, Kel never spoke about work, either because of client confidentiality or because he liked to keep to himself. Jace suspected it was the latter.
Kel’s real name was Kelly. But only their mother had called him that, and since her passing, he’d refused to let anyone else call him by that name.
As the brothers ordered lunch and caught up on what was new, or the same, from their last meet
ing, Jace’s thoughts constantly wandered back to the cute, curvy woman on his mind and how strongly he still felt for her. How hurt she’d been when he’d left her, letting her think it was for the best.
The moments when he’d felt like she was his mate were particularly strong on his mind, and as they finished up eating, Jace decided to bring it up.
“So random question. Do you think tigers can have fated mates?” Jace asked out of thin air. He knew it was an awkward thing to bring up, since none of them were in relationships. But he had to know.
Carter raised an eyebrow at his younger brother. Kel just looked up at Jace dispassionately as he finished off the last bite of steak on his plate.
“What do you mean?” Carter asked.
“I mean, what do you know about us as far as finding a mate? Is it even possible?” Jace asked, hoping not to give away too much with his questions.
“There are several cat shifter enclaves here in the city, and I’ve had the chance to speak with a few,” Carter said. “Generally speaking, no. But they tend to be a lot more focused on breeding for survival and genetic preservation because their populations are so small, so I don’t even think they consider that an option.” Carter propped his elbows on the table, tenting his fingers in front of him.
“So it’s not possible,” Jace said on a sigh. He was right. He’d just been imagining things from the start.
Carter interjected, “Not necessarily. To be honest, we tigers don’t really fall into the same category as other cats like cougars or lynxes. We didn’t simply exist like they did. We were bred and created for a purpose from the start, and there was probably some genetic engineering along the way. So I don’t think anyone really knows, and the shifters that do are either gone, dead, or locked up who knows where. Why, did you meet someone?”
While Carter spoke, Kel had pushed his plate aside and resumed his mechanical eating of pistachios, his huge hands making the tiny shells look hilariously small as he observed the conversation.
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