by Daphne Snow
"It's huge, more like a mansion. I thought maybe you were more of a loft kinda guy. But it's beautiful. I love it." He nodded a small smile on his lips.
They pulled to a stop and men surrounded the car, hands on the pistols at their side. They stood unflinching in the high snow. Though it looked like a path to the door had already been cleared.
"Uh?" Frannie started to ask if it were okay to step out but Benson himself had already left the car greeting the men outside. He came around to open the door for her and helped her out. She grabbed his hand gingerly. As soon as she placed a heeled foot down and tried to bear her weight it came out from under her.
She slipped and the ground was nearing. Falling always kind of scared her she was bigger than most and she was always afraid she would take a big enough fall to break something. She closed her eyes tightly waiting for the impact of her face to the cold snowy pavement but they never connected.
She slowly cracked her eyes open to see her in the strong arms of her mate. Alexander had swung her up and into his arms like a princess before she even had a chance to connect to the ground. She looked up at him in awe. He acted like she had weighed nothing, barely a drop in the bucket.
His eyes were soft as he looked at her and then hastily became hard as he stared at the men surrounding them.
"Where is Costas?" A man came from the snow, his boyish features charming. He would have been the last person she thought worked for a gangster type. He looked like the local guys that worked at the bodegas that gave you a semi-friendly smile while you were waiting for a breakfast sandwich.
"Get this taken care of." He nearly snarled, angry at him for what? Black ice is so hard to see especially at night. I could smell these men were all bear shifters like them. Sure they were tough but none of us had extreme night vision. Frannie slapped at his chest, her brow drawn forward.
"Don't be mean to him. Even you didn’t see it or else you would've told me to step around it. Don't be rude for no reason." The men surrounding them exchanged looks of surprise and shock. Frannie shrank a bit remembering who it was exactly she was dealing with. She didn't know if he had killed people or was the violent type. She needed to tread more carefully if she wanted to make it out of here without angering him. Costas, the boyish man in front of them even blinked a few times before he smiled widely at them ruffling his hair a bit with his free hand.
"You're a peach. You don't have to worry about me. I'll take care of it right away. Anything else sir?" She certainly wasn’t expecting the greek accent he had or the very uncensored attitude he was sporting. They must be somewhat close for him to not think Alex was going to rip his head off. Frannie looked back at the man holding her, his eyes didn't leave her as he spoke.
"Cancel all meetings for tomorrow. Any proposals will have to wait and call Blackwell. Tell him to be here by seven." He lifted his head to look at his men. "And go to the bunks. I don't want anyone out here for more than a hour at a time." They looked at each other for a moment.
"But sir-"
"None of you will be any good to me dead in the snow. Go to the bunks. I don't want to hear another word. You’ll return to your normal positions at six am sharp." Another moment of silence passed along with whispers carried on the wind. Frannie shivered, the cold finally starting to sink into her bones.
Alexander must have noticed as he started toward the front doors. Another man opened it for them and he walked in stopping as the door closed behind them. Through the window of the door, Frannie could see the men gathering in a huddle before dispersing presumably to go somewhere.
“There is a bunker under the garage for them to sleep during shift changes or if they need a place to stay. It's warm, they'll be fine for the night.” He told her as she continued to watch the men scatter. Frannie was glad at least he wasn’t cruel enough to make his men stand out in the snow all night. Bit by bit she was seeing a possible future with this man.
The house was dark and Frannie could only make out the stairs that lead to a second floor. Alexander set her on her feet and then walked away, immediately she missed him. In such a short time he was inching his way so far under her skin she doubted she could spend an hour without him. That was terrifying for her.
The sound of a lightswitch echoed. A warm glow lighting up every facet. They weren't harsh white lights more like yellows and oranges.
Frannie didn't know why she was so surprised just like everything else in his life this house was opulent. The stairs she saw formed a half circle with a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The floors were a beautiful shiny dark wood and paintings of nature hung on the walls like in his office. Tall well taken care of plants sat in corners in vases just as tall as her.
She could see a living room off to the left and what looked like a fireplace in front of expensive leather furniture. Past the stairs towards the back looked like a kitchen but the lights were off and she couldn’t quite tell.
"I take it you like it?" She nodded slowly as she turned to eye everything. Her turn stopped as her eyes landed on him, her mate. He was watching her, his hands in his pockets. She blushed hotly as she remembered he took her panties. He said nothing about it though.
"Come, the bathroom is this way. You can take a hot shower." She nodded again surprised at her lack of words or derision. She followed him taking in everything as they went. They went up the stairs and to the left a dark red carpet lining the upstairs hallways. They stopped at a door and he opened it letting her walk in first.
The bathroom was bigger than her apartment or at least it seemed that way. A marble double sink counter matched the adjacent shower with sparkling clear glass.
"I'll go grab something for you to wear and leave it on the counter."
"Okay, no peeking." He didn't say anything he just left. No smile or even a smirk and it annoyed her a little.
She was too tired and cold to care at this point. The whirlwind of constant emotional whiplash was exhausting. She made her choice; they weren't meant for each other no matter what. He didn't want her besides sex and she didn't know him and didn't know if she wanted him either.
This was her worst nightmare to have found her mate who didn't want her. Didn't want the real her. She would've been better off never having found him. She was not sexy, not cunning, not the goddess he needed in his life. And he, well he wasn’t gentle, not laid back not...not, just not what she wanted. You are impossible. Fey commented.
Fran shot a quick text to Mina before undressing. Frannie stripped her dress feeling free of the slinky clinging material and stretched. Her thighs though cold were still slick with her juices from what happened in the car. She turned red. She didn't even know why she let him do that. Frannie just never wanted him to stop touching her. He was a drug and she was a very willing addict.
She took off the jewelry and ran her finger through her hair trying to detangle it. Huffing as her finger tangled in the bottom she gave up and headed towards the shower.
Turning on the hot water she looked towards the door, she couldn’t hear anything. It was a little too silent but she carried on. The steam rolled out in waves as she closed the glass door behind her. Frannie let the hot water run over her shoulders and back relishing in the heat. Fey sighed content within her.
As Frannie stood in the middle of the hot water her brain was awry with thoughts. Everything seemed so confusing her brain was trying to reason and doubt all her thoughts. At the end of the day though there only seemed to be two options about what to do.
She either left to go back to California and forget Alexander and their mate bond as best she could no matter the potential physical pain. Or she stayed and tried to make it work with him to see if there was any way to have with him what she had once seen between her mother and her father.
The mate bond was not like dating. You couldn't just break up. It was basically like a shifter marriage. Bound forever the two of them in eternal, what is supposed to be, bliss.
She couldn't help the tears that
came.
Stay. Was all Fey had to offer. She had tried not to cry from the frustration but she could no longer hold it back.
Her tears mixed with the water and the shuddering of her shoulders only elevated her fright and sadness. She simply didn't know what to do. Everything was moving so fast and the vast difference between them made crossing that cavern feel daunting.
Frannie just wanted to hide.
Hot and hard skin wrapped around her waist and she squeaked in surprise opening her eyes to see muscled arms holding her.
She tuned in their grasp to come face to face with a very wet and very naked Alexander. She knew it was all muscle under those dark suits he wore but this was different. It was so much more and so very delectable.
His impossibly broad shoulders dwarfed her own. She could feel his tight abs press against her rounded soft stomach and the feel of his cock there as well. Hotter than the water and way more desirable too. She groaned at the thought of her riding him but held it back as best she could. His normally short slicked back hair came falling in front of his face as the water splashed against it. The cool green eyes of contempt were replaced with the glow of bright emeralds.
"Why are you crying?" The question made her blink a few times. She was a bit busy ogling his body to really be taking in questions. Frannie sidestepped out of the water a bit so she didn't look like a gaping fish for air and did her best to remove herself from his grasp. After a moment of refusing to let her go, she pushed at his arms once more before he slowly and reluctantly released her.
"I wasn't crying.” She started to say but his raised eyebrow and the remembrance he could sense her lies stopped her. "I'm stressed. About this, I don’t know what to do." She hated to admit the truth. But under his gaze, she couldn’t lie he made her want to divulge all her secrets. Frannie kept her eyes on his face trying not to look at his not so small friend.
He didn't step forward giving her much needed space. "Do you not want to be my mate?" A look of disappointment crossed his stoic features and Frannie was surprised. But that didn't stop the incredulous snort from her as she blinked away tears.
"That’s not it. You don't even know me! You don't want me either. Physically, you want me, but spiritually and intellectually you want someone else, need someone else!" Her words were let loose in torrents.
"I know enough and I do want everything, Francesca. I meant what I said. I don’t want anyone else. You are my entire world now. Accept that." Still, he didn't move, just watched the water slicking off his back. She crossed her arms suddenly feeling vulnerable under his ever-watchful eyes. Then she realized this was the first time he had ever seen her naked. Her eyes nearly fell out of her head at that and she turned to start to hide her more undesirable parts.
It was then he moved to her side grabbing onto her wrist and pulling them from the crossed formation. "Let me go you ass."
He took her wrist and pinned them atop her head exposing all of her to him. His eyes shone brighter as he devoured her with just a look.
"Tell me you don’t want me, Francesca. Push me away. Nothing you say can make me believe we aren't mates. Nothing you say can make me want you less. But tell me that you don’t want to be my mate and I will leave you alone." He growled and her body shook with pleasure. " No matter how much it would destroy me."
Chapter 12
He snarled anger, fear and lust melded together, a complex dance of emotions within him. He waited for the cursed words to roll off her lips. Ready for the ache in his chest as she told him her truth. His heart thrumming a beat so foreign to him he felt he was not himself, a stranger to his own body. Alexander's chest swelled a bit as he looked into her eyes. Her beautiful eyes he never seemed to get enough of.
She is ours, how can she not want us? Axl asked, shocked at Alexander's thoughts of despair.
He released Francesca's hands as her body's tension eased under his gaze. He hadn't liked that she had tried to turn from him. She was magnificent, a true beauty he wanted to see all of her. Every curve, every stretch mark, every freckle, every single thing that made up his mate, he wanted to see, to taste, to explore fully.
He had tried to stay distant from her as soon as they entered his house. Realizing Axl and his own need were driving him so close to the edge it was damn near impossible to keep his hands from her. His mate was in his home in a place where he had her alone and no one could stop him from making her scream his name.
After what had happened in his car earlier he was dying for more. Her wet cunt squeezing his fingers was a memory so deeply burned into his brain he would never be able to erase it. Not that he even wanted to. He needed her with a feeling that far surpassed a desire.
Without her, he realized he felt empty between the days he hadn't seen her. If he desperately tried not to think about her his head was hollow and his life was uninspired. This existence he called his life was nothing more than walking through a fog. Her sassy way of calling him out, secretive smiles, and babbling words warmed him to the core and he couldn't live without them. When she was around the fog cleared and he could see a future. It was incredible how amazing she was.
He kept his hands to himself though. He had the full intention of leaving her clothes and going to get a separate room ready for Frannie. He would not come to her until she was ready.
Yet when he had come to leave the oversized shirt on the counter and heard her sobs over the steamy shower. He knew, he simply knew he couldn't leave her alone tonight. Her cries tore at his very soul. He could not leave his mate to wipe away her tears alone. He was a bastard but for her, for her, he was the gentleman she needed. At least he hoped.
At this moment he wasn't sure whether she wanted him or not. Sure he could smell her arousal through the sweet-scented soap but it was more than that. Alexander wanted Francesca to want him for more than the attraction. She wanted him to think of him as fondly as he thought of her.
The stream swirled around them as they stood there, her eyes going from his to the floor. She had squirmed under his gaze and his touch and he liked both. He kept the space between them not daring to touch his erection to her stomach.
Finally, her eyes landed on something remote, past his head as if she wanted to keep her distance from reality.
"Why didn't you mark me? If you want me as your mate if you really believe that I can make you happy then why didn't you mark me?" Her gentle quiet voice barely broke through the stream of water striking the pristine tile floor. Alexander bulked taking a step forward into her, his cock aching as it gently touched her. He touched her cheek with soft ghostly caresses.
"I need to know you want me to. I won't force you to be bonded with me." She trembled even though the room was hot.
"Would you hurt me?" Her voice became shaky but her posture was soft as if she was confirming rather than actually worried. And even though it angered him she could think him capable of hurting her in any way, he responded with a gentle voice.
"I would sooner die." He was boarding on painfully erect and mentally unleashed. Her distant look faded and she looked at him steadily again.
After a moment she tentatively placed a hand on his pectoral. Her tears had stopped only water from her dampened hair sliding in droplets on her face. She looked at his body covering hers wanting to shield her from the world. She nodded slowly and did not look away, but Alexander did not take that as an affirmation. He was still hesitant.
"Do not feel like you are obligated, Francesca." Her name on his lips was husky.
She swallowed hard before speaking and her voice was choked. "I don't feel obligated and I don't know what will happen. All I know is that this feeling for you is unbearable. Please, Alexander. I’m tired of fighting it."
He wouldn’t lie. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear. But the look of desperation in her eyes was one he could not ignore. With agreeance Axl took a back seat far into the recesses of his mind; but still near enough that Alexander could feel Axl connecting to Fey on some far off astra
l plane.
He leant forward and cupped the back of her head with his hand as he lowered himself in order to kiss her. He went slowly at first in case she wanted to back out. Then as her arms went around his neck to encircle him, he couldn't hold back any longer. It was a slow, passionate kiss one filled with all the emotion he had for her.
He pleaded for her to open for him with his tongue, and she gave in and gave him a taste of what was so delicious about her. His Francesca tasted of sweet mint and something dark, tantalizingly intoxicating.
His hands went to her hips squeezing them pressing his fingers into her soft skin not able to feel enough of her. The gasp that followed hardened his cock more, near painful in its desire to experience her. Alexander needed more, and he thought Frannie did too. Their lips and tongues were delicious, but it wasn't enough for him. Neither of them would be satisfied by kisses alone.
Francesca whimpered softly as he removed his lips from hers to stare at her. Her pink swollen lips and hooded eyes were an astonishing sight. He could feel the moisture bead at the head of his shaft. He dove back down his lips near her ear.
