As her body began to shudder, Dean pulled his fingers out of her pussy and slid his tongue in. Layla screamed as he fucked her hard with his tongue. Her hot little pussy pulsed and clenched as she squirted her precious nectar into his mouth.
Dean grabbed her hands and pinned them to the carpet as he licked his way up her trembling body. Layla’s eyes were heavy-lidded and half-closed. Her scent wrapped all around him and Dean wanted to roar with pride.
He wanted to be marked by this beautiful female, to have her scent on him always. He was hers, and hers alone. Forever.
Dean stood and made short work of his clothes. He covered her with his naked body and hissed as their bare skin made contact. It felt so good to feel her naked body against his, to hold her mate close to him and have nothing between them.
Layla grabbed him suddenly and rolled him onto his back. Looking into his eyes, she slowly lowered herself onto his huge, erect cock.
“Layla...” he growled, gripping her waist.
She whimpered as she tried to take more of him into her body. She was so damn tight and he was stretching her painfully.
Layla panted and rotated her hips slowly. She guided his hands to her breasts and Dean needed no further encouragement. He caressed her heavy, heaving breasts and thumbed her nipples. As he pinched and tugged at her puckered peaks, he could feel her growing wetter still.
Sticky moisture trickled from her pussy and slid down the length of his cock. Layla held his gaze as she ground down until she was fully impaled on his hard, pulsating shaft.
Dean forced himself not to jerk his hips to thrust deeper into her. Layla was breathing hard and she took a moment to adjust to his size before she rocked her hips slowly.
Dean watched his beautiful mate ride him, using him for her pleasure. Her hair fell across her face as she began to move with abandon. Layla was a sensual woman, and she wasn’t afraid to show him what she liked and how she wanted to be touched.
Layla arched her back and ground herself against him. Her lips were parted and her eyes unfocused. A flush crept up her neck and face, and her sweet, feminine scent grew stronger as it called to his animal.
Dean growled as he pushed himself up to suckle her hungrily. Her nipples grew harder and tighter as he sucked and nipped at them. When he grazed her breasts with his teeth, Layla cried out and dug her nails into his shoulders.
Dean pushed his hand down and rubbed her clit as she rocked against him. He could feel her pussy pulse and clench as she abandoned herself to the curling, cresting pleasure.
Just as she was about to come, Layla turned her head to the side, baring her neck to him. She was ready.
His mate was begging to be marked.
Her body recognized his. They belonged to each other. Mating sex was always intense, raw and honest. They opened up completely to each other, holding nothing back. There would never be any barrier between them, no pretense and denial.
Dean let his bear rise. His eyes glowed as his fangs stabbed out. He gripped his mate and held her tight.
“Mine,” he snarled. His voice was barely human. His animal lust was riding him hard and he heard a deafening roar in his head.
Dean grabbed Layla and clamped his teeth down on the base of her neck. As he bit into her flesh, Layla screamed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Layla orgasmed repeatedly as Dean bit her hard. Grabbing her, he flipped her onto her back and pounded into her.
She could feel his canines pushing into her soft flesh as he took her hard. Dean was penetrating her body, giving her both pain and pleasure as he claimed her. Layla clung to him as she fell into a vortex of swirling, screaming pleasure. The sensation was so intense, so raw and blinding.
Her whole body was nothing but nerves. She felt everything and was acutely aware of her body’s response to Dean’s. Their bodies were joined, and she felt so intimately connected to him. There was no end and no beginning. There was just them.
“Mine...”
She wasn’t sure if she or Dean had whispered the word. But she felt and knew that Dean was hers.
Dean surged into her again and again until he emptied himself inside her body. She greedily milked every drop of his seed, her pussy and body wanting everything that Dean had to give.
The room was heavy with the smell of sex as Dean collapsed beside her. He pulled her close to him and said hoarsely, “Layla...you are everything...everything I want and need.”
She laid her head on his chest and listened to his powerful heartbeats. “You’re not a bad lay yourself,” she purred.
Dean quirked a brow at her and chuckled. “I’m not talking about just sex.”
“When I’m with you, sex is all I think about,” she replied saucily.
Dean laughed and pinned her beneath him, holding her wrists above her head in one hand.
She gasped when she felt how hard he was.
“There’s no need to think about sex when you’re with me,” Dean said, nuzzling her neck.
“Oh?”
“When you’re with me, you’ll be naked and on your back,” he growled. “We’ll be having sex, not thinking about it.”
Layla gasped as Dean gathered her in his arms and carried her to the master bedroom. He laid her on the bed and kissed her, trailing his lips down her body.
Dean took her again, and this time their love-making was gentle, languid and tender.
Layla wrapped her arms and legs around Dean, loving every sensation as their bodies became one.
The pleasure burned slowly but intensely. They took each other over the edge again and again, enjoying and savoring each other and what they had between them.
Layla sighed as Dean finally slid out of her. They had been making love for hours, and she felt exhausted but utterly sated and contented.
“I love you,” Dean murmured, kissing the top of her head.
She turned to him shyly. “I love you too. I...I’ve never fallen so hard and fast before...”
“You’re my mate, Layla” he said simply. “That’s how it is with mates.”
She stared at him. “My mate,” she whispered at last. “I...I was attracted to you right from the start. I thought...”
Dean smiled. “The attraction is powerful and intense, and the feelings can be overwhelming. When I first saw you I felt the need to protect you and keep you safe. That’s why I followed you into the forest. I couldn’t let you go. You’re mine, Layla.”
“And you are mine,” she whispered, cupping his face.
When they finally broke a long, lingering kiss, Layla canted her head thoughtfully at him. “I think...Aunt Ruth and Aunt Ursa knew,” she said at last. “That’s why they made you an honorary member of the coven. They were trying to throw us together.”
Dean winked and laughed. “That’s why they made me the Croner.”
“There is no such position and title in a coven!” Layla huffed.
“Does that mean I won’t get to attend any more coven meetings?” Dean teased.
“Don’t worry, I think there will be many more coven meetings at your restaurant.” Layla shook her head and laughed. “You can see how much my aunts love your dumplings! They love you too. You know that, right?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Layla was humming to herself as she arranged the buns and muffins on the shelves. She was on a roll today. She’d been baking non-stop since she bounced into her bakery this morning.
She felt she could conquer the world today.
Who knew having mind-blowing sex with your sweet, sexy, hunky mate could be so energizing and empowering?
Layla realized she had been wearing a goofy smile on her face the whole morning but she didn’t care. She felt almost giddy with joy, and her heart felt so big and full.
She’d been itching to pick up the phone and call her aunts to tell them that she and Dean were mated. But she had a feeling her aunts already knew. They had giggled and winked knowingly at her and Dean just before they left. She knew her aunts
would insist on planning a fairytale wedding for her. Those two were romantics at heart.
Layla popped her head up from behind the counter and hurriedly wiped the shit-eating grin off her face when she heard the bell tinkle.
“Welcome to The Magic Oven!” she said, straightening up.
The woman who had just walked into the shop was very tall and dressed in a smart black pantsuit. Her posture was ramrod straight and her movements were fluid and soundless. Layla thought she glimpsed a gun under the woman’s jacket but she couldn’t be sure.
Layla thought she looked like a secret agent. Or maybe an undercover cop or a bodyguard. She certainly looked highly trained and lethal. The woman’s midnight blue hair was neatly slicked back with not a single strand out of place. Layla couldn’t see the woman’s eyes behind her shades but she had the sense that the woman was observing and remembering every little detail about her.
Layla swallowed. “May I help you?”
The woman pointed at the handwritten sign at the display window. “It says you can custom make birthday cakes in any design and flavor,” she said in a crisp, slightly accented voice.
“Yes,” Layla answered, wiping her hands quickly on her apron. She felt a flutter of excitement. She’d had only one order for her custom-made cakes so far. Custom cakes were her specialty and passion. They were fun to make and she loved getting creative with the designs. But they cost a lot more than ordinary cakes, so she didn’t receive many orders for them.
“I have some designs you can look at,” Layla said, pulling out an album. “Or you can let me know the design you want, and...”
“How fast?” the woman cut in tersely.
Layla blinked.
“How fast can you get it done?” the woman said. Her tone was brisk and businesslike. She wasn’t here to chitchat. She was a woman on a mission.
“Well, it depends on the complexity of the decorations and...” Layla started to explain.
The woman slid a picture across the counter. Layla squinted at the picture. It looked like a photograph but...it could have been Photoshopped.
The picture showed a big red dragon merrily swimming in a shimmering pool of gold and precious gems.
“Can you do this?”
Layla sputtered. “You mean, have this design on a cake?”
The woman gave a barely perceptible nod.
“I can do it,” Layla said. “But...”
“I need it by seven o’clock tonight.”
“Oh.” Layla glanced at the wall clock. It was mid morning, and she still had the whole day ahead of her. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her. This was the challenge she had been waiting for. She wanted to do this. She could definitely do this.
Doing a quick calculation in her head, Layla blew out a breath and muttered, “That means I have about eight hours or less to get it done.”
The woman waited until Layla looked up. “Will you take the job or not?”
“It’s a very tight deadline...” Layla began.
The woman took out a wad of cash from her coat pocket and pushed it towards Layla. “Is this enough?”
Layla’s eyes rounded. “That...”
“My boss is willing to pay for your time. Just make sure you deliver the goods.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Layla gulped and grabbed a pen to write everything down. “Right. Can I have your name and contact number? Oh, I’ll need your address as well. I need to deliver the cake tonight.” Layla gave a nervous laugh.
This was a big job. It might even be her big break. Sometimes all it took to get the word out was a recommendation from a satisfied customer. She would be over the moon if she could make and sell more designer cakes.
The woman gave her the necessary information in a flat monotone. “Thank you, Miss, um, Venom,” Layla said, reading off the note. “I’ll deliver the cake to this address between six-thirty and seven this evening.”
Venom was already striding to the door.
“Don’t be late,” Venom said as she opened the door. “And don’t disappear,”
“Disappear?” Layla gasped. “Why would I…?”
The tip of Venom’s lips twitched. There was no humor in her smile.
“People can have strange ideas and motivations,” Venom deadpanned. “They think they can get away with it.” In a low voice, she added, “They never do.”
Layla felt a chill slither down her spine. Was that a warning? A threat?
“I will get your cake to you on time,” she whispered.
“We’ll be waiting.” And watching.
With that, Venom exited the bakery.
Layla ran to the window and saw a black car with dark tinted windows pulling away.
She looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. Who was Venom working for?
Layla pushed the thought out of her mind. It didn’t matter who Venom’s boss was. A customer was a customer.
She grabbed the thick wad of cash off the counter and counted the notes. Her eyes almost popped out of her head. This could pay for a hundred designer cakes!
Venom’s boss must be swimming in cash. A thought struck her. Could Venom’s boss be that scaly red dragon in the picture?
Layla shook away the distraction. She had to concentrate on the job. The customer had paid handsomely for the cake, so he had to be expecting a one-of-a-kind, jaw-dropping, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious cake.
In her mind, a towering multi-tier cake was beginning to take shape. Layla reminded herself that she would have to incorporate that complicated dragon design into the cake as well.
The picture had disappeared from the counter. Layla frowned. She hadn’t even noticed Venom taking it back.
Layla cursed and rubbed her temples. She could recall the picture clearly enough. “I hope I don’t leave anything out,” she mumbled. “A dragon backstroking in a pool filled with diamonds and treasure.” She wrote down the details and did a quick sketch. “Red dragon, gilded pool filled with jewels...”
She frowned at her sketch.
Why did Venom’s boss want such a garish design on his cake? Layla shrugged. As Venom said, some people can have strange ideas.
She looked at the clock and took a deep breath. She had to start now. It was her against the clock. And the mad race had already begun.
“Okay.” She clapped her hands. “I got this. I can and I will do this!”
Skidding to the door, Layla locked the door and flipped the sign to “Closed”. She wouldn’t be able to serve any customers today. She would be in the back all day, working like a mad woman.
It was going to be hard, laborious, exacting work.
A lot of thought and work went into making a beautifully crafted, original designer cake. But the final product was always worth the blood and sweat.
This cake was going to be a masterpiece. It would be epic.
Layla bounced on her toes and flexed her fingers. “Let’s do this!” With this rallying cry, she got right to work.
There was a lot to do, and she couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Layla gathered all the ingredients she needed and hunkered down to work.
It was still morning, but she knew that the hours would just fly by. When she was engrossed in her work, she tended not to notice the time. She would finish the cake, even if the rest of the world crumbled around her.
Before long, a cluster of pretty little cake decorations sat proudly on her work table. Layla worked steadily, growing more confident. Those tiny rubies and emeralds looked almost real.
“Looking good,” she smirked.
When she finished making the gems, she went to check her phone and saw that she had a few messages from Dean. She’d silenced her phone so that she wouldn’t be interrupted. She called Dean back immediately.
“Hey,” she said, smiling. “Sorry I didn’t see your messages. I was busy.”
“Don’t worry about it. Trust me, I know what it�
�s like to be crazy busy,” Dean said with a chuckle. “But being busy is good. It means exciting things are happening.”
“Oh my God, you’re so right!” Layla squealed.
“Okay, tell me,” Dean said, laughing. “You’ve got news.”
“Have I got news!” Layla exclaimed, punching the air. “Do you know what happened today? I got an order for a custom cake, a real live custom cake with a big, red dragon on it! Isn’t it cool?”
Dean laughed, sharing her excitement and happiness. “That’s awesome! Is this a special birthday cake or what?”
“Oh! I forgot to ask her if I should include a name or a birthday message on the cake. Good thinking, Dean,” she said. “I’ll call her right away. Gotta go, I’ve got a lot to do. Love ya...”
“Wait,” Dean said. “Have you eaten?”
“Eat?” Layla frowned. “Oh, I’ll just grab a muffin or something and a cup of coffee. No problem. Oh, I silenced my phone so that I can concentrate on this cake. It’s a big order, and I want it to be perfect.”
“I understand. I know this is important to you. You got this,” Dean said.
Layla grinned. “I love you.”
“I love you. And I’m proud of you.”
Putting the phone away, Layla went to the front of the shop and helped herself to a bun. She gulped down a cup of instant coffee and snapped her fingers.
“Oh yes.” She dialed Venom’s mobile number and waited. “Oh hi, Miss Venom, it’s me, Layla from The Magic Oven. No, no, there’s no problem at all. I was just wondering if I should include a birthday message on the cake. No? Right. Just the dragon in the pool. Got it. All right then, I’ll be there with the cake at seven. Thank you, Miss Venom.”
Layla blinked at her phone and exhaled. Venom wasn’t a chatty girl at all. Her answers were mostly monosyllabic and there was no emotion or inflection in her voice. Layla bet she was great at poker.
Billionaire Chef Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Beast Bears Book 2) Page 7
