CHAPTER THIRTY
Renee’s breath hitched when she heard Zack’s whispered words. He wanted her, and he wanted her forever. She had known all along that he wasn’t toying with her, that his feelings for her were true. But she had been too afraid.
She had been too afraid to love him back. So she had looked for ways to push him away.
She hadn’t been fair to him, to herself. He had given her his heart but she had selfishly guarded hers. Her treatment of Zack was almost callous. She shut him out, blew hot and cold with him and yet he never stopped loving her.
Ever since he met her, he hadn’t been with another woman. He was single-minded, faithful and true.
“Zack, I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears blurring her vision. “I was scared and confused, and I was terrified of opening my heart and getting hurt. I just didn’t think it’d be possible for us...”
“I know, and that’s why I gave you time. But I can’t let you do this to yourself, to us any longer,” Zack said. “There’s no doubt at all that we belong together.”
Zack thumbed away her tears and tilted her face up. “I want you, Renee. I’ve always wanted you. I love you. Don’t doubt that. Never doubt that.”
Renee closed her eyes as Zack kissed her. His kiss was tender, slow and sensual. Slowly, he coaxed her lips apart and swept his tongue across her lower lip. Renee moaned as Zack deepened the kiss and pushed his tongue into her mouth.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and speared her fingers into his soft, blond hair. She kissed him back urgently, hungrily as she clung to his broad shoulders.
She had been a coward and a fool. If you risk nothing, you gain nothing. And you could lose everything.
She had almost lost Zack. She had almost let him go.
But she knew that Zack would have held on. He wasn’t a man who gave up easily. He would never give up on her.
Her heart swelled as tears burned her eyes.
From now on, she was going to hold on tight to Zack, the man of her dreams, the mate of her heart.
Zack was her dream, her love and her life. She wasn’t dreaming. She was living. This was real. Real love, real life.
Zack continued to kiss her as he gathered her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. They’d had sex many times in his office and at her place, but Renee had resisted Zack’s attempts to lead her to his bedroom.
She knew that if she slept with Zack in his bed, it wouldn’t be just sex to her. If he made love to her in his bed, with his scent all over her, she would lose her heart and mind completely. She would shatter beneath him and be ruined, broken forever.
If she saw Zack with another woman after he’d taken her to his bed…
No.
There would be no other woman.
She had claimed his heart from the very first day they met.
She was his one and only. His forever.
Their connection, attraction and chemistry was powerful and consuming. They wanted each other, and when they were apart, they yearned for each other.
These past two weeks had been hell, for the both of them. She saw Zack at the office and she worked with him every single day. Yet she missed him like crazy. She craved him like a drug, and it had taken every ounce of her willpower to keep him at a distance.
Renee looked deep into Zack’s blue eyes as he laid her on his bed. The way he looked at her made her fall even deeper in love with him. He made her feel so loved and cherished. The world seemed to fall away from them and she saw only Zack.
Zack gazed at her as if she were the only woman in the world. She knew without a doubt that she was the only woman in his heart. She held on to Zack, feeling as though she were falling from a great height. It was a dizzying, exhilarating feeling. But for once, she wasn’t afraid.
No more doubts, fears and regrets.
She would deny Zack nothing.
She would give Zack everything.
Renee stood up and pushed Zack down on the bed. He watched her intently, never taking his eyes off her.
Renee’s trembling fingers moved to the buttons of her blouse.
She unbuttoned her blouse slowly and let it slide off her shoulders. Zack’s eyes blazed with feral lust and desire. He watched her unzip her jeans and shrug them off. She stood before him in her bra and panties, and put her hands on his shoulders.
She was going to strip herself naked in front of him. She would shed not just her clothes, but her inhibitions and fears. Tonight, she would give him all of her.
Zack’s breathing quickened and his claws stabbed out but he stopped himself from ripping her underwear to shreds.
He knew what she was doing, and he let her reveal herself to him slowly, torturously.
Renee unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. She stepped out of her panties and sidled up to Zack. Looking deep into his eyes, she whispered, “I’m yours, Zack. Make me yours.”
With a growl, Zack grabbed her and threw her onto the bed. He yanked his t-shirt off and shucked off his jeans, his eyes glowing with raw, animal hunger.
He pinned her down on the bed with his naked body and crushed his mouth to hers. The kiss was scorching, passionate, feverish. It had been too long since they touched each other. Their hunger was burning out of control. They were both starving, drowning, but they didn’t want to come up for air. The need was too intense, too painful.
Renee spread her legs and raised her hips to Zack. She wanted, needed him inside her. “Fuck me,” she hissed. “Take me, Zack.”
Zack growled and gripped her hips. She felt the tips of his claws digging into her flesh and her pussy clenched and pulsed.
With one forceful thrust, Zack slammed into her. There was a piercing stab of pain and pleasure before her muscles rippled in ecstasy. It felt so good, so amazing.
“Oh Zack...” she gasped, raking her nails down his back.
More, she needed more.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Zack buried himself inside Renee’s hot, luscious body and growled. He could feel her muscles tightening and clenching around him. She was so responsive, so hot and tight.
He could feel his bear rising, pulsing just beneath the surface of his skin.
His bear was ready to mark and claim his beautiful mate.
Zack grabbed Renee’s arms and pinned them above her head. Her skin was flushed and her generous breasts bounced as he thrust forcefully into her. He had never seen a more beautiful female in his life.
And she was his.
Zack bent down and suckled her greedily. He circled her dark, erect nipple with his tongue and pulled the hard nub deep into his mouth. He kept licking and biting her until she panted and thrashed her head from side to side.
Zack spread her legs wider and stared down at her quivering pussy. He saw her cream oozing out of her pretty little pussy, and his mouth watered. He needed to taste and devour his mate.
Zack withdrew from her and her pussy squirted her juices down the inside of her thigh. Hungrily, he pressed his mouth to her hot, wet pussy and lapped at her sensitive folds. Renee cried out and undulated her hips. Zack kept licking and eating her, devouring her sex relentlessly.
When she came suddenly against his mouth, Zack lapped up every drop of her delicious cream.
Flipping Renee onto her belly, Zack tugged her hips up and knelt between her legs. Holding her soft, pliant body up with one arm, he mounted her from behind. Zack groaned as he pushed into his mate’s slick, tight heat.
Renee shuddered and turned her face to him. Zack bent down and captured her mouth, kissing her deeply as he stroked into her. Their moans and breaths mingled as they took each other closer and closer to the edge.
Zack could feel Renee’s channel pulsing and tightening around him. When her body began to shudder, Zack surged deep into her and sank his elongated canines into the base of her neck.
Renee screamed with both pain and pleasure as he marked her. The pain from his bite was sharp but fleeting. Renee orgasmed repeatedly as he clamped his jaws d
own on her shoulder and held her in place while he claimed her.
With a ferocious roar, Zack released his seed into her. The explosive, electrifying pleasure went on and on and on.
Finally, Renee let out a sob as she collapsed face down on the mattress. She was still quivering when he pulled her to him and held her close.
“Mine,” he breathed.
Renee’s dazed eyes focused on him. “That was...incredible,” she whispered.
“You are incredible.” He smiled at her with fierce pride and love. “My mate. Forever.”
“Mate,” she repeated and blinked. She ran her trembling fingers over the throbbing red mark on her neck and stammered, “Did you...”
“Yes. I marked and claimed you as mine. You are mine to love and cherish forever.”
He nuzzled her and pressed a lingering kiss to her soft, plump lips. He loved the scent and taste of his mate. She was so beautiful, exquisite and amazing. She was a part of him now, and he would never lose her.
Zack’s lips curved against his mate’s as they whispered the words in unison.
“I love you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Renee walked out of the supermarket with her bags of groceries, humming to herself. She was planning to surprise Zack with a few of his favorite dishes tonight. Dean had emailed her the recipes. They looked simple enough and Renee had checked her grocery list twice to make sure that she got all the ingredients.
She was enjoying her life with Zack, and she’d never felt so blissful and contented. Zack had given her the keys and codes to his penthouse, and she would be moving in at the end of the month. It was her home, their home now, Zack told her.
Zack’s work commitments and workload were still very heavy but he now made it a point to cut back on his working hours so that they could spend quality time together. He went shopping with her, took her to the movies and the beach. They went everywhere together, and Zack was proud to make their relationship known to the world.
Her sister, Kim, seemed to know that Zack and her were mated even before Renee called to tell her the news. Kim simply whooped and crowed delightedly, “I knew it would work! The dare! Ha, I’m a goddamn genius!”
Whenever Kim spotted pictures of Renee and Zack in some tabloid or gossip magazine, Kim would call and squeal excitedly, “Renee! You’re famous! You’re a celebrity now!”
But Renee didn’t want to be famous. She wasn’t comfortable with the attention and publicity. She much preferred to keep a low profile and just live a simple, happy life.
Renee had been appalled when her colleagues started calling her “Mrs Boss”. She immediately clarified that even though she was Zack’s mate, she was still his PA in the office.
But her colleagues persisted in their good-natured teasing. “We could see it happening, you know,” they said gleefully. “The romance between you and Mr Howell. We saw the way Mr Howell looked at you right from the start. We’ve never seen him so smitten!”
Everyone seemed so certain that they would end up together. They were truly meant to be.
Renee put down her grocery bags and grabbed her phone from her bag. She hailed a ride with her E-hailing app and waited. It seemed to take a little longer than usual, but finally, her ride came and she climbed into the car with her shopping bags.
It was a Saturday, and Zack had to attend a business lunch. He told her that he would be home by mid-afternoon.
Renee watched the dappled sunlight dance on the sidewalk as the car navigated its way down the busy streets.
When the car turned into an unfamiliar neighborhood and started heading towards the highway, Renee gave a start. This wasn’t the way home. “Um, I think we’re going the wrong way,” she informed the driver.
She repeated her address but the driver didn’t seem to hear her. “Excuse me,” she said, raising her voice as she leaned forward. “Excuse me, but this isn’t the way to...”
The car picked up speed and Renee gasped as she was thrown back against the seat. She heard the telltale click of the lock, and sure enough, when she yanked at the door handle, the door wouldn’t open.
Alarm bells sounded in her head. “Stop the car,” she said. “I’d like to get out now. Please unlock the door.”
The driver didn’t answer. Instead he floored the gas pedal and the car hurtled down the long stretch of highway.
Renee stared at the driver in panic. “What are you doing? Please, just stop and let me out!”
She tried to grab the driver’s shoulder, but he turned around suddenly and swiped at her with long, deadly claws.
Renee gasped when she saw his glowing, yellow eyes. She shrank back and grabbed her phone out of her bag. She was going to call for help.
The driver lurched towards her and snatched her phone out of her shaking hands.
“Just sit down and stay quiet,” he snarled. “Don’t make me hurt you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Renee gulped. “Who are you? Where are you taking me?” she stuttered.
“Shut up, and you won’t get hurt. Understand?”
Renee wrenched at the door handle again, but it was no use. She was locked in a speeding car with a maniacal, feral shifter.
She looked out the window and saw that there were only a few cars on the highway. They were going too fast. Even if she gestured and pounded on the window, no one would see or hear her.
Renee stared at the driver’s clawed hands on the steering wheel. What kind of shifter was he? Why was he kidnapping her?
She bit down a whimper and forced herself not to panic. Was he going to rape and murder her?
She stared at the back of the driver’s head. He wore a cap that was pulled low over his bearded face. He had tanned skin, a stocky build and hairy muscular arms. He didn’t looked dangerous at all to her when she first got in the car.
But rapists and murderers didn’t go around with a warning tattooed on their foreheads. Most of them looked normal, ordinary, pleasant even.
“Please let me go,” she whispered.
The driver turned and gave a soft warning growl. Renee saw his fangs and claws lengthening, and gray fur sprouted at the back of his neck.
Shit!
Renee stared at her bulging bags of groceries, her mind racing. She sorely regretted not buying that nice, sharp kitchen knife that was on sale.
There was nothing in those bags that could be used as a weapon. She had nothing to defend herself with.
Stalks of celery, carrots, flour, butter…
What could she do with those?
Throw flour at his eyes to blind him while she tried to break the windows with the carrots and potatoes?
If she enraged him, he might torture her before killing her.
In desperation, Renee slammed her elbow against the window, hoping to break the glass. She was rewarded with a horrible, throbbing pain in her arm.
The man ignored her futile attempts to escape. He didn’t even turn around. He knew she couldn’t get away.
There was only one option left. It was a dangerous, desperate measure but there was nothing else she could do.
If she got him to crash the car, the crash might kill them both. Or not. She would just have to take the risk.
But it was worth a try. At least someone would see the wreckage and call for help.
She tensed before jerking forward to grab the steering wheel. The man snarled and tried to twist her hand away but she held on. The car veered dangerously towards a huge tree but at the last instant, the driver managed to turn the wheel and the car swerved away.
“You stupid bitch!” he yelled. “You’re giving me too much trouble. I don’t want to do this, but you asked for it.”
Renee felt a sudden sharp pain in her arm. She stared in horror at the syringe in his hand. She pulled her arm back but the man had already pushed the plunger down and injected the clear liquid into her.
Renee slumped back against the back seat. Her whole body felt numb and heavy, and she had t
o fight to keep her eyes open. She opened her mouth but only a feeble croak escaped.
She blinked once, twice and drifted into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Renee opened her eyes and groaned. She felt dizzy and weak, and every muscle in her body hurt.
When she tried to push herself up, she realized her wrists and ankles were bound. After much panting and cursing, she finally managed to struggle up to a sitting position.
Where the hell was she?
Renee blinked repeatedly until her vision finally cleared. It looked like she was in a small, wooden shack. There was only one window and it was boarded up, allowing only a sliver of moonlight into the room
Shit! How long had she been unconscious?
She heard twigs snapping outside and realized that someone was approaching the shack.
The footsteps became louder and Renee instinctively scrabbled backwards. The door opened slowly, and Renee held herself absolutely still, trying to hide in the shadows.
She expected to see that stocky, muscular, psychopathic driver. Instead, a slim, feminine silhouette stood in the doorway.
The woman walked into the room, and Renee saw her platinum blond hair gleaming in the darkness.
“Hello, Renee,” Karina said.
“Karina,” Renee rasped. “What...” Her mind reeled. What was Karina doing here? Her first instinct was to warn Karina that there was a psychopath prowling around in the dark, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting females. She was about to urge Karina to run for help when a thought broke free from her frantic, disordered mind.
Renee froze.
How did Karina know where to find her? There was no way Karina could know that she was held captive in an abandoned shack in the wilderness. Unless...
Renee shook her head and choked out, “You...you’re behind this. You arranged my kidnapping. W-why?”
Karina gave a slow, deliberate clap and laughed. “Ah, you managed to figure it out. You’re not as stupid as you look.”
Billionaire Boss Bear: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Bad Bears Book 1) Page 8
