It was getting late, and Kenzie decided she’d better go home and get to bed before she had to go to work the next day. Thankfully, tomorrow was Friday, and she had the weekend off.
As she was getting ready to go home, Vaughn was coming downstairs, and she got up the nerve to question him about something that had been bugging her ever since she’d found out about him and Sawyer being shifters.
Standing by the front door and set to leave, she asked, “Vaughn, does Sawyer dislike humans?” Or just me?
“Sawyer has a few issues. His parents were killed by humans when he was a child. The people were actually friends of the family, but somehow, they’d found out his parents were shifters and murdered them. Sawyer was at a friend’s house at the time, and he was the one who found them the next morning.”
“That’s awful,” Naya said.
Poor Sawyer.
“Is that why he is so unhappy?” Naya asked.
“It is, but at least the couple will be spending the rest of their lives in prison,” Vaughn said.
“And that’s the reason he doesn’t like humans?” Kenzie asked.
“He hasn’t actually come out and said that he hates humans, but he does have issues with them. It’s not the whole reason though.”
“What else is there?”
“Uh…well, it’s not really my story to tell. You’ll have to ask him,” Vaughn said.
Yeah, right, like that was ever going to happen. He could barely talk to her, so he certainly wasn’t going to share his feelings.
“I understand.” But Kenzie really wanted to hound Vaughn for more answers. She might as well forget about it. Sawyer would never tell her. “I’d better get going,” she told them, dropping the subject.
She hugged Naya and said good-bye.
On her drive home, she thought about Sawyer the whole time. She couldn’t tell if it made her feel better to know he didn’t like all humans or if it depressed her to know that she wasn’t special enough to change his mind. She reminded herself again that she didn’t even like him. Except hate or no hate, she desired him, and she often wondered what it would be like if he felt the same way.
It was too bad she’d never find out.
AFTER KENZIE WENT home, Vaughn and Naya sat together in silence, eating the dinner he’d made for her. The spaghetti was a little on the cool side, but it still tasted good. The lukewarm food didn’t bother him anywhere near as much as not knowing where Naya’s head was. She hadn’t said anything since her friend left.
Was she upset he hadn’t given her all the information earlier when they woke up?
Instead of talking, he’d been too busy having sex with her. And since all this information revolved around what happened when they had sex, maybe she was mad he hadn’t brought it up before they got naked again.
Maybe she wasn’t mad but turned off by what his penis did when he had an orgasm. It probably came as a shock and sounded unusual, but he wasn’t a human or a vampire. He was a cat-shifter, and this was a part of who he was. He admitted he could have given her some warning though, or maybe he should have told her when they were alone. She’d just found out what he was, and he knew the shifter thing was new to her.
What if she never wanted to have sex again? The thought of never being inside her again made him almost groan out loud in frustration.
She might be pissed he’d been so stupid and blame him for her pregnancy and the situation with her family. She appeared to be happy about the babies, but she might resent him for everything else that had come with it. If he hadn’t been such an ignorant dumbass, she would be home and preparing to mate with the vampire her parents wanted.
He held in his growl. She might be upset about the pregnancy, but he wouldn’t apologize for that. It had brought her back to him where she belonged. She never would have been happy with that other male.
They finished their meal and cleared their dishes from the table. The quietness was starting to get on his nerves, but he didn’t want to say the wrong thing. Finishing up, they put all the dirty dishes in the sink and dishwasher.
Then, Naya turned to look at him. She stood away from him, resting her back against the counter, as she chewed her bottom lip. He couldn’t get a read on her. Maybe she would yell at him, or even call her parents and leave.
She looked like she might have something to say, but maybe she was thinking of giving him the silent treatment the rest of the night. Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, he opened his mouth to say something, anything, but then she stopped him.
“Can I see them?” she said in a calm voice.
Fully expecting to contend with anything she had to say, he had to take a moment to process her words. “Do you mean, can you see…”
“The barbs. In your penis. On your penis.” She waved her hand. “Whatever. I want to see them.”
He swallowed. “You do realize I can’t just make them come out whenever I want. I need to have an orgasm first.”
She looked down at his crotch and licked her bottom lip, causing him to harden. “I know, and I still want to see them.”
Holy shit. He smelled her arousal and groaned.
This was the last thing he’d expected, and he studied her for any signs of resentment. She had a right to be angry, but he didn’t want her to do this out of spite. She appeared genuinely interested, and he was relieved she wasn’t disgusted by him or his body. Completely turned-on at that point, he probably wouldn’t deny her anything.
“Okay,” he agreed.
He looked around and decided the living room was as good of a place as any. Stopping in front of the couch, he removed his shirt and shorts. Now naked, he sat on the couch. Naya followed and settled in beside him.
Since the only way for the barbs to emerge was by orgasm, he took himself in his hand. He closed his eyes and put his head back against the couch to try to relax. Picturing Naya naked, he started to stroke himself from base to tip, and he was surprised when he felt Naya put her hand on his.
He lifted his head and opened his eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she said, staring at his dick.
“Then, why did you stop me?”
She looked straight at him and licked her bottom lip. “I want to do it.”
He closed his eyes for a second and sucked in a breath. “Damn,” he exhaled and gazed up at her. Dropping his hand to his side, he said, “Baby, it’s all yours.”
She hesitantly took him in her small hand. She slowly stroked up and down on his now aching cock. He groaned, loving the sensations from her providing the friction. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back again. He loved her movements, and he was fully prepared to get off this way when he felt her tongue touch the head of his penis. His eyes popped open, and his head shot up. He stared down at his lap as she moved off the couch to settle on the floor between his legs.
In the past, he’d entertained some pretty great fantasies about her giving him a blow job, and just seeing her kneeling before him almost made him come before they could get to the good stuff. He understood his orgasm was the goal of this whole thing, but he really hoped he would get to feel her take him in her mouth first.
She tentatively licked his head again, causing him to moan, and his pre-cum leaked out.
She looked up at him, her purple eyes wide. “I’m sorry. I’ve never done this before,” she said.
He put his hand in her hair. “Baby, you don’t ever have to apologize for never giving head before. Whatever you were doing, please, for the love of God, don’t stop.”
She gave him a shy smile, and he dropped his hand. She looked back to where her hand was wrapped around him, observing the clear fluid on his penis. This was her first blow job, so he thought he should explain this was natural, but before he could say anything, she licked it off and sucked the head into her mouth. He inhaled sharply.
Holy shit.
She continued to amaze him. When she licked around the underside of his p
enis head where the barbs were hidden, he had to clutch the couch cushions, controlling his urge to grab her head and shove his hips toward her mouth. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her.
He thought he would go crazy from how good it felt. Her mouth was slick and hot, and when she took him in all the way to the back of her throat, he forced himself to think of football stats to keep from exploding. The smell of her arousal swirled around him, not helping his control, and the knowledge that giving him head turned her on only made the whole experience better.
Once he realized he couldn’t hold off his orgasm any longer, he said, “Naya, baby, you’ve got to let up. I’m going to come, and—”
It was too late. The second he’d warned her, she moved her lips to the head of his cock and sucked hard. His control gone, he came in a rush in her mouth, and she swallowed all of him. Despite the fact that she knew what would happen when he came, she still saw him all the way through to the end.
I think I’m in love.
She waited until he finished ejaculating before she removed her mouth. She kept a firm grip around him as she said, “Wow.”
The barbs were about half an inch long and curved the opposite way of his penis since they were designed to keep him inside a female and scrape the walls of her pussy. They were about one-eighth of an inch in thickness at the base and came to a blunt tip at their ends. They were basically similar to a penis, except they were soft until he came. Then, they filled with blood and extended out of his body.
Naya cautiously used the fingertip of her other hand to touch one. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, he saw her watching him with questioning eyes.
“They’re sensitive, but it doesn’t hurt,” he explained.
“How long will they stay out?”
“About five minutes, give or take.” He studied her, trying to figure out if they frightened her or if she thought they were weird.
“They are absolutely fascinating.”
He exhaled a breath of relief he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. “I was a little worried about what you would think of them.”
She looked up into his eyes. “Can I touch them again?”
He clenched his fists and nodded, anticipating how good it would feel to have her touch them. She reached out and ran her finger over each one. He closed his eyes again, unable to watch her and feel her touch at the same time. He’d just come, but he was still rock-hard and ready to go again. After about five minutes, he felt the barbs starting to recede into his body, and he heard Naya click her tongue in disappointment.
Keeping his eyes closed and his head back so that he couldn’t see her, he tried to get his body under control. He already thought she was beautiful and remarkable, but her curiosity about this part of him only made her more attractive. If he wanted his dick to stop saluting her, he needed to avoid looking at her.
He took a couple of deep breaths and heard her moving around. He tried to block out any noise she was making, and he concentrated on relaxing his body. Part of him hoped she would upstairs, so he wouldn’t have to smell her sweet scent anymore, and another part of him hoped she would stay with him until his body calmed down.
He felt the couch sink beside his leg, and he was glad she’d decided to stay. He felt the couch shift on his other side as well, and he could smell the strong scent of her arousal. He flung open his eyes just in time to watch her grab him and position him at her entrance before she slowly slid down on him.
“Fuck,” he said, unable to hold back his curse.
She was naked, and he was inside her.
She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He tunneled his fingers into her hair, pulling her close, as he devoured her mouth. He sucked on her tongue as she rocked her hips on him. He appreciated her initiating sex and not leaving him sitting there with a giant hard-on, but it was his turn to be in charge.
He broke their kiss and wrapped her legs around his waist and his arms around her back. He got onto his knees on the floor and sat on his haunches, as she straddled him. Kissing her again, he held her close as she tried to move her hips over him. She made a small cry of protest against his mouth, but he didn’t relent. She’d had her turn. He was running the show now. When she stopped struggling, he separated their bodies, pulling out of her and ignoring the questioning look on her face. He didn’t want to take the time to explain. He just wanted inside her again.
He rotated her until her back was against his front. He pressed her torso down on the seat of the couch, and he grabbed on to her hips, putting her right where he wanted her. He nudged her legs apart, and already knowing she was wet, he thrust himself inside her as far as he could go.
He groaned, and she gasped as he held her in place for his deep, rough strokes. This was their first time in this position, and it felt incredible. Naya was enjoying it, too, going by the mewing sounds coming from the back of her throat and the way her pussy was milking his cock. She moaned and arched her ass up as he drove in and out of her with increasing speed. It was like he couldn’t get enough of her.
As his orgasm drew closer, he covered her body with his own and swept her brown locks off one shoulder. When he felt the start of her release, he bit down on her neck until he heard her crying out and felt her pulsating around him. He came hard, and he felt the barbs release and latch inside her as he hit his peak. She cried out again, and her bottom dropped as the barbs hit her G-spot. Wrapping an arm around her middle, he held her against him. He wanted to remain buried inside her and feel her throbbing around him.
He waited until his orgasm was over before he released her neck. He focused on the spot for a moment, admiring his mark there. She is mine. It was greedy of him, but he didn’t care. The cat in him would never be satisfied if the whole world didn’t know she belonged to him and only him.
“Baby, are you okay?” he asked.
She rested her head on the couch, so he was unable to see her expression. He was worried because he had been a little wild.
She laughed. “I am more than okay.”
He chuckled. “Good.”
He rubbed his hand over her back as he waited for the barbs to recede, so he could withdraw from her.
“Vaughn?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you pull out?”
He stopped rubbing. “Baby, they haven’t gone down yet.”
“I know. I want to feel that, too, and it’s not like I can get pregnant.”
True. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He slowly pulled out, and she shuddered as she came again.
“Holy crap,” she said with a gasp.
He held on to her as she bucked in his arms until her orgasm subsided.
She lay there, spent, so he turned her and gathered her in his arms.
“I have to say, this was the last thing I thought would happen tonight after everything I told you.”
A smile was her only response, and then she planted a kiss on his lips. He put his hand on the back of her head and pushed his nose against her neck, loving how she smelled of him and how she’d accepted him for who he was.
He was one lucky bastard.
THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, it was an hour after sunset, and Arianna had yet to see any sign of her uncle and aunt. They should have made an appearance by now. Checking with the kitchen, she found they’d requested first dinner in their room again, which would not do. They could not hide in their room forever—most especially, not on this night.
Emerson was set to arrive in just over an hour, and their presence was an absolute requirement for this visit. Not only because it was their duty to deliver the news about Naya, but instinct also told her that Emerson would not arrive alone. Councilwoman Vanderbilt thought her son was going to be the future king, and she would want to hear the news in person.
Bound and determined, Arianna marched upstairs and knocked on the French doors to Uncle Marek and Aunt Celeste’s bedroom. She could hear movement coming from the room, bu
t it was several seconds before Arianna heard footsteps getting closer. Finally, Uncle Marek opened one of the doors.
“Thank you, Hans—” His eyes widened.
She had rarely come to their private space in the past.
“Arianna, what are you doing here?”
She squared her shoulders. Despite the fact they had been hiding out in the bedroom like children, they were still the King and Queen and the people who raised her.
“Uncle,” she said, “you and Aunt Celeste need to be ready in an hour. Emerson and his mother will be here soon. Councilwoman Vanderbilt phoned last night, and she made it clear they are expecting an update on Naya and Emerson’s courtship.”
Aunt Celeste came to the door with an alarmed look on her face. “But we cannot possibly see Emerson and the councilwoman.” Aunt Celeste tugged on Uncle Marek’s sleeve. “Whatever will we tell them? Oh, Marek, this is all so sudden. I’m not ready.” She put her head in her hands and started weeping.
Arianna was taken aback. Her aunt was quite literally a mess. In all the years she’d lived with them, she had never seen her aunt without her hair styled and makeup applied while dressed in clothes perfectly selected for every occasion. Tonight, her aunt’s hair lay uncombed and limp on her shoulders. She was without a speck of makeup, and she was still wearing her pajamas. If Arianna had to presume by the smell and wrinkles, her aunt had not changed since the night Naya left.
Guilt rose about springing the information on them, but Arianna reminded herself that it was their own fault they were unprepared. They were the ones who had locked themselves in here for the last few nights.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Celeste.”
Her aunt looked up as she spoke.
“Besides Councilwoman Vanderbilt, you also received a call from Councilman Hutton. The Council is questioning your absence since your return to the States. They are also insisting on news about Naya and Emerson. At some point, you will have to tell Emerson and the Council that there will not be a betrothal.” You can’t hide forever, went unsaid.
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