by Ruby Shae
A few seconds later, she released her hold, smiled, and nodded.
His bear roared in triumph, but the man continued to lift her shirt. When he reached under her arms, she raised them, and he pulled the material completely away from her body.
Her beautiful, full breasts were covered in a simple cotton bra, but the plain garment did nothing to detract from the perfect mounds. His assessment was confirmed when he removed the cotton and tossed it across the room. Her thick, candy-shaped nipples hardened under his gaze, and he longed to suck one into his mouth and rake his teeth over the sensitive flesh.
Not yet, though. He still had more clothes to remove.
He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her pants, and dragged the material down her thick, shapely thighs. He knew she walked often, and though the muscle wasn’t prominent, he could tell her legs were strong.
Once he helped her step out of her pants, he came face-to-face with her cotton covered mound. Like her bra, her panties were plain and white, but they were anything but boring. Especially because they were covering his mate, and he really didn’t care what she wore, as long as she wore it only for him.
He pressed a kiss to her covered mound, and she swayed as if she meant to step back. He couldn’t let that happen. He grabbed onto her hips in a firm, unyielding grip, and kissed her again.
“Jacob…”
The whispered word came out like a cross between a question and a plea, and he smiled at her confusion. As long as she wasn’t pushing him away, he was going to give her everything—exactly what she’d asked for.
He grabbed the material of her panties, and pulled them down before she could even think of a protest. Her gasp filled the room as he stared at her bare mound, and his swollen dick started to throb.
She was beautiful.
Simply beautiful, and perfect for him in every way.
“You are so beautiful—”
“I’m not,” she said, “but thank you for saying the words anyway.”
“I would never lie to you,” he said, fiercely. “As I told you before, you’re beautiful to me, and the words are even more true now. One day you’ll believe me, but even then, I won’t stop saying it.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “Why am I the only one naked?”
He laughed, and tore off his shirt.
He couldn’t help it. His mate had a sassy side, and he loved it.
“That’s all you get right now. If I strip, this will be over in a minute, and I promised to make love to you like I knew what I was doing.”
“Well, you kind of have to remove your pants in order to get the job done.”
It was a little thing, but he liked how she didn’t fight him on his reference to making love. She’d asked for sex, but with her, their intimate moments would never be just sex.
“True, but not yet. First I have to taste you.”
“Wha-what?”
Her anxiety was a palpable thing, but he didn’t repeat his intent.
“Sit on the edge of the bed, and lay back.”
“Jacob, I… You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do,” he said, moving toward her. He was still on his knees, but that didn’t stop her from backing away. A second later, she was forced to sit on the bed. “Lay back, beautiful.”
Jacob grabbed one of her legs, and placed her foot on the edge of the bed. When he grabbed the other, she had no choice but to follow his directions and lay back. The position gave him a perfect view of her pretty pussy, and the soft, pink flesh glistened in the light, covered in her essence.
His mate wanted him as much as he wanted her, and the realization caused another low growl to escape from his chest. Avery’s pussy contracted at the noise, and more liquid heat escaped from her core.
His mate liked his growly side, and the knowledge pushed him into action.
He grabbed her hips in a bruising grip, and swiped his tongue over her entire cunt. Avery cried out, and fisted the blanket beneath her, but she didn’t try to scoot away. If anything, she tried to get closer, but his hands kept her hips flat against the mattress.
He licked her again and again, lazily dragging his tongue from her pussy to her clit, and Avery screamed and tried to squirm within his hold. God, he loved the sounds she made, and he didn’t relent until her pussy started to throb.
He moved one forearm over her hips to keep her in place, and used his other hand to slide two fingers into her soaking wet channel. He moved his fingers in and out at a steady pace, but as her pussy started to convulse wildly, he closed his mouth over her clit, and pressed the flat of his tongue against the hard jewel.
Avery threaded her fingers through his hair, and fisted the strands as an orgasm tore through her body. He’d never been into pain, but if Avery wanted to rip his hair out while he pleasured her, he’d never complain. Her cries of ecstasy filled the air, and he was certain the whole building could hear her satisfied release.
Both the bear, and the man, preened at the knowledge he’d pleasured his mate better than any other man had—especially her loser ex. He knew the truth, because he’d never heard those noises coming out of her mouth before.
Thank god.
If he had, he would have gone insane.
Avery was his, and watching her with another man had been torture, but one he’d endured because she’d rejected him. Hearing her cries of ecstasy at the hands of another man would have pushed him over the edge.
When her breathing resembled something seemingly normal, he slowly pulled his fingers free from her channel, and Avery loosened her grip on his hair.
“Oh my god,” she whispered.
Unfortunately, instead of satisfied awe, the words were filled with distress.
As he stood, Avery stared at the ceiling and tried to close her thighs, but he wasn’t going to let her hide from him. He carefully placed one hand on each knee, and stood in between her legs.
“What’s wrong, beautiful?”
“I… I’m so sorry, Jacob. God, that was so embarrassing. I was so loud, and—” she swallowed hard, and blinked back the tears filling her eyes. “Are you—is your head okay?”
Though he thought her blush was endearing, the tears she tried to blink away tore at him. Beneath the surface, his bear roared at seeing his mate in agony, especially after she’d shared something so amazing with him.
“Avery, look at me.”
It only took a few seconds for her to follow his command, and he hated that a lone tear escaped when she locked her eyes with his.
“I’m fine, beautiful. In fact, I’m more than fine. If you want to rip out my hair every time I make you come, then go for it. I don’t mind, in fact I fucking love it. I also love those not so quiet sounds you make. They’re fucking hot as hell, and they make me rock hard just thinking about them. In fact, I’m hoping for a repeat as I fill you with my cock.”
“Oh,” she whispered, granting him a small smile. “Okay.”
A sheen of tears still lingered in her green depths, but he loved that he’d been able to put her at ease. She no longer tried to hide from him, or avoid his gaze, and she spread her legs a little wider at his declaration. Whether the action was voluntary or not, he wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to question it.
“Do you have any condoms, beautiful?” he asked. “I’m happy things went the way they did, but I wasn’t exactly planning for this to happen tonight.”
“Top drawer,” she said, motioning toward the nightstand.
Fuck!
His emotions went haywire as he was both grateful she had protection, and pissed off at the reason why. It didn’t matter if they technically belonged to her or her ex—and let’s face it, they were probably hers—he still planned to trash the box and replace them as soon as possible. It might sound stupid, and it was definitely a dominance thing, but he wasn’t going to use condoms bought by—or for—another man to pleasure his mate.
Well, he wouldn’t use them in the future.
This night did
n’t count, because there was no way he was walking away now. Not with Avery ready for more, and his dick so hard he thought he might explode.
He grabbed a foil packet, held it with his teeth as he undid his jeans, and pushed both his pants and his boxers down his legs. He kicked off the material, and when he stood, Avery’s intake of breath made him smile.
“Back up, beautiful,” he said, as he rolled the protection down his dick.
Even though she was laying across the bed the wrong way, Avery scooted to the other side, and he followed, settling on top of her with his cock pressing insistently at her core.
She wrapped her arms and legs around him, and wiggled beneath him, trying to force his entry, but he didn’t move.
“Please,” she begged, stilling her movements. “Jacob, please.”
He wanted to go slow, he really did, but it wasn’t possible. Not with his beautiful, naked mate laying beneath him, and pleading. She owned him, and he would always see to her needs.
He sank into her in one, swift thrust, and Avery cried out as her pussy clenched around him like a vise. His cock throbbed wildly, and for a moment, he thought he would explode from the sensation.
Being buried deep within his mate was more than just sex, and he took a deep breath to ward off the familiar tingling at the base of his spine. Avery would come again before he found his release.
“Jacob?”
God, he hated the uncertainty in her voice.
“Sorry, beautiful,” he said, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. “You feel so damn good, and I’m just trying to gain a little bit of control.”
“Control is overrated,” she smiled. “I don’t need control.”
Well, hell.
He kissed her again, this time hard and possessive, and Avery met his onslaught with the same sense of urgency. She wiggled her hips, and he loved the way her pussy molded to every line on his cock, but he knew she was just egging him on. They both needed more, and he was going to keep his promise.
He pulled his hips back until just the tip of his dick was dipped in her pussy, and then he thrust into her again. Avery made one of her delicious noises, and he repeated the action, over and over again, as her cries filled the room.
God, damn, he loved the sounds she made!
He wasn’t sure, but he thought he might be able to come from just the sound of her voice. Luckily, he didn’t have to find out the answer. At least not today.
He thrust into her hard and fast, and her essence coated his cock. When her pussy began to spasm uncontrollably, he reached between them and placed his thumb on her clit.
That was all it took.
He covered her mouth with his and swallowed her scream as she fell over the edge. He continued to kiss her hard and thrust his hips wildly until he broke away seconds later to shout out his release. His very loud roar echoed around the room, and rivaled the cry she’d released earlier.
Avery smiled beneath him, and he knew his equally loud expression dimmed some of her embarrassment. In fact, she seemed down right giddy, and he couldn’t help but laugh at her expression.
When he did, he felt the tips of his canines trying to force their way through his gums. He buried his head in her neck to hide his secret, and to try and gain some much-needed control. He didn’t want to tell her about his bear while buried deep inside her.
Unfortunately, the close proximity the exact spot he wanted to mark her did nothing to help his cause. Avery rubbed a soothing hand down his back, and he loved the fact that she touched him freely. He wanted to stay buried in her warmth forever, but he needed some space before he did something he couldn’t take back.
Slowly, he pulled his cock from her body, laid down on his back beside her, and pulled her into his arms. Avery rested her head on his chest, and snuggled into his embrace like they’d slept together a hundred times.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
She was thanking him?
Why?
Then he remembered. She’d asked him to help her. To fuck her like he knew what the hell he was doing. He had—and then some—and while he was happy to oblige, he didn’t want her thanks.
He opened his mouth to correct her, to explain how he should be thanking her, and not the other way around, but her soft, deep breaths changed his mind. His mate had fallen asleep in his arms, and he wasn’t about to wake her.
He tightened his arms around her, closed his eyes, and guarded his mate while he slept.
Tomorrow, his mission to claim her heart would begin.
Chapter Four
Avery looked around Java Corner and waited for Jacob to return with their coffee refills. He stood at the counter talking to Tobias while Layla refilled their cups, and when his friend set the cups on the counter, the trio laughed in unison at something Tobias had said.
She smiled at the easy way the three of them got along.
In fact, Jacob seemed to get along easily with almost everyone.
This was the second time they’d visited the quaint coffee shop in the center of town, and both times Jacob had been acknowledged by a multitude of people. Most of them didn’t stop to talk, but he introduced her to everyone that did.
And the ones that did turned out to be his best friends.
That knowledge went a long way toward building her confidence and trust in him. She still wasn’t totally persuaded he wouldn’t dump her any minute, especially since her break was technically over, and they both were going back to work the following day, but his actions made for a pretty convincing argument.
The night after they’d had sex, she’d fully expected to wake alone and have to work on avoiding Jacob in the hall, but that’s not what happened. Instead, as the last bits of sleep faded away, she’d woken up doubly mortified.
The first humiliation came when she realized she’d fallen asleep in Jacob’s arms, and the second dose of shame quickly followed when she’d realized he was still in her bed…and she’d been grinding her ass against his cock for several minutes.
Hell, it could have been longer than that, but she only remembered the first few groggy minutes she’d been awake. She’d immediately stilled, and tried to pull away, but Jacob had tightened his arm around her middle, and pulled her hard against him. Her back was plastered against his front, and with no clothes between them, she knew how much he wanted her.
Then, as if to make a point, he’d kissed every inch of her skin until there wasn’t any doubt left in her mind. He’d made love to her slowly, and then he’d allowed her to suck his cock—and praised her highly—even though she really didn’t have any idea what she was doing. She didn’t have a lot of experience with oral sex, mainly because she’d never dated anyone she felt deserved her efforts.
Her ex had encouraged her once, and because she’d been curious and inexperienced, she’d given in. When he’d refused to return the favor, however, she’d followed suit and never performed the action again.
It was one of the things he’d hated about her—he’d told her often enough—but she’d never cared. She hadn’t enjoyed sharing something so intimate with him, and obviously his hate wasn’t a game changer, because it had never stopped him from coming over for a quick fuck.
Avery shook her head to clear it from the unpleasant memories. Staying with her ex had been a terrible form of personal punishment, and she was happy she’d finally come to her senses. Even if things didn’t work out with Jacob, she never wanted to go down the road she’d shared with her ex, or any of the losers she’d dated in the past, ever again.
Jacob walked back toward her with their coffees, and planted a chaste kiss on her lips before settling into the chair next to her. Tobias followed with his own cup, and a few minutes later, Layla sat down to take a break in between customers.
When she’d first met Layla, she’d been slightly jealous of the tall, slim beauty. Layla was an inch taller than herself, but she didn’t seem plagued by her height. In fact, she stood tall and confident, and her familiarity with Jacob mad
e Avery bristle.
Until she met the woman’s fiancé, Tobias.
The man was gorgeous, there was no denying the fact, but Avery wasn’t attracted to him like she was Jacob, and for that she was grateful. Tobias had an air about him that caused most people to turn the other way, and she’d been one of them until Jacob had introduced her.
After talking with the couple, and meeting another couple—Mason and Paige—she’d immediately felt accepted into their group, but the feeling grew stronger after meeting Layla’s brother, Logan, and his wife, Becca.
It was a strange feeling to have after only a few minutes in their presence, but the longer she talked to each person, the more the feeling took root.
Deep down, she silently wondered about everything, but she kept her questions to herself. It didn’t take long for her to figure out that his friends definitely knew about his shifting abilities, and that they more than likely had skills of their own.
Which made her wonder where she fit in their small, but tight-knit, group.
Jacob had told her, multiple times, over the last few days, that he intended to stick around, but she still had her doubts. Although, they were getting smaller by the day.
In fact, he’d spent every day with her since their first night together, and though they’d been having sex, they’d also been dating. They’d gone to dinner, the coffee house, seen a movie, and just walked around town hand-in-hand.
Of course, they’d both been on vacation, and the real test would be once they both tended to their other responsibilities. She knew Jacob was often busy, getting calls in all hours of the night, and though he claimed to work security with Logan and the other guys, she was pretty sure there was a little more to it. How much more, though, she didn’t know, and she had no idea how she would fit into his complicated life.
Jacob squeezed her thigh, and she wrapped one arm around his big bicep and leaned into him slightly. Layla was telling a story about one of her crazy customers, and the closeness with Jacob, along with the laughter inducing story, pushed her wayward thoughts away.
