“Gods,” he moaned and her approving murmur preceded another playful bite. “More, baby, more.”
She nuzzled against his erection in answer. Electricity skipped down his spine. He cursed and nearly buckled under the power of that one simple touch.
Hands on his thighs, she urged them farther apart. He complied and braced his body with palms flattened against the wall. He wanted to fist her hair and bring that tempting mouth to his aching dick, but he waited in eager anticipation of her ministrations. The siren had plans for him. No way would he miss out on experiencing everything she’d give him by rushing her.
She kissed and nibbled her way to the base of his penis. Capable hands cupped his balls and warm air met the swollen head.
“Don’t tease me.”
She did though. With her mouth a hairsbreadth away from his shaft, she followed the path down, leaving a burn in her wake. After placing a chaste kiss to his scrotum, she reversed her path with her tongue. An animalistic sound escaped him. His head fell back and met the wall.
Wetness and heat covered the head of his cock. Heaven. He savored the swirl of her tongue as she traced the ridge. She sucked him into her mouth and he cursed, groaned and growled all at the same time. The sensation was better than any he’d ever experienced with another woman. It was Lena who knelt in front of him and licked his cock as if it were her favorite flavor of ice cream, not some bimbo he wouldn’t even remember the next day. It made the whole experience better.
She drew him into her mouth, the head of his erection meeting the back of her throat. He stilled his hips so he wouldn’t hurt her, surprised she’d take so much of him. Females avoided swallowing his length, but Lena wasn’t just any female. She was his female. As if she knew what he’d always fantasized about, she relaxed her throat and took him deeper.
“Fuck, baby.”
Devin glanced down at his little siren. Her head was bent slightly to the side so she could swallow him. The curve of her hollowed cheek drew his eyes to the sight of her rosy lips stretched around his girth. His hips jerked of their own volition and she moved with him as if she was so attuned to him that she anticipated the involuntary thrust.
He fisted his hands in the mass of her brown waves, unable to help himself. With controlled movements so as not to hurt her, he fucked her mouth. She welcomed him. Savored him. Love shown in her expression as she worshipped his cock. She didn’t hide it. And that floored him. He didn’t know what to do with the realization, but he didn’t get the chance to ponder it. She hummed. The vibrations whipped along the length of his shaft and he came with a roar. Jets of his seed spilled down his female’s throat. She greedily sucked him dry then released him with a groan.
Rapture. It turned her already beautiful face into one of angelic proportions. His personal goddess.
His hands shook as he slid them to her shoulders. “Gods, baby, I…I…”
The words wouldn’t come out so he tugged her closer. She slipped her hands around him and cupped his ass.
“I won’t screw things up this time, Devin. I promise.”
“Same here, Lena. Same here.”
With her cheek pillowed against his stomach and his half-erect shaft pressed between them, he closed his eyes and enjoyed his little slice of heaven.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
For the first time in days, Devin felt confident everything would work out. With Lena by his side, he surveyed the packed bar. The Black Widow didn’t have much competition in this farm community, but even if it had, he felt confident it’d still be full of people. The dark-paneled walls combined with minimum lighting—a few wall sconces—instilled an ambiance of mystery. There were plenty of corners where lovers could mingle or booths to socialize.
A mix of local sports memorabilia and images of classic cars—two areas of great interest to the tavern’s founder—decorated the walls. The bar itself gleamed. The highly polished counter never appeared cluttered. Empty glasses were always removed and square napkins trashed. Bottles of liquor—all dusted and organized by popularity—lined the back shelves. Several beer taps offering local brands and any the standard domestic offerings served the needs of most customers while microbrews, imports and mixed drinks satisfied the rest.
Devin surveyed the room and enjoyed the sense of pride settling over him. He turned to Lena to gauge her reaction. “Well? What do you think?”
She nodded. “It’s nice.”
“It’s also mine.”
Her brows rose. “You own a bar?”
“Co-own but yeah. Just signed the agreement a few weeks back. I can’t say I’ve helped much in the daily operations.” He shrugged. “I guess I’m more a financial backer but I hope to get more involved.”
She studied the bar with intense scrutiny. His muscles locked as he waited for her reaction. She faced him, grinning. He released a breath.
“I really like it, Devin. It’s actually very classy for this area and looks to be popular. You should be proud.”
He returned the grin, unable to contain his good mood. Hope might be a bitch, but this time he was grateful for it.
“I am but this is all Josh’s handiwork. The man’s a stickler for perfection.”
Her smile turned into an amused smirk. “Josh, your other beloved human?”
The back of his neck itched as embarrassment replaced the sense of pride. He rubbed at the annoying sensation. He’d briefly told her about the male, almost confessed his lapse, but couldn’t get the words out. “By association. Look…”
But he never got to warn her about Josh’s little scratch. The human strode purposely toward them with a wide, welcoming smile on his face. At a little over six feet, Josh was tall for a human. Thanks to the daily sparring he engaged in, the man was built. Black hair hung over the edge of his ears, giving him a shaggy, unkempt appearance. Mira had mentioned to him that she liked longer hair and surprise, surprise the male hadn’t cut his hair since.
Piercing blue eyes met his dead-on, a response that had surprised him at first. Although human, Josh was an alpha. He greeted his peers as such. Once Devin nodded—the males living here rarely gave in to dominance battles—Josh turned his attention to Lena. Surprise flickering in his eyes, Josh’s gaze settled on the proprietary way he held Lena with an arm wrapped around her waist. One corner of his mouth quirked higher and he swept a casual glance over her body. Devin tensed but calmed when the human showed no sign of sexual interest. Curiosity, not lust. Good. He wouldn’t have to beat him.
“Josh, this is Lena. Lena, Josh.”
“Hi, Lena.”
Lena stared at Josh open-mouthed. He knew what stunned her, the ugly scar running down Josh’s cheek. ”Did you get attacked?”
Josh met his gaze. “You could say that.”
His warning look didn’t faze the human. Josh’s grin widened. Devin snapped his teeth together. “It’s just a small scratch. No biggie.”
Josh touched his cheek. “Yeah, it adds character.” He focused on Lena and shrugged. “And it’s what I get for tangling with your cat.”
“My cat?”
“Yeah, you belong to Devin.” The human flicked his gaze between them. “Don’t you?”
Instead of answering, she slowly turned her head and stared at him.
He wanted to squirm under her accusatory look but couldn’t. They were in public. “It didn’t get tended to quick enough.” Her chocolate eyes turned molten. He cracked his jaw. “If he’d gone to the hospital and gotten stitches, it wouldn’t be as obvious.”
“And I would’ve looked weak for doing so. Nah, I wasn’t doing that.” A shit-eating grin spread over Josh’s face. “Besides, once Mira kissed my boo-boo, it felt so much better.”
Devin growled, mindful to keep the sound low so as not to alert the other humans that there was a predator in their midst. “Are you looking for another beating?”
Josh chuckled. “Just stating the facts.”
“Stay away from Mira.”
Josh stepped cl
oser, eyes narrowing. “Why? Because I’m human or because she’ll finally learn what it’s like to be respected by a man instead of being treated like an object?”
He lifted a lip and bared a fang. “Back off, Josh.”
Lena stepped next to Josh and crossed her arms over her chest. “I think that’s a very good question. Which is it, Devin?”
He glanced between the two humans who were important to him. No matter what answer he gave, he’d piss them off. He settled on the truth. “Getting involved with Mira is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Lena tilted her head. “And why is that?”
The curiosity on her face demanded an answer. Too bad it wasn’t one she’d like hearing. He shifted his attention to Josh. “What happens if you fall in love with her? Are you going to marry her?” He lifted a brow. “Come on. Fifty years from now when you’re old and wrinkled, Mira will still look the same. And when you die, her heart will break. Is that what you want?”
A muscle ticced in Josh’s jaw. “No, that’s not what I want. But don’t you think she deserves a little happiness?”
“Sure, I do, but it won’t be with you. Dammit, how many times do I have to say it? You cannot break the gods’ rules. Now go find some human to dally with.”
He waved him off.
Josh stepped even closer until they were inches apart. “I like breaking rules, Devin. Been doing it all my life.”
“Yeah, well this one’ll just kill you. You’re not the first human male to try.”
“Then I’ll make new ones.”
Lena stepped between them and shoved with a hand on both of their chests. She wasn’t strong enough to move either of them but they both backed up.
She settled her annoyed gaze on him. “Enough. I came here to eat, not watch two stubborn asses fight.”
“Oh, I like her,” the familiar voice of his twin exclaimed.
Devin turned and opened his arms. Mira wrapped hers around him. “Hey, love.”
Mira gave him one last squeeze before separating them and stepping closer to Josh. She gave Josh a shy smile—not a look he’d ever seen his sister wear except around the human. It disturbed him. Devin wasn’t an expert on relationships—look at how he kept screwing things up with Lena—but Mira acted as if the sun and moon revolved around the male.
He sighed. Something would have to be done about her infatuation before it turned deadly. He just didn’t know what. Trying to keep them apart had only made their attraction grow.
“Hi, Josh. You look nice tonight,” Mira purred.
Josh reached out and twirled a lock of her hair but kept an appropriate distance from her. He knew better. “You too, Mira. I’m glad you could come out tonight.”
With Josh’s attention centered on her, Mira beamed and inched closer so her side touched his. Devin pushed his anger back. He didn’t want to start a fight with the human in front of Lena. Besides, the arguments didn’t do any good either.
“So this is the woman who finally captured my twin.” Mira inspected Lena head to toe. Her brows pinched. He tucked Lena closer and gave his twin a threatening look. It didn’t deter her. She smirked. “I must say I’m surprised. You’re so…small.”
“And full of spunk,” he added before his feisty little female opened her mouth.
Mira lifted her gaze to his and held it for a long moment before Josh stepped between them, effectively stopping the battle of wills. Mira sensed something wasn’t quite right about his involvement with Lena. He could see it in Mira’s eyes. She knew him too damn well to blindly believe that he’d simply stumbled over his one and decided to keep her. His twin had been his confidant and conscience for too long. She knew his yearnings and doubts.
“Let’s go sit and have a drink.” Josh’s fingertips touched Mira’s arm lightly before he motioned them toward the booth in the back corner of the main bar.
Devin urged Lena to slide in and sat next to her, tucking her into his side. Josh scooted next to Mira and leaned forward, elbows on the tabletop. “Megan wants to know why she can’t see her sister. I’m running out of excuses.”
“I’ll come over and talk to her. Maybe she can get through to Molly.” He hoped so. The little girl still hadn’t shifted despite days of coaxing from everyone.
Lena squeezed his hand under the table. “I can’t wait to meet Megan. Molly talked about her all the time.”
That caught his attention. Although their inner animals would remember the other souls who’d shared their mother’s womb, the child who housed them wouldn’t. Their memories were good but not that good. Even Megan didn’t talk about her twin, not exactly. She knew she still lived, the twin bond giving them that unexplainable connection. She even claimed to sometimes feel when her sister was in pain or afraid, another consequence of their shared womb. But actually talk about her? Not even once. She hadn’t even known Molly’s name until they discovered their parent’s death records.
“Megan and Molly were kidnapped as infants. They wouldn’t remember each other.” He felt foolish for pointing that out but the other possibility sickened him.
Lena’s features softened, sympathy filling her brown eyes. The reaction cut at his heart. “Megan spent time at the facility too. Doesn’t she talk about it?”
He shook his head, the reason for Megan’s silence making him physically sick. Trauma, an experience so horrendous the child buried it, that was the only thing he could come up with. He swallowed the bitter taste.
“Molly said the scientists called Megan a failure.” Lena swallowed hard, her nose scrunching in disgust. Seeing the abhorrence on her face made him wonder how much she knew of the atrocities that particular facility had been known for.
She straightened in her seat and continued, “They told her she died, but Molly knew better.” Lena thumped her chest. “She felt her here.”
Not surprising. The twin bond was strong between humans. With shifters, more so.
He took her hand, gave it a squeeze. “It might be better if she doesn’t remember.”
Lena inclined her head slightly, dropping her gaze to the table’s dark-wood top.
“So,” Mira flashed an overly bright smile, “when will we be having your mating celebration?”
His pulse quickened. Mira narrowed her eyes, no doubt hearing the rapid beat. Devin ignored her questioning stare and focused on Lena. She didn’t react, simply studied the water-stained table as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
He cleared his throat. “Soon. I promised Lena one of those weddings like Jasmine and Rafe had. The party afterward was fun and Lena will look lovely in a white gown.”
Lena sighed and the exasperation in that one sound kicked his pulse up another notch. So did the first hint of anger twined with her signature.
Mira flicked her gaze between them, parted her mouth on an inhale and narrowed her eyes at him, not Lena. “Well, Lena? Weddings take time to plan. Nobody in the family expected Devin to take a ma…wife. Our friends and relatives from around the world will want to celebrate.”
Lena’s nostrils flared. She leaned across the table. “There will be no wedding.”
Mira matched her so they were as close as he’d been with Josh moments ago. “Any why is that? Don’t you want my twin? Think you’re too good for him?”
Lena’s bitter smile looked chilling on her face. He considered putting a stop to this but neither female would appreciate his interference. Both were too much alike. Stubborn as hell.
“No, I think I’m not good enough for him.”
Mira sat back, brows pinched and a considering look on her face. “Then why?”
“Because unless Molly returns to us, I have no family to sit on my side of the church. And my friends? They’re not welcome in this world, not fully. I have nobody. Do you understand? Nobody.” Lena shoved at him to get out. He did and took her hand.
An apology simmered in Mira’s eyes, easy enough to see even with her contacts. He inclined his head and led Lena out the back door.
The employee parking lot had only a few cars and no lingering humans, the most privacy he’d likely get. Crowding her against the door, he sifted his fingers into her hair and cradled her head. “Mira didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know that. I’m just having a really hard time trying to think about the future when I have nobody to share it with.”
“You have me, baby.”
She nodded and slipped from under his arms. “Let’s head back in.”
Devin followed her retreating back and the hope he’d felt when he arrived fell. He wasn’t sure why. Lena hadn’t denied him. Then again, she hadn’t accepted him either.
She’d walked away.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
At the sudden silence in the bar, Lena glanced up along with everyone else. Two of the most beautiful people she’d ever seen strolled across the room and drew looks from men and women alike. The male had to be Kade’s twin, Rafe. The woman, however, was too short and soft to be a shifter. She had golden hair, tanned skin and a body Lena would kill for.
Kade entered behind them. His piercing eyes zeroed in on Mira before he stopped his twin with a hand on his shoulder. He whispered something to him and Rafe slid his golden eyes to Mira also. Devin’s leg tensed under her hand. His lip lifted in a snarl. Luckily, no sound came out.
“Are you okay?”
His expression softened when he slid his attention from the brothers to her, but his coiled muscles didn’t ease. “No, baby, I’m not.”
Mira reached across the table and lightly touched his hand. “Just because he wants to talk to us doesn’t mean he has bad news.”
Devin jerked his head and pinned Mira with a harsh glare. “What other kind is there that he’d leave Molly and come out here?”
His sister flinched. The Alexander brothers approached before either of them could say more.
Beautiful Mistake: 2 (Royal Pride) Page 33
