by Susan Arden
The day she’d try to sever their bonds, he wasn’t about to fool himself — he’d stop her, not let her go; not even if it meant he had to keep her captive until he convinced her they were meant to be together.
He held his cock, poised at her slick opening, and in one forceful thrust, he slammed into her. Diana’s eyes widened, her body flexing, and she took hold of his arms, moaning softly. He wanted to embed himself inside her.
Shawn growled, “I need you.” Hauling her legs up over his shoulders to gain better access to her body, he pulled back on her thighs, rocking and plunging back into her. He was so deep, but he wanted to go deeper still. He worked his dick, thrusting hard, making certain she was aware who claimed her. Last night he’d fucked her up against the wall, and then he mounted her, hardly able to contain himself. Now was no different. Instead of sating his desire, each time made him hungrier to possess her entirely.
Well, enough patience, he was about to press his point. “That’s right, darling. Open to me.” His dick hardened the more he pumped. He wanted her filled with his semen, but that day wasn’t today. “Look at me, Diana. Who do you belong to?”
A look of bewilderment entered her eyes as she gazed up at him. “You, of course.”
“When I take you, I want to see my ownership in the marks I leave on your skin and deep inside you. Your eyes are so volatile. Come for me. I’ve got to have you.”
Her gaze connected and held with his, and she nodded. “You’ve got me.”
This morning he had no desire for lovemaking in this act of domination. He gave into the roiling hunger to fuck her forcefully as her alpha. This was their last morning together before heading into the office. He was pounding his cock into her as though it was the only way he could make her understand. She was his. With each thrust, her body rebounded from his pounding into her. She closed her eyes and he stopped fucking her to nip the skin at her neck.
“I said to keep your eyes on me. Don’t make me stop and haul you over my lap. I will, even if it means you have to sit on a pillow today at work.”
“You’ve got me, Shawn.”
Fueled by a burst of worry and concern, egged on by his yearning to tell her his feelings, he let his emotions rule him and move him to pound against her. “God, you’re so hot and wet. Are you coming?”
Her pussy enveloped his cock in the most erotic grip. “I’m there. So there.”
His release came on with a hot spurt of semen, but he kept ramming into her body. He could do this forever and he didn’t want to stop. Not when he had more to give her. The electrical snap and burn at the base of his spine rocketed up his back and then his cock throbbed with the force of semen spraying out from him. He yelled her name, caught up in a final jet-stream burst of cum in a release that bordered on agony and ecstasy. The sight of her wrapped around him, so swollen and red, her whole body heated, the searing glow in her eyes, made him want to do it all over again. He shuddered, and lowered himself over her body.
“When you look at me like that, I could call in for a personal day or two.” This time he held onto her even when she wiggled under him, a sign that she was more than awake. He sighed, not wanting to let her go. A raw edge to his urge irritated him more and more, as though his skin had shrunk.
“I’ve got a client meeting this morning,” she whispered against his cheek.
He inhaled. “Then we’d better get a move on.” Christ, he’d wished she would just stay here; he could deal with her client. Why on Earth had he agreed to be a modern, democratic shifter? The hell with being just and operating with principles.
A fine attitude for the person in charge of a newly-codified justice system for shifters. Crap, if he couldn’t control his own emotions, how the hell could he expect any other shifter to demonstrate self-control? He wanted her no less amongst the scales of justice. Bloody hell, when it came down to it, he wanted all of her.
He didn’t want to watch her walk across the bedroom naked. That would be tantamount to torture. He punched the pillow, not knowing what else to do.
• • •
On the ride back to the city, she sat next to him while using the laptop he had given her. Another dazzling brainstorm. Too late to take back the damned thing. He sullenly gazed out the window of the car.
“Are you all right?” she asked, squeezing his fingers.
“Just thinking about the day ahead. We’ve got a short staff meeting.”
“Are we just going to enter the office together?”
“Yes. No one need know anything other than we met this morning. As far anyone knows, we were in L.A. meeting with clients this last week. And this morning, we were scheduled for a breakfast meeting already. I see no problem if everyone knows that you’re mine, but I will respect your need for privacy.”
“Thank you,” she said, squeezing his arm and making his gaze linger, just to contemplate her mouth.
“At least let me get the door.” The car pulled up to the building’s parking garage entrance. He pressed the intercom, alerting Fin to drop them off in front. He walked around the car, opened her door, and almost closed it again when he noticed her skirt hiked up her thigh and her inadvertent display of a white garter belt. Glancing over his shoulder, he glared at the two men standing slack-jawed on the curb.
He helped Diana from the car, taking hold of her attaché case regardless of how high her brow arched. It was only morning and she was dressed for a business meeting, but, fuck, she absolutely took his breath away in the body-hugging suit she wore. Without the half-crazed look of a wild heat, her coolness made him think about licking her, and putting a sign on her that she was his. Their gazes snapped together, and he had a sinking sensation that his inability to touch her at will was going to test him in ways he could only imagine.
“Steady,” he whispered, when she pulled back at his cupping her elbow. Several of the graphic designers from a competing firm stopped outside the door and stepped aside. Every one of those jackasses smiled at her.
The senior partner of Allister Art Designs walked up next to her. “Congratulations, Diana, on the nomination.”
“Peter. Thank you,” she said, smiling and gazing over at Shawn.
He returned the smile while the idea of hauling her back inside the car, fucking her one last time, took hold of him. He shook it off. Partly.
The doorman greeted them. “Mr. Barclay, Miss Hambre.”
Shawn nodded curtly, unable to say a word, his throat so constricted it felt as though he was choking. He had little comfort in the knowledge she was his if every Tom, Dick, and Peter was going to make his move on her. This morning he’d arranged a small office get-together to celebrate her nomination. Next week they’d travel to Vegas. He’d booked several rooms and had scheduled this ceremony as a means to get her away, not expecting his staff to agree to travel. But, hell — everyone invited had wanted to come. A weekend in Vegas and he’d be flanked not only by Tristen and Fin, but by the entire Matrix staff. If this was any indication of what would happen next week, he needed to make plans quickly. He’d be put out, to put it mildly, if he had to spend the entire weekend watching men fall over themselves fawning over her. She deserved it. Sure. But he didn’t like it.
As they reached the elevators, Shawn kept his distance once Diana’s other side was flanked by the administrative assistant from his office. The woman chatted with Diana, and he took the time to breathe deeply and center himself.
They were here as business associates. After this morning she’d be his business partner, if she agreed. Only his business partner, as far as anyone was concerned. Until she consented to further disclose their involvement, he chafed at the thought of keeping their personal relationship a secret.
The elevator doors opened and he held back, allowing Diana and his other office staff to walk together down the hall a few steps in front of him. Surprising him, she stopped and waited, eliciting a smile from him. The first time he’d actually felt like grinning since they left the house.
&nb
sp; “Don’t want to walk with me?” she teased him.
“Right.” He held the door for her. Up ahead, Tristen stood staring with a concerned expression. Shawn would have snarled, but he staunchly reminded himself that Tristen would never be interested in Diana except as a shifter he was helping.
“Tristen, what’s up?”
“Just checking in before I make my other stops this morning,” he said, all the while appearing to casually study Diana.
“Hello, Tristen. How are you?” Diana asked, busy with messages handed to her by the receptionist.
“Good. Everything going well, I take it.” Tristen moved to stand directly in front of her. So close he’d clearly invaded her space, causing her to stop opening a FedEx she’d just received.
“Marvelous. If you’ll excuse me … I’ve a meeting to prepare for this morning.” Diana patted his arm, then glanced back at Shawn before sailing down the hall.
“Tristen, we’re all busy after being away for a week.” Shawn tore his gaze from her swaying hips, forcing himself to pay attention to Tristen.
“This isn’t a social visit. I’ve some results I think we need to discuss.”
“Then walk with me.”
Tristen walked alongside him, lowering his voice as he asked, “How is Diana? Any headaches or flashes of light?”
“Why are you asking? You know something,” Shawn said, as chilling apprehension crept up his spine. He waited for Tristen to enter his office before locking the door. “What the hell is going on?”
Tristen shrugged, shaking his head. “I don’t know exactly. There’s a break in Diana’s neural responses. A consistent break that occurs when she’s stressed. At first, I thought it was fall-out from the training and revamping her neural pathways. But each time she’s undergone any type of training involving her limbic system reflexes, she snaps. It’s some sort of short that occurs within her sympathetic nervous system.”
“Speak English.”
“Fight or flight. When she’s stressed by an aggressor, she falters in her control. I thought maybe it might be some sort of hormonal imbalance, like too much epinephrine. But all the samples we took, blood and urine, indicate her neurotransmitters are within normal limits, except when she’s threatened. Then her whole system goes haywire. She spikes — or her hormone levels do — and wham, she’s ready to go off.”
“I don’t think anyone here is going to kick her in the shin. She’ll be with me. Everyone here loves her. You know how sweet she is; if what you’re saying is true, it would take a situation akin to a street fight to tax her system here.”
“Right, or an aggressor. At least that’s what I believe. I’m concerned. We need to keep a watch on her, is all I’m suggesting. We’ve forced her to live without the defenses, walls she built up that kept her from reaching her potential. There was a reason she had walls to her personality. Now, we’ve freed her.”
“I understand. I get that we’ve allowed her to access her alpha nature. The good and powerful parts. I won’t let her out of my sight. Consider it done. How soon can you repair this crack?”
The wolf shifter stilled. Tristen’s eyes flashed red. Not a good sign. “I don’t know that this type of neural gap can be repaired. She’ll have to learn how to cope. Not impossible — that’s what she did previously. Difficult to do in a healthy way, but she must at some point.”
“Exactly what type of response would she have, to get you this worked up?”
“Not good. She’s lethal. Imagine a leopardess protecting cubs. It won’t matter whether she’s in shifter form. She’ll respond when threatened.”
Every hair on Shawn’s body stood up at Tristen’s expression and this information. He remembered his own instinctive reaction when Diana had been threatened. It was nothing compared to a leopardess reacting in fear. That type of gut reaction would be savage in disposing of any threat.
“When we return from Nevada, let’s get her set up and take care of this, Tristen. Whatever it takes.”
The wolf in Tristen flashed near the surface. That only occurred when he was in protector mode. This was serious.
“I expect you and Fin to accompany us to Vegas.”
“I’ve already booked our flights,” Tristen said.
Shawn removed his hand from his pocket and flipped a circular disk up into the air above Tristen’s head. The man caught the piece and opened his palm.
“One thousand dollars?” Tristen asked.
“Ten more chips for you and Fin when we return. Do whatever is necessary to keep her safe. I want Santo on this one. Get him prepped. Where the hell is he these days?”
• • •
Diana walked into Shawn’s office to find Tristen with him. “Oh, I’m sorry. We had a meeting scheduled. Shall I come back?”
“No, I was just leaving. Congratulations on the nomination. We’re all … proud of you, Diana.” Tristen held out his hand. Diana hesitated; shyly, she reached out and placed her hand in his. Tristen shook her hand briefly before releasing her hand. He turned and left, shutting the door on his way out.
“Is now a good time?” she asked.
“Yes. Anytime is a good time for you to come to my office.” He reached for her, pulling her into his arms, his mouth hungry to taste her. All he could think about was bending her over his desk. “God, what I’d like to do you.”
“I’m not wearing panties,” she murmured against his mouth, and lightly bit down on his lip.
“Jesus, why did you tell me that?” His hand rubbed over the upper curve of her ass. He pushed himself against her crotch, knowing this would incite his craving to plunge into her. There was a discussion planned and he couldn’t very well do what he’d like, considering what he needed to talk about with her. He tugged her hand, taking her over to his sofa and pulling her down onto his lap. “I need your decision. Yes or no?”
“What’s the question first?” she asked, her arms lightly pressing down on his shoulders.
“Partnership. I already asked, several times over the last week. And this has nothing to do with our change in status. I made the decision when I first scheduled our morning meeting more than a few weeks ago. I put off pressuring you since there were other points we had to cover last week.” He fingered the button on her shirt that kept her luscious breasts hidden from his view.
The button released, giving him a tease of flesh. Inhaling at the sight of the tops of her breasts, he let his finger skim between her cleavage inside her shirt. “I want you in a more permanent capacity. You’ve worked hard. You’re up for the Design Academy award. You deserve it. And, besides, I’m selfish.”
“And it’s all just coincidence?”
“I’m not joking. Look at the date on the first page. These documents have been on my desk for a week.” He reached over to the side table next to the sofa, and handed her a three-page partnership proposal. Her eyes widened after reading the first page containing salary, bonuses, and benefits package.
She lifted her eyes to him. “Doesn’t seem like a selfish move? I don’t know. What about Gordon or Elyza? They’ve been here longer.”
“Yes. They have. But you’re the one with the accounts. They have other interests and don’t work power-weeks of fifty or sixty hours. They might want to be a partner for status; they’d hate the requirements.”
“Are you trying to scare me?”
“If you worked as I’d expect a partner to put in time, it would be a step down from what you’ve done over the past year. Which is why I think a partnership is a good move for you. It would afford you the freedom to pick and choose the clients you want to work with versus those on your roster.”
She looked at him over the pages in her hand. “You make it hard for a girl to say no.”
“That’s because I want you to say yes. Say it.” He ran his hands down to her hips and squeezed, pushing his erection up against her.
“You’re playing dirty.” She opened her legs, permitting him to grind up against the V-shape where he longe
d to embed himself. Moaning and fingering the collar of his shirt, she closed her eyes. “Yes. I can’t fight you. Not when you’re doing that to me.”
“Good girl. We’ve a celebration planned for lunch. If you’d said no, it would have been a much less happy event.”
“Did you think I’d say no? Really?”
“I never know for sure what you’re up to. That’s why you’ve got me locked up. You’re unpredictable. Very beautiful, sexy, but damn, I never know what you’re thinking.”
She bit her lip, unleashing a devilish light that permeated her gaze. She captured his hand, guiding him to the hem of her skirt. She wiggled, opening her legs, and fed his arm beneath the material. “Can you guess now?”
His finger brushed across her moist slit, then he scissored two fingers, rubbing them over her folds. Pushing her hips forward, she opened completely for him.
“Oh baby, I know what you want.”
Chapter 15
Earlier this morning he’d taken her, hard and rough. Waking to him between her legs, she’d enjoyed total sensation as he’d slammed into her. This act of possession was mutual. She wanted him as much as he seemed to want her. It would hurt if she crashed from the places he’d taken her in body and spirit. It couldn’t go on forever. That piercing truth kept her in check and she’d held back from giving in to him completely, as he would have liked.
Diana sniffed the partnership documents. The odor was unmistakable. Quinn’s scent marked the pages. After this last week, the mystery surrounding many of Shawn’s staff had come to light. They loyally protected him. Nearly everyone around Shawn gave into his imperious nature, without questioning, and she’d been a witness to the staff at his home or Matrix supporting his decisions.
