by T. S. Ryder
"You do?"
"Yes." Naomi detangled herself from his grasp. "But I have to go to the bathroom before I give it to you."
She desperately held in giggles as she ran to the bathroom. There, she stripped off all her clothes and retrieved the extra-wide ribbons that she had had her sisters buy for her. Anne and Heather thought it was for wrapping a present–which it was, in a way.
Naomi circled her hips with the ribbon, just barely covering herself before she wound it up over her stomach and covered her breasts. She finished it off with a bow, then checked out her image in the mirror. A bit hasty, a bit sloppy. But perfect all the same.
Her heart beat fast when she stepped out of the bathroom. Joshua turned. His jaw dropped Naomi brushed her hair back off her shoulder and walked over to him, careful not to dislodge her ribbon.
"So this is my present?" Joshua asked, eyes trailing over her.
"Yes. I didn't have time for real shopping like you said, but I thought—"
Joshua pressed a finger to her lips. He grinned. "Best Christmas ever."
He tugged the loose end of the bow before slowly unwrapping her. His hands coasted along her skin as he did, pupils darkening. Everywhere he touched, Naomi's skin tingled. She would never grow tired of the feel of her mate's hands on her, the look in his eyes as he gazed at her body. His tongue flicked out of his mouth, running along his lips.
Naomi couldn't help herself. She threw herself on her mate, kissing him hard, trying to catch his tongue. Joshua detangled the rest of the ribbon from her body and picked her up, her thighs parting to either side of his hips. Her core tightened. Fireworks began to pop in her brain.
"Couch?" Joshua panted, holding her with one arm while he slipped his fingers between their bodies.
"Too far," Naomi groaned. "Under the Christmas tree."
The couch was only a step further than the tree but Joshua didn't argue. Kissing her deeply once more, he walked to the tree and laid her down on the red velvet skirt. The heady scent of fir filled her nostrils as he continued to work her, making fire run up and down her legs before it pooled in her legs. His mouth moved to her breath, making something snap pleasantly deep inside her. Naomi arched herself to her lover and mate, helping him as he discarded his own clothing.
"So beautiful. So strong," Joshua murmured into her skin.
"Stop talking about yourself and start talking about me," Naomi joked.
Joshua redoubled his efforts, making her gasp. Somewhere in her own bursts and pools of fire, she managed to find him with her hand. They locked eyes as they pleasured one another. Joshua's face was set in determination, jaw locked, burning passion in his eyes. Sweat was already beading the edge of his blond hairline. Naomi grinned. She loved that after only a few weeks, she already knew her mate so well that she could give him exactly what he needed as he did the same for her.
It was soon difficult to keep herself still. Naomi rocked from side to side, grunting with the effort to stay with Joshua, to avoid spiraling into the ocean of her climax. From the strain on his face, he was feeling the same. He gripped her thighs, spreading them further, and entered. Tremors shook up Naomi's body. As her mate laid over her, she clung to him, digging her fingers into his back. He kissed her hard, swallowing her whimpers.
The rhythm he set was fast, desperate to bring them higher before they finished. Their hands roamed each other's bodies as though they had never felt anything before. Naomi's core was so tight it was almost painful. She flung her head back, writhing. His mouth dropped to her neck, sucking hard, and it sent her over the edge. Her hands clenched on her arms and her whole body tensed, bringing him with her.
Joshua kept moving desperately for several more moments before he gave up and went still. They lay there for a long time, panting. Naomi closed her eyes, savoring the sweet feeling of their bodies still joined together.
"Is it just me, or does that get better every time we do it?" Naomi asked, stretching lazily under her mate's body.
Joshua grunted, nuzzling her neck. "Eventually we're going to find a peak. I hope you're not disappointed when we do."
"Disappointed? No, I think we need to reach that peak soon. I don't think I'll survive if it gets better than that." Naomi laughed. "But maybe we can make this a tradition. Every year."
"I'd like that." Joshua chuckled and kissed her, but broke off with a groan when Sapphira started crying from the bedroom. "I'll see if I can get her back to sleep so we can continue in with Christmas celebrations."
Naomi sighed as Joshua rolled off her. He stood and tugged on his pants, but she wasn't sure her legs were strong enough to carry her just yet to follow. She stretched, smiling. A mate and a child, and Alpha of her pack. All within a month. It was overwhelming, how quickly it happened. But she wouldn't have it any other way.
"She's hungry," Joshua called from the bedroom. "Can you get her a bottle?"
"Sure." Naomi got to her feet as Joshua brought Sapphira out. She quickly made up a bottle before retrieving Joshua's shirt from the floor and pulled it over her head. As her mate began feeding their child, she grinned.
"What are you smiling about?"
She shook her head, unsure if she could explain herself properly.
"Tell me."
Her grin widened. "It's just that this is the best Christmas ever."
Joshua grinned back at her. "I agree. Here's looking at many more to come."
Naomi nodded. Yes, she was very much looking forward to what the future held in store for the two of them.
*****
THE END
Bonus Book 4: The Gorilla Shifter's Captive
Description
A curvy girl in witness protection PLUS a sexy billionaire shifter who is her new boss PLUS a drug lord on their heels!
Mack thinks the craziness of her life is over when her testimony puts a drug lord in jail for murder. Finally, she can concentrate on the animal rescue shelter she is trying to set up.
But life has other plans, and with Gedge still going after her, she instead ends up in witness protection...
Whisked down to Florida, Mack is placed with the eccentric billionaire Oliver Bishop, whose mansion is so far from civilization that she can't even get a cell phone signal. He requires a caretaker with experience with exotic animals, and since she used to work at a zoo, she fits the bill perfectly. Mack expects that she's there to care for his menagerie, but when she arrives she finds the only animal there is Oliver himself.
Eccentric is one thing, but Mack comes to realize that Oliver is something else entirely. He walks around bare-chested, doesn't shower for days and never picks up after himself. But the longer she stays with him, the more he brings out her own wild side...
With the threat of the drug lord's vengeance hanging over her, Mack still can't help but wonder–exactly what kind of beast is Oliver Bishop? Does he crave her body the way she craves his? And can they escape the drug lord’s men? Find out now.
Chapter One
US Marshal Tom Meyer handed Mack an information packet while the fluorescent lights in his office flickered. "Here's everything you need to know about your new identity, Bertha."
"Mack," she corrected, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, taking the packet. It weighed heavy in her hands, almost as heavy as her heart. "I thought that since Gedge got convicted, I could finally go home."
The past two years had been very difficult for her. Not only had she had to relive the moment when she saw her boss, a kind, elderly man who wouldn't hurt a fly, get shot in the head at point-blank range, but she hadn't been able to see or talk to her family in all that time, either. She missed her life terribly.
Meyer gave her a sympathetic smile. "You got him put away for murder. A man like Gedge isn't going to just forget that, and he's still got people on the outside. But don't worry. You'll love your new job. Oliver Bishop reached out to us specifically looking for someone in witness protection. He doesn't want a permanent worker."
Mack fli
pped through the first few pages of her packet. She skimmed the information about Bishop.
"We've done a thorough check, and his house the best place to keep you hidden for the next three months until we get you set up in your new life with your new identity. And you're the best qualified to work for him, with your experience with exotic animals."
"What, does he have his own zoo?" She looked up, her eyes narrowed. "Who is this Oliver Bishop, anyway?"
"Only the richest person you've never heard of. He owns ten thousand acres of land down in Florida, and he's richer than God. He's a little strange, but I'm sure you and he will get along just fine." Meyer chuckled, as though he actually doubted his words.
I quit my job at the zoo for a reason, she wanted to say, but bit her tongue.
After all, arguing with the guy who was meant to keep a crazed drug lord from killing you wasn't a good idea. She still had nightmares about the murder sometimes, and seeing Gedge's hateful expression every time she sat in court, telling lawyers and juries what she had witnessed, always left her shaking and cold.
She had hoped that now Gedge was in jail, she could go back home to her family and work on her dream of opening an animal rescue center.
Seems like that dream will never come true.
"Margret Simmons," she read, reading the name she would have to get used to. In three months it would be hers. She made a face, but it could be worse.
The only thing she had been looking forward to in this whole mess was having an excuse to get rid of "Bertha" as her first name. She had been named after her mother's mother, and she knew that any attempts to legally change it would have ended in too many tears to bother with. She was satisfied going by her last name most of the time, although her mother still insisted on calling her Bertha. And so did Meyer, for some reason.
"Am I keeping my name until I get relocated to my new home?"
Meyer smirked. "You ought to take the time to get used to your new name, but you're going to be so far away from civilization that it won't matter."
That sounded ominous, but Mack nodded. She tucked the packet into her backpack; it would give her something to read on the trip to Florida.
To most people, going to Florida for three months free of charge might seem like a dream, but Mack was dreading it. With the heat and humidity there, her hair was going to end up even more unmanageable. It wasn't quite curly and wasn't quite straight. No matter how she cut it or how many styling products she used, it always ended up a bushy mess on top of her head. She was also what her mother deemed 'a big girl' and had always had trouble dealing with high temperatures.
Mack sighed as she slumped in her chair. "At least I won't have to waitress anymore."
Meyer stood. "You should go and say goodbye to your family now. We'll set them up with new identities here soon, but until then you can't have any contact with them, understood?"
This was going to be the hardest part. Mack was very close to her two younger brothers and her parents. An irrational part of her brain wondered how they were going to get along without her for another three months. Which was ridiculous, after how long they had already been getting along without her.
"After two years of not having any contact, I'll have half an hour to catch up with them before another three months of no contact."
"They are going to be fine. Gedge won't go after them," Meyer assured her, but that only made Mack's anxiety for her family kick up another notch.
Still, she put on a brave face as she swung her backpack on and went to say goodbye. She tried not to let herself think that this might be the last time she ever saw them. Who knew what the future held? Hopefully, it's better than the past.
***
Even before they arrived at their destination, Mack knew she was going to hate every second of the three months she spent living here. She was used to the subtle greens and browns of the semi-arid desert she grew up in.
At least it was a cold day, and even though it was summer, Mack could get away with wearing full-length jeans to help control her thighs and her plump calves. She carried most of her weight from the waist down, and with the right pair of jeans she managed to look decent, but forget shorts, skirts or bathing suits. The highest heels on the planet couldn't save her legs.
Florida, on the other hand, was all green and wet. She'd be forced into shorts for sure. Breathing felt clogged up and like she was in a sauna. Even with the air conditioning in the US marshal's van going full blast, she thought she might die from the heat.
Her impression of Florida wasn't helped by the fact that the road they were driving on wasn't really a road. Though it was paved and in excellent condition, there hadn't been a road sign or another vehicle for almost an hour. Trees with giant leaves that Mack didn't know the names of leaned over them, blocking out the sun, and the forest was so dense that there could have been a hundred drug lords just inside the tree line having a tea party, and they'd be completely oblivious.
"You won't get any cell service out here, so if you need me you'll have to use Bishop's landline," Meyer said eventually. "Cheer up, Bertha—"
"Mack. My name is Mack. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Mack wiped beads of perspiration from her forehead.
The heat certainly wasn't helping her mood–not that she was a bucket of sunshine on the best of days. Waitressing had been pure torture with her temper, combined with the people that she served. It was a wonder she hadn't killed someone.
People in general just bugged her. She didn't have the patience to deal with them.
"Mack," Meyer repeated, sounding cool and unruffled. "I'm sure you're going to get along fine out here, and it's only for a little while. We'll have you set up in Utah or someplace like that before you know it."
Utah? Mack made a face but didn't say anything else for fear of snapping. It was odd, but when she worked at the zoo, she could remain cool and calm with the animals, no matter how uncooperative and frustrating they could be. With humans, it only took one wrong glance for her to lose her cool, something she was in serious danger of doing right now.
At first, she didn't realize when they arrived at her new, temporary home because there was no yard and no driveway. In fact, there was nothing that would indicate that somebody lived here. The trees and brush were just as thick, wild and overgrown as they had been on the road.
It was only until after Mack stepped from the car–getting hit by a full blast of sticky, wet heat that had sweat stains ringing her armpits immediately–that she even saw the house.
Although 'house' wasn't quite the right word for it. It was a mansion, almost a palace. Even though Mack couldn't see just how big it was, the flat roof towered over the trees around it and stretched several meters in each direction. The outside was painted a mottled green, as if the builder wanted it to blend in with its surroundings. It looked sturdy and in good condition, though.
A map was taped to the front door, and Mack's eyes shot up as she caught a few of the room labels. Swimming pool. Dining hall. Ballroom. Tennis courts. All inside. Just how big was this place?
Meyer pried the map off the door. "Looks like he's in the atrium. You might want to keep hold of this. It's easy to get lost in this place."
"How often have you been here?"
"A couple times."
Mack folded the map into her pocket, following Meyer as he entered the mansion. To her chagrin, it wasn't any cooler inside than it was outside. All the open windows were probably to blame for that. There weren't even any screens in them. What sort of creepy crawlers was she going to be sharing her new home with?
Mack shuddered. She liked bugs and rodents as much as any other type of animal, but she certainly didn't want to go to bed and find a snake under her blankets!
The hallway lead straight to the atrium. Mack gasped when she entered; it was even hotter than the rest of the house! A glass dome curved over their heads, amplifying the sunlight that poured in. Trees and bushes with leaves as broad as Mack was tall were crowded
inside. It was certainly unlike the dense forest outside. This felt more like an African jungle than a forest or atrium. Bird calls sounded throughout the room.
"Hello?" Meyer shouted.
Mack heard a grunt and looked up to see a face peering down at her from the nearest tree. It was a broad face, with deep eyes and a full mouth. The man swung out of the tree, hanging with one hand before he dropped several feet, making Mack gasp. The man rolled on the ground and leaped lithely to his feet beside her.
"Hello!" he shouted, throwing massive arms around her.
A squeal broke from her as the man lifted her from her feet and swung her in a circle, squeezing tightly. When he set her down again, he grinned broadly and stuffed some dark green leaves–spinach maybe–into his mouth. All he wore was a pair of boxers, and he clearly didn't mind the heat.
"I'm Oliver. You must be my new caretaker. It's so good to meet you!"
Mack put a hand on her chest to steady herself. Well. That was certainly an unexpected greeting! She managed a small nod in return, willing her heart to stop pounding.
Oliver Bishop was not what she had expected. His shoulders were substantial, roped with muscles that wound down his arms and ended in hands bigger than Mack's head. His chest was as wide as some of the trees outside. His hips, in contrast, were narrow, tiny in comparison to the rest of him, and his thighs were only half the size of his arms. It was a wonder he didn't fall over with a build like that! Did he bench press in his sleep?
Mack couldn't help but think that he could easily carry her over his shoulder or hold her against the wall with arms like that, and clamped down on her thoughts before they could stray into the dirty territory.
It's been three years since my last boyfriend, she reasoned. It was reasonable for her to want to. Stop it!
Meyer tipped his hat back. "Well, I'm going to head off, then. I'm sure the two of you will get along wonderfully.”
