by Jenika Snow
“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.” Deacon’s deeply whispered words sounded gruff with emotion against her hair.
“It’s not okay.” Tears fell down her cheeks, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. “It’s not okay because I don’t know if I killed him before I ran.”
Chapter Six
The very air stilled at Jessa’s words. Deacon held her tightly, not about to let her go. He could smell and feel the turmoil inside of her. When she had admitted what he and Thayer had already suspected, he had seen red. His body had shaken so hard he feared he wouldn’t be able to stop his leopard from emerging. He wanted to taste blood on his tongue, wanted to feel this asshole’s bones crunch beneath his jaw. Whoever this Paul was he was about to know what pain really felt like. The fact that he might already be dead helped to calm his beast, but feeling Jessa shake against his chest had him wanting to take her pain away.
“I didn’t think I would make it out. He had hit me so many times I thought I would die that night. He always hit me where my clothes would keep the bruises covered.” Deacon growled low and heard Thayer do the same. His brother was on the verge of shifting as well. Someone had hurt her, their mate, and if that fucker wasn’t dead he would wish he was by the time they got done with him.
“He was so angry when I told him I had enough, that I didn’t want him anymore. After he finished using me as his punching bag, he left me on the floor while he went to get another beer.” She started to laugh, but he could hear the desperation in the sound. “I grabbed the first thing that I saw, which happened to be the fireplace poker. He heard me coming and charged after me, but I swung hard and felt the iron hit his body. He dropped lifelessly to the ground. Blood pooled around him so quickly that I got scared and ran.” She pulled away and looked between him and Thayer. “And you know the rest.”
The silence in the room grew thick, and so were the tension and rage. He could feel his brother’s anger as strongly as he could feel his own. It felt like standing on the tallest mountain, the wind whipping at your body and threatening to take you over the edge. It took every ounce of strength Deacon possessed to not go hunt down that bastard and make sure he was dead. Pulling Jessa away from his chest was hard as hell, but he needed her to know that things were different now, that they didn’t care about her past in the way she feared. Her big brown eyes were wet from her tears. Her dark lashes were spikey as she stared up at him. In just one day this tiny woman had completely turned his world upside down. He had no doubt their mate was this one, fragile woman, the female that could tame his beast and bring him to his knees.
“Come on, baby. I think you’d enjoy a soak in the tub.” He rose to stand and kept his arm wrapped around her waist. Thayer stood before them, a pained look on his face. He handed their mate off to his brother and went to her room to start a bath. While the water ran he braced his hands on the counter and looked at himself in the mirror. His animal moved the surface, pacing for one chance to touch what it knew was his. His blue eyes flashed at the thought, as if his leopard reaffirmed what Deacon already knew. He didn’t know why he was like this, so much more rugged and unstable than his brother. If he could think rationally, be one with what he truly was, then maybe he would have been able to let her go. As it stood, there was no fucking way he planned on letting Jessa go. Even when he fixed her car he knew he couldn’t watch her walk away. He’d find her no matter where she went. There was no place she could hide from him. He didn’t doubt Thayer’s feelings for her, but his brother and the animal that he housed inside of him had boundaries, meshed together so it became one being. It was always a fucking struggle with Deacon’s beast.
Hanging his head between his shoulders he let the sound of the water filling the tub calm him. Even through the sound of rushing water he could hear Jessa, smell her scent that had him gritting his teeth. They would have to tread gently with her. Her past was one of pain and fear. He knew she couldn’t possibly feel the same emotions they did for her. Hell, she didn’t even know who or what they were. Humans didn’t allow their minds to delve into the possibility that everything was straight or black and white. A whole world of grey existed. He turned and shut off the water and left the bathroom. Thayer had his arm around Jessa’s small shoulders and led her toward him. She held a tall glass of wine in her hand, and he was thankful to see her tears had dried.
He let Thayer take her into the bathroom but stayed in the doorway. She sat on the lid of the toilet, her shoulders slumping forward. She looked so defeated. He would have to make sure to put her at ease, however long that took. She would grow to trust them, come to understand that not all men were sadistic fuckers intent on hurting women. He wanted her, desperately, and he knew Thayer did, too, but they had all the time in the world. Right now she needed to get to know them, the men, so then maybe one day she could come to understand what they truly were.
Watching his brother lean down and kiss her on the forehead brought warmth to his chest. This felt right and perfect. Jessa looked into Thayer’s face and smiled, and then turned her gaze toward him. Her smile was grateful, but under that he sensed a spark of life. She thought she was broken, but she wasn’t. The pieces of her life could be put back together, and he and Thayer would make sure she became whole again.
****
Two days had passed since Jessa had confessed her life filled with dirty secrets to Thayer and Deacon. The fact they hadn’t judged her had her feeling unfamiliar emotions. For the past seventy-two hours they had been gentle with her, letting her get to know them and their lives. Thayer told her all about his education, about how he trained in the medical field, but had a degree in architecture. He was intelligent and attractive. She found out he was thirty, younger than Deacon by five years. Even though she was only twenty-two and they were quite a bit older than her, it didn’t feel strange. Deacon shared information about himself, but she picked up that he wasn’t as forthcoming as Thayer. He was a carpenter, unofficially, and she learned he and Thayer had built the cabin, although Thayer admitted Deacon had done most of the building.
They had given her a tour of the interior and exterior of the cabin. The cabin itself wasn’t overly large. It had three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and the most gorgeous sunroom she had ever seen, although this time of year didn’t allow for much sun to be enjoyed. Everything was so rustic, but it also held a touch of modern comfort. As far as she could tell neither worked, but she wasn’t nosey enough to ask them how they supported themselves, although clearly they had money.
They had just finished lunch, and she watched Deacon work on her car through the picture window in living room. A two-car garage sat cattycorner with the cabin, and although it had to be freezing he had the garage doors open. She could hear the steady thump of a bass from the music he listed to. She turned and looked at Thayer, who hunched over his desk and worked on blueprints for an expansion on the cabin. She wanted to ask why they needed to add more to the cabin when it was just he two of them, but she figured there wasn’t much else to do out in the middle of nowhere.
“I’m just going to go out there and see how it’s going with the car.” Thayer lifted his head and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He looked like a sexy as sin professor, and all she could think about was having him bend her over his desk and spanking her with his ruler. A shiver worked through her at the thought. Being in a constant state of arousal around the two of them had her nerves on edge and her body on fire. She swore at times they could tell just by looking at her. Could it be that obvious? She saw Thayer inhale deeper and thought she heard him growl, like actually growl low in his throat, but the sound disappeared as soon as it started.
“Yeah, okay. It’s pretty cold out there, so make sure to bundle up.” He took his glasses off and rubbed his hand over his eyes. She noticed more frequently that Deacon and Thayer seemed stressed and on edge. She worried it was because she had decided to stay with them, but when she expressed her concerns and told them again she would be more than happ
y to stay at a motel, they had shut that idea down before it had fully left her mouth. She smiled just thinking about how they told her they liked her there, liked her cooking and that she did their laundry. Of course the hint of lavender oil she added to their clothing during the wash didn’t happen to be their favorite addition. Apparently men didn’t like smelling like flowers, although she had to admit that fresh scent worked very nicely with the spicy, masculine fragrance that always seemed to cling to them. It reminded her of the uninhibited wilderness that surrounded them.
She nodded and grabbed her coat, hat, and gloves. The biting cold slapped her in the face as soon as she stepped onto the porch. The door shut behind her, and she quickly made her way to the garage. The snow covered ground crunched beneath her boots as she all but sprinted toward the safety of the garage. The music seemed overly loud, the bass deep. Deacon hunched over the hood of her car in nothing but a pair of jeans, thick biker boots, and a light jacket. How in the hell he wasn’t freezing was beyond her. She could see his big hands working on the guts of her car, but had no clue what he was actually doing. Grease covered his tanned hands. She continued to watch him expertly work.
He lifted his head and pierced her with his ice blue eyes. Neither one of them said anything, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway because the music seemed too loud for them to hear each other. He moved out from under the hood and walked over to where a black pad hung on the wall. Turning the dial the music instantly lowered. He faced her and started cleaning off his hands with one of the shop rags.
“So,” she looked at her car again, “how is it going?” She swept her hand over the car like he actually wouldn’t know what she meant. He didn’t respond and didn’t move from where he leaned. The wide expanse of chest was visible through the opening of his jacket, and she couldn’t help but appreciate the view. His hard, muscular pecs were visible, his tiny male nipples evident through the shirt. The jacket did nothing to hide his powerful, bulging biceps. For the millionth time since being in their presence her pussy got wet, and a tingling started in her belly. Her arousal continued to burn slowly inside of her, but in moments such as this it reared its head. It was like her body screamed at her to let this man have her, to let his powerful body slide between hers.
She noticed the way his breathing changed, and she swore his eyes flashed fire at her. Was her arousal that obvious? She opened her mouth to bring the focus back on her car, but Deacon pushed off the counter and strode towards her. Jessa couldn’t move as she watched him stop in front of her. He was just so big that his entire body took up her eyesight. With the slow, steady pump of music all around her, the scent of him filling her lungs, and the masculine sexuality he threw off, she was helpless to stop what he did next.
He gripped her behind her neck and pulled her forward until her body slammed against his. Her breasts pressed against the hard planes of his chest, and the air gushed out of her at the feel of his rock hard planes against her softness. For several long minutes all he did was search her face. Neither said anything, but she knew he could see the need clearly on her face. It felt like her body would explode if he didn’t touch more of her.
“You are so fucking beautiful.” His words were spoken softly, and she couldn’t deny that having him give her the compliment along with the profanity drive her need higher. Deacon was rough around the edges, brutal in his strength, and didn’t apologize over these traits. She found it just as attractive as Thayer’s gentleness.
He lifted his hand and ran his finger along her cheek. The scent of motor oil filled her senses, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. The growl that came from him had her opening her eyes and staring up at him.
“I tried to give you time, baby. I don’t want to rush you, but you have to know how much I want you.” He started to lower his head to hers until his lips were a hairsbreadth away. “Your scent invades my senses, and your closeness drives me up the fucking wall.” His warm breath slid along her face. “Will you let me taste you, baby?” She felt herself nod even though she knew without a doubt this was probably a very bad idea. “Yeah.” The way he said it sounded gravelly and self-assured, and if she hadn’t wanted it just as bad she might have pushed away just to prove a point. “That’s right, baby. You want this, too.” Yeah, she did, but she couldn’t find the words to voice it. Fortunately, his lips crashed against hers, taking her mouth in a bruising kiss that didn’t let her think of anything aside from the fact he wanted her with a desperation that rivaled her own.
Chapter Seven
Her mouth was hot and sweeter than anything he had ever eaten. He swept his tongue into the wet cavern and stroked it along hers, eliciting a moan from her. Sliding his hands over her back, he gripped her ass and brought her closer to his erection. His cock jerked at the feel of her softness. Her hands slid up his chest and wound their way around his neck. She was as close to him as two people could get, yet it wasn’t enough. He walked them backward until they reached the counter of his workstation. Tightening his hold on her, he lifted her easily and set her ass on the counter. Her legs opened, and he stepped between them, feeling the heat of her pussy at the perfect level of his dick. Grinding himself into her, he grunted, and she gasped.
“You want me between your legs, baby?” He kissed and nipped along her jaw and smiled against her neck as she tilted her neck to give him better access.
“Hmmm.” A gasp left her when he ran his tongue along her throat. Could she feel the slight roughness of his tongue, courtesy of the animal inside of him?
“Baby, I want you so fucking bad.” He ground himself against her again. He wanted her so damn bad. Her nails dug into the back of his neck, and he relished the sting it caused. He ran his tongue the rest of the way up her neck and to her mouth. He let his hands slide over her waist to the front of her jeans. He gave her a minute to stop him, but she didn’t. In fact, she lifted her hips closer. A growl left him as he flicked her button undone. He pulled away slightly and reached behind her, turning on the heater, blowing hot air over them. He closed the garage doors and then went back to kissing her. Gripping the edge of her jeans he started pulling them down her legs. She lifted to help, and then kicked them off. Their kiss and movements became more desperate. He tore her jacket off of her, and she did the same with his.
“God, what are we doing, Deacon?” She murmured against his lips while her fingers undid the button and fly of his jeans.
“We’re going to fuck.” He could have said it a little more eloquently, but why sugarcoat what they were going to do in his grimy garage? Besides, it didn’t matter what he called it. He needed to claim his mate, and they both were going to enjoy the hell out of it.
He slipped his hands beneath their bodies and pulled her panties to the side. The smell of her wetness filled his nose. Fucking ambrosia. Sliding his fingers through her slit, he gathered her cream and brought his fingers to his mouth. “Look at me, Jessa.” Her throat worked as she swallowed. He brought his soaked fingers to his lips and sucked them into his mouth. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. “Mmmm, baby.” When he’d cleaned her juices off his fingers, he took her mouth again. He speared his tongue in her mouth so that she could taste herself on him. Breaking the kiss, he gripped her panties and ripped them from her body. The sound of fabric rendering mixed with the heavy beat of music.
“Oh, God.” Her head fell back, and her eyes slid shut when his fingers found her pussy again. He slid his middle finger into her pussy and thumbed her clit.
“Fuck, you’re tight.” He dragged his teeth back down her neck to where it met with her shoulder. Sinking his teeth into the supple flesh, he pumped his finger in and out of her, loving how her tight pussy gripped his digit, sucking it back in. “My girl’s greedy for me.”
“Yes.” Gasping for air, she lifted her head, speared her hand in his hair, and jerked her to him.
He kept working his finger in and out of her, his thumb pressing tight circles on her clit. Her mouth devoured his, her tong
ue stroking his. Her little teeth pulled his bottom lip in his mouth, her tongue sliding over it. He quickly pushed his jeans down, but before he could pull his cock out of his boxer briefs, her hands were there, pushing his out of the way and gripping him. He let out a hiss when her hand wrapped around his cock.
“God, you’re so big.” He would have smiled at the surprise in her voice, but he was already too far gone with his arousal. Taking hold of her ass again, he pulled her to the edge of the counter so that she was forced to let go of him and wrap her hands around his shoulders for stabilization.
“Put your heels on the counter, baby.” The fact she did what he said without any hesitation, submitting to him and his animal, had his skin tightening with victory. He took a step back, his hands on his knees, and pushed her thighs apart. A gasp left her, but he kept his gaze on her pink pussy on display. Her wetness glistened under the overhead lights, her clit engorged as it stuck out from the hood at the top of her mound. He wanted to taste her so fucking bad.
Dropping onto his haunches, he let his hands slide down her inner thighs until his thumbs brushed against her labia. He spread her open and saw the darker pink of her inner lips. Latching his mouth on her, he closed his eyes and grunted at the taste of her. The flavor, sweet and musky, filled his taste buds, and he grew addicted. He ate her out until she came against his lips. Her hands in his hair tugged at the strands, pulling his closer as she ground herself on him. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to be inside of her. Standing, he took himself in hand and placed it at her entrance.
