Swallowing His Pride

by Serena Pettus

  “So sweet,” he murmured. “Your scent is driving me crazy.”

  He was driving her crazy! With every touch, she grew hotter, her clit throbbed, and her panties were toast. Holy hell, the man could kiss like no other.

  When the elevator chimed and the doors opened on his floor, he pulled back and ushered her out with his hand around her waist. He fished his keycard from his pocket and opened the door quickly, following her inside and closing it before sliding the lock into place.

  A moment later, Samantha found herself pressed against the wall once more, his mouth on hers and his hands seemingly everywhere. She couldn’t tell if it was his cologne or just his natural smell, but the clean, outdoorsy scent enveloped her as surely as the warmth from his powerful frame.

  She squirmed against him, unable to still her body as she struggled to get closer, the need to feel every part of him nearly overwhelming. Just how had he managed to work her body into such a frenzy with nothing more than a few kisses? The big hands roaming over her waist, before moving around and cupping her backside, were gentle yet firm. When he gave her rear end a squeeze and pulled her up against him even tighter, Sam couldn’t help the little squeak that escaped her lips.

  Her feet were off the floor! Dylan was still ravishing her as he held her aloft with ease. Damn, that was hot.

  The next thing she knew, they were moving. She struggled to open her eyes enough to take in her surroundings and noted they were in a rather large suite. Once Dylan nuzzled her neck again, all thoughts of his hotel room fled in the wake of the passion he stirred.

  Samantha carefully moved her arms from around his neck, down to his chest then began slipping the buttons of his shirt free. With every inch of his chest she revealed, the heat in her core rose a little more. Geez, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this worked up! When she reached the waistband of his pants she gave a little tug, and Dylan reluctantly lowered her to her feet.

  Sam watched as he stepped back and dropped the garment to the floor, leaving his finely sculpted chest on display for her ravenous gaze. She wanted to touch him, feel the little dips and swells of his torso with her fingertips, so she stepped closer.

  He stood still before her, letting her explore him at her leisure. When her hands settled on his chest, enjoying the warmth of his skin and the twitch of his muscles as she explored the contours of his abdomen, Sam shuddered with want.

  His hand rose, and with a single finger, he traced from her temple down her jaw, his touch feather-light as it travelled down to her shoulder, along her collarbone and lower still to the swell of her breasts beneath the neckline of her dress.

  “You are so soft,” he whispered. “So small and delicate compared to me. I have to remind myself to slow down. I can’t remember the last time I wanted someone so bad. It’s like you’ve put a spell on me. You’re all I’ve been able to think about since I first saw you in the gym.”

  It was the perfect thing for him to say. She heard the sincerity in his voice, and it assured her he wasn’t just trying to feed her a line, too. However, the last thing she wanted right now was to slow down. No, she wanted Dylan to take her.

  Drawing in a fortifying breath, Samantha reached down and grasped the hem of her dress before slowly lifting it over her head and letting it float down to the ground at her feet. She stood before him, clad only in her strapless bra and a matching black thong, feeling her confidence slipping until he spoke again.

  “You’re a goddess.” Dylan came forward, his lips claiming hers again as his fingers moved to the clasp at her back, freeing her breasts, yet her bra remained trapped between them as the kiss grew more intense. “Jesus, Sam, tell me to slow down,” he pleaded.

  “I don’t want you to. God, you feel so good, Dylan.”

  His lips found hers once more as he gripped her ass again, lifting her up before depositing her onto his bed and coming down atop her, their mouths never breaking contact. Samantha panted as his hips ground against her mound, and she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Dylan reached between them and flung her bra across the room before licking and nibbling his way down to her breasts. When he latched onto her nipple, Sam cried out and sank her fingers into his thick hair, holding him to her as his suckling seemed to run down to her clit with every pull of his lips.

  He paid equal attention to her other breast before kissing and caressing his way down her soft belly, to her hips where he gently nipped before laving the little hurt with his warm tongue. His fingers hooked the elastic band of her panties, and Samantha raised her hips enough to assist him in their removal. She watched Dylan’s eyes heat as he gazed at her bare pussy, the glistening folds telling of her level of arousal. His nostrils flared as he breathed her in. His head dipped, and Sam dropped her head back against the bed when his tongue made its first swipe.

  He proceeded to lap at her, eating her like a man starved, and had he not been holding her hips firmly to the mattress, Sam surely would have bucked herself right off the bed. Every time he swiped that rough tongue of his over her clit, her legs twitched, and when he sucked her into his mouth…

  “Oh, God!”

  At her outburst, Dylan hummed against her, and Samantha nearly came from the vibration against the little bundle of nerves. When he slid one finger inside her, curling the digit upwards until he rubbed against some inner pleasure center she hadn’t known was there, her orgasm came rushing forward and she catapulted over the edge, crying out his name.

  “So beautiful,” he praised. Dylan continued working his finger in and out of her as she slowly came back down from the clouds, dragging out her pleasure as he slowly climbed over top of her. Running the inside of one foot up his leg, Sam realized he no longer had his pants on, but any further thoughts melted away as his lips met hers, the taste of her climax still lingering on his mouth and arousing her all over again.

  “I need to be inside you, Samantha. I don’t think I can wait another minute.” His deep voice rolled over her and his erection nudged against her inner thigh.

  Luckily, she had some brain cells still functioning, though just barely, and she managed to gasp out, “Condom.”

  “I’ve got one right here,” he replied, reaching to the side. He rose up to his knees, and the sound of foil tearing brought her attention away from his stunning chest. Her eyes veered south, and Samantha got a good look at the bits of him she’d missed.

  Ho-boy, she thought. His thick cock jutted out, pointing straight at her core like some kind of divining rod. She watched as he rolled the condom over his impressive length. The muscles of his arms and shoulders bulged as he crawled over her once more, his body aligning perfectly with hers.

  Lowering himself, supporting his weight on his forearms, Dylan angled his hips until just the head of his cock entered her. Needing more, Sam wrapped her legs around his waist and tried to urge him to take her deeper, but he wouldn’t budge.

  “I’m trying to go slow, Sam,” he panted. “You’re so small, I don’t want to hurt you, but I can feel my control slipping.”

  Obviously, the man didn’t know how tough she was. There was no way she wanted him holding back. “Just take me, Dylan. Trust me, I’ll be fine. I just need you inside me.” Hell, she wasn’t above begging if he didn’t get with the program soon.

  The sound of him growling made her unbelievably hotter, but when he inched his way in, stretching her and awakening her body from its sated state, she couldn’t hold back a long moan of pleasure. The feel of him was exquisite. His lips kissing and nibbling at her neck, the powerful muscles of his back rippling beneath her hands as he set up a steady, thrusting rhythm, his pelvis meeting hers with a fleshy slap.

  Already, her womb tightened as another climax began to build, this one sure to be even stronger than the first. She could still tell that he was being careful, but what she needed was wild. The long, deep penetration was great, but now…

  “Faster! Oh, Dylan, please, give me everything you’ve got,”
she begged. “I’m so close.”

  There was a single, deep rumble from within him before all hell broke loose. His careful control destroyed, all Sam could do was hold on as his arms moved under her back, his hands coming up and holding her shoulders to keep her in place as his hips began to hammer into her with incredible force.

  The loud smacks echoed in the room as their bodies met again and again, and soon the tight ball in her womb suddenly exploded, leaving Samantha crying out. Her body bowed beneath his, and still he continued fucking her with insatiable stamina. He was like a machine, his body never slowing, but when his thrusts faltered and became more erratic, the feel of his teeth biting into the crook of her neck saw Samantha coming undone again right along with him.

  As they both struggled to catch their breath, their bodies still joined, Samantha felt Dylan kissing and laving his tongue across where he’d bitten her. Funny, she thought it would have hurt more, but it only made her crave for him to do it again.

  “I’m so sorry, Sam.” Dylan’s voice was soft and still husky with arousal, but she couldn’t let him think for a second that she hadn’t fully enjoy herself.

  “There’s nothing to apologize for. That was amazing.” She ran her fingers through his hair, and when he lifted his head to look down at her, she smiled. Truthfully, he’d totally wrung her out. After three orgasms her body was beyond sated, and now, she just needed to sleep.

  But would he want her to stay? What exactly was she supposed to do now, head back to her room, enduring the walk of shame?

  “Stay right there,” Dylan ordered, gently pulling out of her and heading to the bathroom, probably to dispose of the condom.

  Not really sure what to do, Samantha grabbed the sheet and pulled it over herself. She listened to the water run in the sink and willed her eyes to remain open.

  Chapter Four

  Dylan couldn’t believe he’d lost it like that. She was human! He could have seriously hurt her, but by some miracle, she seemed just fine. Well, except for the fact he’d bitten her.

  Christ! How had he not noticed his fangs had come out? The only thing he could come up with was once he got inside of her hot little body, her pussy squeezing his cock like a vise, his inner cat had pulled a fast one on him. Bastard!

  Oh, a little nip wouldn’t be a big deal at all, but this was no love bite. It was a mating mark. His fucking cat had just mated with Samantha, and now, he was in a world of shit. As far as Samantha knew, he was just a normal guy. How would she react if he were to explain he could turn into a four-hundred-pound lion at will, or that he was in charge of a rather large group of feline shifters of varying breeds?

  Shit! She’d probably think he was insane.

  Letting her go back to her normal life would be the noble thing to do, the sane thing, but where Samantha was concerned… His sanity had fled the day he’d met her. Hell, he’d known there was something special about her, but his cat had been the one to take matters into his own paws.

  Now, he understood why she called to him, why her scent drove his inner beast ballistic. She was his.

  And now, Dylan would have to explain about himself and his kind. She was human and could technically go back to her normal life without him if she chose, and he would let her, but his own life would be over. Once one of his kind found and marked his or her mate, there was no other for them. Without the comforting scent of their mate the shifter would slowly lose their mind, becoming increasingly ill-tempered and violent, until they had to be put down like a rabid animal.

  Dylan shuddered at the thought, splashed some cold water over his face after disposing of his condom then returned to the bedroom.

  There, on his bed, curled up beneath the crisp white sheets, Samantha dozed. Her pale copper curls lay scattered over his pillow, her face a picture of serenity and utterly beautiful to behold. He’d been rough with her and had managed to wring three orgasms from her responsive little body, so it was no wonder she’d crashed.

  Perhaps things would be easier to process in the morning, once his brain was back up to full speed. After all, she would need to be well rested to take in all of this. Yeah, that sounded like an excellent plan, so he carefully climbed in behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and curling his body around hers.

  Just the feel of her in his arms was enough to calm his turbulent thoughts, and Dylan found himself drifting sooner than he could have imagined possible. Yes, somehow, he would have to find a way to convince her to be his.

  But how?

  * * * *

  Later that night, Dylan awoke to the feel of Samantha moving in his arms. She was dreaming, and in an effort to soothe her, he brushed her hair away from her neck and gently kissed the area where he’d marked her. That seemed to do the trick, and before long, Sam was arching her back, her ass rubbing against his dick and rousing his lust once more.

  Running his hand down her side, Dylan lifted her leg and tucked his hard length between her soft, wet folds. A whimper escaped her, and he nudged at her silken heat, lining himself up just right before sliding in. After the harsh way he’d taken her before, he made certain to keep his tempo slow and easy.

  Before long, she was writhing with him, her hips coming back to meet his as her breaths came out in little moans that drove him mad. Moving his hand from her waist and over her trim soft belly, Dylan ventured farther until her found that tiny bundle of nerves hidden in her folds and strummed it with his finger.

  The muscles inside her channel ripple against his dick, and he groaned as his balls drew up tight. The sounds she made became higher in pitch, signaling her approaching orgasm, and Dylan couldn’t help but increase his speed. Lying on his side kept him from driving himself into her as hard as he would have liked, but this wasn’t about him. It was about her, about Samantha and her pleasure. Everything would be for her from now on.

  “Dylan! Oh…ah…I-I’m…” Before she got the words out, her body bucked and she cried out her release, bathing his cock in it and triggering his own explosive climax as he shuddered behind her.

  Amazingly, this time had felt even better than the first, but he couldn’t figure out why. She’d been every bit as responsive to him as before, yet, once he pressed inside her hot core, feeling her heat envelop him…

  It took his muddled mind a minute to figure out what was wrong with the situation, but only a minute. He hadn’t worn any protection. That was the difference.

  Squeezing his eyes shut, Dylan cursed himself a fool as he tried to determine from her scent if she was in a fertile part of her cycle. Crap! If she were feline, he’d have no trouble telling or even if she was actively ovulating, but humans conceived so much easier than his kind and had a fairly large window.

  With the smell of their lovemaking still so heavy in the air, he just couldn’t be sure. Yet another thing he’d apologize for when they finally had their talk tomorrow. Damn. If Samantha had noticed his inattention to detail, she didn’t mention it. Then again, her steady breathing told him she was already sound asleep again.

  Sighing and resigning himself to a long stint of groveling where she was concerned, Dylan hugged her close and enjoyed having her secure in his embrace, because tomorrow, she would likely want to smack the living shit out of him.

  * * * *

  A buzzing sound Dylan him reaching for his pants, trying not to disturb Samantha where she lay on her stomach in the middle of the bed. It seemed his new mate was a bit of a bed hog.

  Locating his phone, he softly growled when he saw the screen. He’d completely forgotten about the meeting with the Cougar Clan leader this morning. After having to cut things short, they’d rescheduled for five in the morning, figuring it would be the best time for both of them and less likely to be interrupted. Well, that had been before he’d gotten Sam into his bed. Now, he wasn’t sure what he should do, but he knew he and Samantha had to talk before they left Las Vegas.

  Seeing as it was still early and he didn’t want to wake her, Dylan scribbled out a quick
note, threw on his clothes and rushed down to the meeting, knowing he’d more than likely be back before she woke.

  With any luck, he’d even have a plan for how to break the news to her about what had really happened last night.

  * * * *

  Samantha awoke slowly from what had to be the best night of her life. She stretched her deliciously sore body and felt only cold sheets around her.

  “Dylan?” she softly called. There was no answer, but he could be in the other room, perhaps even on the phone. Deciding to answer to her bladders demands first, Sam shuffled to the bathroom while scanning the floor for her discarded clothing. It was one thing to be naked while in the heat of passion, but in the cold light of day, she preferred to be covered.

  Upon exiting, she scooped up her little dress, slipped it on then padded out to the sitting area and kitchenette only to find them to be empty as well. So where had he gone?

  Back in the bedroom, she spied a note resting on one of the pillows and hurried over. She quickly read over the masculine scrawl and her stomach dropped.

  Samantha,

  I have a meeting to attend, but stick around. We need to talk about last night.

  Dylan

  She dropped down to sit on the bed as tears gathered in her eyes and everything shifted into focus. Well, what did she expect? After all, it wasn’t as if he would be on bended knee professing his love to her after only knowing her about forty-eight hours. Obviously, she’d just had her first one-night stand, and now came the infamous walk of shame. Of course, that was only if he got back before she was gone.

  A quick look at the clock showed the time to be just past six, so she jumped up and scrambled to find all her things. Bra and panties were shoved into her small purse, and her shoes were by the door.