by Milly Taiden
She agreed. She wasn’t ready to give him up either. There had to be a logical explanation that answered all the questions and kept him innocent. Please, God, let there be a happy ending.
Barry held her away from him. “Charli, I’m afraid I’ll wander off again or hurt you. I couldn’t live with myself if I did. I want you to lock me in one of the clinic’s cages tonight.”
“What? Lock you in? But that’s—” No! That was wrong. A lump formed in her throat at the idea of having Barry in a cage, any cage.
“That’s the best and safest thing to do.” Another sly grin graced his face. “Plus, who knows, maybe I like being tied up like the wild beast I am.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Well, shit. Charli rolled to the other side of the bed and buried her face in the pillow he’d slept on. She couldn’t get enough of his smell, his taste.
After taking blankets and pillows from the guest room to the cage in the clinic, she’d watched him lie down, then locked the chain-link door before saying goodnight.
This was so stupid. She was an adult. Why was she denying herself something that felt as needed as water and air? She threw off the covers, let her gown slip from her shoulders, and donned a robe. She slid open her toy drawer and pulled out lube, cuffs, and her golden vibe.
If she stopped to think about what she was doing, she’d probably change her mind, but this was her moment to be the woman she knew lived inside her. Sexually open. Barry had given her too many sexual thoughts. It was time to ease her lust and get her hands on him. All over him. With all her stuff in her robe’s pockets, she headed to the clinic. Screw waiting. Her need for him had grown with every second they spent together.
Inside the clinic, her eyes adjusted to the low light of the single lamp on one of the desks she sometimes worked at. Barry lay on his back on the blankets she’d set up in the cage. His chest rose and fell with every breath he took.
“Charli . . .”
Her pussy ached at the low, rough way he said her name, full of need and wanting. She swiped her tongue over her lower lip. Oh boy. The keys shook in her hand. Stupid lust making her all jelly-legged. She should say something. Anything. Instead, she opened the cage and slipped inside, locking it behind her. The keys went back into her very full robe pocket.
“Charli,” he mumbled again, his voice rough.
He sat up, his eyes bright with his bear. There was an obvious animalistic quality to his features. His eyes pierced her to what felt like her very soul. He lifted his head, inhaling deeply. Then he licked his lips and she thought she might melt then and there.
Sure, she could have stopped to think about the fact that she hardly knew him or that he could be a dangerous criminal with no memory of his crimes, but she didn’t. At that moment, all she knew was that his eyes held her captive. His lips curved into that I’m gonna fuck you brain-dead smile, and her hormones ignored all common sense. Screw everything but the here and now. She wanted him and she’d be damned if she wouldn’t have him.
She undid her robe and lowered to straddle his legs. His arms tensed as he gripped the sides of the blankets. He didn’t give her a chance to say anything. Lips met and fire erupted from the depths of her core. Clothes came off in a rush. It was like they’d hit fast-forward on the remote control of life and neither wanted to wait a second longer. She’d wasted enough time trying not to let her emotions control her, but it was too late. She hadn’t been in control from the moment she’d laid eyes on his gorgeous body.
Before she knew what was going on, she was on her back—completely naked—with Barry gazing at her body like she was a work of art. A beautiful masterpiece. Her robe and his clothes lay in a pile next to the blankets, within easy reach, and she remembered the stuff she’d brought with her. She pulled the robe toward her and brought out the toy, cuffs, and lube.
Barry’s eyes brightened further, and she loved watching the muscles of his belly clench with his ragged breathing.
“What is this?”
She smiled, her heart filled with an emotion she refused to identify, and winked at him. “I’m sure you can figure out how to use them.”
His brows rose and gave him the look of a curious little boy. Damn this man and all his expressions. Every look, every grinding of his jaw or flaring of his nose turned her into a mass of need. “Charli, I don’t know—”
She shook her head and lifted her hands to the cage bars, curling her fingers around the cool metal, all the while watching him. “I know. I trust you. The keys are in my robe pocket.” She bit her lip and glanced down his body. Oh, the man had muscles on him and a sprinkle of hair on his chest that did things to her she’d never imagined hair would do. “Go ahead and put them on me.” She winked at him. “It’ll be fun.”
The sound of the cuffs clicking closed and rough breathing filled the space. He sat back, once again taking in her naked body, and raised a hand to caress her face. He slid his fingers lightly down her jaw to her chest and traced a circle over her nipple. The aching point hardened with his touch. He brought his head closer, his gaze stuck on hers. He looked like he couldn’t get enough. She’d never felt so desired in her life.
He struck fast, latching onto a nipple, and sucked. Good lord, that felt unbelievable. She couldn’t hold in the loud moan that escaped her throat. Her hips did an involuntary jerk into his hardness. Her channel slickened. He grunted and sucked harder. Every suck and tug on her nipple brought more moisture out of her, until her arousal crawled down to her ass.
He squeezed one breast while sucking the other, but he didn’t stop there. No. The amazing torture continued. He slid a hand down her body and managed to make his way between her legs. With a gentle flick, he rubbed a finger between her slick pussy folds.
“Oh good lord!”
He bit at her hard nub and she groaned. Then he flicked his tongue back and forth on her nipple at the same time he put pressure on her clit, rubbing the pleasure center in quick circular motions.
It couldn’t be. He just started. How in the world— The speed and intensity of her orgasm caught her by surprise. She screamed loudly as she vibrated with the tidal wave of pleasure coursing through her body.
Her legs shook, bones feeling liquefied. There was no time to hesitate. He curled his arms around her large thighs, wrapping them around his waist. His hot, hard cock slipped between her folds, rubbing at her entrance and flirting with her girl parts. Oh yes. She moaned instantly. There was no way to hold back the throaty moan. Impossible. Not when her mind focused on how good he felt teasing her with what was coming.
He slid into her in a single powerful thrust. Deep. So deep she felt him stretch her muscles taut. And it felt so damn good. Like pleasure and pain and having a massage after a hard day of work. All kinds of decadent things.
“Oh!” The gasp tore from her throat at the same time he pulled back and plunged back in.
He kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck, licking repeatedly at the bend of her neck and throat.
“Charli,” he grunted with ragged breaths.
“Barry, please. You feel so good,” she panted out between his harsh thrusts. Every glide of his body into hers was like watching fireworks. She was amazed, enthralled, and wanting more.
“Ah, my beautiful temptress,” his churned-gravel voice grated out. “You’re so slick, hot, and tight.” Her pussy fluttered tightly around his thickness. “I wish you understood how badly my bear and I want to keep you. To make you mine—ours.” He met her gaze and didn’t glance away. The possessive intent in his eyes warmed her insides to near a Florida-in-July type of hot.
“I want to keep you like this,” he pressed his lips to her neck, his tongue flicking around her beating pulse. “Cuffed. Where you’re mine for the taking. Day and night. I’ll fuck you all the time and fill you with cum. Mine. Only mine, and nobody else could have you. That’s what I want, beautiful. You. I want you chained to me for all fucking eternity,” he snarled.
“Barry . . .”
; “Say you want it too, Charli.”
God, yes. She wanted to be his mate. But it was too soon to try to figure that out.
“Come on, sweetheart. Say the words. Tell me to keep you mine forever.”
She swallowed at the dryness in her throat. “I . . .”
Another moan tore from her throat when he increased speed. He slammed his rock-hard cock into her. Again and again. There was no fight in her, only acceptance, need. Taking everything he wanted to give.
He thrust harder. He slipped a hand between their slick bodies, down to her pussy, and pressed on her pleasure nub. Wildfire heated her blood and scorched her veins. The tension in her core broke, shattering into a million breaths and heartbeats.
His lips crashed over hers. Her scream was drowned by their kiss. It went on forever, or for a few moments. She couldn’t tell time any longer. Not that it mattered, when all she knew or cared to know was the pleasure he gave her. Keeping it going and enjoying every second of it. Her pussy gripped at his cock, contracting against his driving shaft. Pleasure cascaded through each of her limbs. She tore her mouth away from him, gasping air into her burning lungs.
The cuffs came off and Charli flipped onto her belly, ass in the air. She gripped the bars, anticipation making it impossible for her to think straight.
“Fuck!” he snarled, thrusting his cock into her pussy from behind. He held her hips in a painful grip. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she watched him finger the lube and toy. Yeah, this was getting a lot more interesting. Their gazes met, and his feral look made her slick all over again.
With a single-minded thrust, he was in her, taking and owning her body. He reared back and drove deep. Again and again. He continued to fuck her like this was their last night on earth. Charli couldn’t breathe, much less hold a thought. She gasped for air as each pummeling drive shoved it right back out of her lungs.
His fingers turned into claws at her hips, biting deep into her flesh. A rumble sounded from behind, like he was losing control of his own body. Damn if that wasn’t sexy as hell.
The sole thought of him letting his wild side take over did something to her. It pushed her over the edge. She choked a cracked scream. Her muscles went from tense to loosening rapidly, riding the pleasure wave again while he plunged hard into her sex. His grip squeezed her hips hard, the pain mixing with the pleasure and heightening her experience.
She’d have wounds later, but that didn’t faze her. She wanted this—him. More. Anything and everything he wanted to give. The claws tugged, scratching deeply, leaving bleeding marks as he came. His cock pulsed inside her, filling her with his seed.
Cool liquid slid down her ass. He was still hard inside her. Shifters had an unnatural ability to keep going multiple times without needing to rest. He rubbed a finger over her hole, dipping it into her and spreading the lube inside. In and out. He went on that way for long moments.
“I’m taking it, Charli. Tell me to do it, beautiful,” he said in his barely human voice. “Tell me to fuck you in the ass.”
Good god, he was a pervert. And worse than that, she loved the things he said. Obviously they were meant to be together.
“Give me the golden rabbit,” she said, holding her hand out at her side.
He placed the vibe into her hand. It had a long see-through body. There were rotating beads inside, along with a bunny at the front for clitoral stimulation, and a powerful set of controls. She hadn’t been with a man in years, but she had amazing adult toys to keep herself entertained.
Barry continued driving his finger into her ass, pushing in and out. She gasped and groaned.
“Relax, love. You’re going to love this.”
She’d done this before, so she knew it depended on the partner. So far Barry excelled where others had failed.
A second finger went in and he scissored them, stretching her. He continued to drive into her pussy while going in and out of her ass with his fingers. A third finger slid in and spread her at the same time he added more lube into the mix.
“That’s it, baby. You’re ready for me.”
She moaned at how much she enjoyed pushing back into him. His cock slipped out of her and his digits left her to be replaced with his dick at the entrance to her asshole. Barry had lubed himself up well. She could tell by how easily he was gliding into her.
It was time to make things more interesting for herself. She pressed a button on the rabbit and rubbed it up and down her pussy. The soft buzzing helped shoot up her pleasure and take her mind away from his driving into her ass.
“Push out, sweetheart,” he grunted. “Make it easier for me to get into your sweet ass.”
He gripped her cheeks open, sliding into her with tiny seesaw motions. She pressed another button and the buzzing increased. She had the little bunny rubbing around her clit and slowly making her body tense. The vibration of the toy on her pussy sent her closer to the edge.
Before she knew it, he was fully inside her. He pulled back and plunged deep and fast.
“Ah, baby. You’re so fucking tight!”
She whimpered, her breaths coming in sharp puffs of air. Blurriness crowded the edges of her vision. Her muscles tensed, readying for her impending climax.
She pressed her face into the blankets. Good god. She was so close. So fucking close she might pass out from how hard her body tensed. Her hand holding the toy shook. She didn’t hold back any longer. She placed the toy directly on her clit, allowing the vibration to take her to heaven. Her ass squeezed at Barry’s cock.
He growled, pumping faster into her. Her pussy grasped at nothing, looking for penetration. The tension ebbed away, leaving her filled with delight. Sight and sound ceased to exist. All she knew was the wave of pleasure pulling her under.
He grunted, slowing his thrusts. His cock felt like a hot bar sliding into her. Suddenly the bear roared. His hips jerked into her, his dick still pounding her from behind. He squeezed at her ass, pushing deeply into her and filling her with his cum.
She couldn’t move. There was no way she’d move from there at all. Ever.
“Oh, Barry,” she choked out.
“Relax, baby. We’re just getting started.”
What in the world had she gotten herself into?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Friday morning, Charli and Barry walked up the steps to the fellowship’s front office door. “You ready for this?” she asked.
He shrugged. “As ready as any convicted felon can be.”
She slapped his arm and frowned. “Stop with that. We don’t have any, well, much evidence that you were involved with the armored truck wreck.”
His brows drew down in a serious no-nonsense frown. “No, just the money.”
Charli scowled. “Be positive for me, at least.”
“After last night,” he started, his lips suddenly lifting into a fuck-me-now grin, “I will do anything for you. Who knew the tiger in you liked being dominated? Even though you’re not a shifter, baby, you are an animal under the sheets. Or out of them.”
Charli blushed to her neck. She was definitely not known for her sexual prowess. But damn, last night was the most educational romp she’d ever had. The lube. Wow. She wanted to go home and do that thing all over again.
When they walked into the office, Devin was at his perfectly organized desk. He even had the same number of pens and pencils in his black mesh holder. Charli didn’t understand how Devin got anything done with always having to put stuff back where it belonged. She’d spend so much time straightening at the end of the day, she wouldn’t get back to the house until midnight. As long as she had an idea of which side of the clinic the item was on, she was in good shape.
“Morning, Devin,” she smiled at the panther. “Working on the case so early?”
Devin sniffed and raised his brows. Heat crowded her cheeks. Damn, could he tell they’d had sex? Nah. She’d showered.
“Morning, Charli, Barry. Yes, something about this whole no-entrance, no-exit evidence is e
ating at me. But no worries. I’ll figure it out eventually.” Devin seemed so calm. Nothing rattled him. She needed whatever it was he was having for breakfast. Valium?
She set her purse in her bottom desk drawer. “Is Milkan in yet?”
Devin nodded, still fixing things around. “He came in not too long ago and is in a good mood. If you want to ask for something, now would be a good time.”
She nodded, her heart filled with hope that the boss would be able to help. “Perfect. Thanks.”
The director’s door opened and she looked up at him. Milkan saw her and quickly stepped back into his office. Good, he recognized that she wanted to talk with him. She told Barry to stay in her office while she and Milkan talked. He shrugged and headed for Devin’s desk. Hopefully those two could talk shifter for a bit.
Charli knocked on her boss’s door. “Milkan, do you have a minute?”
“Come on in, Avers. I figured you were here early for a reason,” he said with a genuine look of interest and what appeared to be concern. She didn’t know him well, so she wasn’t sure what to make of him yet.
“Yes, sir.” She cringed on her way in. “Sorry, sir. I mean, no sir.” Oh, for fuck’s sake. She needed to get her shit together. “Well, I mean Milkan with no sir.” Good god, she was babbling. How afraid was she of his answer? She could lose the only man she ever cared for.
“It’s okay, Avers. Whatever you need, I won’t bite your head off. I’m not one of those bosses.”
Charli smiled and relaxed. Maybe she would like working with this man. Either that or her need to ensure Barry’s safety was making her want to be friendly with her boss.
“Thank you, s—Milkan.” She took a seat and folded her hands in her lap. “I have a situation with Barry and I don’t know what to do.”
“What’s the problem? He’s not hurting you, is he?” Milkan looked ready to spring from his desk chair.
