by Jodi Vaughn
She took her shot. She missed.
Jayden frowned.
“Your turn.” She glanced up at him.
His gut tugged. Winning didn’t seem so important anymore.
He trudged over to the other side of the table. He knew the next shot was an easy one. He slowly took his aim. His gaze drifted over the cue ball up to Haley. She balanced one foot on the rung of a high chair at the tiny round table where Kate sat.
Three college guys came over and stood in front of her, blocking Jayden’s view.
He straightened and frowned.
The guys apparently said something that had Haley shaking her head and trying to walk around the group. One guy grabbed her arm.
All Jayden could see was red, his anger pouring through his body like a storm. He leapt and cleared the pool table and landed next to Haley. He shoved the guy, pushing him back a few feet.
“Don’t touch her.” Jayden growled.
The college dude bowed up. “It’s a free country and she ain’t wearing a ring. So that means she’s free.”
Rage filtered through every cell of his body. For a brief second he considered shifting into wolf form and ripping the prick’s throat out. As much as he wanted to kill the human, he knew he couldn’t shift. So he did the next best thing.
Jayden plowed his fist into the guy’s face. The guy stumbled backwards and shook his head. He delivered a blow to Jayden’s stomach. Jayden didn’t feel any pain but remembered to double over so the humans wouldn’t suspect anything. The other two college guys grabbed each of Jayden’s arms, holding him while the guy punched him in the face.
Jayden looked up and grinned as blood dripped down his mouth. Anger and rage melded into his veins as he ached to break some bones. “Quit fucking around and hit me, you pussy.”
The guy sputtered, looking stunned.
Braxton pulled one guy off Jayden and began to punch him until he was down on the floor. The other guy immediately let go of his arm and held his hands up as he backed away.
Jayden faced the guy who had dared put his hands on Haley and growled.
#
Everything happened so fast.
One minute some college guys were trying to hit on her and Kate and the next thing she knew Jayden was leaping over the pool table and slugging one of them in face. She didn’t even have time to scream.
Kate pulled her back as Braxton jumped in the fray, pulling one guy off Jayden and proceeding to pound the guy into the ground, his tattooed arms flying.
A crowd was quickly gathering and she knew it wouldn’t be long before the cops arrived.
“They’re going to kill them.” Haley finally found her voice and tried to stop Jayden.
“Wait, don’t get in the middle of it.” Kate grabbed her arm.
“I’m not letting Jayden go to jail for me.” Haley shot the woman a glare and snatched her arm free.
Haley ran to Jayden and threw her arms around his waist. “Jayden, stop!”
His muscles bunched and tensed under her palms as he viciously hit the guy in the face. His nose was obviously broken and both eyes were already bruising. She had to stop Jayden before he killed the guy.
“Jayden, please.” She jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, hoping to get through his haze of fury. She’d never seen him so mad, so out of control.
Haley pressed her mouth to his neck and bit down.
Jayden froze his fist in midair and let go of the guy’s shirt. The bloodied college guy slumped to the floor in a heap.
Haley slid off his back as the crowd grew silent.
Jayden turned and faced her.
She gasped. She couldn’t help it. His lip was split and his cheek was starting to turn blue. But that’s not what scared her.
It was his eyes.
They were turning colors, shifting to a yellow hue, icy with rage and anger and lethal intent.
Blood lust.
She stepped closer, his ragged breath brushing her face. She met his gaze.
“Are you okay?” She reached up and touched his bruised cheek with her fingertips.
He growled, and his angry mouth crashed down on hers as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth, claiming her.
She moaned, fisting her hands in his shirt, tasting his blood from his lip. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t want to.
“I hear the sirens, guys. We need to be leaving.” Braxton nudged Jayden’s shoulder. “You guys can make out at home.”
He pulled away, his gaze on hers steady and unflinching as if he were silently communicating.
“Let’s go.” He tugged her hand, but she dug her heels in.
“What?”
“My purse.” She pulled out of his grip and swiped her purse off the table and swung it over her shoulder before taking his hand.
He hurried out of the bar, the crowd parting for them. Haley didn’t miss the appreciative way all the college girls were eyeing both Jayden and Braxton with a mixture of fear and want.
They stepped out onto the sidewalk. The crisp spring air leapt into their lungs. The tension between them seemed to ease a little.
Haley just hoped this wouldn’t ruin the rest of their night.
#
Jayden could already feel his split lip mending itself. That was one good thing about being a werewolf; he had a quick recovery time.
He cast a quick glance at Haley as she fought to keep up with him in those strappy high heels.
He immediately slowed his gait. They were a few blocks away from the bar and getting caught now was probably not an issue.
Jayden wasn’t sure what to say to her. He’d seen the look of fear in her eyes at what he’d done, at how out of control he had gotten.
He wasn’t going to apologize for beating the shit out of that asshole. He’d put his hands on Haley. His brain had gone automatically alpha, his only wish to tear that guy’s throat out.
But tearing out a guy’s throat in front of a room of human witnesses would probably piss off Barrett. So Jayden had settled for a bare knuckles brawl.
“Hold up, Jayden. Kate wants to stop in here,” Braxton called out.
Jayden stopped but didn’t turn around.
“We’ll be right back.” From the corner of his eye Jayden watched Braxton and Kate enter the tiny ice cream shop. He checked his Luminox watch. It was almost midnight and the damn store was still open.
He shook his head and forced himself to look at Haley.
“They probably just said that to give us some privacy.” He looked away.
“You scared me back there.”
“I didn’t mean to.” He flinched. “But when I saw him putting his hands on you I lost it.”
“That’s not why I was scared.”
He frowned and looked at her.
“I was scared you were going to get arrested, that they were going to take you away.” The tiny hitch in her throat had him pulling her into his arms.
He kissed the top of her head She snuggled closer to his chest.
“Don’t worry. I’m not leaving. You’re still safe. And I promise I’m going to do everything I can to catch this stalker and then you’re going to get your life back, baby. You’re going to get your freedom back.”
She pulled back and met his eyes, some unknown emotion crossing her features.
She nodded, lifted up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
He knew it was an innocent kiss, a gentle comforting kiss. But the second she touched him, all Jayden could think was, he wanted more.
Her lips parted and he slid his tongue against hers, kissing her with a bruising need.
Yet it wasn’t enough.
Gripping her hips, he pressed into her, rubbing his cock against her willing body. She moaned and tugged him closer.
He was going to explode in his jeans. Right there in public.
She dug her nails into his scalp as their kiss turned frenzied. He growled, as his body demanded he take her.
“All right, all right. Am
I going to have to separate you two?”
Jayden pulled back and glared. Braxton watched them with amusement as he licked a chocolate ice cream cone. Kate giggled as he held out the cone for her to taste and then snatched it away at the last minute to settle an open mouth kiss on her.
“You’re the pot calling the kettle black.” Jayden arched his brow and pulled Haley against him. “You really did get ice cream.”
“Yeah. What’d you think I was making it up?”
Jayden shook his head and glanced at Haley, who was eyeing the ice cream cone. His erection strained against his zipper as he imagined her mouth on him
He took her hand as they walked down the sidewalk.
“Where are we going?”
“To get ice cream.”
#
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish our pool game.” Jayden pulled her into his embrace just as they entered the living room.
She looked up loving the feel of his warmth against her. “You’re just saying that because I was winning.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Oh no, baby, I was ahead with my last shot, remember?”
Haley frowned. “Yeah, but before that I was ahead in the game. So, technically, I was winning. You just got lucky.”
“There are no technicalities in pool. You either win or lose. And I won.”
She pulled away and propped her hands on her hips. “I want a do over.”
His face lit with amusement and surprise. “A do over?”
She nodded. “Yes, a do over. We play another game to see who the real winner is.”
“You just want to get out of making good on your end of the deal.”
She shifted her weight from foot to foot as her face heated. “No, that’s not it.”
“I think it is. I think you don’t want to pay up. I won. I sunk the last ball before I leapt over the pool table.”
“I never saw that.” Her mouth dropped open.
“I did.”
“Maybe I don’t believe you.” She narrowed her eyes.
His face broke into a wide smile and he pulled out his cell phone. “Okay, here, call Braxton. He’ll tell you who won.”
She was sunk. She knew it.
Jayden had won their bet.
Which meant she was going for a late night dip in the campus fountain.
“Fine. Do you want to head on over to the fountain now? Or do you prefer to wait until class is in session?” She forced a smile.
Jayden laughed, the deep sound reverberating in the room. She had never heard a sexier laugh.
“No. Not now. I’ll let you know when I want to collect on my debt.” His expression grew serious and he took a step towards her. “Although I think there is something else we can do to pass the time.
Her panties dampened at his unspoken promise of pleasure. The unmistakable look of lust in his eyes sent her heart into a frenzied rhythm as her body heated under his gaze. Her gaze dropped lower. The bulge against this zipper almost made her moan.
“What did you have in mind? Go Fish?” She licked her lips.
“Guess again.” His gaze roamed down her body. She was glad she’d worn the fitted shirt that showed off her curves.
“I don’t know. A board game maybe.”
He shook his head in a slow decided motion. “Something with less clothes.”
“Strip poker?”
“That does have an appeal, but I’m not sure I could concentrate on my hand.” His gaze met hers.
She reached out and ran her palm underneath his button-up shirt. Her fingers skated across hard muscle and smooth skin. He growled.
“Then maybe you can concentrate on my hand.” Her fingernail trailed up his chest and scraped his nipple. She felt the unmistakable tremble coarse through his body like a small earthquake.
He grabbed her hand, pressing her palm over his heart. His heartbeat was thunderous and she could feel it beat in his chest.
“You shouldn’t tease me like that.” His other hand slid down her waist and cupped her hip, nudging her closer.
Her body heated as need pooled between her legs. She wanted him, really, really bad.
His mouth slammed down across hers in heated passion that left her in a pool of need. She clutched his waist, holding for fear she’d be swept under the tidal wave of desire.
He groaned against her mouth and she ground her pelvis against his rock hard erection. His hands came down her back and palmed her ass and he lifted her into the air.
She wrapped her legs around his waist.
“I can feel how hot you are against my skin.” He murmured against her neck and nipped the delicate skin.
“Do that again. Bite me again.” With every scrape of his teeth across her skin it upped her pleasure tenfold.
“You like that, baby?” He nipped her flesh again.
“Yes.” She tightened her legs around his waist, feeling every sinewy muscle against her thigh. “I need you inside me now.”
He devoured her mouth with his kiss as he carried her into his bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and pressed his body along the length of hers. He rolled off, but she tried to drag him back.
“I need your clothes off.” His voice was raspy as he lifted her top and tugged it over her head. Next came her jeans. She lay before him in only in her bra and underwear.
“Red.” His pupils dilated.
She glanced down at her fire-engine red matching thong and bra. She had bought it months ago and never bothered wearing it. She didn’t have a reason to. Not until now.
She gazed into his eyes, brimming with lust so violent she was afraid she wouldn’t get enough.
Sucking up her courage, she ran her trembling hands up to her breasts and cupped them. His eyes followed the motion like an animal tracking its prey.
“Do you like that?” she whispered. Her heart beat in her ears like rushing ocean waves and she was pretty sure she was going to stop breathing from lack of oxygen in the room.
“Yes.”
He sat mesmerized and unmoving.
“Jayden, take your clothes off.”
He blinked and moved off the bed at her command. Keeping his gaze on her, he unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his powerful broad shoulders. He moved to his jeans sliding them off his hips until he stood there before her naked.
He was magnificent. Big and broad like a linebacker yet sleek like a cover model. For this moment, he was all hers.
“Touch yourself.” His sharp words bit into her internal daydream.
She blinked as her face heated at his command. He reached down and circled his straining erection and stroked. Her breathing came in pants and she couldn’t look away from his hand slowly moved along his shaft.
She slowly slid one hand down her stomach keeping her gaze locked on him. He growled as she reached the lace of her panties.
Dark pleasure shot through her as her finger brushed across her clit.
“Yeah. Like that. That’s fucking hot.” He growled low and deep.
Her breath hitched as her other hand circled her hardened nipple, teasing until she was burning with need. She pinched the hardened bud between her fingertips. A moan escaped her lips as pleasure zinged through her body.
A low groan of satisfaction erupted from Jayden’s lips. His breathing had turned to a pant.
Fiery lust sparked from his blue eyes. He looked predatory and strong and gorgeous.
“Show me how you touch yourself when no one is looking, baby. When you are alone in your bed and you’ve pulled those sweet little panties off and you need to find some relief.”
She swallowed. He was going to make her come with only his voice and vivid commands.
While her fingers plucked her erect nipple, her other hand slid under the waistband of her lace panties, her slickness coating her fingertips. She pressed her lips together, stifling a moan.
“Don’t. I want to hear every little sound of pleasure you make.” Jayden moved closer.
She circled h
er clit and stopped, afraid she was going to come too fast.
She pulled her fingers out of her panties and watched as Jayden stretched out on the bed, his face inches from her pussy.
She wanted to beg him to put his mouth on her and make her come. She knew he’d do it. But there was something else in his eyes, something darker
It made her wet pussy ache. She was going to give him what he wanted and in turn get what she deserved.
She reached up between her breasts and unsnapped her bra. She tugged the straps off her shoulder, tossed the garment to the floor and lay back down, keeping her eyes on his.
He moved between her legs and pressed his mouth to her inner thigh.
“No, not yet. You wanted to watch, Jayden.” Sensuality radiated through her body.
She cupped her naked breasts and gently squeezed her nipples between her fingers.
“Show me what feels good, baby.” Jayden watched with rapt attention while he stroked himself.
“It feels good when your mouth is on my nipples sucking hard.” She plucked the buds between her fingertips.
“Hmmm. You like my mouth.”
“Yes.” She stared back at him. He began to crawl between her thighs, but she put her red high heel foot on his shoulder, stopping him. She hadn’t realized he didn’t take her shoes off.
“No. You’re going to watch. And when I come you’re going to put your mouth on me and make me come again.”
His dilated pupils locked on hers and then drifted to her hands. He curled his hands into fists. His muscles strained and she knew he as having a hard time trying not to touch her.
She slid her fingertips behind her lace panties, the fabric skidding across her skin. She slid her fingers down between the wet silky folds and moaned.
“I want to see.”
Haley pulled her fingers out and spread her thighs wide; acutely aware of how vulnerable she was with him. And how much more vulnerable she was about to get.
She tugged her lacy panties to the side. His jaw clenched.
“Touch yourself.”
His voice, low and dark, sent shivers through her entire body. She reached down and trailed her fingers through her wetness. Another moan slid past her lips.
His gaze was locked onto to her fingers and his breathing grew rapid. He was like a predatory animal ready to seize his dinner.
She circled her swollen clit with two fingers and sucked in a ragged breath.
