Emerald City Shifters (Bundle)

by Kit Tunstall

  “Where do you work?” His eyes gleamed with excitement suddenly. “Do you work at that strip club across the street?”

  She let out a genuine laugh as she gave her curvy body a rueful glance. She imagined there would certainly be a market for curvy strippers, but that was outside her field of expertise. “No, not at all. I work at the university.”

  The bartender had brought him a fresh glass, but he showed no sign of taking his beer back to his table. “What do you do there?”

  “I’m a professor of archaeology.”

  He suddenly looked slightly ashen. “A professor?”

  She gave him a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Yes. Didn’t I have you last semester?” She was certain she hadn’t, but she was hoping to emphasize the age difference to the young man without having to brutally shoot him down.

  He gulped his beer, looking like he might choke on it for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. I haven’t taken an archaeology class yet.”

  “You go to the university then?”

  He nodded again. “Yeah. First year,” he mumbled, as though embarrassed by the revelation.

  She winced slightly, having pegged him at least a few years older than that. It was a good thing she wasn’t a cougar. She couldn’t help frowning at the glass of beer in his hand. “Aren’t you a bit young for that then?” She asked the question quietly, so as not to rouse the bartender’s interest. He was busy with the group that had recently entered anyway, and they looked as out-of-place as she felt tonight. In their leather and denim, they seemed to scream biker gang, and she wondered how they’d ended up at this bar.

  He shrugged, looking defensive. “I’m twenty-one.”

  “Of course you are,” she said dryly.

  The kid stopped making any further attempts to pick her up after that. He took his drink and slunk back to his table, where she was certain his friends commiserated with him, and perhaps pointed out he’d had a lucky break by avoiding the old broad. No, those kids probably didn’t use the word broad at all. She didn’t know exactly what they would call her, and she was fine with that. She didn’t aspire to be the cool professor, and she didn’t much care about what was hip or popular among the younger kids.

  Wow, she was starting to sound like an old curmudgeon. Here she was, only thirty-two, and already set in her ways. She might as well embrace spinsterhood and buy at least ten cats if she kept on this path.

  The idea of packing up ten cats to take with her to her next dig site was a ludicrous idea, and she almost giggled aloud. She would have if she hadn’t looked up at just the right moment to see a new person entering the bar. She could tell right away he was part of the biker group, or at least meeting them, since he wore sinfully tight jeans, a crisp white T-shirt, and a leather vest. It wasn’t his outfit that garnered her attention though.

  It was, bluntly, his smoking hot body to start with. He had muscular thighs, and she was certain his stomach would be flat as a washboard with a well-defined six-pack. She found herself idly wondering if he would have a lot of chest hair or just a little bit. She decided he’d be on the slightly hairy side, but she didn’t know why she thought that.

  Her gaze swept higher, and her eyes locked with his. His eyes were the shade of the ocean at midday and fringed by thick blond lashes. He had scruff on his cheeks, and his hair was slightly overgrown. He had the careless renegade look down perfectly, but she was convinced it wasn’t an affectation. She doubted he had spent hours going for the look. Rather, it had just occurred naturally for him.

  She was embarrassed when her nipples hardened against the lace of her bra, and she had to resist the self-conscious urge to cross her arms over her chest to hide proof of her sudden arousal.

  She held her breath as she waited to see if he would approach her, and she refused to acknowledge the wave of disappointment that swept through her when he turned away from her to meet his friends instead. Clearly, the interest had been one-sided. Feeling glum, she finished the rest of her drink and dropped a few bills on the bar. This was turning out to be a disaster of a night, and she really should head home to get some sleep since her flight left early the next morning.

  She was just about to climb off the stool when she realized he was standing behind her. She turned slowly, looking over her shoulder and up at him. Way up. He was a big, solid man, and though she was curvy, she had a feeling he could pick her up easily. The thought might have alarmed her from anyone else, but the idea of him doing it only excited her.

  “Leaving already?” It was a rough growl more than syllables.

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I have an early flight.”

  “Join me for a drink first.” It wasn’t exactly an invitation. It was more like a demand coated in velvet, but his body language made it clear he wasn’t letting her go just yet.

  If she hadn’t been so attracted to him, she would have found his attitude insufferable. She normally would anyway, but there was just something about him that made her want to comply. He didn’t need to know that though. “You’re awfully bossy.”

  His chiseled lips twitched, and he inclined his head. “Guilty as charged.”

  She didn’t resist when he took her hand and led her to a table in the corner, one that would give them some privacy. Her heart raced at the touch of his hand, and she found it difficult to draw in a deep breath. She was either really attracted to him, or she was about to have a pulmonary embolism.

  They sat together, and she realized neither one of them had ordered drinks. Apparently, that didn’t matter, because the bartender quickly arrived with drinks for both of them. It was the first time she’d seen him leave the bar all night. He usually made the patrons come to him. Was he responding to the stranger’s commanding presence too?

  “Another Bloody Mary for the lady, and your usual, Cody.”

  As the bartender stepped away, her eyes widened with surprise. “You’re a regular here?”

  He took a sip of his beer before responding. “Would that surprise you?”

  She shrugged. “It’s more of a college hangout than a biker bar.”

  He grinned. “Yes, it is. The bartender’s my nephew though.”

  She looked back at the young man behind the bar before glancing at him again. “He can’t be much younger than you are.”

  He shook his head. Cody was what the bartender called him. Cody shook his head. He looked like a Cody.

  She was mentally rambling like a moron.

  “I’m about ten years older than he is. I was a late baby and a big surprise for my mom and dad, and all my brothers are older than me. After six boys already, they thought they were done, but along came me. Then my oldest brother had my nephew a few years after I was born.”

  She took a sip of the Bloody Mary, finding it just as perfect as the last one. “So your mom had seven boys? How many girls?”

  “None. Girls aren’t born in our family very often, for some reason.” He shrugged. “My nephew Kade and his mate…wife bucked that trend though. They have a little girl and another one on the way.”

  She found the idea of such a large family fascinating, but that was probably because she’d grown up as an only child. Like Cody, she’d been a surprise late baby for her parents, though neither one of them had really ever wanted to have children. Her mother had been forty-seven when she was born, and far too old and set in her ways to understand or indulge a young child.

  Madeline Barnes had happily entrusted her care to the nanny and gone about her life as usual. Frank Barnes had been just as absorbed in his own academic career, and she hadn’t seen much of her parents at all until she was older, had learned her manners, and knew to always be quiet and polite around them, and never behave like a child. It must have been amazing to grow up with so many siblings, even if they were older than Cody.

  She was envious for a moment, and she nearly confessed her own wish to have a large family—a desire that seemed less likely as the years passed. While she could conceivably have childr
en for at least ten more years, she wasn’t certain she wanted to have them that close together. And discussing the family she wanted with a potential one-night stand seemed like the best way to send him running, which she didn’t want.

  For that matter, the prospect of having any children was pretty dim at the moment. She couldn’t seem to find a man who interested her or could put up with her own eccentricities for longer than a few weeks. She’d been in such a long dry spell that it was practically a drought, and that was unlikely to change in the next four months when she was at the dig site. She’d be surrounded by eager young students, and perhaps a colleague or two, but no one who made her heart race the way this man did. “What was it like growing up with all those brothers?”

  Cody shrugged. “They were a lot older than me, like I said, so I think I annoyed the hell out of them as I tagged along. They were good about watching out for me though, and we’re still close. We’re closer now that I’m an adult and no longer that annoying little brother.”

  “What were you like as a kid?”

  “Always in trouble.” He made the admission with a charming grin.

  It provoked a smile of her own in response. “Oddly enough, I imagine you’re telling me the truth.”

  He gave her a cocky grin. “I don’t lie.”

  “Ever?”

  He shrugged. “I try not to.”

  She snorted. “Everybody tells lies. Just the little ones maybe, like if I asked you do these pants make my butt look fat, you’re going to say no, of course not. We both know they do, but I don’t care because they’re comfortable.” Skinny jeans weren’t necessarily an invention intended for women of her size, but she didn’t care. She liked them, so she wore them.

  There was a new level of heat in his eyes when he raked his gaze over her again. “Honestly, I can’t see your butt from here, but from what I remember as you got off the barstool, it was a luscious ass, and those jeans are perfect for it.”

  She almost choked on the drink in her mouth, not having expected that. “You’re a smooth one.”

  “I’m just being honest. You asked me what I thought of your ass, and I’m telling you it’s about the best one I’ve ever seen.”

  She blushed like a schoolgirl, which was embarrassing in itself. “Actually, I mentioned my jeans, and not my ass. I mean I wasn’t asking for your opinion of my ass.”

  Cody sipped his beer before responding. “I guess you can have my opinion for free then. The ass is spectacular, as is the rest of the package. You’re a beautiful woman, and I don’t even know your name.”

  She giggled before abruptly cutting off the juvenile sound. “I’m sorry. We haven’t been formally introduced. I heard the bartender call you Cody, but I forgot to give you my name.” She held out her hand, unsurprised when she found his fingers and palm rough from hard work. It was a pleasant feel and a nice contrast to the usual hands she shook in her daily academic life. “I’m Dr. Jade Barnes.”

  He looked impressed. “You’re a doctor, huh? I’ve got this spot I’d like you to look at.” His eyes twinkled as they darted down to his lap before looking up at her again.

  She shook her head. “Sorry, but that’s the wrong kind of doctor. I have a PhD in archaeology, and I’m a professor at the university.”

  “I still have a spot I’d like you to look at.”

  She couldn’t hold in a laugh. “I still say you’re a smooth talker, whether or not you’re being honest.”

  “I assure you I’m being completely honest about the spot I’d like you to see. You have some spots I’d like to see too. See, touch, and taste.” This time, there was no teasing his expression. “Do you want to get out of here?”

  Did she? There was hardly a space between him asking and her answering. “Yes, very much.” She had come to the bar this evening with the half-formed idea of picking up someone if the opportunity arose, since she was sure to be out of social contact for the next few months, starting tomorrow.

  It had been more than a year since the last time she’d been with a man, and that had been a brief, disastrous relationship. She wasn’t after a relationship. This was just sex, and though she wasn’t accustomed to one-night stands, not having one since college, she decided to go for it tonight. What was the worst that could happen?

  Immediately, she realized he could be a serial killer, but she quickly discarded that notion. She couldn’t explain it, but she trusted Cody. Perhaps it was because she believed he really was an honest man, or perhaps it was because she wanted him so badly that she was fooling herself. Whatever it was, she barely had any second thoughts as she followed him out of the bar and across the road to a hotel bearing the logo of a national chain.

  She rented the room, uncertain of his financial status. That didn’t matter to her anyway, especially for just one night, but she wasn’t positive he could afford it. She supposed that was a snobbish assumption, and the kind of judgment her parents would make, but she shrugged it off. She had good intentions, and even if she found out he had filed bankruptcy ten times in a row, it didn’t matter for what she wanted from him. Just sex, she reminded herself as she took the key card, and they walked together to the elevator.

  As soon as they stepped inside, she realized the compartment felt smaller than usual. Cody had a way of dominating the space and seeming to suck up all the oxygen. That was the only explanation for her sudden breathlessness. Either that, or his proximity. Either way, it was his fault.

  She half-expected him to touch her in the elevator, even in just a casual way, but he kept his hands to himself and stayed on his side of the elevator, much to her disappointment. She was too old for a grope session in the elevator, but it suddenly seemed like a fun idea with this man.

  Fortunately, they were on the third floor, so the ride took only a few seconds. The desk clerk had given them a room near the elevator, and she reminded herself to give him a large tip if she saw him again. Perhaps he recognized two horny people in desperate need of each other and had done his best to make it easy on them.

  More likely, it had simply been the next available room, but she rather liked the idea of thinking there were outside forces at work that had arranged this night for them. It was a fanciful thought for a professor who didn’t believe in anything she couldn’t see, touch, taste, or hear. She didn’t believe in fate, but a man like Cody made her want to.

  The room was nicely furnished, if average and nondescript. It had everything they needed, which was basically the bed.

  As soon as the door closed behind them, Cody reached for her. All the anticipation of the evening rushed through her, leaving her head spinning as he put his arms around her. He was even more solid than she had guessed, and it was like embracing a stone pillar as he held her against him. He smelled like pine and something uniquely male, and his lips were softer than she had guessed when they molded to hers. His stubble was scratchy, but in a pleasant way, and she opened her mouth to yield to his questing tongue. He kissed like he did everything else, in a forceful and commanding way. He demanded her submission, and she had no trouble granting it. It was completely unlike her, but she surrendered to the impulse, allowing Cody to take the lead.

  They continued kissing as he moved her inexorably backward toward the bed, and she didn’t even realize he was maneuvering her that way until her knees hit the mattress, causing her to fall onto her bum on the soft mattress. She let out a small squeal of surprise, but he quickly swallowed the sound as he deepened the kiss. He twined his hands in her blonde hair, holding her tightly against him as though afraid she would slip away if given the chance. She had no intention of going anywhere, and to prove it, she clung to his shoulders, urging him closer.

  He seemed to have magic fingers and had soon unbuttoned her top and pushed it off her shoulders. In contrast, hers were fumbling with the zipper on his vest. It should have been an easy task, yet she couldn’t seem to manage it.

  “Leave it,” he growled, taking her hand away. It was an inpatient gesture,
but she intuited it came from his desperate need for her, rather than him being annoyed at her difficulty with removing his garment.

  Cody stood up for a moment, seeming to be reluctant to part from her. She felt the same way, and she took advantage of him stripping off his clothes to do the same with her own. It was a bit unnerving to get naked with a stranger, but as Cody returned to her, gathering her into his arms again, she realized he didn’t feel like a stranger. It was different to have such an instant connection with someone, and she tried to shrug it off, assuring herself it was just sex. That’s all she wanted or needed from him.

  Cody pushed her back onto the bed, his mouth finally wandering from hers to move down her body. He took one firm nipple into his mouth, sucking gently while his hand cupped her other breast. His fingers glided around her nipple, tugging intermittently, and she moaned at the sensation. She was already more excited than she’d ever been with another man, and she could only imagine how it would be when they actually had sex. She couldn’t wait to feel him inside her—on the other hand, she was in no hurry to speed up the foreplay either. Especially since his mouth was so good at what it was doing.

  That mouth decided to travel farther down, and her stomach fluttered with excitement as his tongue trailed over her abdomen before moving lower, and he paused at the apex of her thighs. She shivered when he buried his face against her, breathing in her scent. She was convinced that’s what he was doing, and it seemed strange, but also sexy as hell.

  “Mine,” he said in a gruff voice before his mouth covered her. His tongue slid between her folds, and he immediately sought out her neglected clit. Jade grasped handfuls of his overly long hair, pinning him closer to her body. He chuckled against her core, making her lower half twitch, and she arched against him in a demanding fashion.

  Cody didn’t seem to mind complying with her request, and he began to lick faster. His tongue probed all of her parts, learning everything about her sheath and soon bringing her to the edge of orgasm. He held her there for a moment, not allowing her to slip over. He stopped moving his tongue and stopped sucking.