“I know.” With that low mutter, he bent his head to her breast, kissing her gently at first. After a few moments, he drew her taut nipple deep into the heat of his mouth and suckled.
Fianna arched into him, her hands tangling in his hair for support. When he pulled his mouth away, she moaned with disappointment at the loss, only to cry out when he rolled back onto the bed, pulling her with him. She lay back against the mattress, gazing at him as he propped himself on one arm beside her.
“Mine,” he growled again, before lowering his head to pay homage to her other breast. His hand slid down her belly to rest on her lower abdomen for a moment, before continuing downward to cup her aching sex.
“Yes.” She lifted her hips, and held his head to her breast with both hands. But Greg had other ideas. He played with her folds, spreading her moisture around and teasing her clit. Before she could react, he pulled away and rolled between her legs, kissing a line down her abdomen until he knelt between her splayed thighs.
“Beautiful.” He blew gently against her slick skin. “All juicy and puffy and pink.” With that, he lowered his head and licked a line along her crease.
Fianna’s eyes flew open. He couldn’t possibly enjoy doing that, could he? She’d been told men never did. She could smell her own arousal and wondered if she should be embarrassed.
“Yum.” His happy sigh contradicted that belief. “So sweet and sexy. I could do this all day.” He settled down to prove his statement, destroying her with lips and tongue. While his tongue flicked rapidly across her clit, he slid two fingers into her channel and spread them, stretching her for him. When he began to work them in and out, she clutched the sheets and moaned his name.
“That’s it. Come for me. It will be easier if you’re more relaxed.” His voice was thick and unsteady. He added a third finger and nipped lightly on her clit.
Fianna flew apart, the climax stronger than the one this afternoon. Greg kept on suckling her clit and penetrating her with his fingers until she began climbing toward another, even more powerful peak. Just before she reached it, he kissed her mound and crawled up beside her.
She almost cried out when he rolled away, but after reaching into his nightstand, he tore open a small packet and rolled a condom over his cock. While she was glad he had the control to be careful, she almost resented it. She wanted to feel him skin to skin, but she also understood the need to be cautious.
All that was forgotten when Greg rolled over her to claim her lips with his.
He tasted of her. The thought was startling and odd and unaccountably erotic. His kiss was fierce and demanding, almost rough in its intensity, but she didn’t mind. She wound her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back, desperate for more. Instinctively, she widened her legs and shifted her hips to bring the tip of his cock to her entrance.
“Look at me, princess. Open your eyes.”
She did, looking up into his dark, hooded gaze as he slowly eased himself inside her. His lips were set into a determined line and she could have sworn the points of his teeth overlapped his lips.
“You’re mine.” Yes, those were definitely fangs showing. His canine teeth had elongated. “Say it.”
“Yes,” she whispered as he filled her. “Yours.”
Greg groaned and seated himself fully inside her channel. He bent his head to her throat. She was so full it almost hurt, but the pleasure of his invasion far surpassed the pain.
Not so when she felt his fangs sink into the skin at the base of her neck, right where it met her shoulder. She yelped at the brief sting, but stilled as he began to soothe the bite with his tongue.
“Sorry.” He softly kissed the spot where he’d bitten. “Instinct.”
“It’s all right.” It was. She didn’t understand why he’d done it, or why it had almost caused her to come again when he did, but it felt right. The pain had already ebbed away, and it receded from her consciousness completely when he began to move.
He braced himself above her as he took her, but Fianna wanted to feel his weight. She dug her nails into his shoulders and pulled him down onto her.
Greg grunted out a chuckle, his hips still pumping. “All you had to do was ask, princess.” He covered her mouth with his and stroked his tongue in and out in time to his thrusts.
Fianna was lost in the wonder of making love with Greg. She’d lost the ability to think, and let her body take over, since it seemed to know what to do. Her legs came up to wrap around his hips, changing the angle of penetration so he was even deeper. With every glide, the head of his cock brushed against someplace inside that made her whimper in mindless delight.
“Come with me, Fee.” Greg’s movements were harder and faster. He slid one hand between their bodies to cup her breast and squeeze, even as he powered into her in short, sharp jerks. She held him tight as her body clenched, another climax rolling over her with the power of a hurricane. Somewhere beyond reality, she thought she heard him bellow her name as he swelled further, stretching her beyond imagination. Despite the condom, she could swear she felt him empty himself into her, coming in long, heated pulses.
Finally, he laid his head next to hers and hugged her tenderly as he rolled them both to their sides, his cock still hard and still inside her. Little shudders of pleasure continued to ripple through her as he stroked her hair and dropped kisses on her forehead and cheeks.
“I had no idea,” she finally said. “I never even imagined it could be like that, except in books.”
“Ah, we’re just getting started.” His lips covered hers with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes.
“I like the sound of that.” Her eyelids heavy, she snuggled her head against his shoulder and tangled one hand in the hair on his chest. “Mmm.”
“Get some rest, princess.” There was laughter in his husky tone. “I intend to wear you out again later.”
“Oh good.”
He eased out of her and stood. Fianna snuggled into his pillow, enjoying his scent on it, when she heard him curse violently.
“What’s wrong?” She went up on one elbow.
“The fucking condom broke.”
“What?” She came fully awake as the implications struck her. “They can do that?”
“Apparently.” He peeled off the piece of latex that, surely enough, was split open from the tip all the way back to the ring at the base. “Son of a bitch.”
“So that means…” She swallowed hard.
“That you could well be pregnant. Yeah.” He threw the torn condom into a trash can beside his desk and sat back beside her on the bed. “I’m sorry. That’s never happened to me before. Werewolves tend to swell a bit at the end, but never that much—never enough to rip right through a rubber.”
“It’s not your fault.” She fought to catch her breath. A child? Yes, she’d love to have one someday, but not like this, when Greg would be unhappy about it. She remembered his words from earlier. “If…if there is a child, you’ll insist on going through with the marriage, won’t you?”
“Yes.” He drew in a ragged breath. “I don’t know how good I’d be at parenthood, but I do know I’d want to be there, not a part-time dad.”
“I see.” She didn’t understand his doubts—Greg would be a wonderful father. She was the one who would have no idea what she was doing. If they had created a child, it deserved to be raised by both parents. Fianna had grown up in a world of marriages for political gain and power. This seemed a far more worthy reason. “If it comes to that, I’ll agree and go along with the wedding.”
Greg sighed. “I’d say there’s a damn good chance. You’re at the absolute peak of your cycle, even more so than this afternoon.”
“And if I am, will you hate me for it later?” She hated the quaver in her own voice. “Will you resent me, or the child?”
“Never.” He lifted her face to his and kissed her again, this time gently, as if affirming that vow. “And you? Even if you regain your immortality, you’d be stuck with me, at least unt
il our kids are grown. Remember, my responsibilities are here, not Underhill.”
“I understand.” She returned his kiss in the same manner, sealing her agreement.
Long after he’d fallen asleep, she lay awake trying not to panic. What had she agreed to? To possibly bear a child and marry this man, this lupine? To stay as a human under his control for at least the next twenty years? It was a high price for learning how wonderful sex could be.
Ah, but had it been worth it? Perhaps. It had most certainly been the most transcendent experience of her life.
Greg’s arm wrapped around her as he pulled her closer in his sleep. Fianna felt her own body soften. What had happened could not be taken back. Perhaps the fates would be kind, perhaps not. Now, though, there was nothing she could do.
Just for this one night, she could let herself enjoy being held.
Chapter Five
Well, that was about the stupidest-ass thing I’ve ever done.
Even with a condom, he should have waited a day or two, to be on the safe side.
In the wee hours of the morning, Greg leaned up on one elbow and gazed down at Fianna’s sleeping form beside him. The magnitude of what had happened, what he’d done, almost choked him. His hand tangled in the silk of her hair as he contemplated the ramifications of his colossal mistake.
His grandfather would have mixed feelings. Greg hadn’t gone along with his selection, and he hadn’t chosen another werewolf. Still, the old man would feel he’d won. There would probably be a mating ceremony before Christmas and a baby by the end of next summer.
You fucking idiot.
It was odd, though—he’d never swollen up that much. Was it his body’s response to her fertility? Just a fluke? Or had something in him recognized Fee as a potential mate? The thought of spending the next twenty years with her wasn’t as frightening as he’d expected it to be and he had a deep-seated feeling the die was already cast.
Holy hell, what was he going to do about that? An apartment above a bar in downtown Detroit wasn’t the safest or smartest place to raise a child. Wouldn’t the old man have a laugh if Greg had to break down and buy a house in the ’burbs?
He slid his hand along Fee’s flat stomach. There was no way to tell this early if she’d conceived or not. Her hormones and pheromones wouldn’t alter for a day or two, one way or the other.
Meanwhile, he wanted her again already.
As if sensing his need, she opened her eyes and reached up to cup his cheek. “Hello there.”
“Hello.” He bent down to kiss her, barely managing to keep it light. “Are you sore?”
Fianna stretched and shook her head. “Not much. I’m certainly ready for another lesson.”
Don’t do it. But it was probably moot now anyway and his body was demanding more. He grabbed another condom in case it wasn’t already too late and rolled her on top of him. “I think this time it’s your turn to be in charge.”
“Are you okay?” Lana jumped up from the sofa in Fianna’s living room as Fianna emerged from her bedroom for their trip to the salon. “You’re not only late, but you’re walking kind of funny.”
Fianna grimaced. She was twenty minutes late, which wasn’t like her at all. “I’m a bit sore,” she admitted, “from the…err…cleaning, of course.” From doing the dumbest thing ever—three different times. The condom had broken the second time, as well. The third time they’d used their mouths on each other.
Lana laughed. “Honey, don’t try to lie to a werewolf about sex. Greg’s scent is all over you, even though I can tell you just took a shower.”
“You can smell that we had sex?” Fianna grabbed her purse and her jacket from the hooks by the door. Come to think of it, Greg’s grandfather had said something about that the night before. “Ewww.”
“You get used to it,” Lana said with a grin. “Makes it really hard for lupines to cheat on their mates, and in high school, everybody in the pack knows who’s messing around with whom.”
“That will put me at a handy disadvantage, now, won’t it?” Even though she was taller than the lupine woman, Fianna had to walk quickly to keep up with Lana, an endless bundle of energy. Besides, Fianna was too busy kicking herself to move that fast. What on earth had she been thinking, to agree to marry Greg? The whole idea was doomed from the start. Maybe, if the gods were kind, she wasn’t pregnant and it wouldn’t be too late to back out.
Lana snorted over her shoulder as they ran down the stairs toward the back door of the building. “Like you’ll have to worry about that with Greg. He’d cut his own dick off before he’d cheat. Once my cousin gives his word, nothing in the world will make him go back on it.”
“I know.” He’d be loyal and he’d respect her for the rest of his life. It was far more than she could have expected if her uncle or cousin had arranged a marriage for her Underhill. So why didn’t it seem like enough?
They walked across the street to the parking structure where Lana kept her little red sports car. Lana climbed into the driver’s seat and eased the powerful machine out into traffic. Over the last few months, Fianna had become used to the alternating urban decay and bright renewal that was Detroit, so she tuned out the outside world as Lana spoke.
“So I figured there are things you ought to know before we get to my grandparents’ tonight. Stuff Greg wouldn’t think to tell you because he’s such a guy.”
“Please.” Being duped into abetting a murderer had taught her to get as much information as possible before she acted. “What can I expect tonight?”
“Well, first of all, you’ll meet my grandmother. She’s kind of icy on the surface, but underneath she’s not too bad. She’s a bit of a snob, but I think you can handle that.”
Fianna nodded. “I think so. Nobody can out-snob the Seelie Court.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Lana smirked. “Let’s see, who else will they invite? Peter and Maurice were the two henchmen there last night and neither of them are ever far from Grandfather. Maurice is the older one. His partner David is pretty nice—you shouldn’t have trouble with them. Peter’s wife Samantha is a major suck-up to Grandmother, and can be annoying as hell, so watch out for her.”
“Got it.” Fianna was glad she had a good memory for this sort of thing. “And your family?”
“My parents should be pretty easy to deal with. Same with Aunt Irene—though I guess she’s really not my aunt, but my dad’s first cousin. Anyway, she and Uncle Max are Derek’s parents. He’s married to Katy, who’s Peter and Samantha’s daughter. That means she pretty much grew up with Greg and George—Peter lives right on the property, so he can be at Grandfather’s beck and call 24/7. Unlike her parents, though, Katy is a total sweetheart. You’re going to love her.”
“Your parents live near your grandparents, too, correct?” Fianna knew Lana visited them every few weeks.
“Not really. They live in Huntington Woods, about halfway between Grandfather’s West Bloomfield compound and here. My dad is a semi-dominant male, so he couldn’t live under the old man’s thumb, even if Grandfather wasn’t an abusive old bastard.”
“Greg said something about that.” Fianna bit her lip. Child abuse pushed all her buttons. Retaining her composure with the man would be a challenge. For Greg’s sake, she would try.
“Wow.” Lana shot her a glance. “He’s never even spoken a word about it to me—or George, I think. He bore the brunt of it, since the old man didn’t give a shit how the non-alphas were raised. But to him, young alphas require constant toughening up.”
She went silent for a moment, then continued, “To be fair though, I think he was partly afraid of losing Greg the way he’d lost Greg’s father. My uncle died because he wasn’t strong enough to stand up to another wolf who wanted his territory. When my uncle refused to fight, the other wolf called him a coward and simply had him killed. Unfortunately, my aunt was in the car when it blew up as well. Greg was maybe ten, so George would have been nine. They lived with our grandparents until they went away
to college.”
“That’s terrible.” Fianna’s heart broke for Greg and George, left alone at such a young age—like herself. And just like her, they’d been left in the care of cruel relatives. She wished she’d done half as well for herself as they had.
“So back to tonight, the ones you want to watch are Maurice, Peter, Samantha and the grandparents.” Lana turned onto another major road, toward her favorite spa, housed in a downtown hotel. “Oh, crap. There’s also Peter’s younger daughter, Sofia—the one Greg was supposed to marry. She’s a total bitch, but I thought she was out of state, living the high life as a fashion model.”
Wonderful. His supposed fiancée was a model. Of course. Fianna pondered a moment. “If this dinner goes badly, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Lana bit her lip. “Honestly? If Grandfather is too pissed off, we could all be exiled. I don’t think he’s ruthless enough to have you killed, but to be honest, I can’t rule it out, either.”
“Killed?” Fianna’s voice came out as a squeak. Stars protect me. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
“Don’t worry.” Lana reached across the car’s console to touch Fianna’s elbow. “You know Greg won’t let that happen. But it could mean we’ll all be on the run.”
“That’s such a comfort.”
“I know, but I really think they’re more likely to push forward with the wedding. That means you need to know about the mating ceremony. It kind of combines werewolf traditions with a modern, civil-service wedding. You’ll each cut your palms before the vows and the officiant—usually my uncle Max—will tie your wrists together so your blood mingles with his.”
“Not unlike a traditional handfasting,” Fianna mused. “Very well. Then what?”
“There’s one thing that’s the most important about lupine mating.”
Motor City Wolf Page 7
