Fated Attraction_Shifter Nation_Werebears Of The Everglades

by Meg Ripley

  Sabrina looked up at her date, admiring his dark hair and blue eyes. He was so gorgeous—and he was all hers. She could see the fire of the dragon inside him, but she wasn’t worried; Lance would always keep her safe. “It’s a shame we had to come here tonight,” she said softly.

  He had been scanning the crowd once again, but he gave her a startled look. “Why do you say that? You seemed happy to be getting dressed up for it.”

  “I was,” she replied coyly, “but I can’t do what I want to do here.”

  “And what is that?” It was a challenge as much as a question.

  “Prove to you just how much you mean to me.” She stopped dancing long enough to push herself up on her toes and press her lips to his. Her body came to life as they kissed, reminding her once more why she had gone out with him in the first place.

  He broke the kiss but kept his forehead pressed against hers. “I don’t think anyone will notice if we leave for a little while.”

  Her chest heaved as adrenaline shot through her system. She wanted him, badly. “Where would we go?”

  “Mmm.” His breath was hot against her skin, and she cherished it. “Anywhere you want. There’s that nice big bed at your place. Or a hotel. Or I could ask for a room here at The Club. Or we could do it right here on the dance floor for all I care.”

  “My place is fine,” she replied as she brought her leg out of the slit in the long skirt of her dress and ran her knee up the side of his leg.

  Without another word, Lance was escorting her out of the ballroom and past the foyer. A different bouncer stood guard at the door, but he only gave them a passing glance as they tumbled out onto the sidewalk and ran for Lance’s car. It was difficult to move quickly in her heels, but Sabrina would rather have aching feet for the next week than have to wait any longer to make love to Lance.

  “I can’t believe it’s taken us this long,” she said as he pulled away from the curb and into traffic. She ran her hand up his leg, dangerously close to the hardness that had developed inside his pants. “You know, you could have taken advantage of me plenty of times by now.”

  “I guess you could say it’s been a nice build-up,” he said with a smile. “Or maybe I was just waiting for you to take advantage of me.”

  Sabrina studied the low profile of the center console and grinned. “Okay.” She reached over and unzipped his pants, pulling his member out into the night. Bending forward so that her head was buried in his lap, she took his length into her mouth.

  “Oh!” The car jerked slightly and straightened out again. “That wasn’t what I was thinking, but I’ll take it.”

  His cock grew as she slipped her tongue up and down the length of it, treasuring what had seemed to take forever to earn. Sabrina buried him inside her throat, licking and sucking at the base of his length. The gear shift dug into her ribs, but she didn’t care. Lance had endured unbelievable pain to defend her and keep her safe, and she would do anything for him. She sucked harder as she felt the car making the sweeping turns of her parking garage.

  “You keep that up, and I’ll be finished before we even get there.”

  She lifted her head to meet his gaze, taking his manhood in her palm, “Fine by me as long as you’ll be ready to go again.”

  “No.” He parked the car swiftly, slamming on the brakes and yanking the key out of the ignition. “I want you. I want to come inside you.” He zipped up his pants and leapt out of the car, jogging around the back of it to let her out.

  Their lips crashed in the elevator on the way up to her apartment, their tongues tangling, their hands exploring. It was late and none of the other tenants were around, but Sabrina wouldn’t have cared if they had been there. Let them see who she was and what she had now. She wasn’t ashamed. This wasn’t some cruel man she had to hide. He was good to her, and the whole world needed to know about it.

  They stumbled into her apartment, unwilling to let go of each other long enough to unlock the door and close it behind them. As soon as they were inside, Lance scooped her up into his arms. “Sabrina, I—”

  She pressed her finger to his lips. “There will be plenty of time for talking later. Right now, just show me.”

  He brought her to the bedroom, letting her down gently as he began kissing her again. The heat of his body had increased, and it soaked into her skin like sunshine. His fingers worked furiously at the zipper on the back of her dress until it fell into a silvery puddle on the floor.

  “You look so good in this,” she said as she ran her hands across his broad shoulders and down his chest. The tuxedo truly was a good look for him. “Almost so good I don’t want to take it off of you. Almost.” Her hands went inside his jacket and pushed it away so she could undo the tiny white buttons on his shirt. She forced her fingers to stop shaking so she could do this right instead of ripping every garment from his body.

  A moment later, they stood face-to-face and completely naked, admiring the unclothed aspects of each other’s bodies. Sabrina took in the smooth planes of his human form, from his wide chest to his chiseled abs. He was nothing but pure, slim muscle. His new tattoo, the one that formally marked him as a chosen member of the elite Darkblood Society, was still healing on the inside of his wrist, yet quickly. She got on the bed and climbed back toward the pillows, beckoning to him with her finger.

  “Not so fast.” Lance grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her forward. “I think it’s time I returned the favor.” He bent over and sank down between her legs, instantly bringing a flood of electricity to the most sensitive parts of her body.

  She clasped at her breasts as he expertly flicked his tongue over her core, her muscles twitching with excitement. Lance paid attention to what pleased her, moving his tongue faster and faster as she came closer to her peak. He licked a finger and slid it inside her, timing the movements with those of his tongue.

  “Come up here,” she begged as she felt the intensity building inside her. “I want you. I need you.”

  “Not yet.” His voice was a vibration against her skin, and it sent her over the edge. Her hands flung out to grab at the sheets, twisting them in her fingers as she bucked against his mouth. His strong hands held her by the hips, determined to make her ride out her entire orgasm as he relentlessly continued his ministrations.

  When her waves of pleasure had finally begun to ebb, he looked up at her with a grin. “You didn’t think I was going to let you get away, did you?”

  He had sated her once, but it wasn’t nearly enough. “Come here,” she beckoned, reaching for him and pulling him close.

  Lance held his body over hers, teasing her entrance with his hard cock before he thrust himself deep inside her. He filled her in a way that she’d been longing for all her life, but she hadn’t really understood before then. It was an animal instinct that made her crave him, and while it had control of her body, she thought of nothing but pure, raw sex.

  He kept his weight off of her with his arms, but it felt so good to have his powerful muscles sliding against her as he pumped his hips. Lance was completely dominating in bed, but he would never harm her; he was the dragon who would keep her safe, the dragon who would satisfy her as no human male had ever been able to do.

  “Oh,” she moaned as a jolt of electricity shot through her body.

  “What is it?” he asked softly. He kissed her fully on the mouth, then moved on to her ear so she could speak.

  She was almost embarrassed to admit what was happening, but she was sure he wouldn’t mind. It was only a boost to his ego, after all. “I…I’ve never been able to come in this position before.”

  He buried himself even deeper inside her, making her spread her legs wider before wrapping them around his body. “And now?”

  Sabrina closed her eyes, concentrating on the ball of energy that was building up at her very center. The head of his dick was hitting her in just the right spot, commanding her to find her satisfaction once again. He had taken her breath away, and it was getting hard to speak. “
I might. But I want to ask you a question first.”

  “You have room in your head for question? I must not be doing this right.” He curved his neck to kiss her breast, pulling her nipple into his mouth and caressing it with his tongue. His mouth was hot against her skin. Everything about him was hot, and she found herself pressing her breasts toward him for more.

  It was all too much, and it felt so good. Still, there was one thing she needed to know. She had nearly asked him several times, but it had never seemed to be the right moment. Between breaths, she finally managed to get her question out: “I was wondering…if you have to…be in human form to do this…”

  Lance let her nipple go so he could look at her once again. A mischievous grin took over his face as his hips began moving faster, pounding her into the mattress.

  “Well, mostly.”

  Two great green wings sprouted from his back, their leathery expanse fanning out over the two of them. His member thickened as he came, bringing Sabrina right along with him. His heat was a flame inside her, burning out everything but this moment together. She screamed her pleasure as she dug at his shoulders with her nails, tension and release fighting for space within her.

  Eventually, the sensation subsided into a quiet urge—one that let her know she would be happy to have another round later. Lance laid next to her, his arms around her and his wings gently fanning the air.

  She reached out and tenderly touched the edge of one. It was bone covered in scales, and she traced it down to his shoulder blade before gently probing the soft skin that stretched between the hard ridges. “Does it hurt when you do that?”

  Lance caressed her jawline, her throat, her arm, her breast; so gently that it was impossible to believe he could transform into a dragon. “Sometimes. It depends on what I’m doing. If I just decide to let my wings out for no reason, then no, it doesn’t feel very good. It takes a lot of energy to shift, and controlling it is difficult. But if I have other energy that I’m releasing,” he smiled, “then it’s completely different.”

  “That’s amazing.” She held her hand up on the other side of his wing, able to see her hand right through the green translucent skin.

  “You’re amazing,” he countered. “Sabrina, I’ve never felt for a woman what I feel for you. When I came to work at Carlton and Corbin, I was determined to stay away from any humans as much as possible. That’s usually pretty easy for me, but you made it completely impossible from the moment I saw you. I was so aware of you, I felt like an animal stalking its prey.”

  “You could have fooled me,” she replied playfully. “I was so attracted to you, but I wasn’t even sure if you liked me as a secretary. You were so distant; I was worried I was going to end up throwing myself at you by the end of the year, maybe literally.”

  “You can throw yourself at me all you want, Sabrina, and I’ll always catch you. I love you.” He pressed his lips to hers, sweetly, gently. His wings folded around them so that he embraced her doubly.

  Sabrina pressed into him, unable to get enough. “I love you, too. You know, most women are looking for their knight in shining armor, but I found my dragon in emerald scales. I think the fairytale works out much better this way.”

  “Agreed.”

  In his wildest dreams, Lance never thought he’d be able to trust another human—let alone fall in love with one. But this sassy, green-eyed beauty changed everything.

  And as they both quietly drifted into a blissful, satisfying sleep, neither imagined their hearts could feel so full.

  THE END

  Part III

  Bearer Of Secrets

  Bearer Of Secrets

  I woke up from a terrible dream only to realize that it was real -- my friend Dean, this impossibly hot shifter cowboy, is the only man I know who can understand what I'm going through. He's the only person I know who will help me escape this nightmare. I need him now more than I would have ever imagined.

  Marisol

  Being the daughter of a bullfighter and a former rodeo queen, I’ve seen thousands of cowboys come and go, but I’ve never laid eyes on any man as expertly skilled—or as sexy—as Dean Longstrider.

  Little did I know that over the summer, I’d discover an unexpected and dangerous side of myself—and Dean is the only person I know that I can turn to for help.

  Dean

  Being in this business sure comes with its perks. I have more offers from ladies than I know what to do with, but thing is, none of that matters to me—I have my eye on one woman and one woman alone: Marisol. She’s a great girl, and God, when I think about what I could do with those curves...it’s enough to drive a man—or werebear—buck wild.

  When Marisol told me she was in trouble this summer, I swore to do whatever it would take to keep her safe, to protect what’s mine, even if it costs me the championship—or more...

  1

  “And now, the ride you’ve all been waiting for. The final ride of the night, and folks, this is for all of the proverbial marbles, and I ain’t kidding. Now this young man, Dean Longstrider, he’s got a lot on this ride. He had the highest score on Thursday night. He had the highest score on Saturday night, and folks, if he gets a score of 92 or better, he’ll win this purse, and this purse is nothing to sneeze at. No sir, it’s not. This purse has been generously doubled by our good sponsors at Franklin’s Chevrolet and it’s up to twenty thousand semolians, and you don’t need me to tell you, that’s a lot of semolians.”

  It was a lot of semolians, especially for an amateur night in Cody, Wyoming.

  Marisol whipped her apron off as the event announcer, Rocky, rattled on, filling the time between the bull riders. “I’ll be right back, Mama! Dean’s about to ride.”

  “Did you clean the range?”

  “Yes, Mama, everything is cleaned and the money box is counted up. I’ll be right back!”

  Marisol flew from her mother’s food truck and under the packed bleachers to the tall fence around the arena. The chute gates were on the opposite side and her heart jumped to her throat as she waited for the sound of the buzzer that would mark the beginning of Dean’s ride. He was going to win the purse. Everybody knew it. Nobody could ride a bull like Dean Longstrider. Not even his uncle Rory, and Rory was a legend on the pro circuit.

  Marisol grew up watching young men risk their necks and their lives on the backs of raging bulls. Her father, Ernesto, was a bull fighter and had been saving the lives of those young men for over twenty years. When she asked him if he’d ever seen anybody sit a bull like Dean, Ernesto had admitted that he couldn’t think of a single cowboy. Her heart had swelled with pride for her friend as she nodded in her head in agreement.

  “He’s the best,” she’d gushed. “I think he’s the greatest I’ve ever seen.”

  “He’s not the best. Not yet. Boy still has a long way to go to prove himself.” At her crestfallen face, Ernesto had added, “But he’ll get there. He’s got the talent, anyway.”

  The gate suddenly crashed open and the giant red bull leapt into the arena. It did a hard twist in mid-air and slammed to the ground with a bone-breaking thud. Its hooves barely hit the dirt before it was dancing again, jumping and twisting and kicking its hind legs out as hard as it could. Dean sat astride the bull with perfect form, his spine straight and left arm extended high over his head.

  “Three...four...five…” Marisol counted under her breath, fingers clutching the chain link fence. Until she started watching Dean, she never understood how long eight seconds truly lasted. But Dean’s grip was strong, and though the bull did its best to fling him away, the buzzer sounded to the sound of the crowd roaring its approval of the ride. Marisol erupted into loud cheers, clapping and shouting Dean’s name with the rest of them.

  She was so excited for Dean that it took her a moment to realize that something wasn’t right. Her father darted out and got hold of the rope around the bull’s girth, but even after the bull stopped kicking, Dean wasn’t jumping free.

  “Uh oh, it looks l
ike our cowboy is in a little bit of trouble. Let’s all give a big cheer or our bull fighter Ernie! Cheer loud and help him get Dean out of there.”

  Marisol swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat. The bull kicked around, giving her a view of the left side where Dean’s leg was tangled in the rope. The animal was beyond furious now, ignoring all of Ernie’s attempts to distract it while his partner, Burt, dodged forward to get Dean untangled.

  “Looks like our cowboy is stuck, folks. Give him another cheer! Let him know we’re here for him!” Rocky’s job was to keep talking, keep the crowd upbeat while the professionals got the bull under control, but Marisol wished he would shut up. She’d seen this same thing countless times and she knew as long as her father was in the arena, the cowboys would be safe, but Dean wasn’t like the other cowboys. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t even breathe, until the rope came free and Dean flung himself away from the raging bull.

  The bull fighters moved quickly, Burt putting himself between Dean and the bull, and Ernie acting as human bait, taunting the bull until it charged him. Ernie dove out of the way at the last second, but the bull kept running right on back to its pen.

  “Burt and Ernie, everybody! And let’s give it up for our young cowboy, Dean Longstrider, who just got a score of 94 from our judges. Not only the best ride of the night, this is the best ride of the whole event! He’s one smiling cowboy tonight, folks.”

  Dean took off his hat, walking in a small circle, and waved to the cheering crowd. As he turned towards her, she jumped up and down, waving and cheering. She didn’t think he would see her, but his smile widened and then he was running out of the arena, and Rocky was inviting everybody to remain in their seats for the fireworks show.