Her mind wandering, she sighed as she realized it was only a few days to Halloween now. That meant Lynn needed to make arrangements to get the last few boxes from her apartment, turn in her keys and sign some papers with her landlord.
Deciding to focus on more pleasant things, Lynn drank the remainder of the wine in her glass before setting it aside and closing her eyes. She thought about her adorable godson, how happy her best friend was with her mate and hoped to have the same thing with Jag.
Would he be a generous lover? She’d bet so. He’d probably make a wonderful father, too. This led her to envisioning what their children might look like, until she eventually drifted off.
* * * *
“You planning to claim her tonight?” Liam asked as he wiped down the counter.
“I don’t know. I’d hate for her to think I took advantage of her when she was vulnerable, but I’m not sure if my jaguar is on the same page. If he gets the chance, he’ll sink in his fangs and mark her as ours without even giving her a choice.” Running his fingers through his hair, Jag admitted, “I can’t lose her, Liam. I just got her back. I need to keep her safe, but if I mark her, I’ll put an even bigger target on her back. Right now, they probably suspect she’s sleeping with one of us, but if she’s officially mated, there are no outs left for her.”
“There are already none,” Liam replied, his tone serious. “You and I both know, if she tries to tell them she knows nothing of us being shifters, they’ll sniff out the lie before it finishes passing her lips. She’s the best friend of the Prima, the godmother of the Prime’s heir and romantically involved with a shifter. I hate to tell you, but she’s long past ‘target on her back’. The girl practically has a neon sign flashing over her head.”
Sadly, Jag had to admit Liam was right. When it all boiled down, claiming her wouldn’t change the danger she was in. “I still don’t want her to think I’m taking advantage.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. She cares about you. She may not have admitted how much yet, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine. Besides, there’s nothing to make you feel more alive.”
“Is that what you tell all the women you’re with?”
“It might have come out once or twice.”
“I’m not using cheesy lines on Lynn. She means so much more to me than the women you take to bed with you. I don’t want her for the weekend. I want her forever.”
“Then tell her that. Let her know exactly where you stand and what you want from her.” Liam grabbed his keys and headed for the door. “I’ll check the area before I leave, so you go and see about sealing the deal with Lynn.”
Making sure to lock up behind Liam, Jag did a quick check of the windows and back door before heading to Lynn’s room. When his knock went unanswered, he peeked inside and found the bed still made and her clothes discarded on the floor. The smell of honeysuckle and vanilla drew him to the bathroom door, where he softly called, “Lynn?”
Yet again, there was no reply. Opening the door, he saw her, her head resting on the side of the tub, eyes closed, a serene expression on her lovely face. She’d pinned up her long blonde hair, and a few strands floated about her shoulders in the water. He did his best to not look farther down, but when faced with the woman who tempted every part of him, Jag quickly lost that battle.
Taking in her slumbering form, he stepped over to the counter where her towel sat. With her legs bent and resting to the side, hiding her feminine secrets from his view, Jag reached into the water and pulled the stopper from the drain. As the water level lowered, he watched in lustful fascination as her nipples puckered in the cool air. Lynn shifted, and he grabbed up the towel, spreading it over her once the water was gone.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you to bed.” Gathering his precious load in his arms, he made his way to the bedroom. She’d roused and stared up at him silently, her emerald eyes shining. “I didn’t think this through very well,” he mumbled. “I’d hate to put you down on the bed and get your sheets wet.”
A small smile played at her lips as definite heat built in her gaze. “Then how about you help me dry off?”
What? Hoping he’d heard right, Jag studied her, noting the way her pupils had dilated and a hint of pink crept into her cheeks. Deciding to follow her lead, he slid her body down his until she stood before him, towel held to her chest, still hiding her from him. When he reached for the edge of the material, she let her arms fall to her sides, leaving him in complete control, an act that both humbled and excited Jag.
He knew how hard it was for Lynn to relinquish that power, allowing him to do what he wanted with her. She was a strong female, but tonight, he’d treat her like the finest spun glass. Lynn deserved to have a man cater to her needs, to see that she was completely and totally satisfied in every way possible.
Running the fabric up and over her shoulders, Jag gently caressed her neck then traveled down to her collarbone and across her arms. Her soft moan had his dick twitching in his pants, and his jaguar rubbing up against his skin in a bid to get free. As Jag continued downward, the towel finally revealed her full breasts. Her nipples were still hard, and it took everything in him not to drop to his knees and lick all the moisture from them.
Instead, he kept up his lazy pace, moving to her sides, his hands coming down to bracket her hips. Lynn’s breathing had changed to a soft pant, and his inner cat purred. She was with him on this for sure. He just hoped she knew what she was asking for.
“You’re stunning,” he whispered, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on her lips. “Inside and out, you’re beautiful beyond words to me, Lynn.”
She gasped, tears shining in her eyes, and if it weren’t for the smile on her face, he’d have been worried, but he knew her. She knew how attractive she was, but for Jag it went so much deeper than the surface. Lynn had a gentle heart, one that had been trampled and abused in the past, and one he intended to nurture and heal.
“Jag,” she whimpered as he reached around and clenched his hands over the perfect globes of her heart-shaped ass. He couldn’t help the low growl that escaped his lips, but she stunned him with her, “Holy shit, that’s so hot.”
Groaning, he pulled her body flush to his and took her lips in a fierce kiss. Slowly drawing back, he whispered, “You have no idea how you’re testing my control. My jaguar wants to claim you as our own, and I’m doing my best to hold off until you’re ready.”
“And what if I am?” The little minx punctuated her remark by undoing the button on his jeans. “What if I want you just as much as you want me? I understand what a mate is, Jag. I get that you don’t want to pressure me, but I’m telling you, I’m ready to be yours if you’ll have me.”
Oh, he’d have her, in about a dozen different ways if he had anything to say about it. The woman fired his blood to a boiling point where he knew his fragile tether on control would be lost, but with her express permission to do as he pleased and claim her for his own, Jag knew it was a lost cause.
Taking her in a punishing embrace, he crushed his mouth to hers. Unable to find the words to convey his feelings and need for her, he told her with his actions. Lynn tugged again at his pants, this time managing to push them down his thighs until they pooled at his ankles. He kicked free of them but couldn’t bring himself to separate from her, even to remove his shirt. Instead he ripped it down the middle before shrugging it off.
Finally, skin-to-skin and feeling the warmth of her body as his erection pressed into her soft belly, Jag moved his hands back down to her ass and squeezed, earning a whimper from her as she nipped his lower lip. The smell of her arousal was thick in the air now. It mixed with the honeysuckle and vanilla from her bath and caused his mouth to water.
Using his current grip on her rear, Jag lifted her feet a few inches from ground and walked them to the bed, kissing her the whole way.
Lynn couldn’t believe how bold she was being. Sure, she’d had no problem being so in the past, but there were usually copi
ous amounts of alcohol involved. With Jag’s hands roaming over her body, stoking the fire and bringing her passion to new heights, she just couldn’t find a reason to give a shit right now.
The way he carried her, without a hint of effort was beyond sexy, and Lynn’s desire pooled low in her belly as he placed her on the bed. He looked down at her, his eyes pinning her to the spot with the lust shining in their depths.
He stood between her legs where they hung over the edge of the mattress, his posture straight and proud, the lines of his body intriguing her. She’d caught glimpses of him before. Hell, he was naked right after a shift, but she’d tried—though not too hard—not to openly ogle his body. Now, though, she had an all-access pass to explore every inch of his toned, tan form.
Unable to stand this intense staring any longer, Lynn whispered, “Jag, please say something. Touch me. Anything.”
One side of his mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin before he replied, “Baby, I can’t decide where to start.”
Figuring, if he didn’t know, she’d just begin where she wanted, Lynn sat up, running her hands up his chest, over each ripple of his abs, climbing his pecs and shoulders before smoothing back down his incredible arms. He was a stunning specimen of male perfection, despite the scars scattered here and there over his body. In her opinion, they proved his humanity, showing her he wasn’t invincible either.
Leaning forward, Lynn ran her tongue slowly over the dips and swells of his abdomen, relishing the soft groan accompanied by the twitching of his belly. She traveled down, tracing his V until his hand came under her chin, urging her to look up.
“If I let you continue, I’ll lose myself for sure.” His warm hand moved up, cupping her cheek as he bent down. Lynn was mesmerized by the intense blue of his eyes, the yearning in their depths mirrored her own.
Taking possession of her mouth once more, Jag eased her down on the bed as he lulled her with slow, sensual kisses. Lynn mewled with need as his tongue took up an agonizing rhythm she’d give anything to feel in other places.
Gently scraping her nails down the length of his spine, she luxuriated in the sound of his primal growl as he flexed his hips against her mound. With his impressive length lying on her lower abdomen, she tilted her hips up in invitation, but Jag merely smiled against her lips.
“I’ll get to that soon enough. Right now, I want to savor you.”
It was certainly no hardship to let him do as he pleased. Lynn, now little more than a writhing mass of hormones, tried to temper the sounds she made as he kissed, nipped and sucked his way down to her aching breasts. Her back arched when he laved the taut peaks before finally giving one firm pinch, causing her core to clench as she cried out.
The man was playing her body as if he knew every hot button she had. Lynn had always been one to maintain control in her life, but in the bedroom, she preferred a bit more dominance in her man, someone who wouldn’t give her what she demanded. Jag appeared to know exactly what she needed and where she needed it, but he gave it to her when he was ready, and Lynn found it incredibly sexy.
He inched down her abdomen, leaving a damp trail where his tongue—true to his word—tasted every part of her. He dipped into her belly button, eliciting a ticklish squeal, before chuckling and moving farther south. Jag licked over each hipbone, blowing gently over the moist skin until goose flesh spread and her spine tingled.
“You’re teasing me, Jag,” Lynn pouted, hoping he’d take pity on her and give in to what they both wanted.
“It’s only a tease if you don’t plan to deliver,” he replied, a devilish grin on his handsome face. “And I fully intend to deliver,” he finished, parting her folds and laving her feverish core, flicking her engorged clit. “Over and over and over.” He punctuated each “over” with a sucking kiss on her nub that left Lynn crying out and strung so tight she thought she might burst.
Her fingers wound through his shoulder-length hair to urge him to where she needed him most. Jag simply continued to deliver his intimate loving as he eased a single finger into her drenched channel.
“Damn, Lynn. You test my control at every turn.”
“Control is overrated,” she panted in reply, his gravely tone only turning her on more. When he crooked his finger ever so slightly, finding the hidden bundle of nerves inside, she let loose with a throaty, “Oh, God, yes!”
“I’m doing my best to keep my jaguar in check, but the scent of your arousal is intoxicating. I could feast between your thighs forever, beautiful. You’re my new addiction.”
“Better than catnip?” she teased, her back bowing when he gave a few rapid flicks of his tongue.
“Hell, yeah,” he growled, the vibration sending tremors throughout her entire body as she quaked on the edge of release.
“Jag?”
“Mm-hmm?”
“Can we go off-leash now? I’m ready to explode here.” Already, she felt herself slipping ever closer to the edge of bliss. The only thing that could make this better would be having him deep inside when she finally went over.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Lynn watched as Jag prowled up the bed, his movements resembling the predator she knew him to be and exciting her all the more. She looked forward to him finally letting go, to having him take her with the same intense, raw need lashing in his eyes.
“Lynn, you’re mine now,” he whispered. “I won’t have it within me to let you go after this, even if you beg me. You’ll be mine forever.”
“I’m already yours. Don’t you see? I’ve been falling for you since the day we met.”
With a growl that should have frightened her, Jag scooped up her legs, his forearms just behind her knees as he lined himself up and thrust inside. “Mine!” he roared loud enough to make her ears ring.
The air whooshed from her lungs as he filled her, stretching her walls even as they quivered around his length. He held himself still above her, his breath sawing in and out of his chest as he struggled for control.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice deep and gravely. “Fuck, you feel so good, Lynn. You were made for me.”
“I’d be better if you’d start moving,” she replied, giving his rear a bump with her foot. “I won’t break, Jag. Let’s get wild.”
A switch flipped. One minute he looked down at her with concern written all over his face, the next his eyes flashed. A grin split his lips, a hint of fang visible, then he moved. He pulled his hips back until he just the tip remained at the edge of her sheath before he drove back in with enough force to scoot her several inches up the bed.
He paused again, this time taking both of her hands and guiding them above her head. He wrapped her fingers around the spindles of her headboard. “Hold on tight.”
It was all the warning she got. His thrusts bordered on violent, his hold on her hips firm as he powered in and out of her body like a man possessed…and she loved it.
“Oh, yes!” she shouted. Her breasts bounced, her head thrown back as her orgasm barreled forward, about to launch her into the clouds. Suddenly, Jag changed angles, bringing him impossibly deeper and causing the tension in her to snap. With an inarticulate yell, Lynn came so hard spots danced before her eyes. Still, he didn’t stop.
Jag came down over her, never breaking his rhythm, and kissed the side of her neck down to her shoulder as she milked his cock. Then, with the last hard thrust, he roared his release as his fangs sank into her shoulder, triggering another climax for her.
Lynn lay beneath Jag, relishing the feel of his hard body against hers as they both struggled to recover. His tongue swiped across the place where he’d bitten her, and she noted some sensitivity.
“I’m sorry for being so rough with you,” he panted. “Are you all right?”
“Never better,” Lynn purred back at him.
Pulling back, he separated their bodies, lying next to her and pulling her close as he took a deep breath and sighed into her hair. “I’m still reeling here,” he whispered. “I simply can’t believe you’re
mine now.” Giving her a tight squeeze, he kissed her forehead. “I’ll cherish you for the rest my life.”
It was the perfect thing to say. There were still no words of love, but Lynn understood he expressed his feelings for her in a way most men nowadays seemed incapable of doing. Was it any wonder she had tears streaking down her face?
“I love you.” The words were whispered before she could stop herself, and Lynn stiffened, waiting to hear his response. When nothing immediately came, old insecurities began to surface, and she knew it was too soon.
“Lynn,” Jag began, only to be cut off.
“You don’t have to say anything back. I just wanted you to know how I feel and that I’m every bit as vested in this relationship as you are.”
His hand covered her mouth, and Lynn frowned.
“Hush for a minute. I didn’t return the words because I don’t think there are any capable of doing my feelings for you justice.” His hands moved to cup her cheeks in his palms, and Jag kissed the tip of her nose. “You are so precious to me. You’re my mate, the other half of me, and I would cease to exist without you. Yes, I love you, but it goes so very much deeper than that. We’re connected and will be forever.”
Sniffling and feeling like the biggest girly-girl ever, Lynn wrapped her arms around the man she’d share her life with. “Make love to me?”
“Now who’s the animal?” he teased. “Does that mean you’ll be my little sex kitten?”
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Seven
Lynn woke to the smell of fresh coffee, mere seconds before her alarm clock sounded. Cracking her eyes, she spotted Jag trying to balance a plate and mug while attempting to hit the snooze button.
He’d brought her breakfast in bed, and the thoughtful gesture drew a happy smile to her face. “Good morning,” she greeted as she stretched before sitting up. The movement caused the sheet to fall to her waist, exposing her bare breasts.
“Sweetheart, if you plan to leave that bed today, I’d advise not tempting me,” he growled, dropping a kiss atop her head as he handed over her coffee.
Guarding His Heart Page 10
