Angel didn’t know how to respond, so she remained silent. Then her gaze dropped down his body. When it got to the cock between them, her breathing hitched. He was aroused again. Very aroused. And very beautiful.
“Wow,” she breathed, reaching out with one hand to brush over the unmistakable evidence of his attraction. Never had a man reacted so strongly to her before.
His hips lifted as she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and gently tested the feel of his cock. “Hmmm,” he responded, his pelvis shifting back and forth several times as his hands came up to cup her breasts and pluck at her nipples. “You want to make love here, or shall we try it in a bed this time?”
Angel took a deep breath and released it on a sigh. “Okay.” She blinked when Nick’s breathing stopped, and his cock twitched strongly in her hand. “What happened?”
“You have know idea what your sighs do to me. The sound of your breathing jacks me up so high I don’t ever want to come down.”
“Oh my,” Angel responded. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that effect on a man before.”
“Bedroom, mate,” Nick ordered with a sexy smile that sent runners of lust from tits to clit then out to every nerve ending in her body.
“This way,” she said climbing from his lap.
When she released her hold on him and stepped away, he grabbed her wrist. Placing her hand on his cock he said, “You’ll be leading me around by this the rest of our lives, might as well get used to doing so now.”
Angel led the way down the short hall to her bedroom. She hesitated in the doorway, looking from the full size bed to the tall man behind her. “You’ll never fit.”
She was unprepared for the grin Nick shot her. “It will do fine for now. We’ll just sleep very, very close together, if that’s okay with you.”
“Okay.”
Angel didn’t fight when his hands came around to cup her breasts. That single touch drained any thought of arguing from her. She squeaked when Nick released her breasts then leaned down and swung her up in his arms.
“Put me down, I’m too heavy,” she said as he crossed the room and dropped her on the bed.
She bounced once before he came down over her and without a word smacked her left ass cheek. Before she could pull away or protest the physical reprimand, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them together so she ended up sprawled across his chest. “You are not too heavy. You are not fat. You are perfect and beautiful. If you don’t change your thinking pronto, I’m going to lay you across my lap and paddle that beautiful ass until you can’t sit down.”
A shiver of heat and need bloomed deep in her pelvis.
“I know you don’t feel it yet, but if you’ll give me a chance, give us a chance, I know I can make you happy.” Nick’s voice softened as he rolled them again so she lay on her back. He leaned over her and brushed the tip of his nose against hers.
Lifting a hand to cup his cheek, Angel looked deep into Nick’s eyes. “I already know you will. I’ve known for weeks you are the other half of me.”
* * * *
Nick fought his wolf’s urge to howl in delight at the love he saw shining in her eyes. Though tempted to rush, Nick forced himself to keep moving slow. Each time with his mate should be special, memorable, and not quickly or easily forgotten.
Though the beast within snarled with frustration at his intentions, he kissed Angel long and deep before turning his attention to her bountiful breasts with their soft coral nipples. He licked his way around one and then the other, savoring the sweet taste of her skin. He suckled deep, smiling around the hard little tips when she moaned and arched her back, pushing her breast deeper into his mouth. Her hips moved, rubbing her clit up and down his cock.
“Need. You. Now,” she panted.
“Pretty, pretty girls,” he murmured as his hands pumped her breasts together. He kissed then licked at one nipple before turning his attention to the other. “One day soon, once I can control myself around you, I’m going to see if I can get you off just by playing with these pretty nipples.”
“Mmmm, sounds interesting.”
“Oh, it will be,” he promised.
Sliding up so their hips were aligned, he settled between her widespread thighs. With one hand he reached between them to run two fingers from clit to cunt. His beautiful mate was wet and hot and more than ready for him. He slid his fingers deep into her once, then pulled out and slid them even deeper a second time before pulling them out completely and lifting them to breathe in the scent of her juices.
“God, your cream smells so good,” he said. With a wide grin he sucked her life essence from his fingers. “Mmmm, and it tastes even better. I can’t wait to lap it all up. But that will wait for another time as well. Maybe someday I’ll be able to look at you and not want my cock buried deep inside you.”
He shifted so the head of his cock brushed back and forth over her knotted clit several times. When Angel’s breathing hitched with each pass, he moved down and slid his cock deep into her grasping cunt. “For now, I want to hear you scream again.”
Chapter 5
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Nick asked for the fifth time late Tuesday morning.
“I’m sure. You’re my mate. I would trust you with my life so I think I should be able to trust you with my car. Especially now that you have a legal North Carolina driver’s license. Just be careful with her, okay?” Angel leaned over the center console and kissed him.
She’d called in and requested a few hours this morning. So far they’d gotten Nick his driver’s license and a new cell phone with a local number. Now she needed to get back to work, and he had errands to run to begin settling into life in New Bern. It only made sense for him to take her car instead of renting one, until he decided what he wanted to buy.
She pulled back before he could take the kiss farther than appropriate for the very public parking lot outside her office building. “What is it that makes me want to jump your bones again? We’ve done nothing but sleep, eat and make love for the last four days.”
“We’re mates. Our bodies are just doing what’s natural.” Nick smiled with a hungry, wolfish gleam in his eyes. “We’re going to have to find you a job where you can work from home. Or maybe we can start our own business together. That way you won’t have to work away from me for hours on end.”
“Mmmm, something to think about.” Angel leaned in and kissed him once more.
After nearly a minute, Nick tore his lips from hers and leaned back as far as the car door would allow. “Go. Now. Before I pull you into that nonexistent back seat and hurt myself.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going.” Angel grabbed her purse and climbed from the car just as a long black limousine entered the parking lot.
Though she waved for him to go, Nick shook his head. He sat and waited until she crossed the wide driveway and reached the building’s side door marked “Employees Only.” She didn’t notice the black-haired man step from the limousine behind her car. She also didn’t see him sniff the air before looking from her to the car with narrowed assessing eyes.
* * * *
“Mr. Thomasson wants you in his office. Now.” Edmond Jones smirked at her from the opening of her cubicle.
Edmond had been adversarial toward her since her first day on the job, though she had no clue why. She did her job, did it well, and never asked for any special favors from anyone. For some reason, he had decided to hate her. She wasn’t sure if it was because she hadn’t responded to any of his off-color jokes or because she didn’t cower in fear or get up and hurry away when he walked into the room as many of the assistants did.
“Thank you,” she said automatically shutting down her computer and locking her desk drawers before pushing from her chair.
“Don’t throw yourself at him. Rumor has it he’s finally found himself a woman,” Edmond said with a leer as she brushed past him.
Angel ignored his comment. She’d learned early that the best deterrent against Edmon
d was not to pay attention to anything he said. Though he had been with the company for years, he had just recently been promoted to a minor supervisory position. For some reason the other managers felt sorry for him, but she didn’t understand why. He was a power-hungry asshole who would never climb the corporate ladder any higher than he already had. She thought even he realized that, which was why he made everyone around him miserable as well. The rumor flying around the office lately was that he was in the process of divorcing wife number three. Angel had trouble understanding why anyone would marry him in the first place. He was a back stabber and a gossip of the worst kind. He would make up stories if he had to just to keep the rumor mill hopping.
Angel kept her head up and back straight as she walked away, not wanting Edmond to see she was nervous about being called to the president’s office. She’d never been called to any of the executive offices before. She’d only ever met Adam Thomasson twice, once at the company Christmas party and once during a company awards dinner when she was given a plaque and a gift certificate recognizing her ten year anniversary with the company.
Instead of waiting for the elevator, she used the fire stairs, hoping the exercise would distract her. The twinge of her leg muscles reminded her that she’d exercised much more than usual since Nick’s arrival, and they really didn’t need this added abuse.
She paused just outside the door to the office marked ‘Adam Thomasson’ before knocking three times. When she didn’t receive an answer, she pushed the door open and stepped through. She was surprised to find the anteroom empty, the secretary’s desk looking as though no one had been in all morning. Looking at the wall in front of her, she saw one of the double doors standing partway opening.
“Hello?” She felt like the mouse headed into the lion’s cage.
“Come in,” a deep voice responded from beyond the doorway.
Angel pushed open the door and stepped inside, her stomach clenching so tightly with nerves she had to fight to keep from doubling over with the pain. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Thomasson? I’m Angel Dugan.”
“Yes, Miss Dugan. Please, come in and have a seat. I’ll be with you in just a moment.” Adam Thomasson waved her toward the chair opposite his desk before turning his attention back to the cell phone in his hands. “Yes, I understand. Thank you for your time.” A moment later he clicked off the phone and laid it aside.
“Now, Miss Dugan, I was wondering if you would tell me about the man who dropped you off at work this morning.”
“Please, call me Angel.”
“And you will call me Adam now that we’re family. And now, your man?
“Nick? He’s my, um, well, you see…” Angel wasn’t sure exactly what title to put on their relationship. She also didn’t ask what Adam meant by family. She was too nervous. Just being in the powerful man’s presence overwhelmed her.
“He’s a shape shifter and apparently your mate. I see his bite on your shoulder. But who is he? When did he arrive in New Bern? Why hasn’t he contacted me?” Adam pushed from his chair and walked around his desk.
Angel lifted a hand to cover the bite mark as she shifted in her chair. She watched with increasing nervousness as he crossed the room to the double doors. Just touching it brought a vision of Nick to her mind’s eye, and she shivered of renewed want. She watched as Adam closed the door to his secretary’s area then return to sit in the chair beside her.
“Your man?” he prompted when she just sat staring at him.
“His name is Nick Nash. He came to New Bern four days ago from Iraq. He just retired from the Army and came here to be with me.” Angel explained. “Why would he need to contact you?”
“Is there some way to get hold of him? I need to talk to him as soon as possible.”
“We just got him a cell phone this morning. He said he was going to see about setting up a bank account and then go shopping for a car.”
Adam nodded and reached for the phone on his desk. Once she gave him the number he quickly dialed it.
“Mr. Nash? My name is Adam Thomasson. Yes, that Adam Thomasson. I understand you plan on settling in New Bern? You haven’t contacted me as the local alpha or anyone on my council for approval of this move you’re planning. Yes. Yes. That’s right. My office. An hour? Yes, that will be fine. See you then.” With that Adam closed the phone and replaced it on the desk.
“He’ll be here within the hour.”
“He’s not in trouble, is he?” Angel asked, unable to help herself.
“Not trouble exactly. We just need to meet and talk about a few things.” He stood and waited for Angel to rise as well. He escorted her to the door. “When we’re done, I’ll send him up to your office. Don’t worry, all I want to do is talk to him and let him know we do have a local pack, and he needed to coordinate this move with us.” Adam winked as he extended his hand.
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” Angel shook his hand then walked out on trembling legs. She stopped once she reached the hall, wondering how she would ever make it back upstairs on knees that shook so badly. She wasn’t even sure she could stagger as far as the elevator without possibly tripping or falling.
By the time she returned to her cubicle, Angel wished she’d asked permission to sit in on Nick’s meeting with Adam. She wanted to know what was going on. But maybe it was supposed to be a shape shifters-only meeting. She would have to wait for Nick to tell her what was going on.
During the course of the seventy-five minutes, she picked up the phone a dozen times to call Nick’s cell. Every time she hung up before hitting the connect button. As much as she wanted to protect him, she kept reminding herself that Nick was a grown man and a shape shifter. He’d been taking care of himself for all his life without her help. Surely he could handle one meeting with her boss.
Though she tried to concentrate on the quarterly report she was typing, all she could think about was Nick and needing to be with him. Adam said they were now family. As family, shouldn’t she be part of their discussion? Didn’t she need to know what the two men were deciding about her future? As Nick had said, they were mates and what affected him affected her. The longer she sat thinking about what the two men could be talking about, the more worried she became that Adam would send Nick away. She’d just found him. She wouldn’t survive if he had to leave her again so soon.
Finally she could not sit still any longer. Surely Nick had arrived by now. Pushing from her chair, she walked away from her desk without locking anything and didn’t give a thought to the security breaches that might occur during her absence. She needed to get to Nick. She was a halfway to the elevator when Edmond stepped in front of her.
“Going somewhere?” he asked with his typical sneer reminding her of the television’s stereotypical greasy businessmen who spent their free time in strip joints or dark, smoky hole-in-the-wall bars where no one respectable ever went.
“Yes,” she answered taking a step to the side to circle him. He matched her move for move.
“Did you clock out?”
“No.”
“When will you be back?”
“I don’t know.” Angel spoke through a jaw locked in frustration. “Get out of my way, Edmond.”
“No, I don’t think so. You need to go back to your desk and get back to work before I write you up for tardiness as well as inefficiency and laziness.” As he grabbed her arm, the back of his hand brushed against her breast. He smirked as he shifted to blatantly repeat the motion.
The fear and worry for Nick that had been growing exploded into a sudden urgent need to get to her man. Taking two steps back, Angel took a step forward and kicked up, catching Edmond right in the balls with her foot.
“I said, get out of my way,” she growled. He screamed as both hands grabbed for his crotch, and his knees buckled. He crumpled to the floor and curled into the fetal position, his expression shocked for a moment before embarrassed indignation and then pained anger took over.
“You’re fired, you bitch,” he screamed in a vo
ice an octave higher than usual.
“As if you can do that,” she said as she stepped over him and stalked to the elevator. She would worry about her job later. For now she had to make sure Nick was all right. She ignored the murmured questions and laughter behind her, as well as Edmond’s groaning responses.
When she reached Adam Thomasson’s office, the outer office was once again empty. The door to the man’s inner sanctum was closed, though she heard the hum of male voices in conversation. Nick was in there. She could feel his presence. The pull was so strong she hesitated only a moment before reaching for the door handle.
The room went silent as she slowly pushed the door open. Once it was open far enough, she slipped through and froze when she found herself face to chest with two large men. They had crossed the room and were standing shoulder to shoulder, staring down at her.
“Angel? What are you doing here?” Nick asked when she laid a shaking palm on his chest just before bursting into tears. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
“I think I just got fired,” Angel said as he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.
“Fired? Who fired you?” Adam asked.
“Edmond Jones. He’ll probably also be filing assault charges against me. Or at least sexual harassment charges since I kicked him in the balls.”
“Jones. I should have known,” Adam said in disgust.
“Problem child?” Nick asked as he stroked one hand up and down Angel’s spine. “Shhh, baby. It will be okay. We’ll take care of everything.”
“You might say that. One of those people who develops a god complex the moment they receive any small bit of responsibility. He also thinks he’s a stud and doesn’t understand why the women who work here don’t fall at his feet when he walks by.”
“I think I’d like to meet this man and maybe teach him a little lesson about the proper way to treat a lady,” Nick growled.
Angel stiffened when he lifted her off the floor with one hand around her shoulders and the other around her waist. A moment later she found herself sitting on his lap in the same chair she’d sat in earlier.
McKenzie, Cooper - The Soldier's Mate [Prequel to The Billionaire's Mate] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4
