by Mason, Marie
Their appetizers had arrived while they were gone along with another glass of wine and a bottle of beer. “Uh, shouldn’t you sit on your side of the booth?” she asked when she slid into her side of the booth and Quinn followed closely behind her.
“It’s too lonely over there, darlin’. I like it much better over here.”
“But it’s crowded.” Paige nudged his shoulder with hers, hoping he’d take the hint. There was too much of him, way too close to her. His thigh bumped against hers and she forgot to breathe. She was drowning, drowning in the uncharacteristic lust flooding through her. She wished she had the courage to rip open her blouse and offer herself to him as the first course. The air was thick with longing. Mostly hers, she guessed. Though by the way he was looking at her, some could be his.
“That’s all right, I’ll just eat one-handed.” He put his big arm on the rear of the booth, its massive size hanging over the edge and rubbing against her shoulders. “I can do a lot of things one handed.”
He winked again and Paige’s panties got a little wetter thinking about what he did one handed. She glanced at his lap and saw the large bulge that was still there. Dang, he was big. Would it take both of her hands to wrap around his width?
Even though she wasn’t Quinn’s fated mate, it didn’t mean the bear shifter might not be interested in having a little fun with her. His sister had said he wanted to dip his toes into the relationship waters while trying to find his mate. And she needed someone to help rebuild her self-confidence after her last boyfriend. Maybe they could help each other.
Paige’s heart hadn’t been broken. Just severely bruised by the last man she’d been in a relationship with. When they had hit it off so well, she’d thought he might have been the one. She’d even been willing to overlook the fact that the sex was nothing to write home about. Being a realist, she couldn’t blame a man for not wanting her as passionately as she’d always dreamed someone would. That kind of passion belonged to those thin, skinny blondes. Something Paige would never be, and, frankly, didn’t want to be. She was quite happy with her size and shape, she just had a few insecurities about certain parts of her body.
That didn’t mean she wanted a passionless relationship, which was why she’d said goodbye to Dave. That and the fact that he turned out to be a complete ass wipe. He’d left her owing two months back rent and cleaned out their joint savings account. Not to mention he’d been Facebooking other women the entire time they’d been together. The trifecta of loser boyfriend behavior.
Watching the flex of Quinn’s thigh as he settled in beside her, she thought what better way to get back in the game than with a gorgeous hunk of a bear shifter? Who, she was pretty sure wouldn’t turn down the chance to take a willing woman to bed, even if he was on the prowl for a mate. He was still a male, and Paige was more than willing.
Quinn filled out his pants like there was no tomorrow and the damn man practically oozed charm. Charming and sexy was just what she needed. Even if it wasn’t exactly what she wanted. Scratch that. She did want sexy and charming—just long term.
When she’d agreed to allow Deb to help her get back into the dating game, Paige hadn’t confided in her friend that she wanted more out of a relationship than a casual hookup. She certainly hadn’t told her that she had the hots for her little brother. Paige smothered a grin. There was nothing little about Quinn Blackwood. Remembering the feel of his hardened cock against her stomach, she suppressed a moan and prayed the wetness seeping from her pussy didn’t seep through her pants. Her panties were already wet.
Feeling the heat radiating from his body and inhaling the fragrance of forest, wind, and rain, Paige decided to let fate run its course. If it ended with a rollicking good time, then more power to her, the curvy girl. If it ended with a chaste kiss on the cheek, then she would say que sera, sera and move along. She really hoped it didn’t end that way.
“Hey, what put that frown on your face, darling?”
“Nothing,” she shook her head, shaking away the memories of a failed relationship and the expectations of a new one. Quinn was the best blind date—the best date period—that Paige had ever had.
Quinn had ordered two appetizers, unsure what Paige would like. He dipped a homemade tortilla chip into the spinach and artichoke dip and held it to her lips.
“What–”
The moment she opened her mouth, he gently pushed the food inside. “Eat.”
Her eyes snapped at him before she took a bite. A dollop of the dip clung to the corner of her mouth and her small pink tongue wiped it away. He crammed the rest of the chip into his mouth before he did something stupid. Like order her on her knees to lick his cock. Man, was he obsessing about that or what? But what red-blooded male wouldn’t be?
He fed her another chip, torturing himself as the dip continued to linger on her lips and her tongue continued to wipe it away. After about the third bite, she caught on to the seductiveness of being fed. The next time he held up a chip, her lips parted slowly. Her tongue came out to touch the bottom of the chip with her tongue. She pulled it slowly into her mouth. She moaned as she ate and again the dip clung to the corner of her mouth. This time, before she could lick it away, his tongue was there, lapping up the creamy concoction.
He felt the surprise and hesitation in the flex of her mouth. His lips rubbed lazily over hers, coaxing her to open for him. He tormented her with light touches of his open mouth until she gave a little growl and pushed upward, straining to capture his elusive kiss. He continued to tease her. He wanted this moment to last, wanted to burn it into his brain. The first taste of his mate. He wrestled back control of the kiss and tilted her head to give him a better angle. He stroked his tongue between her lips. Not deep, bold strokes, just teasing forays, which had both the man and the bear panting for more. The inside of her mouth was sweet as candy. Delicious. She was delicious.
Kiss her. Taste her. Fuck her. His animal wanted her—now. Okay, maybe his bear was a little ahead of the man in this mating dance. Thinking of this woman beneath him on a soft bed, his cock shoved deep into her tight channel…well, maybe his bear had the right idea.
Quinn’s eyes were vaguely frightening as they glittered down at her, right before he took her mouth again, devoured her mouth. He probed deeper, more possessively. His mouth was firm and moist and warm. The contact of his body, the sureness of his touch, dissolved her strength. She melted into him, yielding to his dominance. He opened a floodgate of feeling inside her—fear, excitement, shock. It had been so long since a man had held her in his arms, since she’d wanted a man to hold her. Knots coiled in her stomach, the tension spreading throughout her lower body. Her pussy clenched, feeling empty. She melted at the intimate touch of his tongue sliding into her mouth. The eroticism of the motion, the heat of the kiss, was melting her into a puddle. He laughed, the sound vibrating against her tongue. He knew exactly what his kiss was doing to her, damn it. Then he was deepening the kiss with a sure steady rhythm and she forgot her own name.
Before she could do something really stupid, like beg him to brush the place settings aside and take her on the wooden oak table, the waiter brought their entrees and Quinn was forced to let her go.
“Another glass of wine?” He ignored the food the same as he ignored the fact that he’d just had his tongue down her throat. Twice.
“Mmm. Sure.” It would make her third, but why not? She hoped this was a night of firsts. First time getting buzzed, first one-night stand. First blind date with a bear. It may have been the result of the two glasses of wine she’d already consumed, but the night had taken on a surreal feel. She couldn’t get over the fact that she was actually here and this fine-assed looking man—yep, that had to be the wine talking—was apparently interested enough to kiss her. Twice.
“I guess we better eat then.” If she thought the appearance of food would move Quinn back to his side of the booth, she was wrong. But not disappointed. When he removed his arm from behind her back so he could cut his ste
ak, she felt a chill as if she’d already gotten use to the warmth of him by her side. Warning bells sounded in her head. The goal for the night was to have fun, not fall head over heels in love with a bear shifter. A shifter she had no hope of mating. Casual. Fun. Carefree. Those were her three words for the night. She repeated them over and over in her head.
As the meal progressed, Paige felt herself sinking deeper and deeper under Quinn’s spell. Besides being so wonderful to look at with his dark hair and dark eyes and dark skin, he had a gift for conversation. She would have expected him to be the center of any party with his play boyish charm. Surprisingly, one on one, he was proving to be warm and friendly. Real. They talked about movies and books, politics and art. He told her some of the history of shifters, a subject she found fascinating. And not because a big bear shifter was looking at her with lust stamped across his taunt features. She thought it was lust. With her luck, he’d eaten a bad burrito for lunch and it was only gas.
“Most shifters mate for life.”
“What?” Had she missed something while pondering if he really did want her?
He smiled and repeated what he had said. “Most shifters mate for life, but not necessarily bears.”
Was this his gentle way of saying she wasn’t his mate, but he wanted to fuck her while trying to find his true mate? Duh, big boy. She’d already figured that out for herself. She smiled. What else could she do? “It must be nice, though, to know you’ve found that someone made especially for you.”
“Oh, it is.”
She frowned, waiting for him to say something else. He finished his dinner without elaborating on his cryptic remark. A frown marred her brow. She didn’t think Deb would have set her up with her brother if she’d known the man had already found his true mate. Just her dumb luck, he’d probably met the woman on the sidewalk outside the restaurant and was too much of a gentleman to stand her up. She’d always been a day late and a dollar short.
After a few more moments of silence, he pushed his empty plate aside. He’d ordered an enormous amount of food and eaten all of it. When the waiter had come back around, he’d ordered a large slice of chocolate cake.
Besides the appetizer he’d fed her—and part of the mouthwatering dessert—she’d eaten all of her salad and her steak. And the bread. Let’s not forget the bread, Paige, she chastised herself. And the carbs that would attach themselves directly to her hips and thighs. She quickly shoved aside the old insecurities that threatened to burst forth.
“Are you ready to go?” Quinn’s voice was hard and tight. His earlier charming demeanor evaporating. Suddenly, she thought she was watching time-lapsed photography on the National Geographic Channel. She could actually see the tension grip Quinn’s body.
Heck, Paige thought, this was where she got the brush off. The, it was nice to meet you, I’ll be sure and tell my sister what a good time I had…blah, blah, blah, blah. She remembered why she didn’t let her friends set her up with blind dates. It always ended badly and then you had the awkward morning after with your friend. How much worse was it going to be since Quinn was the brother of said friend?
The waiter brought the check and Quinn handed over his credit card. At least he didn’t insist that she pay half. A wave of disappointment washed over her as they waited for the man to return. As the night had progressed, she had decided that, if he offered, she would go home with him. Or take him home with her. She didn’t really care as long as it ended with her beneath him, him inside her.
What had gone so wrong? They’d laughed, they’d danced, they’d even kissed. Twice. One kiss had been as sweet as it was arousing. The other hot enough to make a woman beg.
As the silence continued, she picked up her purse, wondering how awkward the goodbye would be. Should she offer him her hand, or, could she hope for a kiss goodnight in the parking lot? The waiter brought back his credit card and he stuffed it in his wallet. His placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her through the tables and out the door. The night had turned chilly and she crossed her arms, rubbing them for warmth.
“Well, I guess—”
“Which car is yours?” The restaurant didn’t have valet parking.
“The white one,” she pointed to a small compact near the front of the lot. She’d made a point to arrive early in order to get a close parking spot. She never liked leaving a restaurant and making her way to her car in the dark. In a few short strides, he was handing her inside the car, watching as she fastened the seatbelt. Apparently, she wasn’t getting a kiss goodnight or even a handshake goodbye.
“Wait until you see my headlights behind you before you pull onto the road. I’m driving a black SUV,” he pointed to the back of the lot. It figured. Bear shifters had nothing to fear in the dark. He frowned, “Maybe we should leave your car here and come back for it in the morning.”
“That’s not necessary.” What in the world was he thinking? How was she supposed to come back and get her car? He stood by the little compact as if weighing his options. What options? She was going one way and he was going the other. She reached to close the door, his big body between it and the frame of the car. “It’s sweet of you to offer to follow me home, but I’ll be fine.”
When he looked down at her, there was no doubt he was frowning now. “I’m coming home with you.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and closed the door, jogging to his vehicle. She touched her lips and thought it was a lovely gesture for him to follow her home. It was totally unnecessary. She’d been on her own for a long time. She could see herself home just fine.
It was too late to protest and maybe she didn’t even want to. Maybe, she’d get another kiss, a longer kiss, on her front steps. She exited her parking spot then waited for his headlights to appear in her rearview mirror before entering traffic. She was halfway home before she realized he hadn’t said he was following her home. He’d said he was coming home with her.
Twenty minutes later, she parked near the curb in front of her rented house. There was no garage or private driveway. Parking was on a first come, first serve basis. The only time she didn’t get a close parking space was when the couple next door held large family gatherings.
Quinn’s headlights cast shadows into her car before he killed his lights. Her hands trembled as she turned her lights off and took the keys from the ignition. Before she could open the door, he was there, helping her out, his hand beneath her elbow. He escorted her up the short walk to the small porch. She’d tried to make the rental house feel more like a home by hanging baskets of blooming flowers from the rafters and along the sides. A yard sale find of used wicker furniture that she’d spray-painted a bright white made the small wooden porch appear clean and inviting.
The evening was chilly, but she was quite warm, no doubt helped along by the three glasses of wine and the thrumming of her pulse. Not to mention the heat radiating from the bear shifter at her side. The man was all heat. And sex. She wasn’t a virgin, but her experiences had been limited, and disappointing. She couldn’t ever remember a man affecting her as much as Quinn Blackwood did. It wasn’t just that he looked sexy. He was big—had she mentioned she liked her men big?—muscular, tanned, and with eyes the color of milk chocolate. The classic bone structure of his face and his smile made her toes curl and her pussy weep.
It was more than the instant, sexual pull she’d felt when she’d looked up at the bar and saw him towering over her. Oh, she wasn’t discounting the sexual connection. Even if her experience was limited, she knew she was a sexual being. Craved the touch of another person and longed for the rich, satisfying connection she knew was possible between a man and a woman. It was one of the reasons she’d finally agreed to the blind date, hoping to find someone she could connect with. One look at his laughing brown eyes and something had sizzled between them. A connection.
She’d made the last man in her life wait almost a month before she agreed to have sex. She’d immediately regretted the decision and hoped she wasn’t making a mistake now. I
f, in fact, Quinn did want a one-night stand.
Deb hadn’t tried to scam Paige. She’d told Paige about true mates and she told her Quinn was looking for his. Paige knew that was what all shifters longed for. Heck, what all humans longed for. She also knew the connection was supposed to be instantaneous. He certainly hadn’t kidnapped her and taken her back to his den to have his wicked way.
Having arrived at the front door, she turned toward him, keys still in hand, ready to wish him good night. Wanting to tell him she’d had a wonderful time, she just couldn’t find the words. Or the courage. It was highly doubtful he’d ever want to see her again. She thought of his stilted conversation with his sister. While this hadn’t been exactly a pity date, it certainly hadn’t been the start of something wonderful. A sudden attack of nerves gripped her. “Thanks for seeing me home, Quinn.”
He stepped closer, pushing her back against her front door. He placed his hands above her head, containing her. “Give me your keys.”
“Why?” She tilted her head back and he moved a little closer.
“So I can open the door and get you inside.” Where I can fuck you until morning. His bear nodded his head in agreement. Bears were usually laid back creatures except when it came to marking and protecting their territory. His bear wanted to mark this woman.
“Inside?”
“Yeah, inside,” he agreed, lowering his head to inhale her scent. His tongue licked at the side of her throat she’d inadvertently exposed. She tasted sweet. Bears loved sweets. He licked again. Mmm, sugar. Another lick and he tasted honey. Two of his favorites flavors. He knew once he tasted the juices pouring from her pussy he’d be calling another sweet flavor his favorite. “So I can love you.” He knew he needed to woo this woman. “So I can taste you.” He sucked her earlobe in his mouth. A full body shiver ran through her and he hoped he was well on his way to getting inside. Both her house and her body.
