by Mason, Marie
“What are you laughing at?” he demanded.
“Are you going to show me your etchings?”
“No,” he denied, catching on quickly. “Unless, you want to see my etching.”
They arrived at the construction elevator and Quinn let go of her hand to open the metal door. He pushed it up and she watched his bicep bunch and contract. The man was huge. She missed the feel of his work-roughened palm immediately. She remembered the scrape of his callouses on her breasts and she was suddenly hungry to feel them on her hips, her thighs. Oh, sweetness, her pussy. Everywhere.
He helped her inside and closed the service door with a clang. Pushing a large red button on the side, the elevator rose. There were no floor numbers. From what she’d seen as they walked toward the building, she thought there were at least ten finished floors. She licked her lips and turned toward him. “I really liked your, umm, etching.”
Instantly, both remembered the feel of her hand cupping his cock through his pants. He let out a fluent curse and dropped the blanket and tote to the floor. A minute later, she was in his arms in a fevered clash of kissing and touching.
“God, I missed you.” Quinn’s voice was a warm rumble against her lips. Mouths meshed together and both groaned their pleasure. He licked at the seam of her mouth, and she opened to him. As their kiss deepened, he turned their bodies, pressing her against the elevator’s wall.
She’d dressed in a long summer dress with bell-shaped sleeves. Grasping a thigh in each hand, he lifted her until he was wedged between her legs, her weight supported by the wall and his hips. The bottom of her dress fell away, leaving her legs and thighs bare. The position lined up her clitoris with the zipper of his jeans.
Paige whimpered as he rolled his hips, the movement mimicking the motion he’d make if he were thrusting inside her. He hitched her left leg higher and trailed his fingers along the back of her thigh until he was touching the wet heat of her center. His finger brushed along the silken fabric of her panties. God, she wanted him to touch her. To plunge his finger inside. She broke away from the soul-stealing kiss to plead, “Quinn, please.”
His teeth raked along her jaw and down her neck. She leaned her head back to give him better access. “Do you want to come, baby?” He pressed harder with his finger, forcing her panties between the lips of her pussy.
“Please.”
Needing one hand free, he moved away, letting her leg fall back to the floor. He burrowed his fingers beneath the elastic band of her underwear near the top of her thigh. The tips of his fingers brushed across the neatly trimmed hair to slide downwards along the slickened folds.
“So wet, baby. So damn wet for me.”
He stroked her a few more time before withdrawing his fingers and pressing his denim-clad leg between hers. She groaned and shamelessly rubbed herself against him. The front of her thigh hit against the hard ridge of his cock with each hump of her hips. He swore he felt himself grow.
He pressed his leg up, mashing the lips of her pussy. She was wet and open. So ready…her juices soaked into the rough fabric of his pants. “Ride me,” he ordered.
Paige’s senses were on overload. Quinn’s harsh, guttural command had her relaxing her body, allowing his thigh to hold her weight.
She looked at him, loving him—wanting him so much. Did it matter how long she had with this man? So what if she wasn’t his mate. That didn’t mean they couldn’t have a memorable relationship until he found the woman. She pushed away the wave of anguish and jealousy that threatened to wash over her. Live in the moment, Paige, she reminded herself. Live in the moment.
He lifted her slightly, gathering her to him. Sighing in pure delight, she allowed him to guide her, the friction of his leg against her clit bringing her orgasm closer and closer. As she continued to ride his leg, he bent his head and drew the hard aching nipple of her left breast into his mouth, sucking it through the thin fabric of her dress and lacy satin of her bra. Paige felt the silken cord of arousal, the connection between her breast and her womb. His mouth and her pussy.
She rode him, almost sobbing at the long, slow, wet strokes. Her panties were so wet her pussy glided over the soft denim of his jeans. “So good,” she whispered.
“Fuck yeah, it is.”
A shiver ran through her at his response and brought her closer to the edge. His hands gripped her hips, pressing her down as he thrust his leg up, moving her, harder and faster. He controlled her like a rag doll, dragging out the pleasure until it rolled over her in waves. “Quinn.”
“Yeah, baby,” he panted. “That’s it.”
Ryland and Ryker were on the tenth floor of the new office complex when the sound of the freight elevator rumbling to a stop broke into their conversation. The elevator stopped, but no one got off. They looked at each other then crossed the floor. Inside, Paige and Quinn continued to kiss. Quinn’s leg was thrust between hers and they both knew exactly what their brother had done. Making a woman climax was the greatest thing of all. Except climaxing yourself.
Ryland tilted his head to the side as he watched. “Have you ever been kissed like that?”
“No,” his twin answered, the same note of envy and desire in his voice.
“Me either.”
The couple continued to kiss, lost in their own world, a world both twins envied.
“Hey, Quinn,” Ryland said. “You might want to let her go before you get carried away. Unless you want us to watch.” He figured that would bring Quinn’s bear to the surface and back to the awareness of his surroundings quicker than anything. Not that he would mind sharing. He and Ryker had done it in the past when a woman couldn’t make up her mind which twin she wanted for the night. Cause it was always just for the night.
They avoided attachments better than Quinn. Now, looking at the hard stamped features of his brother as he basically devoured his mate, he wondered, not for the first time, what it would feel like to find your mate. That other part that completed you. That filled that void deep inside that you never talked about. Just lived with, constantly.
Paige drifted back to awareness, no longer feeling the sway and kick of the elevator. She drew back from Quinn’s kiss with an effort. Instead of letting her go, his mouth found the place where her throat and neck joined, and sucked. Paige swore her eyes rolled back in her head at the sensation. If his leg hadn’t still been thrust between hers, she would have sunk to the elevator floor no longer able to support herself.
The arm against her back tightened and his hand became a hot brand on her behind as he kneaded her ass. The other hand found its way back between her legs, the hem of her dress bunched between them. His fingers stroked through the slickness of her release and she heard him give a little roar. His thumb rubbed against her clit.
The sound of male voices helped to chase away the final layer of her fog. And the realization that those men were watching her being fingered to release. “Quinn!”
“Shut up woman, and kiss me,” he griped. His teeth scraped her neck and she almost said to hell with everything and let him take her.
“Hey! Bro!” Ryker shouted. “Unless you want us to join you, I suggest you stop. Now.”
The seductive suggestiveness, as well as the note of hardened steel, in the man’s voice did what nothing else could. Broke them apart. Paige jerked away, leaving Quinn with wet lips and an angry disposition.
“What the fuck do you want?” Quinn roared as he turned his head toward the two men standing on the landing. He really roared, hammering home to Paige the fact that he truly was a bear shifter. A grizzly bear shifter.
Her mind was still foggy and for a moment, she thought she was seeing things. Two men stood before her. Who liked just alike. Heck, they were even dressed alike. A black t-shirt and worn jeans. Ryker. Ryland’s identical twin. That gorgeous face graced not one, but two male faces. The female population was in deep trouble Paige thought as the last of the sensuous buzz left her. One man who looked so good was enough to make a woman pant with des
ire, two, together, made her want to rip the panties from her body herself.
“Just making sure everything was okay.”
Ryland’s tone forced Quinn down from his sexual high. He eased his hand from between Paige’s thigh. He didn’t have to see her face to know she was blushing. He looked at Ryland and frowned. “How the hell did you get up here?”
“There’s a second elevator, dude. And something appeared to be wrong with this one. It was stuck on the third floor.”
Quinn face broke into a shit-eating grin. “Yeah. It was.” He hadn’t deliberately stopped the elevator. When Paige’s gorgeous ass had hit the stop button…and he’d felt the wetness of her slit…
He picked up the blanket and tote from the floor and ushered Paige out. “Well, now you can use this one.”
Two hawks circled overhead, their magnificent bodies casting a shadow on the ground below. The storm from last night was over, but clouds still lingered in the blue summer sky.
Paige couldn’t believe how relaxing and freeing being ten stories off the ground could be. After Quinn had gotten rid of his brothers, he’d thrown the blanket down near the edge of the floor. He wouldn’t let her as close as she wanted, citing safety issues. She knew it was because he was afraid—for her.
When had anyone ever shown such concern for her? She had no siblings and even before her parents had died, they had always been a little aloof and unfeeling. Even as a child, Paige had always been a good girl, rarely giving her mother and father any trouble. She supposed that was why they’d rarely interacted as a family. It was a heady sensation to know someone cared for you.
She looked at the circling birds once more and asked. “Are there hawk shifters?”
“Yeah.” Quinn didn’t want to talk about other shifters. Hawks might not have the size of the bear or the swiftness of the wolf, but they were birds of prey and a potential threat to a mate. He wanted all her attention focused on him. He reached up and released the clip holding her hair in place, letting the long dark tresses spill in waves over her shoulders and down her back. It wasn’t as curly today. “Your hair is beautiful.”
He slipped the clip into his pocket and ran his fingers through the long strands, stirring up the sugary vanilla scent he already associated with her. In the animal kingdom and the shifter world, most assumed the wolf had the strongest sense of smell. It wasn’t true. A bear could smell a mate or a cub almost twenty miles away.
Images of Paige in his bed, her legs folded over his shoulders as he licked her honeyed essence from her body had his cock jerking back to life, causing him more than a little discomfort in the tight confines of his jeans. The need to bury himself inside her was stronger than ever. His brothers were still going to pay for interrupting them last week. And again today.
She sat on the unfinished floor of the building with her legs stretched out, head tilted back, the sun barely caressing her face. He knew he could watch her for hours, he was that far gone. Her legs were as curvy as her body, shapely calves and rounded thighs. She’d painted her toenails a light creamy pink. He wanted to start with her big toe and lick his way up her gorgeous body.
Today she was dressed in a green, flowing dress. The bodice cut just low enough to expose the upper curve of her breasts. He was certain one sharp tug would reveal her red nipples. A picture of her, nursing his baby flashed through his mind. No, make that two babies. Something inside him told him they’d have twins, just like his brothers. Lord, help him. His bear sighed with contentment. It was time to mate. And this woman was his mate. His true mate.
“Tell me about yourself.” Paige stiffened at his question and he frowned. Why that reaction to such an innocuous question?
“There’s not much to tell.”
“So tell me.”
She sighed. “I received my engineering degree from a state university.”
“What state?”
She paused, then said, “Utah.”
“Go on.” He didn’t like the vibes she was giving off. Neither did his bear. Something in the past had happened to upset her. Protect.
She plucked at an imaginary thread from her dress. “My parents died when I was ten.”
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry. Who raised you?” An orphaned bear cub would have been taken in by someone else in the clan and loved like one of their own. He knew humans were sometimes not so kind.
“An elderly aunt. She passed away before I finished college.”
“No other relatives?”
She shook her head slightly. “No, I was the only child of two only children.”
He could tell she wasn’t comfortable discussing her past. He wasn’t so sure if he’d lost his family and was alone in the world if he’d want to talk about it either. But she didn’t have to worry about that anymore. Before long she’d be part of the Blackwood family.
He loved to listen to her talk. He couldn’t do it very long because that deep, sexy voice rolled over him, affecting him from head to toe and everything in-between. It engorged his cock every time. Like now.
“I guess you know all about my family.” He reached for the food, hoping to take the edge off the heat surging through his body when he thought about mating with her and making her a part of the clan.
She smiled, heating up his blood even more. “I probably know more than you want me to.”
He huffed. “Yeah, I can imagine what stories Deb has told on me and my brothers. Just remember she was the big sister and spurred us on. She loved it when we got into trouble and she didn’t.” He put the containers of food she’d brought on the blanket between them. “I wish you had let me take you out.”
She folded her legs beneath her body, hiding those scrumptious legs from his view. “It was nothing.” Paige wasn’t about to tell him she’d taken time off this morning to prepare their lunch. Or how super excited she was to spend more time with him. A man who had the power to drive her over-the-moon crazy with desire. She wanted him as she’d never wanted another man. A tenderness swamped her making her think of matings, weddings, and babies. How, oh how, could she be falling in love with this man? A man she had no future with.
She helped him set out the dishes she’d prepared. Besides grilled salmon, she’d also made wild rice and asparagus. Not her favorite vegetable, but several of the recipe sites she’d visited when planning their lunch had suggested it. Also, she’d found a super easy honey cake that she hoped he liked. It made her happy thinking of feeding her bear some honey. That thought had her pussy throbbing in anticipation. He’d hinted more than once he wanted to taste her. Did he like oral sex? She’d always wanted to try it, or more precisely, have someone try it on her. Well, she wouldn’t mind finding out what Quinn tasted like either. She shifted her position on the blanket, bringing her legs together and hoping he couldn’t tell how aroused she was.
They made their way quickly through the food. Quinn was delighted she hadn’t skimped on her portions. Some of the women he’d dated had never eaten in front of him. Women were too concerned with body image. When a man, human or shifter, found the one he was meant to be with, shape, size, color—nothing mattered because that woman was his. He never wanted Paige’s curves to go away. Again, the thought of her belly growing large with his cubs burned through him. Was the mating call always this strong? And how the hell was he going to get through the courting part? The part where he waited until she was ready to claim him as her mate?
While he’d been fantasizing about making babies with her, she’d finished her food and stored their dishes in the tote. Her hair was blowing gently in the wind, the long strands moving about her face. God, she was so beautiful. She handed him a fork and another plastic container. By rote, he opened it and took a bite of what was inside.
“Oh, my God, what is this?” Quinn thought he’d died and gone to heaven when the taste of honey melted on his tongue. He looked down at the food he was eating and realized she’d baked a cake. A freaking honey cake. It was gone in two more bites. “I’ve never tasted any
thing so delicious in my life,” Quinn told her as he licked his lips clean. He eyed her container. “Aren’t you going to share?”
Paige hugged her cake to her breast and laughed. “Not going to happen, big boy,” she replied as she cut off a piece and placed it in her mouth, slowly pulling away the fork. She moaned and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. “So good.”
Quinn was on her in a flash, tossing away the container and dragging her down on the blanket in one coordinated move. He quickly spread her legs, settling himself between them with ease.
“Quinn!” Her hands grabbed his shoulders.
He grinned down at her shocked expression. “Don’t you know better than to tease a hungry bear with the smell of honey?” He bent down and licked her lips and savored the feel of her nails biting into his shoulders.
“There’s more cake in the bag.” Her voice was low and breathless, that same sex phone whisper that had his cock going from hard to a piece of fucking granite in ten seconds flat.
“That’s good to know, but that wasn’t the honey I was talking about.” He moved, dislodging her hands as he slid down her body.
“There’s honey,” he said, kissing the flesh revealed by the low bodice of her dress. He continued his downward path to the peak of her right breast. Taking one taunt bud in his mouth, he sucked it inside, again taking fabric and all as he had in the elevator, making her back arch and her hands fist in his hair. He hardened even more, thinking about her reaction to what he was about to do. He tugged his head from her grasp and her hands fell to her sides. He placed kisses along the rise of her belly, then sat back on his knees, looking at her splayed before him, a feast for him to devour. “And then there’s this honey.”
He put his hands under the hem of her dress that had ridden up past her knees. Giving the soft flesh a hard squeeze, he pushed the light fabric up. “I smell your want, Paige.”
Paige shivered as Quinn’s thumbs caressed the insides of her thighs as he pushed her dress out of the way. Yes, she wanted him. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted a man. Knew she wanted him more than she’d ever want a man. It was no wonder he could smell her want. Moisture gathered between her thighs, soaking into her pink silk panties. Before she knew it, he’d pushed her dress up her thighs and over her panties.
