by Tonya Brooks
Jesus Christ. After an orgasm like she'd just experienced, Shana was amazed that her body was primed and ready to go again. She couldn't even imagine how intense the actual sex would be and she could barely wait to find out. But first, she wanted to return the favor so her fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt.
She slid it off of his shoulders and stared her fill at the magnificently sculpted chest on display. Her splayed fingers raked gently through the thatch of blonde chest hair and scratched lightly over his tight masculine nipples. A rumbling growl of pleasure vibrated his chest and her smile became decidedly wicked.
"Your body is magnificent," she assured him as she scooted off of his lap and sat on her folded legs beside him. "I want to see all of it." Dane moved with the supernatural speed of a shifter and seconds later he stood before her completely naked. Her hungry gaze followed long, muscular legs up to his cock.
His very large and very erect cock.
Shana had never been with a paranormal before and her experience with human men wasn't all that vast, but she was impressed by the well-endowed appendage. Seriously impressed. If she hadn't known with a bone-deep certainty that he wouldn't hurt her, it would have been intimidating as hell.
She slid her hands up his thighs, her mind absently registering the way his muscles quivered beneath her delicate touch. Grasping his cock in one hand, she leaned forward and licked a glistening bead of moisture from the head. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides and this time the growl sounded more like a warning.
Too bad it didn't frighten her in the least.
Shana lifted up onto her knees and took him into her mouth. "Mmm," she hummed and felt his entire body shudder. Dane's hands gently grasped her head and she could swear they were trembling. Determined to make him tremble all over, she took him deeper and deeper still while he cursed and growled. When her lips touched his pelvis, she swallowed hard.
***
"Fuck!" Dane roared as his eyes crossed in pleasure. An electrical current zapped his balls, rocketed up his spine and short-circuited his brain as his cock forcefully erupted. The instinctual need to protect his mate was the only thing that prevented his fully extended claws from sinking into the silken head held in his hands.
Shana's nails bit into his ass as she swallowed again and again, prolonging the pleasure of his climax beyond anything he had ever known before. Tremors shook him from head to toe when she finally released him and he sank to his knees before her. He had known that making love with his mate would be epic, but he hadn't expected anything like that.
His expression must have said it all, because his mate gave him a sheepish smile and admitted, "I don't have a gag reflex."
"Jesus fucking Christ," he breathed in awe. "Beauty, that kind of pleasure could kill a man."
Her smile turned triumphant as she admitted, "I've never tried it before, but I wanted to with you."
The knowledge that no other man had ever experienced pleasure that intense from her sweet lips pleased him greatly. His damn wolf was preening like a peacock and insisted that their mate knew they were special. His hands once again normal, Dane trailed his fingertips down her silken cheek and placed a tender kiss of gratitude on her lips.
"I'm honored," he confessed and pulled her into his arms to hold her close.
"You should be," she said in amusement as she placed a kiss on his neck and damned if his cock didn't shoot back to attention.
"My turn," he said as he rose to his feet, lifting her up with him. Once they were standing, Dane began to slowly undress her, his lips paying homage to every glorious inch he uncovered. By the time Shana was naked, she was trembling all over and those crystal eyes were smoldering with rekindled desire.
The flickering firelight alternately bathed her in a golden glow and cast shadows in the most intriguing places. He was fascinated with the play of light over her silken skin. His mate was a living work of art. Perfectly curved and contoured, soft and supple yet sleek with well-toned muscle beneath the surface.
"You are perfection," he breathed as his hands glided smoothly down the curve of her back to cup her firm little ass. "Absolute perfection."
"Dane, please," she pleaded tremulously as he knelt in front of her.
"Aye, beauty. I'll please you," he vowed as he lifted her right leg and placed a kiss on the inside of her thigh. He planned to show her pleasure such as she had never known. To wipe the thought of every other man who'd ever touched her from her mind. His wolf would settle for nothing less.
Neither would he.
Placing her knee securely over his shoulder, Dane kept a firm hold on her curvaceous bottom with one hand and lifted her left leg with the other. Shana squealed in surprise and grasped his head with both hands. He chuckled softly. His mate would soon learn to trust him in all things as he'd never allow anything to harm her.
"Relax, Shana," he said confidently as both hands cupped her ass. "I've got you."
"Don't you dare drop me," she half warned, half pleaded, her nails gripping his scalp.
"Never," he vowed and pulled her forward until her pussy was pressed snugly against his mouth. The scent of her arousal had been driving him insane for hours. Dane wanted to bathe in it until it was the only scent he knew. His mate smelled like ambrosia and he was dying to taste her sweet nectar.
One lick and he was completely addicted. He settled in to feast on her tender flesh like the ravening beast he was. Shana gasped and pleaded, shuddered and shook as he led her to one shattering climax after another. His mate became a wanton creature, grinding her pussy against his mouth as she sought her pleasure.
When she went limp in his embrace, Dane slid her slowly down until she was seated atop his thighs. With one hand gently supporting her head, he eased Shana backward onto the plush rug beneath them. Her ankles still hooked over his shoulders, he braced his weight on his forearms and framed her face with his hands.
His mouth captured hers in a kiss filled with passion and possession as his cock nudged her molten core. His wolf was in a frenzy to make her theirs. Dane wasn't in much better shape. He needed her with a desperation he'd never known before and fought for the control to make love to her with the reverence his mate deserved.
Muscles tense with strain, he pressed forward and withdrew, inch by excruciatingly slow inch. Dazed, slumberous eyes opened and met his. The sexy, sated smile she wore fed his hunger even more. She lifted her hands to lay palm up atop the shimmering mane surrounding her head, her breasts arching up toward him in offering.
The sight would be forever imprinted on his brain. His beautiful mate, prone in a pose of complete submission before him, welcoming him into her body. His wolf wanted to howl in triumph. Every neuron in his being came vibrantly alive. Man and beast merged in perfect harmony.
He made love to her slowly. Tenderly. Lavished her with deep, drugging kisses as his body worshiped hers in a sensual dance as old as time. When Shana's body arched upward in climax, she turned her head to the side, baring her slender neck to him. His canines lengthened instinctively in preparation of marking her as his mate.
Blinded by his animalistic need for her, he would have done just that had she not taken him by surprise. In a completely unexpected move, she turned her face into his palm, her lips pressing a kiss to it. The gesture was so affectionate, so loving, that it broke him. Dane's throat constricted with emotion as his orgasm consumed him.
In that moment he gave himself over to her, heart and soul. The world tilted and fell away as Shana became the center of his universe. His only need. He knew that he had found his fated mate, but the decision had to be hers. There was no way that he could impose his will on her without her consent.
He'd move heaven and earth to make her his and battle every demon in hell to keep her.
If she wanted to be his mate.
***
Shana wanted to be his everything.
The big beautiful shifter had claimed her heart as easily as he'd possessed her bod
y. There had been no words to express how he made her feel, so she had pressed a tender kiss into his palm. When she felt him shudder in release, her eyes were drawn back to his. They glowed with a fierce intensity that mesmerized her.
Lifting her hand, she caressed his cheek. Dane closed his eyes, his expression one of pure rapture as he nuzzled his face into her palm. Her hand curled around the back of his neck, drawing him down until his head rested against her shoulder. More content than she'd ever been, Shana feathered kisses over his neck and shoulder.
Strong, muscular arms gathered her close and held her against his fiercely beating heart. The embrace was possessive yet gentle, protective and… loving? Yes. She felt loved. And cherished. And all the wonderful things that she'd ever hoped to experience in a man's arms. Being with Dane just felt right.
It felt so right that when she woke a few hours later, her body was still entwined with his. That he had somehow managed to get them into the king sized bed without her being aware of it melted her heart even more. Carrying her to bed instead of waking her was so sweet. Her big bad wolf shifter was such a gentleman.
Mmm. And if the very hard protrusion beneath her thigh was any indication, he was also ready for another round. Her womb clenched at the thought. Feeling more than a little daring, Shana slid fully on top of him. Lifting herself into position above him, she eased herself onto his cock in slow, delicious increments.
A glance up at his handsome face revealed the glow of golden eyes watching her intently. Oh, man, did they look predatory in the dark. A shiver of apprehension slithered down her spine as the realization of what she was doing sank in. She had been taking advantage of him while he slept, which basically constituted a violation.
Sex without consent is rape, counselor, her common sense pointed out.
"Oh my God," she said in a horrified tone and froze in place. "I'm so sorry, Dane. I don't know what I was thinking. I woke up and wanted you and it never even occurred to me that I might be violating you by not asking first," Shana stammered in complete mortification as she shifted her weight to get off of him.
Dane caught her hips in his hands and held her in place as effortlessly as his golden gaze held hers. "I've been violated before, beauty, but not by you," his voice whispered from the darkness, the sound so seductive her nipples hardened painfully. "You have carte blanche with my body. I'm yours anytime you want me."
Shana didn't move or speak because she seriously didn't know what to do or say at this point. Dane took the decision out of her hands by saying the right thing again. "Waking up to find the woman I desire mounting my cock is a dream come true. Take what you need, beauty. Show me that you want me."
Now, how the hell could a woman refuse an offer like that? Shana didn't even try. She began to ride him slowly, letting her body adjust to the length and breadth of him so deep and snug inside of her. Placing her hands flat on his chest, she leaned forward just enough to change the angle of penetration and began to thrust fast and deep.
His growl of pleasure spurred her on.
Those big hands still holding her hips, he slid his thumb down to manipulate her clit. The added stimulation drove her wild. Her nails scored his flesh as she rode him mindlessly. Dane's hands began to lift and lower her bodily at a speed that boggled the mind as his cock rose to meet her in synchronized thrusts.
"Come for me, beauty," his voice commanded from the darkness, his eyes glowing hotly with desire. "Come for me."
With a cry of complete abandon, Shana threw herself off of the precipice head first into a scalding void filled with pleasure. Dane caught her, held her, joined her in the ecstasy of their union. A lazy, sated smile on her lips, she sank happily into oblivion, locked in her lover's arms.
CHAPTER THREE
Saturday Morning
Dane tore his adoring gaze away from the woman snuggled so trustingly against his side and reluctantly untangled his limbs from hers. He'd like nothing better than to wake Shana with a kiss, but there were things that he needed to do. He had to prove to his mate that he could take care of her every need outside of bed as well as in it.
Intending to do just that, he slid from the bed and quietly made use of the en-suite bathroom. Grabbing the laundry bag, he donned a complimentary bathrobe and placed the second one on the foot of the bed for her. With one last adoring look at the woman sleeping peacefully, he entered the lounge area and closed the connecting door.
After gathering their wrinkled, discarded clothes from around the room, he called the hotel concierge and informed the man that he was extending his stay indefinitely. Then he requested a priority laundry pickup. When the valet arrived, Dane handed him a Benjamin and insisted their clean clothing be returned before lunch.
Just in case his mate wanted to get dressed.
He refused to even consider the possibility of her leaving.
His next call was to room service to place their breakfast order. Wolf shifters normally had very healthy appetites, and this morning he was positively ravenous. After ordering every item on the breakfast menu, he added an additional order of blueberries since Shana had mentioned it was her favorite fruit.
His last call was the one he'd been dreading almost as much as he anticipated it. Judging from the dozens of missed calls on his phone, his brother was going to be in a bitch of a mood. Sure enough, Reece answered on the first ring and barked out, "Where the fuck have you been? I've been calling you…"
He interrupted the tirade to say evenly, "I found my mate."
"…half the night. Jolie is worried sick." Then a profound silence followed while his brother processed what he'd said. "You did what?"
"Found my mate," Dane repeated cheerfully and barely resisted the urge to howl his joy.
"Holy shit," Reece breathed in awe and then he laughed happily. "Congratulations, little brother. That's fucking awesome!"
"Thanks, bro. She's perfect. Absolutely perfect. I couldn't be happier," he admitted, the huge grin on his face was reflected back at him from the mirror across the room.
"When do you want to hold the mating ceremony?" The alpha asked regarding the wolf shifter version of a wedding that was performed before their entire pack after a mating occurred.
Yeah, this was the part he'd been dreading. "We're not mated yet," he confessed heavily and turned away from the worried expression he saw in the mirror to look out at the cityscape. "And she doesn't know what I am."
Dead silence resonated through the connection. Silence that spoke volumes. "She doesn't know you're a shifter?"
"She knows that," Dane admitted and leaned his head against the cool pane of glass in the Arcadia door. "But she doesn't know that she's my mate. Or my last name."
Reece bit out a curse and replied, "You know that keeping her in the dark can bite you in the ass, right?" He knew his brother was referring to the way his own mate had panicked when she'd discovered who he was.
"I know," he agreed. "But I want her to get to know me without all the other stuff clouding the issue."
"The other stuff being wealth and power," was said dryly since neither of them had any use for avaricious women. Or men either for that matter.
"You know it."
His brother sighed in resignation and replied, "Go with your gut, little brother. But I'm warning you, Jolie's gonna kick both our asses if she doesn't get to meet her soon."
Dane laughed at the probability of that happening. Jolie was human and eight months pregnant. She might not be physically capable of kicking their asses, but a verbal tongue lashing from his brother's wife hurt even worse. "Tell your mate it won't be long, you big pussy," he teased and ended the call.
Since his sensitive hearing alerted him that breakfast was on the way, he opened the door before the room service waiters could knock. Handing the men a healthy tip, Dane wheeled both carts inside the suite and placed them next to the glass doors. Depending on Shana's preference, they could eat inside or out.
Since he'd heard his mate moving around, he ope
ned the door to the bedroom and stepped inside. The wild-eyed woman wrapped in a sheet who whirled to meet him was not what he had expected to find. And the scent of her fear had his wolf pushing to the surface to annihilate whatever had frightened her.
***
Shana woke wearing a smile and stretched languidly. Her body had aches and twinges in the most delightful places. The memory of how she'd gotten those aches and twinges caused a sigh of pleasure to slide past her lips. Mmm. Her wolf shifter was the most incredible lover and she couldn't wait to jump his gorgeous body again.
Whoa, girl, her common sense protested. He's not your anything. Don't go making more out of this than it is. It's just a random hookup with a man you met in a bar. A man drowning his sorrows because his wife left him for another man. Jesus Christ! Shana shot out of the bed like the mattress had spontaneously combusted.
She'd slept with a married man.
Oh. My. God.
She'd slept with a married man!
After watching her mother drink herself to death because of her father's infidelities, Shana had sworn that she'd never do such a thing. Yet she had. She hastily wrapped the sheet around herself and raked a hand through her tousled tresses as she tried to think. Dane had said his wife left him for another man… but he'd never said that he was divorced.
What the hell had she done?
The bedroom door opened and she whirled to face him. The dazzling smile was wiped from his face in an instant. His eyes glowed from within and she could have sworn that he was sporting fangs and claws, but that didn't concern her right then. The only thing she wanted, no needed, to know was, "Are you married?"
"No," he denied in a low growl.
Her shoulders slumped in relief and Shana raked a hand through her hair again. "You're divorced," she breathed thankfully.
"I am," Dane confirmed as his claws and fangs retracted, but his eyes still held a hint of a glow.
Then why had he been in a bar at eleven in the morning drowning his sorrows, she wondered in confusion as her eyes dropped to his left hand. A band of paler flesh shown on his ring finger where a wedding band had been. "How long have you been divorced?" Shana asked as a sick feeling entered her gut.
