by Leslie Chase
I don't care how strange the weather is today, she thought. We've got much more important things to think about.
The ride home was an agonizing exercise in frustration. Cole was right there, within arm’s reach, his body calling to her — and he was driving. The last thing she wanted was to distract him and cause an accident, but her desire to touch, kiss, and explore him nearly overwhelmed her caution.
Stopping at an intersection, Cole grinned at her. In his expression she saw the same need and desire that she felt, the same frustration with his need to concentrate on the road. And a promise that their wait would soon be over.
As long as I don't mess everything up again. Fiona promised herself that she wouldn't let her doubts and fears get in her way, not this time. She broke eye contact before he tempted her to do something foolish in the car, and his chuckle told her that he knew exactly what was on her mind.
By the time the SUV pulled up by her apartment building, Fiona's body was aching with need for his touch, and she hurried up the stairs leading him inside. They didn't pause to say hello to Janet or to even check if she was home. This time, neither of them wanted to risk a distraction. Their shared need to be alone together was too strong, and nothing was going to get in their way.
Cole lifted Fiona off her feet, carrying her towards his room and kissing her as they went. His casual strength made Fiona's heart flutter, her body aflame with desire for him. He handled her as though she weighed nothing at all.
The door to his room slammed shut behind him, and they were alone. Cole lifted her and pinned her to the wall with a powerful kiss which sent a pulse of pleasure shooting through her and made her groan in delight. She'd been waiting all day for this moment, and her body was ready to explode at his touch.
Oh God, oh God. Fiona shuddered, squirming in his arms. She pulled back, looking into Cole's eyes and seeing his need for her. It had an animal intensity, almost frightening. It would have been frightening if her own desire hadn't been just as strong.
Cole turned, carrying her the one step it took him to reach the bed and lowering her to it. Standing up, he pulled away from her and stood over the bed, looking down at her with ferocity. Fiona moaned with disappointment as he left her touch, reaching up toward him. Cole grinned, stepping back and pulling off his t-shirt, throwing it aside.
Fiona stared. For all that she'd imagined him topless, the truth was even better than she could have imagined. He was like a god, his body achingly perfect and wonderfully carved. She couldn't tear her eyes from him. She'd never imagined that someone could actually have a body that wonderful.
She looked him up and down, trying to commit his body to memory. Cole stood still letting her look at him, clearly enjoying her attention. Lightning flashed outside, throwing his body into stark relief, and Fiona sat up to reach out to him.
He felt so good to her touch. She'd thought it was good before, but now she could trace the contours of his muscles, trailing her fingers down over his chest, along his abs, feeling the warm skin and hot man. Breath catching at the thought of it, she stroked down to undo his belt, leaning in to plant kisses on him.
Cole reached down to unbutton her blouse as she slowly opened his jeans, and Fiona felt her face heat up. It had been so long since anyone had seen her undressed, and she wasn't ready for it. With anyone else, she knew that she'd have run and hidden right away. But not Cole. With him, she felt safe somehow. It was ridiculous, she hardly knew him, but she didn't doubt him for a moment.
Strong hands pulled her blouse off, and her bra followed. She looked up at him, seeing him watching her. His hungry eyes devoured her curvy body, and it was clear just how much he wanted her. Needed her, even. Fiona's hands fumbled at his jeans, opening them and freeing his erection.
Glancing down, Fiona gasped at the sight of him. So big! Her eyes went wide, and she realized she was biting her lip nervously. He chuckled again, a deep and happy sound, and her blush intensified. Feeling very daring, she leaned forwards and kissed his shaft, enjoying the sound of his breath catching.
Cole's hands stroked through her hair, and he tilted her head back to look down at her. With a gentle, irresistible strength he pushed her down onto her back, leaning over her and planting kisses on her. He started with her lips, then moved down to her neck, his kisses firm and powerful, each one making her pulse race a little faster.
She groaned, arched, brought her hands to his head, and held him tightly to her. His joyful laugh vibrated through her as he kissed lower, his hands stroking and caressing her skin, his lips tracing passionate kisses across her skin, down her chest. His tongue darted out to lick at her nipples, making her gasp, and he sucked each one into his mouth, driving her wild.
Lower and lower he kissed, across her breasts, her stomach. His fingers stroked lower still, to the waistband of her skirt, finding the fastening and undoing it. Cole pulled it off in one smooth, powerful movement, and Fiona shivered. All that was between her and him now were her panties, and he brushed his fingers over those, teasing her with a feather-light touch.
Oh God. I can't take much more of this.
Her body shook under him, and her fingers tightened in his hair. He didn't seem to notice, parting her legs and kissing downward, alternating between her thighs. Fiona tried to pull him to her. She might as well have tried to pull a statue.
"Please," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Oh God, Cole I need you in me."
"Yes," he said, looking up with a grin from between her legs. "But this comes first."
He pulled, and tore her panties off as though they were made of paper, leaving her naked. Gripping her hips, he pulled her up and lowered his face between her legs, kissing her pussy, his tongue darting out to lick her. Fiona cried out as a wave of pleasure exploded through her, washing away all thought and words.
Outside, thunder crashed. The rumbling noise mirrored the strength of the feelings his touch awoke in her body.
His tongue lapped at her clit, driving her wild with each stroke. Fiona couldn't feel anything apart from him, his mouth on her, his hair in her hands, his grip on her hips. Biting her lips, she thrashed under him, and he lifted her against his mouth. Fiona ground herself against his mouth.
"You taste so fucking good," Cole moaned into her. The vibrations of his voice were the final straw, and she couldn't have held back if she'd wanted to.
The orgasm rocked Fiona, her body shaking and limp as wave after wave crashed through her, Cole's wonderful tongue pushing her on and on into pleasure.
Finally, the waves of pleasure subsided, leaving her limp and trembling on the bed, her muscles spent. Cole lifted his head, a grin on his lips which glistened with her juices. The cocky smile made her melt inside, and the hungry growl he gave made her shiver with anticipation.
Fiona reached up for him, and Cole took her hand, guided it to his lips, and kissed her fingers. Lowering himself over her, he covered her with his body, and she could feel his steel-hard cock pressing against her wet entrance. Cole let go of her hand, letting her reach down between them and feel him, stroke his shaft. God, he feels so big. She could barely imagine him inside her, but she wanted it more than she could have imagined. Somehow, she knew he would fit her perfectly.
"I need you in me, Cole," she whispered. He didn't need any more encouragement.
With a slow, deliberate motion, Cole thrust. Fiona felt herself stretch around the huge length of him, an almost-painful sensation. Her hands clenched, gripping the bedclothes under them as he pushed home with an unstoppable force.
"Oh fuck you are so perfect," he growled, and she felt his teeth on her neck. But he didn't bite down, and a moment later he was kissing her, every touch of his lips driving her body wilder.
She felt full in a way that she'd never experienced before, and the painful ache faded into a wonderfully perfect sense of wholeness. Cole completed her, and she knew from his reactions that she did the same for him. But despite that, she needed more. More of him, more of his wonderful coc
k.
"Please," she said in a whimper. "Cole, please. Fuck me."
She blushed as she said it, and Cole growled hungrily in her ear. Pulling back, he withdrew until only the head of his cock was inside her, and then thrust again. This time it was faster. More powerful, and it drove her down into the mattress with a yelp of pleasure.
Cole was holding back, she could feel it, but she didn't know why. Reaching up, she tried to urge him on, she knew that she could take anything he offered. But he kept his control, pounding into her faster and harder. She could feel her own control slipping, her fingers digging into his skin, her nails scratching at him as he pushed her to the brink of another orgasm.
Trying to speak, she could only whimper something that even she couldn't understand. His thrusts drove everything else out of her mind — all Fiona could think about was the aching hardness inside her, the waves of pleasure he sent through her. The touch and sight and taste of him on top of her.
Oh God, I'm so close.
She could feel him swell inside her, but he was still in control of himself. Fiona growled, biting his shoulder hard, trying to make him cut loose. Cole growled back, slamming into her with a renewed strength, and she cried out again, her voice raw as another orgasm exploded through her. Her body tightened around him, squeezing him, and she felt him come with her, filling her as they both shouted with joy.
The aftershocks rocked her as he shuddered and gasped, until both of them collapsed, worn out, to the bed. Spent and exhausted and happy, they held each other tight and let the calm after the storm roll over them.
Cole came back to himself, unsure how long he'd been drifting. Fiona lay in his arms, her curvy body pressed against him, her breathing slow and steady. Not quite asleep, but not aware either. He smiled, looking at her, and hugged her against him.
I needed that, he thought, feeling relaxed in a way he couldn't remember. It was a shame he'd had to hold back, but he couldn't risk losing control with her. His shifter strength might damage her, and if he'd really bitten her and sealed their mating for good, he'd have a lot of explaining to do.
The thought of it still made him smile wider, though. There were good reasons to keep the existence of the paranormal from most humans, he knew that, and as a member of the Arcane Affairs Agency it was his job to enforce those rules. But he looked forward to the chance to show her the wider world that existed around her and make her a part of it. Finishing their mating with a bite, marking her, making her his.
Fiona stirred against him, mumbling something, her hand stroking his chest. Stroking her long red hair, Cole shook his head, unable to believe his luck. I guess I owe Eric a bottle of that scotch he likes so much, he thought. If he hadn't sent me on every pointless job that crossed his desk, I'd never have met Fiona.
With a sigh, he realized that they couldn't just spend the whole evening in bed. Their mad rush to get there had been all he could think about, but now that they were sated, he realized how hungry he was. They'd have to get up and eat something.
"Come on," he said, kissing the top of Fiona's head. She grumbled sleepily, looking up at him blinking. The faint red flush on her cheeks was adorable and tempting, but he resisted the impulse to try for another round. That can wait until after dinner, he told himself reluctantly, and lifted her carefully as he stood.
"We need to get something to eat," he told her.
"I'd try and argue, but right now I feel like I could eat a horse," she replied. Her blush brightening a little, she grinned impishly. "We need to build up our strength for later, right?"
Cole laughed and hugged her hard. "Come on, let's get washed and put some clothes on. I wouldn't want to shock Janet."
"The only thing that'll shock her is that I let myself have some fun," Fiona said as she headed for the bathroom. "Next to that, I don't think us being naked would register."
Cole grinned and tried to follow her, but she held up a hand.
"Not so fast," she told him. "We need to eat, and if we try to shower together, I'm not sure we'll ever come out."
She was probably right, he knew. Washing up separately, they managed to make it to the kitchen pretty quickly and Fiona started to prepare a couple of omelets as Cole watched. He didn't think he could get tired of watching her move. It was a simple pleasure, and one he would savor.
"So what is it that you really do?" Fiona asked the question casually enough, and it was a good performance. Cole wasn't fooled — the answer clearly mattered to her more than she was willing to admit. He frowned, wondering how much he could tell her.
Janet still hadn't put in an appearance, and Cole took a deep breath to make sure she wasn't just hiding in her room. Shifter senses were useful like that, he could be certain that they were alone before he started talking.
"Fiona, there are some things I can't talk about," he said. "I'll tell you what I can, but that's not much right now. Most importantly, I want you to know that this isn't some fleeting romance to me. I'm serious about you, and about us. And I think you feel the same."
Fiona tensed, putting down her knife with a careful deliberation before she spoke. "I don't know anything about you, Cole, apart from the fact that you're just here for your work. I don't even know what that work is, except it's for some mysterious agency you haven't even told me the name of! So, I guess that doesn't sound as reassuring as you might like?"
She turned to face him, and he saw her lip trembling. Stepping close he put his arms around her and held her tight.
"I wish I could tell you more," he said. "And I will be able to. You just have to wait a little. It's a security clearance thing."
"What, are you worried I'm some kind of spy?" she glared up at him as she asked, but he could see a spark of humor in her eyes.
"Not me. I'd tell you if I could, but my boss has to be sure first," he said. Fiona harrumphed and pushed him back.
"Why not? I'd be a great spy," she said, and then stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed, shaking his head.
"I'm not going to win this one, am I?"
"Not a chance," she said, grinning. But the tension was still there, under the humor she was using to mask it. Cole could see it in her shoulders, hear the edge in her voice. And he had an undefinable sense of her emotions, too, filtered over the bond that was growing between them.
"Look, can you trust me for a few days?" Cole looked into her eyes, trying to let her see his sincerity. He reached out to stroke her cheek. "My work means I have secrets I can't share yet, but I promise you that I will tell you everything as soon as I can."
She frowned, shaking her head and pulling away from his hand. "I'd like to, Cole. I really want to trust you, but it's hard. I don't like secrets."
Cole took a deep breath. "I don't either. The job I do, though, it's got to be secret. The Agency couldn't work if it wasn't. And I know that sounds like a line, but you'll understand when I can tell you the rest."
"That doesn't make waiting any easier, though." Fiona turned back to her work, whisking the eggs with more ferocity than was strictly needed. "It's not easy to trust a guy, Cole. My mother trusted someone who told her all kinds of impressive stories... And then she never saw my dad again. I never met him. That's a lesson that's stayed with me. And the guys I've dated up to now, well, let's just say that they reinforced it."
Cole felt himself tense up at the sound of pain in her voice. It was something she was used to covering, but he couldn't miss it. And the idea that someone had hurt her, hurt her so badly that she couldn't trust men, that lit a flame of anger in his heart.
There was nothing he could do about the past, though. He could only show her a better future, if she'd let him. Forcing himself to relax, he stepped up behind her and put his arms around her in a gentle, enveloping hug. "I promise that I'm not like him. This isn't just a story, and it'll only be a few days before I can tell you everything, okay? And I'm not going to abandon you."
"You'd better not," Fiona said. Her voice was thick, as though she was holding bac
k tears. "Or I'll track you down and... and hit you."
She twisted in his arms and pressed her face to his chest, and Cole felt the sincerity behind her need. The need to be able to trust him. As he held her to him and stroked her hair, he promised himself that he'd never, ever let her down.
10
The next day came all too soon for Fiona, and she regretted having to get up for work. Not just because it meant leaving the warm embrace of her man — and what a wonderful thing it was to think of him that way, even if she still wasn't sure how long it would last. But it also meant going out into the world which seemed to be getting stranger every day.
Maybe I should stay home today, she thought as she closed the door behind her, leaving Cole asleep. But she couldn't do that to Mr. Jackson, and she couldn't do it to herself. She wasn't going to hide behind Cole North, even if it was tempting. Whatever his mysterious job was, he wasn't going to be in town forever. Maybe he did mean what he had said the night before, maybe not, but until she was sure, she wasn't going to let herself rely on him.
And whoever the pretty-faced men who were hassling her were, whatever they wanted, he wouldn't always be there to shield her from them. She'd have to face them eventually, so why put it off?
On the other hand, it would feel safer if he'd walk me to work, she admitted, pausing on the stairs. She shook her head. No! I can take care of myself. I've managed this long without a man protecting me, after all.
Fiona knew she couldn't protect herself from the pain she'd feel if he did abandon her like Dad had. She also knew that she had to try. As long as she could look out for herself, she could be safe. Squaring her shoulders, she walked out of the front door and out into the street, determined to look after herself.
