Alpha Temptation: Sanmere Shifters Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  He crossed the street and headed for the place. He opened the door and the woman glanced up as the bell above it tinkled and announced his arrival. Their eyes met again for a second and then the woman gave him a half-smile and looked quickly down at her plate, biting her bottom lip. Whatever this attraction was, she felt it too. Bastian could almost smell the lust coming off her as he crossed the diner and took the table beside hers.

  He sat down, picking up the menu and studying it, determined not to look at the woman for a few minutes. He wanted to make her wait, wanted to make her want him more before he gave in and spoke to her. A waitress came by his table.

  “Are you ready to order?” she smiled.

  “I’ll take the grilled cheese and a large black coffee, please,” Bastian said.

  She jotted it down on a notepad and called to the kitchen for the grilled cheese. She turned away from Bastian.

  “Everything okay, hon?” she asked the beautiful woman.

  “So… hot,” she stammered. Bastian couldn’t resist a glance at her and he rubbed a hand over his lips to hide his smile when he saw she was blushing. “I mean yes, everything’s great, thanks.”

  The waitress wandered toward the kitchen looking amused. The woman looked up and caught him watching her, so he smiled.

  “Is the food here any good?” he asked.

  “Yeah, it’s nice,” she said and then turned to look out of the window.

  Bastian grinned to himself again, not even bothering to hide it this time. She was going to play hard to get. That suited him just fine—he enjoyed the chase when he knew catching his target was a sure thing.

  3

  Rachel turned to look out of the window after telling the handsome stranger that the food in the diner was nice. She found him so attractive, and she felt strangely drawn to him. She could feel the lining of her panties getting wet just at the sound of his voice. Her reaction to him scared her a little bit, it was so intense.

  She had been both pleased and nervous when he came into the diner and chose the table next to hers to sit down at. She was nervous because she was conscious of her no-dating rule, and having someone so hot beside her was making it harder to tell herself it was for the best. She couldn’t help but be happy that he was so close and that he had instigated a conversation with her. It had been obvious to her that he just wanted an excuse to speak to her. Who asks if the food is good in a place after they’ve already ordered?

  “Are you from around here?” the man asked after she had been staring out of the window for a couple of seconds, fighting the urge to glance in his direction once more.

  Now she had an excuse to turn back to him, telling herself it would be rude to ignore him and that was the only reason she was glancing back, not because she could hardly keep her eyes away from him.

  “Yes, I live close by this place, actually,” she said. “You?”

  “No, I’m not local. I live in Houston. I’m just here overnight for some business,” he replied.

  That got Rachel’s attention. There was no harm in flirting with him, especially when she knew he was only here for one night. It wasn’t like she could get too attached to him or she would be deceiving him by not telling him her secret. On a one-night stand, there was so much left unsaid. It was practically a rule that you didn’t need to reveal too much of yourself.

  “What do you do?” Rachel asked.

  “Oh, I manage people across the state,” the man replied. He smiled, an amused-looking smile that Rachel couldn’t quite understand. “I’m Bastian, by the way.”

  “Rachel,” she replied.

  “What about you, Rachel? What do you do?” Bastian asked.

  The way her name sounded on his tongue made her ache for him. She wanted more than just her name on his tongue. She wanted him to lick her all over. She felt herself blushing, and she was glad when the waitress appeared at that moment with Bastian’s grilled cheese sandwich and his coffee. She took the moment she was given to compose herself and when the waitress left the table, she was back under control.

  “I’m a receptionist at a doctor’s office,” she said. “It’s pretty dull most days but it pays the bills. And sometimes I get to meet some interesting characters.”

  “Oh, I bet you do,” Bastian smiled. “Working with the public sure throws up some strange people, right?”

  He laughed and his laugh was low and sexy. Rachel laughed with him and nodded her head.

  “Oh, that’s for sure,” she replied. “Are you staying somewhere nearby?”

  She cursed herself inside. It sounded like she was looking for an invitation back to Bastian’s hotel. If he extended an offer, she wouldn’t be in a rush to say no, but she hadn’t meant to be quite so forward.

  “Actually, I’m not sure where I’m staying yet,” Bastian said. “I wasn’t planning on spending the night, but well, I saw something that made me maybe want to stay the night.”

  Rachel felt herself blushing once more as Bastian looked into her eyes, charming her with his words. There was no doubt in her mind that he was talking about her. And there was no doubt in her mind that she was up for this. Saying yes to Bastian would have been hard if he had been local and she would have run the risk of seeing him again, but knowing this could only ever be a one-night thing and that she wouldn’t have to risk getting too close, she had no reason to turn him down and she knew she wouldn’t have the willpower to say no to him, even if she had wanted to.

  Bastian put down the crust of his grilled cheese and drank some of his coffee. Rachel had finished her meal and she had almost finished her glass of wine. She was debating whether or not to order another one when Bastian nodded toward her almost empty glass.

  “Would you like another drink?” he asked.

  “Sure, why not?” Rachel smiled.

  Bastian waved the waitress down and ordered a glass of red wine for her and a scotch on the rocks for himself.

  “Do you mind if I join you at your table?” Bastian asked Rachel. “It seems silly us sitting apart.”

  “Please do,” Rachel smiled, her stomach flipping.

  Bastian got up and sat back down opposite Rachel. She swallowed hard. The closer he got to her, the more of an effect he seemed to be having on her. She could feel her heart racing, and the bear she worked so hard to keep down was moving inside of her, intensifying her lust for Bastian.

  Their drinks arrived quickly and Bastian thanked the waitress, who raised an eyebrow at him moving seats but didn’t say anything. Rachel smiled her thanks at Bastian and took a long drink of the wine. He watched her over the rim of his glass as he took a sip of his drink.

  “So, Rachel, I feel like I should ask you this before I get any more invested in our little moment. Are you married? Engaged?” Bastian asked.

  Rachel’s stomach rolled again. He was making it entirely clear that he was interested and she knew exactly where this would be going if she answered his question honestly.

  “Nope,” she replied. “I’m happily single right now.”

  “Same,” Bastian replied. “It looks like it might be our lucky night.”

  “Yes, it does look that way, doesn’t it?” Rachel smiled.

  Bastian smiled back at her and she knew he knew that she had just sealed the deal. Bastian was coming home with her tonight. He took another drink, his eyes never leaving Rachel’s face. His gaze on her made her feel flustered and sexy at the same time. She wanted him so badly. She could hardly wait to get him out of here and back to her place so she could feel his lips on hers, his hands on her body.

  “Would you like another one?” Bastian asked her when she finished her second glass of wine.

  Rachel felt brave suddenly, a combination of the two glasses of wine and Bastian’s unwavering attention.

  “I would,” she said. “But I thought maybe we could have it at my place rather than here?”

  “Works for me,” Bastian smiled.

  He waved to the waitress and asked her for the check. When i
t came, Rachel reached for it, but Bastian beat her to it.

  “You don’t have to…” she started.

  “I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” Bastian smiled.

  He returned the check to the table and put down eighty dollars. Rachel didn’t know the exact price of their meals and drinks, but from what she knew about the prices in the diner, she figured the eighty dollars included a pretty generous tip for their waitress.

  “Ready to go?” he asked Rachel.

  She nodded and they got up and left the diner. Rachel led Bastian toward her place.

  “I’m only down the street,” she said. “Just a few minutes’ walk.”

  They reached Rachel’s house and she opened the door and stepped in, motioning for Bastian to follow her. She closed the door and turned to find him watching her. She abandoned any pretense of them being here for a drink and she stepped closer to Bastian. Their eyes met and as one, they reached out for each other, their lips coming together and their hands all over each other’s bodies.

  They moved as they kissed, heading for the stairs, clothes flying as they ripped them from each other’s bodies. Rachel’s body was alive with lust as they moved up the stairs. Bastian’s hands on her skin made it tingle and she could hardly wait to feel him inside of her. They reached the top of the stairs and they paused for a moment while they both kicked off their shoes and Bastian removed his socks. Rachel took a moment to cast her eyes over Bastian.

  He stood before her wearing only his jeans. His chest rose and fell as he looked back at Rachel and she could hardly take her eyes off his toned chest and six-pack. She stepped closer to him and ran her hands over him. Her center clenched as she felt the muscles beneath his skin, felt the heat coming off his body.

  He put his hands on her hips and pushed her pants down. She stepped out of them and kicked them away, her hands reaching for Bastian’s jeans. She fumbled them open and pushed them down, her hand slipping inside of his boxer shorts. She gasped as she felt his huge, hard erection. She needed to feel him inside of her now. She pushed his boxer shorts down and grasped his cock. He took her wrist and gently pulled her hand away.

  “Soon,” he whispered and pulled his boxers back up.

  Rachel felt a jolt of desire go through her as Bastian took control. He lifted her and carried her down the hallway. She pointed at her bedroom door and Bastian pushed it open and carried her into the room. He moved to the bed and laid Rachel down on it. He stood above her, looking down on her, and she could see the lust in his eyes. It made her want him even more.

  He pushed his jeans and boxer shorts down and stepped out of them, giving Rachel a magnificent view. He reached down and removed her panties and climbed onto the bed, kneeling between her legs. He ran his hands over her thighs, sending goosebumps rushing over her skin and tingles spreading up her body. She moaned as he teased her, moving his fingers to her inner thighs and making her crave his cock.

  He pressed his fingers into her slit, running them over her clit lightly. She lifted her hips, pressing herself into his touch, but as soon as she did it, his fingers went away. She moaned again, a moan of desire and frustration and utter need. Bastian smiled at her and then he lay flat on the bed and pushed her thighs further apart. His tongue found her clit and Rachel gasped as pleasure flooded through her. Bastian wasn’t teasing her any longer—he built up a steady rhythm that sent waves of pleasure floating through Rachel. She gasped and panted, writhing beneath his licking tongue as he brought her closer and closer to the edge.

  She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as her orgasm slammed through her. She felt her back arching, lifting her upper body from the bed and going rigid. Pleasure flowed through her body, her core and her stomach contracting tightly as she tried to snatch in a breath.

  She held her position as her orgasm stretched out. Her whole body felt it. Rachel had never experienced a climax like that. Finally, Bastian stopped licking her and she flopped back down onto the bed as her orgasm began to recede, leaving her feeling floaty and sated.

  She gasped in a tortured breath and lay in place, panting, trying to get herself under control. Bastian gave her no time to recover. He crawled up her body, his tongue licking shapes on her belly, her breasts, and then trailing up her neck until finally, his lips found hers again. She kissed him like she wanted to consume him, feverish and passionate, her hands roaming over his back, his ass.

  She felt his cock rubbing over her swollen lips and then he was pushing it inside of her and she cried out as he filled her. He began to move, slowly at first, his length gliding in and out of her. He upped the pace as he pulled his lips from hers and kissed her neck. She gasped and moaned as he pounded into her, each thrust stretching her.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, eager to receive him. She moved with him, matching him thrust for thrust. She could feel another orgasm building inside of her, and she could feel something else in there too. Her bear was stirring, her lust feeding it. For the first time since she had been turned, she didn’t fight the feeling of her bear. For the first time, it didn’t make her feel like a monster to feel the animal stirring within her. It made her feel strong and empowered, even more sexually charged than she had thought possible.

  She bit down on her lip to stop herself from roaring as her bear moved closer to the surface. She concentrated on it for a moment, holding it back. It settled, no longer trying to break forth, but filling her with a lust more primal than anything she had ever experienced.

  She moved her hands over Bastian’s back, caressing him, pressing him closer to her. She needed to feel all of him consuming all of her. She could hardly breathe as her orgasm floated up and then slammed through her body. She felt her pussy tighten around Bastian’s cock, felt her whole body clenching as ecstasy filled her soul.

  She screamed Bastian’s name as he kept moving inside of her, drawing her orgasm out. She felt overwhelmed by the sensations filling her and she could feel herself floating away, her head spinning deliciously. For a moment, she was frozen in time and space, not moving, not thinking, only feeling. She felt herself coming back to herself in a rush of heat as Bastian’s cock twitched inside of her and she felt the searing heat of his orgasm. He pressed his face against her neck, moaning her name as she clenched around him again.

  They lay like that for a moment, clenched together, clutching each other, and then Rachel felt Bastian’s cock slip out of her and he rolled to the side, lying beside her. She felt the loss of his body against hers deep within her soul, and for a second, she felt empty, but then she concentrated on trying to get her breath back, and she only felt satisfied, her heavy and leaden muscles sated and warm.

  Once she felt like she could move again, she rolled to face Bastian. He turned his head in her direction and smiled at her. She returned his smile and shuffled closer to him. He slipped his arm beneath her head so she could rest it on his shoulder, and then he pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her. She put her hand on his stomach and traced circles with her fingernails, hooking her leg over his.

  “Well, I think that was better than any glass of wine could have been,” Bastian said after a moment.

  Rachel could hear the humor in his voice and she laughed softly.

  “Yeah, just a little bit,” she said. “Mind you, I do have a great bottle of white wine in the fridge.”

  They laughed and then they fell into a comfortable silence and Rachel just allowed herself to enjoy the moment, the feeling of her body pressed against Bastian’s. Already, she wanted him again, but she didn’t think she could handle another orgasm like that. Not yet. It had blown her mind, and the sex with Bastian had been by far the best sex she had ever had.

  As she lay in the darkness, Rachel realized that Bastian’s breathing had leveled off, becoming slow and deep and even, and she risked glancing at him to see if he was asleep. His eyes were closed, his lips parted, and Rachel felt her insides stirring just looking at him. God, he was hot. She put her head back on his shoulder a
nd closed her eyes, but although she was tired, sleep evaded her for the moment as her thoughts swirled through her mind.

  She couldn’t help but remember how the bear inside of her had stirred as she had hit her climax and how, for the first time, feeling it moving inside of herself hadn’t disgusted her. She had had sex since she had been turned into a bear, but her bear had never reacted like that. It was like even the animal side of her knew that Bastian was special.

  She smiled to herself. He really was special. After such a short time together, she already felt as though they had an extraordinary connection. Her smile faded when she remembered he was only in town for one night and that he would be leaving tomorrow. Although the thought of never seeing him again broke her heart, she knew it was for the best. If he was local, there was no way she would be strong enough to resist seeing him again, and she couldn’t risk him finding out what she really was.

  She reminded herself that she had been perfectly fine before he came along, and she would be perfectly fine again after he had gone away. And, she thought, if she told herself that often enough, she might even start to believe it.

  Rachel could feel Bastian’s seed running out of her, coating her thighs. She debated going to the bathroom, but she didn’t want to move, she was so warm and comfortable. And it wasn’t like it could do her any harm. She didn’t know a lot about being a bear, but she had learned that she couldn’t contract any human diseases, including sexually transmitted ones, and that she couldn’t get pregnant by a human, so Bastian’s seed inside of her was just a nice reminder of their time together.

  If he had asked her about birth control, she had been planning on telling him she was on the pill, and if he had asked about a condom, she would have gone along with him wearing one rather than trying to explain that they didn’t need one. But he hadn’t even brought it up. Rachel smiled to herself. He had been too intent on touching her, too caught up in the moment to even think about stopping to grab a condom.