Authors: Catherine Vale
Cole’s
gaze swung back around to her, and he watched as she crouched down and set up
the pump to begin inflating the mattress. “This should just take a few
moments,” she told him. “I’ll go get some bedding for you.”
She
stepped over the mattress to head back to the bedroom, but he grabbed her wrist
before she could make it past him. Startled, she looked down into his violet
eyes as they stared up at her, his expression completely unreadable. “What is
it?”
“Why
are you doing this?”
“Doing
what?”
A
frown creased the skin between his brows, and he gestured around the living
room. “Inviting me up here. Making up a bed for me. Offering me food. Looking
at me… the way you were looking at me earlier.” His lip curled as a spark of
rage lit his eyes. “What the hell do you want from me, anyway?”
Fear
blossomed in her chest as a voice in her head screamed for her to back away,
and the look on his face told her that he heard that voice just as loud and
clear as she did. But her instincts told her that would be a fatal mistake if
she ever hoped to work with him, so she stood her ground, lifting her chin as
she held his gaze. “Maybe I just want you to get a good night’s sleep so we can
put all our efforts toward rescuing my partner tomorrow.”
He
narrowed his gaze. “You don’t need to invite me into your home for that.” In
one fluid motion he rose to his full height, all six foot six of rippling
muscle and leather and musky man. “There’s something you want from me, isn’t
there? Some kind of charm or spell, or a vial of my blood, or a piece of my
hair,” he spat. “Just admit it already.”
She
gaped up at him. “Why the fuck would I want any of that?”
He
tensed. “Are you saying you don’t?”
Huffing,
she folded her arms. “I have the Order if I need any kind of protection spells.
And I’m not some kind of black market dealer that collects blood and hair from
rare creatures or hybrids. I’m a fucking Protector, and the only thing I care
about is finding Raina.”
He
searched her gaze for a very, very long time, and as she bore the scrutiny, she
began to wonder if he had actually had to barter his body in exchange for food
or shelter in his lifetime. How could someone as powerful as he be forced to
stoop to such levels?
He
wasn’t always as you see him now,
she reminded herself.
Everyone starts
off alone or vulnerable in this world.
“You’ve
never been given anything freely, have you?” she asked softly.
He
finally looked away. “There’s no such thing as free in this world,” he said
gruffly. “Everyone wants something for something, and if they can get it,
something for nothing.”
Taking
a gamble, she reached out and gently gripped his chin, turning his gaze to hers
again. “I won’t deny the truth to your words,” she told him, trying to focus on
his eyes rather than the sensation of his stubble prickling her fingertips.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t offer you kindness, especially since you’re
helping me find Raina.”
He
glared at her. “You don’t need to be kind to me for that. Raina’s father is
already paying me for the service.”
She
glared at him. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I’m being kind to you because
I
feel
like it?”
His
jaw clenched. “You’re just trying to get me to lower my guard,” he hissed. “I’m
over two-thousand years old, and no shifter or mage has ever given me a
kindness or a gift in my existence. I’m an
abomination
, do you
understand? You should know better!”
Ripping
his jaw from her grasp, he brushed past her and stormed for the door, but she
grabbed him by the arm and hauled him around to face her again.
“No,”
she growled right before she yanked him against her and crushed her lips against
his. “It’s
they
who should know better.”
Chapter Five
Cole
couldn’t breathe as Angela crushed her mouth to his. His entire body froze as
she overloaded his senses with her body – the sensation of her breasts
pressed against his chest, of her full lips moving against his mouth, of her
scent filling his nostrils and making his head swim, not just because she
smelled sweet, of oranges, but because he could also scent her desire, and the
pheromones, and the knowledge combined made his head spin.
She
wanted him
. There was a female shifter standing in a room with him,
kissing
him
, and she actually wanted him.
Hesitantly,
he lifted a hand to touch her hair, then sank it deep into her locks when she
didn’t pull away. The tresses were silky smooth and seemed to draw him into
her, tangling up in his fingers as he held her close. His other arm wrapped
around her waist, drawing her into his body, and he nearly incinerated her
clothing as her belly pressed against his aching erection.
Growling,
he backed her up until her ankles hit the beanbag chair and they went down
together, his knees driving into the lumpy cushion and nudging her thighs
apart. Instantly her legs hooked around his waist, clamping down.
“Clothes,”
she panted, shoving his jacket down his shoulders. “Too many clothes.”
Growling
in agreement, he shrugged off his jacket and allowed her to rip the shirt from
his body, exposing the scars on his chest. Rather than recoiling, as he
expected, she ran her tongue along the one that stretched from his shoulder to
the top of his rib cage, and he moaned as hot chills swept through him, making
him even harder.
“You’re
gorgeous,” she purred, her hands trailing over the hard muscles of his chest an
abdomen. Goosebumps broke out over his skin as his muscles trembled beneath her
touch, and he held his breath as he watched her hands travel lower, lower,
until her fingers rested at the top button of his jeans.
But
instead of popping the button, she looked up, and her eyes widened. “Your eyes.
They’re glowing. Like they did when we bypassed the lock at Marcus’s apartment
complex.”
“Sorry.”
Cursing, he looked away. “Sometimes when I get worked up, my magic rises to the
surface.” His jaw clenched, and he began to move away.
She
clamped her legs down harder. “Just where do you think you’re going?”
He
blinked down at her. “I thought you wanted me to stop?”
She
scowled at him. “When did I say that?”
He
hesitated, confused. “My… my eyes. Usually when women see them, they curse me …then
they’re frightened.” It was why he didn’t have sex very often. Mages and
shifters wouldn’t touch the likes of him, and it was very rare he came across a
fae he trusted enough to remove his clothes around. Human women were the safest
bet, but it was hard to control his magic around them, and they usually ran
screaming when it came out. It had gotten so bad that he resorted to wearing
sunglasses whenever he bedded a woman, and wouldn’t take them off for anything.
Usually he just told them he was blind.
Her
scowl melted into that tender expression he’d seen on her face before, the one
that was dangerous because it made him feel as if she might actually understand
him. “Your eyes are beautiful,” she said softly, cupping his face in her hands.
“You don’t need to hide them from me. I was just wondering if maybe something
was wrong.”
He
shook his head. “The only thing that’s wrong is that I keep thinking that this
is some kind of dream, and that I’m going to wake up with a raging hard-on, and
the fantasy of a shifter female who actually wants to fuck me doesn’t really
exist.”
She
grinned a little, then unzipped her jacket and shrugged it off. “Oh I’m real
alright,” she said, stretching her arms over her head and arching so her chest
pushed out a little more. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”
She
pulled up the thin cotton of her t-shirt to expose her breasts, which were
round and full and covered by a lacy red and black bra with a little lock
dangling from the front clasp. Grinning a little, he popped the clasp off and
let the lingerie fall to the side as her breasts spilled directly into his
hands. She moaned a little as her nipples brushed against his palms, arching
into him more.
“Yeah,”
she breathed as he rubbed his palms up and down, deliberately scraping her
nipples against his skin. “Do more of that.”
Emboldened,
he squeezed her breasts more firmly and used his thumbs to rub her nipples in
slow circles, his fear of rejection rapidly wearing off. She squirmed beneath
him as he teased her, and he watched, captivated as a pink flush spread across
her cheekbones, her tongue darting out to wet her parted lips. Her gem-like
eyes were half-lidded, full of sensual promise, and he was seized by the desire
to watch her go blind as she came.
Dipping
his head down, he took a nipple into his mouth and suckled it hard. Her gasp of
pleasure sent a rush through him as she tangled her hands in his hair, pulling
him closer to her breast as he pleasured her. It was followed quickly by a
surprised cry as he slid a hand beneath the waistband of her jeans to cup her
through her panties.
“You’re
so wet,” he growled, his breath rasping against her skin. He lifted his head
and brought his hand back up so he could breathe in the scent of her pussy, and
she actually blushed, biting down on her lower lip in a manner that made her
look adorable and sexy all at once. “I want to taste you.”
She
lifted her hips in offering. “Please.”
He
moved down a little, settling his knees onto the carpet so that he was nestled
right between her legs, and then drew her jeans and panties off in one smooth
motion. Tossing them off to the side, he hooked one knee over each of his
shoulder, intending to go straight for her pussy, but the sight of her creamy
thigh next to his cheek made him pause. She had gorgeous legs, smooth and muscled,
but with just enough fat on them to keep them from losing their feminine shape.
He felt the muscles of her quadriceps quiver as he pressed a kiss on the inside
of her thigh, and then another, slowly working his way to her center.
“Cole…”
she breathed, squirming a little beneath him, and he smiled against her skin.
She was so responsive, reacting to each individual touch of his body against
hers. He felt her suck in a sharp breath as he nipped at the sensitive flesh
where her leg joined with her loins, and he smiled wickedly up at her before he
ran his tongue up the length of her swollen pussy.
“Ohhh
yeaaaaaah,” she groaned, her eyes closing as she pressed herself more firmly
against his mouth. Gripping her hips to hold her still, he lapped gently at her
folds with his tongue, simply enjoying the flavor of her on his tongue and the
sounds of her pleasure. Soon she grew even wetter, her pussy slick and
glistening, and he moved a little higher, his tongue slipping between the folds
to find her clit.
“God
yes!” she cried, her hands fisting in his hair as she pulled him closer. He
flicked his tongue rapidly back and forth across the little nub, sending
tremors through her body with his pleasurable assault. She stiffened then,
screaming his name as the tremors turned into full-blown shudders, and she
came, her juices flooding into his mouth as pleasure overwhelmed her senses.
“Holy
shit,” she panted, collapsing against the beanbag chair. He didn’t give her
time to say anything more, just shoved his pants down around his knees and
plunged inside her before she decided to change her mind. The sensation of her
hot, wet pussy clamping around him was almost too much, and he froze, biting
down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from coming right then and there.
Angela’s
brow furrowed, and she reached up to touch his cheek. “Are you okay?”
The
concern in her eyes nearly undid him, and he looked away, turning his cheek
into her palm. “I’m fine. It’s just… it’s been awhile for me.”
She
gave him an incredulous look, her green eyes sweeping up and down his body. “I
find that pretty hard to believe, considering that you’re built like a fucking
god.”
Pleasure
warmed his chest at the compliment, and he grinned a little. “First time
anyone’s ever told me that.”
“Yeah,
well it’s true.” She reached around and squeezed his ass, and he groaned a
little. “These buns of steel are so fine they had to have been carved by angels
or something.”
“Or
something,” he agreed, chuckling. He leaned down to capture her mouth in a deep
kiss. She opened her mouth to receive him, her tongue tangling desperately with
his, as she hooked her ankles at the small of his back, drawing him even more
deeply inside her and holding on as if she didn’t ever want him to let go. It
was such a foreign thing for him that it took him a few seconds to react, but
eventually instinct took over and he began to thrust slowly inside of her.