He stood and pushed her back into the bedroom with his body. “My what?” His voice was incredulous.
“Thingy. Wee-wee. Johnson. Hoo-hoo. You know,” she indicated his cock, “that.”
Barely holding back a laugh, he bent, grabbing and picking her up. He placed her on the bed gently. “How old are you, Nina?” He scrambled up after her, leaning over her body but keeping his weight on his elbows instead of on her.
“I’m thirty and yes, it’s weird for me to actually say
cock
. I can say it in my head, but it’s weird to say it out loud.”
“What did you call it before?”
“What do you mean?”
He actually growled and she arched a brow.
“With the
others
. I have a hard time understanding a man who would be fine with you referring to his cock as his little mister.”
She burst out laughing. “Oh Scooby, is this about my saying ‘little’ before the mister part?”
“Partially. And did you just refer to me as a cartoon dog?” He wandered off as he realized what she’d said and then remembered she had dodged him. Clever wolf, his mate. “Answer my question.”
She blushed fiercely. “I…you know there haven’t been many men before you. I didn’t call it anything, I don’t think. And it’s not little. You know that.”
He kissed her quick and hard. “Big huh?” He smirked. “Oh. Good. I look forward to you saying it to me. A lot.”
“Well are you gonna do anything with it or talk us both to sleep?”
“Well first, let’s get your pussy ready for me.” He slid down her body, parting her thighs as he went.
“Yes, okay,” she replied faintly. “You know the wolves are all about the oral sex, it’s a bonus in favor of the whole conversion thing. I don’t think it comes standard with other types of convers…omigod!” She gasped as the tip of his tongue slid against her.
Slow, long licks of his tongue drew her toward orgasm. The sinuous slide of the flat of his tongue was heaven. He lapped with more pressure as he drew up and over her clit, pressing against it, pressing it against her body. The sensation made her breathless and tingly and altogether wonderful.
The emotional nature of their conversation, and really of the last weeks, rushed through her. She could feel the intensity of his feelings for her, could feel how much he loved and desired her.
When he slid one finger and then two deep into her pussy and stroked over her sweet spot in time with suckling her clit, her back arched and she couldn’t help the long moan of his name that escaped her lips as orgasm slammed into her body.
His mouth on her brought gentle love but the climax was spectacular in force. It was vivid and spine bending and it seemed to echo through her body for long minutes until she finally collapsed, muscles utterly relaxed.
Dimly, she heard his superior male chuckle as he settled in next to her and put his face in her neck to breathe her in.
“That was pretty spectacular, studly,” she managed to gasp out.
She didn’t need to open her eyes to know he was wearing that smug smile of his and she allowed it because he deserved it.
“If they ever have an Olympic sport in oral sex, you would totally win the gold.”
“Why thank you. But I think my professional days are over and I’m retired now. There’s only one subject that interests me and I plan to perfect my technique between her thighs.”
She snickered. “Well, yeah. Jeez. No one meant that you’d go off and ply your trade on other chicks. Not and remain living.”
He stroked his fingertips over her stomach and she cracked an eye open and turned her head to look at him.
“I hope you’re not thinking I’m doing the work and being on top. I was just nearly killed and all.”
“Nina, beautiful, let’s just rest. Go to sleep.”
She rolled over onto her side to face him and frowned. “Don’t you want me?”
“Oh god, yes! Of course I do. All day long. Every moment of the day. But you’re recovering from traumatic injuries, I can’t! It would be taking advantage.”
Nina blinked at him. “Are you fucking kidding me? Look, Dr. Phil, shut up already and fuck me. I’m not saying I’m up to sixteen pages of the Kama Sutra or anything, but I can most assuredly handle a nice bit of slap and tickle.”
“Sweetheart, you’re my mate. It’s my job to protect you.”
With a sigh she reached down and grabbed his cock. It was so hard that she felt it throb in her hand. The head glistened with pre-cum. She slid her thumb up and over, through that silky slickness and brought it to her lips. He groaned.
“If you don’t fuck me, I’ll go insane. That’s how you can take care of me, Scooby. Come on, give me some of that magic semen of yours,” she teased.
He rolled his hips, thrusting himself into her hand. “Come on. I promise that I’ll nap afterward. You know you want to. If you don’t, I’ll tell all the other wolves you don’t satisfy my naughty, dirty, filthy, unspeakable urges.”
“God, you’re one of a kind. You know that?” Lex laughed as he extricated himself from her hand and gently pushed her back onto the bed.
“Well, of course,” she replied, breathless with anticipation.
He didn’t disappoint as he lined himself true and nudged himself into her pussy. Both of them closed eyes for a moment as he made an inexorable push into her body with his own.
Beads of sweat lined his forehead and his spine as the molten, wet silk of her pussy parted for him. She hugged him, welcomed him. When he hilted it felt like home. Had anything ever felt this way? Good and right—the way you feel when you come back from a long vacation?
He kept most of his weight off her body, taking it on his arms. She rolled her hips up to meet his thrusts and she opened more fully when she wrapped her legs about his waist. She used her calves to pull him deeper and hold him there.
“You feel so good, Lex. Nothing has ever felt this good.” She whispered the words as she stared deep into his eyes.
He felt the catch of her emotions and heard it in her voice. He knew then that she’d never laid herself bare emotionally like that to anyone before. That humbled him, made him realize just how special she was, crunchy exterior and all.
“That’s because it is good, beautiful. You and me? We’re it.”
“Sweet talker,” she said, ending on a gasp as he held her hips so that he could change his angle, stroking the fat head of his cock over that bundle of nerves deep inside her.
“Yeah, I still got it.”
“Okay, Lassie, less talking, more fucking.”
“God, you’re a test on a man,” he sighed and she laughed. He realized that he’d heard her snicker and giggle and even chuckle but never a full out laugh. Not like this one, full of joy and free of hesitance and pain.
“I love you, studly,” she said in a rush and her eyes widened in shock.
“Hey, I love you too. Don’t be afraid to love me, Nina. I hope I never make you regret it.” He looked into her face and then blushed. “Oh, well, except for the whole last month or so.” He kissed her. Her lips were gentle and full beneath his. He sipped at her.
“Touch yourself, Nina. Make yourself come around me. I don’t want to put any of my weight on you to move my hand. And I like to watch you do it.”
He leaned down and ran the edge of his teeth over one of her nipples, delighting in the way she mewled and arched into his mouth. Watching her hand slide over her mound, fingers questing toward her clit, he flicked his tongue over her nipples, one and then the other, over and over.
The moment her fingers touched herself she tightened around his cock. He could feel the flesh of her pussy slide around as she moved her fingers over herself. Her breath quickened and caught as she pushed herself toward orgasm with him right behind her.
He loved the way she felt beneath him, around him. Loved the subtle scent of her body that rose from her heated skin. Loved the way her hair felt against his skin, the silk of her inner thighs. Loved the sounds she made as she neared climax. Hell, he even loved her twisted sense of humor.
As the first tremors of her orgasm rippled through her cunt, he began to thrust deeper. Fighting the urge to plunge deeply into her, he settled for slow, deep digs into her and when it broke over her the spasms and slickness of her climax yanked him in with her and he thought his insides would shoot out the head of his cock, he came so hard.
Panting, he moved to the side so he wouldn’t collapse on her and hurt her. Heart thundering in his chest, he pulled her to him, kissed the top of her head and murmured that he loved her.
Chapter Seven
As dawn broke, Nina’s internal alarm clock woke her for the first time since she’d moved into werewolf mansion. She got out of bed and jumped into the shower quietly. She had to get back to work. She’d managed to get out of Lex that they’d at least called the shop and arranged for her manager to take over while she was gone, but enough was enough. It had been a week and that was too damned long.
She did enjoy the fact that the master closet was off the bathroom and got dressed, dabbed on a bit of makeup and twisted her hair up. She decided to forego the glasses and the prim clothes. They’d burned anyway. What was the point now that she not only had a man but a big bad werewolf who carried a .357 Magnum?
She left Lex sleeping and headed down and thankfully smelled coffee and saw Dave and Megan there in the kitchen, reading the paper.
The truth was, she understood better than Lex thought she would. She understood the importance of sticking to rules to be safe. Understood the cost of taking care of a larger goal—sometimes at the expense of the weakest person.
At the same time, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the rest of the wolves who stood there and watched while she was nearly killed. Her logical mind understood it—certainly understood the compulsion of Pack now that it coursed through her veins. It was like an odd sort of hive-mind,
or was that Pack-mind
? connection. Still, the feelings of betrayal were still there like a bitter taste on her tongue and weighed heavy on her heart.
But she lived there and now she was one of them in more than just marriage. And she couldn’t avoid them all forever.
Sighing, she walked into the kitchen and headed for the cabinet to grab a mug.
Dave jumped up and opened the door, pulling a cup out and handing it to her. “Here, let me help you with that.”
Nina took it from him. “Thanks.” She turned and got milk from the fridge and made her cup of coffee.
She popped a bagel in the toaster, rustled through the refrigerator and pulled out a tomato and some cheese and set to slicing them.
“Nina, I’m sorry. I know you probably can’t understand why no one helped you and I…I’m so terribly sorry,” Megan said softly.
Nina turned and looked into her sister-in-law’s eyes and she felt the pain there. Felt the conflict between her loyalty to the Pack, to her Alpha and to doing the right thing and protecting Nina.
But as Nina stood there, remembering that night she had a flash of something. The guards all carried weapons, yes. But they also carried them strapped in thigh holsters, at the small of their backs or underarm holsters. Nina looked down and saw that Megan’s gun was not on her thigh.
“Megan, where do you carry?”
Her sister-in-law moved her jacket back and showed Nina the underarm rig. “Here. Sometimes on the thigh but not most of the time.”
“Not most of the time.” Nina said this quietly and Megan made a barely perceptible nod. Nina closed her eyes for a moment.
Certainly not that night at the Pack house
. Nina remembered Megan adjusting herself as they got out of the cars before they’d walked into the house.
Megan had handed her that gun. Had used that moment of confusion when Nina had been thrown into her to get that gun into her hand.
Nina reached up and touched Megan’s face gently. “Thank you.” Understanding passed between them.
“I wish you’d gotten my gun. I was carrying silver ammo and you would have killed that bastard, Carter.” Dave’s voice was vehement.
Nina turned to Dave with a shrug. Dave looked miserable, guilty and red-faced.
“I’m sorry, too. I’m glad you shot his ass. I hope it hurt like a motherfucker to get those slugs out of him. I hope Doc Molinari dug in extra hard to get them all. Can you forgive us all?”
“I’m working on it. It’ll be a while before I’ll be ready to deal with the Pack as a whole again.”
Her bagel popped up and she turned, piled it with tomato slices and cheese and took it to the table.
“You’re going to need some more protein to go with it,” Cade said as he came into the room and went to the fridge. He pulled out some roast beef, put it on the table in front of her and went to get himself some coffee.
Suddenly Megan and Dave found that they had things to do in the other room as Cade sat at the table across from Nina.
She said nothing as she put meat on the bagel but she could feel his anguish. And his irritation and confusion at wanting her approval and forgiveness. She softened a bit, but not much. She’d wager that he’d never actually had to work for anyone’s approval before as he’d been groomed to be Alpha from the womb and all.
“So. Am I still Mr. Warden?” Cade asked, watching her as she sipped her coffee.
“I don’t know. Are you?”
“What kind of woman answer is that?”
“What kind of stupid-assed question is that?”
“Did you just call me stupid?”
“No, I called your question stupid. But upon reflection, I should have included you, too. But, as you’re the supreme poobah, you can be the
most
stupid.”
“Look, I don’t apologize for doing what was necessary to keep Pack order.”
“How furry of you to say so.” She got up and went back to the fridge. Annoyed, she pulled out eggs and milk, placing them on the counter.
Nina could feel Cade glaring at her back as she pulled out a bowl and a whisk and set about making scrambled eggs. She took her time just to fuck with him.
“We can’t just keep being mad at each other, Nina. You’re my sister-in-law and I’m your anchor bond as well as your Alpha.”
She turned on the gas below the skillet and put a pat of butter in to melt. “Hmm. Is that an official pronouncement?”
She tipped the bowl, pouring the mixture into the skillet, and put it in the sink before moving back to the stove where she stirred the eggs.
He fumed as the food cooked. Finally she pulled out two plates and halved the eggs and put one plate in front of Cade and sat down with hers.
“Oh. Thanks.”
Nina hid a smirk at his confusion. Cade Warden might be her Alpha and the big cheese, but he and his tool of a brother had to be properly trained as to how to treat a woman. This He-Man routine of theirs had to stop. If she was going to live there, it would be on her terms, too, or not at all.
They ate in silence until she stood up and put her plate in the sink.
“So are we okay or what?” Cade asked.
She turned to him. “Eventually I think we will be. On one level, I trust you. As a member of your Pack, I trust you’ll enforce the rules that keep werewolves safe. But that doesn’t mean I trust you, Cade, to protect me, Nina. I would have given my life for you or Lex. But you don’t feel the same and that’s taking some getting used to.”
He stood and went to her. Taking her hands in his, he searched her face as he tried to think of the words to say. “Nina, you can trust me. There is no one more important to me in the world than you and Lex. I love my family but you two are my tri-bond. In many ways, you’re my mate too. It nearly killed me to watch you being attacked. I tried to find you a way out. And no, I don’t think it was your fault. But I also knew that a werewolf could easily kill a human. I had to make the choice that was best for the Pack. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trust me.”
“You can’t have it both ways, Cade.” She gently took her hands back and kissed his cheek. “I’ll get over it in time. But I don’t think things between us will ever be the same and maybe that’s a good thing anyway.”
“What are you doing up so early?” Lex asked as he came into the kitchen.
Nina stepped away from Cade and went to Lex. She kissed his chin. “I have to get to my shop today. It’s been a week. I’ll need a car. Oh, and I suppose a bodyguard, too.” She sighed.
“You what? Jesus, Nina! You. Almost. Died! People are trying to kill you. They burned down your house. What does it take to make you stay home and be safe?” Lex yelled this so loud that the bass of it vibrated her spine.
She idly waved a hand in his direction. “Indoor voice! Knock it off tantrum-boy.”
“Tantrum-boy? Nina, Lex is right. You need to stay here where we can protect you.”
She narrowed her eyes at Cade. “Oh yeah, well, let me see…nope, you’re not the boss of me. And I’d like to point out a very important point—this entire ball of shit originated with werewolves. The murder attempts? You people. Hell, right in front of you in one situation. So, fuck off, won’t you? Because I’ve got a business to run and we still need to find my brother’s killer.”
She moved to walk out of the room and Lex’s arm shot out to stop her. Only she turned and growled at him and everyone got very quiet for a moment.
“Nina, your wolf is surfacing.” Cade’s voice was calm and low.
“Don’t poke at it with a stick, then.” She turned back to Lex. “I’m going to work. Period. End of discussion. I’m going to wait downstairs for five minutes and then I’m taking one of the Mercs and leaving. You can roll with that and give me a bodyguard. Or sit here and wring your hands all day. It’s all the same to me.”
With that pronouncement, she breezed out of the room.
Lex slammed a fist into the wall and let out a frustrated groan. “Are you in the field today or here?”
“Here. Go with her, Lex and take Megan with you. It’s time you let Dave take over being my chief bodyguard and you do Enforcement full time. Right now, she’s our biggest priority. She’s under threat and she’s right, we do need to find that murderer.”
“Carter is a part of it. I can taste it.”
“I think so, too. I’ve never doubted your senses about stuff like this anyway.”
Lex sighed and turned to his brother. “I’m going to bring two more men onto your personal detail.”
“Do it. Now get down there before she takes off without you.”
Lex grinned and held up a small black cube. “Not without the electronic key she doesn’t. The engine won’t turn over without it.”
Cade laughed. “Living with the two of you is going to be really interesting.”
“Something like that,” Lex called out as he left the room. He motioned for Megan to follow him and they headed downstairs to the garage.
* * * * *
Nina was sitting in the car, talking on her cell phone when they got inside with her. She shot him an annoyed look when he touched the cube to a spot on the dash near the ignition and started the car. He made sure she saw him pocket the cube where he could keep custody of it, too.
“Who were you talking to?”
“My assistant manager. He’s going to Pike Place Market this morning to pick up some supplies and…oh, not like you need to know the details.”
“Yeah. Well, here’s how it’s going to go.” Lex kept his eyes on the road as he drove. “One of us, more probably, two of us, will be with you at all times while you are at the shop. I will drive you daily. This is not negotiable. You will not leave the shop without one of us accompanying you. You will not enter the shop until we have done a sweep and ensured everything is clear.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, Principal McGruff.”
Megan snorted laughter in the backseat and Lex cut his eyes to her in the rearview mirror but she studiously avoided looking up.
“I mean it, Nina. Now that we’re mated it’s going to be even more difficult for me to let go of you. I’ll be more protective. It’s biology. If we work together, we can make it easier. Come on, you seriously can’t…oh shit!”
Nina’s head came up and she saw the smoking ruin of her shop. Automatically her hand went for the door but Lex was quicker, hitting the automatic locks.
“No! Nina, I know you’re upset but you can’t charge out there.” Megan leaned forward and rubbed Nina’s shoulders, murmuring softly to her.
“I have to talk to the police.” Nina’s voice was flat. “Pull over here, there are plenty here now.”
Lex started to argue but met his sister’s eyes. Megan shook her head once, staying his actions. With a sigh, he pulled over in the parking lot of the bookstore next to the shop.
“Stay here until I get your door.” Lex slid out and surveyed the area as he walked around to let her out of the car.
He led her to the firefighters on scene, trying to stifle his alarm at how limp and lifeless she felt as she let him lead her around.