FavoriteObsession (22 page)

She bared a single fang and hissed.

“Enough, Molly. You are a child first, cub second. This game
is getting old and I won’t put up with it.” More growls crawled up her throat.
She swiped a paw, met air. “If you won’t shift, you will take control of your
cat and show me some respect. My chair is not your scratching post.”

She snarled.

Josh narrowed his eyes, lifted one corner of his mouth and
growled, the deep rumbly sound deeper than he’d ever heard it. The ache in his
gums returned. His fingers itched. He ignored the sensations as the silent
battle of wills continued. Molly fell quiet and stared at him. Instinctively,
he knew it wasn’t enough. He didn’t want the child to cower, but he had to
establish who was in charge.

He leaned forward so his face was a couple of inches from
hers and gave another low growl. Molly went limp and dropped her gaze. Hating
himself for the reaction yet knowing it was the only way to deal with the
little cub, he snarled once more then wrapped her in his arms, hugging the
furry bundle close. She nuzzled his chin and gave his cheek a lick. He smiled.

“Yes, little one, we’re cool. Just remember who’s in charge
and if you think to mark anything inside the house, think again.” He pressed a
kiss to the tip of her nose and set her down. She scrambled off. Within
moments, she was occupied by a rubber ball, the little dominance rift
forgotten.

He turned his head, the sensation of an intense gaze on his
back. Devin sat on the couch, elbows on his knees and deep creases lining his
forehead.

Josh raised a brow. “What?”

“If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it,”
Devin muttered.

He snorted and brushed white fur off his shirt. “I told you
I could handle Molly. She just needed to learn I’m in charge, not her.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

The shifter’s tone stopped him from making a smart-ass
comment. He focused on him. “Then what?”

“Your eyes glowed, Josh.” Devin studied him a long moment
more before he shook his head. “I don’t think you’re entirely human anymore.”

Josh laughed so hard Molly stopped to look at him. “Oh,
yeah? Then what am I, buddy?”

Devin scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Fuck if I know.”

“It’s the dim lights in here. Zoe thought the same thing
yesterday. Once she turned them on, I was all back to normal.” Josh walked to
the wall switch and flicked it. He faced the other man. “Well?”

Devin narrowed his full-feline eyes on him. He parted his
mouth and inhaled, no doubt tasting his signature. The feline shifters often called
on their animals when they didn’t understand something or needed more info.

Devin sat back, brow still creased. “I guess I was wrong.”

“Trick of the light, my friend.” He tapped his chest with a
balled fist. “Only one in here is me.”

Except, the snickering echoing in his head made him wonder
if he really had lost his mind once and for all.

Mira sat in her car for a long moment. She couldn’t seem to
find the desire to move. Depression had plagued her for centuries. She knew how
to hide it, how to pretend it didn’t choke her. Practiced smiles, the motions
of living and the need to be positive for her mentally unstable twin kept her
from spiraling into the abyss she often hovered over. She no longer had any
reason to pretend. Devin had found his sanity. And…and she had no hope for a
brighter future.

Everything that had happened the past few days threatened to
crush her. It was too much. Wetness dripped on her lap. She frowned at the
liquid spots decorating the khaki pants she’d worn to Kade’s house. Realization
struck. She wiped at the trail of tears on her cheeks. A quick peek at the
clock showed she’d sat in the grocery store’s lot for over an hour. Her
death-by-chocolate ice cream had met an early demise before it even made it
home.

She popped her contacts out and dropped them in the plastic
bag along with her favorite therapy. Sunglasses shielding her feline eyes, she
shuffled to the garbage can and dropped her purchase.

A familiar and hated scent drifted to her. She pivoted on
her heel and nearly collided with Zeb. He stumbled back.

“S-s-sorry,” he mumbled.

Mira frowned at the sight of him. Bloodshot, unfocused eyes
darted around. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His cracked lips trembled. She
parted her mouth and inhaled. Fear, pain and a residual trace of unfamiliar
chemicals surrounded him. She drew in another slow breath, allowing the foreign
odors seeping from his pores to coat her tongue. The information didn’t make
sense. She could’ve sworn the pungent taint to his signature would’ve come from
a corpse.

She took a step back, not because he frightened her but
because her stomach churned. Zeb stood there with his mouth hanging open and
drool collecting in one corner. Although she disliked the male for what he’d
done to Josh, her protective instincts rose. She reached out and laid her hand
on his cool, clammy skin.

“Are you okay?”

“N-no. I need h-help. I…” He glanced over her shoulder. His
eyes widened and a garbled cry crawled up his throat. He licked his lips.
“N-never m-m-ind. My sis…she’s right there. She’ll h-help m-me.”

He yanked his arm away, spun and ran. In the opposite
direction.

She watched his uncoordinated movements and frowned harder.
She peered over her shoulder, but didn’t see anyone suspicious, just humans going
about their daily business. She glanced in the direction Zeb had run. He darted
across the road. Horns blared and tires screeched. He hopped into a rusted
hatchback parked on the other side. The car peeled out. Black, noxious smoke
burped out of its exhaust pipe and obscured her view of the license plate.

She debated getting in her car and going after him but
dismissed the idea. It wasn’t her place to get involved in every illegal
activity involving the humans. She’d mention it to Kade later.

She pushed the disturbing encounter away, made her way to
her car and drove back to her place. The trip passed too quickly and the metal
box she called home loomed before her. She didn’t want to be alone inside the
trailer’s claustrophobic walls, but she had nowhere else to go. There were only
so many places in town she could wander without drawing looks from the
townsfolk.

She parked and made her way to the door. While the woods
looked tempting to escape into, she didn’t want any shifters to accidently
stumble upon her. She was in no mood for company tonight. Besides, Micah’s
presence in their territory bothered her. She had no guarantee he’d play by
Kade’s rules. Yes, she could fight him. She had no doubt she could take him or
a half-dozen singles on but the stakes were too high. After Kade got Molly out
of town, she’d have the green light to take things in her own hands. Until
then, she had to play his game.

With the door closed behind her, she kicked off her flats
and tugged her shirt out of her pants. The scent of heaven drifted to her. A
heartbeat reached her ears next and her pulse echoed in her mate bite.

“Josh.”

He was sprawled on her couch, one leg bent on the seat, the
other flat on the floor. With his back pressed into the corner and his arm
stretched across the cushion, he looked relaxed and sexier than she’d ever seen
him. The shadow of stubble she loved dusted his jaw and the ends of his hair
stood on end as if he’d just woken. No shoes and his rumpled clothes suggested
he might have.

The thought of Josh napping in her living room did crazy
things to her heart. It didn’t take much to imagine spending hours wrapped in
his arms on the couch while he watched football. Such a simple thing, but one
she never thought to have with a male. She forced the domestic thought away
before longings and regret took hold. Focusing on the picture he made, she let
the details of this moment sear itself into her mind so she could take it out
when she needed him close.

Jeans and another simple black tee molded his torso and teased
her imagination. She flashed back to the image of his naked body. Powerful and
primal with thick muscles, a narrow waist and a tight ass that felt so good
under her hands as he drove his cock into her. Her attention dropped to the
evidence of his arousal. Pushed slightly to the side, it thickened as she
watched. Her knees went weak. Warmth settled low. She reached for the edge of
the hall table before she could stop the reaction.

One corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided smile. It hit
her dead center and left her raw, vulnerable and more aroused than the sight of
a mere grin should make her.

“Hey, kitten, I was wondering when you were going to come
home.” He slowly skimmed his heated gaze over her. She ignited under his
perusal. Every inch of her skin heated and demanded he repeat the caress with
his fingers. “I was getting lonely.”

She licked her suddenly dry lips. “How did you get in here?”

He chuckled. “I picked the lock.”

She waited for him to say something else, maybe close the
distance between them. He did neither, only watched her. Lust hazed his eyes
but so did patience and confidence. He wore the look of a male who knew exactly
how he affected his woman.

After another slow sweep of his hungry blue eyes that
clenched her womb, she cleared her throat. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be
home with Megan?”

“She’s with Jazz.” He crooked one finger. “Come here,
kitten.”

Her breaths quickened. She took several steps before she
forced herself to stop. Hands clenched, she shook her head. “I told you I need
time to think, Josh. I haven’t yet. Please go home.”

Instead of arguing, he held his hand out, palm up. “Think
later, kitten. We need each other. Come here.”

She did need him. Micah’s visit had chilled her. Josh would
warm her, though. Her dignity stopped her from running to him. She slowly
closed the distance between them. As she approached, he shifted on the couch so
both bare feet hit the floor and created an inviting spot on his lap.

He waited until she placed her hand in his before tugging
her close. She fell onto his groin, the hard line of his arousal pushing along
the seam of her sex.

“That’s better, baby.” He wrapped his hands around her waist
and used his hold to settle her more firmly over his trapped erection. The soft
material of her pants allowed her to feel the strength pressed against her. A
soft sigh fell from her lips.

“You like that?”

Yes.
She bit the inside of her cheek instead of
voicing the truth. The teasing lilt to his voice lightened her heart. She
smiled for the first time in days. “Feeling a little cocky tonight?”

He dropped his head against the cushion and peered at her
through half-lidded eyes. “No, kitten. Confident. I know what you want and I’m
here to give it to you.”

Unable to resist, she stroked his arms from elbow to
shoulder. Muscles tensed under her fingertips. “What do I want?”

“Me.”

She forced a chuckle past her lips. “I was right. Cocky.”

He merely grinned at her.

She folded her forearms over his chest and leaned closer.
“As much as I enjoyed what we did together, we shouldn’t have sex again. I
really do have to think about everything.” She trailed her fingertips along his
jaw. “Okay?”

“Sure, kitten.”

The easy agreement struck her as fishy. She eased back and
met his eyes. “No argument?”

Another lopsided smile graced his mouth. “Like I said, I’m
here to give you what you need. We don’t have to fuck for me to do that.”

She studied him for some clue as to his motive but the lust
darkening his eyes and the confidence emanating from him confused her. He
wanted sex. The thick rod nudging her clit left little room for
misinterpretation.

“What do I need?”

He tugged at the edge of her neckline, exposing her mate
bite. Using a single finger, he circled the scar. Sparks skipped down her
spine. He pressed his thumb to the center and met her eyes. “For me to prove to
you that I’m your mate.”

“But I—”

He popped the button on her pants and slipped his hand into
her panties. Her words turned into a groan with the first touch of his palm to
her slickened cleft. He pushed a single finger into her core. Her eyelids
fluttered closed. She focused on the movement of his finger as he stroked her. He
gave her drenched center another swirl before pulling his finger free. Held up
for them both to see, he made a point of inspecting it.

Finally, he nodded and turned his gaze on her. “You’re wet,
my sweet Mira. Soaked. Ready for a cock.” He rubbed the finger glistening with
her juices over her lower lip. “My cock.”

“Oh gods…”

He captured the lip he painted with her juices between his
teeth and sucked. The tug of his mouth connected with her core. Her muscles
squeezed on air. Josh was right. She did want a cock to ride. His.

She didn’t get the chance to agree or try to push him away.
He covered her mouth and kissed her, taking the choice out of her hands. With a
slow sweep of his tongue, he explored her as if this was their first kiss and
he wanted to savor it. The low groan of his approval and the tender strokes he
rubbed into her skin fed the moment, made it special.

He twined their tongues, leading her into a dance which
built her hungers. Slow at first, he worshiped her. The pace of his rolling
thrusts quickened, spiraling her needs until she felt as if she were coming
undone. Another guttural sound came from his throat and she lost any pathetic
resistance she’d thought to hold on to. She clamped her legs around his thick
thighs and rubbed her sex over his length. He remained still under her,
refusing to counter the motions. No. That wouldn’t do. She hungered.

She threaded her fingers through his tousled hair. Silken,
short strands teased her palm. Tingles danced up her fingers, down her arms and
spread out to encompass her body. More, she wanted more of the energized
feeling, but she knew there was only one thing which would appease her craving.
She wanted to come around Josh’s rigid length and milk him dry.

A desperate cry escaped, her desire rising faster than she
could contain. She scraped his scalp with talon-tipped nails, not hard enough
to bleed him but enough to pull a raw sound from his throat. Only a primal male
could meet her wicked cravings. Josh with a touch of animalistic aura
surrounding him did it for her.

His rough moan betrayed how close he was to losing control,
exactly what she needed. She nipped at his tongue to bleed it. Like a true
shifter, Josh responded to the trigger. In one smooth move, he reversed their
positions. Her back met the couch. He crouched over her. A shove against her
knees and she parted her thighs. He settled there, partially straddling her.

The couch didn’t offer him the room to line their bodies up
the way she wanted, but his strong frame covering her smaller one had the same
effect. She relaxed and gave herself up to the kiss. The purposeful way he led
her didn’t give her any room to resist him, not that she would’ve. He had her
submission. She was his to command, his to please.

On and on, he loved her mouth with rolling strokes that
touched her as deeply as his cock had. Her heart opened, inviting him to take
it over completely. She should fight the compulsion. She knew it’d be the smart
thing to do, but she couldn’t. Her instincts ruled at the moment and she wanted
Josh.

Arousal flowed, readying her for his possession. She needed
his cock moving inside her, loving her from the inside out, but he made no move
to take this any further. She slipped her hand between their bodies, ready to
encourage him to finish what he’d started. He broke the kiss and climbed off
her body. Kneeling next to her on the couch, he stopped her from following him
with a hand splayed over her lower belly.

He gave a small shake of his head. “Now, now, enough of
that, kitten. I’m not a saint, you know. If you touch my cock, I’m going to
lose control.” He used his other hand to lightly caress the edge of her breast.
“And I promised not to fuck you.”

“But—”

He stopped her words with a single finger pressed to her
lips.

“I told you…” He bent closer so his exhaled breath bathed
her mate mark. “I told you, I know what my female needs.”

“I thought you said I needed you.”

His low chuckle whipped through her. Desire followed. She
shifted to move off the couch. He held her in place with his palm on her upper
chest. She stilled.

“Do you trust me, kitten?”

Not once had he demanded such a thing from her. Trust to a
shifter was not lightly given, even to a mate. Just because her breeding
partner couldn’t kill her, it didn’t mean time spent in his company was
pleasant. She’d known too many females who’d suffered at their mates’ hands to
know not to blindly give her trust. But…but this was Josh, the man she loved
more than anyone in the world.