Jarrett (14 page)

Ellis watched her for nearly twenty minutes. Every time he thought she was finished and would be getting out of the water, she would swim across the wide lake and then back again. Her strokes were clean, barely disturbing the water any more than she needed to.

Sitting down to keep an eye on her—or at least that’s what he kept telling himself—Ellis sat mesmerized with her, not even sure why, but there was something about her that drew him to her. When she finally got out of the water and shook her hair, Ellis would swear that a rainbow flittered across her body and seemed to highlight every part of her.

When she shifted, her body a smaller version of his own wolf, Ellis stood up. He wouldn’t follow her, of course, but he did watch which way she went. Leaning against the tree, he reached for his dad and told him that he’d been waylaid and that he was coming now.

Was she pretty?
Ellis froze, wondering what his dad knew when he laughed.
Never mind. You wouldn’t be coming home this soon if you saw yourself a pretty girl. You’re more a romantic than I ever was, and I sort of pride myself on my way with the fairer sex.

Dad, you’re sounding a great deal like a man who’s going to have some woman knock the crap out of him because he’s a little on the chauvinistic side.
His dad asked him what was wrong with that.
Nothing if you find the right woman, but most of the ones I know don’t care to have a man be romantic to them.

Ellis thought of the woman again and wondered what she’d think if he opened the door for her and let her walk on the inside of the sidewalk. His mother had told him while women were the fairer sex that did not mean that they were weaker. But he was still to treat them with respect; that
no
meant
no
and not maybe, and to always keep your mouth shut when a woman was upset. No matter how right you thought you were, they were never going to believe you.

He’d come to realize from living with Slone and Hunter that his mom was brilliant. Maybe a little old fashioned, but she sure knew how to teach them when to shut up and when to walk away. Sometimes a little of both was needed.

The walk to the house was nice. The snow from last night had nearly all melted and there were very few prints of him coming out here. He saw deer tracks, a few droppings as well, and the markings of a raccoon and a few other animals that he knew were safe in these woods.

He was nearly to the house when he saw the first group of cops. Dropping to his knees when he was told to, Ellis was glad to hear Jarrett confirm that it was his brother. Standing up with the help of Jarrett, he took him to where the cops and a few other men had set up a tent.

“He’s in the cave where we’d been.” Jarrett started to tell the police where he’d seen them, but Ellis stopped him. “If they go there and find the bodies from yesterday, they will stop the manhunt for Shepard and try and find the animals that killed those men.”

“Fuck.” Ellis nodded but said nothing as Jarrett and Luke stood beside him. “I never thought of that. We should have done something about them today. Did you see if he’s hurt? There is blood here that doesn’t belong to the victim.”

“Head injury. And he’s dehydrated. Hungry too, I would imagine.” He told Jarrett about the fire and the thermos. “I don’t even know why I took it except that I wanted him to suffer.”

“No doubt he is.” Jarrett laughed a little before continuing. “I wish I could have seen him when you walked up to him. I’m sure he was scared shitless. The moron. Addie said that he doesn’t have a clue about us or anything else. She said that when he was with the other men, the shifters, he just thought they were really strange.”

Ellis watched the men moving in and out of the makeshift headquarters. Jarrett said something, but Ellis didn’t hear him. Then Luke’s phone rang. He walked away as Ellis stood there.

His brother was having a hard time running the city back home from here. He was sure being mayor had some perks but, like him, he knew that Luke thrived on the excitement.

Ellis wondered if Luke was going back soon, and decided that he’d go back with him. He had a good crew working for him now, and Dan Rogers made an excellent foreman. But he missed the work, the getting dirty part of his job. When his mind drifted to the woman again, he decided that when he did get home, he was going to start dating more.

If the sight of a naked woman played with his mind this much, he was too lonely. And he thought about the home he was building too. The shell had been up when he’d left and he had three men, all out of work pack that just needed a little extra money, putting up the joists for the roof.

When Luke came back he was smiling, and Ellis smiled back. There was something so calm about his brothers who had mates now that made him think that having one might not be as bad as he’d thought it would be. But Ellis knew that having a mate was hard work too. Not just to convince her to love you, but also to keep her happy.

Jack was easy to please, he’d discovered. She was happy all the time, seemed to enjoy life more than most people did, and she loved Luke to death. Slone and Hunter were strangely perfect together. She had all the money, but she was fine with Hunter making most of the decisions. Not that she was a rug, but she did depend on Hunter more than he thought she would.

Jarrett, too, seemed to really love his mate. He was glad, because Ellis liked her a great deal too. She was down to earth, approachable, and seemed to have her shit together. The depression made him a little nervous because she would just cry sometimes and he’d not know what to do for her, but he had been getting really good at coming up with stories about his family when they were younger to keep her cheered up.

All in all, Ellis decided, he was quite happy with his bachelor life and thought that if he never found his mate, he’d make do with the wives of his brothers. And their kids. He could not wait for Slone to have her little girl. Ellis was going to spoil her rotten.

Chapter 14

Addie awoke to her body feeling like it was ready for lift off. She had no idea why that thought occurred to her, but in the next second after opening her eyes, she screamed out an orgasm that took her breath away.

“It’s about time.” Jarrett spoke to her from between her thighs and looked to her like he wasn’t going anywhere too soon. He licked her pussy again, bringing her hips up off the bed twice before he said anything else. “I thought this would be a very good way to start the day.”

He suckled her clit into his mouth, then bit down gently. The man could do more things with his mouth than most people could with their hands. And when he moved his fingers inside of her, Addie moaned loudly. Yes, there were his very lovely fingers to consider too.

He fucked her with his mouth and fingers. She was riding his mouth when he slid his finger into her ass, and she nearly screamed again when he told her to come. Addie wanted him inside of her in the worst kind of way, but he said he was glad to be where he was.

She came three times before she began to beg him, and twice more before he moved up her body. But he didn’t touch her, not with his hands or his mouth. She reached up to pull him on her, to have him touch her, and he told her to stop.

“If you so much as put your finger on my nipple, I’m going to come all over you, and I don’t want to do that.” She wanted it and told him that. “I want to come deep inside of you. I’ve thought of nothing else but you sitting with my cock in your heat while you’re screaming out my name.”

“Jarrett, please don’t tease me. I’ve come so much, but the thought of you fucking me has me soaking wet.” He growled and she did reach up and touch her fingernail to his hard nipple. “I want to suckle you like you do me. Take your nipple in my mouth and nibble on it until you beg me to stop.”

His cock grazed along her belly, and she wrapped her hand around him. He fucked her this way, riding her hand as he’d said he wanted her to do to his cock. He stopped and moved back from her. Then she sat up as he leaned back against the post of the bed.

“Show me how badly you want me.” Nodding, she moved to take him into her mouth when he told her that he wanted her to ride him. But Addie wanted to taste him and moved his hands from her to lean down and lick him.

He tasted delicious. She wanted more, all of him, but teasing him seemed to be more fun for them both. When she licked his purple crown, Jarrett curled his hand into her hair and tried to drag her up from him, but she cupped his balls and gave them a sharp twist.

“Christ, baby.” He held her to him, his hips coming up and down off the bed so hard that she knew that he was going to make her come when he did. Running her fingers into her wet curls, she cried out when he jerked her from his cock and nearly tossed her back on the bed.

“I need to fuck you.” Jarrett jerked her legs open and filled her. His cock was so thick and her pussy so wet that he didn’t hurt her but made her come again. Jarrett fucked her hard, lifting her ass up with his free hand while he pounded into her, his entire body hard with each thrust.

When he came, his body bowing up and away from hers, she watched him. His face was beautiful as he released. His hard chest was covered in a slight sweat that when she touched him, her hands slid over him easily.

Bite me
. She pulled him to her when his harsh voice entered her mind, and she licked the pounding pulse before sinking her teeth into his flesh. His second climax took her breath away and brought her over the edge so quickly and so hard that she tore into his muscle when she came.

Addie was still trying to catch her breath and get her heart back to a normal beat when he rolled to his back and lifted her over him. She wasn’t sure that she could come again, but the moment that he lifted her up and told her to lower herself onto him, she felt her pussy soak. And taking him into her, having him fill her this way, she sat on him for several seconds just to feel him.

“You should be able to ride me now without me trying to take over.” He showed her what to do, how to get the most pleasure out of her ride. “Do you have any idea how much I love watching your face when you come? It’s like I can’t get enough of seeing the changes of your skin and your eyes when you come.”

Nodding, she put her hands on his chest and fingered his nipples. He moaned, and Addie leaned down to take one into her mouth, and nearly cried out with this new and amazingly wonderful position. Chewing on his nipple made Jarrett fuck her harder, his hips moving up into her body much as he done when she’d had him in her mouth. Lifting her head just a little, she licked the wounded peak and sat up again.

“You feel so good inside of me. All I think about is figuring out ways to have you take me.” He moaned and sat up. She cried out again when he slid his finger over her clit and pinched her. “Jarrett, you’re going to make me come and I’m not—”

She screamed. Then another powerful climax seemed to reach up and grab her. He flipped her over to her back and was pounding her again when the next climax took her. This time when he came, his body hard inside of hers, he howled.

It was the most amazing sight she’d ever seen. His body bowed back again, and his chest seemed to be covered in fur one second, then not the next. He came, saying her name, telling her that he loved her. And when he dropped down on top of her, Addie wrapped her arms around him and held him to her as tears fell down her cheeks. After a few minutes of her just basking in her love, he lifted his head and looked down at her.

“Did I hurt you?” She shook her head. “Honey, you have to tell me. I don’t want to hurt you when I get a little too rough. Tell me what I did and I’ll never do that again.”

“I love you so much.” He nodded, still looking concerned. “It’s not pain but happiness. I mean, real honest to goodness happiness. I love you.”

“I love you very much too.” He kissed her then, gently and so softly that it brought more tears to her eyes. When he rolled to his back, taking her with him, he held her to his chest, and she heard his heart pounding under her ear.

They lay that way, holding one another for several minutes before he spoke again. He only said her name, but she knew that something was wrong. Before she could see what it was, he spoke again.

“You’re not going to be very happy with me in about an hour.” She asked him why. “Because, Slone, Jack, and your grandmother are right now setting up your house for the wedding of the century.”

“Who’s getting married?” He cocked his brow at her, and she got it. “Oh. Us. I should have known they were up to something when they told me to come up here and take a nap. I felt like a five-year-old. But I was really tired and was asleep nearly before my head hit the pillow.”

“I came up to check on you once and you didn’t move, so I left you. But when I came up this time, I just couldn’t resist taking you.” She smiled and told him any time. “You’re not mad at them?”

“No. I mean, we were going to get married anyway, right?” He nodded and smiled at her. “And Shawn has everything taken care of legally anyway.”

“What do you mean?” He got up and she watched him move around the room naked. When he turned to her, she realized that she’d not answered him and smiled. “What do you mean, he’d got everything taken care of legally? And stop looking at me like I’m a prime piece of beef.”

“But you are prime.” He posed for her in several different ways, all of them showing off his impressive cock and muscles. Laughing, she asked him what he’d said.

“I asked you, three times now, what legal stuff?” Addie knew what he’d said and wasn’t sure he was going to like it. When he came to the bed and pulled her from it, she looked at him. “I’m not going to be pissed.”

“I’ve made you a partner in all my ventures.” He didn’t say anything, so she continued by explaining. “I wanted you to have everything I have. The houses and everything are now in both our names. Along with the companies that we now both own. It was easy to do, and your brother and Shawn were very helpful.”

“You didn’t have to do that, Addie. I told you that I don’t need your money.” She pulled away from him, not hurt by his words but sort of scared that he’d be really mad when he heard the rest. “I love you, not the fact that you have all the money in the world.”

“No, only half. Slone has the other.” It wasn’t like her to joke about money, and she was surprised herself that it had spilled out of her mouth. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

He didn’t get mad at her but laughed. Watching him laugh, watching the expressions on his face made her smile, and soon she was laughing with him. And she loved how good it made her feel. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

“I love you, Addison Parker, and I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you.” She kissed him back and told him she was glad too. “But, we have less than one hour to get dressed for our wedding and get downstairs. I’m surprised that no one has come up here to yell at us.”

Someone pounded on the door just as he finished speaking. When she ran to the bathroom, she heard him tell the person on the other side to hang on. She could have told him it was Slone and Jack, but she turned on the water to get a shower instead. She was happy that he’d pulled on pants before opening the door.

~~~

Jarrett felt like he was being strangled to death. It wasn’t as if the tie was too tight, but the thought of getting married was scaring him. Not the deed itself, but doing it in front of the crowd of people currently in the big living room of their home. His dad hit him on the back of the head and smacked his hands away from his tie.

“You’re messing it up again. You’re going to look like you slept in it if you keep messing with it.” Jarrett stood still while his dad made short work of his tie. Again. “What’s eating you, boy? You’re not wishing you’d not said okay to marrying her, are you?”

“No. I love her. But all those people. Where the hell did they find them on such short notice?” His dad laughed. “And if I’m not mistaken, I think I saw Mable and her son out there, along with Allen.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing when you have money to burn you can hire a whole fleet of jets to be at your beck and call. Miss Clemmie brought anyone that wanted to come on up to see you hitched up, I guess.” Jarrett felt his belly lurch up again. “Calm down, son, and think of the pretty bride that you’ll have.”

“I have her now.” His dad hit him in the head again. “Dad, you’re not helping me here. I’m nervous enough as it is, and you hitting me isn’t helping.”

“I don’t care how nervous you are. You’re an Emerson. Now act like it.” He stepped back when he straightened his tie again. “That girl up there is willing to marry you. Today, and she’s going to make you happier than you’ve been in your life. If you go out there and upchuck all over her pretty dress, I’m going to take you to the shed.”

His dad had been threatening the shed since he’d been a child. And the one and only time he’d been taken there they had talked about what he’d done, then played a game of chess. Jarrett pulled his dad to him and hugged him. When his dad pulled back and looked at him, Jarrett could see how much he loved him. And Jarrett wanted that same kind of love for his own sons.

“See that you don’t embarrass our good name.” Jarrett nodded to his dad and let him walk away. Jarrett felt like a load had been lifted from his shoulders, and was more relaxed than he’d been in a long while.

He was marrying his mate. Not that it was unusual, but under the circumstances, he thought it was a little odd. Smiling, he thought of their relationship up until now and wondered why now this should stand out for him. They’d had a topsy-turvy time since he’d met her. And Duncan Shepard was still out there. But for now, he wasn’t moving.

Maybe he’ll do us some good and die in that cave.
Jarrett smiled at the sound of Addie’s voice in his head.
Or better yet, a bear will eat him. But I’d hate for it to be sick from that. No. I think dying out there in the dark all alone is better.

You know as well as I do that leaving him out there is never going to happen. Men like him are usually the ones that spend the rest of their days in prison being gang raped by a man by the name of Buck.
She giggled and he smiled more.
I’m glad that we’re getting married today. That means I can ravish you tonight as my wife.

You did a good job at that this afternoon. And this morning, and I think at lunch time too.
He was proud of that.
Jarrett, I never got to tell you what else has been done in your name.

Are you going to be my wife in a few minutes?
She told him yes and forever.
Then the rest means nothing. Unless it’s a matter of life or death, I find that I really don’t care right now.

His dad told him it was time, and Jarrett told Addie that he’d see her in a few. They made their way to the front of the room, and he had to stop looking at the people in there waiting for Addie with him. Clemmie must have had flights going and coming all day long for her to have gotten that many people there.

The music was pretty, and Jarrett watched as first Jack then Slone came up the aisle. She was lovely with her round belly protruding in front of her, and he couldn’t wait to see Addie large with his own baby. When the music changed, he held his breath, waiting for her to come around the corner. It seemed like forever, and he was nearly ready to go and get her when she came into view. And Christ, what a view it was.