Lord of the Grrr's (62 page)

“My only regret—I never got to taste you that night.”

Slowly, he slipped two fingers inside her sopping heat. She bit her lip at the sudden pleasure, but she couldn't look away from his eyes, from the way he watched her, molten heat in his gaze. The sensation in her pussy was amazing. But it wasn't enough. She needed him.

Nicolas slid his long digits out of her body, and she groaned at the sudden emptiness. He brought his fingers to his lips and closed his eyes, but she couldn't look away. He licked his fingertip then opened his eyes.

Hunger laced his expression.

“So sweet. You taste just like I imagined.”

A shiver ran through her as he slowly and deliberately lowered his mouth to her pussy. He pressed a kiss against her clit, and she almost came from the soft touch alone. He flicked the bundle of nerves with his tongue, and she clawed helplessly at the table. Then he plunged his tongue inside of her.

“Oh God,” she said, panting.

Hands gripping her hips tightly, he held her in place as he fucked her with his tongue. The invasion was intimate, and oh so good. Then he slid his mouth to take her clit between his lips. He moved one of his hands and thrust two fingers into her wetness.

Holy hell. Her body was on fire with need.

With a twist of his wrist, she felt his thumb pressing against her ass. Her eyes flew open. She'd never had anything in there before, and the feeling was strange, even just the pressure. Before she could get a grasp on it, he sucked on her clit, hard. The orgasm crashed into her and her body shook violently. Stars flashed behind her vision, and he pulled his mouth away from her as he continued to work her with his fingers.

“That's it,” he said as she continued to shudder around his fingers. “Come hard for me. Get that pussy wet—ready for my dick.”

His dirty words intensified her orgasm, but as the last quiver shook her, she managed to find her voice. “Big talk for guy who hasn't fucked me yet.”

He pulled his fingers from her, making her gasp. With great care, he lifted her into his strong arms. Her legs wrapped automatically around his waist, and he gave her a hard kiss.

“Guess we’ll have to fix that.” Then he carried her toward his bedroom, a wicked smile on his lips.

The second her bottom hit the bed, he kissed her. Despite her orgasm, she needed him again. All of him. And she needed to make him feel the same way.

Breaking their kiss, he stepped back then pulled off his jeans, revealing the long, thick, perfect cock she remembered.

She licked her lips, suddenly needing to taste him. Needing to drive him over the edge the same way he'd driven her.

Before he could push her back and take her, she took hold of his cock. He stilled, seeming unsure if he wanted to push her back and take her or allow her to tease him. She made the choice for him.

Watching his face for his reaction, she licked the head of his cock, tasting his sweet salty flavor. He drew in a sharp breath, his eyes locked on her.

“Very slowly, she took the head of his cock into her mouth, teasing him with her tongue.

“Evie.” Her name came from his lips like a growl, and his hips moved, thrusting toward her.

She shot him a grin, and he bared his teeth at her. Stifling a laugh, she gripped him hard, then began to work him with her mouth. God, he tasted amazing. Wild like the forest he lived in, clean and masculine. Above her, he moaned, and she relished in the power she held over him. Making a man like Nicolas putty in her hands, it was heady stuff.

She worked him in and out of her mouth, deeper and deeper into her throat. Above her, he muttered a curse, and his hips started to move, pushing against her. He was close.

“Enough,” he ground out.

Ever so slowly, she released him from her mouth but continued to work him with her hand. “You've had enough?”

He pushed her back onto the bed, and she grinned.

“You'll cry wolf before I do,” he promised.

He settled between her legs, giving her a sound kiss on her lips. “Minx.”

Her amusement dissipated as he took her breasts again. One hand massaged her while his mouth sucked and bit at her other nipple. He was rough, but not too rough, sending a shot of need straight to her pussy. Her stomach tightened, and he switched to torture her other breast.

“Let's see how much you want me,” he said. One of his hands slipped between her legs, and he groaned against her chest. “So fucking wet.”

Her clit pulsed. Coming from him, the rough words made her feel sexy.

He continued to fondle her breasts, occasionally slipping a hand between her legs to tease her clit, until she was squirming beneath him. Thinking was over. She could do nothing but feel, need. She mewled at him, and he stood on his knees. His grip tight, he worked his cock.

“You want this?” he asked.

She couldn’t form words. Instead, she reached for him, kissed and licked and bit at his chest. He pushed her back, still holding his cock. Then he positioned himself at her entrance and began working his way inside of her.

She went silent. The sensations overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t do anything except concentrate on the pleasure he was giving her.

With shallow thrusts, he forced her body to take more and more of his thick cock. She cried out at the penetration, hips bucking against him, seeking more.

“Greedy girl,” he murmured, voice rough against her ear.

But he didn't rush, despite her urging. Despite what had to be a building need inside of him. Instead, he kissed her tenderly, softly as he worked his way in, giving her body time to adjust.

She could barely breathe around the need when he finally filled her completely.

He began to rock in and out of her slowly, not the hard fucking she sometimes fantasized about, but a nice, slow showing of tenderness. He kissed her—her lips, her neck, her face.

The orgasm built, not like the raging storm of the one before, but a subtle, slow tightening in her stomach. He slipped a hand between them, never slowing his rocking motion, and rubbed her clit gently. The orgasm unfurled from between her legs, blossoming to touch every corner of her body.

She murmured his name, beyond any other words, beyond almost any thought. But one thought lingered as he tenderly worked every aftershock from her body and held her close.

She'd come home.

***

Her long, slow orgasm was as satisfying as her dramatic shattering had been on his kitchen table. He was so enamored with her lovely body finding release, he forgot, for the briefest moment, his own needs. But as the last aftershocks faded, his hunger rose.

A wild, almost violent need to claim her again hit him. Without thinking, he pulled out of her and flipped her over onto her hands and knees. Then he gripped her hips and thrust into her hard.

Relentless, his own need to come was the only thing he could think, the only thing he could see. Holding her hips in place with an iron grip, he plunged in and out of her like the animal inside of him demanded. Like he'd needed to since she slipped out of his bed years before.

Her tight, hot pussy accepted the hard fucking without protest. Beneath him, she moaned, not in pain, but in need. As if his animal instinct touched her, as well. She arched against him, her hands clawing at the bed, allowing him to thrust in and out of her with abandon.

The orgasm built at the edge of his senses, and he could feel himself ready to come. Inside his mouth, his teeth began to lengthen, grow, sharpen.

Had to claim her.

Mine.

He growled, the noise all tiger. He ground his teeth, fighting the urge to bite her.

Deep inside her pussy, his dick jerked, shooting his cum inside of her. He held her in place, swept away in the wave of the orgasm, even as he tried to focus his will.

Need to bite. To claim.

Inside of him, his tiger screamed in protest. Demanding they claim his mate.

He jerked away from her, pulling out of her body. He turned so she couldn't see his teeth.

Was it too late? He couldn’t be sure. He made an excuse about cleaning up. On the bed, Evie collapsed into a satisfied heap while he headed for the bathroom. Once inside, he shut the door and leaned against it.

Foul desolation hit him like a brick to the chest. He'd been lying to himself. A painful thought echoed in his mind.

I'm not safe for her to be around. There's no bigger threat to her than me.

CHAPTER SIX

Damn. Getting laid was good for her. Evie stretched. Her body was pleasantly sore and so relaxed she wasn’t sure she’d be able to slither out of bed before noon, foxes be damned.

Her eyes opened.

Nope. Amazing, relationship-altering sex wasn’t going to keep her from getting her photos. She sat up, groaning as her muscles protested.

Next to her, the bed was empty. Nicolas was gone.

Her stomach dropped, then she mentally laughed at herself. Of course he was gone. The man was probably already in the kitchen making her a fantabulous breakfast. She closed her eyes. Maybe he’d be wearing only an apron. That was a sight she’d pay to see.

She pulled on a T-shirt he had slung over a chair, then tiptoed to her room and grabbed underwear. Hers had been ripped the night before, and she wasn’t keen to go through his drawers in search of something else to wear. And while she might be brave around him, given what they’d experienced together the night before, she wasn’t quite walking-around-without-undies brave.

But he wasn't in the kitchen cooking. Instead, he was sitting on the couch.

How good was his hearing? With the sunlight just starting to peek over the mountains and the fire burning next to him, there wasn't a whole lot of noise to cover her approach. But she tried to sneak up on him anyway. Before she got too close, he looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened, and he jumped up off the couch.

“Evie,” he said, voice strangled. “Meet my neighbor, Dirk.”

He gestured with a swift motion of his head, and she halted.

Sure enough, a man sat on one of the chairs in the corner away from the fire. He gave her an awkward wave, and she bolted.

Five minutes later, a tap came on her door. “It's safe, promise. Dirk’s gone.”

Amusement laced his voice, but he looked tired when she opened the door. Of course, the man would be tired. She was tired. They'd kept each other up half the night.

Totally worth it.

“Sorry about that. I thought you’d sleep later or I would have warned you he’d stopped by.” He fought a grin.

She grimaced. “Yeah, that wasn't awkward or anything.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying you don't like to meet people in your underwear?”

“At least I didn't meet him in
your
underwear.”

His grin widened. Damn, the man was dangerous when he smiled. “Don't worry. Dirk’s a good guy. I’m sure he won't tell more than five or ten people.”

Her face burned, but she ignored it. “Isn't that the entire population of your so-called town?”

Mock outrage touched his face. “I'll have you know, our population numbers in the hundreds.”

“Really?”

“Well, that's counting the whole county, but—”

She smacked his arm. “I'm going to get dressed. I expect some yummy breakfast when I get out there.”

His smile faded, and there was tension under his eyes. “Maybe we should skip today.”

No freaking way. “Tempting, but I’m getting my pictures. And…” She shot him sad eyes. “It would be a lot easier if my stomach wasn’t rumbling.

“You got it, city girl.” But he didn’t sound enthused. Maybe she’d worn him out more than she’d thought.

They had a quick breakfast together, and then headed back out. The hike wasn’t great, but it was easier than the first day. Despite her lack of sleep and slightly sore body, energy roared through her. Luck was on her side. She'd seen the fox and had amazing, life-altering sex with a man she genuinely cared about, and who felt the same way about her.

She'd get some great photos today, she was sure of it.

But that wasn't why she couldn't stop grinning. That was entirely due to Nicolas. Their night together had been…incredible. But it was more than that. They hadn't really known each other that long, not in any real way, but what he'd said about mates…well, it made her feel like maybe she wasn't crazy. Like maybe the connection she thought she'd imagined between them was real. And if that was true, why couldn't they have a future together?

The idea of spending her life with a man like Nicolas was more than appealing. Not because he was an Adonis of a man—although that didn’t hurt—but because he was a
good
man. And he made her feel things she'd never thought possible. Emotions that were almost too dazzling, too scary for her to grasp fully.

She tried to focus on the trail but kept catching herself smiling at absolutely nothing. Thank goodness Nicolas walked behind her, so he couldn't see her shit-eating grin.

“Which way today?” she asked.

He sniffed the air and nodded east. “Let’s try this way.”

Less than ten minutes later, they found one. Close enough for her lens to capture, yet far enough that it hadn’t noticed them. She snatched her camera from around her neck and took a few shots in rapid succession.

“Looks like the same one we glimpsed before,” she murmured.

Next to her, Nicolas grunted quietly.

By the time the fox noticed them, she’d gotten multiple shots—some of which she was super excited about. She’d have to look at them once they got back to the cabin, but she was certain she’d have several the magazine might like.

Still…a few more shots wouldn’t hurt. Maybe one more day of shooting—long enough for her to build up the courage to talk seriously with Nicolas about the future.

“A couple more days of shooting, and we should be able to wrap this up,” she said once they got to the truck.

“That's great,” he said.

She swallowed her disappointment. She’d kind of hoped he’d take the opening she'd given him to talk about what their future might be like after she finished this job.

If they had one together.

Sure, in the heat of the moment, he'd sounded like their future was something he'd been thinking about for a long time. But it would be nice, reassuring, to hear that from him when they weren't driving each other mad with lust.

As they drove back to the cabin, she couldn't help the nagging feeling that something was wrong. He hadn't acted angry or too strange during the day. But he had seemed a little withdrawn, a little distant.

And the nagging feeling was getting worse.

“Are you all right?” she asked when he cut the ignition.

“I'm fine.” He gripped the steering wheel, fists flexing. “I'm fine,” he repeated, sending her a smile that made her heart race.

But she couldn't help notice how many times he said the word fine. If he was anything like her, he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

She shoved away the annoying thought and followed him into the house.

“What sounds good for dinner?” He set her camera equipment on the counter. “We could go out, if you want.”

“Are you sure you’re—”

He whirled around. “I'm fine.”

Before she could point out that he’d just said fine three times in a row, he closed the distance between them and kissed her. His lips pressed hard against hers, demanding. And his words were the farthest things from her mind.

Suddenly, he jerked away.

His teeth were more ferocious than they should have been. Her breath caught, but she swallowed the surge of fear that hit her at the sight.

“Do you want to bite me?” The question made her shiver, but not with fear—at least, not entirely with fear. The way he'd explained it to her, biting was something that bound his people together. Turned simple sex into a mating. It sounded primal. And she couldn't help the tingle rolling up her spine at the thought of it.

But Nicolas didn't seem to be feeling the same way. “No.”

Simple word, not cruelly said. Yet disappointment curled in her stomach.

“You’re lying.”

“It’s the tiger, not me.”

The pain in his voice twisted her up. “The tiger is part of you.”

He shook his head, a silent denial of something he couldn’t really refute.

“But you didn’t bite me. You still have control.” She touched his arm, and beneath her hand, he shuddered. “I trust you, Nicolas. If you say this biting thing is part of your people’s mating ritual…I don’t mind it. I know you won’t hurt me.”

He barked out a laugh. “Evie, I've been lying to you since the moment you got here. Hell, the lies started before I laid eyes on you.”

“What do you mean?” But she knew, if course she knew. “The foxes—”

“Are bullshit.” His hands clenched and unclenched reflexively at his sides. “They—he—is Dirk. And the magazine editor that made you the offer was my brother’s new mate.”

She blinked. “Your neighbor? Your…” What? Sister-in-law? No, she’d worry about figuring out shifter relations later. “So, what? You asked your neighbor to wander around in fox form?”

He nodded.

Holy shit. Another shifter. No wonder it had evaded her camera so readily for days. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. “This was my dream. You dangled it in front of me—why?”

His gaze was steady. “You know why.”

“Fuck, Nicolas. You could have called me. Showed up at my door and asked me to dinner. I—”

“You would have looked at me the same way you did when you first saw me in that diner. With fear in your eyes and your feet set to run away. Again.”

“You didn’t even
try
.”

His jaw flexed. “You’re right. This was a shitty thing to do. You can’t trust me, and I can’t trust my tiger around you. I think—” He swallowed hard, but his eyes never wavered from hers. “I think it would be best if you went home.”

Muscles quivering, heat rushed through her body. “Fine.”

Without another word, she walked to the guest room, threw her stuff in, and zipped her bag. He wanted her gone? She was gone.

The pressure on her chest made it difficult to breathe, but she carried her bag back to the open living area. Nicolas hadn’t moved, but his eyes widened when he saw her.

“Not tonight. Wait until morning. I’ll follow you back to town to make sure—”

The bag hit the floor with a
thud
. “My safety is no longer your concern.”

Tears burned the back of her eyelids, and she picked the bag up and grabbed her camera equipment as quickly as she could. She had to get out of there—fast.

No freaking way was she letting him see her cry.