Resisting the Cougar (Cascade Shifters #2) (11 page)

Mustering up what logic she still possessed, she asked, “How is that possible, Aidan? One minute you’re laughing with me, yet the next you pretend like I don’t exist. If that’s how the next month is going to be, I can’t do it.”

His voice was low and gravelly. “So you admit to wanting me, too.”

Claire pushed gently against his chest until she could look into his glowing amber eyes. “Being attracted to you is one thing, but we both have reasons why it can’t happen, and you know it.”

“Forget tomorrow or the next month. If you want me, then tell me, Claire. Otherwise you will have to find yourself another guard because all my inner cougar can think about is getting you naked and covering you in my scent.” He squeezed her waist. “It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted a female this badly. I’m done pretending. Say the word, and I’ll have you forgetting all other males. You’ll only think of me.”

Claire searched his eyes. She wanted nothing more than to allow Aidan to explore and scent her body. However, politics were never that simple. For better or for worse, every decision in her life revolved around political outcomes and strategies.

Could she really keep something such as sleeping with Aidan from the media? If anything leaked out to the press, both her and her campaign would be finished.

Or, so she’d assumed thus far. Truth be told, Claire had never run numbers or polls to see if her being with a shifter long-term would hurt her chances. She’d already garnered most of the political support she needed for her campaign; all that was left was to convince the voters of her cause. With them, bias could be justified if she were fighting to get married herself. After all, everyone loved a taboo love story.

Whoa, wait a second.
She only met Aidan yesterday. Despite how right it felt in his arms, she barely knew him.

Could she really go through with it and jeopardize everything she’d accomplish just to be with a shifter male?

Of course, if she slept with him once, she might have a better idea if it was worth pursuing the idea of different tactics and eventually marrying a shifter. If sleeping with Aidan ended up being nothing but lust that faded after sex, she could pretend this one time never happened. No one would know. Or, at least, no one who would ever share her secret. She trusted Kian to keep his clan in line.

Either way, she needed more data to make a final decision. To do that, she needed to experience more than just kisses; she needed to get naked with Aidan Scott.

Before she could change her mind, she asked, “How long before Hector will be here?”

Aidan’s eyes flashed at the other man’s name. “About an hour, why?”

Ignoring the thundering heartbeat in her ears, Claire gathered her courage and tilted up her head. “Then make that hour count, Aidan.”

He growled. “Once I start, I won’t be able to stop.”

Running a hand up his chest, she paused where his neck met his shoulder to strum her thumb against him. “Since I’m on birth control and shifters don’t carry STDs or other diseases humans can catch, do whatever you wish with me, Aidan. I’m giving you permission.”

Chapter Nine

Not wanting Claire to change her mind, both man and cat growled as he lowered his lips to hers. The instant his tongue met hers, the urge to be inside her grew stronger.

Exploring the inside of her mouth, Aidan moved his hands to her ass and lifted, pressing his human against his straining cock. Her moans made his dick pulse.

Fuck.
He needed to get them naked.

After Claire wrapped her legs around his waist, he never stopped exploring her mouth as he slowly walked to the bedroom. When they were close enough to the mattress, he broke the kiss to lay Claire down.

The sight of her slightly swollen lips made his cougar happy, but it wasn’t enough. They needed access to her body. The more they scented her, the more others would stay away from their female.

Running a hand up Claire’s belly, between her breasts, and then to the side of her face, he murmured, “Beautiful,” before gently removing her glasses. Folding them up, he took a few steps back. At Claire’s sound of protest, he smiled. “Unless you want your glasses smashed, give me a second.”

“Then hurry up because right now, you’re blurry and I want to see you.”

Laying her glasses down on the dresser, he turned and tore off his shirt. Once he was close enough, Claire’s gaze moved to his bared chest. She’d seen him naked before, but this time was different. Aidan wasn’t a young man of twenty any more, but nearly twice that age. Would a few gray hairs on his chest deter her?

Judging by the hungry look in her eyes, the answer was no. Then her eyes moved to the bulge in his jeans. Her voice was husky. “Show me all of you and come closer. I want a proper look, not a half-blurry version.”

He liked that she wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted. That should make things interesting in bed later on.

Unbuttoning his jeans, Aidan kicked off his shoes first, then his pants and boxers. He moved to the foot of the bed and Claire’s eyes on his cock forced out a drop of precum.

His cougar snarled. Why did she still have clothes on?

Running his hands up Claire’s plump thighs, he stopped at the hem of her sweater and ran one finger underneath, against her skin. Claire sucked in her breath and he murmured, “Now it’s your turn. You can do it yourself, or you can let me undress you.”

The corner of her mouth ticked up. “I think I like the idea of you trying to undress me.”

“Try? Human, I bet I can make you beg for my cock by the time I have you naked.”

“Oh, really? I’d like to see that.”

“Challenge accepted; although just know I’m going to take my time.”

Claire opened her mouth to reply, but Aidan ran his hands under her sweater to rub her belly and sides in slow, deliberate movements. He was careful to avoid her breasts. He hadn’t lied; she would be begging when he was done.

Moving his hands back to the waist of her jeans, he undid the top button, leaned down and kissed the skin it revealed. Flicking his tongue, Claire wiggled under his touch. Smiling, he blew on her wet skin and the scent of her arousal grew stronger.

Unzipping her fly, he whispered, “You’re wet now, but I want you drenched. I think I need to tease you some more. Raise your hips for me.”

Claire obeyed for once, and he slid her jeans down. Slipping off her shoes, he tugged them free. At the sight of her creamy skin, he leaned down and nibbled her inner thigh, working his way up to the crease of her panties. So close to her pussy, he breathed deeply, both man and cat desperate to brand her scent into their memory.

Breathing wasn’t enough, and moving aside the strip of material, Aidan gave a long lick up her slit, stopping just short of her clit. Needing another taste, he did it again, savoring his female’s honey.

Claire grabbed his hair and wiggled her hips. With a chuckle, he backed off only to see Claire staring at him with narrowed eyes. Her voice dripped with frustration. “We have less than an hour. You’d better speed up the process or you’ll never get the chance to fuck me.”

He winked. “I told you I’d have you begging by the time you were naked. Actually, you’re begging already and I’m only half done.”

Claire huffed. “I’m done waiting.” She sat up. “If you don’t hurry up, I’m going to leave your dick hard and aching. You’ll have to take care of yourself then.”

Taking the hem of her sweater, he tugged it up and she lifted her arms. He tossed it to the side. “If you want it hard and fast, then I can do that.” Before she could reply, he tugged her bra down to reveal her full, beautiful breasts. Rolling one hard nipple, Claire bit her lip to keep from groaning. “You have five seconds to remove your bra and panties or I rip them off. One, two…”

~~~

Not that Claire wanted to admit it, but the damn shifter had kept his promise to make her all but beg. Never had being undressed turned her on so much in her life.

Granted, most of the men she’d been with had been more interested in getting their dick inside her and finding their own orgasm, than helping along hers.

Aidan, on the other hand, had nearly made her come with most of her clothes still on.

As he started counting, Claire didn’t waste a second slipping her bra straps off and unhooking it. A good bra was hard to find and she wasn’t about to destroy it, not even for possible mind-blowing shifter sex.

Her underwear didn’t have a chance, however, because the instant Aidan reached five, he extended a claw and sliced them off.

She didn’t have a second to scold him, let alone wonder if he found her as attractive naked as he did clothed, because he pushed her down on the bed and covered his hard, hot body over hers.

His weight, size, and chest hairs teasing her nipples made her feel feminine in a way she hadn’t felt in years.

Aidan moved a knee between her legs and pressed against her. She cried out and Aidan’s look grew pleased. “I wanted to lick you nice and slowly, building the anticipation, but my little human is impatient. I’m going to fuck you now, in the way I’ve been imagining since yesterday.”

Lowering his head to kiss her, she felt his hand between her legs, teasing her pussy. Then the next second, his long, hard cock was deep inside her. Aidan’s kiss muffled her cries.

Instead of hammering away, he remained still, allowing her to acclimate to his size. And, damn, what a size. She was almost too full, but knew it would be delicious when he finally moved.

Aidan broke the kiss, took her wrists, and pinned them above her head. The combination of his tender strength and the amber glow of his eyes only made her wetter. This was really happening. She was about to have sex with a shifter.

Before doubts could set in about the enormity of the situation, Aidan pulled out and thrust slowly. After a few deep movements, he tightened his grip on her wrists and took a nipple into his mouth. The wet heat of his tongue circling her sensitive skin made her moan, but then he bit her and she screamed.

She was so close already. All he would have to do was bite her nipple again and she’d come.

But he released her nipple with a pop and stared into her eyes as he moved out and then pounded back into her pussy. Increasing his pace, her whole body moved with his efforts.

Aidan wasn’t merely fucking her. No, he was claiming her body.

Changing his angle, she moaned. Thank fuck the walls were made out of stone so the neighbors couldn’t hear her.

She closed her eyes to focus on the building pressure, but Aidan stopped and ordered, “Open your eyes. I want to see you come.”

Unable to resist the dominance in his voice, she obeyed. The second her eyes met his glowing amber ones, Aidan moved again, only faster.

In the past, she’d always been fairly quiet during sex. This time, however, she couldn’t help but say, “Harder, Aidan. Don’t hold back.”

With a growl, he complied. Only because he held her wrists did she not move up against the headboard.

His voice thick and heavy, he stated, “My human. Only mine.”

Without thinking, she answered, “Yes.”

Maneuvering her wrists into one of his strong hands, he glided down her neck, her chest, her belly, and finally her clit. After a few flicks, he pressed his thumb against her hard nub and her orgasm hit, sending pleasure through her body. As her pussy clenched Aidan’s cock, lights danced before her eyes.

Yet as much as she enjoyed the best orgasm of her life, she wanted more. She wanted Aidan to come inside her.

As if reading her mind, Aidan stilled. With a shout, he came. Unlike with a human, she could actually feel each hot spurt inside her body, branding his scent into her.

When the tension eased from Aidan’s body, he melted on top of her and rolled to his side. Squeezing her close, Claire snuggled into his chest. A sense of safety and rightness settled over her, but she wondered if it would last.

Pushing her doubts about what would happen ten or twenty minutes from this moment, Claire breathed deeply and nuzzled Aidan’s warm, slightly sweaty body. She wanted to memorize every single detail, from Aidan’s warmth to the sound of his beating heart,, just in case this was all they had.

After all, Aidan has his work and his daughter, while Claire had her work and her mission. Even if Aidan wanted more, it probably wouldn’t work. Something would leak to the press and the only way she could keep a shifter and have her vote pass in November was to marry one, and that wasn’t happening any time soon.

Claire was in over her head. For all her years of strategizing and playing politics, she hadn’t the faintest idea of what to do next.

~~~

As Aidan stroked Claire’s soft hair, his inner cougar purred. Their female was at their side, just as she should always be.

The day before, Aidan would have argued the point. In that moment, with his sassy, smart female nuzzling his chest, he agreed with his cat.

The thought nearly made him frown. Man and cat might want the human, but did the human want him in the same way? Not only that, Aidan had his daughter to think of.