In Heat: Mating Call (In Heat Shapeshifter Romance Series #2) (16 page)

He smiled, clearly amused by her.

“What's for dessert?” she said.

His smile widened. “I've saved the best for last.”

She frowned and sat up. When he looked over her shoulder, she looked there too and saw a man approaching with two glasses of champagne.

More champagne? They still hadn't finished the first bottle and she didn't want to get drunk tonight.

The man stopped beside Erik and she watched him take the glasses. She went cold when Erik placed one in front of her.

She stared at it.

She stared at the intricate thread of black ribbon that was wound around the glass and tied with a bow near the rim.

It was tied with a bow that held something that sent a shiver sweeping through her and she wondered if she was dreaming.

It was a diamond ring.

She swallowed hard and then stared at Erik.

“I thought you couldn't,” she said, not daring to get her hopes up about the purpose of this ring, but needing to ask if only so she could get everything clear in her head.

What he said next made her heart stop.

“To hell with tradition.”

He reached across the table and she noticed his fingers were shaking as he untied the bow and slipped the ring free. Her heart started again at a painfully fast and hard pace as he stood and the whole room descended into silence.

She couldn't believe this was happening.

He knelt beside her and it was a little hard to see him through the tears filling her eyes.

“Marry me?” His voice shook with those words.

She pressed her hand to her mouth, trembling all over and unable to say anything.

She nodded and hiccupped on a sob when he slid the ring onto her finger. It was snug, but at least she'd never lose it.

Cupping his cheeks in two shaking hands, she kissed him and giggled as he wrapped his arms around her, deepening their kiss. She didn't care about anything anymore. Not the room staring at them, or Kristian.

She frowned.

This was bound to be in the morning paper. Kristian would see it. No, Erik would never propose to her for that reason. He loved her and that was why he wanted to marry her, because he knew how important this was to her.

Releasing Erik, she smiled into his eyes, surprised to see a few tears of his own in them. She could feel his heart pounding as fast as hers and it made her warm inside to know how much this meant to him too.

Maybe this was that slice of normal that he'd been looking for all his life.

She jumped out of her skin when people nearby began congratulating her, the ladies commenting on him being a fine catch much to the annoyance of their partners. She smiled meekly, barely stifling the blush trying to push itself onto her cheeks.

The manager and maitre de came over and Erik finally got off his knees.

“Would you like desert? It's on the house,” the manager said.

Erik looked at her.

“I don't think the kind of dessert I want can be served in public,” she said.

Erik grinned. “It can't?”

The blush made it to her cheeks this time as she remembered their first time and the garden the other night.

He held his hand out to her and she slipped hers into it, smiling happily as the lights glinted off her ring and made it sparkle.

She waited for him to pay and before she knew it she was walking out into the street. The cameras flashed again and she raised her left hand to shield her eyes. She was amazed when the flashing doubled and then realised that she was showing off her ring.

Kristian was definitely going to see now.

Erik put his arm around her and kissed her cheek before leading her to the car.

She looked at him, seeing the happiness written across his face and a hint of desire darkening his eyes. She hoped it wasn't far to the apartment. She was dying to be in his arms already.

K
im led Erik into the apartment. She waited for him to lock the door and then took hold of his shirt as soon as he turned to face her. She walked backwards towards the bedroom, her smile luring him on. He purred at her, sending liquid heat to her belly and making her knees tremble. She loved the way she could make him do that.

“Will I be able to purr too?” she said.

He nodded and his hands came to rest on her hips. “It takes practice.”

She giggled at the notion that she'd soon be like him, and that they'd always be together without any more worries of people trying to come between them.

She ran her hands up and caught him around the neck, her fingers tickling the spot behind his ear. He stopped, rolled his eyes closed and leaned into her touch. His purr deepened.

Continuing to tickle him, she led him towards the bedroom. The apartment was quite dark, but she knew the way. She'd stayed here often with Erik. It was such a contrast to the house. Here it was very city chic, all clean lines and modern with block colours.

She turned the lights on low when they reached the bedroom and looked at the large windows that looked out onto the city.

The curtains were open and she felt as though she could see all of London.

It twinkled at her.

Erik shifted and she caught hold of his shirt again, stopping him from going anywhere. He watched her hands as she lowered them to his waist, running them over his chest and aching to feel his bare body against hers.

She tugged the hem of his shirt out from his trousers and swept her fingers across his stomach. It tensed, rock hard and perfect beneath her touch. She swallowed and hurried to undo his buttons so she could see it in all its glory. He had the body of a god but she knew he worked hard to achieve it. He ran so much, twice as far as she could ever manage.

She slowly peeled the two sides of his black shirt open to reveal his chest. Her stomach tensed and flipped as she ran her fingers over him, tracing the lines of his muscles as he tensed them for her.

To think that all this was hers, that he was hers.

It was so overwhelming.

Her thumbs brushed his nipples and he groaned, his eyes closing slightly. She smiled and coursed her hands down to his waist, slipping her fingers into the band of his trousers and bringing them around to the front. She eyed his crotch, moaning internally at the sight of his stirring cock as it pushed against the black material. She was so tempted to touch him, to tease him into full hardness, but instead she stepped back and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Strip,” she said.

Both of his brows shot up. “What?”

“Strip,” she purred, her eyes narrowing on his.

He went to move and she stopped him with a hand against his chest. “Leave the curtains.”

He looked uncertain for a moment. The buildings around them were far enough away and the lighting was low enough that no one would see him, but the idea of them getting naked in front of the world was thrilling.

She sat down on the end of the bed, fingers smoothing the rich brown covers as she waited.

He shrugged and fingered his belt, undoing it. She couldn't quite believe that he was going to do what she'd said. She tried to keep her face emotionless, not wanting to him to see just how excited she was by what they were doing. He'd probably think she was silly.

Her eyes followed the slow movements of his hands as he removed his belt and then worked to unzip his trousers. He slid them down his legs and she felt a little jealous when he stroked his legs on the way back up. He kicked the trousers to one side and then smiled cheekily as he hooked his thumbs into his black boxers, teasing her by pretending to pull them down and then pulling them up again. She pouted, over eager to see him naked and unable to keep still.

He slowly pushed his boxers down and flicked them off his feet to join his trousers.

She groaned when he ran a hand down his cock, revealing the sensitive head, and she clenched her pussy to make the most of the thrill that came from seeing him do that. She could feel the slip slide of arousal in her knickers and her clit throbbed when she thought about the things they could do tonight.

This was always a fun place, somewhere they could let go a little and be more adventurous. They couldn't do things like that at home, not with Rose always in the house. But here, they could do anything, and probably had.

Hunger coiled in her stomach, sending fire to her abdomen as she followed the steady stroke of Erik's hand over his hard cock.

“What do you want for dessert?” he whispered and her heart beat a little harder.

She had to be confident.

“Something nice... or naughty?” His voice was a sexy seductive rumble that her body instantly responded to.

What did she want?

She smiled. “What did you have in mind?”

“Anything you want me to do,” he said and took a step towards her.

She raked her gaze over him, taking in his beautifully toned body—from his hairless square pectorals, over the ridges of his abdomen to the little line of dark hair that pointed down to his cock. He was so perfect. He was a god.

“Close the curtains,” she breathed.

He laughed. She realised that she was suddenly going back on what she'd said earlier but she didn't want to risk people watching them do what she had in mind.

“You don't want to make love then?” he said, the laughter still in his voice as he finished drawing the curtains closed.

He walked back to his spot in front of her and touched himself again.

“I'm hungry,” she whispered, staring at his cock.

She crooked a finger and he walked over to her. She licked up the length of his cock and swirled her tongue around the head. His hips bucked forwards.

“It's the mating,” he said, his voice a little harsh as though he was struggling for control. “I've heard it can be quite demanding, but it does bring extra stamina with it.”

She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. “Sounds interesting.”

He smiled and then his eyes flickered to her breasts.

“Stand up.” He stepped back and she did as he'd said.

She was disappointed when he walked away and she frowned and then bit her lip when he opened the cupboard beside the bed where all the playthings were. Her temperature rose as he pulled everything out, placing it on top of the cupboard and the bed. He took the handcuffs out and a jolt ran through her at the thought of being tied up by him, and then she frowned when he went to put everything away.

“Don't.” She couldn't quite believe she'd said that and she blushed furiously as he looked at her. She dragged her confidence up from around her heels. “Use it all. Tonight I'm yours to command.”

He straightened up and dropped the things he'd been about to put away back onto the bed.

“Strip then,” he said.

She kicked her shoes off, not caring where they landed, and then slowly removed her dress, teasing him by flashing her breasts before letting it slide to the floor and pool around her feet. She stepped out of it and went to peel her stockings off but he shook his head.

“Leave them on,” he whispered and the husky tone of his voice made her knees feel weak.

She slipped her lacy shorts off and waited for his next command.

“Come,” he said, crooking his finger.

She walked across the room to him and he sat down on the bed. He shifted her so she was facing him and ran his fingers up from her hips to her breasts. She closed her eyes and sighed out her breath when his thumbs circled her nipples, turning them into sensitive peaks, and then she frowned when he trailed his hands back down again.

He pushed her legs apart with his feet and she opened her eyes, waiting for him to touch her, her body screaming for it.

He brushed his thumbs through her curly hair and then turned his hand and slipped two fingers into her folds. She swallowed when he ran them down to her opening, collecting her arousal and drawing it back up to her hard nub. He teased it, rubbing and squeezing it until she was panting for more.

“Look at me,” he said and she did, staring into his eyes as he stroked her clit.

He kicked her feet further apart and lowered his hand, easing one finger inside her tight slick channel. She rolled her eyes half closed and then remembered what he'd said and focused on him again. It felt so dirty to be standing here before him in nothing but her stockings, letting him thrust his fingers into her, utterly at his command.

She moaned and he pulled his fingers out of her.

“Touch yourself,” he whispered and she gave him a look that said ‘seriously?'. He nodded.

She swallowed, feeling incredibly self conscious as she hesitated and built up the courage to do what he'd said.

“Touch yourself.” His voice was firmer, more demanding, and her hand went to her pussy.

If she'd felt dirty before, she didn't know what she felt now as she dipped her fingers into her pussy and began rubbing her clit. Her eyes followed him as he leaned across and retrieved a few things from the top of the cupboard. She groaned at the thought of him using the warming lubricant on her and she shoved her fingers inside her as he picked up the vibrator.

She watched him eagerly as he flicked the cap of the lube open, placing the vibrator down on the bed beside him.

He removed her hand from her pussy and she waited with bated breath as he squeezed some of the gel onto his fingers. She half sighed and half moaned as he spread her nether lips and smeared the lubricant along the length of her. He plunged his fingers into her, making her even slicker, and then pulled them out again. She closed her eyes briefly as the lubricant began to heat her though, making her feel as though she was burning up and tingling.

Her eyes darted to the vibrator and her whole body buzzed with the idea that he was going to use it on her. He seemed to take forever to coat the vibrator and she was almost ready to grab it off him when he finally closed the cap on the lubricant.

He smirked at her and she moaned when he used the remaining gel on his hand to coat his cock. He fisted it a few times, teasing her and making her hungry for him.

His knees nudged hers and she spread them as much as she could without falling over.