Mate Not Wanted (5 page)

“Bloody hell.” He jerked out of the hold of the bar patrons. His anger and desire had dissipated, but the musk of tiger still remained, as did a hint of fear. He paced back and forth until Madison felt the steady beat of calm.

Pierce stopped and turned toward her. Concern filled his face. He shook his head again before moving closer to her, bringing with him the masculine scent of spice and musk.

Madison began to relax, but her skin remained fevered with passion as arousal knotted in her gut. Her heart continued its frantic dance against her rib cage. She pulled in deep breaths to calm herself, but that didn’t help her in the least. Every tug of air brought his scent into her lungs and filled her blood with more heat. Tingles skittered along her inner thighs to the base of her spine and made her all the more aware of her femininity.

He moved closer still, bringing his body heat and cologne near her. Her lioness purred with his closeness, the noise starting deep in her chest and quaking through her body. Madison swallowed and tried to dart away, only to have him grab her wrist, pull her close, and lift a hand to cup her cheek. Time stopped as her fever spiked. Her limbs melted into gelatin. She was rooted to the spot, her thoughts short-circuited. Her whole being became attached to this one touch.

“You OK, love?” his voice rumbled from deep in his body.

She shivered at that contact. A blaze filled her cheek and began to spread down her neck like liquid fire under the press of his roughened palm. What would that sensation feel like all over her body, trailing down her bare back, along her inner thighs, her sides—all over?

Were his fingers as rough as his palm? She licked her lips at the thought. Images formed in her mind of him touching her all over as she struggled against bonds that held her wrists and ankles in place. Sensation fluttered through her sex. She sucked in more air and shoved away those thoughts.

All she could do was nod at his question and rasp out, “Fine.”

Even she could hear the tendrils of passion in her tone.

“You sure? Did he hurt you?” His gaze narrowed at her, a new fire burned in his eyes. The edge of a growl was back in his voice, threatening yet another round of violence.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “This is why I hate you.” She stepped away from him.

His gaze left hers and took her in from head to toe. “I didn’t attack you,” he growled, moving toward her again.

She didn’t back down. Instead, she moved until she was toe to toe with him. “Maybe not, but you don’t have to act like such a Neanderthal about it.”

“I’m not a Neanderthal. Now are you hurt or not?”

Tension sizzled between them. Goose bumps rose on her bare arms. She wanted to move closer, press herself against him, bury her nose in the crook of his neck, and inhale his scent. Instead, she just glowered up at him.

“I’m fine. Back off,” she spat, more venomously than she intended.

“Not until I make sure you’re not hurt.” Before she could protest he jerked her against him until her breasts pressed against his midsection. Her nipples became tightened nubs that pulsed with need. Her skin tightened as pricks of heat danced along her exposed skin. Her lioness purred louder, demanding more contact with her mate. For a moment, all she saw was him. Her world became the bright white of his shirt marred by the dark stains of blood, his sweat and unique scent, the tanned skin of his neck. She leaned forward to rub herself against him, imprint her own perfume on his clothes. A soft buzzing sound filled her ears.

Whispers and murmurs swirled around them, pulling her back to the reality of where she was. She cursed her weakness and took a step back. She was supposed to stay away from him, not give him more ammunition to prove his theory that she was attracted to him.

“No way in hell. I’m fine. No damage. I could have handled myself, you know.” It wasn’t a bluff, but she had to remind herself of why she should be so pissed at him. Things could have gone pear shaped in a matter of seconds had she not stepped in. “Why do you have to act like such a beast? Jesus.” She ran a hand through her hair and focused on her weakened anger at him. “You could have gotten someone hurt—or worse.”

He blinked. “I know you can take care of yourself. I was just trying to help.”

His voice was now soft and gentle, and yet that roughness still remained. It was like a single malt—smooth, creamy, rough, and it could keep you warm on the coldest of nights.

Another shiver raced along her skin and smoothed down her spine. Her nipples pulsed with heat as her breasts grew heavy and tight. She wanted to move back into his touch, feel the press of his chest against hers as he moved within her, rubbing his skin against the sensitive tips.

She cleared her throat and tried to stave off her desire. “And I’m not your mate,” she lied, trying to shrug off the effects that his tenor had on her body, “friend or otherwise.”

“For now.” Pierce closed the gap between them until his chest pressed against her breasts, giving them just a hint of the pressure they needed. It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough.

Her palms itched with the need to reach out and draw him closer to her. She tried to ignore the tingles on her lips, the desire to taste his skin. She broke eye contact to look at the pulse that beat under the skin in his neck. She could see that it was racing, just like hers.

Again the world narrowed down to just him and her. He bent his head toward her. For a moment, she prayed he would kiss her.

“Not now or ever.”

She threw out the challenge knowing it was baiting him. He brought his lips closer, only a breath away, and she let out a pained groan. Her control slipped away. This couldn’t happen here.
She couldn’t allow this to continue, not when she wasn’t on equal footing, not while her body was a chaotic cauldron of emotions.

She spun on her heel and walked away from him, hoping he wouldn’t follow her—and yet, a part of her wanted him to chase after her. It was a ridiculous notion, but it was there in her mind. Madison wanted Pierce to hunt her down and claim her.

“Run all you want. You won’t escape from me.” His raspy tone followed her with each step she took.

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Instead, she collapsed at her table with Lea and Alec. Her limbs felt shaky and her head felt heavy all over again. Her body was a mess of arousal and need, and she felt a strong desire to find a quiet place and think this whole incident through.

Alec and Lea looked from Madison to Pierce, their thoughts as clear as day. She was insane to walk away from him and even more insane for taunting a tiger.

“Stop looking at him,” Madison hissed.

They shook their heads and turned their attention to her, speculation in their eyes. She didn’t like what she saw but knew her friends were planning something. Her stomach sank as a queasy feeling filled her.

Rather than think about what they were up to, she tried to focus on her cold food. She picked up a fry and ate it, hating that she didn’t have any beer to deal with the saltiness. Pierce, thankfully, hadn’t followed her over. Instead, he remained at the bar. Ten minutes later he left without another word. Why he’d stayed for so long wasn’t something she wanted to contemplate. Why he’d even stopped here when he had the opening day of the Elemental Football League to attend was beyond her.

Madison turned toward Alec and Lea. “So, find anything good on the site?”

“You mean besides that man who almost killed someone over you? No.” Alec grinned as he looked down at the laptop.

Lea burst out laughing and Madison couldn’t stop the flare of heat on her face and along the edges of her ears. She couldn’t understand Pierce’s reaction. Yes, she’d been in danger, but it was nothing she couldn’t have handled herself.

A waitress came over with a server laden with their drinks. “Sorry for the delay. Guys can be real jerks. Present company excluded.” She winked at Alec, who blushed.

“I’m just sorry my boyfriend missed all the action,” he replied.

The waitress didn’t miss a beat. “Too bad. I guess I get to ogle you all by my lonesome.”

Alec burst out laughing. “Why don’t we come here more often?” he asked as he pulled a pint toward him.

Lea shrugged. “We haven’t all been together like this in a while. I do like this place. It’s a hell of a lot better than some of the so-called clubs around here. A lot more civilized. And there are some cuties in here too.”

Madison followed her gaze to an adorable young man in faded blue jeans and a cambric shirt. He was laughing over at the bar. The atmosphere around the pub was now jovial. It was almost as if there hadn’t been a fight at all, but those icy blue eyes still flashed in her mind. Goose bumps broke out over her bare arms. She’d never seen someone so angry before.

Pierce was not known for his temper. It had always been his way with the ladies that drew the attention of the press, from rumors that his exes had reported to general gossip in the blogs and the entertainment sites. Seeing this new side of him gave her pause. This at least proved to her lioness that he could defend her, but it was also a warning sign. Just how short was his fuse? Would he ever turn that anger toward her if she pissed him off? Just how much control did the tiger have over him?

Madison turned her attention back to her friends. She didn’t want to think of Pierce in that kind of light. She would take what happened tonight as a warning not to pick a fight with him. Violence she could handle, but in the back of her mind she suspected such anger also meant great passion. She wasn’t sure whether or not she could handle that.

Chapter Three

Pierce pounded the steering wheel. He had to stay calm. Anger and need twisted in his blood as he wound through late-afternoon traffic. He had twenty minutes to get to the stadium, but none of that really mattered. He couldn’t get rid of the image of that bastard with his arms around Madison, squeezing her like she was some kind of blow-up doll. The look of pain and anger on her face was frozen in Pierce’s mind.

Afterward, it was the look of passion on her features as well as the curious look of indecision, a sense of lacking. It had been brief, and yet he’d seen her mask fall just a bit. There had been a vulnerability there that he hadn’t understood, something that didn’t have to do with her father’s heart attack or the bear shifter’s assault, or anything that he could think of.

He thought back to her face during the attack. He felt pain in his stomach as his fury became hotter. His tiger part wanted to find the little bear shifter and rip him limb from limb for daring to put his body and hands anywhere near his woman. The man’s disgusting stench lingered in Pierce’s nose like the stink of refuse that follows a garbage truck.

Then to top it off she slapped him. The hot sting of her hit still burned his cheek. If he hadn’t been a tiger shifter and healed quickly he would have had to go to the hospital for a checkup and neck brace. He would probably even have had whiplash.

A chuckle began deep in his throat until it came out in a loud burst. That small sound became a roar of laughter. The petite lioness had gotten the best of him. Another rousing burst of heat filled his gut. There was still an ache but it was dull and throbbing, nothing a few aspirin wouldn’t deal with.

But did he really want to relieve the pain? Not when it had confirmed his theories to a T. She truly did want him, but something was holding her back. Her slap proved that. His tiger wanted him to turn the car around, find her, drag her off to someplace secluded, and rip away all of her barriers until she exposed everything she was to him. Perhaps he would even let out of the bag a few of the things he’d learned from his Dom friends.

He forced that urge down, but it was replaced by a desire to go back home, skip the game altogether, and let his tiger run up a storm through the forests. He yearned to let off the last of the steam still swirling through his body. That bear shifter may have done him a favor in allowing him to focus some of the stress of opening day. Better to deal with it that way than by drinking himself stupid in the owner’s box.

His housekeeper, Inga, would shit her knickers when she woke up in the morning and had to clean up after his tiger’s mini rampage. Even a day without her magic cleaning abilities and he’d be lost. And then Tony would be pissed at him for losing Inga because the idiotic man couldn’t admit his love for Pierce’s head of household. Sometimes Pierce watched soap operas for a peek at normalcy. He was pretty sure if he ever pissed off Jessica, his head chef, he’d starve. She banned him from the kitchen if she was on a baking spree and then she’d slap his hand if he tried to get an early taste of a meal.

He could easily see Madison in that setting. He hoped that she would love his home and his extended family as much as he did. Would she like the way he’d designed it? Would she hate his furniture? Maybe she’d want to bring in her own staff and fire his? A nervous flutter started in his belly at that last thought. He would allow her almost anything, but that was where he’d draw the line. His staff was his family. Period. No one was leaving him unless they wanted to.

He could honestly say he was truly terrified of what Madison would make of his life. Pierce knew that a lot of stories followed him around. Would she be willing to see past all that fluff to the man who lay beneath? He wasn’t just a bruiser or a successful businessman, but how to show her that?

He was pretty sure that she wouldn’t even talk to him now, much less agree to dinner. He wasn’t going to use his friendship with her father to get to her either. If he was going to win her over, it would have to be clean, honest, and undeniable. He couldn’t approach her as he had other women in the past. This was his mate he was dealing with, and she deserved more than just a simple seduction with an understanding that they would part ways in the morning. Madison wasn’t a woman you just walked away from. He was serious in his pursuit of her. For the first time in his life, he had no clue how to approach the opposite sex. He knew his best mate and business partner, Ryan Fortunato, would be laughing his arse off at this situation.