Authors: Brittany White
Cassie arched her back as he stretched her. “Yes,” she hissed. “God, yes.” He leaned over her and pumped his hips just a little, and her eyes widened. “There’s more?”
He laughed shortly. “Yes, but I won’t give you more than you can take,” he muttered. She could see the veins in his neck strain as he tried to control himself.
She drew her legs up, and he settled even deeper. “More,” she said hungrily. “I want more.”
He moaned and slid just a little more in. Her eyes popped open as she tried to adjust herself. She’d never had anyone reach that deeply, and she’d never imagined that it could feel like that. He satisfied a deep ache that she didn’t even know existed. The more he threatened the scratch, he more she itched. “Fuck,” she whimpered. “Can you give me more?”
He closed his eyes and finally sank all the way in. She immediately scissored her legs around him. “Don’t move,” she ordered. She wiggled her hips around in delight. “Max. That’s so good. Right there. That’s my new spot. That’s it.”
He grunted. “Cassie, I love that you want to play, but I’m about to lose my mind here.”
She licked her lips in anticipation. With a wicked grin, she managed to pulse her muscles around him, and he lost it. At the first full thrust of his hips, she knew that playtime was over.
He slid all the way in and hit that spot that made her toes curls. Slow at first, and then faster, and soon she was digging her nails into him. As pleasure coursed through her in waves, she could barely hang on.
“Don’t stop,” she cried out. She knocked her head on the floor and tried to keep up. He grabbed her legs and pulled them up. Balancing himself on his arms, he pumped faster, and she moaned. “Oh God. I think I’m going to die.”
“Look at me,” he demanded. “I want to hear you scream my name when you come.”
She locked eyes with him, and as he buried himself in her, she could take no more. “Max,” she panted. “Max. MAX!” She convulsed around him and gripped his hips.
He dropped to rest his forehead on hers. “Mine,” he roared, and slid in as far as he could go before he emptied himself inside her. For just a moment, she saw the lion come out and join them.
She dropped her legs, limp, and he rolled them over so she could rest on him.
“Can’t do anymore,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “I’d need a few minutes anyways.” He paused. “I own a woodworking business. I make furniture and cabinets and such.”
She stilled. She usually hated when the guy got personal afterwards, but she knew that fighting it was futile. He tensed under her, waiting for her response. Even if she wanted to get up and walk away, her legs wouldn’t let her.
“I’m a reporter. But I guess you already knew that,” she muttered as she nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck. He relaxed.
“I still have both my parents. I have three sisters, and I’m the alpha of the local pride.”
She propped her head on his shoulder and shuddered as he stroked a finger down her back. How was it that she was still responding to him? “I have an overbearing mother and no siblings.”
“My favorite color is blue, I like classical music, and I try to spend as much time outdoor as possible.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Black. Hard rock. And I’m a big fan of central heating and air conditioning.”
“Action movies, football, and red meat.”
She smiled. “Action movies, football, and red meat,” she echoed.
“At least three kids.”
She bit her lip. “In the future?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
She wiggled on top of him. “Practice first, and then I think three kids might be in your future.”
“And a wedding. I’m a traditional man.”
She raised her eyebrows. This was getting serious quick, but what did she expect? There was no skirting around the truth. She belonged to him. And he belonged to her.”
“Fall. I like the colors better,” she said with a smile.
He laughed and reached up to kiss her. “Mine,” he said aggressively.
“Mine,” she countered and wiggled her hips.
“God,” he moaned. “You’re going to drive me insane for the rest of my life, aren’t you?”
She was delighted to find that he was already hard again, and she slid her hips over him, inch by inch. “That’s my plan,” she agreed.
It was slow and unhurried, and as he did things to her body that she never thought possible, she realized that some things really were meant to be. She had no doubt that he would love and treasure her for the rest of her life.
And she would do the same to him. “Cassie Torrents,” she whispered out loud.
His eyes widened, and as he gripped her hips, their lovemaking was no longer slow. As he pounded her, she gasped. “Like that, don’t you,” she managed just before she lost all capability to form words.
And for the fourth time in just a few hours, he made her fall apart.
And he was there to catch her.
THE END
Chapter One
Sasha stared at the man across from her. There was just not something quite right with his face. Was his nose too small? Were his eyes too close together? She cocked her head. Maybe his eyebrows were too bushy.
“Wouldn’t that be great?”
Startled, she shook herself out of her daze. Shit. He had said something to her. What was his name again? “Tell me about your job, Don,” she said trying to divert his attention away from the fact that she had absolutely no idea what he’d just said.
He looked crestfallen. “I just did.”
Double shit. “I’m sorry,” she said with a smile. “Long day at work, and I just zoned out.”
Her smiled must have encouraged him because his face brightened. “I bet. So you’re a baker? I love cupcakes!”
Of course he loved cupcakes. He probably loved everything a normal ten-year-old boy loved. Why did she let her sister set her up on these blind dates? They were always a complete disaster!
The check arrived, and she watched as he grabbed it. At least he was going to be a gentleman and pay for dinner.
“Mom said girls like to feel independent on first dates. Dutch?” he asked with a smile. “You owe twenty-four dollars plus tip.”
Mom said? This date was so over.
After giving him the brush off at the car, she locked herself safely inside and quickly called her sister.
“Sasha!” she squealed. Sasha could hear her niece and nephew screaming in the background. Apparently they didn’t want to go to bed. “Is the date over already?”
“Already?” Sasha asked. “Calla, it felt like it lasted forever. Where the hell did you find this guy? Boring R Us?”
Her sister got oddly quiet on the other end, and Sasha started her car with narrow eyes. “Calla. Where did you find him?”
“Maybe you just didn’t give him a chance,” she said softly.
That did it. “Calla Lilly Thompson! You tell me where you found him right here and now or so help me God!” Their mom had a thing for flowers. Sasha’s full name was Sasha Rose.
“Okay,” she said with a huff. “You don’t have to yell. I signed you up for this online dating site. Don looked so handsome in his picture, and he seemed so stable and nice when we talked.”
“You mean when you talked and pretended to be me? Well that explains why our conversations made absolutely no sense,” Sasha grumbled. “You will take me off that dating site right now. If you don’t personally know the guy, you don’t get to set me up with him.”
“I just want you to be happy,” her sister sniffed. Sasha rolled her eyes. Her sister wasn’t really going to cry, was she? That hadn’t worked since they were ten.
Calla was two years younger than her, and she’s always felt guilty about being the first to get married. Sasha never felt bitter about it because she loved her brother-in-law, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that she wanted what they had. But it was so difficult to meet a decent man these days. Either they were taken, they were single and deservedly so, they were gay, or they came with an insane amount of baggage. And Sasha didn’t want to settle. She wanted to feel that initial spark of passion.
“Stop crying,” Sasha demanded. “Take me off the website.”
Her phone beeped, and she looked at her Bluetooth dashboard. “Hang on. Work is calling me. I’ve got to go.”
“But,” her sister interrupted, but Sasha hung up on her.
“Sasha Morrows,” she said.
“Sasha! Oh thank god!” Her boss, Billy Anderson, sounded frantic. “Miriam just called. She quit. Quit! Something about moving to Vegas and eloping. I have no idea. But I’m still in Florida, and someone has to man the Hairy and Fluffy
party tonight. Susan finished baking, but she thought Miriam would ice them after they cooled. Please tell me you’re free tonight. I’ll do whatever you want,” he pleaded.
“Three days of paid vacation next month,” she said immediately. She wanted to spend some time digging her toes in the sand and listening to the ocean.
“Done,” he said immediately. She smiled.
“Text me the address. I’ll head that way now.” She’d wasted her sultry red dress on the date, so she might as well wear it to the party.
“You are a lifesaver. A doll. My absolute favorite,” he gushed as he hung up on. Sasha rolled her eyes. By next week, Billy would be flipping out on her for something she hadn’t even done. She loved her boss, but he was a bit touchy. Especially when his husband was out of town, which was often.
She pulled up the directions to the party, turned her car around, and headed downtown. Hairy and Fluffy Dating Agency held a massive mixer three times a year in order for their members to meet. Shifters of all types were hoping to meet their mates and humans were hoping to hook up with an alpha.
Sasha knew the rumors. Shifters could sense their mates immediately, and Sasha thought it was ridiculous. How could you imprint on someone when you knew nothing about them? What if your soul mate was actually a huge asshole? What did you do then?
No. While Sasha certainly wanted some passion in her life, she relied on good old-fashioned logic. She wanted to get to know someone before she decided they were her soul mates.
Chapter Two
Cole nearly growled at his mother. She stood in the kitchen with her hands on her hips while he shook the invitation in the air. “This Meet and Greet has my name on it. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you?”
“No.”
“Why are you standing so defensively, then?”
“Because you’re always accusing me of something. Yesterday you thought I’d deliberately shoved a nail in your neighbors tire so you’d have to change it. Last week you accused me of collaborating with your brother so that you’d have to talk to his receptionist. I swear Cole, you’re getting a little paranoid.”
He felt his anger rising. He knew she was behind those little antics. His mother was tired of waiting for grandpups. She wanted Cole to marry, and she wasn’t below a little manipulation to get what she wanted.
“I told you that I would find my mate in my own time,” he hissed.
She smirked. “I know for a fact you haven’t satisfied your wolf in months. At the very least, you need to let him out to play.”
“How did you….” He shook his head in frustration. “Never mind. It’s my life, and I’ll do as I please.”
“Celibacy is dangerous Cole Grayson, and you know it!” She sauntered over and ripped the invitation out of his hands. “A Hairy and Fluffy party? A bit too forward for my tastes, but at the very least, you’ll find some damn release.” She slapped him on the chest with it. “Go. Find some pretty little thing to take home. Someone substantial enough to take your wolf, and pull that damn bug out of your ass.”
Cole growled. “If I find out that you had anything to do with this…” he threatened.
“You’ll what? I gave you life, Cole Grayson. So you adjust that attitude of yours, or I will take you over my knee!”
“I’m not going.”
“The hell you aren’t going. If you don’t, I’ll come visit you at work with a new woman to toss at you for the next month.”
The horror struck deep. “You wouldn’t,” he whispered.
“I’ll even cook. I think the boys at the fire station would enjoy that,” she said with a sly smile.
He groaned inwardly. His mother was the worse cook. Having her show up at the station while he was on duty would be a disaster. And he knew his mother. It was best not to call her bluff. “Okay, I’ll go,” he grumbled. “But I don’t promise that I’ll talk to anyone.”
She smiled. “Well I didn’t send that invitation, so maybe fate is finally stepping in. Go home and shower, darling. You smell terrible.”
“I’ve been working on my car,” he said self-consciously. Cautiously, he gave himself a whiff. Even his wolf was disgusted.
“Wear something nice,” she said as she rose up on her tiptoes. He immediately bent down so that she could give him a kiss on his cheek. “And be on your best behavior. I don’t want to hear about you getting into any fights. You need a lover. You need to find your mate.”
“Yes, mom,” he said with a sigh. What was the point in coming over here? His mom always won.
Always.
Besides, it had been awhile. He was tired of loveless fucking. He did need a lover, and he did need his mate.
But a Hairy and Fluffy party? How the hell was he going to meet one there?