Read Roman's Gold (Underground Heat, Book 1) Online
Authors: Ann Gimpel
He ran the warm cloth down her back, following it with his mouth. He’d already rinsed her breasts and belly. The cloth splatted on the floor; his hands circled her waist. “Turn around.” His voice was gravelly with passion.
She did. He sank to his knees on the bathroom’s small rug and wrapped an arm around her hips. The other hand slipped between her legs, then inside her pussy. She groaned. He fastened his mouth over her clit and sucked. Fingers plumbed her. Kate’s fingers tangled in his hair. Her heart pounded. The climax waiting deep inside her surged. She crushed her hips against his face and screamed his name. Her muscles closed around his fingers as she came.
He kept on sucking. His fingers pressed her G-spot. A second climax roared through her. Kate’s legs shook. Once the spasms subsided, she tugged his head away from her pussy and tottered to the bed. She started to lie face down, but was afraid the temptation to shift would be too strong. She flipped onto her back, opened her legs and beckoned.
Devon crawled up her body. He licked and kissed her starting with her toes. When he got to her breasts, she felt the head of him pressing for entrance. Her hips bucked. She had to have him inside. Now.
He let go of her nipple, supported himself on his arms, and gazed down at her. “Tell me you want me.” He teased the entrance to her body, then drew back.
“I want you.” Her hands grasped his hips and tried to draw him inside, but he resisted.
“How much?” A mischievous grin lit the chiseled planes of his face. Unbound, his long hair fell over her shoulders and breasts.
“Lots.” She grinned back.
“You’ll have to do better than that, Roman.” He moved the head of his cock in a circular motion which damn near drove her wild.
“More than I’ve ever wanted anyone or anything.” She dug her fingers into his hips and locked her legs around him. “Please.”
“Please what?”
“Please fuck me. Do it hard and fast and—” Her head thrashed from side to side. She was wild with needing to have him fill her.
Desire, feral and untamed as their cat selves, heated the air between them. She inhaled the spicy scent of their arousal. It made her even hotter. With a roar, he pushed into her, drew back and drove himself home again.
“Yes!” She barely recognized the voice as hers. Her hips met him thrust for thrust. His teeth closed on her shoulder. The pain amped her pleasure. He swelled inside her, and got harder still. Kate’s orgasm bloomed out of nowhere, catching her by surprise. Her muscles clenched around him.
“Now.” He growled, sounding fierce and untamed and hotter than hell. “Now.” He slammed himself into her. His cock juddered over and over. She held on tight, infusing all the love in the world into the places her body touched his.
Devon collapsed on top of her. “I love you,” she murmured. Kate wanted to be more articulate, to say more, but sleep claimed her before she could even disentangle herself from his body.
*
Devon woke with his head on Kate’s breasts and her breath warm in his hair. He rolled off her, careful not to disturb her slumber. Protectiveness rushed through him, staggering in its intensity. She was his woman, his mate. He’d see nothing bad ever happened to her again. He’d care for her, love her, stand by her side until death parted them.
Her eyes fluttered open. Lush lips parted in a fond smile. “Up already?”
“Just. I was watching you.” He bent and kissed her forehead and her eyes, then took her in his arms. “I’m a lucky man, love.”
“Oh, and why’s that?”
“Because I have the most beautiful woman in the world by my side. And the smartest and most compassionate and kindest—”
“Stop, stop.” She pressed her hands against his chest. “It will go to my head and I’ll become insufferable.”
“I can tell you a head it has gone to.” He pressed a very firm erection against her thigh.
“Mmmmm.” She reached a hand to caress him. “I need to pee, but if you could hold that pose—”
He laughed. “Actually, I need to go, too. You first.” He let go of her.
Kate was just coming back from the bathroom when Devon’s wrist computer buzzed. He had to follow the sound since he had no memory of where he’d taken it off. He glanced at the display and tapped a reply.
“What was that all about?” Kate eyed him. “Is our honeymoon over already?”
He snorted. “Afraid so. Ryan told us to meet him in the cafeteria in half an hour.”
She grinned and waggled a finger at him. “I expect a rain check on that hard-on.”
Devon laughed. God but it felt good to be with Kate. “You got it, ma’am. I’m going to do a better job of cleaning up before I put my filthy clothes back on.”
“I’m going to take a shower. Seems like the requisite forty-eight hours are nearly over. If you wanted to shower, it would probably be all right. Let me help you with that bandage.”
He popped an antibiotic, then followed it with another. Devon wasn’t certain how long they’d slept, but he’d certainly missed at least one dose. Maybe two. He quieted while Kate unwound his bandage and loosened the gauze squares.
She whistled. “Holy crap. You’re lucky you weren’t killed. You might have been if you hadn’t been in your cat form when this happened. Mountain cats are tough.”
“How’d you know I was a cat?” Devon smiled. Deep inside, his cat purred its agreement with Kate’s assessment of cat virtues.
“Easy. There are hairs stuck in the wound. Text Ryan. He’s a jack of all trades. I’m sure he can find you some clean clothes. Actually, tell him I need some, too. I’ll get the shower going.”
In just over half an hour, he took Kate’s arm and they walked to the cafeteria. True to her prediction, Ryan had left clothes folded on the bed for them while they were in the shower. She placed her palm on the glass keypad and the cafeteria door opened.
Max stepped forward, hand extended. Devon took it. Gratitude filled him. “Thank you, sir, for believing in me. And for giving me a chance.”
“You’re welcome. I never do anything without ulterior motives, though. Just ask Roman.” Kate chuckled.
Max elbowed her in the ribs. “We need your skills. Between the two of you, the entire Tracker task force has signed on to help us. Strong work.” Max beamed and gestured them to a table set for four. “By the way, how’s that wound in your side?”
“Better, but it will be another few days before the stitches come out. Thanks for asking, sir.” Devon pulled out a chair for Kate. Once she was settled, he sat down.
Ryan placed covered dishes which smelled delectable on the table. “There,” he glanced over his efforts with a critical eye. “Think I got everything. Does anyone need anything before I sit down? By the way, I’m Ryan.” He stuck out a hand.
Devon shook it and said, “If we do, we can get it ourselves.” He took a sip of wonderfully fragrant coffee. His side ached, but the discomfort was minor. He laid a hand over Kate’s before tucking into ham, scrambled eggs, and toast. Surprise filled him. After he’d taken a couple of bites, he set his fork down. “This tastes like real food, not the multiple-processed crap I buy with my ration coupons.”
“It is.” Max munched on a square of toast. When he was done chewing, he continued. “We have farms where we raise our own food.”
Devon returned to his meal. Life couldn’t get much more perfect. “Do you suppose we could go by our homes and get what we can of our things?”
Max nodded. “I was going to suggest that. Ryan and some of his guys will help. Once you’re done, I’ve enrolled both of you in a crash course in shifter police work.” Max’s blue gaze went from him to Kate and back. “For you,” he leveled his knife at Devon, “it will be a refresher and a bit of a heads-up how we do things. For you,” he smiled at Kate, “it will take work, but I’m sure you’ll have help with your lessons.”
Devon moved his chair closer to Kate and draped an arm over her shoulders. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get her up to snuff, sir.”
Kate leaned into him. She felt warm and wonderful pressed against his side. “I’ll get back at you for this,” she murmured.
“You have to catch me first.”
“Enough levity.” But Max smiled, too. “We’re on a fast track. In two weeks, we’ll relocate the first of the families here. We already have the single guys on an upper level. Ryan’s team is indoctrinating them now and they’ll train right along with the two of you.”
He blew out a breath. “I’ve dropped the timeline for the nationwide push back until all of you are ready. Some of the other cities and states have Tracker elite who’ve defected.” He slammed a fist onto the table making the dishes rattle. “We will do this right. I do not want to keep living in a world where shifters are forced to deny who they are.”
Max shoved to his feet. Devon scrambled to his and stuck out a hand. “Pleasure to meet you, sir. I won’t let you down.”
Max gripped his hand so hard Devon felt the bones grind together. “No, I don’t think you will.” He let go of Devon and clapped Kate on the shoulder. “Told you, Roman. You got a good one. Stand up. There’s one more thing I need to do before I leave.”
Kate got to her feet.
“Come over here next to Devon.” Max drew a curved piece of dark stone from his pocket. It was about four inches long and so shiny light reflected off it.
Kate’s eyes widened. “That’s a ritual mating stone.”
Max grinned, his blue eyes alight with pleasure. “Correct. I’m one of the twelve elders which gives me the right to conduct mating ceremonies. This one will be incomplete since I gather Devon’s animal form won’t be available until his stitches are out. We can get fancier later.”
“Sorry to be slow on the uptake, but is this like a wedding?” Devon placed an arm around Kate’s shoulders.
“Yes and no,” Max said. “Weddings can be undone. This is permanent. It will bind you together forever in both your forms.”
“I haven’t exactly asked her to marry me yet.”
Kate met his gaze and snorted. “That’s the lamest proposal I’ve ever heard. I accept.”
“You two are impossible. Hold out your right hands.” Max made two quick strokes along the meaty place beneath their thumbs. “Place the cuts together until your blood mingles. Hold them there and repeat after me. Body of my body, blood of my blood, now and forever more, I shall be yours.”
Kate spoke the words, her amber eyes glowing with love. She’d never looked more beautiful. Devon followed. His cat did flip-flops inside him right along with his heart. Kate was really and truly his, now and forever. Joy swelled within him. He bent his head and kissed her.
Max smiled like a beneficent father. “Best part of being an elder,” he murmured. “Wish I got to do this more often.”
Devon straightened. “How would it have been different if I could have shifted?”
“This part would have been the same. Once we were done, you would have taken your animal forms and mated.”
Heat rose to Devon’s face. “In front of you?”
Max laughed. “Yup. Old voyeur that I am. You have a little time to get used to the idea. It will still happen, just not today.” He clapped Devon on the shoulder and pulled two pieces of white cloth out of a pocket. “Here, bind your mating wounds. Save the cloths and bury them in a safe place.”
“Thank you.” Kate wrapped the square of linen around the base of her thumb and laid a hand on Max’s arm.
“You’re most welcome, Roman.” He kissed her forehead. “All the best to both of you. Got to get back to Sacramento. Hovercraft’s waiting.” Max strode from the room.
“You guys done eating and grinning like a pair of Cheshire cats?” Ryan looked from one to the other.
“I am.” Kate did a better job securing the cloth around her hand and then wrapped Devon’s around his.
Devon looked longingly at the food. “Could I take the rest of this with us? I can eat en route. It’d be a shame to waste my wedding breakfast.”
Ryan laughed. “Nothing like a laser wound to stir the appetite. Or a mating ritual.” He piled what was left of breakfast on a plate, covered it with another, handed Devon a fork, and said, “Come on. Bring your coffees if you’d like.
“One thing I’d like you to work on,” he said to Devon as he led them from the room, “is a procedures manual. If we’re going to triple our ranks—and your guys will do that—we need something more standardized.”
“Sure. I’d love to do that. I’ve written lots of policy and procedures manuals.”
Happiness filled Devon. He took Kate’s hand. No matter what the future held, the woman he loved was by his side and he had meaningful work, work which could make a difference in people’s lives. There was his whole shifter side to explore and get to know better, too. His cat purred, warming him.
“You’re looking pretty chipper.” Kate smiled at him.
“It’s because I am. Thanks, love. For everything. Since we have a little time here, tell me about the twelve elders.” His hand tightened around hers.
She squeezed right back. “Well, like any other group we have a form of governance…”
The End
Publisher’s Note
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About Ann Gimpel
Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist with a Jungian bent. Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Her short fiction has appeared in a number of magazines, webzines, and anthologies. She’s also written several novels. A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.
http://anngimpel.blogpsot.com
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