Authors: Tressie Lockwood
She stood, head down with her face in her palms. He thought at first she was crying, but she held herself very still. Maybe she fought tears. He walked up behind her and lay hands on her shoulders. She jumped a little but didn’t pull away. Alec planted a kiss on the top of her head.
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
“Don’t be.” He turned her into his arms and pulled her close. “I should be the one to apologize. I was a bear with you, and you didn’t deserve that.”
She glanced up at him in surprise, but he didn’t give her a chance to speak a word. He covered her lips with his own, tasting that sweetness anew. Whisper didn’t pull away, so he drew her closer and molded their bodies together. His body came alive with need. Had he wanted another woman as much as he wanted this one now?
The erection in his pants strained to be set free, and he found his hand exploring the side of her thigh to her hip and higher to her waist. When Whisper didn’t stop him, he brought his hand around to stroke her breast. Through the thin material of her dress and bra, he felt the rigidity of her nipple, and it was his undoing. He craved much more. He wanted to taste more than just her delicious mouth.
The problem with dealing with humans was that his kind could be very aggressive when it came to sex. Not giving in to the instinct to slake their lust was a near impossible task. That was one of the reasons he never gave in to a relationship. No one woman had ever been enough for him, certainly not a human one, and he’d met few female shifters he could tolerate for more than a single night.
Alec pushed Whisper back against a tree, and she bumped it, expelling a soft breath. He followed with his body, pressing in tight. Without a second thought, he grabbed hold of the collar of her dress and tore downward. She cried out as the rending sound filled the quiet night. The swollen mounds straining against her bra took almost all of his attention before he forced his gaze higher to her eyes. Fear in the tawny depths stopped him. Shame washed over him. He had never and would never force a woman.
Alec fell back a step and dropped his hands to his sides. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
He would have turned away and told her he would take her home, but she stumbled toward him. Alec had to close his eyes and swallow over and over when her breasts brushed his chest. Did the woman get what she did to him? A man could take only so much.
“Don’t,” she said.
He heard a rustle of clothing and opened his eyes. To his surprise, she’d drug her dress lower and tugged her bra straps over her shoulders to expose her nipples. They were puckered and dark like ripe berries. His mouth watered. “You don’t know what you’re doing, Whisper.”
“I’m using my prerogative,” she answered without hesitation.
Again he forced his gaze to meet hers. This time while there was nervousness, there was also determination. Her lips were set in a straight line, her jaw clenched and chin high. He hesitated, but then she raised one of his hands and laid it on her breast. A soft touch on his hardened cock put him beyond the point of no return.
“Let’s just have some fun,” she said.
He knew this wasn’t what she preferred. Sex wasn’t all fun for her. The act was more a physical expression of the love she felt for the right man. He knew all this, and shame washed through his mind before desire drowned it out. He couldn’t say no.
Alec said nothing. Although her dress was ruined, he used the zipper at the back to loosen it some more and slipped it down her body to drop on the ground. She reached behind her to unhook her bra, and he caught her hands before she could follow with her panties. She stood there in nothing but her heeled shoes and her red panties. Her skin was smooth and brown. Her luscious figure rounded, breasts full and hips wide. He took in the sight of her thighs, thicker than any of his previous lovers, and he tormented himself with thoughts of them wrapped around his waist or parted while he delved between them with his tongue.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he demanded.
She uttered a laugh that was half clipped, half trembling. “You don’t have to say that. I’ve said yes.”
“Foolish,” he growled and dropped to his knees. She yelped when he ripped her panties to shreds and tossed the material away. Alec expected her cream to taste good, but he never imagined it would be this good. He pushed his tongue deep into her pussy and lapped at her juices. Whisper whined and shifted her hips. He caught them in a strong grip to keep her still while he feasted.
“Alec,” she moaned in protest. He lapped faster, hungry for more. A tremor passed through her thighs, and he squeezed them as he pulled her closer. Alec came up higher to support her weight and let her legs rest on his shoulders. He ate her sweet pussy with relish, alternating between sucking at her clit and lips and delving inside her.
He hadn’t been at it long before she cried out once again, and her limbs began shaking. A gush of cream rushed down her channel and filled his mouth. He moaned and massaged her little bud with his lips until the orgasm eased. After she was done, with his face bathed in her juices, he kissed his way up her belly and then stood up. Alec cleaned off and then undid his pants. He watched for her reaction to his erection. At nine inches, he knew he was a little too much for some women and just right for others. What was important in his opinion was that he knew how to use it.
Whisper’s eyes widened when she saw his tool, and he grinned in satisfaction. She appeared more turned on than fearful, and he liked that. Once more, he parted her legs and aimed his cock toward her entrance. First, he teased her clit with the tip. Precome coated her bud which was still erect, but he pulled back.
“I need to cover up.” She appeared alarmed at his words, but he chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m prepared.” He peeled a condom from his wallet, tore into the packet, and had himself gloved within a matter of moments.
From the first entry, chills raced over his arms. She was so tight, he couldn’t catch his breath. He leaned a hand on the tree behind her and paused. If he wasn’t careful, he would come much too soon. So he seated his cock as deep as it would go and waited until he calmed down.
Whisper clutched his shoulders. Her eyes had drifted closed, and her lips parted. The panting told him she was just as affected by their intimate connection as he was.
“Just a moment, honey,” he murmured.
“Yes.”
Alec hoisted her up into his arms but kept himself buried to the hilt. He switched their positions so he could lean against the tree and support her weight.
“I’m too heavy,” she protested.
“You’re perfect.”
He took his time withdrawing and then pushed hard and fast into her. She threw her head back and moaned. Alec took that as a sign that he should continue, and he let go. Pounding into Whisper, he let pleasure overtake him. His orgasm built, but he maintained control. With each thrust, he spoke into her ear.
“You like that, baby? You want more?”
“Yes, yes,” she pleaded.
Alec complied. He pounded a steady rhythm, raising her up and allowing her to fall onto his cock. At the same time, he pushed in. The friction was out of this world, and it shook him from head to toe. He moved to kiss her lips, then her neck. His hunger built, and he had to lick and taste her skin in every spot he could reach.
Whisper called his name and dug her nails in his back. The pain added to the pleasure and drove him on. Her pussy clenched around his dick, milking it to the point that he couldn’t hold on any longer. A growl rose in his throat, and he clamped his teeth together. With a heavy breath, expelled through his nostrils, he let loose. His come shot out into the condom, and he sagged against the tree in bliss.
Whisper whimpered as he let her legs down. At some point, she’d come out of her shoes, so she stood on tiptoe in the grass. She’d never looked cuter. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “Are you tired?”
She’d been searching the ground, he imagined, for her clothing. When he spoke, she looked up at him, embarrassment plain. “No, are you?”
Alec grinned. “Not at all. If you can take me again, I’d like more. Maybe we could go to your apartment?”
She nodded.
Alec got her into her dress and shoes, and left the panties and bra. If she needed him to replace them, he would, but he couldn’t wait to feel her under him in a bed.
Or maybe riding me.
At his errant thoughts, his cock began to grow again. He stuffed it away into his pants for the moment, and they hurried back home.
Alec couldn’t get her stripped and prostrate before him fast enough. He gloved his cock and flipped Whisper onto her stomach. She squealed in delight. “You’ve got a big appetite.”
“You don’t know the half of it, honey.”
With an arm around her middle, he hoisted her to her knees and drove into her juicy pussy. She cried out in pleasure, and he echoed it. Alec yanked her roughly back to his cock and watched as he pounded inside her. Just seeing his dick disappear into her sweetness drove him insane. He wouldn’t get enough. Not all night if he could help it. He just hoped she could take him as many times as he needed to take her.
Chapter Seven
Whisper opened her eyes and shifted on the bed. Her head bumped something hard, and she muttered. Just as she forced her eyes opened, she remembered the night before.
Oh hell, what did I do?
Her blurred vision cleared to reveal Alec, asleep beside her.
Damn, damn, damn! Why?
Why had she given in? Because she’d said the wrong thing and offended him? That was no reason to sleep with a man, damn it. He was a big boy. She moaned and scanned his body. The sheet she kept on the bed, along with the comforter was nowhere in sight. That allowed her a good view of Alec’s form. Oh yeah, he was a big boy all right. There wasn’t an inch of excess flesh on his hard body, and he was hung!
No amount of wine could erase the memory of how he’d taken her. Heck, with the number of times they’d done it the alcohol had plenty of time to wear off anyway. Still, she hadn’t drunk much, so she couldn’t blame anything but herself. Alec had given her the option of five dates. She could have turned him down and walked away. She could have kept him to his word. No, she’d let him tear her dress off in the woods and bang her brains out upside a tree.
“Goodness,” she moaned. Just thinking about it turned her on again, but no, she regretted it. They’d moved too fast, and there was no way he’d respect her sleeping with him on the second date. No way in the world! “Why, why, why?”
“Are you okay?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice but didn’t look up at him. “I’m fine. Thanks.”
Sitting up, she discovered she was sore as hell between her legs. He had worn her out, but she’d had a million orgasms, or it seemed like it.
No, don’t even think about it, Whisper. This is not going to happen again.
Her sheet was across the room near the door. How the heck had it gotten that far? Great, she’d have to get up and show him her big, wide butt in the light of day. She debated just staying there and waiting for him to get up instead.
“I think we both know last night shouldn’t have happened,” he said.
She froze.
“But we’re adults, and…”
Whisper stopped listening. Now she knew he regretted what happened, too. Maybe he didn’t enjoy it as much as he seemed to last night. Or maybe he thought she was going to get all clingy. Well, he was dead wrong.
“You got what you wanted. You can go.” She stood up, ignoring her nakedness and walked across the room to the bathroom. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. “You don’t have far to go, so I’m sure you can shower at your own place.”
Wow, now that sounded cold. She hoped he’d think she was one of these modern women who thought nothing of sleeping with a guy when she chose to. Her previous denials and acting like she wanted to make him wait could be considered part of the game. He didn’t have to know here she was again, having given in to the charm with no love—the one thing she wanted more than any other.
Rather than slam the door, she shut it quietly and turned on the shower. Only when she was under the spray did she let the tears fall. This time was the last she would let them go. Alec Macgregor wasn’t worth any more than that. Last night was great. Yes, she was an adult, and now it was done. She wouldn’t spare him another thought.
* * * *
Whisper didn’t want to tell Sheila what happened, but she was her only friend, the only close person in her life, and she needed to talk it out. Having an ear to listen might make her hurt feelings lessen, and then she could get on with her life. The problem was thoughts of Alec consumed her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him behind her lids, stroking her, murmuring gentle words that would lead her to opening up to him. Even in her imagination, she felt the pull to be his. Her heart ached for his love. She just wanted to wave a magic wand and have all those emotions disappear.
“I have something to tell you,” she said to Sheila a few nights after she’d slept with Alec. She stopped, hoping Sheila would do what she usually did—just keep chatting away about her latest lover. Her friend must have sensed something because she fell silent and turned to look at Whisper.
She squinted and studied Whisper. “Something’s been up with you for the last couple of days.
“Just figuring that out?” Whisper muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She took a deep breath. “I slept with Alec.”
“You did
what
?” Sheila shouted.
Whisper squirmed. She peered over her balcony where they were sitting and watched the people on the ground. A few had glanced up at Sheila’s voice. “Keep your voice down, will you? Damn, I don’t need the world in my business.”
Her friend wasn’t listening. From the expression on her face, she was fuming, although Whisper didn’t see why. “I can’t believe you did that. To go whoring—”
“Whoring? Excuse me? How is it whoring when I sleep with one guy, but it’s having fun when it’s you and…half a football team?”
Sheila rolled her eyes. “Now who’s exaggerating? I dated three guys on the team.”
“At the same time,” Whisper reminded her. “And if you want to call it dating…”
“Anyway.”
Her friend flopped back in her chair and put her feet up. They usually went to get their pedicures together, but Sheila had gone recently without her, not even asking Whisper if she wanted to go. That fact wouldn’t have been a big deal if Sheila hadn’t acted like she cheated on her when she’d done it once three years before. Sometimes their relationship made no sense to her, but she’d never bothered to analyze it or try to fix it.
“Anyway,” Whisper repeated. “I did. A few nights ago.”
“And?”
Sheila’s attitude lacked the support she’d been hoping for. “Never mind. It happened. It won’t again. I…I think I misjudged the kind of man he is. Or rather I judged it right and made a bad call.”
“So he wasn’t good in bed?”
Can’t she see I’m hurt, and I need
my friend
?
Damn!
“He was great in bed,” she admitted. “
Really
great. Tell me about your latest.”
She didn’t have to ask twice. The anger faded from Sheila’s eyes to be replaced by amusement. Whisper didn’t have to do a thing other than make small noises like she was listening to the diatribe about how easy men were to manipulate. Apparently, she’d been absent when that training went on. They spent another half hour on the balcony until she figured out an excuse to get Sheila to leave. She just wasn’t in the mood to talk or listen to how many men begged not to be cut loose. Of course that got her to wondering what Alec thought of her in bed. Had she been bad? Was he bored?
The week dragged by, and for the first time, Whisper wished she had overtime. Then she could bury herself under endless reports. School wasn’t due to start yet, so that couldn’t occupy her thoughts. She considered going to the library and then decided to get with the twenty-first century. She’d been thinking about buying a Kindle for a while. Now might be a good time.
Forty-five minutes later, she sat in the parking lot outside of her building fiddling with the electronic reader. The instructions indicated she needed to charge the device, but she’d gotten it to come on. Of course now she’d have to figure out how to buy books for it, but that might mean having an Internet connection.
“Ugh, complications.”
Movement from the corner of her eye made her look up, and she spotted Alec strolling from the building. Her heartbeat kicked into high gear, and a sense of longing enveloped her. Whisper pinched her lips together and tried tamping the emotions down. At least she was parked in a shaded area on the other side of a van. Maybe he wouldn’t see her before he reached his car, and she wouldn’t have to face him. She felt like a coward for deciding to delay getting out of the car, but so what. No one knew except her.
She crouched a little lower and set her Kindle in the passenger seat. Alec reached the curb, and she worried he’d tumble over the edge if he didn’t stop fiddling with his cell phone. As if he sensed its position, he stepped down without looking up.
While she watched, she noted the ripple in his thigh muscle, contracting to help him take each step. His jeans hugged his hips with perfection and outlined his crotch enough to make her mouth water. He’d paired the pants with a T-shirt that had been imprinted with a skull and feathers. She wondered if it meant anything. For some reason, it didn’t appear to be the type of thing he would wear, but she didn’t know him that well.
Probably why I shouldn’t have slept with him
,
too.
He frowned and glanced up from his phone. Whisper realized she’d heard someone call his name. She stiffened when Sheila sashayed over. Whisper swore under her breath. Her friend had never been over this side of town so often.
Sheila stopped in front of Alec and laid a hand in the middle of his chest. She flipped her hair back and grinned at him while chatting. Alec had gone still, the look in his eyes fit to freeze hell. If Whisper had thought something was between them before, she stood corrected. No one could mistake the dislike Alec was exuding at that moment. Well, except for Sheila.
What pissed Whisper off though was that her supposed friend was still going after him. She couldn’t shut the hell up for five seconds to let Whisper talk about what happened between her and Alec, and then she went behind Whisper’s back and tried to get him—again!
How many times had it happened in the past? Sheila would claim she was just talking to the guys that were interested in Whisper, but she’d always been clingy with them. No man was off limits when it came to what Sheila Tate wanted, and that included Whisper’s boyfriends. What the hell had she been thinking all these years to not recognize it for what it was and call Sheila on it?
Enough was enough. Whisper might not be dating Alec, but she’d made it clear they had at least something going on that she was trying to work through. Sheila should have respected that, but why would she? She never had before, and she wouldn’t in the future.
No longer worried about avoiding Alec, she threw the car door open and stepped out. Alec was the first to notice her approach, but she didn’t focus on him. She glared at Sheila, who was still too self-centered to stop talking.
“Sheila,” Whisper called out when she was close enough.
The bitch turned and never once lost her game as her ass brushed Alec’s thigh, and her fingers trailed his bicep. “Oh, hey, Whisper.”
“
Oh,
hey
?” Whisper echoed. “Are you for real?”
Sheila blinked at her. That was too much. Whisper stomped up to her and spared Alec a glance when she grabbed Sheila’s arm.
“Excuse us. We need to talk.” She all but dragged Sheila into the building and shut the door behind them. Her anger wouldn’t allow her to wait until they reached her apartment for privacy. Hell, she didn’t want Sheila in her place ever again. Whisper held out her hand. “Give me my key.”
Still the woman was playing the innocent act. “What’s wrong with you, girl? I was just talking to Alec. Why are you acting all threatened and everything? It’s not like he’s your boyfriend or that y’all have anything serious going on.”
The crack across Sheila’s cheek took Whisper by surprise even though she’d done it. “You have three seconds to give me the key to my place before I snatch your weave off. Five before I put you on the floor. Now I don’t fight, but I guarantee you, I will win if we get into one today.”
If Sheila’s skin tone wasn’t so brown, Whisper would have sworn the blood drained from her face. She dug into her purse and pulled out her set of keys. For a few minutes, she fumbled trying to get the key off the ring, and Whisper didn’t bother offering to help.
“I’ve had it with you,” she said instead. “You’re the worst friend a woman could ever have. You think you’re slick coming on to every man that has ever showed any interest in me. No. Every man
period
. You don’t respect yourself. You sure don’t respect me. You’re selfish and only care about what you want and need. Well I’m done. You stay away from me. Don’t even come within my air space, or I promise I will forget the kind of person I am and kick your ass all the way back to your place.”
Sheila dropped the key in her palm. “You know jealousy—”
“Jealousy?” Whisper shouted and took a step forward.
Her ex-friend bolted for the door, flung it open, and almost ran down the walk to the street. A few seconds later, her little sports car started up—one that she’d gotten as a present from the football player she’d done—and peeled out of the parking lot. Whisper watched her go with regret and relief. Alec hadn’t left yet. He seemed about to head her way with concern on his face, but she pivoted and darted up the stairs. She didn’t want to face him. Hopefully, he didn’t hear the argument. All she wanted to do now was take a pill to knock herself out and forget the world for a few hours.