Sixteen

Early the next morning, Gaius eyeballed the renovation plans with Ignazio, working out a schedule for demolition of the old kitchen that would avoid upsetting Nessa’s schedule. The dumbwaiter cranked into gear with a low hum, and Ignazio glanced at the door to the contraption and back to Gaius.

“You expecting something?” Ignazio asked.

“Could be . . . Nessa insisted on feeding me to see if it’d help with the pain in my knees. I guess she’s following through.”

When the dumbwaiter motor stopped, he ambled over and slid the door open. Inside rested a huge tray with several covered dishes. A little note read, “This is half the remedy. See me for the other half.”

He smiled to himself as he carried the tray over to the kitchen island and pulled up a stool. Ig leaned across the island, inhaling deeply. “Damn, that smells even better than what she usually serves us for breakfast. I hope this means we’re getting something special today.”

As Gaius started lifting lids, his belly rumbled, and his bear emitted a hungry growl in harmony. Nessa had sent up a plate filled with an omelet overloaded with vegetables, a side of smoked fish, and a bowl of hot cereal with fresh berries. Accompanying it was a carafe of freshly squeezed juice.

“The other half . . . What’s this?” Ig asked, holding up the note.

Gaius popped a piece of the fish into his mouth and savored it, answering Ig with a noncommittal grunt. “More herbal remedy shit, I guess,” he said, shifting his focus back to the food as he dug in, the demolition plans entirely forgotten.

Ig set the note down and leaned his elbows on the kitchen island across from Gaius. “Really?” he said with a skeptical note. “You sure she’s not offering something more . . . hands-on?”

Gaius ignored the warmth creeping up his neck. He was positive what Nessa offered was precisely what Ig insinuated, but hell if he was going to share that with the other man. They’d been friends since Ig and Bry joined the League together, but he didn’t pry into the boys’ dumb bet, and he wasn’t about to share intimate details of his own life with them.

Ignazio clenched his hands into fists, his knuckles cracking as he lifted a finger and pointed it in Gaius’ face. “Blackpaw, whatever the fuck you’re doing with my chef, she had better not get hurt, you got it? I will burn your shit down if I catch wind that she’s been damaged in any way. And that isn’t just my stomach talking.”

Gaius set down his fork and finished chewing his food. He slowly lifted his gaze to Ignazio and looked the dragon squarely in his red eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Nessa’s more than just some diversion to while away a summer between seasons. She is sustenance. The main fucking course, as opposed to dessert. The kind of woman who won’t leave you craving anything once she’s done with you.”

Ignazio stood up straighter, looking a little abashed at the subtle dig, but the man had it coming. The Hot Wings bet had never been a secret and had earned them a reputation as players, but Gaius could see the dragon was maybe a little ashamed of it now.

Ignazio cleared his throat. “That’s good to hear, as long as she feels the same way.”

Gaius nodded. “She’s being a little hardheaded about it, but I think she’ll come around. Trust me . . . if she doesn’t want what I have to offer, she’ll say so.”

A sharp laugh escaped Ig’s mouth and he relaxed. “Yeah, Nessa’s never been one to mince words. That’s one thing I love about her—you always know right where you stand. Hopefully when Bry and I retire, we’ll be able to find a woman half as together as she is. If she were the one, you can be damn sure I’d throw away the rules and mate her now.”

“Good thing she’s mine and not yours, you crazy bastard.”

Ignazio sobered, his brows pulling together. “Shit, you really mean that, don’t you? You two have known each other how long? A week?”

“Long enough for my bear to know. Just don’t fucking say anything to her. It’s between me and her, got it?”

“No worries, man. But didn’t you meet with the matchmaker when you first retired?”

Gaius winced. It had been so long he’d almost forgotten. “Yeah, I need to get in touch with Mrs. Wilder. Have her call off the search. I just want to be sure it’s mutual.”

Ig tapped on the note. “This is a good sign. She’s never been one to get this close to a guy. Trust me, Bry and I watched her like hawks when she was growing up. She never did casual, so if she gets this close, she’s got a damn good reason. If there’s anything Bry or I can do to help, just say so.”

Gaius nodded and dug back into his food as Ignazio headed for the door.

Looking back over his shoulder, Ignazio said, “I see why this room is likely to be the first one finished. Remind me to thank her once you guys figure things out.”

Gaius took his time savoring the meal, then went back to work, pausing every half hour or so until he heard the telltale trumpeting of a pair of dragons pulling drills over the lake. He set the tray of empty dishes back into the dumbwaiter and sent it back down with a note to Nessa: “Still hungry. Coming down for 2nd course.”

His cock was nearly at full mast when he pushed through the doors into the old kitchen. Immediately her scent washed over him, and he realized it wasn’t just her—it was the entire kitchen. The room itself was infused with scents that reminded him of her, as though her presence filled the entire space. She had said she grew up in this kitchen, but it hadn’t hit him until now how much it smelled like her. More so now, since she was currently here.

He stopped inside the door to catch his breath, his need skyrocketing so high he lost focus.

She came into view and his vision tunneled, his bear’s instincts surging to the surface. His nostrils flared and his mouth watered at the sweet aroma of arousal he was already half-addicted to. She wore another dark, wraparound dress like she’d had on the night before, only this one was dotted with white circles, reminding him of the full moon they’d made love beneath their first night together.

She said something, but he was too far gone to comprehend words. He swooped down and lifted her into his arms, devouring her mouth like she hadn’t already fed him one of the best meals of his life.

Nessa didn’t protest or complain. She simply let out an impatient noise and scrabbled at his shirt until she had it yanked off over his head again like the night before. She had his fly open and her hand in his pants, stroking him within a few more seconds, her urgent touch making him dizzy from the loss of blood flow to his head.

Somehow he found a chair and sat with Nessa astride him, and a second later, he was encompassed in her delicious, tight depths, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she rode him. He freed her breasts, infinitely grateful for Nova Aurora ingenuity where women’s clothing was concerned. It was like her dress had been designed with the needs of rutting mates in mind.

Nessa fucked him even more desperately than the night before, slipping her hand between her legs to toy with her clit. Gaius clutched her full, round ass in both hands, spreading her and guiding her hips up and down his cock while he devoured her nipples with teeth and tongue.

The clenching pull of her sheath tightened and she arched her back, yelling his name as her body quivered and tightened in release. Gaius let out a curse into the soft hollow between her breasts, his cock erupting into her with sudden, violent spurts.

She slowed and then stopped, her breathing rough against his ear. Resting her forehead on his shoulder, she hummed in satisfaction. He held her tighter to his chest, more than sated physically, but somehow regretful that this felt so much like a secret tryst, and that the two of them would go back to avoiding each other except for these furtive, stolen moments.

Gaius nuzzled at her cheek and she sighed, turning her head just enough for their mouths to meet. The kiss felt desperate, needy, and the accompanying tightness around his cock awoke his bear’s hunger again. He twisted them both and rose, laying Nessa on the table beside them in one smooth movement as he spread her thighs and began to fuck into her again in earnest.

She did something to him; there was no denying it. The way he ended a round of fucking hungrier for her than when they started had to be abnormal, but he couldn’t get enough of her, and she clearly suffered from the same problem.

He fucked her harder this time, now that he had control and the leverage to pound into her. She cried out in encouragement, as demanding as ever, and he loved it. He especially loved it when her hands went to her head and she arched her back. She cried out as her gorgeous breasts bounced from the rhythm of his thrusts, and he couldn’t help but bend over and capture one dark nipple between his lips and suck hard. Her orgasm was harsher than before, and he climaxed immediately after with her heels digging in hard to his backside.

Curious how she’d respond this time, he pressed his lips to her shoulder and tentatively bared his teeth, raking his sharp incisors lightly over her skin just enough for her to feel them, but not enough to break skin. If he was going to mark her, he damn well wanted her fully on board.

But the way she jerked and pushed him up was a clear indication she wasn’t ready, even though the feral look in her eyes spoke directly to his bear. Her animal wanted this, but for some reason, she was holding back.

He gave her space, accepting a clean kitchen towel to wipe up with as she turned away and put herself back together. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a thick braid, tendrils of which had come free in the midst of their wild lovemaking. She was utterly gorgeous like this, still flushed, her lips swollen from his kiss and his scent all over her. She looked for all the world like she could go again—and she smelled like it too—yet she leaned back against the sink with her arms crossed, looking everywhere but at him while he fastened his pants and found his shirt.

A knock sounded at the door and they both jumped like they’d been shocked. Levi popped his head in. “Ness, ready for some more planting? We’ve got fruit trees!”

Gaius glared at the young cheetah shifter, whose eyes widened and mouth popped open in a prelude to an apology.

“I’ll be right there, Levi,” Nessa called to him before he could say anything.

Levi nodded and disappeared, leaving Gaius feeling like a total ass.

“He isn’t a threat,” Nessa said. “I think you scared him.”

Gaius grunted. “I’ll make it up to him by putting his ass to work. That boy has too much energy for his own good.”

She gave him a weak smile, her eyes far too troubled for a woman who’d just come twice in a row. “I’d better not leave him alone up there for long or he’ll dig a hole to Earth.”

Gaius blinked at her, then finally got the hint that she was waiting for him to leave. He started for the door, then stopped, turning abruptly and catching her by the arms before she ran into him.

“Ness, please come to the house tonight. Moonrise just isn’t right without you.”

She looked taken aback by his emphatic tone. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened as she struggled to find words. “I—I’ll try. That’s all I can offer, all right?”

With a sigh, he nodded. “Then I guess I’ll take it. Have fun in the dirt, baby.”

He gave her a peck on the cheek and opened the door, following her out.

* * *

She didn’t come that night, nor the next or any after, despite Gaius’ repeated invitations. What she did do was send him breakfasts and lunches daily with the same subtle suggestions that had him running down to the kitchen the very second he thought the coast was clear. He had her naked and moaning so many times he lost count, and Levi pretty much avoided popping his head in after getting it bitten off a few more times, which was more than fine with Gaius.

In the evenings, he would return after a few hours working on his own house to find her somewhere in the new kitchen, admiring the latest additions as it grew closer to completion. If he couldn’t have her in his bed, he resolved to have her on every bare surface of this kitchen he was building for her, and in the one he’d be taking away when it was done.

Something had to give, but he was never good with words. He relied on his instincts in the arena, and his opponents had always been easy to read. Even out of the arena, he had no trouble reading any of the cues Ig or Bry or Levi gave off. They’d all taken to leaving the room as subtly as possible whenever Nessa came in, shooting him both hopeful and warning looks in equal measure. She meant a lot to them, it was clear. But she meant more to him. If only he could figure out what to say to get through to her . . .

His heart got in the way, though, and all that ever came out was another invitation he knew she’d avoid. The words he couldn’t speak wound up channeled into his house—by the end of the second month, the interior was mostly completed. Doors and windows had been installed, floors finished, furniture either built or delivered. He’d installed a lighting system similar to the one in her kitchen at Ig’s house that adjusted to the time of day and would shift on command.

The only thing he hadn’t finished was the kitchen. All that existed in that section of the house was an unfinished floor with vague, faded chalk lines where he’d marked its boundaries. Goddammit, he needed her to just come look to tell him how to finish it, because all he saw when he looked at the empty space was the old kitchen he’d made love to her in countless times over the past several weeks.

He glanced out the window and cursed. It was well past moon rise already, meaning he’d lost track of time, thanks to having actual lights in his house now.

His need for Nessa surged to the surface, a sudden craving for her sweet, curvy body beneath his own. She may have gone back to her cottage by now, but there was no way he’d get through the night without a taste of her.