12
Tisha moved through the grass and dried leaves as quietly as she could. This was the first time she’d been left alone as her cat, and she wanted to play. But Emma and Holly had told her that she’d need to practice a bit before she played in the woods with Zach. He would want to find her.
It had taken her a few minutes to figure out what they were talking about. She was still just a little uncomfortable talking about sex with these women, all of them. Susie was the most fun, Emma was serious, and then there was Mercedes. She was hilarious. But they talked about sex like she did her study plan for school. Like it was their life line. She supposed if their husbands were anything like Zach, she could understand that a little too.
But the real reason she was here, alone in the woods, was that she needed to think. She could have done it in the house, she supposed. Thinking didn’t require others to be still. But she’d needed it, the stillness. The calmness of the woods, to think about Alex and her death.
Tisha didn’t know why, but she didn’t believe for a moment that Alex had killed herself. No one had seen her do it. The camera in her room had mysteriously gone out, and all they’d been left with was a black screen for ten minutes. Plenty of time, she supposed, to have torn her wrists out with her teeth and bled out. But it didn’t make sense. She had believed that she was doing the Lord’s work, and that just didn’t seem right. To kill herself and be so religious too. But then, Tisha had thought about it too when she’d first woken in the hospital after being hurt.
Tisha heard a branch break behind her and lay down. It wasn’t hard to blend in this time of year. There were so many colors around that if she was still she doubted that anyone could find her. Twice today she’d come upon a stand of deer, and they’d eaten around her. She thought it was because she was cunning. But she was pretty sure it was because they were hungry.
I can smell you. You should be behind me, not in front of me. Damn it, she’d forgotten about that. Downwind. Lifting her head to see Zach coming toward her, she was surprised to see that he was about half dressed. And good Christ, he looked good enough to eat.
Shirtless, with his jeans riding low on his hips, his chest was covered in that fine down that was the same color as his cat, and he was browned by the sun. She couldn’t see his face, not yet, but she knew that he’d be smiling. He was forever doing that. But the cake topper as far as she was concerned was his hat. That wonderfully sexy cowboy hat just resting on his head like he’d been born with it.
I thought you had to finish up the other fields today. He nodded and started to unbuckle his belt. Mason said that you would be gone for hours yet, and that you’d be exhausted when you got home.
I talked to your dad yesterday, and I have to tell you, he’s a smart businessman. She wasn’t sure where this was leading, but nearly swallowed her tongue when the belt landed in a heap on the ground. I got another tractor…it was delivered just this morning. And we hired nine men to help me out in the fields. He said that I’m not invincible, and that I should have more help.
His fingers danced over his cock that was outlined nicely in his tight pants. Tisha turned now instead of just looking over her shoulder at him, and watched as he unbuttoned each button slowly. When he spoke again, this time aloud, she had to tear her eyes from the fur that made a straight line to his cock.
“I said, I’m going to be more of a land baron now, and not a man working too hard to play. Would you like to play with me?” The images that zoomed through her head made her needy. “What would you like to do to me, Tisha? I’m about up for anything you are.”
His voice…Christ, that lovely tone he had when he wanted her. Low and soft, like his words didn’t just come to her, but floated on air at her. When she stood up, stretching as if she had not one care in the world, he moved to the big tree he was near and leaned back against it.
Let me see your cock. Free yourself so that I can look at how hard you are. You are too, aren’t you, Zach? He popped the last button and she could see just the tip of his cock then. All of you, Zach. I want to see your cock.
He pulled his pants down over his hips, taking his silky boxers with them. When his cock was freed, straining from his groin, she moved closer to him and rubbed her furred head against him. He held his beautiful cock in his hands, and she was sure that as full as he looked, it had to hurt just a little.
“You have any idea how that feels? I could almost come like this, with you touching me this way. Are you going to lick me, Tisha? Wrap that hard tongue around my cock and taste me?” He held his cock out for her, his hand wrapped tightly around his thickness. Licking him from balls to tip, tasting his fingers as well, her cat purred and Tisha felt it. “Shift, Tisha. Taste me. And when you do, I’m going to come.”
Even as she reclaimed her body, she took him into her mouth. His cry of pleasure made her want more, need more from him. And when he started to rock into her mouth, she felt his fingers curl into her hair and hold her to him. It was the most exciting thing that he did to her.
Cupping his balls gently in her hand, she rolled them there. Sliding her fingers down her own body, she first pinched her nipple hard enough to make her pussy wetter. Touching her fingers gently to her clit, she moaned and lifted her head from his cock. The look on his face, the painful pleasure that was there, made her hurt with need.
“I want to come all over you. Just spray my cum on your face, then fuck you hard when I finish. Christ, you’re killing me right now. I want to come, but I want this to last too.” Nodding, she slid her fingers into her sheath as he watched. “You are so beautiful.”
While her fingers were busy at her pussy, her other hand cupped her breasts, tugging at her nipples hard. Her eyes never left his cock as he fisted himself, his hand so quick that she was sure that he was going to come soon. The precum dripped from the tip, and she leaned in to take it into her mouth. And when he cried out, the taste of his cum touched her face, burned into her skin until she felt branded by it. Tisha opened her mouth and let him fill her this way while she came with him.
Her body was knocked back. Not hard, but she really didn’t have time to think of pain, if there had been any, before he was taking her pussy in his mouth. Zach ate her, biting her tender flesh as his fingers fucked her. His tongue filled her, licked her, and she loved it. Tisha came four times, quick hard releases that made her need more instead of giving her any kind of relief.
“Fuck, I need you.” Nodding, she pulled him to her, his body covering hers as she took his mouth. The kiss was fiery, needy, and full of promise. When he tore his mouth from hers and took her breast instead, she felt his teeth graze her nipple before he bit her. She came again just as his cock filled her.
Tisha didn’t hold back, screaming out her release over and over as each new climax took her. Jerking his neck to her mouth, Tisha bit him. Tasting his blood as it filled her mouth and then throat, she came again and again. When he pulled back, his body bowed from hers, blood dripped on her body from the wound that she’d created, the heat of it like a brand. She came twice when he told her to.
As he roared that he was coming, she saw his cat there, running over his skin like he was fucking her too. The climax that took her this time seemed to blind her for a moment…her breaths stopped and her heart did as well. It powered over her like a finger in a light socket would, she thought, then nothing.
When she woke, she realized that she’d been moved to their room in the house. The room was dark, but she knew that Zach was with her. His cock was hard at her backside and his hand was tugging at her breast. Rolling more against him, she felt his smile at her shoulder as his body rocked into her.
“I didn’t think you were going to wake up.” Shifting to her back, she looked up at him. “You’re so beautiful. And I love you with all that I am.”
“I love you too. Do you have any idea how much I need you in my life?” He nodded and kissed her. Gently, full of love. “What did I do to deserve such a wonderful person in my life and heart?”
“You were born.” After kissing her again, he rolled over her. His cock was there at her pussy, and she knew that if she only moved her hips just a little, he’d be inside of her. “I want to make love to you every minute of every day.”
“That would be great, but slightly impractical.” He nodded. “Besides, tomorrow we get to bring our children home.”
“Today.” She glanced at the clock and realized he was right. “The house is ready for them, I hope, and my family is coming over tonight to welcome them. I don’t know how thrilled Loren will be with them all, but I think she’ll get used to them.”
She was sure she would. But Tisha didn’t want to talk about family and children right now. Adjusting her body slightly, she let him slide into her. He fucked her gently, his cock moving in and out of her slowly, but she wanted more. Wrapping her feet around his legs, she showed him with her body just want she wanted.
He made love to her like he had all the time in the world. No matter how much she begged, how she tried to get him to take her faster, harder, he set his own pace, his own way. And when he kissed her, it was the same way. With care and promise.
“I want to see your face when you come. I love the way that your face tightens just for a moment, then you scream out your pleasure.” She moved her hips, trying for more. “No, you’re not going to rush me again. I want to take you my way.”
“But with my way we can have more sex. It’ll be faster, yes, but we’ll have lots more time.” He laughed and told her no again. “I don’t think I like you much right now.”
His laughter made her heart sing, her body lighter. And when he took her just a little harder, his cock filling her completely, she pulled him down for a kiss. Showing him with all that she had how much she loved him.
“Come for me, love.”
Her body responded quickly. She screamed out his name twice as she exploded around him. And when he took her throat savagely, she came again, the feeling of his teeth tearing into her exciting and wonderful.
~~~
Loren was very quiet on the way to the house. He was glad now that they’d gotten Palmer’s limo to get the children. It gave them room and the ability to see each other without distractions.
Zach wasn’t really worried that Loren wouldn’t fit in, but he did want her to feel welcome. When she looked over at little Michael for the third time in as many minutes, he had to smile. The car seat was making it hard for any of them to hold him.
“When we get home, you can hold him.” The flicker of pleasure was there and gone so quickly that he thought he’d been mistaken. “He’s someone that we all have to get used to. I know very little about babies except for my two nieces.”
“I met them.” Loren looked at the baby again. “They’re nice, but little. I guess he is too, but you said he was a cougar, like the other two. Their moms said I could call them aunt. I don’t know why.”
“Because you’re their niece now.” He looked at Tisha, who was quietly watching the two of them. “You have a lot of aunts and uncles now. All of them will be over for dinner tonight for a celebration.”
“You mean for the kid.” He told her that it was for them both. “Yeah, right. I’m sure you have his room all nice and neat. Where will I be sleeping? In the barn?”
He didn’t let her comment bother him. He knew that she didn’t believe that, but was afraid to hope. Hope, he’d come to find out, had been dashed for this child too many times in her short life.
Zach had brought in a decorator, at Emma’s suggestion, and had her decorate Loren’s room. It had been really difficult to answer the questions she had for him. Such as, did she like a certain color? Did she like bands, flowers, or animals? What sort of television shows did she enjoy? He didn’t know, didn’t have the slightest clue if she’d ever seen a program on TV, or had heard any of the newest bands. So in the end, he told her what they were up against. The woman just nodded and said that she had it. And damn, she had it perfectly. He only hoped now that Loren thought so.
They pulled up in front of their home and Zach let out a slow breath. There was staff in the house now, a butler, as well as two maids and a cook full-time. Tisha’s father had insisted that since they were going to be so busy, they might need the extra hands. All Zach could think about was how much it cost.
He was still trying to get used to having money. And when he and Tisha had gotten married this morning, he’d been asked to sign some bank cards, for signature purposes. He’d been both surprised and terrified to see how much money was now in their joint account. And the unlimited spending he had on a lot of major credit cards. His new wife was very rich. And she’d told him several times, so was he.
Not just rich, he supposed, but mega rich. When he’d asked her about the amount in the account, she told him that was hers that she’d inherited it from her mom and grandmothers. There was also a great deal of land and stocks that came with her inheritance.
“You are aware that it’s your money too, right?” He had nodded, then shook his head at her when she’d asked him at the wedding. “I don’t understand that. You’re wealthy. We’re wealthy. I’m very good with money.”
“Yeah, so am I when I have it.” She told him he did. “You have it. I’m just.... How the fuck does one accumulate that much money in such a short time?”
“I told you, I’m good with money. I’ve invested well and have gotten great returns on it. But it’s our money. You love me right? Trust me?” He told her of course he did. “Good, then trust me when I tell you that you do not have to worry about a single thing concerning money again. And if we wanted to, we could travel the world and live in the houses that both my father and I own, and never have to see the inside of a hotel room. You’re going to love it.”
All he’d been able to think of was that she could have bought and sold Mason and Jace together twice over, and never worried about not having any extra cash.
He looked over at his two children when no one made a move to get out of the car and into the house.
“You should know that we’ve already started the adoption paperwork to make you legally ours. We have also decided that if you’d agree, we’d like to have your name changed to Douglas.” Loren didn’t say anything but looked hard at him. “We’ve told you everything there is to know about us. You know that we’re cougars. That there is more magic around us than there is most families, even shifters. I think that alone should tell you how much we want this to work.”
“I don’t know how to be good.” It tore at his heart so badly that tears filled his eyes. “Those other homes, they told me that they’d love me. That they’d care for me too. They said I’d be safe. I wasn’t any safer with them than I was on the streets. I want to believe you. I really do, Zach, but I’m so very scared.”
“I understand. Completely. So are we.” She asked him of what. “Being a parent. Having not just a little girl in our home, but an infant as well. There will be times when we screw up, I know that. But you will never have to doubt that we love you and want you in our hearts.”
When she moved, he thought she was going to the door. To escape. But when she wrapped her arms around him, buried her face in his neck and cried, he held her to him. Zach looked at Tisha and saw that she, too, was crying. And when she joined them in the hug, Zach felt as if everything in the world could go straight to hell. He was as happy right now as he’d ever be, and he knew it.
As they made their way into the house, turning Michael over to the nurse who was going to stay with them for a little while, he thought of all the things that had happened in the last week. Not only was Child Like on its way to being complete now, but his home and business were finally running in the black. Due mostly to him taking on a second partner in the way of his father-in-law. It seemed that Randall and Landon were perfect foils for him…he was cautious, they weren’t. But he was having a good time.
“Your room is on the second level. Would you like to see it?” Tisha smiled but didn’t comment on the fact that they both could see Loren’s excitement. When she only shrugged and told Tisha it was up to her, they made their way to the stairs. “We weren’t really sure what sort of things you’d like in it. Even having a decorator, we were still unsure. But I think it turned out all right.”
“Zach said I’d have a computer for school work. I don’t know how to use one.” Tisha told Loren that they’d set her up with someone. “That guy, Darin, he said he’d help me if you don’t care. He said I could call him uncle if I wanted. I don’t know if I’m ready for that either.”
“You take your time in figuring things out. We have plenty of time. As for Darin, I think that’s perfect. He’s been trying to show Emma how to make a better spreadsheet than the one she has been working with. Darin is a good choice. He’s quite skilled at computers and such.” They were standing in front of her room when Loren turned to Tisha without speaking. Tisha went down on her knees in front of the little girl. “You don’t have to like the room. We don’t know you well enough at the moment to think you may or may not. But should you want to change anything—the bed, the paint, or even if it’s the carpet in the room—you can do that. But there are rules.”
“I have to share it.” Tisha shook her head and pointed out there were six more bedrooms up on this level. “Then what? You get to inspect everything I have in there? I can’t make it my own even though you said so?”
“You’re not being very nice right now. Is it your intention to hurt me?” Loren looked at him, then back at Tisha. “I’m trying to tell you that all I need for you to do to your room is keep it reasonably neat, and if you don’t want the maid to come in and clean up, then you’ll have to bring your dirty clothes to the laundry room.”
“I don’t have nothing to wear but what I have on.”
Zach told her that they’d taken care of that too. “For the most part, it’s all pretty generic. As soon as you figure out what else you need, we’ll go to the mall and get it. Right now you only have some jeans and t-shirts. And boots and a jacket or two. Underthings as well.” Her face turned red in embarrassment, and Zach felt his own heat as well. “How about you go on in and see what you think.”
As soon as she opened the door, he knew that she loved it. And he did as well. At first he’d been a little apprehensive about the wallpaper and things in the room. It was very girly with the tiny rosebuds all over, but he thought now that it suited the child.
The bedspread was white with a line of the same roses that were in the wallpaper down the middle. There were pink and red pillows piled high on the bed, as well as the small couch in the corner. The same color as the flower on the bed had been spread to the large bathroom that was hers, and to the closet to brighten things up. A white eyelet duster hung to the hardwood floor, with small rugs scattered around. The windows, two large ones on either side of the huge desk in the middle, were opened, but they’d had shades, darkening ones, put up to take out some of the heat during the summer months.
He watched Loren walk to the large closet. It was filled with things that they’d thought a little girl would need. Nothing much in the way of fun things…they didn’t know how her tastes would run. But when she pulled the bright yellow shirt off with the sparkly horse on it that Susie had sent over for her, Zach smiled.
“Each of the families got you a little something. That’s from my brother, Gerard, and his wife, Susie. There is a pair of cowboy boots in there from Mason and Emma, and a hat from Logan and Charlie.” Loren held the shirt to her chest as she found the other items as well. “Jase and Holly got you the jacket. And Darin and Mercedes sent a couple of heavy sweaters to wear.”
“This is all mine?” He nodded and moved into the room with her and sat on the bed. “None of it is hand me down. It’s all new and all mine. I’ve never once in my life had something that was just mine, and nobody wore it before me.”
“I’m sorry for that. Like I told you, we didn’t get you a lot. But in the coming weeks, days really, we’ll make sure that you have plenty to wear. And it will all be yours. But as Tisha said, you must keep your room neat. And I’d prefer that you didn’t eat in here. We don’t want a smelly place.”
“I don’t know what to say.” He nodded. Zach could understand that well. “You really did get me stuff. I have a room with pretty things in it. I have new clothes, with the tags still on them, that’s mine, and things that I didn’t have to steal or find in a trash can.”
“Yes, you do. You’ve had a hard time of it. But don’t expect this kind of windfall all the time. We can provide for you, keep you safe and warm. Well-fed too. But we’ll have rules, not just with the room, but others as well. You’ll have chores to do that you’ll get an allowance for. And that money is yours. To save or spend, however you want.”
She walked around the room then, touching things, but never letting go of the shirt. He wanted to tell her she could put it on, but Tisha just shook her head. He supposed it was a girl thing and left it alone. When Loren turned to them, he could see that she’d come to some decision. Something that had been bothering her, she was going to share.
“I’m scared. I know in my head that you’ve been really nice to me, but I keep thinking in my heart that you’re going to take it all away from me. I don’t want to, but I’m not sure what to think right now.” Tisha said she could understand that too. “I’ve been thinking since you picked me up at that home that you’d be one of those nice people on the outside, but mean and hurtful on the inside. But you’re not. You’re just nice.”
“We love you. I know you find that hard to believe, but we do.” Loren nodded and picked up the framed picture of the family at his wedding. “That’s your family now, Loren. All of them are yours to love you, and hopefully you love them.”
“Mason and me, we fight, but it’s fun.” Zach had already figured out that she was goading him into being upset. “He’s big, but gentle, like a big bear that doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
“That’s an apt description of him.” Zach laughed and stood up. “We’ll leave you to it now, Loren. Like we said, you look things over, and whatever you want to change, we’ll be there for you.”
“It’s perfect. You’re both perfect. Thank you.”
Closing the door behind them, he and Tisha held each other.
“You think she’ll feel we’re perfect when she’s older?” Zach said he didn’t want to think about it. “Yeah, me either. Let’s go get our son from the nurse and show him his room. I’m betting he won’t care if it’s right or not.”
Zach said nothing, but held her hand as they made their way down the hall. He had a feeling that everything was right. His home, his family, and his heart. Zach was the happiest man in the world right now.