“Why don’t you sit and relax while I check us in.”
“Sure.” Bria smiled at Jace and wandered over to the seating area in the lobby. She studied the art on the wall as Jace spoke to the front desk clerk. Considering that Langden was a small town with less than five thousand people, the hotel was actually pretty nice. It had seven floors with a pool and a small gym on the main floor. She glanced at Jace before staring into the fireplace.
The two-hour ride to the hotel was pleasant enough. Jace spent most of it telling her about his family. She told him they didn’t sound that much crazier than hers. He laughed and told her to wait until she met his Aunt Frieda in person. After that, they spoke about favourite tv shows, restaurants they enjoyed in the city – all very pleasant, safe things. Things that friends talked about.
“Jace.”
The low purr and the scent of lion made Bria’s hackles rise. Her tiger growled, and she soothed it absently. She turned around to see a large blonde-haired woman drape herself around Jace and hug him tightly.
He patted her back awkwardly before stepping away. “Hello, Marilyn. It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s so good to see you.” The lion shifter’s voice was pure sex. “You look so good.”
“Thanks.” Jace took another step back. “You look, uh, very well.”
“What floor are you on?” Marilyn asked. “I’m on the third. Maybe we could have dinner tonight and a nightcap?”
Bria ignored her tiger’s jealous hiss. The lion shifter was stunning. She was almost six feet tall with long blonde hair to her waist and bright green eyes. Her body was all smooth skin and sleek curves and Bria ran a hand over her own non-existent hips a bit self-consciously.
She took a deep breath. She was here for a reason and it was showtime. She joined them and smiled at Jace. “Honey? Did you get the room key?”
Jace immediately put his arm around her waist and drew her into his embrace. “Almost. I’d like you to meet an old friend. Bria, this is Marilyn. Marilyn, this is my girlfriend Bria.”
Marilyn’s pupils narrowed to slits for a brief moment before she blinked and they returned to normal. “Girlfriend? I heard you’ve been single since you and Tabitha split up.”
“You heard wrong.”
Marilyn sniffed at Bria. “You’re small for a tiger. Do you have a genetic deformity?”
“Marilyn,” Jace scowled at her, “that’s really rude.”
“It’s fine.” Bria smiled at Marilyn as the front desk clerk handed two keycards to Jace. “It was nice to meet you, Marilyn.”
She turned to Jace. “Let’s go to the room. I think we should have a,” she trailed her fingers over his flat abdomen and gave him a sexy smile, “nap before dinner. Don’t you?”
“Yes,” Jace said.
Bria turned back to Marilyn. “Jace and I love napping. We nap a lot.”
Before the lion shifter could reply, Bria tugged Jace toward the elevator. “Bye, Marilyn. We’ll see you at the party tomorrow.”
She pushed the elevator button. The doors opened, and she pulled Jace into it and dropped her bag on the floor. “What floor?”
“Five.”
She pushed the button and the doors slid shut. Jace was staring at her and she started to giggle. “The napping part was too much, wasn’t it? I knew it was too much, but I couldn’t resist.”
He laughed and shook his head. “No, it was funny. Thanks for your help.”
She curtsied dramatically. “Anytime. I might be tiny but I’m excellent at scaring away overzealous lion shifters.”
“You really are,” he said so solemnly that she giggled again.
The doors opened, and he grabbed both bags. They walked to the room and he opened the door and ushered her inside. She studied the bed before smiling at him. “This is nice.”
“They only had rooms with one bed still available,” he said. He flushed and dropped the bags on a padded bench next to the dresser before crossing the room to the miniscule loveseat tucked into the corner. “I can, uh, sleep on this.”
She set her purse on the bed and joined him at the loveseat. “Hey, Jace?”
“Yeah?”
She took his hands and squeezed them. “This is feeling really awkward and it doesn’t have to be. I’m here to play the part of your adoring girlfriend. In the interest of keeping things simple, why don’t we just keep the whole pretend girfriend thing going even when we’re alone. Once you drop me off at home tomorrow night, we’ll go back to being just friends. It’s easiest this way. Do you agree?”
“Yes. If you’re sure you’re okay with that.”
“I am. Oh, and don’t worry, I won’t start thinking it’s real and go all Fatal Attraction on you later,” she said teasingly.
“Excellent news, little tiger.” He gave her a flirty grin and put his arms around her waist. “So, if we’re going to pretend to be dating even when we’re alone, does that mean I can get you naked and…nap with you?”
“Why, Mr. Shepherd, what kind of girl do you think I am? I require a nice meal before I’ll nap with a man.”
He pressed a kiss against her mouth. “In that case, let’s get out of here and find someplace to eat immediately.”
* * *
“How’s your steak?”
“So good.” Bria stabbed a piece of meat with her fork and tossed it into her mouth. “This place is amazing.”
“Yeah, I’ve been here a few times when I visit Ashley and her family. It’s owned by an alligator shifter and his sons. He started the restaurant about twenty-five years ago.”
“Cool.” Bria ate another piece of steak before sipping at her wine. “So, did you grow up here?”
“No, I grew up in the city. My dad and mom moved to the city about three years after they were mated. My grandparents and my aunt have lived here their entire lives though, and I spent a lot of summers here with Ashley and Scott.”
“Scott is Ashley’s older brother. He’s married to Penny and they have four children?”
He nodded. “That’s right. A set of twins and two singles.”
“That’s a lot of kids for a tiger shifter.”
“Penny is a cheetah shifter and loves kids.” Jace ate the last of his steak and sat back in his chair.
“Ashley’s marrying a bull shifter? Is that right?” Bria paused with a piece of steak on her fork.
Jace leaned forward, grabbed her hand and ate the bite of steak from her fork before grinning at her. “Yep. His name is Reggie.”
She pulled her plate a little closer to her when he eyed it. “Back off, Mister. This is mine.”
He laughed and sat back in his seat again. “Are you nervous about meeting my family tomorrow?”
“Nope. I make a really good first impression. Well, usually. Not so much with your parents this time, but I’ll win them over tomorrow.” She grinned at him and ate another bite of steak. “Are you nervous?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes my family can be a bit much.”
“No more than mine, I’m sure.”
“You haven’t met Aunt Frieda yet.”
“You keep talking about your Aunt Frieda, I have to admit I’m really curious to meet her now.” Bria sipped at her wine again. “I feel like I’m really going to get along with her.”
Jace laughed. “Tabitha hated her. Said she was a nosy old busybody who couldn’t keep her mouth shut about anything. She made me swear never to leave her alone with Aunt Frieda or anyone else in my family. One time… fuck, what am I doing?”
He gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry. That was really fucking stupid of me.”
“It’s fine.” She hesitated and then decided to go for it. “Will you tell me why you and Tabitha broke up?”
“She wanted kids.”
He didn’t look her in the eye and he fidgeted in his chair. Bria decided that he wasn’t outright lying to her, but there was more to the break up then what he was telling her.
“You don’t want any?” She asked.
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. When we first started dating, Tabitha said she didn’t want kids either. A couple years later, she admitted that she’d lied and thought she could get me to change my mind. I loved her. I loved her very much, but I couldn’t bring myself to agree to have kids. Not when…”
“Not when what?”
He tapped his finger nervously against the leg of the table. “Not when I wouldn’t be a very good dad.”
“Why do you think you wouldn’t be a good dad?”
“I just know I wouldn’t. I like kids, but I’ve never had the urge to be a dad, you know? Anyway, Tabitha broke up with me when it became clear that I would never change my mind.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” He studied the tablecloth before giving her a quick glance. “Do you, uh, want kids?”
“I could go either way. I don’t have a burning desire to be a mom, and if I never have a kid, I won’t be devastated or think my life was a waste or anything. But, if I meet someone who does want kids, I’d be willing to pop one or two out.”
He smiled a little and she laughed. “I know that sounds like I wouldn’t be a very good mom, but I would be. I like kids.”
She pushed away her plate and Jace smiled at her. “Do you want dessert?”
“Actually, what I really want,” she drank the rest of her wine in one swallow before smiling sweetly at him, “is to go back to our hotel room and fuck your brains out.”
Jace raised his hand. “Cheque, please.”
* * *
Bria stuffed her toothbrush back into her toiletry bag and studied herself in the mirror. She smoothed her hair and tugged at the hem of her short, silk nightgown. It was pretty and looked good on her but wasn’t her sexiest nightgown. While packing for the trip, she’d decided she didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard. At the time, she wasn’t even certain that she’d be sleeping with Jace on the trip.
You probably shouldn’t be. You know this is only going to make things harder, right? Pretending to be his girlfriend even when you’re alone is a stupid thing to do. He doesn’t want you for anything other than sex and he’s never going –
“Shut up,” she muttered to her reflection. “Just shut up.”
Indulging in a little make-believe fantasy that she and Jace were dating didn’t hurt anyone. She knew it wasn’t real, and he knew it wasn’t real. It would be fine.
She smoothed her hair again and walked out of the bedroom. Jace was standing by the bed, wearing just his boxer briefs. If she’d been wearing panties, they’d be soaked.
He stared at her, his gaze dropping to her small breasts. Her nipples beaded into hard points, poking noticeably against the silk fabric, and the scent of Jace’s lust washed over her.
“I like your nightgown.”
“What? This old thing?” She grinned at him.
He reached out and tugged her into his arms. She rubbed his warm back as he cupped her face. “Bria, are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Why? Have you changed your mind about having sex with me?”
“Hell, no.”
“Good, because I was thinking earlier about how many times you’ve gone down on me.”
He growled and his big hand slipped under her nightgown to grip her bare ass. He nuzzled her throat. “You want my tongue in your sweet pussy again, baby?”
She shuddered with pleasure and pressed her pelvis against his erection. “Actually, I was thinking it was time to return the favour.”
He growled again, a low sound of need, and her tiger purred to him. He purred back, and she pressed a kiss against his bare chest. “Do you want that, Jace? Do you want my mouth on your cock?”
“Yes. Fuck, yes.”
“Good.” She tugged at the waistband of his briefs. “Take these off and lie on your back.”
He did as she asked. His tiger purred happily when she stripped off her nightgown and straddled him. He held her hips and twisted his pelvis. She slapped his chest lightly when the head of his dick pushed against her entrance.
“Behave.”
He grinned wickedly at her. “Hey, if you’re gonna put your tight pussy right above my dick, I’m gonna fuck it.”
She laughed and scooted down until she was straddling his thick thighs. She wrapped her hand around his cock and stroked up and down. “I really like your cock.”
“It really likes you too.” He groaned, his hips rising with the rhythm of her hand.
She leaned over him and he moaned in disappointment when she pressed a kiss against his flat abdomen. She licked his v-line and purred when his hands delved into her hair. He tried to push her toward his cock and she raised her head and grinned at him.
“Patience, handsome.”
“Please, little tiger.”
She rubbed his cock a little harder and licked around his belly button. Normally, she hated being reminded of her small size. The way Jace said it though made her hotter than fire.
She studied his perfect body as she stroked his cock with one hand and traced her fingers over his chest with the other. Now that she wasn’t in her heat, she could actually focus on something other than her need to come. She rubbed her fingers over one flat nipple. When he moaned and jerked beneath her, she grinned and bent over him.
Her wet tongue ghosted over his nipple. He groaned, his hands fisting in her hair, and she licked his nipple again.
“Fuck!” The word exploded from his mouth.
She kissed across his chest to his other nipple and gave it the same treatment.
“Mother of hell, Bria! Please!”
“What’s wrong, honey?” She licked his nipple again before nibbling at his collarbone. “You don’t like this?”
“Please, baby. I want more.” His voice was a low and tortured moan. “I need your mouth on my dick.”
She kissed him slowly, their tongues sliding against each other. She nipped at his bottom lip. He slid his hands to her ass and squeezed it hard before grinding his dick against her.
“Behave, honey.”
“If you don’t give me your mouth or your pussy, I’m going to lose my fucking mind.” He growled.
She smiled and rubbed her tits against his chest. “So impatient. Am I going to have to tie you to the bed?”
“Bria.” He gave her a warning look that she ignored. When he cupped her breasts and pulled roughly on her nipples, she bit him on the shoulder. It wasn’t a hard bite, but he cursed and ground against her again.
“You really do like the biting, don’t you?” She teased.
“Bria!”
She kissed her way down his firm body, her lips tasting and teasing his hard, warm skin. He dropped his hands to the bed, holding the sheet in tight fists when her mouth hovered over his cock. She licked away the precome that had beaded out of the tip. He groaned and pleaded under his breath.
Taking pity on him, she took him into her mouth. She sucked on just the head, teasing the ridge with the tip of her tongue before licking along the underside of his thick shaft. She cupped his balls, playing gently with them as she bobbed her head up and down his cock.
He was making a moaning/purring noise and hell, had a sound ever turned her on more? She didn’t think so. She took as much of him into her wet mouth as she could and purred.
He cried out at the vibration against his cock and his hips jerked up. She held the base of his cock and sucked hard and fast, pulling him in and out of her mouth in a quick rhythm as his purring turned insanely loud. His cock was swelling in her mouth, turning fatter and harder with every suck. She sat up and he growled and bared his fangs at her.
She scooted forward and guided his cock into her pussy. His growl of satisfaction sent shivers up and down her spine.
“Fuck me hard, little tiger.”
She had wanted to go slow, wanted to tease and torment, but his hot words demanded obedience. She braced her hands on his chest and rode him hard. He met every thrust, his hands curling around her to cup her ass and push her harder and faster.
She reached down and rubbed her clit. It sent fresh pleasure coursing through her and she had to fight not to dig her nails into his chest. She wouldn’t scratch and maim him like she did during her heat. She would keep control this time.
Her tiger trilled a mating call to him. Before she could apologize, he was returning the call. She bounced faster, using his chest as leverage as she rubbed furiously at her clit.
“Little tiger, I can’t…”
She watched in fascination as his eyes flashed jade and his pupils narrowed to slits. A roar of pure pleasure escaped from his throat as his entire body stiffened and he arched beneath her. Warm wetness flooded her pussy and it triggered her own orgasm. She rubbed at her clit as her climax washed over her, keeping her gaze on Jace as the last of his climax shuddered through him.
She leaned forward and rested her cheek on his hard chest. His deep purr blocked out everything and she closed her eyes as he caressed her back with his rough hands.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said.
She raised her head. “Sorry for what?”
“I came before you did.”
She laughed. “Actually, it was mostly at the same time.”
“You had to make yourself come.” He smoothed her hair back from her face.
“So?”
“I like being the one to make you come. It should be me. You shouldn’t have to do all the work.”
She climbed off of him and pulled the sheets up before snuggling into his warmth. He held her close, his fingers tracing circles on her hip. She rested her hand on his flat abdomen. “You made me come about a thousand times last weekend and you’re upset because I did it myself this time?”
“It should always be me.” The stubborness in his voice was kind of adorable. “I’m your mate and it’s my responsibility to…”
His hand had frozen against her hip and she could smell the regret coming off of him in waves. “I didn’t mean that.” He winced and patted her hip. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have -”
Her sudden surge of happiness died quickly. Determined not to make things awkward because of his slip of the tongue, she said, “Oh my God, you are the worst at pillow talk.”
She sat up a little and grinned at him. “Look, I get that I am incredible in bed and you’re not the first tiger to start spouting off mate talk after I give them a blow job, but try and be a little cooler about it, would you?”
His look of relief somehow made her feel worse. He squeezed her hip as she rested her head on his chest again. “You didn’t bite or scratch.”
“I have better control when I’m not in my heat.”
“You know you can still bite and scratch me, right? I told you I don’t mind.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you then?”
She extended a claw and made a light scratch mark across his abdomen. “There. Is that better?”
He laughed and slapped her butt. “Smartass.”
“You’re the one who’s obsessed with being bitten and scratched.”
He rolled her onto her back and threw one heavy thigh over hers before bending his head and sucking on her nipple. “I like being marked by you, little tiger.”
She moaned as his fingers toyed with her other nipple. Mother of God, she was getting turned on again. “Jace, it’s getting late.”
“Not that late.” He licked her throat. “I think we need to try this again. Make sure that it’s done properly and I’m the one who makes you come. What do you think?”
She cupped his face and placed a lingering kiss on his mouth. “I think that’s a very good idea, Mr. Shepherd.”