“I’m serious. I have a meeting there with the owner to discuss a case. It’s near your apartment, so I thought it would be a good place to meet up and just have a bite when I’m done.”
“Interesting. Okay then. What time?”
“Is six too early?”
“Nope. Six will be fine,” she replied.
“Great. I’ll see you there then.”
Mandy hung up the phone and laughed. What sort of guy takes you to dinner at a children’s pizza buffet? Chuck O’Cheesey was one of those places where kids could go and have a meal and then play in a ball pit or assorted video games with other children. She would definitely have to duck into her apartment and change from her business suit into some jeans and a t-shirt beforehand. It occurred to her that Weston might just be cheap. After all, his first date had been a picnic and this one was low budget pizza.
***
“Did you find the place okay?” he asked when she arrived, meeting her in front of the place.
“Yes. It’s hard to miss what with the giant mouse in yellow overalls eating a slice of pizza in day glow colors,” she laughed.
“You know how mice love cheese!”
“Apparently they’re the only ones. This parking lot is almost vacant. No wonder this guy needs a lawyer. Bankruptcy maybe?”
“Not quite yet. He’s just now taking over and needed some tax advice. Come on in.”
Mandy followed him through the door and into the large, empty space inside. There was nothing on the buffet and only a couple of staff members present. Surely they were open. It was too early to be closed for the day. Weston led her to a single table, the only one covered with a red tablecloth and two candles in the center.
“What’s going on here?”
“What do you mean? Just a simple dinner for two.”
“Where are the other customers and why is there no buffet set up?”
“Oh, that. The owner I was counseling is my brother. He just bought this place. Since he doesn’t feel like he should have to pay me for services rendered, I decided he was providing dinner, but they aren’t open yet. We have the place to ourselves other than the two employees who are testing some recipes tonight.”
“So, we’re guinea pigs?”
“Pretty much.”
“I assume we’re test tasting pizza.”
“You assume incorrectly, madam. Part of the space is being utilized by a startup catering business. The two employees that are here are the master chef and his assistant. I’m not entirely sure what they’re feeding us, but both are trained chefs, so it’s bound to be good.”
Mandy laughed. She had to give him points for originality. He certainly wasn’t boring. Their conversation continued as the chefs began delivering assorted plates of food, starting with a light soup and a delicious vegan salad. By the time she had nibbled from one plate, another was arriving for her to taste and, just as Weston had promised, it was all very good.
“Oh, God. This is the most delicious tiramisu I’ve ever tasted!” Mandy exclaimed, still savoring the velvety texture of it against her tongue.
“I am going to have to agree,” Weston said, finishing off the last bite of his own.
The meal was almost over and Mandy realized that Weston had not made mention of the favor that he had brought her here to discuss in the first place. She wanted to broach the subject but they started talking to the chef, praising the food.
“It was amazing,” Mandy gushed.
“Thank you. We’re excited to get started. Our first wedding gig is on Saturday and we have several others in our sights, but it takes time to build a clientele. Hopefully, you’ll tell anyone you know about us,” the man said, offering her a business card.
“Absolutely,” Mandy said enthusiastically. She glanced at the card, noting the name as “Side Bar.”
“So, you enjoyed everything then?” Weston asked, nodding for the couple standing by the table to leave them.
“Enjoyed isn’t even the word for it. It was all incredible.”
“Good. I’ll let them know that they have my investment,” he said.
“What?” she asked.
“That’s why they were feeding us. It’s sort of an audition for food,” he said.
“Oh, now I see. Your brother owns this place, but you’re planning on investing in the catering company that will be sharing his kitchen.”
“Yes. They will be doing a good bit of their work from home, but they need the larger amenities that can be set up here for major events.”
“You should do well. They’re truly gifted.” Now that they were alone, she finally asked him about why she’d shown up here in the first place. “By the way, what was the favor you wanted to ask of me?”
“You’ve already answered it.”
“I have?”
“Yes. I just wanted you to help me sample the food.”
“You could have just said that,” she laughed.
“Where’s the fun in that? Speaking of fun, how about we go play in the ball pit?”
“You’re kidding right now, right?”
“Nope, I’m not kidding at all. Come on. How many chances will we ever get to have a ball pit all to ourselves without screaming kids that are undoubtedly shitting their diapers and wiping snot on the balls?”
“That just makes it sound less appealing. It’s full of germs already!”
“Nope. My brother emptied it, cleaned the barriers with disinfectant and put in all new balls. This may be your only chance to get in a completely clean one and relive your childhood. He opens tomorrow, so it’ll be tainted within moments of the door opening.”
Many looked at him for a moment. He looked almost boyish, grinning at her. She could tell that he really wanted to and that made her want to, as well. Rather than responding, she took off running and jumped into the large pit that sat to one side of the room, laughing as her body sank down into the colorful plastic orbs.
“That’s more like it!” he told her, following her into the pit and bouncing about a bit before making his way through them toward her. She dove down into the balls and hid from him, suppressing giggles while listening to his playful taunting that he was going to kiss her when he found her.
“I’m over here,” she said from one corner before slipping along the wall underneath to the deepest part of the pit. He found her anyway.
“Gotcha!” he said, his hands landing on one shoulder before drifting down toward her waist and pulling her upward to face him.
“So?” she replied, beaming back at him.
“You were warned!” he told her, pulling her close to him and kissing her softly on the lips.
Mandy was a little disappointed. She wanted more, a deeper kiss, a longer one, but she had to remember that she was the one who’d made it clear she wanted to keep things light. He seemed to be making sure that he kept to his word, pulling away from her and leading her out of the pit.
“Come on. I’ll win you a stuffed animal,” he told her, digging in his pocket for change.
Mandy followed him to one of those big standup machines that held all sorts of creatures and a crane. It had been years since she’d played games like this. On some level, it was very relaxing to just get out and do something completely silly like this.
“Which one do you want?” he asked.
“The unicorn,” she said, pointing toward a pink, sparkly one in a back corner.
“Oh, sure. You would make it difficult,” he laughed.
“You strike me as the sort that likes a challenge,” she told him.
“You know me well already. Alright. Stand back and just watch the master at work. I’ve got this.”
Mandy watched as he made a half dozen attempts at retrieving the unicorn and only managed to move it a few inches. Digging around in his pocket, he frowned down at the change in his hand.
“I’m out of quarters. Let me go see if they’re still cleaning up in the kitchen. I’m sure they can break a bill for me.”
“Don’t be silly,” she replied, laughing.
“No. That unicorn is yours! We’ll have it before we leave here!” he said, trotting off.
Mandy looked around the room at all the arcade games and spotted an air hockey table. She had loved playing that as a teen. When Weston returned, he was all smiles, holding an entire roll of quarters above his head.
“I see you hit the jackpot,” she told him.
“In so many ways,” he told her with a little glimmer in his eyes that just melted her.
“Let’s play air hockey,” she told him.
“Oh, you don’t want to play that with me. I’m very competitive and quite good at it.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got. I think I can take you.”
“Oh, yeah? You’re on. Care for a friendly little wager?” he said, seeming to forget all about the unicorn.
“What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. Let’s keep it fairly open. How about the winner gets to ask the loser to do one thing and the loser will do it?”
“Within reason, right?”
“Of course, both legal and moral. How’s that?”
“Done. You’re going down, counselor.”
“We’ll see about that, Little Miss Newsprint.”
The game was intense. Mandy had forgotten how fast the puck moved. She could swear it moved faster now that she was a little older, but it was probably just her imagination. Weston was a formidable opponent. His reflexes were spot on, not letting her get anything past him at first. Then things took a turn and she was suddenly winning, slipping the puck past him very quickly three times in a row as he looked at her with a shocked expression.
With the score tied and whoever got the next puck tipping it for the win, Mandy decided her only option was to cheat. Holding up her hand for a moment before serving the puck back to him, she reached up and unbuttoned her blouse a bit, revealing just a hint of cleavage.
“It’s a bit hot in here, don’t you think?”
“Well, it certainly is now. You know, if you think that showing off a bit of skin is going to distract me from the game, you’re probably absolutely right,” he said, laughing.
“What? Surely you don’t think I’m the sort of girl that would do something like that just to win a silly game,” she said in a serious tone.
“No. Of course not. You are above such things. I’m sure it never crossed your mind,” he said, grinning.
“It didn’t,” she replied, licking her lips slightly as she leaned forward to give him an even better view down her blouse. It was a bit naughty, but not vulgar. Though she told herself it was just being playful to win the game, she hoped it had a much more powerful effect than that. She realized that her fear was fading away, replaced by a desire for him to want her the way she was finding herself wanting him. Sure, it was soon, but Kellye told her to have fun, so perhaps she should do just that.
Leaning even further down toward the table, she lined up the puck and bounced it off one side of the table, sending it skating down the ice at a rapid rate of speed and directly into the goal on the other end. The table flashed with the scores, indicating that she was the winner.
“Double or nothing!” Weston shouted with a pained look on his face.
“You’ll do no better the second time around!” she taunted.
“Sure I will. Give me my chance at redemption, woman!”
“Nope. You lost. That’s the end of it.”
“That is just not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair. Suck it up, buttercup.”
“How can you be so cruel?” he said, a mock horrified look on his face.
“I’m a woman. It comes with the territory doesn’t it?”
“Oh no. You’ll never get me to agree with you on that. I’m not a fool!”
“Wise man. Well, let’s see what I want as my prize for winning.”
Weston walked around the edge of the table and faced her, crossing his arms and smiling down at her. Without another thought, she raised up on her tiptoes and kissed him. It wasn’t a soft, light kiss either. Instead, she found herself leaning hungrily into him, kissing him passionately. Weston didn’t hold back, a low growl escaping the back of his throat as he pulled her tighter against him and kissed her feverishly. They jumped apart as someone nearby cleared their throat.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re closing up in a few moments,” the female half of the catering team told them with an embarrassed look.
“Ah, yes. Thanks, Beth,” Weston told her sheepishly.
“Thanks again for the gorgeous food,” Mandy added, trying to offset her embarrassment a bit with conversation.
“You’re more than welcome. I hope to see you again soon,” she replied, quickly making herself scarce. The couple burst into laughter as she disappeared back toward the kitchen.
“Come on. I’ve got to win you that unicorn before I go,” Weston told her.
“No way can you win that in a few minutes.”
“Want to bet?”
“Another bet? You’ve already lost the first wager.”
“Did I, Mandy? Did I really lose?” he asked with a smile, leaning over and kissing her on the lips. It was brief, but soft and sweet. She felt it just as much in her toes as she had the previous, more heated one. Mandy smiled up at him happily and shook her head as he pulled her back toward the game with the unicorn. He made a production of trying to win the unicorn a couple of tries before turning to her with a shrug.
“Oh well, you gave it your best shot,” she said.
“Ah, screw it,” he said, walking to the back of the machine and opening the plexiglass door. Reaching in, he pulled the unicorn out and handed it to her.
“That is cheating,” she replied.
“So? Takes one to know one,” he said. “Now, about the terms of our wager.”
“We never made any official terms.”
“Guess I can ask for whatever I want then,” he told her.
“I guess you can.”
The lights went off around them, leaving them standing in a nearly dark restaurant. Beth called out to them that they were about to leave and lock up.
“Sounds like our cue. We’re being evicted. How about we drop our cars off at your place and then walk to that little pub a few blocks down for drinks?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. It’s a work night, after all.”
“I wasn’t planning on getting completely shit faced and ending up in jail or anything,” he laughed.
“Okay. Just a couple then.”
“Deal!”
They walked hand in hand out to their cars, saying their goodbyes to Beth and her partner, who was named Jacob, according to their business card. Weston made sure she was safely behind the wheel of her rather sedate Toyota Camry before climbing into his much more substantial Mercedes GLE. Making her way the few miles from the restaurant to her apartment, the smile never left her face. It only broadened each time she looked in the rearview mirror at him following her.
Parking in the garage attached to her apartment building, they made their way directly down the ramp and onto the sidewalk, covering the few blocks to the pub with their arms wrapped about one another’s waists. Mandy marveled at how quickly she had abandoned her reservations about getting closer to Weston. Yesterday, she had felt only fear at even getting to know him better. Today, he had somehow won her over completely, making her feel so at ease that she no longer gave a second thought to how things might go wrong.
“I almost didn’t call you,” he told her over drinks.
“I wouldn’t have blamed you if you hadn’t,” she admitted.
“You just didn’t seem to be all that interested in me. Of course, being stubborn, I decided that was a challenge I had to take on.”
“So, I’m just a challenge for you then?” she asked.
“Hardly. There’s something about you, Mandy. I saw it right at the start, at that party. You give off this soulful vibe that is intoxicating. I couldn’t help but make a beeline for you before someone else snatched you away from me.”
“There’s that silver tongued lawyer again,” she laughed.
“No, just an honest man. I wanted to tell you that on the first date, but I was afraid it would frighten you away. Then I thought I’d done that anyway.”
“It wasn’t you. It was all me,” she said.
“And now? Should I plan on you tucking tail and running away if I try to get too close to you?”
“No, but I still don’t want to rush things. I just need for us to take our time, to just be whatever we become without pushing the envelope and trying to make it something it might not be.”
“That sounds like fear still talking to me, but I understand. Still, what you need to know about me is that I have very basic instincts when it comes to finding a woman I want to be with. You’re the first woman I’ve ever met that felt like some sort of destiny for me. Does that scare you?”
“More like terrifies me,” she told him.
“Well, just know that I will honor your wishes to take things easy, but I have no intentions of letting you slip away now that I’ve found you.”
“Noted,” she replied, not sure what else she could say to something like that.
“Alright, enough of the heavy discussion. Let’s dance.”
“Dance? Are you kidding me? No one here is dancing at all,” she said, waving her hands to the half populated bar and empty dance floor.
“They will be when they see how much fun we’re having,” he told her, standing to pull her up from her chair.
Mandy followed him reluctantly to the floor, the house music playing a slow ballad in the background. He turned out to be a beautiful dancer, gliding across the floor with her and twirling her about playfully. Everyone around them seemed to fade away into the gray as they became completely lost in one another. After a while, the music changed to something a little more spirited and Mandy looked around to find they had been joined by a half dozen couples. She smiled at how right he had been about inspiring others to dance.
“Want to sit this one out? Perhaps have one more drink before I take you home to get your rest for work tomorrow?” he asked.
“That sounds like a plan,” she said, following him off the dance floor to their table.
The night had gotten very chilly by the time they finished their drinks and made their way back toward her garage. They were standing at the door to his Mercedes when she realized something. She wasn’t ready to end their night together.
“I guess this is goodnight then,” he told her.
“It doesn’t have to be,” she replied. “Maybe you could come up for a while. It’s probably too soon to be driving anyway, after our drinks.”
“Well, honestly, I wasn’t going to. I had planned to just call a cab and leave the SUV here,” he laughed.
“Come on up for a while then,” she told him.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to overstay my welcome with you,” he replied.
“I just don’t think that’s possible,” she told him softly.
They were barely inside her apartment door before they were all over one another, each of them unable to contain their animal urges any longer. It was if they couldn’t get one another undressed quickly enough as they created a line of clothing that trailed from the door to the bedroom. Weston seemed to easily lift her, carrying her to the bed and laying her down before climbing in after her, his body pressed against her own.
The sensation of his bare skin against her own caused a familiar clench inside her, and she felt herself melting her at his touch. The stiff hairs scattered plentifully across his chest tickled her nipples, leaving them hard and aching against him. His hands stroked her naked form almost delicately, sending delicious shivers throughout her body.
“God, you’re gorgeous. I’ve wanted to do this since I met you,” he breathed against her ear, the vibrations of his voice teasing her even more.
She cooed softly beneath him as he stroked her back and stroked her sides, his hands moving upward to cup her full breasts. Every nerve ending seemed to sing with life and a need for more of him. She ached to have him inside of her, but he took his time, teasing her endlessly. His fingers rolled around her terse pink nipples, soothing them before pinching and twisting them one by one. It filled her with a delicious mix of pain and pleasure that drove her wild.
An almost involuntary groan arose from deep within her as his hot mouth nuzzled against her neck. She arched her hips upward, pushing into his own in an attempt to ease some of the tension that had built so rapidly between her legs. It did nothing to ease the need for him. Her nails dug into his back, pulling him tightly against her as he continued to slowly drive her insane with his touch.
“Weston,” she said breathlessly, his name coming out as not much more than a gasp.
“Shhh,” he replied, drawing a single nipple into his mouth and sucking hard. His teeth scraped against it painfully, causing her once again to arch upward against him and dig her nails deeper into his back. It seemed to only encourage him. Everything about him was intoxicating. She couldn’t have dreamed a man into life that could have been more in tune to what she needed.
“Please,” she begged, his mouth on her driving out all rational thought. All she could think about was her need for him, the ache that permeated her entire being as he relentlessly teased her with his tongue, his teeth, his hot skin against her own.
Her plea went unanswered as he drifted from one nipple to the other, creating an ever increasing tension that vibrated throughout her being. She had never felt so safe with a man. No man had ever seemed to desire her in quite the same way he did. She was more than happy to hand over control to him, to let him take over in any way that he wanted.
Even his scent was overpowering. It was earthy, overwhelmingly powerful. It called to her in such a primal way, beckoning to her inner animal to join his and do whatever felt natural without hesitation. She gasped as he tangled his fingers in her hair, tugging at it with a grasp that was hard, almost painful. It brought nothing but more pleasure as she gave into his roughness with wild abandon. Time felt like it stood still as she stepped outside of herself and enjoyed every little nuance of how he was manhandling her in all the right ways.
“You are perfect,” he moaned as her hand found its way to his cock, slipping her fingers slowly around it as it pressed heavily against her belly. She knew that he was far from wrong. She was anything but perfect, but together they seemed like sexual ideals, as if they were built for one another. His mouth found its way to hers once again, drinking her in, his tongue exploring hers enthusiastically as his hands continued their slow dance along her skin.
She lay there, looking up at him as he suddenly pulled away and got to his feet, looking down at her. She had forgotten all about her usual self-consciousness about the few extra pounds she carried or any imperfections. Instead she was focused on his perfectly chiseled body and the protruding cock that proved how much he wanted her. Reaching for her legs, he pulled her downward, easily flipping her over with what seemed like unnatural strength. She moaned loudly as he began a slow trail of bites down the center of her back and dug his fingers into the soft cheeks of her ass.
There was something about what he was doing to her that was filled with just as much tenderness as it was roughness. An emotional reaction seemed to flood over her, sucking her down into a violent pool like you’d find at the bottom of a waterfall. She was completely overwhelmed by feelings for him that were far beyond what she could have ever expected so soon. She felt as if she was spiraled down beneath the water and the only thing for her to hold onto was Weston.
His large hands slid between her legs, pushing them apart as he knelt at the foot of the bed and lapped at her already dripping pussy. She tensed and dug her fingers into the covers as he alternately licked and sucked at her clit, his fingers teasing her inner walls as he tortured her with making her wait for him.
“Ohhhhh,” she moaned, no words capable of forming beyond that as her legs began to shake violently with orgasm. Flooding his mouth with her ecstasy, she was given only a few seconds of a reprieve before he brought her to another climax. It was almost more than she could stand, the only words she could now form came in the form of pleas for him to fuck her.
“Not yet, beautiful. Not yet,” he told her. His words were accented by his sinking his teeth into each of her thighs and then squarely into her swollen, aching pussy. She cried out in pain, enjoying the way it felt as he sucked at her clit until she thought her entire body might just explode with need. She felt helpless as she lay face down on the bed, unable to do anything but allow him to continue the endless teasing.
She felt so weak, lightheaded. Was it really possible to pass out from having so many explosive orgasms? Just when she thought she might find out, he was flipping her over, sliding her body back upward so that she was squarely on the bed. He rose over her, holding himself up on strong arms, before slipping into her heated center. He made love to her in a rhythm that was hard, but slow and deep. The friction was rivaled only by the hormones that seemed to have taken control of her body, leaving her with no thoughts other than how he felt inside of her.
Her teeth sank into his shoulder as he quickly brought her to another unexpected climax, her body breaking apart around his throbbing cock as he pulsated inside of her. He returned her vigor by kissing and sucking at the side of her neck without even the slightest change in his perfect rhythm. Her hands found their way downward, digging her nails into his ass as her own hips rose and fell to meet his every thrust. Their bodies slammed violently into one another until his body convulsed against her own, a loud groan of pleasure escaping his lips as his body seized with the force of his own orgasm.
Sated and content, they fell to each other’s sides and lay silently in the barely lit bedroom, only the light from a nearby outdoor flood light shining through the window. Mandy lay her head in the crook of his arm and he put his arm across her, the weight of it feeling incredibly comforting. She felt so safe in his arms, so complete. Their smells mingled together, creating an imprint that would stay with her in remembering this moment.
She contemplated what this all meant. Things between them had happened so suddenly, so completely. She had told herself to keep her distance and she had done anything but that. There was no taking this back, pretending they hadn’t crossed some invisible line that no longer allowed them to be just casual in their dating. It frightened her to already be so invested in him, but that fear was quickly overcome by a sort of calmness that seemed to settle over her in his arms. Before she knew it, she was drifting off into a peaceful sleep. Not a concern in the world could penetrate the tranquility left behind by his touch.
The following morning, Mandy awoke with Weston curled up to her back. His warmth spread along her skin in a way that made her want to do anything but get out of her bed and get dressed for work. Still, she had no choice.
“Mmm, morning already?” Weston mumbled as she climbed out of bed and began padding across the floor to the bathroom.
“Yes. I was about to wake you. I wasn’t sure when you had to be in,” she told him.
“Not long from now,” he laughed, climbing out of bed and walking toward her.
“Do I need to let you shower first then?” she asked, her words giving way to his kiss as he bent forward to pull her to him. He tasted just as wonderful as he had last night.
“No. I need to go home and get a clean suit. I’ll just shower there. Let me get going so you can get on with things here and I’ll call you later. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, leaning in as he kissed her softly one more time before getting dressed. She drew on her robe and walked him to the front door.
“It’s going to be a very long day trying to concentrate on my cases when all I can think about is how incredible you feel,” he told her.
“It won’t be easy to focus on my work either,” she told him, kissing him once more before he had to go.
Mandy’s paranoid brain half expected him to be a one-night stand. She told herself that he was one of those guys that had only been interested in her because she hadn’t fallen at his feet to begin with. He had said he liked challenges, after all. All day she waffled between smiling as she remembered how his hands felt on her skin, how he felt inside her, and grimacing from the anxiety that she might never hear from him again. She had to keep reminding herself that it was just fun and not to make too much of it.
Still, she breathed a sigh of relief when her phone buzzed that afternoon and she looked to see that he had sent her a text asking how her day was going. She smiled as she returned his message and went back to work. Moments later, she received another one that asked what she was doing tonight. Feeling bold and brazen after last night’s heated encounter, she sent him a simple response.
“You, hopefully.”
When nearly an hour went by without a response, she started to worry that she’d been too forward.
“Sorry, I got tied up unexpectedly. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Mandy didn’t bother to ask what he was picking her up for. Instead, she merely replied that she was looking forward to it already and would see him then. The rest of the day seemed to crawl by as she anticipated seeing him again. As soon as work was over, she raced home to get ready for their date.
“You look incredible,” he told her, taking in the red dress and heels she wore. “I’m not sure how you’re going to trudge around the lake in that get up, but I’m sure you’ll manage.”
“What? We’re going back up to the lake?” she asked.
“No. I’m just yanking your chain. Did you not notice I’m still wearing a suit?” he said with a laugh.
“Yes, but I thought maybe you came straight from work and were going to change or something.”
“Tonight, I thought I would take you out for a proper meal at Scalini’s. You must think I’m a cheap date with picnics and free taste tester meals.”
“It might have crossed my mind,” she laughed.
“Then I must redeem myself. A nice Italian meal and great bottle of wine should set the record straight.”
“It depends. You aren’t going to use a coupon at dinner, are you?”
“Funny, very funny,” he told her, kissing her on the lips and smiling down at her. “Are we ready to go? I don’t mean to rush you, but I have reservations for seven-thirty. They tend to be busy, so I had to pull some strings. If we’re late, they’ll just give our table away and we’ll end up eating at some fast food restaurant.”
“Then, let’s go. I can’t have you taking me to the Chicken Snack Shack for dinner.”
“No, you cannot,” he said.
As the days passed, it seemed like things were only getting better between the two of them. Mandy no longer thought about her fears of being abandoned or mistreated. Weston was perfect for her in ways that she had always know Cameron was not. She had accepted her ex with all his faults, but she now knew just how much better things could be. Before she knew it, Halloween was just around the corner and they were making plans to celebrate it.
“There’s a fantastic haunted tour down at the old carnival grounds. I thought we could go check that out and then head off to the afterhours Halloween party at The Restoration.”
“The Restoration? Isn’t that the old monastery they turned into a night club?”
“Yes. That’s the place. They have the best Halloween party there every year, but we’ll have to get really inventive with our costumes. There’s a contest and I want to win it!”
“So, you won’t be going in a sheet?”
“No. We’ll have to do much better than that. I wasn’t going to that party, originally. I decided to go at the last minute. That’s how my old bedsheet ended up as my costume. Wait until you see how into costumes I can get.”
“You pulled the sheet off quite nicely.”
“The hell I did. You rejected me and left me there to cry in my drink.”
“Right. I’m sure you were devastated.”
“I was. You’ve no idea,” he said as he opened the car door for her to get in and then closed it behind her before getting in on the driver’s side. They were headed to the lake, something that they had decided would become their usual Saturday afternoon thing.
“I have no idea what sort of costume to wear that might win us a prize,” she continued as he sat down behind the wheel.
“Well, we don’t have long to come up with something. How about we take a trip into the city center after we leave the lake to get some ideas.”
“Sounds good,” she told him, reaching for his hand as he pulled out of the parking garage and headed down the road.
They were hiking up to the overlook where they had looked down at the lake on their previous trip when Weston turned to her, looking very serious. She looked up at him, wondering what he had on his mind.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I haven’t been entirely honest with you,” he told her.
Mandy felt her breath catch in her throat. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment at the thought that he might say something that would end what felt like pure magic between them.
“About what?” she said slowly.
“I love spending time with you, Mandy. You’re so incredible,” he began.
“Okay. Just stop there. Did you bring me all the way up to the lake to dump me? You could have just done this on my doorstep so I didn’t have to ride back home with you.”
“What? No. God, no, Mandy. That’s not it at all. I think you are absolutely perfect. There is just something I haven’t told you and I don’t know how you’ll react to it. It’s not exactly something I can tell just anyone and I should have already told you. I just haven’t known how to prepare you for it. Honestly, I’ve been afraid that when I tell you, you won’t want to see me anymore and so I guess I’ve put it off so I didn’t risk losing you.”
“For God’s sake, Weston. You’re babbling. Just get it over with and tell me what you need to say!”
“I’ll just spit it out. I’m a wolf shifter.”
“You’re kidding,” she said, staring at him.
“No. I’m afraid that I’m not. Most people don’t really even believe we exist. It’s become more common lately with more and more of us coming out and being open about it, but I’ve been forced to keep mine a bit more private due to my occupation. Some people view shifters in a way that could hurt my position as a partner at the firm.”
“That’s your big secret?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes.”
“Okay. Well, I guess that I’ll be honest with you too. My ex was a shifter. I met him on the ComeShift dating site.”
“There’s a site dedicated to dating shifters?” he asked, seeming more surprised by that than by her admission.
“Yes, there is. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of it.”
“Well, I’ve never been one for dating sites. I’m surprised you would be on one.”
“Why?”
“You’re such an incredible woman. I can’t imagine why you’d have to go to a dating site to find someone.”
“A friend suggested it. I wasn’t having very much luck meeting anyone on my own,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Why a shifter site?”
“I don’t know. I heard that shifters were different, more loyal than other men, but that’s obviously not true.”
“Why do you say that?”
“My ex, the one I met on there. He was anything but loyal and certainly no different from a lot of the men I know.”
“I see,” he said, his voice trailing off.
Mandy wondered if he was more bothered by not having been the first shifter she had been involved with or her mention of an ex. Perhaps he felt like he wasn’t anything special to her since he wasn’t a novelty to her like he might be to some women. Men were always so prideful about some things.
“Listen, let’s not talk about the sad stories of exes. I’m with you now and that’s all that matters. I think that you being a shifter is incredible, but I’m happy with what kind of man you are, no matter what. I’ve felt more alive with you in the past few weeks than I’ve ever felt with anyone during my entire life.”
“I feel the same way. I don’t see any end to this,” he replied. They’d reached overlook and the sun glared down on the water, sending shards of beautiful light dancing across its surface, but Mandy barely had any time to take it in before Weston was kissing her Weston pulled away from her and brushed a strand of hair away that had fallen over one eye.
“It’s cool up here today,” she said, a shiver running across her skin.
“I guess I’ll have to keep you warm then,” he told her, pulling her closer. Pretty soon, they were oblivious to anything around them, risking being caught as they undressed one another in the bright light of day. The lake wasn’t heavily populated with visitors this time of year, since it had begun to grow colder.
A moment of fear ran through her as a cool gust of wind blew across her bare nipples, instantly hardening them. They burned with anticipation as they pushed against his bare chest out in the open air and she wanted him in the worst way. Still, they were barely out of the public eye.
“Weston, we can’t. Someone might see us.”
“Then they’re in for one hell of a show,” he told her.
Pulling her toward the flat surface of a nearby rock, he lay flat on the cool slate and guided her down on top of him. He was already hard and she fit onto him like a perfectly molded inlet. Her feet braced on either side of the rock, firmly on the ground below them as he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her down on top of him so hard that it felt like the mushroomed head of his cock was locked into her womb. She cried out as a little pain shot through her center.
“Be careful. Someone might hear you,” he said with a smile.
Mandy bit her lip and looked down at him, her hands roaming across his flat abdomen as he began pulling her upward again, slowly and deliberately. The friction from her inner walls stretching and constricting with his movements was incredible. Then he was slipping her downward, closing his eyes as he was almost fully buried inside her again. Her hands instinctively moved toward her own breasts, her fingers pulling and twisting her nipples. He opened his eyes and smiled, watching her touch herself as he guided her up and down the length of his cock with perfect timing.
“I love watching you do that. Move one hand down to your clit. Make yourself come for me,” he told her and she obeyed his simple command. Leaving one hand to tease her breasts, she let her other hand slide downward. Her fingers trailed over clit, already sensitive from the friction of his cock rubbing against it. Her body convulsed as she easily pushed herself over the edge, not once but twice, her head tossed backward and her eyes closed. She was aware of nothing around them but the sensations of what her body was feeling.
“So beautiful. Don’t stop. Keep going,” he told her.
Their bodies rose and fell with one another as she continued to repeatedly bring herself to climax. She couldn’t remember ever being so turned on. Whether it was the daring of being outdoors or of showing off for him while he watched, it was mind-numbingly erotic. She had lost complete control to his will. Cool air blew across their naked bodies once more, sending with it the mingled scent of the woods, the earth, the soil, the leaves. It was utter perfection.
Their moans blended together, drifting along the winds to places unknown as he hastened his pace, pounding heavily into her. It pushed her over the cliff to yet another powerful orgasm and this time he joined her with his own eruption. The feel of his pulsating cock as it spasmed with release, coupled with the strain and then calm that graced his face, seemed like something from a dream. She tried to memorize every nuance of this moment before it was gone.
“I think I may have dislocated my hip,” he laughed as she pulled away from him and watched him slowly get up from the rock below him.
“That’s too bad. I don’t think I can carry you back down the slope,” she teased.
“We might be stuck here then,” he replied, limping a little as he walked naked toward her and pulled her into his arms.
“That would be such a shame. Stuck out in the woods with a gorgeous, naked man. Whatever will we do to pass the time until we’re rescued?” she asked.
“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” he said, bending down to kiss her.
Mandy quickly became lost in him again, enjoying the way his tongue darted across her own, exploring her, tasting her. She felt like she could spend forever just kissing him, their skin pressed against one another beneath the warmth of the sun. Weston’s fingers wandered downward, his nails grazing softly across one nipple as they traveled along. She gasped aloud, never taking her eyes off his as he found her clit and began to stroke it, taking advantage of its already overly sensitive state.
“It is so beautiful to watch how your eyes darken when you get excited. The way you bite your lip when you’re trying to hold back. I could spend days just teasing and pleasing you until you are nothing more than a pile of come-saturated mush.”
“You do quite a good job of that as it is.”
“And I intend to continue doing so at every opportunity.”
Her body jerked as he found just the right spot and exploited it with one deft finger. She was quite literally putty in his hand, shuddering with an orgasm. His strokes increased, two more of his fingers slipping inside her as his thumb manipulated her clit with precision. She trembled, having to lean against him for support as her knees weakened and buckled beneath her.
“I love making you weak in the knees.”
“You must, you seem to keep me that way,” she panted as another wave of orgasmic bliss rocketed through her body and caused her to collapse against his chest breathlessly.
“You are perfection personified,” he told her, pulling free of her and kissing her softly on the top of her head as she leaned against him.
“Mmm,” she mumbled against his chest, unable to manage more than that.
“We best get dressed and head to the shop, I suppose,” he told her.
“Okay,” she replied, disappointed that they couldn’t stay here lost in one another longer, but it would begin to get even cloder with the afternoon passing and it wasn’t as if they could remain naked in woods forever.
Later, still basking in the afterglow of their risqué outdoor adventures, Cameron and Mandy perused the costumes in the Halloween shop. Mostly everything in the place was fairly generic, but one costume stood out to the both of them and they agreed it could be adapted to something much more original and more likely to win a contest. They gathered everything they would need together and took it to the register to check out.
“Mandy?” a voice said from behind as Weston was paying for their items.
Mandy froze at the sound of his voice. She hadn’t heard from him since the day he’d left her apartment and hadn’t seen him since the Halloween party. Turning around to face him, her face remained just as stony as she felt towards him these days.
“Cameron,” she said simply.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said, taking a step toward her. She noted that he had a red cape draped over his arm. His face curled up into a momentary snarl, as if noting something that smelled distasteful to him. It took her a moment to realize what it was. With his heightened sense of smell, of course he could smell the scent of Weston still clinging to her, within her. In an odd way, it pleased her for him to know that she had unequivocally moved on.
“Sure,” she said nonchalantly as Weston turned toward her with their bags and took her hand. Cameron’s eyes narrowed, taking in the new man in her life. “Listen, we have to get going. Take care.”
“Wait. Can I call you later? I’d like to talk to you,” he said, disregarding Weston’s presence.
“No. We have nothing left to talk about,” she replied, pulling Weston’s hand toward the door as a silent request to leave. He didn’t question her, but made his way through the throngs of people shopping and out to their car. As they climbed inside, Mandy looked up to see Cameron standing outside the shop, watching them drive away.
“That was him,” Weston said, his voice terse.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Do I need to be concerned with that at all?’ he asked.
“Not in the least little bit,” she told him.
“Good,” he replied, patting her hand lightly with his before grasping in to hold on their way back to her apartment. Nothing more was said about the encounter, which was good. It changed nothing between the two of them. It mattered not in the least bit to her that Cameron had suddenly materialized after all this time, at least that’s what she tried to tell herself.
Mandy turned the conversation toward something else, acting as if the encounter hadn’t bothered her. On one level it hadn’t. She found that she no longer felt anything for him, but the situation with seeing him while with Weston had been awkward and she hated that. Hopefully, Weston knew that there was nothing left there and wouldn’t let the thought fester. If Cameron somehow managed to ruin her current relationship the same way he had managed to ruin the one she had with him, she would be livid.
“I’m going to have to sleep at home tonight,” Weston told her back at her place. I have to be up early in the morning to go to a client’s hearing over in a different county.”
“Okay,” Mandy replied, now worrying that the encounter had already caused a rift between them.
“Mandy, it has nothing to do with seeing your ex this afternoon. I promise,” he told her, pulling her chin up so that she was facing him.
“Promise?” she replied, not denying that he was correct about her thoughts.
“I promise. As a matter of fact, why don’t you come over to my place tomorrow night and we’ll work on our costumes before I ravage that delicious body of yours again. You haven’t spent the night at my place since we’ve met. Seems like we always end up here. I’ll even sweeten the pot. I’ll make you dinner.”
“That sounds wonderful on all accounts,” she said, feeling much more at ease now.
Not only was he okay about the incident today, but he was letting her into his life on yet another level. She was already looking forward to spending the night at his place. Though she had been there a couple of times, she had never stayed for long. It was usually just a matter of ducking in to pick up something and heading back out again. Still, after he left, she found that she had a feeling of unease. It was the first night he hadn’t stayed with her since the first time they had made love. She tried not to think about what had happened with Cameron not returning, but it was difficult, especially with having just seen him.
The main difference in the situation was that, unlike the abandonment she had experienced with Cameron, Weston made sure she knew he was still thinking about her. He texted her several times before bedtime and again the following morning while she was getting ready for work. She kicked herself for even thinking he would do anything like Cameron had done to her and then grew annoyed with herself for even considering anyone could be as cold as her psycho ex.
Having her usual lunch with Kellye, she gushed about how good things were going with Weston, but then told her about running into Cameron at the Halloween store. Kellye rolled her eyes and shook her head in disgust.
“I can’t believe he even had the audacity to speak to you after all this time. You know he’s been seeing several of the girls that work at the art gallery that exhibits most of his work. He’s not much better than a dog in heat these days. Best thing he ever did for you was leave, the bastard.”
“I agree. I felt nothing when I saw him other than feeling weird about Weston being with me. You know, I always told myself that if I saw him, I would have a whole list of vile things to say to him but when the time came, I didn’t even feel like saying anything to him. It wasn’t just because Weston was there. I just had nothing to say to him.”
“That’s good. It shows that he truly does mean nothing to you anymore. Why should he after what he did? We both know that Weston is twice the man he will ever even think of being. He’s so much better for you than Cameron ever would have been.”
Mandy nodded in agreement, reaching for her phone as it began to buzz on the table. She picked it up and groaned loudly, holding it out for Kellye to read.
“That man must have balls the size of a small planet,” Kellye said, reading the message from Cameron.
“I’m so sorry that I left you the way I did. Seeing you yesterday only made me realize just what a mistake I had made. I miss you, Mandy. Can we please talk this out? I want to come home, baby.”
“I’m just not going to respond. I don’t have time for his bullshit. The only reason he wants me now is because he saw that someone else has taken what he thinks is his. He thought I’d spend the rest of my life in abject misery, mourning the loss of the great Cameron. He can see how it feels to have your texts go unanswered just like I did when he ignored me.”
“That a girl,” Kelley told her, taking a bite of her sandwich. They continued their meal, talking even as the phone buzzed a few more times. “Is that still him?” Kellye finally asked as Mandy glanced at the phone’s notifications and ignored the messages.
“Yes. He’s on a messaging tirade, I guess.”
“He’s a freaking psycho is what he is. Make sure you stay far away from him, Mandy. There’s something wrong with him. He’s unbalanced.”
“Nah. He’s harmless. He’s just pissed off because he put his candy down and some other kid took it while he was off on the merry go round. He’ll get over it and leave me alone once he sees I’m not going to come running back to him begging for his affection.”
“Maybe. Just be careful. I’ve heard stories about him from some of the women he’s been seeing since you split and he’s got some psychological issues.”
“I’m not sure that being an asshole can really be elevated to the level of calling it a psychological issue. Like I said, he just can’t stand having someone take something that he feels is still his, even if he did drop it and walk away.”
Kellye scowled at her and went back to eating her lunch, changing the subject to something a little lighter even as Mandy’s phone continued to buzz sporadically.
They finished their lunch and returned to their offices. Over the course of the afternoon, Mandy’s phone buzzed several times, each time with increasingly needy messages from him. By the time five o’clock rolled around, she had put her phone on silent to keep it from going off constantly. Remembering that it was on mute, she reached for it again in her car and looked. There were over a dozen messages from Cameron and one from Weston. She read the only one that mattered and replied, telling Weston she would see him in an hour.
Flipping through the remaining messages quickly before pulling out of her parking spot, she felt more than a little alarmed. They went from sweet and begging her to talk to him to hateful and insulting. A couple were even borderline threatening. She refused to let him get to her, putting her phone in her purse and ignoring it again. Prior to arriving at Weston’s, she turned it off completely. Cameron was ancient history and he wasn’t going to resurrect himself in any way.
“Ah, you are a sight for sore eyes,” Weston told her, pulling her inside the door and kissing her when she arrived. “I had the worst time trying to sleep without you last night. I should have just stayed with you and gotten up a bit earlier to make the trip to see my client. Does that sound too clingy?”
“No, not even close,” she said, hugging him tightly.
All the messages from Cameron faded into nothing as she quickly forgot about him. She and Weston sat discussing what they wanted to do to improve their costumes as he worked at making dinner. Mandy sat at the breakfast bar situated between his kitchen and dining room and made notes about what they would need to finish them up as they talked. By the time the food was ready, they had a solid plan as to what they wanted to do and plans to pick up the rest of what they needed the following afternoon so they could put it together that night.
“If this doesn’t win us a prize, then the contest is rigged,” he laughed.
“I have to agree with you on that,” she replied, putting the notes aside and setting the table while he moved the food over to it.
“Dinner is served, madam,” he said playful with a slight bow and flourish.
“It smells delicious,” she replied, impressed by the perfectly roasted lemon pepper chicken and sautéed vegetables he had prepared with a side of rice pilaf. It wasn’t a complicated meal, but it certainly looked appetizing.
“Hopefully, it will be,” he replied, sitting across from her at the table.
Of course, it was just as good as it looked and he finished off the meal with a nice slice of cheesecake he had been hiding in the fridge. It was the best dessert she had tasted in a while, with drizzles of caramel crisscrossing delicately across it and a dab of whipped cream on top. She loved the way that Weston didn’t seem to mind that she was a few pounds heavier than she should be. Unlike Cameron, who would say little things like asking whether she should really be eating that slice of cake or suggesting she might prefer a salad instead of a full plate of whatever they were eating.
Instead, Weston seemed to not only accept her just as she was, but honestly seemed to like it. His hands often lingered on her curves, caressing her softly in an appreciative way that a man couldn’t fake. It only made her feel more wanted, more content, to be with someone who accepted her without reservations. He had no desire to see her in a size two, something she had never been and never would be. She was comfortable with her size and it was good to be with someone who was just as pleased with her slightly full figured shape.
“This is incredible. I can’t believe you made it!” she said, pulling herself from her thoughts.
“What? You’re doubting my cooking skills?”
“No, of course not. It’s just so yummy. Where did you find time after work to make something so fabulous?”
“Okay. I confess. Beth made it and had Jacob drop it by as a gift. I didn’t make it at all,” he laughed.
“Ah, Beth. She and Jacob are fabulous cooks. Still, I’m shocked at your deceit!” she laughed.
“I know. I’m a bad, bad man. Want another slice?”
“Oh, no way. I am stuffed!”
“How about a nice glass of wine while we relax on the sofa then?”
“That sounds perfect,” she told him, getting up from the table to help him clear away the dishes. They loaded everything in the dish washer and then retreated to the living room with a bottle of red and two glasses. The night passed quietly after that, with the two of them curled up against one another as they talked about things they wanted to do in the coming year.
“I’d like to travel a bit over the holidays if you’re up for it. Do you have any time off from your work?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ve hardly taken a vacation for years. I have almost six weeks accrued, so plenty of available days to use up however I want.”
“Fantastic. Where do you want to go?”
“Maybe Paris. I’ve never been,” she said hopefully.
“Paris sounds perfect. We’ll start looking at flights and hotels, get a trip planned. I also want to go to Greece and Germany. Hopefully we can squeeze them all in while things are a bit slower. I tend to have more time around the holidays than the rest of the year. People are more focused on family than business.”
“We are pretty steady year round, but I have backups at work. They can fill in for any time that I’m away.”
“Good to know. We’re going to have a fantastic time. We’ll have to make a list of all the things we want to do there and plan it all out. I’m a hopeless planner.”
“I can live with that. There’s nothing worse than going somewhere and ending up missing half of the truly special places because you waste so much time trying to figure out where to go and what to do instead of actually doing it.”
“Exactly! You and I are so in tune with one another that it’s frightening. I’m so glad that I found you. I know it must seem quick how things have happened between us, but I’ve been holding back for days in saying what I really want to say every time I look at you. I love you, Mandy.”
Mandy smiled up at him happily and inched closer to him on the sofa, reaching up to caress his cheek with her hand for a moment before kissing him softly on the lips. She pulled away and looked up at him, fighting back the happy tears that threatened to rise up against her will.
“I love you, too.”
“That’s a relief,” he laughed.
Mandy nodded in agreement. Then the moment had passed and they settled back into conversation about places they’d like to travel together. Things they’d like to see. Finally, their conversation drifted away as they sipped their wine and became lost in one another again. They ended up making love on the sofa, too eager to even make it to the bedroom. Afterwards, they made their way to bed and curled up together, drifting off into a peaceful sleep in one another’s arms. The following morning, they each went off to work without an inkling as to what was to come before they could stop it.
“Wow, that looks fantastic on you!” he marveled two nights later, taking in her finished costume.
“Almost as great as yours looks on you,” she told him.
“We are going to nail this contest,” he told her.
“I think so too,” she replied.
The two of them headed out the door, making their way to the haunted park first, enjoying the way people fawned over their outfits. It was like having a review of them done before presenting them to the main judges. So far, everyone that had seen them was bowled over by their creativity. Once they were done there, they began making their way to The Restoration, eager to get signed up for the contest and enjoy their first Halloween night together.
“Little Red Riding Hood and Her Grandma?” the young man at the registration table asked as he looked up at them.
Weston smiled. “Something like that.”
“Okay. Judging will be at midnight on the dot. Just come up to the stage area and wait until we call you.”
“We’ll see you then,” Weston said happily.
They became lost in the crowd, singing and dancing until they were exhausted. Though there were several other Red Riding Hoods about, none were done quite as well as her costume and she and Weston had a little surprise in store for the crowd during their judging time on stage. It was sure to win them the grand prize.
“I have to go find the restroom,” she told him. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Okay sweetheart. I’ll be waiting for you to come back over the river and through the woods,” he laughed.
Mandy laughed and disappeared into the crowd. She made her way through the crowd and into the bathroom, where she had to wait in line for a bit before getting in. On the way out, she bumped into another red-caped party goer and apologized.
“Don’t apologize, Mandy. It was fate seeing you here,” Cameron replied, taking a step toward her.
Her head jerked up, taking in the way he glared at her from beneath the large red cape that was nearly identical to her own. Of course, she thought, he had bought it at the costume shop; she had seen it draped across his arm. Only his lacked the special touches she’d put on it. For the first time, she wondered if he had been watching her. Had he decided to wear a matching costume for some particular reason?
“What are you doing, Cameron? I have nothing to say to you,” she said, angry that he was even there and even more so if he had planned to be, though she wasn’t sure how he would have known.
“You wouldn’t answer my messages, so you left me no choice but to follow you here so we could talk.”
“Talk? We have nothing to talk about. There was a time when I wanted to talk to you, but you couldn’t be found anywhere. And you know what? I’m glad I couldn’t find you. I’ve moved on and now I know you were just a huge mistake. Now, leave me alone!”
“I’ll leave you alone when I decide I’m done with you, Mandy. You’re mine and always will be. How dare you come here with someone else,” he said angrily, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her toward a nearby exit.
“Stop it! Let me go, Cameron!” she hissed at him, trying to tear herself away from him, but he ignored her, dragging her toward the exit as she continued to protest. When he didn’t let her go, she screamed loudly, but the sound was lost in the middle of the crowded club full of people and the blaring of the loud music all around.
“You need to shut your ungrateful mouth,” he snapped at her as they stepped into the alley behind the club.
Mandy looked around hopefully for someone who had stepped out for fresh air or to smoke, but it was completely deserted. She continued to struggle to get free of him, but he wouldn’t let go. He yanked and pulled, dragging her down the alley toward his car and shoving her into it. She tried to scream, but he clamped a hand down over her mouth and shut the door behind them. Inside, he quickly strapped duct tape over her mouth and around her wrists and ankles.
“Now, you stay here and be a good little girl,” he told her. “I’m going to go back inside and give your boyfriend a nasty little surprise and then I’ll be back to take you home where you belong.”
Her eyes widened, realizing that Kellye had been right. He was completely off his rocker. She struggled violently, trying to free herself as he left the car and returned to the club. His windows were tinted black, so there was no way anyone could see her in here. Her only hope of escaping whatever he had planned was to get free and get to Weston before he did. It was almost midnight and she had no doubt he’d be looking for her. She could only hope he didn’t venture out of the safety of the club and into the dark alley where things could get ugly really fast.
Time seemed to move so slowly as she tried to get the metal of the door handle between her wrists. It was too dull to cut the tape, but she was hoping she might loosen it by twisting it sideways. Instead, it only seemed to make it tighter, cutting off her circulation. She grimaced, but kept trying, hoping to loosen it and get it off. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she worried more about what might happen to Weston even more than her own fate. She knew Cameron was fucked up, but she never considered that he was this far gone.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She had forgotten it was tucked into the black pants beneath her cape and wondered if it was Weston trying to find her. How could she get to it to call for help? She kept working at loosening her wrists. It was her only hope of getting out of this mess. Whether he just intended to scare her or do something far worse, she wasn’t sure, but she would prefer not to find out.
Her thoughts were disrupted by a ruckus coming from outside the car. She looked up to see Cameron, in wolf form, running toward the car. The large white stripe down the side of his face was unmistakable. Behind him was a large jet black wolf with huge yellow eyes bearing down on him fast. Was it Weston? She didn’t know what his wolf form looked like.
She watched as the two large wolves tore into one another viciously, tumbling around in circles in the middle of the alley directly in front of the car. It was hard to tell who would be victorious with the way they twisted back and forth, awful howls and growling filling the air around them. Looking beyond the dog fight unfolding in front of her, she noted that a large crowd had gathered behind them, watching and cheering them on.
Then, she watched as Cameron tore into Weston’s throat, slinging him back and forth with a horrible cracking sound before throwing him to the ground. The large black wolf lay there, not moving, as Cameron turned and began limping toward the car, his menacing green eyes seeming to pierce her even through the dark windows of the car.
“Oh, God. Get up, Weston. Please don’t be dead. Please get up,” she tried to say, her voice muffled by the tape, but he didn’t move. Instead, he jumped onto the hood of the car and howled loudly. The crowd behind him, having no idea that the animal they were dealing with was more than just tonight’s entertainment, cheered loudly and began filing back into the club.
Mandy closed her eyes, resigning herself to whatever horrors Cameron intended to bestow on her, and mourning the loss of Weston. Tears rolled down her face as she waited for him to change and get into the car, taking her away with him. Then, the air around her was shattered by what sounded like the scream of a woman. Her head snapped up just in time to see the large black wolf twist his head mightily to one side, tossing the limp carcass of what used to be Cameron down beside the car.
She watched as he quickly converted back to human form and opened her car door, pulling her out to one side of the seat. He slowly peeled the duct tape from her mouth and she couldn’t help but sob.
“Oh Weston!”
“Shh, shh, it’s okay, I’m here now.” He used his car keys to tear open the duct tape and peel it from her hands and feet. It hurt like hell. He stayed there with her, consoling her as she cried, while they waited for the police to arrive.
“I thought you were dead,” she told him.
“Not by a long shot,” he told her with a smile.
It took hours to explain what had happened to the police, who took statements from witnesses that had watched as Grandma had met Little Red Riding Hood on stage. At first, they had thought it was just part of the costume competition as Grandma morphed into a Big Bad Wolf right before their eyes, but then Little Red Riding Hood had done the same. It quickly escalated into a horrible fight before the two large beasts had gone running outside, chasing one another.
The crowd had abandoned the contest, chasing the two of them outside to see what happened next, thinking the fight was something that had been put on by the club for entertainment purposes. When it ended, they all filed back inside to continue their night of fun. Cameron had apparently not been aware that Weston was also a shifter when he had decided to take him on and refused to back down once he learned that he was. His demise was his own doing.
It took months to clear Weston of any wrong doing, but in the end, it was ruled self-defense. Though they had missed their planned holiday vacation, the two of them had only gotten closer since the night that Cameron had attempted to abduct her and kill Weston. Follow up interviews by the cops had revealed a man that was much sicker than she had ever realized. He was a classic sociopath, hiding it well until he finally crossed a line. She was lucky to be alive and probably wouldn’t be if not for Weston.
“I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to go anywhere with all my legal troubles,” Weston told her one night as they sat curled up listening to music.
“Oh, Weston. You don’t seriously think I’m worried about that do you? I wouldn’t even be here if not for you.”
“I was just looking forward to it and I know you were too. Instead, we’ve been stuck here until everything was over. Plus, there’s all the scrutiny now that everyone knows what I am.”
“I know. It’s been hard, but we’re getting through it. People seem to be more accepting of it than you expected.”
“Yes. There is that. It’s a relief really not to have to hide it anymore.”
“So, we’ll go to Paris some other time.”
“Well, I hear it is beautiful in the spring. I will find a way to squeeze in some time for us to go anyway.”
“That would be nice, but I completely understand if we can’t.”
“I know you do, but I really think we deserve a vacation after all of this.”
As it turned out, they did make it. On a warm spring day in April, the two of them boarded a plane bound for France, spending a week just taking in the city and enjoying the sites. Stepping into a small sweet shop as they walked down the street, the couple sat at a small table in back and ordered a small plate of mixed petit fours and wine.
“Look at the size of that French Poodle,” he marveled.
Mandy turned her head but saw nothing. Turning back to him, she found that he was kneeling beside the table, holding up what appeared to be a small cake toward her. He reached up and flipped open the top of the faux petit fours to display a large diamond ring.
“Will you marry me?” he asked, looking a little nervous as several onlookers watched with smiles on their faces.
“Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you!” she said happily as he pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger.
They kissed as the crowd around them cheered loudly. Moments later, they stepped out into the sunlight again, a newly engaged couple. It was only the beginning for them as they began to plan the rest of their lives together. Though neither of them knew it at the time, they were already well on their way. A tiny seed inside Mandy was already growing into a baby who would become one of the most powerful wolf shifters in the history of the world.
THE END
Corinne jumped back as the sauce splattered on the counter.
“Shit!”
She couldn’t afford to speckle her new white dress with red Bolognese spaghetti sauce. She was determined to make everything perfect. Tonight was the night she was going to fix her marriage.
Having averted near disaster, she wiped up the spill and turned off the burner. The clock on the microwave blinked 7:53, which gave her exactly seven minutes to put the finishing touches on the table. Her new heels clicked as she hurried to the apartment’s tiny dining room –just a square of the great room, delineated by the back of the sofa. The tiny table was set with the best plates she had and the tall silver candlesticks, one of the only things she had left of her mother, gleamed brightly and newly polished. She’d worked on this moment all day. For a week, really.
She had to do something. It had been almost five years since the wedding, a day she’d thought was the happiest in her life. But lately, Marcus barely paid attention to her. It was worse than when his hot temper flared and they argued for hours. That meant he was at least engaged, plus it usually ended in hot sex, and with a wolf-shifter like Marcus, it was worth the yelling.
But he hadn’t touched her in weeks.
She knew why, and she was ashamed. He wanted pups, and she was happy to give them to him. After all, she’d always dreamed of being a mother. But for some reason, her voluptuous body that looked perfect for bearing children seemed to be a dud. It wasn’t something she could argue either. If only she could show Marcus that it was as disappointing to her as it was to him.
Corinne brushed a tear from her cheek as she set the matches down on the table. The tiny flames seemed to blur. She checked her watch – two minutes!
Corinne rushed to the bathroom and checked the mirror for the fiftieth time. Marcus wouldn’t be happy about her blowing so much money on the designer dress, but he would appreciate the final look. Innocent, white, and flirty with tantalizingly sheer layers that billowed out as she moved, yet hugged her in all the right places. And she hadn’t worn anything beneath, anticipating it being ripped to shreds in seconds.
Thankfully, her momentary crying session hadn’t ruined her makeup either. The sound of Marcus’ key in the door prompted a last deep breath and she fluffed out her long blond hair one more time before scurrying back to the living area. He adored her long hair so much she never cut it, which meant a lot of maintenance, but she loved that he loved it so much.
This was it – the moment she’d been daydreaming about for days. He’d never be able to resist her.
“Welcome home,” she said in a breathy voice as he walked inside.
He froze; his dark eyes fell on the table and the candles and his expression was unreadable behind his rough, unshaven face and wild brown hair. She waited as his gaze slid from the table to her. He lifted his eyebrows, letting out a low whistle.
“You like?” she asked, twirling. “I know you’ll like dinner. It’s your favorite. I thought we could open a bottle of that nice red we got as a gift from your boss last year and—”
“Babe. I told you, we’re saving that for a special occasion. What’s all this about?” He asked, his gravelly voice that usually sent shivers of anticipation over her made her heart skitter with nerves instead.
“What’s all this about?” she echoed. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Babe, you are crazy. Nice dress though. Where’s this dinner you spoke of?” Marcus’ lopsided grin wasn’t going to smooth things over this time.
Corinne seethed as the legs of his chair scraped against the beat-up hardwood. He sat at the table and pulled out his phone.
Don’t blow this. Breathe. Just breathe and move on to phase two.
Some part of her anticipated things not going the way she dreamed, so she’d taken additional steps. Corinne smirked as she retrieved her special dinner. But when she rejoined him at the table, the candles were nothing more than wisps of smoke and the overhead light glared down.
She nearly dropped the pasta.
“I thought,” she said, trying to control the bite in her words, “that it would be more romantic with the lights out.”
Marcus didn’t glance up from his phone. In fact, he grinned at something he was reading. “What? Yeah, I couldn’t see, babe.”
Corinne plopped some spaghetti on his plate. He reached over automatically and started twirling some noodles with his face still in the phone.
“What are you doing?” she asked, words slightly clipped.
“Huh? Oh, just business stuff.”
Business stuff? He was in construction. How much business stuff could there be after hours on a cell phone?
Corinne cleared her throat and tried again. “I tried something new today. I was reading up on the Internet about fertility treatments, and I found this acupuncture place. It was a little freaky at first, but it really didn’t hurt when they stuck the needles in. Anyway, the lady said I’m primed and ready to receive your sperm within the next few days.”
She waited, biting her lip.
Slowly, Marcus looked up from his phone. “And how much money did you spend on this quack?”
Heat flooded Corinne’s face. “Not as much as I spent on this dress,” she snapped.
Marcus growled and his eyes glowed yellow. “What the fuck, Corinne? You know we’re saving up.”
“For what? For pups? Because newsflash – if I don’t try something like this, it’s never going to happen.”
“That’s not my fault. It certainly doesn’t run on my side of the family.” Marcus gave her his full attention now, slamming his phone down on the table and making the whole thing shake.
Low blow. Corinne sniffed. Her mother had died having her and as far as she knew, there wasn’t a great track record otherwise.
“You know what else might increase our odds?” she asked, smiling. “If you actually fucked me once in a while.”
She couldn’t believe she’d said that.
“Funny, I don’t feel like fucking you when you’re being a bitch.” Marcus flipped the table so suddenly Corinne barely had time to jump back. The sauce she’d been so worried about an hour ago splattered the floor, the wall, the back of the couch and her dress.
“Where are you going?” she demanded as Marcus grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
“To get some dinner where I won’t be nagged,” he growled. “And clean that shit up.”
Corrine’s mouth hung open as he slammed the door behind him. Staring around her at the impossible mess, she sunk to the ground and finally let the tears flow free.
“Wanker,” Corinne muttered as she wiped the last bit of sauce off the hardwood. She’d been calling Marcus every horrible name she could think of and had moved on to English terms she’d learned on cable.
She smiled, sitting back on the floor. She liked the sound of that one. That’s when she noticed it. Marcus’ damn phone must have skittered all the way into the corner beside the bookshelf. Sighing, she stood and stooped to retrieve it.
About to start playing How Hard Do I Have to Throw The Phone to Break It, it buzzed against her palm.
Who was texting the wanker?
It wasn’t a text though, it was an alert from some app. Corinne narrowed her gaze and read the name: ComeShift. Something inside of her went a little numb as she typed in Marcus’ password. He’d never given it to her, but he was idiot enough to use his birthday. 0428.
It was some kind of shifter dating site. Corinne’s vision went red as she examined his profile. The first thing she noticed was his profile pic – the asswipe (time to go back to some tried and true American names) had actually used a cropped version of their wedding photo!
Her eyes trailed down the screen. Status: Single and searching. Corinne barely noticed the breath coming faster through her nose as she continued on. His inbox was full, but it seemed he’d been having a conversation with someone over the in-app messenger before he left.
Corinne hurriedly scrolled back to the beginning.
I so want to meet you! *hearts and flowers*. Corinne gagged but kept going.
Why are you so interested? Marcus wanted to know, followed by a winky face.
Because wolves are so cute and cuddly. I’d love to make you thump your leg.
Idiot. That was a dog not a wolf. And Marcus was far from cuddly.
Well, then you’ll have to scratch in all the right places, he replied.
Don’t tease me. When and where?
The Tiki Club. 9 PM.
Corinne glanced at the time. It was almost ten. Had he actually met this skank? Did it matter? He’d gone so far as to download the app and put up a profile. Hell, he’d had a ton of messages. Who knew how often he did this?
Corinne marched to the kitchen and dumped his phone down the garbage disposal, turned on the water, and let her rip. Pieces flew out, making her duck, but when she’d finally turned off the power, she was feeling slightly better.
Now the question was, what did she do?
As sick and betrayed as she felt inside, she knew she’d never be able to trust him again. He was an alpha male, after all – at least that’s what he was always saying. “Babe, I’d be the head of the pack if I decided to run wild. But I’d rather run wild with you in the bedroom.” Then he’d growl for her.
That always sent shivers down all the right places.
Creep. Dog. Fuckwad.
Corinne repeated as many names as she could think of as she ripped her stained dress off and dug through her closet to find her sluttiest outfit. It had to be the little red skirt that landed mid-thigh and crop top that dipped so low it made her nervous her breasts would simply pop right out of the tight halter.
Corinne fluffed her hair out long and loose, then applied some bright red lipstick to match before slipping on her tallest fuck-me pumps.
Two could play at this game.
Corrine pulled up a seat to the old computer, ignoring what remained of the overturned table and spaghetti. He could lick it up as a midnight snack if he wanted to. She wouldn’t be cleaning up after him anymore.
She downloaded some free divorce forms from the Internet. It wasn’t like they had money or kids to fight over. She wanted to make it as simple and clean as possible. While those were printing, she started her own profile on the Shifter App.
Single and ready to mingle, she wrote as her status, trying to keep her fingers from shaking as she typed. She took a quick selfie with pouty lips and lots of cleavage and popped it in the picture space, then she hit the button to make it live before she could second guess it.
Corinne put her phone aside and retrieved the bottle of wine from the liquor cabinet. If this wasn’t a special occasion, then what was? She popped it open and poured a large glass to sip while filling out the divorce paperwork.
It didn’t take long to fill out, which made her feel kind of sad inside. Was that really all there was to her marriage of five years? A couple of sheets of paperwork? She gulped down the rest of the glass and poured another as her phone started beeping with messages from the new app.
The first guy was a skeezer (she wasn’t sure what it meant but she liked the sound of it). He was a wolf like Marcus, but with sandy blond hair and she didn’t trust that he wasn’t cheating on someone who was just like her.
She swiped left and his leering picture disappeared.
Next was a lion – intriguing, but clearly too into his own body from all his weight lifting pics. He was even kissing his own bicep in one of them.
Corinne was about to put the phone aside when she got one more ding.
The picture that popped up was a guy with dark skin and a warm smile. She couldn’t help but smile back at her phone and the way the skin near his bright green eyes crinkled up. It made him seem more… real.
She flicked the screen so she could read more about him.
Confirmed Bachelor. Hmmm.
Looking for fun and friendship. Is he for real?
Firefighter. That could be fun!
Corinne hiccupped and slurped up the rest of her wine as she swiped right and sent a quick message to meet her at the same place her no-good husband went to get lucky.
Her heart skipped a little when he messaged back right away that he’d be there in half an hour.
Just enough time to write a Dear John note to dear Marcus.
Corinne paused, hand lightly brushing the door handle to the bar. Her heart beat along with the faint drumbeat coming from inside. She felt ill. This was the place she and Marcus had gone for their last anniversary – quiet, dark and filled with the sounds of actual tropical birds and island music.
But now all she could picture was Marcus – the old Marcus who used to devour her with his eyes – looking like that at another woman. What if they were still in there? What the hell was she doing?
Corinne took a ragged breath and spun around, nearly banging into the broad chest of a tall man.
“Oh!”
“Are you okay?” Strong arms steadied her as she craned her neck back enough to look up into bright green eyes.
“It’s you,” she said, unable to form any other words.
“Corinne, right?” He smiled broadly, flashing bright white teeth against the smooth dark skin of his face.
Corinne’s heart sped up faster than the drums as she nodded. “And you’re—” She stopped just short of saying ‘hotter than your picture.’
“Gordon.” Keeping his strong hands on her arms, he guided her gently out of the way when the door opened behind her, almost knocking her aside.
“Um, thanks.”
“No problem.” Gordon tore his eyes off her for a moment and surveyed the scene through the door before it swung closed. It was pretty dark, but his expression darkened slightly like he saw something more.
“Everything okay?” she asked, missing the warmth of his hands after he realized he was still holding her and let go.
“I’m sorry. Yes, of course. I’m just not used to places like this, I guess. I’m a bit of a homebody to be honest. But if this is where you’re comfortable…”
“Actually,” Corinne admitted, “I was having second thoughts myself.”
“I have an idea.” Gordon’s smile broadened – still nowhere near as wide as his chest – and he offered her an elbow before steering her around a pothole and to a black luxury sedan where he opened the passenger door for her and waited for her to get in.
“How do I know you’re not some serial killer?” Corinne asked, half-jokingly when he took the driver’s side.
“I guess you don’t. But then again, I know nothing about you either.” He started the engine and was backing up when Corinne caught site of Marcus’ silver mustang on the side of the building. It was only about five seconds, but it felt like an eternity as she watched the naked figure of the bimbo straddling him in the front seat, his face buried in her fake boobs.
Corinne squeezed her eyes shut, unable to get the vision out of her head as Gordon took off down the street, oblivious to the situation.
“So… It’s been a while since I’ve done this sort of thing,” Gordon said, staring out the windshield. “To be honest, I only did it to get the guys at the firehouse off my back.”
“Oh. But you sent me a message,” Corrine said, mind still mostly on what she’d just witnessed.
“Well, yeah. Your picture was so beautiful. My buddy, Blake, was making me pick someone to message and well… I’m really glad your picture was real. I mean, you look amazing.” Gordon cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly while still focused on the road.
Corrine couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”
“So… what made you post on a shifter app? Wait. Don’t tell me. Let me guess.” Gordon turned into an older neighborhood with tall brick duplexes lining one side of the street and shops, cafés and other small businesses lining the other. He pulled into a spot on the commercial side of the street and finally turned to survey her.
“You’re a tigress,” he said, narrowing his green eyes in thought. “Felines are among the most dangerous shifters. People don’t realize the power they possess.”
Corinne giggled. “Nope. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m actually not a shifter at all.” A thought suddenly occurred to her. What if he wasn’t a shifter either? What if they both went on looking for one?
“You can’t be one of those women who are obsessed with shifters, you know, for the animal part, right?” Gordon grimaced, looking worried for the first time.
“What? Oh.” Bestiality wasn’t part of it. She and Marcus had human sex, just wild. “No, I’m not a groupie. I…” Oh what the hell? The worst-case scenario she’d have to use an app to call for a ride. “I was married to a shifter for five years.”
Gordon’s eyebrows rose in the air. “I wasn’t expecting that. Okay. Recently divorced then? I can deal with that.” He nodded.
Corinne didn’t bother to correct him. As soon as Marcus signed the papers, she’d be recently divorced.
“What type of shifter are you?” she asked, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. If he was 100% human she wanted to know. Though she doubted it. Not with those eyes.
Please don’t be a wolf.
A grin spread over Gordon’s face. “I don’t want to scare you.”
Corinne shrugged. “My ex is a wolf. Alpha male. I doubt you could be worse than that. Besides I didn’t ask you to shift.”
Gordon chuckled. “Alpha male, eh? Is that what he calls himself?”
“Why?” Corinne asked, a little offended until she remembered she was angry at Marcus.
“Sorry. It’s just that I’ve met a few wolves in my day. The ones who brag about their standing are usually the ones who couldn’t make it as a pack leader – at least in my experience.”
Corinne snorted. “Yeah, that’s probably about right.”
“Dragon,” Gordon said, opening his car door.
It took a moment for what he said to register. Dragon? Those were the most powerful and rare shifters around. Corinne snapped out of it when he opened her door from the other side.
“Ready?” he asked, offering a hand.
Corinne remembered the warmth and strength of his grip on her arms from earlier and eagerly slipped her hand in his.
“So where are you taking me?” she asked, noting that most of the stores and even cafés were closed at this hour.
“Nadine’s,” Gordon said, leading her down the sidewalk. “It’s kind of a diner-dump, but it’s great food and they’re open 24 hours.”
Corinne realized she was hungry when he mentioned food, though she hoped this Nadine’s offered some kind of alcohol.
The place was deserted, but the waitress, an older woman with a bun and a pen tucked behind her ear, recognized Gordon and came over right away.
“Do you like omelets?” Gordon asked, capturing her with those emerald eyes of his.
“Yes,” Corinne said, surprised. She loved breakfast food. She could eat it morning, noon and night, but Marcus hated it. He skipped breakfast most days.
“They serve breakfast all day here and it’s amazing,” Gordon raved. “I’ll have the works in mine, Loretta. And a beer.”
Loretta winked. “Hash browns and wheat toast. Extra butter. I know. But how about your lady friend?”
“I’d love a veggie omelet,” Corinne said. “And a beer, too, please.”
Gordon turned out to be as charming as he looked as they chatted and laughed over omelets. She watched, fascinated, as he poured hot sauce over all his food and even in his beer.
When he caught her staring, he winked. “Dragon thing,” he said. “We like it hot.”
Corinne felt the heat work its way through her insides until her nether regions burned with desire. She wondered how hot he liked it exactly.
By the time they finished, it was after midnight and the table was filled with empty dishes and beer bottles.
“Cherry pie?” Gordon offered, leaning across the table until she could feel the heat roiling off him.
“No thanks,” Corinne said, voice throaty from desire. “That’s not what I’m hungry for right now.”
Did she say that out loud?
She could swear she heard a low growl emanating from somewhere deep in his chest. His green eyes were smoldering, but also not quite clear – probably from all the beer and Corinne was feeling pretty uninhibited, too.
“You can’t drive like that,” she said when he laid some money down on the table for Loretta.
“My place is right across the street,” he said, offering a hand again when it was time to rise from the booth. “But don’t feel pressured. I can call you a cab and I’ll be happy to pay.”
“I’d love to see your place,” Corinne said, ignoring his chivalry. This was one princess who didn’t want to be saved from the dragon.
They grinned silently at each other as he slung an arm around her shoulder and walked her across the way. She at once felt both comfortable and familiar as she drunk in his spicy scent. He led her across the way to one of the red brick buildings she found so charming and helped her navigate the steps up to the door.
“You live in a duplex?” Corinne asked as the world spun around her. But as long as Gordon kept one arm securely around her as he fished for his key, she wasn’t worried.
“Yes. Well, the other unit is vacant. The other owners and I have been talking about maybe going in together to rent it and turn it into kind of a clubhouse for the kids around here. A lot of them are out on the streets with nowhere to go during the day.”
The door clicked open and Gordon helped her inside and to an overstuffed sofa. Comfy.
“Can I get you something? A beer?” Gordon asked, rubbing his palms on his jeans. He looked as nervous as Corinne felt. When Corinne got anxious though, she had a habit of saying things she’d later regret.
“I’m good on beer,” Corinne said, leaning back into the cushions. “Why don’t you come over here and show me how hot your dragon breath is.”
Like that.
Gordon sat beside her, making the couch sink in a bit. “Look, I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t ready—”
Corinne threw her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth over his. It was hot. Hell, everything about him was hot, she decided, as she yanked his shirt free of his pants and slid her hands up over the smooth, taut skin of his back, enjoying the heat and the feel of his rippling muscles.
To her delight, he kissed her back with abandon, sucking on her bottom lip and drawing his teeth back lightly over it, which sent shivers down to the bottom of her belly. His mouth moved down over the curve of her chin to her bare neck where he sucked at the tender skin, also lightly teasing it with his teeth as his hand slid up her side, cupping her breast through the halter and running his thumb over the bare top poking out of her low neckline. Her skin seared from the contact, prickles of desire awakening beneath his touch.
Corinne closed her eyes and laid back on the cloud-like cushions as Gordon pulled her shoes off and began working his way up her body with his mouth – starting with her toes. By the time he reached her inner thighs, she was dripping with desire and her hips arched in the air, legs opening to welcome him.
Slowly, he drew the bottom of her dress up toward her waist, lightly rubbing her skin with his thumbs until she moaned with delicious frustration. He chuckled softly as he tugged the thin strap of material that made up her thong to the side, revealing her swollen sex, waiting for him.
His tongue flicked against her clit, and she sucked in air like she was drowning. Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t anything she’d felt before, and it was amazing.
“What is that?” she gasped as he seemed to taste multiple parts of her at once.
“Forked tongue,” he said, rising up from between her knees.
“Oh lord,” she said, falling back into the cushions again.
Gordon stood and dropped his pants, revealing a cock about two inches longer and at least an inch thicker than Marcus’ pathetic junk. She could almost feel the heat roll off it as he positioned himself between her legs.
Now naked, he leaned down over her, body against body, hot and sweaty and hard as he tugged her breasts loose from their prison. She could actually see his long forked tongue this time as he controlled the tips of it individually to surround her hard nipple and tug.
But he didn’t enter her. What was he waiting for?
“Fuck me,” she cried when she couldn’t take it anymore. “For the love of God, please fuck me.”
Gordon grinned his gorgeous grin above her as he found her entrance, wet and hot and so ready. Bursts of pleasure exploded within her as he worked himself inside, farther than she thought possible.
“Is it okay?” he panted, fully inside.
“Yesssss,” she hissed, hips in the air.
Slowly he drew out almost all the way and then faster this time, plunged back inside, making her moan with pleasure. Encouraged, or maybe unable to hold back anymore, Gordon pumped his cock deep inside of her in a hard, fast rhythm as she adjusted the angle of her hips so that he struck gold with each thrust.
Corinne lost track of where she began and he ended. They were a single, perfect organism, in sync with the universe. Wave after wave of intense pleasure flowed through her until a final rush of ultimate bliss tore through them and he collapsed to her side, breathing heavy.
Corinne was a melted lump of jelly. Just lifting her leg a little sent shivers through her body. “Wow,” was all she could say.
“Was it okay?” Gordon asked, brushing some of her hair from her face.
“Okay?” she repeated, blinking. “No.”
His face fell.
“I would never describe what just happened as ‘okay’. Maybe earth shattering. But not okay.”
Gordon’s beautiful grin returned. “You’re good for my ego.”
“You’re good for my everything,” Corinne countered.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Gordon said, carefully navigating over her and up off the couch. “I’m going to go get us some water and draw a nice bath for you. Or maybe us, if you feel like more company.”
Corinne’s heart skittered, wondering if he’d make the water boil with his body heat. “Thanks, sounds good.”
She watched him go and slowly stood, still dizzy, but completely relaxed in every way. She worked her way out of her dress, which was now mostly around her waist and kicked off her panties.
She heard the rush of water through the pipes and smiled, about to go join in, when her purse, discarded on the ground, began to buzz.
Corinne hesitated, but finally snatched it up to check it out. It was Marcus. Apparently, his parking lot hook up was over.
WTF CORINNE?
All caps. He was yelling.
DIVORCE? And you couldn’t even clean up your fucking mess?
My mess? Corinne fumed as she punched the glass of her phone with her fingers.
Yes. Divorce. And you can clean your own goddamn mess from now on. Or ask Little Red Riding Hood to do it for you. She’d probably think it was adorable. At least for about five minutes till she meets the real you.
Corinne pressed send and held her breath for a second. She was extra dizzy, heart pounding, but she was also invigorated. She waited for two full minutes for a response and then…
You are fucking nuts. I’m not cheating.
Corinne laughed out loud.
She opened the Shifter app and took a screen shot of his page. Then she sent it along with another message.
Don’t bother denying. I saw you in the parking lot tonight at the Tiki Bar. Sign the papers.
She could almost hear him howl miles away.
Where are you? We can’t afford a hotel.
With a friend.
Bullshit.
Corinne couldn’t resist. She took a picture of the messed-up couch, along with both of their clothes – clearly both hers and a guy’s – messed up on the floor and sent it.
You’re right. More than a friend now.
Corinne powered her phone off and tossed it on the sofa before letting the sound of the bath guide her toward Gordon, who stood waiting with a glass of water, nude and glistening with the heat of their encounter.
The tub was oversized, and he’d set tea lights along the edge so that they flickered in the dark bathroom. A few rose petals floated on the surface of the now-filled tub and she smiled.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Best I could do on short notice. I didn’t exactly anticipate this. But I can’t tell you how happy I am it happened.”
Corinne pushed the picture of Marcus out of her head and slipped into the warm water, beckoning him in with her.
She’d planned on pleasuring him, the way Marcus always wanted, but instead he guided her forward so he could sit behind her, pulling her back against him, and working out the strain in her shoulders she didn’t even realize existed until that moment.