Chasing Payne (7 page)

Lora's stomach growled in protest as she stretched under the warm, thick comforter. A sliver of light streamed through a crack in the blinds. The smell of eggs, bacon and freshly brewed coffee flooded her senses, and her mouth watered.

Forcing her eyes open, she sat up and threw the covers back. She looked down at the oversized t-shirt she wore and frowned. Her black lace dress lay ruined in the corner. Her cheeks burned as she realized that Chase must have undressed her sometime when she was sleeping.

She stood and tested her legs. Her strength had returned and the wounds on her arm were fully healed. Only the slightly raised scar on her neck showed any evidence of last night's events.

Trying to control the tremors in her body, she opened the door, and glanced around the large apartment. She'd only been there a few times before. Neutral tones covered the walls. There were no adornments, just the essentials. Cool and reserved, just like Chase.

She followed the sound of sizzling bacon, and found Chase in the spacious, well-lit kitchen, standing bare-chested over the stove.

Her breath caught in her throat. He was perfection. Hard, coiled muscles worked under sun-bronzed skin, and jogging pants hung low on his waist. Everything about him screamed sex. Damn it, she needed to get control over her need for him if she was going to make it out of there with her dignity still intact.

He turned and cocked an eyebrow at her, a touch of a smile curving his lips.

“Hi,” she said tentatively.

“I made breakfast.”

“It smells wonderful.”

“Sit.” He motioned to a stool at the island. She sat down and he placed a plate filled with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast in front of her. “Eat.”

She was too famished to argue over his bossy attitude. “Thank you,” she said, digging into the eggs.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter, watching her. “I need to go into work this afternoon, but I thought we could go to your apartment later and pick up some of your stuff.”

She froze, swallowed the mouthful of food that now seemed lodged in her throat, and placed the fork back on her plate. “My stuff?”

“Just enough for a few days. Once you're settled in, we can figure out what to do with your apartment and the rest of your things.”

“Settled in?” She felt like a parrot repeating everything he said, but she couldn't wrap her brain around what he was suggesting. Surely, he didn't think she was going to move in with him? “I'm not staying here.”

He frowned. “Of course you are.”

Suddenly not hungry, she pushed the stool back and stood. “I don't know what you're expecting to happen, but me moving in with you is not on the radar.”

He placed his cup on the counter and took a step towards her. His movements were slow, precise, and the look in his eyes was dangerous. “We're mated now. Like it or not, this is your home.”

Bullshit.

“I already have an apartment. What I don't have is a job.” She pushed past him. “I've got about two weeks left before my next rent is due, so if you wouldn't mind driving me home—”

“Stop.” Rough fingers encircled her arm and stopped her rapid escape.

She almost laughed at the ridiculous command. Like she had a choice. He held her immobilized, and while he didn't hurt her, she knew there was no escaping his iron grip.

She pressed her lips firmly together and glared.

Loosening his hold, he pulled her towards him, the fingers of his free hand sweeping upwards until he clasped her chin and tilted it upwards. “Don't fight me on this, Lora. There's something between us. More than just what happened last night. I'm not going to let you walk away.”

Goosebumps peppered her arms and she blushed under his intense stare. Her heart was suddenly racing. Her breathing hitched and her skin tingled at the nearness of his hard, heated flesh.

A satisfied smirk curved his lips. His head lowered and his breath caressed her mouth.

“Do you deny it?” He held her gaze, waiting for an answer.

She licked her lips as a flush of heat warmed her and anticipation tightened her stomach. She shook her head. There was no use denying her feelings, not when her body hummed and sizzled with electricity whenever he was near.

She was so screwed. There was no way she was going to walk away from this with her heart in one piece.

Her brain fought for control, but it was outnumbered, with both her heart and lioness fighting to believe that she really could have her happily ever after.

“I won't hurt you,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. The seductive roughness of his voice stroked against her senses.

She closed her eyes, wanting to believe him. Wanting to trust him. Wanting things that she knew she could never have. Wanting—
him!

He ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, sending a shudder of pleasure through her body.

She hated how weak she was around him. How completely out-of-control he made her feel. He did things to her libido that should be against the law. He had her at an unfair advantage and, by the arrogant look in his eyes, knew it.

Unable to resist his touch, she relaxed in his arms, letting go of her self-preservation and surrendering to her cravings.

Warmth and quiet amusement gleamed in his vivid blue eyes, as if he knew he had already won.

She lifted her hands to his abdomen, her fingers tingling as she stroked the tight muscles. A fierce groan erupted from his mouth, and before she could protest, he tangled his fingers through her hair, pulled her head back, and covered her lips with his own.

One more day. She could live in the fantasy one more day.

But as his tongue delved deeper into her mouth, Lora knew that one day would never be enough.

She was fucking gorgeous, and she was his. The thought sent another ripple of lust straight to his groin. She went to his head faster than whiskey, and now that he'd had a taste, he wanted to drown himself in her.

He could sense her desire, her need. Shit, he'd always been able to sense it. He'd denied his own hunger for too long, and now that they were mated, it was like adding kerosene to the inferno that raged within him.

Brushing the dark strands of hair away from her face, he felt her shiver. He kissed her again. His tongue brushed over her lips, parted them, and stroked inside with an urgency he couldn't hold back. Her tongue nearly unravelled him the minute it slid against his own.

If he didn't get control of himself, he was going to take her right then and there.

“Lora,” he growled her name against her lips.

Her lower lip trembled. The flicker of uncertainty crossed her beautiful amber eyes. The connection between them was growing stronger. He could feel her turbulent emotions, and the questions that raced through her mind.

She pulled back, her breasts rising and falling quickly under the thin t-shirt. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Since their first kiss, in his office, he'd been unable to think of anything other than seducing her, of making her body hum until she screamed out his name in ecstasy. He'd spent countless nights with his cock in his hand trying to rid his mind of her perfectly sculpted body, to no avail. All he wanted was to feel her, smell her, taste her. To make her his in every possible way.

He pulled her tight to his body, letting her feel just how much he wanted her. “You have no idea how fucking much I want this.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn't protest. “Now?”

In a single movement, he scooped her in his arms, and gathered her against his chest. “Now.”

His lips twitched as the scent of her desire flooded his nostrils. The rising tide of lust built and churned inside him as he made his way down the long hallway towards his bedroom.

He laid her gently on his bed. She watched him through hooded eyes as he pulled the t-shirt over her head. His balls tightened, the tormenting ache increasing, at the sight of her full breasts and the black lace panties she wore.

“Gorgeous,” he murmured, and trailed his palm along the soft curve of her breasts.

Her nipples were hard and tight. He could sense her arousal as if it intermingled with his own. Never in his life had he experienced such a raw, hungry need.

His cock was harder than it had ever been, the engorged head pulsating with the desperate need to enter her.

His fingers curved over the black lace panties, pushing them to the side so that he could feel her warm, slick heat. She moaned and arched her back as his fingers delved into the swollen, sensitive folds.

“Chase.” It was a soft cry of pleasure.

Her hips jerked, trying to press his fingers deeper. He pushed her thighs farther apart, and ran his tongue along her clit.

“Please,” she begged, her amber eyes darkening, and glittering with need.

Her fingers tangled in his hair. She moved against him with urgency, whimpering softly as his tongue and fingers speared the sensitive channel. He was hard, so fucking hard, and he was going to come just watching her if he didn't get himself under control.

A keening wail tore from her lips, her back arched, and her body shook with her release. A rush of liquid heat spilled around his fingers and tongue. He had never tasted anything so sweet. The final pulse of her orgasm throbbed around his fingers. So fucking perfect.

He gently drew back, and rolled the black panties down her legs, discarding them on the floor.

Blood pounded hard and fast through his veins as he looked down at the woman who was his mate. Her face was flushed with pleasure and her breasts rose and fell rapidly. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on her golden skin. Her amber eyes were blurred and hazy.

A deep primitive hunger filled him, so potent he wondered how he had been able to deny it as long as he had.
Mine
, his lion growled, and for once, he agreed.

He was falling in love with her, and the thought terrified him, threw him into a panic. He knew it was more than just the mating hormones that coursed through his veins. A surge of protectiveness filled him, overwhelmed his senses.

He had sworn never to allow himself to submit to mating heat, to allow his heart to get involved. It was dangerous. As he looked into the eyes of his mate, he understood the darkness that consumed his father after his mother's disappearance.

Already he knew that he could never survive losing her.

* * *

Lora swore she lost consciousness for a moment. Her entire body hummed with the after effects of pleasure. It still wasn't enough. She wanted him inside her, filling her.

Before she could process his movements, he kneeled above her, naked and fully erect. He pushed her thighs apart with his knees, his hungry gaze roaming over her body.

Desperate for more, she wrapped her fingers around his engorged cock. He was thick, heavy, and ready for her. She bit her lip and took a shallow breath to steady her nerves.

The flash of lust in his blue eyes seared her.

She had wanted him for so long, desperate to have him look at her the way he was now, that it almost seemed surreal. Emotion threatened to choke her and she had to look away from his intense gaze.

“Mine,” he suddenly growled, his voice thicker, harsher than she had ever heard it. He raked his lips and teeth over the sensitive spot on her neck where he had marked her. “Say it.”

“I'm yours.”

God, it was the truth. She was his. Had always been his. Even if he hadn't wanted her.

She ran her fingers down his back, grasping his hips, and pulling him towards her. He slid into her slowly and she arched towards him as her body stretched to accept his fullness.

His lips covered hers. One hand cupped her face and his tongue possessed her. His hips began to move with a slow and steady rhythm. She met each stroke until his pace quickened, and her body screamed for release. He thrust inside her with deep, thick strokes that sent lashes of pleasure vibrating through every cell in her body.

“Don't stop,” she pleaded, wrapping her legs around his waist.

He groaned in response, thrusting deeper, stretching her tender flesh, branding it with an ecstasy she knew she would never recover from.

Her nails dug into his shoulders. She cried out his name as a shudder wracked her body. A low moan vibrated in her throat as the orgasm pulsed through her in waves. Pleasure burned through her senses, and Chase's deep, masculine cry mixed with her own, as he erupted in deep heavy spurts within her.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. He breathed hard in her ear, his chest laboring under his breaths. Her body trembled in the aftermath. A small whimper of protest escaped her lips as he slowly pulled away.

He rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. Laying her head on his chest, she closed her eyes, and smiled when his arms wrapped around her protectively.

All the restless nights of tortured fantasies were nothing compared to reality. If only it were possible to live in the dream.

An invading sense of panic ripped through Chase. Something had startled him awake. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but judging by the sunlight pouring in through the bedroom window, it was well past noon.

Lora moved in his arms and he glanced down. She was still asleep, but her hands fisted in the sheets, and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. She whimpered, shaking her head against his chest.

“Lora.” Chase stroked her hair off her forehead as a heart-wrenching sob tore from her lips. “Wake up.”

Her face tightened in a grimace and she cried out again. Her entire body tensed and began trembling uncontrollably. He could sense her animal struggling to get out, feel the battle raging within.

Images assaulted his mind as if sharing the nightmare that terrorized her. Claws and teeth tore at each other, blood pooled at the lioness' paws, and a piercing cry split the air.
What the fuck?

He sat up, shaking her, desperate to end the torment she was going through. “Goddammit, Lora, wake up.”

Her eyes jerked open, wild and unseeing.

He held her tight, rocking her until her breathing became less erratic.

Loosening his grip, he tilted her chin so that he could look her in the eye. He stroked her cheek, wiping away the dampness, the violent images still clearly playing out in her mind. “What happened?”

“Nothing…” She paused and sucked in deep, steadying breaths. “Just a bad dream.” She pulled away, turning her head so he couldn't see her face. But he heard the lie in her voice.

“That wasn't just a dream. It was a nightmare, and the images seemed pretty fucking real.”

Her eyes went wide and her face paled. “You read my thoughts?”

“Yes—No…Shit, I don't know what it was.” He scraped his fingers over his face. Even now, the images of her nightmare ricocheted in his mind. He'd heard stories of mates sharing psychic connections, but never anything as intense as what he'd just experienced. “Did something happen? Is that why you refuse to shift?”

“It was a long time ago.” She shook her head and reached for the discarded t-shirt. With trembling fingers, she pulled the shirt over her head and stood. “Doesn't matter now.”

“Bullshit.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down onto the bed with him. “Whatever happened, it's stopping you from shifting. We have to deal with it.”

“Don't you get it?” She squirmed in his lap, and pushed at his chest, trying to get away. “Even if I could shift, I don't want to. I hate that part of myself. If I could sever the connection completely, I would.”

It would be like cutting off a limb, worse. His own lion snarled in response. “You know I can't let you do that.”

She stopped struggling and went still. Pain and shame marred her expression. She closed her eyes and his heart clenched when a single tear slid down her cheek. “Just leave it alone, Chase.”

He let out a long sigh and kissed her forehead. “Fine—For now. But, we're going to deal with it eventually, whether you like it or not.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a kiss.

She tensed for a brief moment, but when he parted her mouth with his tongue, she leaned into his embrace, her body melting like liquid in his arms. His hand glided down her back, then under the hem of the t-shirt, finding the warmth of her skin.

She moaned into his mouth. The sound vibrated across his senses, and made his balls tighten. He inhaled her sweet scent, curling his arm around her waist, and anchoring her against his body. He wanted her. An aching, primal need as potent as any drug that stripped away the control he prided himself on.

The phone rang. A trilling noise that signalled the call came directly from the Therian Agency. “Fuck.” Somehow he found the strength to pull back. He gave her an apologetic look, and reached over her for the phone.

“You need to get your ass in here, ASAP.” Jacob's voice echoed on the other end of the line.

Chase grimaced at the hint of alarm in his friend's voice. “What's going on?”

“Council's calling a code red on the spontaneous shiftings. Two more cases were reported yesterday. One in Northern Michigan, the second in New Jersey. Whatever this shit is it's spreading like wildfire.”

“Fuck.”

“We've also got a lead on our mole.” The tension in Jacob's voice was unmistakable now. “It's not good.”

Chase inhaled heavily, and asked the dreaded question. “Who?”

“Until I'm a hundred percent certain, I'm not laying any charges, but there's reason to believe McCaffrey may be involved.”

Austin McCaffrey.
Chase scratched his chin and considered the information. He didn't like the man, but that probably had more to do with the fact that he had taken an interest in Lora, than any lack of moral character. “That's a huge fucking accusation.”

“Which is why I'm not jumping on it until we have proof,” Jacob told him, his tone suddenly weary. “How fast can you get here?”

He looked at Lora, who was watching him with a frown. He didn't want to leave her, but he needed to deal with this shit. “Give me thirty minutes.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Chase?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell Lora to call Jenna.” Jacob cleared his throat. “She called me this morning when Lora didn't answer her phone. I didn't tell her what happened, but she knows something is going on. She was pretty upset when she found out Lora stayed the night at your place.”

That didn't surprise him. The woman had always been obsessively overprotective of her younger sister. He wasn't looking forward to the verbal beating he knew he would get from Jenna. “I'll tell her.”

Chase ended the call and stared at the phone for a moment before turning to Lora. “You're supposed to call your sister.”

Lora's face paled. “Jacob told her?”

Chase shook his head. “No. But she knows you're here.” He stood and walked to the closet. “We're going to have to deal with your family sooner or later. We might as well get it out of the way.” Pulling on a pair of slacks and a button-down, he watched as a myriad of emotions washed over her face. “If you want, I'll talk to her first. Explain what happened.”

“No.” She bit her bottom lip, resignation clouding her expression. “I'll call her.”

He finished buttoning his shirt. “I've got to deal with some things at work. Call me if you need anything, and I'll send Turner.” She pulled the sheets tighter to her chest and looked down at her lap. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “When I get back, we'll go to your place and get your things.”

She shook her head and looked up at him. “You don't have to do this, you know.”

He frowned. “Do what?”

“Keep me here. Do whatever it is we're doing.” She tucked her hair behind one ear. Her expression was grim, and he had no clue what had changed between them in the last few minutes, but he could sense the wall she was forming around herself. “We can figure something out. If we go to the Council and explain what happened, maybe they can—”

“No.” Chase's breath hissed out as anger consumed him. Was she seriously suggesting that they try to have the mating process reversed? “You're staying here.”

“But—”

“But nothing,” he said through clenched teeth, grabbing his wallet and phone off the dresser and shoving them into his pocket. “Neither of us planned on this happening, but it did. I don't walk away from my responsibilities, and I'm not going to start now.”

Her gaze jerked back up, her eyes stricken. She laughed bitterly. “That's the problem. I don't want to be anyone's responsibility.”

The bitterness in her voice pissed him off further. “That's too fucking bad, because you're mine.”

“But are you mine?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She was going to drive him insane. Of course, he was hers. He was her bloody fucking mate.

Her arms wrapped around herself. She hunched her shoulders and dropped her chin, blinking back unshed tears. “Just go, Chase. Jacob's waiting for you.”

Something about her tone bothered him, but he didn't have time to analyze her words. Not now. “We'll talk about this later.”

She gave him a weak smile. “Right.”

As he left his apartment, apprehension crept through his spine. Three days ago, she'd told him she loved him. He didn't believe her feelings had changed, but he got the uneasy feeling that she was about to run.

He pulled his phone out and texted his brother.

Lora's staying at my apartment.

I'll explain later.

I need you to watch the place.

Let me know if she leaves.

He shoved the phone back in his pocket. Like it or not they were mated, and nothing but death could ever sever that bound.