In Heat: Mating Call (In Heat Shapeshifter Romance Series #2) (13 page)

She couldn't fight him.

He was right about that.

All those times he'd told her not to fight him. Why would she fight him when he made her feel like this? Hot all over, burning inside with need for him and only him.

He stopped dancing, his lips still playing against her throat, peppering her with passionate kisses.

Her eyes closed when he pulled her dress up, his hands ghosting along her thighs until they reached her hips. She gasped when he tore her panties, the show of aggression sending arousal like fire sweeping through her veins, and her heart beat harder.

She complied when he hooked his hand under her knee and raised her leg, making her place it on the side of the pond. Her eyes shot opened again when he brought the hem of her dress right up, draping it over her thigh and exposing her pussy to the world. The cold made her shiver.

It was short lived as he moved closer to her, his hand sliding over her flesh and then her curly hair. It covered her mound and she breathed out hard as he dipped one finger into her pussy. He stepped back a little and stopped kissing her neck as he circled her clit with his finger, sliding it down towards her opening and bringing her slick arousal back up with it. She moaned, concentrating on the intense desire spiralling out of control inside her and the heat of his hand against her cold body. She looked at him and found he was watching her, his eyes fixed on her face while his fingers danced on her pert nub. She was so exposed, but it only made this all the more hotter and exciting.

She breathed hard as he touched her, his finger dipping into her tight channel, drawing out all her arousal and coating it and her pussy with the warm juices.

It was too much to bear. She reached out and ran a hand across his caged erection but he removed it.

“No. Don't move,” he whispered, voice low and seductive.

It was so commanding and she felt it in every inch of her body.

Her hand fell away from his, back to her side where it gripped her dress as his finger slid deeper inside her, thrusting. She didn't stop him, the thought of him taking her like this, of being unable to stop him, was thrilling, sending her desire soaring and making more liquid heat flow from her. He growled and the sound of it only made her need him even more.

Focusing on his face as he brought his fingers out of her again, teasing her clit, she could see that his eyes were bright, too bright for the darkness of the garden. She knew this was partly a reaction to Kristian, but there was something else happening here too.

Her thoughts were stolen from her when Erik's hands left her body. She stood still, panting and exposed to the world, and watched him as he undid his belt and trousers. She groaned as he pulled out his hard cock, stroking the length of it to reveal the sensitive head. She wanted to touch it too, wanted it inside her more than anything, but she couldn't disobey his command.

She stared at his cock as he stepped towards her and then stopped close to her. He bent his knees and she grasped his shoulders as he swiftly impaled her on his length, thrusting it in so fast that it stung. His fingers grasped her hips, tight enough that she was sure he was going to bruise her. She dug her fingertips into his shoulders as he began pounding into her. It was rough and demanding, reminding her of their first time. He growled and it sent sparks of desire shooting through her. She held onto him, clinging as he held her thigh with one hand and her hip with the other and fucked her.

She looked into his eyes, lost in them as he stared at her, sneering as he took her, plundering her body.

No, this was different from their first time. It was more primal.

His eyes were so yellow and cat like. It was the closest he'd ever been to changing on her during sex. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Their breath mingled in the air between them like fog as they both breathed hard. An inexplicable urge for him to thrust harder rose inside her and she moaned as he seemed to sense it and responded. She pressed her forehead against his, holding onto him for dear life as her knees weakened beneath her, her legs trembling as he pounded her roughly, filling her deep with his cock with each long stroke. She didn't care if someone heard her, she couldn't stop moaning in time with his movements. She tightened around him, clenching him and feeling as though she'd explode if she didn't cum soon. He growled again, the sound of it almost sending her over into bliss, but it wasn't enough. She needed more but she didn't know what.

He thrust harder, deeper and faster, until she was breathing so quickly that she felt dizzy. He grunted and groaned with each plunge of his hips and his grip shifted to her waist. Her whole body shook when he came with a growl so feral that her head spun as she came too. His thrusts slowed, his cock pulsing inside her at the same time as her inner walls milked him. She held him close as he breathed hard against her neck, his breath hot in the cold air.

She felt different. It wouldn't have been noticeable if she hadn't been looking for it but she did feel different. It was easier to sense Erik now, to feel his heart beating along with her own.

She also had a suspicion about why he had been so close to changing on her.

The clock that had chimed in the distance had been striking out midnight.

He'd started their mating.

* * * *

Kim smiled at Erik as she came out of their bedroom. The walk back to the house had been a little breezy without any underwear and she'd wanted to get cleaned up, so she'd made Erik come with her to the bedroom rather than leaving him alone to field what were probably going to be some very awkward questions.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and she loved the new closeness she felt to him. What had been there before seemed like nothing more than a shadow of what she now felt when she reached out to sense him. She could feel his heart without even trying, without even touching him. She could sense the way she made it pound, the adrenaline running through his veins as he kissed her. She wondered if he could sense the way he made her feel too. Did he know now exactly how fast her heart beat for him and how he made her tremble inside?

He stepped away from her, his hand claiming hers, and led her down the corridor towards the stairs. She still felt flushed from their moment in the garden and she knew that when she walked into the room downstairs, all eyes were going to be on her. Would they be able to tell from her rosy cheeks and slightly dishevelled appearance what had happened? She hoped not.

She kept behind Erik as he entered the room again and only came out when Sean spoke.

“I was wondering where you two had got to,” he said.

She looked around Erik's arm at him and then at the room. It looked as though they'd never been gone and the argument with Kristian had never happened. Everyone was dancing, or chatting and laughing over champagne.

Erik walked a few more steps into the room and she saw Kristian dancing with Charlotte.

She frowned and stepped out from behind Erik.

The whole roomed stopped dead and all eyes were on her. Her cheeks blazed.

Kristian roared.

Erik answered it.

She gave them both confused looks—Kristian as he pushed his way through the crowd and Erik as he stepped in front of her.

Was this why everyone was staring at them? They'd been expecting another fight?

She realised that everyone wasn't staring at them. They were staring at her.

She blushed harder when she saw them whispering to each other and she realised what the topic of conversation was and why Kristian was storming towards them.

They could smell the sex on her. They knew exactly what her and Erik had been up to.

She dodged around Erik just as Kristian arrived, wanting to place herself between them so they couldn't fight. It wasn't going to solve anything.

She yelped when Kristian yanked her into his arms and kissed her hard, forcing his tongue into her mouth. It reminded her horribly of what Alistair had done and she shoved him off her and punched him.

He rubbed his jaw, half glaring and half smirking at her.

He roared and she flinched, stumbling backwards and away from him.

She was surprised when he ripped his jacket open, sending buttons flying, and began to change. There was a familiar ripple of white fur with black bands across his body and in the blink of an eye a white tiger was staring her down. She moved closer to Erik, fear making her heart thunder.

He was bigger than she'd expected him to be in animal form. He was bigger than Erik.

The tiger snarled at her, exposing long canines that made her swallow hard. She turned and dashed into Erik's arms, shaking as she hid in his embrace.

His fingers closed tightly around her upper arm. She noticed that his heart was beating steady but not fast. He wasn't scared. She pressed her hand against his chest and looked at Kristian.

He roared.

It was even more frightening than it had been when he was in human form.

She swallowed again, waiting for him to attack. He stared at her for the longest time and then turned away. The crowd parted to allow him through and his entourage gathered his clothes and hurried after him.

She didn't know what to do, so she just stayed in Erik's arms, staring in the direction Kristian had gone. She could taste him in her mouth and the memories of Alistair touching and kissing her mingled with the memories of him.

Erik frowned when Kim buried her face into his chest and began to cry. He looked down at her, wrapping both of his arms around her. The idea that Kristian had kissed her upset him too, but he got the feeling that there was more to Kim crying than that.

He looked at the room, at the shocked faces of his guests, and then at Sean.

“I'll be back in a minute,” he said. “Get the party going again.”

With that, he turned away from the room and led Kim towards the door. Keeping her here was only going to make her worse. He had to get her somewhere she felt more comfortable and safe, somewhere they could talk. He needed to know what was wrong.

He took her up to their bedroom and settled her on the edge of the bed before going back to the door to close it.

He walked back across the room and knelt in front of her, helping her wipe away her tears. When they were all gone, he held her cheek in his palm as gently as he could. She looked at him, eyes red and slightly puffy. There was so much pain in them that it made him ache inside.

“I'm sorry,” she said in a shaky voice.

“What for?” He frowned.

“I should've told you back then. I've tried so many times since...”

“Tried to tell me what?” He stroked her cheek, hoping to comfort her and make it easier for her to speak. Tears were filling her eyes again.

“About Alistair.”

Her voice was so quiet that he barely heard what she'd said. The look in her eyes and the pounding of her heart sent anger sweeping through him.

“What did he do?” His tone was venomous, his frown heavy as he looked at her.

“That day that I came to warn you... he said he wanted to take everything from you... even me.” She took a deep breath and he could see she was barely restraining her tears. “He caught me upstairs...”

“What did he do, Kim?” He couldn't believe that he might have missed something that day, that he hadn't known all these years that something else had happened. All he had seen was Kim running. He'd been scared that she'd be hurt. He hadn't realised that she already had been. Terrible images of Alistair hurting her, touching her, sprung into his mind and he couldn't shift them. The sense of panic, of anger at both himself and Alistair, made his insides twist and tighten.

When he looked at Kim again, she was staring at him with wide eyes.

“Did he...?” He couldn't bring himself to say it, couldn't entertain the thought that his own brother had gone that far.

“No, he didn't... but he touched me and he kissed me... and when Kristian kissed me it felt the same and I can still taste him in my mouth.”

He wrapped his arms around her when she began crying again and held her, rubbing his hand in small circles against her bare back to soothe her. She shook with her sobs and he no longer felt any guilt over what he'd done that day. Alistair had deserved to die for trying to take advantage of Kim. Clearly she'd fought back, as she had done with Kristian, and he was thankful that he'd got to the house when he had so he'd stopped anything more from happening.

When she pulled back and looked into his eyes, he did as she wanted and kissed her, keeping it slow and soft and erasing the kiss that Kristian had given her. She leaned into it, as though desperate for more, but he kept it as gentle as possible. She needed this right now more than anything. She needed to know that while others had hurt her, had taken advantage of her, he never would. He'd protect her until he died.

He sighed and sat back on his heels to look at her. She seemed brighter now and the tears had gone. How long had this been eating away at her? She'd said that she'd tried to tell him before. He couldn't imagine how hard it had been for her to say what she had today. It had been her secret for so long it must have become almost impossible to tell.

“We've begun the mating,” he said.

“I know.” She smiled and he was relieved to see it.

“It won't be long now.” He brushed the hair away from her face and sighed. “You need some sleep.”

She nodded, her eyes heavy. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then removed her shoes for her. He stood and took hold of her hand, helping her onto her feet. She didn't stop him when he removed her dress, she just smiled when ran his eyes over her, unable to help himself. He placed the dress over a chair and then came back to her.

Drawing the thick duvet on the bed back, he waited for her to slip into bed before covering her. She smiled again as he tucked her in, wanting her to feel as safe as possible so she could get some sleep.

“Do you want me to stay?” he whispered, kneeling in front of her.

She shook her head. “Your guests are waiting. I guess this made it a party to remember.”

“It was one to remember anyway. You did a wonderful job.” He kissed her again and then stood. “I'll come back to check on you.”