Mate Not Wanted (16 page)

“Don’t get me wrong. I still want to have sex with you.” He gave her a cheeky grin. “But we are here and we are hungry, yeah?”

She nodded.

“No, let me hear you say it.”

A flare of fire went off in her stomach at his demand. Her nipples tightened to painful points. She licked her lips and pushed back some of the need. “Yes.”

“So we eat and we drink and then we fuck, OK?” He gazed her with expectation.

She sucked in some air. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, love. Might not be what you’re expecting. I don’t play…softly.” He murmured in a low, husky tone edged in heat and filled with darkness.

“And I don’t want nice,” she shot back.

Chapter Nine

Pierce’s blood was on fire. His cock pressed against the flap of his pants, making them tight and uncomfortable. He wanted to tear them off and give his erection some room to move. Every so often it would jerk in response to a word or a look. The air was so thick with their mutual musk that with every breath he inhaled her scent.

His tiger was trying to scratch its way out of his gut. His stomach was cramped, his muscles tight. Tension raked along his tendons. He tried not to grip the armrests too tightly, fearing he’d break them. Sully, no doubt, wouldn’t appreciate the destruction of his furniture. Pierce had to look away from Madison or he’d launch himself over the table and take her right there and then.

He picked up a menu to refocus and scan the options. The words could have been in Martian for all he understood of it. To distract himself, he looked out of the windows over the other dates and spotted Ryan. The discomfort on his friend’s face was obvious. He dined with a woman with flawless mahogany skin and delicate features who seemed to be treating him with total disinterest. Both parties looked as if they’d rather be anywhere else. Why they felt like they needed to be there was beyond him. Perhaps it was a matter of pride. At least Pierce was here with someone who wanted to be with him. He grinned and looked at Madison.

She was also reading the menu but would dart glances his way every so often. He couldn’t suppress the feeling of hope that bloomed among the flames of arousal in his heart. She truly wanted to be here with him, to give him a chance. And after dinner, dessert. His cock jerked at that thought. He breathed in and then let it out, nice and slow. Pierce focused on leashing his tiger and his desire. They had to talk, refocus the attention away from sex.

The first course was presented to them without either for them having ordered.

Their server laid out the plates before them. “Compliments of Sully.”

Wine was poured without them being given an option. Pierce squelched his annoyance. Sully knew the situation and was trying to hurry things along before an orgy could break out. Rather than attempt to argue, Pierce dug in. The first course wasn’t an appetizer as he had expected, but a main course. He didn’t question Sully’s judgment.

For a moment he and Madison were silent, enjoying their meal. Their mutual desire abated momentarily and the musk faded slightly. With each plate that was delivered, they both calmed down and relaxed. Soon they were simply enjoying each other’s company. They chatted casually. Questions asked and answered. Gradually, it began to feel like an actual date, one that both of them were enjoying.

Tension still swirled in Pierce’s gut but at least his tiger wasn’t trying to force him to shift and fuck. By the time dessert arrived, he wasn’t sure what to say or expect. Maybe now that her urge for sex had abated, she would have second thoughts about later.

“This was wonderful. What do you want to do now?” he asked hopefully.

She swirled her fork through the cream of the tartlet on her plate. “I don’t want this to end.” Madison looked up at him through a fan of dark lashes. “Can we keep going on with this? Maybe go back to your place? I’ll be close to Zoe and…well, we can try that ménage thing you suggested.”

The shy smile she gave him squeezed at his heart. Warmth flooded his chest, spread down his stomach, and filled his cock. He reached across the table. “Of course we can.”

Pierce signaled to the waiter and ordered some of the decadent fudge pudding pie for which Shadows was famous. Then he wrote out a note to be sent to Ryan to meet him at home.

He pointed out his friend to Madison. “He’s miserable, poor bastard. Don’t know why he went out with her to begin with.”

Madison turned and looked where he pointed. “I know his date. That’s Tanya Rollins. She’s been through a recent divorce. A bad one. She’s a tough nut to crack. If he really wants to get to know her he’ll have to work really hard for it.”

Pierce blinked. “Harder than how I had to work for you?”

Madison ducked her head. “Harder. Her marriage wasn’t, shall we say, conventional. The man she was married to was gay, but hiding it from his family. He put her through hell to keep his secret. Now that he’s found someone he made her work to push the divorce through.” Madison shrugged a shoulder. “That’s all I know.”

Pierce shook his head. “Poor bastard. I won’t tell him that. If he truly wants to go after her, he’ll have to do it on his own. Besides, he’s had it too easy with both birds and blokes.”

Madison stared at him. “He’s bi?”

Pierce nodded and took a sip of his Scotch. “Doesn’t make an issue of it. He’s always open about it.”

A question hung on her features and he steamed it off before she asked. “No, I’ve never had sex with him. I’m not interested in that. But he’s one of my best friends and we’ve shared women before.”

Pierce waited for some indication that she was pulling back on him. Emotions rushed over her features but she kept her own council.

“Ready?” he asked at last. He reached out, took her hand, and gave it a squeeze.

She returned the gesture with a winning smile that made his heart squeeze again. “Yes. Should we wait for him or go on ahead?”

Pierce glanced back over at Ryan, who looked as if he was wrapping things up with Tanya. “Nah, this way gives me more time with you.”

They gathered up the bachelor auction gift bags that had been given to them and left through the same entrance they’d come through. Pierce helped Madison into the car, and they pulled out of the parking lot into the dark streets.

“So, um, how do we do this? I’ve never—”

“We do what you’re comfortable with. It’s all up to you. You call the shots, love.” He threw a look over at her. Her face was bathed in shadows, illuminated briefly by passing street lamps before going dark again. “What do you want to try? Do?”

Pierce shifted in his seat as the front placket of his pants grew tighter and his balls throbbed for release as more hot blood flooded his cock. His clothes felt too damn tight and uncomfortable. Sweat bathed his brow and head. Shivers of warmth raced over his arms and skittered down his spine. His muscles tensed and relaxed as Madison’s scent wrapped around him once again. Musk, lemon, seduction, mystery, and so much more swirled around the now suddenly claustrophobic car. Her presence felt so close and yet so far away. He wanted to reach out and grab her hand once more, anchor himself to her.

Pierce stilled when he felt the light scratch of her fingernails against his cheek. The touch turned into something tender. The pads of her fingers ghosted over his overheated flesh and he let out a moan. He would’ve given anything in that moment to look at her, to take in her face and see where her thoughts led, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the road. If he did, he knew he’d cause an accident.

“So I can request anything I want?” she purred.

He sucked in a breath when he felt the feather-light touch of her lips against the shell of his ear. Pierce hadn’t even heard her move. His eyelids fluttered and he almost shut his eyes as she flicked the delicate flesh, sending lines of fire down his neck. Her tongue was lightly roughened. He could only imagine feeling her lap at his flesh or explore his cock with that abrasion. Pierce jumped when he felt the weight of her hand on his thigh. Even through his pants he felt the bite of her nails. A whimper formed in his throat and clawed its way out of his mouth as she tightened her hold.

Pierce didn’t mind being scratched and bitten during sex. The fact that Madison was trying to get the party started with a bit of pain only increased his fever.

The ride home seemed to take forever. Every streetlight seemed like it was trying to stop him from getting sex. Her hand played along his thigh, moving up and down, getting closer and closer to his crotch but not giving him the attention that he needed. With each pass, his cock jumped and pulsed. Electricity danced along his skin as goose bumps rose. His stomach muscles clenched; sweat drenched his forehead and upper lip. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and every inch of his body cried out for him to stop the car, strip off their clothes, and fuck her senseless. His tiger scratched and growled at the wait. All Pierce could do was try to give it some hope that their patience would be rewarded.

He punched the button on his dashboard to open up the gates and took off as soon as he saw even the smallest opening, almost wrecking the car.

Pierce nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt the pinch of Madison’s teeth nipping at his ear, sucking the throbbing flesh into her mouth. His thoughts melted as she traced his earlobe, blazed a path down his neck with pinprick bites and quick laps of that roughened tongue.

He parked the car, undid his belt and hauled her across the console, needing to feel contact with her body. On pure instinct, he took her lips in a crushing, demanding, hurried kiss, trying to pour every bit of what he felt into that contact and promising more.

He pulled back, heart ramming against his rib cage as he relearned how to take air into his lungs. Pierce slipped his hands into her hair and fisted handfuls of it in a tight grip. He gazed into her eyes. Molten pools of midnight stared back at him, filled with hunger and need.

“What?” she asked, her voice rough with an edge of anger.

He tried to grin past the pain of his shaft pressing against his zipper and his tiger roaring in his gut. Pierce swallowed and tried to find the words.

“Slow down,” he murmured.

She tried to pull back her head but he kept his hold on her hair.

“Slow. Down,” he murmured. “We have all night. I’m not going anywhere. Trust me. Plus, I need air. I’m close to coming in my pants if you don’t ease up.”

Somehow, blood flooded his cheeks even though he was sure that most of his supply was in his pants. He watched her face, trying to see if she was going to bolt.

Madison narrowed her eyes at him and then glanced down at his lap. He didn’t bother to follow her stare. The tightness in his pants and the pain in his balls were enough to tell him what she’d see.

“Yes.” He paused and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the throb in his shaft. “I’m hard for you, but I don’t want to rush things.”

Pierce gave her hair a tug and then let go of the warm, silken tresses. Her musk and need flowed around him, teasing him. He cleared his throat, reached down, and gave himself a hard squeeze to stave off his arousal.

The wave of need pulled back some, but his tiger wouldn’t be stopped. It shoved forward. He felt the ripple of fur under his skin. A glance down revealed that black stripes were showing under the tanned, weathered skin of his hand. Shit. He gazed over at Madison to find an unreadable look on her face.

“Are you ready to go inside now?” He prayed he hadn’t blown his chance with her. This was new territory. “This isn’t about your heat cycle, remember that. It’s about you.”

She glanced at him. “I know that, but it’s difficult to think past my need.” Her shoulders slumped.

“Let me take care of the worry, love.” He leaned over and kissed her, then opened the car door. Pierce wasn’t going to bother with putting it back in the garage. He’d worry about it in the morning. Right now, Madison was the only thing that mattered.

Tension hummed in the air, emanating from her in waves. Something was bothering her and he didn’t like it. Was she having bout of self-doubt? There wasn’t any time to think as the rumble of a Aston coming up the drive behind them drew their attention. Ryan was back.

Pierce got out of his car, rushed around to Madison’s side and helped her out. She gave him a small smile.

“Thanks.”

Determination sparkled in her eyes now. Pierce didn’t know what had happened in that small second, but she’d come to a decision of some kind.

Pierce just bowed, grabbed her hand, and led her up the steps. Some of the heat had abated but it still simmered under his skin. The stripes hadn’t faded away, and he felt the pinches and sparks of pain as the tiger forced its will on his human counterpart. Pierce ignored it as Ryan rushed up behind them and unlocked the door for them.

Pierce nodded thanks to his friend and pushed on the heavy wood. Lights blazed in the foyer. He left Madison for a moment to punch in the security code and give himself even more time to push his tiger deep down until there was only a few strangled urgings left.

Pierce turned and looked at Madison, who stood beside Ryan now. His bright, blond head bent as he murmured something to her. There wasn’t even a stirring of jealousy in Pierce or the tiger. Madison was theirs and they knew it. Ryan was just along for the ride.

“Ready?” Pierce asked the two of them.

Madison gave Pierce a smile and Ryan glanced up at him, hunger in his eyes along with some darker emotion. Pierce made a mental note to have a talk with him before they started. If Ryan’s head wasn’t in the game and he fucked this up he’d have to rip apart his friend, and he really didn’t want that.

Ryan gave him a nod, then he took Madison’s right hand in his. Pierce came up to her left side, and they both led her up to Pierce’s suite of rooms. Zoe skittered out to meet them at the top of the stairs. For a moment, Pierce wasn’t sure what to do. Madison left their sides and bent down to rub the cat’s head. She looked her over briefly before the cat rushed off on a tangent as that special brand of feline craziness kicked in. For a moment, Pierce’s own tiger wanted to join in the jaunt, but Pierce forced it to refocus on Madison.