Hot Licks (19 page)

“Rome? What are you doing?”

Melinda’s voice sliced through Gwen’s urgency with the efficiency of a bucket of ice cold water. Gwen pulled back from Rome and stared wild-eyed into his face. Now she’d done it. There was no way to hide this, not when Gwen and Rome had been devouring each other, his hands a possessive hold on her butt, her wrapped around him like ivy.

Rome turned, keeping Gwen in his arms as she struggled to be set free. “What, mom?”

The thick impatience in his voice caused Gwen’s cheeks to flush with mortification. There was no mistaking what Rome intended, and he didn’t seem to give a damn who knew. Not even his parents.

“You can have alone time with Gwen later, but right now I need the groceries taken in.”

Gwen blinked.
That was it? No shock, dismay or
sharp disapproval? Just a temporary halt on play time?

“Fine.” Rome stayed where he was for a moment, eyes shut as he obviously struggled to bring himself under control. When he finally opened them again, he simply looked at Gwen for a moment. His head cocked. “Why do you look so surprised?”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re seriously asking me that when your parents just got an up-close-and-personal view of us making out, and all your mom has to say about it is take in the groceries first?”

His lips stretched into a broad grin. “You think they don’t know? They know. Santos, Porter, Annie, Bob. Hell, even Scott knows.”

Gwen’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Knows what, exactly?”

He laid his forehead against hers, his voice pitched low for her ears only. “Knows that you’re mine.”

Gwen leaned back, nearly toppling herself from his arms. “Put me down, Rome.”

Reluctantly, he did, making sure she slid the whole length of his hard form before setting her on feet. “I think it’s time we had a talk.”

Among other things. “We talk all the time.”

His mouth curved in a wicked smile. “Among other things.”

“Rome. Before the ice cream melts.” Andreas bellowed at his son from the open door of his truck as he backed into a proper parking spot.

She was so startled by Rome’s verbal comment which mirrored her mental one, as if they were that attuned to one another, that Gwen only stared as Rome pressed his lips to her frozen ones. Then she allowed herself to be led to the rear of the open SUV. A sneak peek at Melinda revealed swollen lips, flushed face and a dreamy gleam in her eyes.

Evidently Gwen hadn’t been the only one kissed senseless.

“I don’t suppose either of you got the license plate.”

Rome said as he picked up one of the ice chests.

Without skipping a beat, Melinda rattled off the plate number as she headed for the house with one of the boxes in her arms.

“Jesus, mom. Why didn’t you tell me before?” Rome demanded.

“And just when would that have been, dear? When you were busy playing tonsil hockey with Gwen or when your father had my own mouth too busy to speak?”

Rome let out a gargling sound. “Ack. Do you have to?”

“One of the perks of being a mother.” Melinda sent a wink to Gwen. “I think this day calls for hot fudge sundaes, don’t you?”

Gwen only nodded as Melinda nonchalantly sailed in the house. Andreas followed with one of the coolers, his bluetooth in place as he said in an authoritative tone, “I’d like to speak to Detective Loewry.”

In a daze, Gwen reached in the back of the SUV still parked haphazardly in the lot. “Oh. Rome.” She turned to see him waiting on her, biceps bulging from the weight of the cooler, making her forget for a moment what she was about to say and simply admire the view.

“Yeah?” She ripped her gaze from the masculine display to see a smug expression on his face.

Beast. “It was the blonde vampire.” The male satisfaction died a quick death, replaced by a slow creep of malevolence. “God. I still feel like an idiot for saying that word out loud, but he was there. One second the driver’s side was clear, then suddenly he was there. Some darkhaired guy kept us distracted out the passenger side. The only reason I saw him...” She paused. “Hey. My new phone.

It rang. That’s probably what saved us.”

They headed up the walkway. “Then I’ll kiss the caller later. But for now, I want you to tell me everything. Dad’s calling the cops and the boys are out trying to hunt the assholes down, but they’re probably long gone.”

Gwen looked over her shoulder as she preceded him through the front door. “Won’t having the plate help?”

“Only if it’s real. What I’m concerned about is that this vampire not only has your scent, he now knows what you look like.”

A steel ball of lead weighed in her chest. “You think he’ll try to come after me?”

Rome’s face was a grim countenance, a stark reminder of what he was. Former military, ex-ATF. And one badass shifter. “And then I’ll have to kill him.”

Rome was pissed. Pissed, frustrated, impatient and
horny as hell, and holding it all in was getting harder by the
minute. He stayed and helped in the kitchen, unwilling to
leave Gwen alone for a second. Unfortunately, the longer he
remained the more his control neared the snapping point. If
it wasn’t the creamy strip of skin revealed every time she
stretched up high, then it was the tight pull of her jean shorts
across her sweet ass when she bent over. Add in the
aphrodisiac scent of her arousal and he was damn near
delirious with need.

He tried to find comfort in the fact she was safely
home, here with him, where she belonged, but both and
man and beast wanted more. Dragging her off to some
secret lair where he could ensure her protection, and have
the privacy to sate the raging hunger of the mating heat,
was a driving hunger that kept his dick hard and his chest
aching. Wanting to slice and dice the bastards that would
have hurt her was a close second.

Unable to do either at the moment was seriously
straining his selfcontrol.

“Give me that before you puncture it.” Melinda yanked
the large can of tomatoes from Rome, who stood blindly in
front of the walk-in pantry. “Maybe you need to take a
breather.” Her voice was barely above a whisper so Gwen,
who was re-organizing the contents of the freezer to make
room for the additional food, wouldn’t overhear.

Rome glared down at his mom as they tussled briefly
over the can before he released it. “A breather is not what I
need.” Melinda turned from placing the can on a shelf, pointed
one finger at him and then moved it to a spot right in front of
her.

What was he? Seven? “Mom.”

“No.” She snapped at him. “You need to calm down
before you loose it, or did you not realize your claws are
out?”

Surprised, Rome raised his hands and sure enough,
his claws were out. Long, sharp and deadly. Aiming for that
calm his mom spoke of, he closed his eyes and simply
breathed. “I want her.” His voice was too close to a guttural
growl, his cat snarling and snapping at its cage, trying to
break free and claim what it craved.

“You think I don’t know that?” His mom poked his chest
with a sharp finger.

He grimaced. “Not like that. Well. Yes like that. But
more. I want her by my side, every day. For always.”

Pausing, he looked away, swallowed the lump in his throat
and turned back to look into his mother’s knowing eyes. “I
think I love her.”

Melinda’s face soften with his words, then she wrinkled
her nose and poked him again. “Of course you love her. But
if you don’t reign in this hormonal, cave man, dominating
attitude, you’re going to piss her off and loose her.”

Easy for his mom to say. “It’s...difficult.”

Melinda went to poke him a third time but he caught
her finger before she could abuse his chest anymore. “Suck
it up. You’re a man, not a little boy to have a tantrum when
he can’t have what he wants when he wants.”

“I know that,” Rome muttered.

“Hmm.” Melinda reached up and placed her palms on
either side of her son’s face. “I love you Rome, and your
father and I are thrilled Gwen’s your mate. We’ve come to
adore her like one of our own. ” Her lips curved. “Andreas
already thinks of her as his girl.” Her smile disappeared
and her eyes narrowed into slits. She squeezed his cheeks,
hard. “So don’t screw this up because you’re impatient to
get in her pants. I don’t want to lose a potential daughter
and
a most excellent ranger because you can’t control your libido.”

His lips pressed into a thin line of aggravation. “You don’t have a clue...”

“Don’t tell me what I don’t have. I know exactly how you feel because I went through this with your father long before any of you were born. But do you know how Gwen feels?

Hmm? How confused she must be? In the last week she’s been flattened by you, chased by armed men, tumbled into a tunnel, nearly kidnapped, seen a vampire, and she’s dealing with the overwhelming physical reactions to you caused by the mating heat that
she
has no clue about. So maybe you need to be a little more concerned with her emotional state rather than your physical one.”

Well, hell. Hadn’t he already known that? Already told himself to do that? The whole go slow and establish trust route? Hadn’t he held back last night, told her that what was between them was more than sex? But he had yet to tell her the truth, was in fact still leery at losing her once he explained who and what he was.

So how could he establish trust when he retained a pretty big secret? The answer. He couldn’t.

He was an ass. “Yes, ma’am.”

Melinda searched his guilty expression for a moment before pressing her lips to his in motherly affection. “Now that your eyes are back to normal, I’m going to suggest a spring wedding.”

Rome rolled those eyes toward the ceiling just as several male voices sounded from the kitchen. They hurried out of the pantry to find a disgusted trio in the forms of Santos, Porter and Scott who were talking with Gwen.

Despite his mom’s caution, Rome didn’t hesitate to head straight toward Gwen, who was leaning against the counter. He mirrored her stance and not so subtly reached up under her braid to cup the back of her neck.

It was an unmistakeably possessive hold, a clear warning to every other male in the room. A risky move, but one he couldn’t have stopped to save his life. Gwen was an unclaimed female in heat and with so many single males in close proximity, Rome couldn’t backpedal now. It didn’t matter that two of the three were his brothers, because until Gwen was his in every way, the jaguar would see them all as a threat.

Gwen stiffened at his touch, her eyes showing her discomfort at the blatant display. Slowly, he began to massage her neck, easing her down as he worked the tense muscles under his hand. He hid a satisfied smile as she melted, drifting closer, angling her head forward to give him better access. The physical contact and her acquiescence soothed the savage beast as only the mate of a dominant predatory shifter could have.

“Bastards got away,” Porter said, picking up an apple and taking a large bite.

“We drove all over, but yeah, they were gone.” Santos headed toward the kitchen door. “I’ve got work to finish now, but we can discuss what to do later.”

“Do? About what?” Gwen raised her eyes to Rome’s.

“About keeping you and mom safe.”

Suspicion glinted in her eyes. “Uh-huh. Why do I not think that’s what you plan on talking about?”

Maybe because of his earlier comment about killing the vampire if he came after her again. “Uh...”

“I need to call Annie and tell her what’s going on. In the meantime, empty out the coolers and stow them for me, will you?” Annie and Bob had left earlier in the day on their weekly outing with friends and Melinda probably wanted to caution them about any stranded drivers. Before she left the kitchen though, she fixed a steely-eyed look on her son that clearly read “behave.”

Rome didn’t roll his eyes, didn’t complain or grunt in frustration, but, as he, Porter and Scott dumped the ice and dried the coolers, he did come to the conclusion that living at home sucked. He’d been looking forward to it for months, long before he decided to resign from the department. Now all he could do was suppress a groan as a jeep pulled up to the back door and James hopped out.

Great. He might have been able to get a minute alone with Gwen after he kicked Porter and Scott out, but now James would jabber and hover like a mother hen over a wounded chick for-fucking-ever if yesterday afternoon’s visit was any indication.

Sure enough, James departed only when the police arrived to take Gwen and Melinda’s report. Then Annie and Bob returned just as the two officers were leaving, and even more talking ensued. As what typically happens when a group of people get together, the subject of food came up, followed by the scurry of feet as bodies crushed into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

His haven had become grand central station, and though he knew he was glowering at everyone, he didn’t give a good damn. The mating heat was making him crazed, the fact Gwen remained unclaimed a malignant tumor that ate at his psyche. His blood was nearing the boiling point, his hunger for her increasing each minute he was denied from touching her, taking her, sinking deep into her wet and welcoming flesh.

He couldn’t even get five minutes of privacy with Gwen.

Five fucking minutes alone with his mate. Was that really too much to ask?

Apparently so. It took six excruciating long hours before he stood just inside her front door, finally and blessedly alone with Gwen. Unfortunately she didn’t seem as overjoyed at the prospect as he was.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m staying here tonight.” With proprietary boldness, he briskly strode past her and scanned the room. While the furniture was the Orchards, he could see Gwen’s personal touches here and there. Photos of people and wildlife were scattered about. He imagined the people were her family or friends, the wildlife indicative of her love of nature. A crocheted blanket in deep purple and black was draped across the back of the tan sofa. A coffee table separated the sofa from a single, overstuffed chair in earth tones.

Several toss pillows in purple, orange and yellow saved the décor from being dull. Books, movies and CDs were all tidily put away in shelves. Other than a closed laptop sitting on the small table and a mug resting in the draining tray next to the sink, everything was neatly in order.

A woman after his own heart.

Gwen slammed the door shut. “What exactly does that mean?”

Rome paced to the window, looked out into the dark night. “It means exactly that. I’m staying in this room until I’m sure of your safety.”

“Oh, really?” He turned to see she’d crossed her arms over her middle. “And what do you think gives you that right? Because I sure don’t recall asking you to come here and invade my home.”

He was pumped, primed and at the end of his tether and her resistance was only adding fuel to the fire.

“Because I’m your ma-” His mouth snapped shut.

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re my...what?”

His hands fisted in frustration. Claiming mate privileges wasn’t yet a card he could pull from his back pocket. A handy tool he’d seen his own father – as well as many other mated shifters – utilize to bypass their female’s independent nature. Always to protect and provide. And of course to procreate, but never by force. A mate’s happiness was paramount to a blissful life, and while his brain might not be functioning at optimum levels at the moment, he recognized her expression for what it was.

Annoyance.

“I’m thinking.”

One of her brows quirked. “You’re thinking?”

Or stalling for time. Either worked. He cleared his throat. “Re-evaluating.”

A second brow joined the first. “Re-evaluating what?

Your insistence on staying here without so much as asking my permission?”

There was that, too. He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I’m being an ass, aren’t are?”

She took a step toward him. “If you’re referring to your arrogant, domineering attitude as an ass, then yes. You’re an ass.”

“I’m sorry.” He drew in air, and sweet feminine arousal, and struggled for control. “I’m upset that you’ve been hurt and frustrated that those men got away. Twice. It’s just...” he stopped, held still as she moved closer, her eyes a steady sea in the face of his mercurial emotion. “I wouldn’t be able to handle it if anything happened to you.”

Lifting her hand, she set it lightly in the center of his chest, edging ever closer until her breasts were a deep inhalation away, those incredible lips mere inches, tempting him to take a nip. “While I thank you sincerely for saving my life and deeply appreciate your desire to make sure I continue to breathe, that doesn’t mean you own me.”

“I want to own you,” he blurted out in a gruff tone, adding quickly before she could smack him or pull away, “I mean I want the rights and privileges of a true intimate relationship with you.” He lifted her hand from his chest and pressed a kiss to her palm, right over the small wound from when she’d scratched it.

A flash of need sparked in her eyes. “A

boyfriend/girlfriend type of relationship?”

Oh, the bond between them was much more powerful than that. Tenderly, he draped her hands around his neck, and then slid his own slowly up her arms, down along her ribcage, over the enticing curve of her hips, and then back to cup her sweet ass, pulling her against his hard length.

“Even more than that.”

Her tongue peeked out and she licked her lips. “That requires emotional involvement as well as physical.”

Which he was being informed of from several individuals. Unable to resist the temptation of her moist lips, he brushed them with his own. “I did tell you last night that what we had wasn’t just about sex.” He rocked his hips into the juncture of her thighs, letting her feel the full strength of his desire. “Though I can’t deny it’s my favorite part.”

To his shock and pleasure, she wrapped one leg around his waist, rolling her hips so her core slid along his pulsing erection. They both moaned at the exquisite friction.

“Obviously. But if what’s between us is more than sex as you claim,” she paused to kiss him, using a hint of tongue that caused his greedy mouth to open, ready to devour.