Once Upon a Shifter (32 page)

He eased away from her and lowered himself to the bed, giving her the choice to stay, or go, with no pressure. With the loss of his heat, his touch, Jenna had never felt so alone. Whatever he may have done, the man in front of her now was kind, even if he didn’t think so, and protected the people he loved.

She took a chance, moving to a place where she knew no one, had no ties. Now she could take a chance on a lifetime with a man who looked at her like she was the most gorgeous creature he’d ever seen. A gentle man, who was as caring as he was strong.

“Jenna.” He sounded like he was strangling.

“Yes.” She pulled her t-shirt and her panties off, stretched out on her side, and scooted back until she touched him again. The feel of him, all of him, felt right. “Love me, Roman.”

He let out a shaky breath. “This won’t be slow, and I’m sorry. I want you too much.”

“Too much talking, not enough touching, shifter.”

“Jenna.” His choked voice vibrated through her—then his cock slid between her legs and she gasped, arching against him.

“So wet,” he whispered, and pushed inside her. “God, so tight. Shit, Jenna—”

He grabbed her hip and drove himself into the hilt.

She let out a low cry, and barely had time to adjust to him before he started moving. His deep, hard strokes left her breathless, heat spiraling through her. She reached back and grabbed his impressive ass to pull him closer, feel him deeper.

“Roman—oh, God—” She tilted her hips, her free hand clutching the sheets. He pounded into her, growling every time he touched her core. “Faster—”

“Jenna—” He panted, his voice strained. “Don’t want to hurt—”

“I’m—good. I need—” He tucked his legs up under hers and changed the angle. She almost climaxed right then. “Roman—”

His breath heated her throat, then his mouth found her sensitive skin, his lips and tongue tasting her as he thrust faster. She dropped her head back to give him more access—and her body clamped around him when his teeth scraped her skin.

He moved faster, so thick and hard now she knew he was close. God, he felt so good inside her, filling her completely, touching her deeper than any man. When his thrusts became more frantic, she clutched the wrought iron headboard and held on.

“Jenna—” He stiffened, and his fingers dug into her hip as he plunged into her. “Shit—”

His explosive orgasm triggered hers. She arched back, pleasure washing through her, his hot seed spilling inside her. Roman thrust deep, his low growls turning her on in a way she didn’t expect. He triggered a second orgasm, and she fought for breath, shuddering as he moved inside her, finally slowing. With a low, deep growl, he curled his body around her and nuzzled her throat.

She let herself relax against his broad chest. Their sweat mingled, his smelling salty, with a rich musk scent that made her want to snuggle in and just sniff him.

“Jenna. My beautiful Jenna.” He slid his hand over her hip, slowly, like he was worshipping the generous curve of it. Jenna closed her eyes, fighting the tears in her throat. No man ever touched her with such—reverence. “I can’t stop touching you.”

His big, calloused hand dipped down to her waist, the long fingers spreading, so they caressed her belly. She moaned, already aroused again. He pressed her back against his chest, then slid his hand up, leaving heat in his wake, slowly working his way up to her aching breasts.

With a gasp she arched into his hand as it closed over her breast.

“All these lush curves, and this waist, that I could fit my hands around.” He whispered against her ear, and she gasped, her nipple aching and taut as he teased it with his thumb. “I want to drown myself in these beautiful breasts.”

That ache shot straight through her, and she stroked him, not surprised that he was hard again.

“Roman—please…”

He moved, heat building again with every long, deep stroke. She covered the hand on her breast with her own, feeling his fingers caress and tease her nipple until she wanted to scream.

“This time, my beautiful Jenna, I’m going to do slow.”

He spread his hand over her belly, holding her in place as he pulled out, then filled her again. The slow, deep strokes left her gasping for breath.

“Roman—please—”

He cut off any other protest when he thrust into her. She gasped, feeling every inch of him as he embedded himself. Before she could recover he started moving, hard and fast. Heat burned through her, every deep stroke taking her closer to the edge.

Roman growled, stroking her faster. Desperate, Jenna clutched the quilt, all her focus on the feel of him inside her, driving her higher.

The climax slammed into her like a wave.

She convulsed around him, losing control. With a shout Roman stiffened, and plunged inside her, his climax setting off a second orgasm, so intense she forgot to breathe. He kept stroking her, stretching out the pleasure, until they both collapsed on the bed.

Jenna sucked in a breath, not easy with his heavy, muscled arm curled around her. He nuzzled her, kissing and tasting her hot, sweat slick skin. She was utterly, completely spent.

It took more than a few minutes before she found the strength to speak. “God,” she whispered.

“Agreed.” He kissed his way down the side of her throat, then back up, finding a sensitive spot behind her ear. She clenched around him and he growled against her skin. “You are too tempting, Doc.”

The feel of him inside her, so thick, and hard again, reminded her that they hadn’t used a condom. The thought should have terrified her. Instead, she curled into him, content to stay, to love him, to carry their child—

His rough voice interrupted her daydream. “How are the kids?”

She glanced over her shoulder. “They’re gone. The respective parents showed, and took them to Leo’s for a sleepover.”

Roman nearly choked. “Jedidiah took a little girl home. For a sleepover?”

“I was there, and yes. It was really quite sweet.”

“Sweet.” He raised an eyebrow. “No one says sweet and Jed in the same sentence. Ever.”

He leaned in and kissed her, his tongue sweeping in to claim hers. Jenna moaned, wanting to move again, to feel him stroke her to another shattering orgasm. But there were kids still out there, in the hands of a man who could hurt them.

She eased back. “When did you want to go back out?”

A frown darkened his face. “I was ordered to stay away. Grey set up a rotating group of searchers before he even showed last night. I’m the idiot who let the kids down.” He eased out of Jenna and laid on his back. “As soon as the sun rises, I’m going back out. I know Paul, he’ll hunker down until it’s daylight, and I have a good idea where he’s taking them. This is my fault, and I have to fix it. I have to get them back.”

Jenna turned to face him, pulling the sheets up to cover her breasts. With the heat of their lovemaking cooled, she felt vulnerable in front of this gorgeous man, exposed.

“How is this your fault?”

Roman glanced at her, and went back to staring at the ceiling. “I should have told you before, Jenna. Before I trapped you.”

“Hey.” She gripped his chin, turning his head until their eyes met. “You’re a good man, Roman Black. Whatever happened, whatever you think you did, it can’t be as bad as you fear.”

He swallowed, kept his gaze on her. “Paul is a wolf, part of the pack that lives in the next valley. We grew up together, watched out for each other. Until he fell for the girl dating Grey.” He closed his eyes, and when he finally looked at her again, the pain in their amber depths tore at her. “She was a shifter, and happily played them, one against the other, like it was some damn game. I heard from Elijah that Paul had come looking for Grey, and I knew he was out with her, that there would be trouble if Paul found them together. I got to them just after Paul, and he went crazy. He shifted, and attacked them. I had to stop him.”

He yanked out of her grasp and sat, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. She refused to let him isolate, not when she had a feeling he was about to reveal some of the past he had mentioned. Crawling across the bed, she straddled him from behind and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he let out a ragged sigh.

“Roman.” She kissed his newly healed shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere. You promised forever, and I’m holding you to it.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Well, you’re stuck with me, so deal with it.” A smile tugged at his lips. Good—she was getting through. “Tell me what happened.”

He swallowed, and lowered his head. “I always carried a silver knife, because of past altercations with the pack. When Paul was shifting, I stabbed him. It crippled his ability to shift, and because he threatened a female shifter, he was booted out of his pack. He came to me before he disappeared, and swore he’d take his revenge. Now he has.”

“We’ll find them, Roman. I believe in you, and I know those kids do.”

He lifted his head, surprise on his face when he looked at her. “You—God, how did I get so lucky?” He gave her an impressive display of his strength when he twisted around and picked her up with one arm, settling her in his lap. “Is it too soon to say I love you?”

“No,” she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. She blinked, and felt them slide down her cheeks. Roman gently wiped at them with his thumb, then followed with his lips. “Please make love to me, Roman. I need to feel you inside me.”

He didn’t need any more encouragement. His hands circled her waist, and he lifted her over his rock hard cock. She closed her fingers around him, feeling powerful when he twitched against her fingers, his low growl telling her that he was close to the edge. She guided his cock, until his thick head pressed into her.

The feel of him shot heat through her. She braced her hands on his shoulders, slid down his length until he filled her completely.

“Shit—Jenna—”

He captured her lips, stroking her tongue as he stroked her, slow and lazy, the heat simmering between them instead of burning hot. She was gasping by the time he freed her mouth.

“Roman—”

“I want to savor. All of you, Jenna.”

And he did. His mouth found her breast, his tongue running circles around her nipple. She dug her fingers into his muscled shoulders, her breathing ragged as he teased, tasted, then moved to her other breast. His hand took over where his mouth left off, rubbing over her already aching peak, until she felt herself clenching around him.

He freed her breast long enough to whisper against her throat. “It’s all right, Jenna. Let go, let yourself feel it.”

She closed her eyes, her hands sliding down his arms. Taut, iron hard muscle moved under her fingers. She wrapped her arms around him, one hand tracing the length of his spine, and he groaned, those lazy strokes changing, becoming faster, harder, deeper.

“God, Jenna—” He caught her around the waist and lowered her to the bed, his weight pressing her into the mattress. The new position drove him in deeper.

He thrust into her, his hands braced on the bed. Jenna gripped his arms, her body taut. Sweat slicked her skin, and she tasted it on him when she kissed her way up to his ear.

“Roman—” Every time she came close to orgasm, he backed off, like he knew, and left her panting, needy, desperate. “Roman, please—”

“Slowly, Jenna.” He moved inside her, every stroke touching her core. “I want to love you as long as I can.”

His mouth found hers, the kiss turning raw and almost violent when he rocked into her, his movements wilder as he finally started to lose control. Thank God.

She arched off the bed and he curled his hands around her hips, groaning against her lips as he traced his hands over her curves, then spread his fingers, holding her in place as he thrust harder, deeper. She held on, arching as the climax started, swelling with every stroke. She bucked against him, frantic for the release her body demanded.

Roman held her tight and drove her up and over, kept holding on as she fell. He followed her down, his cock throbbing as he emptied himself inside her.

Five

Corey forced himself to stay awake, to watch the wolf as he paced through the cave he’d herded them into. The younger kids were scared, tired, and hungry. He managed to get them to settle down, tucked in a niche behind him. Their captor didn’t seem to care, as long as they didn’t try to leave the cave.

With the last bit of jerky in his jacket pocket, Corey planned to do exactly what he wasn’t supposed to—escape, find Dad, lead him here. The wolf had become more and more angry as time passed, and Corey was terrified that he might attack one of the kids.

Finally, the wolf crouched next to the wall near the door, his head lowered. Corey inched up, keeping to the shadows as he moved along the wall on the opposite side. All he had to do was get past the wolf, and he could shift, hide in the trees, and wait for his chance.

He almost made it.

“You sneaky bastard.” The wolf grabbed his arm and slammed him into the wall. “I was waiting for you to do something stupid and heroic. Just like your uncle, aren’t you? He’s dead—wasn’t that enough of a lesson for you?”

Corey closed his eyes. He didn’t believe Uncle Roman was dead; he was too strong, too stubborn to die from a gunshot wound. He’d never leave Corey and the other kids alone—and he was the best guide, the best tracker in this part of the country.

“Look at me, you little shit.” Corey obeyed, scared by the rage in the wolf’s voice. “If I let you get away with this, one of the other brats will try.” He threw his knife at the ground, blade first. It quivered, buried in the soft dirt. “Time for another lesson.”

Corey scented the start of a shift, just as the wolf’s free hand changed, his fingers elongating, claws sprouting from the furred tips.

“No—”

“Your uncle managed to keep me from shifting completely, ever again. But I’ve learned how to compensate. Tell me you’re sorry, boy.”

“I’m sorry,” Corey whispered—and froze when the claws tapped his chin. One of the girls screamed. “It’s okay,” he said, raising his voice. He didn’t dare try and look at them. “Everything will be okay.”