Precarious Possessions (Maxwell Investigations) (7 page)

Madison was trembling as his body pressed against hers. She
folded her hands behind her back to keep from touching him. “I had my reasons,”
she whispered.

“Bullshit,” he breathed. He reached out and tucked her hair
behind her ear. As her eyes closed, he fisted a handful of her soft hair and
made her look at him. “You’re trying to hide away under the protection of
Vampires.” His other arm wrapped around her waist like a steel band and hauled
her tight against his body.
“Trying to hide from your Mate.”

His scent was intoxicating. As was the fact that he
remembered she liked it a little wild and rough. But the challenge in his voice
scared the hell out of her. She unlocked her hands and tried to shove him off
of her. “I won’t be your Mate,” she growled. When he didn’t budge, she tried to
kick at him. Her eyes went round when he shoved his leg between hers and
brought her down onto the pallet she made. Madison’s breath caught as his
weight settled on top of her.

And she hated herself for it.

Troy buried his nose in her hair and groaned at the feel of
her. The smell of vanilla and strawberries hit him hard. But faintly, he could
smell other wolves. Before he could stop it, a savage growl escaped him. “Who
is he?”

Madison closed her eyes and let his voice wash over her. She
fought back a moan as he pressed against her. The pulsing of his heart against
her breast and his throbbing erection pinned against her thigh were turning her
on more than she thought it would. She wanted to savor the sensations but when
his continued growl reached her ears, she tangled her fingers in his shirt. “My
bodyguard,” she confessed.

Her arousal was a siren’s song to his senses. His hand slid
up her thigh as he brushed his lips across the mark he left on her collar.
“You’re mine,” he growled into her ear.

A soft growl escaped her as she again tried to push him
away. Her resistance to his claim was weakening, but she couldn’t completely
submit to him.
At least not yet.
“I’m no one’s,” she
countered. When he looked into her eyes it was like her heart stopped. “Troy,”
she whispered.

His name was like a spell from her lips. He couldn’t stop
himself from claiming her mouth. The hand he had gripping her hair loosened and
slowly slid down her body. The addiction he once suffered to her mouth came
back full force as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

Madison moaned as he moved against her. He dominated her
body like the Alpha he was. But she couldn’t just lay under him and take it.
She never had been the submissive type. And she would be damned if she was
going to start now.

Troy gasped when he found himself flat on his back and
Madison perched on top of him. He gripped her ass as she moved away from his
mouth down his neck. He heard the distant sound of buttons and groaned as she
started her trek downward. The light scrape of her nails on his skin sent
shivers through his system.

The woman on top of him wasn’t a wolf but Troy knew without
a doubt that she was his Mate. Her hands worked at the fly of his jeans as her
mouth moved across his chest. He quickly sat up and finished taking off his
shirt as well as hers. A soft moan escaped him as he looked at her clad in a
black lace bra. “I’m going to keep you,” he said seriously.

Madison blinked as he removed her bra with a simply flick of
his wrist. She had to think. “No promises,” she said in a whisper. She had to
remember everyone left her eventually. It was now only a matter of time before
he realized what kind of a monster she was. And she couldn’t open herself up to
that kind of heartbreak. “Not tonight,” she added. She gasped when he jerked
his arms and her jeans ripped. “Troy!”

He silenced her again with his kiss. He laid her back on the
pallet and finished stripping her out of her ruined jeans and lace thong. This
night would not end like the last time. He allowed her to hide from the
chemistry between them and she disappeared from his life for years. Tonight he
was going to claim his Mate, her fears be damned.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as Troy trailed
kisses from her knees to her core. A whimper escaped her as he gently parted
her lower lips and licked her. Before she realized what she was doing, Madison
grabbed a handful of his hair. “Don’t tease,” she ordered.

Troy could only chuckle as he raised her hips level to his
mouth. “Can’t have you thinking,” he said before setting his mouth on her.

Madison cried out. Troy went after her like a man on a
mission. In almost no time she was hurtling into ecstasy. Her voice cut a cry
across the night. She could only blink rapidly as his teeth scraped against her
inner thigh. “Troy,” she panted.

He growled softly and pressed his fingers inside of her.
“Again,” he commanded. Ignoring her whimpers and protests, Troy went back to
manipulating her flesh. He wanted her ready for him. As it was, she was griping
his fingers in an almost painful vice. He stripped out of his jeans and turned
his attention to her breasts.

Madison’s back arched in pleasure/pain. Troy had known since
that first night what it took to make her lose control of herself. She pulled
his attention away from her chest and took his mouth with her own.

Troy tightened his hold on her body. “I’m going to keep
you,” he breathed again. He silenced any protest she may have had with a kiss
and pushed his way inside of her. He groaned as he settled into her body fully.
This
was his paradise. No one and
nothing else that could possibly feel as exquisite as this.

She locked her ankles behind his back and held on as he
started to move inside of her. After so long, she finally felt complete. Her
dazed eyes opened to look up at him. Madison caressed his face and smiled at
him.

“What’s so funny?” he asked moving slowly inside her.

“You look like you’re here to stake a claim.” She gasped
pleasantly when he slammed into her.

The grin he gave her was utterly ruthless and wolfish. He
leaned close and ran his tongue along the mark he left. “I am,” he whispered
before biting down.

Madison cried out as another orgasm raced through her. Her
arms tightened around him as his thrusts started to pick up speed and strength.
His name became a chant as he mastered her body in a way only he had ever been
able to.

Troy roared into the moonlight as his body reached its own
release. He lowered his head and started to gently lick at the bite he left on
her skin. Her body was still shaking as if driven too hard, too fast. His grin
returned when he felt her lips press a kiss to his cheek. “
Madi
,”
he said softly. When she looked up at him, his grin flashed the dimple in his
left cheek. “We have four years to make up for,” he said in a reasonable tone.

She returned his grin before shifting her legs and rolling
over. When he was pinned under her, she ground her body against his. “And
you’re still hard,” she whispered before kissing him.

He grabbed her hips and thrust up into her. “Let’s see what
you can do about that,” he said softly.

Claudia walked into her room and gave Alex a small smile.
When she woke and found him sleeping peacefully, she slipped away to take a
long hot shower.

That shower also gave her a chance to think and hide.

Alex ran his fingers through his damp hair, having taken his
own shower in his old room. “You don’t want to marry me,” he said softly. He
heard her slow inhale and gave her a sad smile. “It’s okay if you don’t.
There’s probably a bunch of guys in Europe that’ll sweep you off your feet.”

Claudia rolled her eyes as she went to look for something to
wear. “It’s not that and you know it,” she answered him.

“I thought we were through this,” he said on a sigh. When
she looked at him with narrowed eyes, he continued. “I love you, and since I’m
only human I can’t….” His eyes widened as he came to his feet. “That’s it,
isn’t it?” he asked. “I can’t claim you like a Wolf or a Vampire.”

She shook her head. “
Don’t be an asshole
,”
she said with a roll of her eyes. She touched his cheek and looked into his
eyes. “I love you Alex. There is nothing that will ever be able to change
that.”

He could tell there was something more. He stepped closer to
her and put his hands on her hips. “Talk to me,” he whispered.

The look in his eyes warned her that he wouldn’t let this
conversation drop. “How do you know I’m what you want?” she asked in a small
voice. She shook her head when he started to protest. “I don’t know what will
happen if I try to Turn you.” She felt his hands loosen and quickly moved away
from him. “We don’t know
if
I can
have children. Not to mention
what
they would be.” Claudia wiped at her eyes hating the tears that filled them.
“And if we can’t change you, I can’t stand by and watch you die,” she
confessed.

Alex looked at her for a long moment. She was trying not to
break down but she was slowly crumbling. He walked over to where she stood and
turned her to the mirror. “I don’t care about kids Claudia,” he said softly.
“If we have them, great.
They’ll be loved and cherished no
matter what they are.” She took a shaky breath and he kissed her shoulder. “And
Grandfather has already agreed to turn me as a fifth anniversary gift.
If you want me to be a Vampire.”

She shifted in his arms as he scrapped his teeth against her
skin. “What if I want a Wolf?”

“Then he said he would convince Dennis.” Alex continued to
manipulate her flesh and tighten the hold he had on her body. “And before you
say it, I don’t care about my Magic. If I lose it, fine. As long as I have you,
I’m good.”

Claudia closed her eyes as his hands dipped under her towel.
“You always think of everything,” she mused as she rubbed her body against his.

He groaned as her lithe body brushed against his quickly
hardening member. “I have to. You like to argue.” His fingers found her core.
“Open up,” he breathed into her ear.

She lifted her foot up to the vanity and reached behind her
body for his fly. “And you like being in control,” she chuckled.

His pants and boxers fell around his knees as he ripped her
towel away. “You like being under my control,” he countered. He hissed out a
breath as he entered her from behind. “Marry me Claudia,” he breathed against
her skin. As her hand tangled in his hair, he bit down on her neck; hard.

“Yes!” she screamed before allowing herself to be caught up
in pure passion.

* * *
* *

Early morning light filtered through the trees as Troy
slowly woke up. He could feel Madison still tucked in his arms and smiled.
After four long, lonely years he finally has his Mate. He tightened the arm
around her waist as he partially sat up. “Morning,” he said.

Madison swallowed as she continued to gaze at the wall.
“Morning,” she replied in a whisper. She remained still as he leaned forward
and kissed her cheek.

Troy pressed a kiss to her shoulder and settled behind her.
“You don’t want me here,” he observed.

Madison stayed on her side and refused to look at him. “No,
I don’t,” she agreed.

Troy rolled her onto her back and gazed into her eyes. “I’m
not leaving.”

She nodded. “I know.”

He pressed his lips together and ran his fingers through her
hair. “Are you going to talk to me?”

As she stared into his eyes a rueful sigh escaped her. “Why
did you come back?” she asked in turn.

“Because I couldn’t let you go.” He continued to stroke her
hair as she reached up and caressed his face. “I tried. But there was something
that kept nagging at me and I couldn’t simply be done with you. Hell, I even
tried to hire a PI to find out more about you.”

A frown crossed her face.
“A Norm PI?”

He shook his head.
“No, another Wolf.”

“Tried?”

Before she could react, he leaned forward and kissed her
tenderly. “I mentioned your name and then found out why you’re considered
Maleficent.”

She remembered their first conversation and found herself
laughing. “And you still wanted to come back?” she asked.

He chuckled as well, giving her a flash of his dimple again.
“I wanted to come back even more,” Troy confessed. When she rolled her eyes he
leaned on his elbow and gazed at her. “What?”

Madison hated talking about her life. She also knew that it
was something that had to be done. Either she was going to be Troy’s Mate, or
he would leave her in peace. No matter what she owed him the truth. With a
sigh, Madison sat up and quickly found her shirt. “What did your PI tell you?”
she asked.

“Nothing much.”
Troy
could feel his good mood slowly darkening as she drew away from him. “You’re
the oldest daughter of the Maxwell family. You’re also a Necromancer. You have
a reputation as
the
Necromancer. When
the Council has a problem they need to solve, more often than not, you’re sent
in to work it all out.” He stood and gently caressed her face. “And for some
reason, everyone’s afraid of you.”