Uncertain Claim Read online

  “Climb onto my lap.” His thumb stroked in slow circles right along her neck. Giving a light tug on her hair, he urged her closer. His tone was so relaxed that it contrasted with the fierce way he’d held her only minutes before.

  She looked down and licked her lips as she stared at his cock. Her attention locked on him as he rolled on a condom. She almost dropped to her knees just to get a taste, but he gave another tug on her hand. It wasn’t even a toss-up. She might want to get her mouth on his cock, but she wanted it inside her cunt even more.

  She straddled him, her eyes locking with his. In stark contrast with his voice, his eyes burned with intensity. She drew in a startled breath. She’d thought he was so under control, yet the emotion she saw there was far from restrained.

  He released her hand and both of his palms smoothed over her hips before firming and pulling her down. She was more than ready for this. She reached between them and guided the tip of his cock to her slick entrance. His lips tightened.

  She knew he was trying to stay in control. Slowly, he urged her hips down to take more of him. Her inner muscles clenched. She ached to feel his cock deep inside her. Shivers rolled over her entire body. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders. How could he stand to move so slowly? She wanted it hard, hot and now.

  “Gavin, fuck me.” She leaned in and nipped at his lips.

  The man needed to stop messing around and get to work. She couldn’t do slow tonight. It would drive her out of her mind. Electric currents ran from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. She clenched her thighs and tried to push up and take matters into her own hands. His fingers tightened, holding her in place seemingly without strain.

  His lips pulled back from his teeth, revealing lengthened canines. Her eyes widened at the sharp points. A low growl rolled from his chest. She felt the vibrations against the tips of her breasts. It excited her even more. She leaned close and licked his lips. If he was close to losing control, she certainly didn’t mind. That’s what she needed.

  “Give me a minute to get control. I don’t want to take the choice from you,” he grated the words from between clenched teeth. His fingers flexed pulling her close to him. His arms tightened around her, pressing them together from cheek to thigh.

  She moaned and her eyes closed in enjoyment as his cock pushed deeper into her. It left her wanting more. She didn’t have any idea what he meant by taking her choice. At the moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was for him to move. His hands held her still and he simply breathed. She could feel a fine tremor running through his body.

  Her fingers trailed across his shoulders and down his chest. She could see the worry on his face and knew that she had to ease that somehow. His concern was for her. That got through the haze of need. As much as she ached for him, she somehow knew that ripping his control from him right now wasn’t a good idea. Her lips moved softly over his and her fingers skimmed and petted.

  “Just kiss me, Gavin. Slow and sweet. I love it when you give me one of those deep, slow kisses.” She smiled at him. She’d have to remember to ask what he meant by taking her choice later.

  He shuddered, but his lips closed over hers. His tongue brushed against her lips. She stroked her hands over his shoulders and back. She leisurely drew her tongue over his, trying to soothe the tension from him with her kiss and the stroke of her fingers over his skin.

  She felt him relax and sink into the kiss. The arousal inside her eased a little as she savored the deep, dreamy movement of his mouth over hers. His palms skimmed up her sides, leaving trails of tingling awareness. By the time his mouth left hers, she was clinging to him and she didn’t want the kiss to end. She followed him as he pulled back a little.

  His hand cupped the side of her face. “My sweet Diana, sometimes you’re more than I deserve. Are you still ready?”

  “Why don’t we see?” She rocked her hips a little. Definitely not as burning with immediate need for release as before, but tingles spread over her and the ache began to tighten. She knew it wouldn’t take much before she was clawing at him again, ready to race to the peak.

  Her hands eased between them. She closed two fingers over the tight, flattened nub of his dark nipple. He moaned. One of his hands cupped her buttocks, pulling her tight against him. She loved hearing and seeing the effect she had on him. Sometimes, he made her feel like the sexiest woman in the history of the world. She leaned forward and ran her teeth across his full lower lip.

  “Such a tease. I’m not the one who might need a little help now.” He pulled back, but leaned in again. Trailing kisses along her neck, he let her feel the edge of his teeth.

  “If you think I might need a little help, then why don’t you find out for yourself.” Her voice was light. She liked taunting him a little and she wanted to keep this playful and light until they both felt the intensity again.

  Her fingers clasped his hand and drew it between their bodies. She returned to her tormenting teasing of his nipples. He didn’t need any further prompting. Sliding his hand over her stomach, he teased her a little in return, circling his fingers around her belly. She shivered and bit her lip. That light skim of his fingertips sent arcs of sensation straight to her pussy.

  She didn’t know how he did it. Every time he touched her, it was like her body tuned even more to his. It scared her a little, but it was exciting too. She pressed kisses to his shoulders. She couldn’t stop touching him. Her thighs tightened as she rose a little, unable to stay still. He had to feel the increase in the hot, slick liquid surrounding him. She didn’t know what was holding him back.

  He drew in a hissing breath. “Do you know what your wriggling is doing to me?”

  She laughed and deliberately rocked her hips, letting that be her answer.

  He took the opportunity to slip his fingers over the mound of her pussy and straight to her clit. Her breath hitched as she waited for him to move his fingers. Anticipation sent a curl of excitement through her as her mind supplied vivid memories of how good his fingers could make her feel.

  She wriggled a little, trying to rub against his fingers. He waited. She caught the smile curving his lips and knew that the torment had been deliberate. His finger slowly curled upward. She arched her hips, driving her clit against his fingertip. He chuckled and began to stroke her.

  “That’s better. Now I know you’re ready. Your juices are flowing for me again.” He left his hand between them. “Ride me, baby.”

  The ache pulsed and writhed inside of her, demanding she move. She couldn’t stay still. Lifting her hips, she set a deep, hard rhythm as the need took away all thought other than the pleasure she knew was waiting for her. His hands plucked at her nipples and a soft growl rolled from him as she rocked down onto him.

  That sound drove searing need straight through her. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she rode him hard. She could barely catch her breath, but it didn’t matter. The tightening feelings low in her gut urged her on to a faster pace.

  His fingers twisted her nipples, sending delicious little streaks of pleasure down her spine. She heard a low moaning and vaguely recognized it as her own voice. Her lips slashed over his and she stifled her scream against his mouth as she came. His hand tightened on her ass and continued to rock her against him. Both of his hands fastened at her waist and pulled her close. His hips bucked against hers and he came on a harsh groan.

  He held her tight and she enjoyed the closeness. The feel of his breath puffing against her neck made her smile. She’d be happy if they stayed like this all night as long as he held her. He sprawled back onto the bed, pulling her with him. She lay on top of him and enjoyed the closeness. At first, she was too content to think, but gradually she remembered the questions she wanted to ask.

  Resting her forearm across his chest, she braced her chin on it and looked up at him. His fingers lazily combed through her hair, occasionally twirling the ends around the tips before moving to the top of her head and starting again. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the so
othing sensation for a moment, but knew she couldn’t let the moment pass.

  She didn’t want to forget her question. She needed to know what had made him so tense and held him back at that moment. What choice did he not want to take from her? She rubbed the pad of her index finger across his lips and smiled when his tongue slipped out and lapped at it.

  “What choice, Gavin?” She tilted her head and watched his face.

  He blinked and frowned. His head lifted and he looked down at her.

  “When you became tense and just locked up earlier. I could feel the strain in your body. What choice were you trying to make sure I had?” She cupped her hand against his cheek.

  He grimaced and his arms came up in a fierce hug. “I came close to biting you tonight. I thought at first that if I let you ride me that I’d be able to control the urge. I believed I could hold and touch you without the instinct to protect you in the most basic way overcoming me. The need to make you a wolf like me almost swept away everything else.”

  “You didn’t seem out of control before we came into the bedroom. I know you were anxious to touch. So was I. I needed it to really believe that you were safe after being told that someone shot at you.” She frowned. She’d known he was as upset and felt something like the same intensity to see her as she had him, but she hadn’t imagined he felt anything beyond that. Certainly not something so powerful and primal that it almost caused him to bite her.

  “Then I hid my emotions better than I thought I did. I wanted to rip into anyone who stepped between us. Those people hung around way too long last night. I wanted you alone and naked the moment you walked through the door.” He shook his head. “I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to resist biting you if I got you on your back and most definitely not if I took you as I wanted, on your hands and knees. The wolf was too close to the surface last night.”

  She stared at him a moment. She didn’t know what she felt. In a way, she was happy that he thought enough of her to try to wait, but another part of her couldn’t help be a little hurt by the fact that he’d been so determined to hold back. She wondered again if he was sure that she was his mate or if it was some gambit to protect her. She didn’t want him to do something irrevocable if he wasn’t sure. “And you didn’t want to begin the change in me.”

  “I wanted it too much. All of my plans for showing you that we’re a good couple and that we would want to be together even if we weren’t mates went out the window when someone tried to kill me while you were with me.” He sighed. “I wanted to ensure that I didn’t take anything else from you.”

  She rose up onto her elbow. “What do you think you’ve taken from me?”

  “The time to really get to know me and to love me before you realized we were mates. I wanted you to have everything. The flowers and dates, the moonlight picnics and concerts, all the romance you deserved. I was even thinking about doing that old-fashioned kneel and propose when we got to that point.” He shrugged.

  “And why can’t you do that if I know I’m your mate? Well, after this thing with your ex is finished,” she amended. She was a little ticked at the fact that he thought that simply because the word “mate” was used that romance had to be forgotten. “You can still do all of those things. I may know, but you can still take me on moonlight picnics or to a secluded lake so we can skinny dip and make love under the stars.”

  He smiled and cupped the back of her head. “I’ll make sure that we do. I wanted you to be certain of what you wanted, though, before all the mates stay together for life stuff was forced on you. I didn’t want you to feel like you missed out on anything. Hopefully, by the time this mess is finished, you’ll realize that you are my mate and we can get back to the romancing.”

  She didn’t say anything to that. Surprise held her tongue for a moment. She hadn’t realized he was that aware of her doubts about the mating. She didn’t want to hurt him, but it was still a little hard for her to believe. As far as she knew, a were didn’t ignore the fact that a woman was his mate and date her. He claimed and any other worries were dealt with later. Gavin gave her a kiss and then lifted her off him.

  “I’ll get rid of this condom. After we shower, we can see what we can find to eat in the kitchen.” He rolled to his feet and then pulled her to hers. “Don’t worry. We’ll work everything out.”

  Chapter Ten

  Gavin looked across the kitchen table at Diana. She smiled at him as she ate breakfast in the bright yellow kitchen. A good meal and time holding her last night had helped soothe the jangled nerves. The tense emotions from last night had faded, but knowing she was going to be leaving to work in a separate building in another part of the city had his tension rising again.

  She’d kept the conversation on light subjects after they’d made it out of the shower. As normal as all of the routine was, he couldn’t keep his mind away from the fact that she was at risk. They’d use her to get to him. That was even more of a possibility if she was in a separate location. Even with the people meant to guard her, they could get a chance at her.

  “Is something wrong, Gavin?” Her head tilted and she frowned a little. Her fork hovered over the wedge of pancakes on her plate. Overall, she looked concerned and a little confused.

  “Just worrying. If they can’t get to me, they’ll go after you to try to draw me out. I think Ally knows that I’d be protective of any woman who was dragged into a situation like this.” Gavin looked at her intently.

  She blinked and he saw consideration enter her eyes. “We knew that they might try to come after me to get to you. I was there. Considering that most groups of weres are known for their protectiveness to any female, I’m pretty sure they know that you’d try to keep me safe even if you were hurt in the process. And if they actually did watch you, then they know we were dating.”

  “More than dating.” He scowled at her choice of words. He could see the doubt in her eyes. That considering, uncertain look peeked out every time they spoke about the mating or the future. He’d known she wasn’t completely convinced that she was his mate. It wasn’t something he could change right now. Not without starting the transformation in her. He didn’t want to make that choice for her. He intended to let her make that decision.

  “They’ll only see it as dating. Because when people think of a werewolf getting serious, they don’t think courting or dates that lead to something more. Weres claim and everything else comes afterward.” She met his eyes and then looked down at her plate.

  “I’ve already told you that I wanted to give you the romance that you deserved.” He struggled to hold back a growl. Her persistence in pointing out the reputation werewolves had for claiming a mate immediately began to grate.

  She leveled a look at him and he clearly saw disbelief and anger there. “Maybe, but that’s not the issue here. It’s what the people after you will think and might do because of it. They have no reason to think that I’m your mate. Not unless you start shouting it.”

  Gavin growled. He couldn’t hold back the angry sound. Stubborn woman. He locked his muscles against the urge to get up, pluck her out of the chair and take her back to bed to convince her. He had told her and tried to show her that there was more between them, but all she saw was that it hadn’t happened the way she expected a shifter mating to happen.

  He knew of at least three women who’d be thrilled to get the time he’d given her. The woman was as contrary as a cat. She felt something strong and deep for him. It was in her every reaction to him. She was pulled to him, but she kept resisting because his claiming didn’t fit her preconceived idea of how it should be.

  “I don’t fucking care what they think. Right now, I’m not even concerned about their beliefs anymore.” His fist clenched on the table. “When are you going to start believing me?”

  Her denials grated and irritated his already shortened temper. He wanted to claim her and show her that there was no doubt about who she was to him. A little voice at the back of his mind kept shouting that once he cl
aimed her and started the change in her, she wouldn’t have any more questions of what she meant to him. It only made the urge even greater.

  She looked at him levelly for a moment and shrugged. Her teeth tugged at her lip for a moment. “I don’t know. How am I not supposed to have any questions when nothing about our relationship went as it normally would? Hell, I thought you were just dating me and was bracing myself for the time when you eventually moved on to someone else. I wanted more, but there was no reason for me to think it would be anything except some dates before you moved on to search for your mate.”

  He could see the uncertainty in her eyes and body language. He understood why she might have some problems believing at first, but she’d had time to see how he reacted to her in this situation. It was hard enough not to claim her and do everything he could to make sure they couldn’t hurt her.

  “Have I lied to you before? Do you think I’d be callous enough to hurt you like that? Even if it protected you now, once this situation is finished, you’d be hurt if I suddenly backed away and decided you weren’t my mate. Don’t you think I have enough sense to realize that? If I just wanted to keep you safe because you were a woman I felt protective of because of the situation, I would have said it straight out.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “You haven’t lied, but you’re caring and smart. It’s one of the simplest ways to keep me where you’re sure I’ll be safe. On top of that, you didn’t have time to think about things that much.” She shrugged and her lips twisted into a grimace.

  He growled and pushed to his feet just as he heard a footstep behind him. He whirled, a snarl curling his lips. He wanted this finished and whoever was in the house was likely to leave headfirst. They’d be lucky if he opened the door before he tossed them out. Max strolled into the room, smiling.

  “Hi, Gavin, you’re in a chipper mood. Evan’s waiting at the office to see you and your woman, so if you’re finished with breakfast, we need to leave.” Max grabbed a piece of toast off the table and bit into it.