Cougarlicious
Cougar Wants During a weekend with her two lifelong friends, Kimber Jordan decides she wants to become a cougar. When financial difficulties arise, she chooses to rent a room rather than ask friends or family for help. When the pizza delivery guy asks to rent the room, Kimber is intrigued. He’s younger, gorgeous, and makes her dream of things she’d forgotten. Tate Pierce, a cougar shape-shifter, has worked multiple jobs for so long he doesn’t remember what free time is. When he delivers Kimber’s pizza, he realizes she is his lifemate. He doesn’t care that she is an older woman. She is sexy and beautiful and everything he wants in his mate. When work comes between them, Kimber takes drastic measures to show him there is more to life than work. Can Kimber help Tate change his life goals to include her? Will this cub be able to tame his cougar? Genre: May-December, Paranormal, Shape-shifter Length: 25,614 words
COUGAR WANTS Cougarlicious
Cooper McKenzie
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at
[email protected] A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
COUGAR WANTS Copyright © 2012 by Cooper McKenzie E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-823-4 First E-book Publication: July 2012 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Cougar Wants by Cooper McKenzie from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Cooper McKenzie’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. McKenzie’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION This one’s for Jinger Bruton, one kickass cover artist, and a woman I am honored to call my friend.
COUGAR WANTS Cougarlicious COOPER MCKENZIE Copyright © 2012
Prologue “What’s wrong with men?” Kimber Jordan asked as a gray-haired man older than they were two-stepped by with a woman maybe half his age. “What do you mean?” Stacy Covey asked. She sounded lost at the strange change of subject while Gwen Ford waved at the passing waiter without success. It was the first night of their semi-annual Girls Only Weekend, this time in Houston. Gwen had been filling them in on her son, Grant, and his latest loves and adventures. But Kimber was tired. Tired of being alone every night. Tired of these twice-a-year weekends of girl talk and problem solving. Tired of trying to figure out how they had reached the week of their fortieth birthdays without men who loved them by their sides. “Why is it men our age and older feel the overwhelming urge to chase after sweet, young things half their ages? What’s wrong with us? None of us looks like we just turned forty. We’re not dried up, old crones, and we’re all successful women. Why don’t we have men lining up to dance with us? I mean, if they can do it, why can’t we?” Kimber knew she sounded bitchy, but dammit, she was tired of
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sleeping in her queen-size bed with only Max, her loveable but spoiled mixed-breed dog, filling the other half of the bed. Her friends stared across the table at her as if she had stepped over the edge of sanity. “What are you saying, Kimber? You want to start dating boys my son’s age?” Gwen asked after taking a long draw on her strawberry daiquiri. “Maybe not quite that young, but I’m saying I’m tired of being a good girl, of being proper. I’m tired of waiting for an age-appropriate man to walk up to me and propose or fall at my feet and declare undying lust. And if dating younger men makes me a bad girl, then I’m going to embrace it. I’m going to become a bad girl and a cougar.” Stacy smiled as if she was beginning to understand where Kimber was headed with her rant. “And younger men have stamina and the ability to get it up more than once a week, too,” she added with a giggle. “Stacy!” Gwen admonished before turning to Kimber. “So, how young are we talking?” She sounded hesitant and skeptical, but that was Gwen’s way. While Kimber, the creative one, was the ringleader of the trio, Gwen was the voice of reason and sanity that had kept them out of jail on more than one occasion. Stacy was the practical one who followed wherever Kimber led, but carried a GPS and a bag of cookies with her, just in case. Before Kimber could reply, Stacy pulled out her smartphone and started typing. “Cougars are older, usually successful women who date younger men,” she said, squinting as she read from the tiny screen. “Yeah, we got that part already. Isn’t there some formula or rule about how young a man is too young?” Kimber asked, wishing she had brought her computer tablet with her. That, at least, had a screen big enough they could all read.
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“Hang on,” Stacy said as she brought up another screen. “Okay, here it is. The rule is to date no younger than half your age plus seven years. In our case, we’re talking twenty-seven-year-olds.” “Twenty-seven?” Gwen squeaked as she gave a distasteful shiver. “That’s only a few years older than Grant. There’s no way I can look at anyone that young no matter how sexy he might be.” “So, how young do you think you can go?” Stacy asked patiently as she slipped the phone back into the pocket of her blue jeans. “Um, well, I’ve never thought about going younger. I’ve always dated older men. And Patrick was twelve years older than me.” “Well, think about it,” Kimber encouraged, trying but failing to sound gentle and encouraging. “Just remember, a younger man will be better able to handle your power surges and keep up with you in bed.” “Yeah, then maybe you won’t blow through vibrators as fast as you do,” Stacy teased, referring to Gwen’s killing three vibrating sex toys in the last year. Gwen blushed. “Why did I ever tell you about that?” Then she, too, began to giggle. Kimber joined in, and the trio laughed until they were wiping tears. Then she said, “Because we have been best friends since the second day of seventh grade, and you tell us everything.” They had seen each other through boyfriends and breakups. They had stood up at each other’s weddings. When Stacy showed up one weekend ten years before with a black eye, split lip, and three broken ribs, thanks to her ex-husband, Gwen and Kimber convinced her to get out, divorce the rat bastard, and start over. When Gwen’s husband dropped dead from an aneurysm, she called them before calling her family. And when Kimber had left the advertising world to follow her lifelong dream of being an artist, those two were the only ones who applauded her decision. They also helped her through the divorce
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from her husband shortly afterward because he did not like the fact that she was making herself happy and still bringing home the same money. He wanted her as miserable at her job as he was at his. She was closer to these two women than she was to her own family, even if she only saw them twice a year. Glancing back to the dance floor as they waited for Gwen’s decision, she watched a bald man who was probably ten years older than they were waltz by with a much younger woman in his arms. “Thirty,” Gwen finally said. “I don’t think I can go any younger than thirty.” Kimber nodded. “Sounds good. Stacy? What about you? How young are you willing to go?” Stacy smiled, though her mossy-green eyes looked sad. “I don’t care how young or old he is as long as he treats me right and makes me laugh. How about you?” Kimber hesitated. This philosophical discussion was all well and good, but could she go through with it? Would she be able to look at younger men as anything other than someone to take care of? Would she be able to find someone who wouldn’t mind dating a woman entering her fortieth year who some days felt closer to eighty than forty?” Sure, she looked younger than her age, was still in great shape, and had a personality that other people sometimes found childish. She had also maintained an innocent air that her ex-husband had often chided her about, especially in light of the work she now did. “Whatever it takes. My biggest challenge will be actually meeting someone. Sometimes working at home in my pajamas isn’t all the glory that it could be.” For the first time since they had started this conversation, Kimber wondered if maybe she should back off from what she was proposing. Stacy reached out and patted her hand. “Don’t worry, someone will pop into your life when you least expect it. Just keep your eyes open, keep the faith, and continue putting together those kick-ass
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covers.” Kimber’s art had shifted once her divorce had been finalized. While she continued working her own art, the bulk of her income came from being a cover artist for several erotic romance e-book publishers. “So, for our next weekend, we bring our young lovers with us. Since we’re going to Kimber’s, maybe we can rent a beach house with lots of bedrooms and lots of privacy,” Gwen said, looking excited by the prospect of this new challenge. Kimber and Stacy nodded in agreement before finishing off their drinks. Then they decided they had had enough of being ignored in the Houston bar, so they headed back to Stacy’s house and the hot tub in her backyard.
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Chapter 1 “Arrrgh! I hate money!” Kimber screamed as she threw the pen in her hand across the room. It had been three and a half months since her return from Houston, and after working on the household budget for the last hour, she was in need of another weekend away from her life. Not that she could afford it, but it was a nice thought. She had been squeaking by financially for months, but last week, she’d had to replace all four tires so her car would pass inspection. The unexpected expense had eaten up her pitiful savings as well as a big bite from her monthly budget. Even if she gave up eating, there was no way she could make the budget come out even. “Okay, girl, so what are you going to do about it?” she asked aloud. She refused to ask her parents for money and did not want Gwen or Stacy to know how deep her financial troubles had grown over the last year. “Real job or…what?” she continued. After standing up and stretching, she wandered through the house looking at her possessions with a critical eye. Was there anything she could part with that would bring in enough money to keep her floating for another month without giving her sleepless nights of guilt? Books filled shelves but they were hardly collector’s material. The few nicked and dinged antique collectibles she owned were family heirlooms, and if her mother found out she sold them, Kimber would not have to worry about paying the bills because she would be dead. Walking through the rest of the house, she stopped at the room she
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jokingly called the guest room. It was the size of a nice walk-in closet in a modern house, but sixty-some odd years ago when her house had been built, it had been considered a bedroom. She looked around at the packing boxes piled around the rooms. Boxes were still full even after living there for two years. Sighing, she had to admit that no one would pay rent for a closet. Stepping to the end of the hall, she looked into each of the other bedrooms as well. Her bedroom was the second largest room while her office slash studio filled the largest. Walking into the office, she admitted she might be able to rent out this room. But how much would a renter pay for a bedroom when they would have to share a bathroom? “And how are you going to fit all this into the guest room?” she asked as she looked from the shelves of books and supplies for her art. Her gaze then moved to her desk with the computer she used for her work and then the tilt table that was more of a bulletin board than a drawing table. There was just too much stuff to move this into the guest room. “So, you move your bedroom in here and the office into the bedroom. It’s not like anything exciting has happened in the bedroom since you moved it.” Just thinking of all that needed to be done before someone could move in made her tired. Walking back down the hall to the dining table where she had left the bills, checkbook, and budget, she sighed again, feeling overwhelmed. Renting out a room was a solution to her money crisis, but would it actually pan out before the electricity and water were cut off? And how was she to do all this moving by herself in a timely manner when she still had work to do? “One thing at a time,” she murmured as her stomach grumbled. Looking at the clock, she realized the day had slipped away from her. Thankfully, she had gotten an early start on the cover work due
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that day. She had finished them and sent them off before turning her attention to the budget issues. Friday was pizza night, and though she could not afford it, she refused to go without her weekly fix. Picking up the phone, she dialed the pizza parlor’s number quickly. When a voice answered, she placed her normal Friday night order of a thin crust pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, and extra cheese. The only change was that she ordered an extra-large instead of a medium. If stress eating didn’t get to her, she could freeze half to keep for next week. Once assured her dinner would arrive within the next thirty minutes, Kimber turned her attention back to the matter of renting a room. She rifled through a stack of papers on her desk and found a piece of white cardboard, which was free of the doodles she did when thinking or talking on the phone. Using several wide-tipped pens, she drew a colorful and artistic “For Rent” sign with her phone number printed underneath. It took a few minutes to find a plastic sleeve to keep her sign pretty and a few more to find a nail and hammer so she could post her sign. Stepping out of the front door, she looked around the small covered porch for the best place to hang her sign. Deciding the post would be the most visible from the street, she positioned it, holding it in place with the nail. She heard a car pull into the driveway, and she glanced over her shoulder. The pickup truck had no lighted sign on the roof, but she was not expecting anyone else. Dinner had arrived. Lifting the hammer, she decided to finish hanging the sign before dealing with the pizza delivery guy. Bringing it down, she missed the nail and slammed her thumb instead. “Oh, shit, damn, damn, damn, ouch,” she cried out as pain flashed through her thumb and all the way up to her elbow. She dropped the sign, nail, and hammer. Barely a second later, her big toe screamed with an identical pain as the hammerhead landed on
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it. “Having trouble?” a deep voice behind her asked. He sounded amused at her pain. “Duh,” she replied sarcastically. Looking over her shoulder through the tears that filled her eyes, Kimber felt her heart pause for several beats before it began to pound. This was not Aaron, the normal pizza delivery guy, who had shown up every week for the past six months. Aaron was barely out of high school, short, pimply, and about twenty pounds overweight. No, this was a man, but he looked to be no older than thirty. Maybe. At five foot seven, she was not a short woman, but even standing on the second step leading to the porch, she had to look up at him. Looking into his eyes, she found herself trapped in their lightness that seemed to twinkle as he met her gaze. She could not tell if they were a blue or green, but they seemed to offset his shaggy, light-brown hair to perfection. He had a tanned, craggy, strong-boned face that made her fingers itch for paper and a pencil to sketch, or her camera to capture every nuance of the amusement she saw in his expression. Dropping her curious gaze, she took in broad shoulders, flat abs, and a body sculptured by the gods. He wore the same uniform Aaron wore, a red T-shirt with the Petey’s Pizza logo emblazed on the front. With the shirt, he wore faded blue jeans that hung loose on his longlegged, narrow-hipped frame, and a pair of scuffed work boots that looked like he actually did work of some kind in them. The pain in her thumb and toe eased as her libido woke up and screamed Whoohoo! at her. This was the kind of man she wanted— both in her studio and in her bed. She could just imagine the sculpted body his clothes currently hid from her. Lifting her gaze to his face again, she found his amusement had given way to concern. Had she missed something as she had done the mental striptease? “Did you say something?” She fought an urge to trip off the steps and fall into his arms. She
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wondered if he would sacrifice her pizza to catch her or allow her to fall to the sidewalk. “Just asked if you needed some help.” His voice flowed over her like a hot shower, sending a shiver of need through her that settled between her legs. “Think you can drive a nail without smashing your thumb?” She bent and picked up the hammer and sign then looked around the steps for the nail. It must have fallen into the bushes beside the steps because she did not see it anywhere. “I don’t want Petey to sue me for abusing one of his employees.” The left corner of his lip raised in the sexiest half smile she had seen in a long time. “I think I can handle it,” he said confidently. She handed him the hammer and the sign then dug the money for the pizza out of her pocket and handed it to him as well. “I’ll get you another nail.” “Here, take this with you,” he said, handing over the pizza box. **** Tate Pierce waited until the woman, whose name was Jordan, though he did not know if that was her first or last name, disappeared into the house before adjusting his hard cock. It complained painfully loud of being cramped in his close-fitting briefs. For the first time since his early teen years, he had grown hard and aroused just from talking with a woman. He knew instinctively she was not just any woman. His body recognized her as his mate. By quick appraisal, she appeared average, but something about her pulled at him. Her brown hair fell in straight lines past the peaks of her impressive breasts. Her dark eyes sparked some kind of recognition in them every time they met his though she could only hold eye contact for a few seconds at a time before looking away. When her eyes dropped down to check out the rest of his body, it was
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as if she was physically touching him instead of just looking. Her toobig T-shirt and baggy sweats hinted at a full-breasted, curvy woman. Just the kind he liked. As a cougar shape-shifter, he had always known he would recognize his mate immediately but never expected to find her while delivering her dinner. And with his sense of smell tainted by hours of breathing spicy pizzas, he could not be sure if she really was his mate, or if his cock was just telling him it had been a while since he’d had a woman in his bed. He took several deep breaths to calm and distract himself, but thoughts of stripping them both naked and taking her any way he could in the next five minutes consumed him. He saw himself bending her over the porch railing to keep them hidden behind the overgrown bushes that hid most of the porch. Glancing at the porch swing, he could see her riding him accompanied by the squeaking of the chain. Then there was always the missionary position on the porch floor. All were viable options, though the neighbors might disturb them if she was a screamer, so maybe they should take this in the house. His cock throbbed with his heartbeat as the mental images flashed through his mind. Not sure how to proceed, he saw a hot shower and long hand-to-cock session in his very near future. With a sigh, he read the paper he was about to hang, trying to distract himself in any way possible. “Room for rent,” he read aloud. Lifting his gaze to the small house, he raised one eyebrow in skepticism. “Wonder how big a room it is.” Just the day before, Leo, his landlord and roommate, had informed him that he needed to find a new place to stay so he could move his girlfriend in. Since Leo’s name was on the lease and all the utilities, Tate had no real options. He was happy for his friend to be taking his three-year relationship to the next level but was not sure how he was going to find a new place to live while working his ass off at three
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jobs. Taking several deep breaths, he tried to clear his nasal passages so he could breathe clearly. Just then, the woman emerged from the house. His cock jerked again, and he fought the urge to adjust it. Was he insane to think that he could share a house with this woman without something more happening as soon as he could manage it? From the woman’s hunched shoulders and strained expression, he knew fate was at work here. She needed him as much as he needed a place to live. When she got within arm’s length, his lungs filled with the most delicious scent of lavender and vanilla. His cock pulsed and drooled, and he could not help the low-pitched purring sound he made. When she looked at him with wide-eyed curiosity, he swallowed and forced his cougar to back down. So this was why he had agreed to take this one last delivery before heading home. If he hadn’t, he would be home already standing in a hot shower jerking off and not meeting the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. “Here’s a nail,” she said, offering him the blunt end of a heavyduty construction nail. Tate took the nail, careful not to touch her. He did not immediately go to work, but stood studying the paper he had agreed to hang. This could be the best or worst decision he had ever made, but she was his mate, and they were meant to be together. This was too soon, but she needed a renter, and he needed a room. “How much is this room you’re renting?” **** Kimber stared at the pizza guy in surprise. “Why? Do you know someone who’s looking to rent a room?” The half-smile returned to his lips as he looked deep into her eyes. “Yes. Me,” he answered simply. “Oh, well…truth is I haven’t figured that part out yet. I just made
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the decision to rent the room a few minutes ago. It’s going to take me a few days to get the room ready.” “Can I see it?” “First, I need to know something,” Kimber said, nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the thought of having this man living under her roof. “What’s that?” he asked with a small frown. “What’s your name? I don’t usually let people I don’t know into my home unless they’re wearing a badge of some sort.” He blinked, looking startled. Then he smiled as he nodded. “Smart lady,” he said, shifting the sign and nail to his left hand and extending his right for a handshake. Kimber took it and sucked a tiny breath as her body’s arousal flared even higher at the electricity that shot from his palm to hers. Intense heat shot up her arm and through her body. Her fingertips tingled as they wrapped around the back of his hand. He heart picked up speed, her nipples beaded tight, and her pussy gushed. “Tate Pierce,” he said, his voice dropping deeper, which sent even more heat through her. “Kimber Jordan,” she returned hoarsely. As they stared into each other’s eyes, the rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving them in a bubble of want, need, and arousal. She wasn’t sure how long they stood holding hands and staring at one another, but she would have been happy to continue all night, except a car drove by. His head whipping around, Tate jerked his hand from hers and turned to take up a protective stance in front of her. When the car drove on down the block, he took a deep breath as he slid his hand into his pocket before turning back to face her again. “So…” he trailed off. “Would you like to see the room?” “Uh, sure,” he said. He stepped up to the porch, proving he was a full head taller than she was. She led the way into the house. When he followed her into the
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living room, she wondered who had snuck in and turned up the heat when she had not been looking. She had turned the furnace off that morning after opening the windows to let in the fresh air. “The room is down here,” she said. Suddenly flustered by his nearness when his hand brushed against the back of her leg just under her ass cheek, she hurried down the hall. “I haven’t had a chance to rearrange things yet, so I’ll let you have your choice of these two rooms,” she said, stopping at the end of the hall. She leaned into her bedroom first and flipped on the light, thankful that she had changed the sheets and washed clothes that morning. Laundry day was the only day of the week she actually made the bed. The rest of the time, the covers were rumpled and tossed back from where she had crawled out of it. Stepping back into the hall, she allowed him to walk in and look around. Her girlfriends used to tease her about what they called her “nun’s cell.” The walls were a barely there off-white to peach with burgundy curtains that worked well to keep the sun out when she had worked all night and tried to sleep during the day. The only furniture in the room was a queen-size bed with her grandmother’s antique brass headboard, a large wooden dresser, and matching nightstand. No pictures on the wall, no memorabilia anywhere, except a small wooden jewelry box on the nightstand that held her high school ring and several pieces of her grandmother’s jewelry she had been given when her mother decided she did not like them anymore. “Um, there’s plenty of cupboard space in the kitchen. I’ll clean out a shelf or two in the refrigerator for you. All I ask is that you put the dirty dishes in the sink when you’ve finished with them so we don’t get ants, roaches, or worse.” Tate gave her a look over his shoulder that she could not decipher. “Wouldn’t it be easier if I just washed my dishes and put them away?” Kimber shrugged. “If you want.”
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Her ex had always thought cleaning up after himself too much work, especially after she began working from home. He figured since she was home, she could do it all, become Martha Stewart and still work full-time. He never understood her or her work. But that’s in the past, she reminded herself. Maybe Tate’s mother had trained him differently. Turning on the overhead light in the office, she took a step back and squeaked when she hit a large, warm wall where no wall had ever been before. Turning, she blushed as she dragged her hand across the front of Tate’s jeans.
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Chapter 2 She sucked a breath at the long, hard rod she felt pressing against the denim. His breathing hitched as well. When she looked up, she found him staring down at her from under heavy-lidded eyes. She noticed then that his eyes were pale blue, the same color as her favorite, almost worn-out blue jeans. Before she could step back, a pair of large, work-hardened hands landed gently on her shoulders. At his touch, she froze, fearful yet excited by the hunger she saw in his eyes. She watched, growing more cross-eyed as he slowly leaned toward her. When that became painful, she closed her eyes. A millisecond later, a pair of warm lips brushed over hers, disappeared for a heartbeat before returning, and pressed more confidently against hers. When his tongue traced across the seam of her lips, any common sense she might have had evaporated like early morning river fog in the sun. Kimber moaned softly as she parted her lips and slowly extended her tongue to welcome him. She sighed into his mouth when his hands left her shoulders and slid around her back. He pressed her closer until her soft, full, unbound breasts pressed against his hard, muscular chest. She felt hesitation as he deepened the kiss by degrees. Knowing this attraction was not one-sided made her braver than she had felt in ages. She lifted her arms and slid them around his waist, amazed at how well they fit together despite the difference in their height. Then thoughts ceased as large hands slid down her spine, cupped her ass cheeks, and pulled her lower body even closer. She stiffened
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when his cock pressed into her belly. When he shifted and pushed his hips even closer, she broke the kiss and forced herself to take two steps back. This was not what she had in mind when she thought of renting a room, though she had to admit, Tate Pierce was a hell of a kisser. So what was he doing kissing her? She turned away, her eyes going to the bulletin board over her desk. Pictures of dozens of nearly naked couples cuddling together did little to cool the arousal burning through her. Clearing her throat, she tried to act as if the past minute had never happened. Taking another step away, she waved a hand around the room. “This is actually the bigger of the two rooms, but if you’ll let me know which one you prefer, I’ll clean it out this weekend, so you can move in next week. That is, if you still want to rent a room?” **** Tate blinked and wondered how Kimber was able to dismiss what had just happened between them. He was so wound up that the blood had left the rest of his body for parts south. All he could think about was claiming his mate. She sounded slightly winded but more settled than he felt. She even had the ability to speak in full sentences, when all he wanted to do was kiss her again. Then he would see how far he could push things before she slapped his face or kicked him in the balls. Taking several deep breaths that did little to calm him, he fought the urge to reach for her. He wanted to live here. He wanted his mate as well, but he wanted a room more. With a sigh, he forced himself to look around this room as his possible next home. The wall next to the door held floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A large L-shaped desk sat in the far corner and held stacks of papers, files, and notebooks. In addition, there was a computer with two large computer monitors and a machine that looked like it would print, scan, copy, or jump up and dance if she asked it to. Bulletin boards
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hung on the walls above the desk, covered with hundreds of pictures in both color and black-and-white. He blinked and took a step forward as he studied the content of the pictures. Men and women, couples, triads, and more posed in every way imaginable, some sexual, some comforting, some quite innocent but sexy just the same. Next to the desk sat a tilt-top table, which was as empty as the rest of the room was full. The last wall held several tall filing cabinets, which held more shelves. The small areas of visible walls behind the furniture were painted some kind of pinky-orangey color that he could not see himself waking up to each morning. This was a woman’s office. A woman who, from all appearances, worked hard at her job. This was where she spent the majority of her time, and he could not imagine trying to rearrange things into another, smaller space. “Have you figured out what you’d want in rent on a weekly basis?” His eyes widened with surprise when she named a price that was half of what he was paying Leo for his current room. And Leo’s house was smaller and only half as nice as this one. Leo also demanded he pay half the utility bill. “Does that include utilities?” he asked gently, knowing she had not thought of that additional expense. He would move in no matter the cost but could already tell that this woman had a pride that matched his own. Kimber froze and blinked. Then she looked uncomfortable. “Uh, I hadn’t thought about that, but I guess it couldn’t, could it?” Tate smiled at her innocence though his cock throbbed in reminder that it had been several months since he had been with a woman. The women he had dated in the past got offended when he canceled dates or would not call them for days at a time because of his work schedule. They were women who were looking for a husband while he was looking for his mate. “I’d be willing to pay that rent and half the utility bill for that
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room,” he said, pointing across the hall to the barely furnished bedroom. “Can I ask you a question?” Tate nodded, but before she spoke, he answered all the questions he’d heard from previous landlords. “I don’t smoke. I don’t drink and drive. I don’t do drugs, hold wild parties, or have sleepover guests of either persuasion. If you’d like, I can give you references from my work and past landlords.” Kimber froze and looked confused as she processed what he said. Then she smiled. “That’s all great to know, but I was going to ask how old you are.” “Oh. I’m twenty-nine. My birthday is February sixth,” he said. “I work for Williams’ Construction as well as Petey’s and do some side jobs on the weekends for a friend of mine, so I won’t be around much, and when I am, I’ll probably be sleeping.” Kimber nodded. “I turned forty last month. I don’t smoke or do drugs. I do occasionally indulge in a glass of wine or a margarita, but only here at home. I’m a pretty good cook and usually fix enough for an army. I sometimes work around the clock when the creative juices are flowing, but I’ll use my headphones, so my music won’t bother you when you’re sleeping.” Tate nodded. “Thanks for the warning. So, when do you think you can have the room cleared out?” Kimber looked past him, across the hall, and into the bedroom. “I’ve got several covers to finalize tomorrow morning, and I have to clean out the other room first. If I can get my neighbor to help me move the furniture around, it might be ready for you to move in Saturday afternoon.” “How about I come over tomorrow afternoon and help?” Suddenly tense, Tate took a step closer to the woman he would be spending the rest of his life with even though she did not know it yet. Kimber looked at him as she bit her lower lip, looking a little unnerved. “I guess that would be okay. But I don’t want you to feel
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obligated to help me rearrange my stuff just because you’re moving in.” Tate relaxed as his smile grew. “I don’t. But the faster we move you out of the room, the sooner I can move in. Then my current landlord can move his girlfriend in, and everyone will be happy. Besides, I’m looking forward to living here. Your house doesn’t smell like a locker room, and I bet you don’t play video games at all hours of the day and night.” **** Kimber backed farther into the hall, half-afraid to get too close to Tate again. She was afraid that if she did she would drag him into her bedroom and do much, much more than just kiss him. “Oh. Okay. Well, that makes sense. Thanks.” Turning, she headed back down the hall to the living room, superaware of the big man following her. She felt sure he had his eyes glued to her ass. She fought an adolescent urge to add an extra sway to her walk just to tease him. “No, thank you,” he said as he followed her to the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Now eat your pizza before it gets cold.” “Yes, sir,” she snarked, throwing him a jaunty salute and a sassy grin. He smiled as he stepped closer. He seemed to catch himself as he leaned closer. “And keep the doors locked,” he ordered before he stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door closed behind himself. Kimber giggled softly as she flipped the deadbolt into place with an audible click. Then she leaned far enough to the right to peek out the window so she could watch Tate walk across the yard. Yum, yum, he was just as good-looking from the back as he was from the front. She ducked out of sight once he reached his truck and turned back toward the house. She did not move or breathe for nearly a minute when truck headlights flashed across the window as he pulled out of
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her driveway. Once the low-pitched thrum of the truck’s engine faded into the distance, Kimber turned from the window. She looked at the pizza box on the dining room table, but another appetite needed to be satisfied before she could focus on food. Hurrying down the hall, she pulled her T-shirt over her head, dropping it to the floor as she entered her bedroom. Her sweats and thong followed seconds later. Climbing onto the bed, she crawled across the mattress until she could reach the nightstand. Pulling out the bottom drawer, she fished through the junk stored there. It took a few seconds for her to find and retrieve her favorite purple vibrator. Though it was shaped like a human cock with its well-shaped head and veins tracing its length, the fantasy ended at its purple color and cold stiffness. But it worked in a pinch and fit her perfectly. “Ahhh, baby,” she murmured. She wrapped her hands around its length to warm it. Licking her lips, she lifted it and swirled her tongue around the head, getting it good and wet. When her pussy muscles clenched in need, she pulled the imitation phallus from her mouth and used it to draw a wet line down the center of her body to the top of her slit. Closing her eyes, she spread her pussy lips with the fingers of one hand while the other wrapped around the base of her vibrator. Without turning it on, she began to drag it up and down the valley between the lips. She sucked a breath as it dragged over her clit. Instead of continuing down to her entrance, she circled her clit several times, feeling the nerves there dance as her arousal heated up her entire body. Her left hand slid back up her body and cupped her breast. Her breath stopped as electricity surged in a direct path from nipple to clit. As she continued to play with her body, she pictured Tate’s strong, well-built body clad as it had been in loose jeans and a tight-fitting Tshirt. Then she let her imagination run wild and strip the clothes from him, leaving him in only a pair of deep-red boxers that hung from his
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hips. The soft cotton material concealed, yet also hinted at, the hard, well-endowed maleness that she had felt. Using one hand to drive the vibrator into her pussy as far as it would go, she worked the other one down her body to her clit. She was so close, panting with her arousal, but she needed just a bit more to pull the trigger on her orgasm. After taking a slow, deep breath, she twisted the base of the vibrator from off straight to high, jolting as the fake cock thrummed to life. Seconds later, her pussy clenched around the latex invader. She used one hand to rub her clit, crying out as her orgasm slammed through her. She forced herself to continue until she rolled through a second and then a third body-clenching release. When she finally slipped the vibrator from her pussy and turned it off, she was gasping for breath and barely able to move from the relaxation that playing had provided her. As she lay recovering, she wondered if Tate had been as affected by their kiss as she had. **** Tate had only driven three blocks from Kimber’s house before he had to pull over and park before he had an accident. Turning off the truck’s engine and lights, he sat in the dark for a few seconds as he looked around. Not only were there no headlights coming down the road, there was no one out walking either. With a sigh of relief, he reached down and unzipped his jeans. He glanced around the cab of his truck as he slipped his fingers through the opening to his cock. He hissed as cool fingers touched the hot skin of his shaft. He held his breath as he gently fished his still hard cock through his boxers and jeans. He stroked his impressive length twice before he released it and grabbed the dirty T-shirt that lay on the passenger’s seat under his tool belt. Laying it across one thigh, he returned his hand to his cock and
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began to stroke his erection with a slow, gentle movement. He looked around once more before laying his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes. Immediately, a vision of his new mate came to him. His hand began to move up and down his shaft faster. He wondered how long he would have to wait before he could claim her. And how he would explain what he was and how a simple pizza delivery had changed both of their lives so dramatically. Then he tried to predict if she would accept him as her mate, call the men in white coats to take him away, or kick him and everything he owned to the street. He began to pant and softly moan as his hand moved faster and faster. Waves of tingling excitement raced down his spine and gathered in his balls. In less than a minute, he grabbed the spare shirt and used it to catch his man juice as it shot from his cock in rhythmic spurts. He fought the need to yowl with pleasure as he came. Once his orgasm finally passed, he collapsed back in his seat. He gasped for breath as if he had run a two-minute mile and could not feel the lower half of his body. It took several minutes before he was recovered enough to clean up and tuck his spent cock back into his jeans. After zipping his jeans and straightening his clothes, he took several deep breaths. He felt more relaxed than he had in months, though knowing where his mate was, he felt an urgency to get back to her. Starting the truck, he drove back to Petey’s to cash out for the night.
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Chapter 3 Kimber settled on the swing with a weary sigh. She had barely slept the night before because of conflicting thoughts about Tate and living in such close proximity to the man who had caused her to cream her pants with just a smile. How could she share her home with such a sexy man without dragging him into her bed at the first opportunity? Would he change his mind about moving in once he saw her cottage in the daylight? Would he even show up today, or had he just been making a pass at her last night? Before daybreak, she rolled out of bed and went to her computer. She finished her work and sent the week’s covers off to their publishers just after daybreak. After stopping to eat a breakfast bar and a hunk of cheese with her third cup of coffee, she headed into the littlest bedroom and began cleaning. It took her longer than she thought because she took time and quickly went through each box. The ones she wanted to keep she piled around one wall in the dining room. The others she carried to the street. Either the city would haul them off, or they would disappear into the pack of some garbage pile picker’s car. Once she finished clearing the room of its contents, she quickly wiped down the walls and mopped the floor. She had been sitting on the porch for nearly an hour, enjoying the beautiful day while still wrestling with how to deal with Tate and her reaction to him when a white pickup truck stopped in front of the house before backing into the driveway and parking. When Tate climbed out, her nipples tightened, and her pussy overflowed, her body demanding more of the sexy man.
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**** Tate saw Kimber on the porch, as he pulled to a stop in front of the house in a blue denim dress that buttoned up the front that he knew would play havoc with his control. She did not look happy as the swing slowly swayed back and forth. He also noticed a number of boxes piled by the far corner of the yard next to the road. Had she already been busy? Pulling in, he parked and climbed from the truck, suddenly fearful she had changed her mind about renting him the room. He had dreamt of her the night before and woken up with the hard-on from hell. He ended up jerking off fast and dirty before even thinking about getting out of bed. Since it was his day off, he spent the morning packing. It had taken less than two hours to empty his room, a sad testimony that, at nearly thirty years old, everything he owned barely filled the bed of his truck. Climbing from the truck, his cougar snarled, wanting—no needing—to claim its mate. He took a deep breath to silence his beast as he slowly approached the porch. From her serious expression, he was half-afraid Kimber had decided against renting to him. Somehow he had to convince her that their living together would be a good thing in the long run, even if he had to hold off claiming her for a few weeks. “Good morning,” he said as he climbed the steps to the porch. “Morning,” Kimber replied, sounding less than enthusiastic. Looking closely, Tate thought she looked half-asleep as she sat cradling a large silver travel mug between two hands. “You okay?” “Didn’t sleep well,” she said, lifting the mug and taking a long sip. “Give me a few more minutes to get some more of this in my system, and we can start moving my stuff from your room into mine.” “Sounds like you’ve been busy,” he said. She nodded without another word, stubbornly staring past him, as
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if the bushes behind him contained all the secrets to life. “Care to share a cup of that?” he asked, nodding toward her mug. She nodded. “Coffeemaker is on the counter and mugs are in the cupboard above it,” she said before taking another sip. Tate entered the house and took a few minutes to look around before he headed to the kitchen. Like the sign he had taken home the night before, this part of the house was warm and colorful. The walls were a bright, but somehow soft, yellow that went well with the hardwood floors and white trim. The couch was blue denim, and the comfortable looking chair a deep-red. Pale wood bookcases, end tables, and an entertainment center completed the décor. He paused a moment to study the books filling the case. His eyes widened in surprise as he began reading titles. Pulling one and then another, he studied the covers then glanced at the back covers. So, his new roommate was into kinky reading material. Or was she? Opening the book to the credits page, he discovered Kimber had created both book covers. Returning the books to their places on the shelves, he wondered if she ever read the books for which she designed covers. Walking into the kitchen, he easily found the coffeemaker. Opening the cupboard above it, he pulled out the most masculine mug he could find—red with a yellow rubber duck on it. A duck was better than the butterflies or kittens he saw on some of the other mugs. He would have to add a couple of his plain black mugs to her collection. After filling the mug, he began the search for the sugar and milk that he normally drank in it. He found a plastic container marked “sugar” in a cupboard that was otherwise mostly empty. Opening the refrigerator, he blinked several times at the blinding whiteness from the nearly empty walls reflecting the light. Except for a gallon bottle of water, a quart of milk, and the pizza he’d delivered the night before, the machine was empty. After adding a splash of milk to his coffee, he returned it before opening the freezer and frowning to find it just as empty. Only a large package of hot dogs and a large box of individually wrapped sliced cheese filled the big empty box.
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“Well, at least I won’t have to worry about where to store my food,” he muttered as he took a spoon from the dish-drainer and stirred his milk. Returning to the porch, he sat in the rocking chair next to the door. He drank his coffee and relaxed, waiting for the woman to start the conversation. As a predator, cougars—both shape-shifters and in the wild—were known to be solitary creatures, but the last thing Tate wanted was to return to his lonely existence now that he had found his mate. Neither spoke a word for the next few minutes. Finally Kimber drained her mug and stood up. “Ready to go to work?” He nodded and finished the last of his coffee in three swallows. “Yes, ma’am.” Kimber froze mid-step and made a face at him. “Please don’t call me that. I’m old, but I will never be a ‘ma’am.’” He stood as she moved toward him, hoping for a repeat of the previous night’s kiss, but she stepped wide around him. She stopped at the door and turned. She looked resigned as she said, “I’ve been thinking, and last night was a mistake.” “Excuse me?” Tate managed to choke out as his heart dropped to his toes, and his stomach clenched. Which part of last night? The part where she had rented him the room? Or the part where they had kissed and come close to making love standing in the middle of her office? Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile. “You’re not kicking me out already, are you?” “No, you’re welcome to rent the room, but I don’t think we should…um…kiss again,” Kimber said, her cheeks growing rosy with each word. Her gaze dropped to his chin instead of his eyes as she continued. “It was wonderful but had to be a fluke. No way can there be such instant chemistry between two people.” Stepping closer, Tate did not stop until there was barely an inch between them. Looking down, he met her eyes and saw both lust and
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confusion in their depths. “That’s not really what you think, is it, mate?” He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, the softness of her skin causing blood to surge to his cock. She shook her head slowly back and forth in a negative, the lust winning out over any hesitation she felt toward him. When her mouth opened on a soft sigh, he began to stroke his thumb back and forth over her lower lip. “I didn’t think so,” he said, lowering his head and kissing her again. He did not bother easing her into things but went straight for a deep, wet, hard, openmouthed kiss that would prove to her last night’s exchange was not a fluke. Her tongue met his second thrust and dueled with him passionately until he finally pulled his head back. He smiled when she made a soft sound of disappointment as they caught their breath. “Nope, that kiss last night wasn’t a fluke, my mate. We are meant to be together. Now, let’s get the furniture moved and unloaded so we can go grocery shopping.” With his hands on her waist, he turned her around and patted her ass to get her moving into the house. He followed several steps behind, his eyes glued to her beautifully round, firm ass. **** Kimber was surprised at how quickly the furniture moving went. In less than two hours, they not only had her furniture transferred into the smallest bedroom, but all of Tate’s things had been brought in from the truck and set up in his new bedroom. As they worked, they talked. They exchanged information as if they were on a first date and not preparing to live together under the same roof for the foreseeable future. He explained he worked three jobs because he was trying to bank enough so he could eventually go
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back to school full-time, get his contractor’s license, and eventually start his own construction company. She shared that she rented out the room because she was gaining popularity as a cover artist at a slower pace than she had hoped. It wasn’t until she handed him the last drawer full of well-worn jeans that she asked the question that had been niggling at her since he had kissed her. “Why did you call me ‘mate’?” “Excuse me?” he asked, taking the drawer and sliding it into place in the dresser. “Earlier on the porch when you kissed me. Why did you call me mate?” He straightened and looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Actually, it was a mutual kiss. And I called you ‘mate’ because you are.” Kimber frowned. “I am what?” “You are my mate. Would it be okay if I had cable run into this room?” “Sure. There’s a hole in the floor over there.” As she waved toward the corner, an insane possibility occurred to her. “Are you…what are you, that you can say I’m your mate after barely meeting me?” “From the books in your bookcase, you already know about shape-shifters. Well, we are not just a figment of some creative writer or moviemaker’s imagination. We are real.” Tate crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned his hip against the dresser. “Wha...wha…what kind of shape-shifter are you?” Kimber took two steps back until she ran into the wall. Instead of answering, Tate pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the bed. Kimber’s mouth went dry at the broad, heavily muscled chest covered with a pelt of tawny fur. Her fingers itched with a need to see if the hair was soft and silky or coarse. She swallowed when he bent over, untied, and took off his boots and
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socks. After his feet were bare, he straightened, and his hands went to the waistband of his jeans. “What are you doing?” Kimber squeaked as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his jeans, proving he wore nothing beneath them. “You don’t seem like the kind of person who will believe without proof,” he said as his fingers continued to work the buttons free. Kimber’s breath caught, and her mouth went dry when the thick, purple-red head of his erect cock popped into view. She tried to turn away, look anywhere else in the room, but the sight of Tate bending over and pushing off his jeans entranced her. She pulled in a sharp breath when he straightened, now completely naked. His fully aroused cock extended long, thick, and proud from the sandy brown curls at the apex of his thighs. “Oh, my God,” she breathed, unable to tear her eyes from his erection. She took a step forward, her fingers itching to touch it, feel it, play with it. But before she could take a second one, the man disappeared, and in his place stood a huge tawny cougar. She froze as the big animal with Tate’s blue eyes met her gaze. He looked fierce, but after a moment, she decided that was because of his darker facial markings and not because he was angry with her. His eyes looked wary as he waited for her to do something. Though normally scared of big animals and wild things of any size, Kimber felt herself drawn to this one. She was also shocked that she would now be living with a real live shape-shifter. Though her pussy had been wet and ready for sex the entire time they worked, it now began to tingle and itch as it demanded more than just a play session with her toys. “Tate? Can you understand me?” she asked, stumbling to the bed and sitting down when her knees went weak. The big cat nodded once before slowly padding to her and laying his head in her lap. “You’re beautiful,” she said, holding her hand out so he could
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sniff at it as she would with any animal she did not know. Instead of smelling her fingers, he licked them, his tongue rough against her skin but causing her to giggle in response. The hesitation in his eyes turned to warmth and then hunger as he pressed forward, rubbing his chest and legs against her lower legs. She began to stroke him, smiling when he began to purr. When his head dropped and he pressed his face into the V of her thighs as if he wanted to get at the cream soaking her panties, she knew she was in real trouble. Shape-shifter or not, she wanted Tate Pierce more than any man she had ever met before. “Sorry, but I don’t do animals,” she said, scruffing her fingers in the fur just behind his ears, “and I need to know more about this mate stuff before you get to lick any of that cream, buster.”
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Chapter 4 In a heartbeat, Tate shifted back. His cock, and the rest of him, demanded he clear up any questions or problems she had so he could move forward in claiming his mate. The fact that she was willing to even discuss his true nature gave him hope that things would very soon go beyond being simply roommates. Once back in human form, he grinned when his nose remained just inches from her cloth-covered pussy. He took a deep breath. The scent of her arousal filled his lungs. He nuzzled his nose up and down the seam of her jeans, feeling her pussy lips pressing against the other side of the material. His cockhead drooled as he took an even deeper breath, which he released on a groan. Damn, his mate smelled so damn good. He could not wait to strip her and lap at her cream. Before he could rip through the jeans with his teeth, her fingers tightened in his hair and pulled his head back. “Owww,” he yelped, sitting back when she finally released his hair. “I said we need to talk, not fool around,” she scolded, though her color was high, telling him he wasn’t the only one all wound up. “Couldn’t we do both?” She shook her head in answer. After glancing at his still-hard cock, she stood up and walked out of the room. “And put on some clothes,” she threw over her shoulder. Tate grinned and grabbed his jeans. Slipping them on, he followed the trail of her scent to the kitchen where she was standing in front of the open refrigerator. Stopping right behind her, he rested his chin on
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her shoulder and looked into the empty box as well. “How about I take you out for a burger? Then we can hit the grocery store,” he offered gently as he slipped his hands around her waist before pulling her back against his front. Before he had even finished speaking, she began shaking her head. “Why not?” She took a deep breath and closed the refrigerator door before pulling out of his hold. He released her then followed as she stalked slowly into the living room. “I can’t go grocery shopping until next week,” she said sadly. “Why not?” he repeated, leaning against the arched doorway that divided the dining room from the living room. She stopped and looked in his eyes, and he immediately straightened. Whatever she was about to say was going to be hard for her. He wanted to cross the distance between them but knew instinctively that she would not appreciate his comfort until she had her say. She took a deep breath, and her eyes dropped to his chest for a few seconds before dropping further until she was staring at the floor between them. “Because my car needed new tires so it would pass inspection. I don’t have anything left I can sell except my forty-yearold body, and no one wants to rent an old woman when they can have some twenty-something hard body, and I don’t want to have to get a real job,” she said miserably. “Huh?” “I’ve been struggling to keep ahead of my bills and was doing okay. Or so I thought. But right now, I don’t have the money to buy a gallon of milk, much less restock the refrigerator. I gave you my last twenty dollars for the pizza last night,” she said. She kept her head down so he could not see her face, but he saw water spots appeared on her shirt as tears overflowed her eyes. He could read resigned sadness in her posture even without the
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heightened awareness connection of their being mates. “That’s why you rented me the room,” he stated. Her head moved up and down slowly as her misery seemed to overwhelm her. “Yes, that’s why I rented the room. It was the only way I could think of to make enough extra money to pay all the bills, buy groceries, and maybe even, maybe, rebuild my savings account before the next disaster strikes.” Unable to stay away another second, Tate crossed to her. Pulling her into his arms, he wrapped one arm around the back of her shoulders and the other around her waist. “Go ahead and cry. Let all that bad stuff out, and we’ll deal with it. Together.” Without another word, she inched her arms around his waist. He took her weight easily as she leaned even closer and rested her wet cheek against his bare chest. Hot tears scalded his skin when she began to sob. Dropping his head forward, he rested his cheek against the top of her head and offered silent comfort. “Let it all out, baby. I’ll take good care of you from now on.” Kimber shook her head. “No, I can’t take your charity. I’ve got to show them I can make it on my own doing what I want to do.” “Shhh, baby. It will be all right.” Tate frowned at her words as one hand began to move up and down her back slowly. “No, it won’t. Every time I get a little bit ahead, something happens to knock me back into the gutter,” she whined, her tears getting even stronger. Tate began to shuffle them toward the large red chair. Once there, he lifted her easily. Sitting down, he settled her across his lap with her cheek still pressed against his chest. She did not seem to notice their change in position as her crying continued. He cuddled her until her tears stopped, and she lay quietly in his arms, occasionally sniffing or lifting a hand to wipe at her face. Brushing a kiss on her forehead, he decided it was time to give her something else to think about. After all, he could not claim her as his
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mate until she knew the truth about his cougar. “Cougar shape-shifters are, for the most part, solitary creatures. Wolves, dogs, and other species run in groups called packs. They love one another, protect and care for each other, and are closer than most families. Cougars are different. Once we hit adulthood, we run alone, depending on no one but ourselves until we find our mate. Once we find and claim the person we’re destined to spend our lives with, we will do anything necessary to keep our mate happy and safe. I’ve been alone since my father kicked me out of his house when I was sixteen. Since then I’ve been looking for my mate. And I’ve found her in you.” Kimber shifted on his lap, and his breath caught as her hip pressed against his erection, sending shivers through him. Would he be able to hold off his orgasm long enough to make sure she was also satisfied? Dropping her head back, she looked up at him, her brown eyes still glistening. “But how do you know I’m your mate?” Tate smiled and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek as he tried to figure out how to answer her question. How was he supposed to explain that just her scent was enough to make him crazy? “Nature has its ways of ensuring that mates find one another. Just trust that I am absolutely certain we are meant to be together for the rest of our lives. You are my mate.” He knew he was pushing hard, but if he didn’t claim her, and soon, he thought he would go out of his mind with lust. Without an older shape-shifter to answer his questions that had come up over the years, he didn’t have a lot of information, but his father had taught him how he would know his mate and how to claim her. “But you’re so young,” she said softly, dropping her gaze to his chin. “How can you know that you’re meant to be with a forty-yearold woman for the next forty or fifty years?” “Because I look at you and the rest of the world drops away, and all I can see is you. All you have to do is walk into the room, and I get hard. I’ve never in my life felt such a sense of peace in my soul as I
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have since meeting you last night.” Kimber raised her eyes to his once again. “Really?” she asked, looking amazed. “Really,” he said, closing the distance between them and kissing her. Their moans harmonized as lips and teeth and tongues came together in a kiss that grew hotter by the second. “Tate,” Kimber breathed when they parted for a second to suck air. “Mmmm,” Tate returned as he pulled her lips back to his. His cock throbbing at the same accelerated rate as his heartbeat. He was not sure how much longer he would be able to hold his cougar back from attacking and claiming his mate. **** Kimber was surprised that she was not questioning Tate’s sanity or her own. After all, he had proved that he was what he claimed to be, a shape-shifting cougar. And she, too, felt a connection with him that went beyond anything she had ever felt for anyone before. It was not merely physical, it was as if he was the other half of her being. She had wanted a man in her life since her split with her exhusband but never expected to find someone like Tate. Knowing her own caring, giving personality and what Tate had told her about shape-shifters taking care of their mates, she had a feeling theirs would be a partnership, mateship, or whatever it was called, that would stand the test of time no matter what life threw their way. When she began crying about her finances, it shocked her that instead of walking away or making derogatory comments about her acting like a child as her ex would have done, Tate had hugged her, comforted her, and assured her that things would all work out. She only hoped he spoke the truth. Slipping her hands up his chest to hold his head still, she broke the
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kiss a second time. “Tate,” she whispered hoarsely, meeting blue eyes that glowed with sexual hunger. He took a deep breath before saying, “Yes, love?” “Make me your mate.” Tate blinked and stared at her as if stunned by her words. “Are you sure?” His sudden hesitation sent a cold chill through her. Maybe he was having second thoughts about having an older woman as his mate. She tried to leave his lap, wondering if this whole thing, from renting the room to allowing him to move in and now this request, wasn’t a big mistake. Problem was, Tate’s arms wrapped tight around her and refused to let her move. It was as if he could read her mind. “Kimber, stop,” he ordered, sounding pained as she continued to squirm and fight for her release. His tone struck a chord deep within her, and she froze. Looking across the room so she wouldn’t see his expression, she took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to relax. “If you’ve changed your mind, it’s okay. We can still be roommates, just without the mating stuff.” “Look at me,” he demanded, his voice soft and low. Again, as if he held total control of her will, Kimber turned and met his gaze. She swallowed when she saw how serious he looked. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I wanted to be sure that this is what you want. Once I mate you, that’s it. There will be no others for either of us as long as we both shall live. Mating is a life-binding contract, even more so than being married these days, and I just want to make sure you are sure this is what you want.” Kimber swallowed again before nodding. “I’m sure. It’s crazy, but there’s something powerful between us that makes me feel safe…protected…almost…”—she hesitated as she thought about her next word—“for the first time in my life. Not even my ex-husband made me feel like this, and we were married for years.”
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She held her gaze steady as Tate stared into her eyes. It was as if he was trying to read her soul. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, for in the next moment, he nodded before smiling a smile that had her wiggling on his lap again. This time she did not want to escape but get closer. She rose from his lap, earning her a low chuff from her cougar mate-to-be. The sound did not scare her nor did the hand that grabbed her arm. Once on her feet, she turned and climbed back in his lap, this time straddling his legs. “How does this work?” Her fingers began tracing random patterns across his chest, finding the hair that covered it was indeed silky to her touch. The warmth that radiated from his skin made her want to strip off her dress, lean close, and just rub up against him. He did not answer right away. Instead, his hands slid up the outsides of her thighs and hips to the waistband of her thong. “We make love, and once our juices mix inside you, we will be mated for the rest of our lives.” His words were low and growly, sending more shivers through her. His fingers slipped under the elastic of her thong and moved back and forth, sending heat straight to her pussy, which caused more fluid to pulse forth. Then his hands moved back down the way they had come. She sighed a protest when he lifted them from her body completely. Before she could form words to complain, he wrapped one hand around the back of her neck and pulled her head closer so he could reach her lips. His other hand went to the low V of the neckline of her dress. Though distracted by the kiss, Kimber also remained aware as he worked each button free until her dress opened. He broke the kiss as he pushed the sides of her dress apart. “Oh, God, you are beautiful.” Though she wanted to argue that she was hardly a hard-body, the words flew from her brain at the heat she saw in his eyes. He then
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leaned forward and dragged his tongue over her right nipple. A moment later, he moved across her chest to swirl the tip around her left. Dropping his head back, his hands came up and covered her breasts. “So pretty,” he breathed, slowly dragging his fingers up the mounds. “So soft.” Tate took her nipples between his fingertips, sending electricity straight to her clit. Her pussy clenched in response. She could not fight the soft moan when he began rolling her nipples. She moved her hands to the waistband of his jeans as her hips shifted, pressing her lower lips against his erection. “Need you,” she breathed, leaning closer to kiss him as she fumbled with the button-fly of his jeans. She sighed when his fingers left her breasts. Hot, callused fingertips traced down the center of her body. She whined a soft protest when they disappeared from her body completely and brushed her hands away from his lap. Pulling her lips from his, she dropped her forehead to his shoulder and watched as he took over unbuttoning his jeans himself. “Lift up, sugar,” he said in a low, deep voice once the last button had slipped from its mooring. As she rose from his lap, he shoved his jeans down to his knees, freeing his cock. Then his hands came up and cupped her ass cheeks. She shivered when two fingertips slid down the valley of her ass and over her puckered star. Tate did not hesitate before moving even deeper between her legs until he reached her pussy. “So wet. So hot,” he murmured as two fingers pressed about an inch into her. Kimber moaned and tightened her hold on his shoulders as she tried to take his fingers deeper. Instead of filling her, his fingers pulled from her core. “Tate, please,” she whimpered as arousal surged. A moment later, the head of his cock brushed against her
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centerline, following the same path from asshole to pussy. Only his cock continued until it stroked over her clit and all the way to the top of her slit. Then he reversed direction. When he reached her knotted clit, he teased her by circling it instead of brushing over the top of it. Kimber whined and shifted, bowing her back to capture the spongy head with her pussy. Tate moved away again, stroking back up between her lips as he chuckled. “Stop teasing me!” she growled, tightening her fingers in his shoulders until her nails pressed into the skin.
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Chapter 5 “Demanding little minx,” Tate observed as he watched her through half-closed eyes. Tightening his hold around the base of his cock, he continued to stroke the tip up and down over her clit then left and right over the knotted nerves. He fought his own orgasm as he continued to drive her arousal higher and higher without giving her enough contact to drive her over the edge of her orgasm. Knowing he was so close to the edge of his own control, he wanted her crazy before he bound them together forever. Leaning forward, he buried his face between her breasts and breathed deep of her scent. Then he licked up her sternum as he used one hand to guide his cock and the other on her hips to steady her body until the head of his cock brushed across her open, wet entrance. Planting his feet, he lifted his hips and thrust up, burying his cock as deep into his mate as he could. She cried out as her pussy muscles squeezed him, forcing him to grit his teeth to keep from coming. Releasing his cock, he slipped his hand up and around her lower body until he held both of her hips. He held their pelvises pressed together as he relaxed until he was once again sitting in the chair. He met her heavy-lidded gaze and read wildness in her eyes. “Are you sure, sugar? Once we’re mated, there will be no going back. No divorce. No walking away.” She blinked and smiled down at him, sending a shaft of heat down his spine that caused his balls to clench. “I’m sure,” she whispered before leaning in and kissing him. As their tongues dueled, she began to ride him, hard and fast.
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His hands remained on her hips, but she did not seem to need his help to slide up and down his cock. Breaking the kiss, they both panted. He leaned down and licked one nipple before turning his head and taking the other in and sucking it. Holding her hips, he moved them forward and back as she continued to ride him so her clit rubbed against him. Kimber cried out and arched her entire body, her pussy clenching tight on his cock as she came. Releasing her hips, he slid his arms around her to keep her from falling backwards. Shifting his feet farther apart, he drove his cock up into her three more times as her pussy muscles massaged his length. He howled, his balls clenching and cock jerking painfully as he came deep inside his mate. As his semen and her fluids mixed, a tingling began on the skin of his cock. At the same time, his legs and lower body went numb. She collapsed against him, and he secured his grip around her back and shoulders to keep her from leaving him. He would not be able to chase her if she ran away, and it would take a few minutes for their fluids to mix and the mating to complete. “Oh God, what’s happening? My pussy is tingling,” she said to the side of his neck, her words soft and slurred. He rubbed one hand down her spine to settle her when he felt her muscles tighten as if to move away. “Shhh, relax, my mate. Our fluids are combining. Once it stops, the mating will be complete.” Tate laid his head back against the chair and wrapped his arms more tightly around her, holding her secure. Closing his eyes, he smiled as she drowsed in his arms, amazed that his cock did not soften but remained hard as Kimber’s pussy continued to ripple around it. Finally, his cock stopped tingling, but his erection was ready to go again. While not unusual for him to recover so quickly, he was not certain his mate would be up for a second go-around. He tried to think
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cold, nonsexy thoughts to get his cock to soften, but it refused to pay attention and continued to throb in time with his heartbeat. He wasn’t surprised to hear himself purring as he rubbed his cheek against her hair. Something grew in his chest as he cuddled his mate, making him aware of a fullness in his heart he had never felt before. Could this be love? Or just an aftereffect of their mating? When she finally lifted her head and looked at him, all he could do was smile at her. “How do you feel?” he asked, his hands running down her spine in long, smooth strokes, as if he were petting a cat. She met his eyes and grinned, looking decades younger than her age. Then she arched her back and dragged her still-erect nipples through the hair covering his chest. “Relaxed, sexy, and wanting more,” she said before licking up the side of his neck and taking his earlobe between her lips. As she gently suckled, his cock twitched deep inside her pussy. She pulled back and looked at him, with one eyebrow raised in skepticism. Her eyes widened further when it twitched again, and he canted his hips forward to press it even deeper, not wanting to break this connection. “You’re still hard,” she said, sounding amazed. “Uh-huh,” he returned with a smile. “One of the advantages of having a younger man in your bed...we’re always ready to go.” She giggled as she leaned in and kissed him. “I’m not sure I’d survive another go. I think my legs have gone to sleep or died or something. I can’t feel my toes.” Worry for his mate shafted through Tate. Though he was more than ready to continue this, he also knew that taking care of his mate was more important than relieving his hard-on. But then again, there might be a way to deal with both problems, as long as his legs cooperated. “Wrap your arms around me and hang on,” he said as he wrapped his arms under her ass cheeks.
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Once her arms were in place, he stood up. He waited until her legs came around his waist. She clung to him like a koala bear in a tree. He took a step and nearly fell as his jeans dropped down around his ankles, hobbling him. Without looking down, he kicked them off then stumbled across the living room. His legs barely obeyed his need to move his mate to a more comfortable setting. She giggled as his sex-drunk walking bounced them off one wall and then the other before they reached the doorway to his bedroom. “Do you care which bed?” he asked. Kimber looked at him and shook her head. “A bed’s a bed. Just don’t drop me,” she said before starting to giggle again. “Yes, milady,” he said, entering his bedroom and walking to the bed. Turning around, he flopped back onto the bed then rolled them over so she lay on the bed, and he was crouched over her. “You okay?” he asked, watching her closely for any sign of pain. **** Kimber saw the worry in his eyes and wanted to ease his concern. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. “Mmmm,” she sighed, “I’m great, how are you?” “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m doing just fine,” he returned as he pulled his cock halfway out of her pussy then eased it back in again. Kimber squeezed around him as he began to stroke faster and faster. Not sure if she would be able to come twice, she just relaxed and allowed Tate to play. Then he reached between them and placed a rough fingertip atop her clit. As if he’d flipped a switch in her sex center, arousal blossomed and blew her control to smithereens in seconds. She grabbed his shoulders as she reached her peak again, this time screaming with surprise as Tate’s cock grew bigger in her. A
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heartbeat later he slammed even deeper once more before raising his head and calling out his own release. She felt heat fill her once more as he came. This time, he pulled out and rolled to the mattress beside her. She was completely relaxed and nearly asleep when she felt him pull from her and roll to lie on the mattress beside her. She did not fight when he pulled her so her head rested on his chest. He took a deep breath as he held her close to his side then released it on what she thought was a contented sigh just before sleep fully claimed her. **** She had no idea how much time passed when something woke her. She listened for a moment and thought she heard footsteps before a familiar voice called out, “Kimber? Are you here?” “Oh shit, she muttered as she sat up and looked around. Only there was nothing within reach to cover up with before her mother stepped into the room. “Are you asleep? Oh my,” her mother said as she glanced around the room. In a glance, she took in the still-sleeping man, his naked state, and then met Kimber’s eyes. Whirling, she turned her back to the room but did not leave. “Kimberlee Marie Jordan, what is going on here?” “Go wait in the living room, Mom. I’ll be out in a minute,” Kimber ordered as a masculine hand stroked across her lower back in a gesture that both comforted her and gave her strength to talk to her mother. Once her mother left the room, the hand dropped away, and a single finger traced down the top of her ass crease. The man to which it was attached began a low-throated purr, causing the growing heat in her chest to shimmy all the way down to her clit, but her mother’s presence brought out the child in her. Slapping Tate’s hip, she scrambled from the bed. “Get up and get
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dressed,” she hissed. “Why?” Kimber gave him an exasperated look over her shoulder. “She won’t go away until she meets you and finds out what is going on.” “How about you talk to her while I go back to sleep? After she leaves, come back and wake me up. Then we can go grocery shopping,” Tate said, sounding sleepy and content as he rolled over, showing her his bare back and ass. Kimber growled but did not reply. After all, Ellen Jordan wasn’t his overprotective, over-intrusive mother After peeking down the hall and finding it empty, she stepped into the hall and pulled the door behind her. Moving as fast as her sexrelaxed muscles would carry her, she hurried to her room. Closing the door, she grabbed the first pieces of clothes she came to and pulled them on. At that moment, she didn’t care that the orange pajama bottoms and lime green T-shirt clashed horribly. Opening the bedroom door, she combed her fingers through her hair as she headed for the living room. She sucked a breath of terror as she stepped into the living room. The woman was folding her dress. A glance at the coffee table showed her that she had already folded Tate’s jeans. “Mom, what are you doing here?” Ellen Jacob laid the neatly folded dress on top of the jeans before sitting down in the red chair and sniffing the air delicately. Since the scent of sex filled the entire small house, Kimber did not try to explain or apologize. She just wanted to get rid of her mother so she could return to her mate’s side and go back to sleep. “Kimberlee Marie, who is that man?” “My new roommate,” she answered succinctly. “Your new what? When did you get a roommate?” her mother’s voice rose in tone and volume with each word until Kimber winced at the squeal. Kimber counted to ten before saying, “My new roommate. He
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moved in this morning. Now take deep breaths and calm down.” It took nearly two minutes of deep breathing before Ellen asked her next question. “Why? Why did you move a roommate in?” “Because I have the room and need the money?” Suddenly, Kimber was not so sure renting Tate her bedroom had been such a good idea. Especially when her mother frowned at her with serious disappointment. “If you need money, why didn’t you come to me or your father?” Ellen asked, her frown deepening. “Because the last time I asked for a loan until my royalty check hit the bank, I was told in no uncertain terms that if I wanted to continue playing at being an artist, I should not expect anything from you or dad. I think the exact term was, quote, ‘You’ll never make it as an artist, and I won’t pay for you to play at something you’ll never succeed at,’ unquote. I’m forty years old and should not be asking my parents for an allowance. So I decided to rent a room instead of trying to find a job that won’t interfere with my creativity.” Kimber was surprised that it only took another ten minutes of working not to answer her mother’s questions and a promise that she would appear at her parents’ traditional “second Sunday of the month” barbecue the following weekend before Ellen finally left with Kimber’s slow cooker. She had no doubt in the week to come, her mother would be calling and using her motherly wiles to strong-arm her into bringing Tate with her. Once her mother had driven away, Kimber locked the door and this time threw the deadbolt for added security. After a stop in the kitchen, she stalked silently back into the bedroom. Tate Pierce was going to pay for making her face her mother alone. He lay sprawled across the bed, snoring softly. Kimber stopped in the doorway and just looked at his long, muscular body, swallowing hard as her body reacted to the visual of her well-toned and sexy mate. His back and arms were tanned while everything below his beltline was paler, proving he worked hard.
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Moving quickly and silently, she crossed to the bed. Hesitating only a few seconds, she leaned over the bed and turned the container over, allowing the contents to fall over Tate’s back from shoulders to ass. Stepping back quickly, she leaned in the doorway, an evil giggle bubbling up as she waited for the frozen marbles to wake her sleeping mate.
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Chapter 6 A line of icy cold down the center of his back jolted Tate from a hot, sexy dream of his new mate. “What the fuck?” he muttered groggily. Eyes closed, he rolled to his side to get away from the chill. Whatever it was rolled down his back to settle against his body where skin met mattress. The new line of chill hit a nerve that set his entire body to shivering in response. He rolled away again, but the cold continued to follow him. He heard female giggles, and his cock jerked in response even as he turned over once again, only to find himself falling over the edge of the bed and landing on his ass on the floor. At least the cold had stopped. Sitting up, he looked across the room to his mate, who was bent over with both arms wrapped around her middle. She was giggling like a loon. Then his eyes shifted to and widened when he saw a line of brightly colored marbles lying across the mattress. Scooping up a handful, he hissed at the cold before dropping them back to the bed. “So you think that’s funny, do you?” Kimber’s giggles, which had been waning, began up again. “Yes...I do,” she gasped as she nodded her head. Reluctantly, Tate had to agree that using marbles was one sure way to get him out of bed. Instead of being irritated at the rude awakening, he started chuckling with her. But he also knew that he would not allow his mate to think she had gotten the best of him. Rolling to his hands and knees, he began to crawl across the room, stalking his mate for a little retribution. When she raised her head and
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looked at him, he rose quickly to his feet and closed the last few feet separating them. She gasped as he grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it over her head then pushed her pajama bottoms off her body. He moved so fast, she was as naked as he was before she could fight him off. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her clear off the floor then turned and walked back to the bed. “So, you think my falling out of bed is funny, do you?” he asked, his voice deep and holding a thread of menace to it. The last of her laughter died away. She wrapped her arms and legs around him as she nodded. “Uh-huh.” “You do know that payback’s a bitch, don’t you?” Her eyes widened when he climbed onto the bed and crawled across the mattress with her still clinging to him. His cock brushed against her slit, teasing her clit and pussy opening and causing her to suck in tiny breaths with each brush of hot male against wet female. “It doesn’t have to be,” she whispered with a smile so sexy, Tate’s already hard cock jerked in response. “Oh, no, my mate. You’re not going to get out of this so easily,” he said just before he bent arms and legs and lowered their bodies so the frozen marbles pressed into her back. “Tate!” she screamed as he shifted his hips. The first thrust had his cock fully bedded in her hot pussy that immediately began clenching on his length. As she wiggled underneath him, trying to evade the marbles, he started a hard, fast in and out motion. Holding her pinned down with his chest and shoulders, he traced his way down her sides, finding several ticklish spots before he slid his hands under her ass cheeks. She wrapped her legs tighter around him and lifted into each stroke, the cold hard orbs underneath her forgotten as their need for one another took over. He stroked fingers down the crease of her ass then circled her back hole, earning several gasps and corresponding sighs from his woman. Sliding one finger up the small distance to her
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pussy, he gathered her juices and swirled them around and around her puckered hole. He waited until his balls tightened as he neared orgasm before he pressed the finger through the first ring of muscles into her ass. He winced as she screamed in his ear as pussy and ass clenched around him. Two hard, short thrusts and he came as well, growling in response. His cock pulsed, and once again, his legs went numb, something he had never experienced before with any other woman. Easing his finger from her back hole, he held her tight and rolled them so they lay face-to-face on the mattress. “Yep, payback is going to be a bitch,” he said with a smug smile after he’d caught his breath. “I thought that was payback.” “Oh no, sugar, not hardly. That was fun. Payback will come when you least expect it,” he assured her before releasing her and rolling from the bed. “Now get up and put that little blue dress back on. We have groceries to shop for before I have to go to work.” **** Kimber stared at the checkout conveyor belt and sighed. Their choice of foods could not be more different. She had filled her side of the cart with staples—frozen meals, a case of her favorite soda, chocolate, cookies, and coffee. Tate filled his side with meats and vegetables and foods that needed actual preparation and cooking before they could be eaten. She was shocked that Tate never said a word about her food choices, though she caught a glimpse as his nose wrinkled in distaste a couple of times. Once they checked out, she was shocked that her total was nearly twice what his was. Thankfully, he had given her two weeks rent in cash before they left the house, but restocking the kitchen consumed most of it. Maybe she should see about getting back into cooking and making her own frozen meals instead of buying the prepackaged ones.
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“Tate?” she asked as they loaded the bags into the back of his truck. “Yes, mate?” “If you’re working three jobs, when do you have time to cook?” He winked and smiled at her. “Cooking doesn’t have to take a lot of time if you’ve done the prep work ahead of time.” “Uh-huh,” she returned, not believing him. She remembered how she would slave for hours to fix a gourmet meal on a weekend, only to have her husband suck it down in five minutes during commercials without once acknowledging all the hard work that went into preparing it. Tate wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, sugar. I’ll have you weaned off those plastic meals in no time.” Before she could argue, he brushed a kiss over her temple before letting her go. She grabbed the side of the truck while her legs wobbled in reaction to his touch. He smiled and opened the door, as if he knew exactly how he affected her. Taking a deep breath, she climbed into the passenger’s seat and snapped her seat belt into place while he closed the door and walked around the front of the truck. As he drove home, Kimber tried to think of a way to bring Sunday’s family command appearance up. “Whatever it is, just say it,” Tate said, startling her. “How did you know I have something to talk to you about?” “Your fingers are all knotted together in your lap, and I can almost see the smoke from your brain worrying too hard on something. So spill it,” he said, reaching over and laying one big hand on her thigh. She moaned when he squeezed her leg and slid his hand up her bare leg to the seam where leg met body. She gasped when he reached farther between her legs until the side of his little finger pressed against her clit through her thong. She spread her legs to give him easier access as her pussy filled and overflowed, amazed to find herself still. She had had more sex in the last few hours than during the last three years of her marriage.
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“Spill it, sugar, or I’m going to stop,” he threatened as he shifted his hand, his finger rubbing up and down between her puffy lower lips. “My mother, oooo,” she started but stopped when his hand shifted so the pads of his first two fingers stroked up and down the outsides of her slit, pressing the puffy lips together over and around her clit. “Go on,” he said. The touch of power in his voice had her melting even further into her seat. “She wants you—wants us—to come for dinner Sunday night. Ohhhhh,” she finished on a moan as the two fingers slid deeper between her legs. Dropping her head back against the headrest, she wiggled as the tips brushed against the opening of her pussy but did not go any further. When he did not answer, she rolled her head to look at him. Though he was concentrating on the light traffic around them, he also seemed to be deep in thought as his fingers continued to tease and tickle her wet, open entrance. “What time?” he finally asked as he turned into their neighborhood. “Everyone shows up at three, but we don’t usually eat until about five thirty,” she moaned as she gave in and grabbed his wrist and tried to force his fingers to go where she needed them. Instead he pulled his fingers away from her pussy. Kimber whined when he pulled his arm from her grip. Frowning at him, she watched as he lifted his fingers to his lips and sucked them into his mouth, cleaning her juices from them. “Mmmm, good,” he said with a wink. Without answering her, he turned off the engine and climbed from the truck. He did not speak as they unloaded the groceries from the truck and stored them in the kitchen. Once they put all the food away, he went into his room and changed into another Petey’s Pizzas shirt. Instead of following him around like a lovesick schoolgirl, Kimber went into her office and turned on her computer to check her e-mail. Hopefully she had received word from the new publisher who was
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thinking about hiring her to do their cover art. She tried not to pout though she was miffed that Tate must not want to be seen with her. After all, she was so much older than he was and was beginning to look her age, though she was the only one who thought so. Before she could log onto the Internet, footsteps sounded and Tate’s masculine scent surrounded her. She squeaked when her chair spun around. “Let me think about the dinner, okay?” he said, leaning in and giving her a long, deep, wet kiss that melted her hurt feelings away. “Okay,” she breathed, wrapping both arms around his neck as her sexual side began humming loudly again. “I’ll call you if I can. Could you do me a favor and sleep in my bed tonight?” he asked before nipping her bottom lip. “Okay,” she repeated, not letting go as he straightened. He did not seem to feel her weight as he moved. Once she was on her feet, she tried to hump his thigh, but he held her hips several inches from his own. He kissed her once more before stepping back. “I’ve got to go to work now,” he murmured, reaching up and pulling her arms from around his neck. “Okay. Have a good night. Be safe,” she said, her mind lustfogged. As soon as he was gone, she planned on wearing out her purple vibrator, still amazed that she could be horny. “Oh, and Kimber,” he said, looking over his shoulder from the doorway. “Uh-huh,” she said, sinking back into her chair. “You’re not allowed to come without me. So no playing with your neat little toys,” he ordered in a voice deep and low before striding out of sight. “No…you’ve got to be kidding,” she whimpered. The front door closing with a thud was her only answer.
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Looking at the clock on her computer screen, she sighed. She needed to talk to Stacy and Gwen, but neither would be home for a couple of hours. Turning back to her computer, she checked her email but found only junk wanting to sell her sex-enhancing drugs and a couple from women looking for dates. “Don’t they realize I’m female?” she grumbled as she deleted them. **** Tate pulled into the only convenience store between his new home and work. He bought the first soda he pulled from the barrel of iceddown cans and returned to his truck. Wrapping the soda in a rag, he laid it in his lap and pressed hard. As the cold penetrated his clothes and reached his cock, he hissed but did not move it away until he felt his cock begin to soften and shrivel. Once he thought he could walk without his cock leading the way, he set the soda in the drink holder in the center console of his truck and continued on to work, knowing his mind was not going to be on the job, but on how soon he could return to his brown-haired mate. **** Within twenty minutes of Tate’s leaving, Kimber found herself wandering the house at loose ends. She ended up standing in the doorway to Tate’s room. His bed was still unmade with a stack of sheets, blankets, and two pillows on the floor in the corner. At least here was something she could do to take her mind off her needy pussy. As she made the bed, she hoped he would not mind that she was overstepping the bounds of roommateship. For anyone else, she would never take such liberties, but she wanted her mate to come home to a comfortable bed after a long night delivering food. Once the bed was neatly made, she forced herself to walk out of
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Tate’s room instead of tidying up the rest of his things. At some point in the not too distant future, they would have to sit down and talk about what being mates versus roommates entailed. She then kept herself busy organizing her new room and putting clean sheets on her own bed. Once her room was straight, she continued her cleaning efforts through the rest of the house. When the house was cleaner than it had been in months, she curled up on the couch with her favorite fuzzy blanket. She turned on the television then picked up the sketchpad she kept tucked between the couch and the end table. Flipping to a clean page, she reached into the basket of pens, pencils, and crayons stored on the end table shelf that was supposed to hold books and magazines Grabbing the first thing her fingers touched, a purple crayon, she set to work trying to capture Tate’s looks and spirit on paper.
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Chapter 7 “I found my cub,” Kimber announced after assuring that Stacy and Gwen could hear her and each other on the three-way conference call. “Really? Who is he?” Gwen squealed. “How? Where? Tell us all about him,” Stacy demanded. Instead of sharing everything she had learned about Tate so far, Kimber hesitated. How much would the private loner really want her friends to know? Especially since they had known each other less than a day? “His name is Tate Pierce. He’s twenty-nine and gorgeous. Lightbrown hair and really beautiful blue eyes that look like worn denim.” “He sounds perfect,” Gwen said, sounding a little jealous. “Where did you meet him? Church? The grocery store? Run him down with your car?” Stacy asked when she went quiet. Kimber giggled, feeling like they were back in high school again, sharing secrets and watching the clock because their parents didn’t want them talking on the phone after nine o’clock. “He delivered my pizza.” “Oooo, the pizza delivery guy. You’re so lucky. The ones who deliver here are retired from at least one other job, bald, and sometimes forget to put their teeth in before going to work,” Gwen said. “And all I get are ones too young to look at,” Stacy said. “When are you going to see him again?” “Tonight when he gets off work. I...um…I rented him a room,” Kimber admitted, knowing the conversation was about to take a turn
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into the uncomfortable. “You rented him a room? Why? What’s going on? Are you having money troubles?” Stacy, the ever-practical one drowned out Gwen who was asking the same thing. Kimber closed her eyes and used two fingers of her free hand to rub at her forehead. Suddenly she could feel a stress headache coming on and wondered how she could cut the conversation short, even though these were her closest confidants. “I had to put new tires on the car, and it put me a little behind. And I still haven’t heard from Midnight Seductions about the job I applied for. I figured renting a room was easier than finding a real job like Dad wants me to. Especially since he’s already told me he will not be helping me.” The deafening silence on the other end of the phone made Kimber wonder if the connection had been broken. “Hello? You guys still there?” “I’m here,” Gwen said. “Me, too,” Stacy said. “Why didn’t you come to us? You know we would do anything to help you succeed in your new career.” Gwen sounded hurt. “Wait a minute, before we get into that, I want to know more about this guy,” Stacy said before Kimber could answer. “Did you run a background check on him? A criminal check? Anything? Or did you just impulsively let a total stranger move into your house?” Though Kimber knew she could allay their fears with one simple statement, she could not spill Tate’s shape-shifting and their being mates. She thought of that as their secret and did not want to share it even with her best friends. “Well, uh, not exactly,” she finally answered. “He won’t be here much except to sleep anyway, and I really needed his rent money.” She heard a gasp and knew it came from Gwen. Stacy, on the other hand, was strangely silent for once. “What do you know about him?” Her ever-practical friend finally
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asked. Kimber knew Stacy only meant to protect her, but Kimber hesitated. When she remained silent too long, Stacy went on. “If you don’t tell me right now, I’m coming there and going to check him out for myself.” “Me, too,” Gwen added. With a deep breath, which she released on a sigh, Kimber told them everything she knew about the man, down to the make and model of his truck and license plate number. “That’s not a lot of information, but it should be enough,” Stacy said. Kimber heard the tapping of a keyboard. She remained silent as Stacy worked on her computer, knowing her friend would argue that she didn’t have to do it, though it would be interesting to hear what she had found. After another minute, Stacy swore softly. “This guy is living off the grid. Other than confirming he was indeed born and has a cell phone, I can’t find anything out about him.” “So, he’s not a sex offender, ax murderer, and he doesn’t have three wives,” Kimber said with a smile. “Admit it, he’s clean.” “I still think we should meet him,” Gwen said. “And you will, in three months at our next weekend. Just hope I can make it,” Kimber assured her friends. “You’ll be there with Tate in tow, even if we have to come and drag you there by your chestnut hair,” Gwen assured her, sounding unusually bossy. “Now, about the reason you had to rent out a room to a stranger. Why didn’t you come to us?” “I’m forty years old. I have to stand on my own two feet. I am, after all, supposed to be an adult and self-supporting, not a sponge off my family and friends,” Kimber said, her earlier buoyant mood deflating like a balloon with a slow leak as she justified herself to the two women who she thought always had her back. “Girl, you are an artist, not a financial planner. You need to concentrate on your art and following your passion, not worry about
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how to pay the bills and keep the lights on,” Stacy scolded. “Do you need money now? Are you sure renting the room will be enough?” Kimber smiled. Her friends were so loyal and loving, but she could not take from them. “Renting the room to Tate will more than fill the gap between bills and income. And I’m still waiting to hear back from that new publisher. I’ll call them next week if I don’t hear before then.” “You keep your phone on you at all times. If Tate does anything, and I mean anything, to make you feel uncomfortable, I want you to call one of us immediately. Do you understand?” Stacy sounded like she was giving orders to the troops and not talking to her best friend. “Yes, mama,” Kimber said with a chuckle. Kimber was grateful when the conversation finally moved the spotlight off her and onto Stacy’s latest charity endeavor, training to run a half marathon to help raise money for cancer research. She and Gwen teased her that maybe the trainer she was to meet the following week to help her get into shape would be her cub. When Kimber finally hung up the phone, her mood had flipflopped, and she was suddenly sad and nervous about Tate coming home. As her friends had so easily pointed out, what did she really know about him, other than he claimed they were mates and meant to spend the rest of their lives together? **** Exhausted and driving on automatic after a long shift delivering pizzas, Tate was halfway to his old place of residence before he realized it. “Wake up, buddy, or you’ll be embarrassing yourself,” he muttered as he used a gas station driveway to turn around. When he reached his new home, he sighed as he parked. Climbing from the truck, he took a few minutes to stretch out the kinks before heading to the house. A light glowing in the living room window
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brought a smile to his lips as he climbed to the front porch. His mate had thought of him and left a welcoming light. Glancing at his watch, he sighed. He had to be up in less than five hours to get to his weekend job helping a friend who was adding a room onto his house. Tate sighed, half-tempted to call and cancel, but knew he wouldn’t. The pay was too good to pass up even a single day of work. Another couple of months and he would have the money he needed to quit working all the time and go back to school. He only hoped that Kimber would understand. Most women he dated in the past were impressed with his goal until they didn’t hear from him for weeks at a time. At least with his mate, he could hold her while he slept, even if nothing else happened. Entering the house, he took off his shoes and left them near the front door. Turning off the lamp still burning, he walked down the hall to his bedroom. Flipping on the light, he blinked and frowned at the bed. It was neatly made, but empty. He took a moment to pull the covers back. Stripping off his clothes, he tossed them in the full basket and headed to the bathroom. After a quick shower, he dried off before pulling out clothes for the morning and putting them on the dresser. Turning off the light, he went down the hall to Kimber’s room. She had closed her door, but when he turned the knob, it moved easily. He pushed the door open and saw his mate lying curled in a ball in the center of her bed, sound asleep. Though tempted to crawl in beside her and crash, Tate knew her bed was too small for the two of them. Pulling the covers back, he smiled when he saw she was wearing a T-shirt. Leaning over, he easily lifted his mate. She murmured a protest but snuggled into his chest as he carried her back to his room. He laid her on his bed then climbed in to curl up behind her. After pulling the covers up over them both, he kissed the side of her neck and breathed in her delicious scent. “Good night, mate,” he whispered before kissing her again. “Have
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sweet dreams of me.” After setting the alarm on his watch, he wrapped his arm around her middle. He snuggled closer behind her until the only thing that separated them was her T-shirt. Laying his head on his pillow, he was asleep in minutes. **** Kimber woke with a jerk as something started beeping. She did not recognize it as her phone or computer or microwave. Opening her eyes, she found herself face to chest with a naked man’s chest. She frowned but remembered going to bed. In her own bed. Alone. Lifting her eyes, she met Tate’s worn-denim eyes smiling sleepily down at her. “Good morning, mate,” he said before reaching around her back and silencing the alarm. “Morning. How did I get in here?” she asked, lifting her head and looking around what was now his room. “We both won’t fit in your bed, so I carried you in here.” “Why?” she asked as he sat up and stretched. “Because we’re mates, and mates sleep together.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips. At the same time, his hand cupped her breast and massaged it as his thigh moved against her clit, sending fire through her. She brushed her fingers down the front of his body to find his cock hard and thick. When she wrapped her hand around it and began to slowly stroke, he shifted his hips back. A moment later, he pulled away and rolled out of bed with a sigh. She frowned and fought the urge to drool as his kissable ass and broad, naked back crossed the room, and he grabbed a stack of clothes off the top of his dresser and headed toward the hall. “Where are you going?” “I promised Mike I’d be there by seven, so we could finish framing in the room and maybe get the roof on,” Tate said just before
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she heard the bathroom door click closed. “Well damn,” she muttered as she climbed out of bed and headed for the kitchen. Turning on the coffeemaker, she looked down at herself and grinned, deciding not to pull on pants quite yet. Let Tate regret putting work over their mutual need. By the time he entered the kitchen, the coffeepot was half-full. She was leaning against the counter sipping her first mug of the day and slowly waking up. A second mug sat on the counter beside her. “Oh, now that’s a sight worth waking up for,” he said with a grin as his eyes scanned down her body then back up again. “I didn’t know how you liked your coffee,” she grumped. “But then, I don’t know a lot about you.” She watched as he added milk and sugar to his mug. When he took a sip and moaned in appreciation, she could not help but smile. So he was a coffee-aholic, too. At least they had that in common. He leaned a hip against the counter with only inches separating them. “Sorry I woke you up so early.” “Not a problem,” she replied before taking another sip of her coffee. She closed her eyes as she felt the caffeine enter her system. They continued drinking in silence. When he finished his, he rinsed out his mug and set it in the dish drainer. “Can I take some with me?” “Uh-huh,” she grunted. He disappeared down the hall and returned a few minutes later with the biggest steel travel mug she had ever seen. “Wow,” she said as he opened it, rinsed it out, then put a large amount of milk and sugar in. “Even more amazing is that the coffee stays hot until lunchtime.” He emptied the rest of the fresh brewed coffee into the mug. Screwing on the lid, he picked it up and shook it for several seconds. Kimber watched silently, only raising an eyebrow when he shook the mug like a cocktail shaker.
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Once he seemed satisfied the coffee was ready to go, he wrapped the arm not holding the mug around her back and pulled her into his chest. Lowering his head, he licked across her lips and then gave her a deep, wet kiss that raised Kimber’s temperature to near boiling once again. At the same time, he pressed his erection into her hip. “I’ll see you later,” he said, sounding strained as he released her and headed for the front door. “You kiss me like that and then just walk out?” Kimber yelled as she followed him to the front door. Tate turned in the doorway and raked his eyes up and down her body. She quivered in response to the heat she saw in his eyes. “Anticipation is a good thing. I’ll be home as soon as I can, and I’ll make it up to you. Just remember, no playing without me,” he said with a grin. Kimber waited to scream out her frustration until after he winked and pulled the door closed behind him. The laughter she heard from the porch told her that he had heard her.
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Chapter 8 Over the next weeks, Kimber became well acquainted with anticipation and frustration. Tate was rarely home except to sleep, as he had told her before moving in. In the beginning, Kimber would fall asleep in her bed, but would wake up in Tate’s bed, in his arms. Finally, she gave up and started sleeping in his room, though she kept her things in her room. Her mother had been disappointed that Tate had passed on not one but three dinner invitations. Since she had seen the man in the flesh, she did not accuse Kimber of making her new roommate up, but she did begin to wonder aloud with increasing frequency whether the man might not have some other woman in his life. The way he was reacting, Kimber was beginning to wonder that for herself. On the few days that rain kept him from working, Kimber hoped for a day in bed with her mate. Instead, Tate spent the time running errands or washing the mountain of clothes that quickly accumulated in his bedroom. As the clothes washed and dried, he cooked several casseroles. Once they cooled, he packed plastic containers with the food to take to work with him. “You know, I’m here and have time. I could do some of this stuff for you,” she offered when he looked like he was dozing off while standing at the stove where he was browning hamburger. “You’re my mate, not my mother. Besides, you have work of your own you’re supposed to be doing,” he said, sounding grumpy and exhausted as he stared at the browning meat instead of looking at her. Stung by his rejection, Kimber retreated to her office and quietly closed the door. Though she did have several new covers for her two
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new publishers to design, Kimber wanted to be with her mate and not working. They spent so little time together that for him to be in one room and her in another caused an ache in her heart. Everything she had learned about mates from Tate, as well as extensive searching on the Internet, made her think something was very wrong with their relationship. But she found she could not work. How could she come up with sexy, loving pictures for romantic novels when her own romance was sliding down the drain? What was wrong with her that he didn’t want her any longer? Was it because of her age? Or the fact that she designed sexy pictures for sexy books? Or was it something else? Instead of taking the bull by the horns and confronting Tate, she stayed in her office as tears rolled down her cheeks. For some reason her spunky, snarky attitude disappeared when dealing with Tate. She wanted to take care of him, wash his clothes, cook his food, and rub his sore muscles after a long hard day of work, but she did not want him thinking of her actions as those of a mother, but of a loving mate wanting to make his life easier. Finally, she put her earbuds in, turned on her computer, and forced herself to work. She lost track of time, though her mind really wasn’t on the covers she created. By the time she e-mailed the last cover off, she had come to the conclusion that it was time they had a talk about being mates versus roommates and how she could not continue living like this. She was checking her e-mail when she thought she heard the doorbell, but did not move to answer it. She didn’t want to face Tate just yet. When a large, warm hand touched her shoulder, she jumped and squeaked. Pulling her earbuds off, she turned to face Tate. “You scared me!” “Sorry,” he said, frowning as he studied her face. “Your parents are here. Are you okay?” Kimber stood and stepped around him, suddenly aware of her puffy eyes and the dried tears on her cheeks. “I’m fine.”
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“Uh-huh,” he said, sounding doubtful, but not calling her on the obvious lie. As she headed down the hall, she heard him walk into his room and close the door. Her fire returning, she wanted to confront him but first needed to get rid of her parents. “Mom, Dad, what brings you here?” she asked, pasting a smile on her face as she stepped into the living room. “We want to talk to you,” her father said from the chair by the door. That was where he always sat when they came to visit. Her mother sat on the couch as close to her father as she could get. “About what?” Kimber sat on the opposite end of the couch. Her father looked uncomfortable and did not speak until her mother nudged his leg with her foot. “I...we…wanted to give you this,” he said, passing an envelope to her mother who then handed it to her. It took another nudge from her mother before he continued. “It was wrong of me to not support your choice of careers. I just don’t understand why you won’t go back to work for the advertising agency or get another job. One with benefits and a retirement plan.” “Dad, working for myself at this job makes me happy. I know you have difficulty with it, but I’m doing okay. I’m surviving, and I picked up two more publishers the last couple of weeks and will soon be able to pay for my own retirement and benefits.” “Then why are you renting a room to that young man?” her mother asked. “The one who answered the door. The one who you were…um...” “The one I’m sleeping with? Because I can,” Kimber broke in and answered simply. “Yes, he’s young. Yes, he’s living here. Yes, we are lovers. Face it, Mom and Dad, your daughter’s become a cougar.” She ignored her mother’s gasp and focused on her father. Standing, she offered him the envelope. “Want this back now?” Her father shook his head, but his face grew redder by the second. His jaw muscles worked as if he was trying to keep from raging. “Mom, Dad, I’m working at a job you don’t like or understand,
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and I’m living with a younger man. If you’re embarrassed to admit that to your friends then don’t talk about me. I’m forty years old and tired of trying to please everyone else while I’m miserable with my life. I like my job and being with Tate. Now, I need to get back to work. Is there anything else?” “I just don’t understand you,” her mother finally sputtered as she pushed to her feet and headed for the front door. “We’re here to help you not have to rent out a room, and you’re throwing it in our faces. And we have yet to properly meet your young man.” “Mom, Tate works three jobs. Today is the first day he’s not worked since moving in a month ago. You will meet him someday when he’s not exhausted and busy.” Her mother calmed down, and though she tried several times to get them out the door, her parents stayed for nearly an hour. They spent the time catching her up on their life and subtly questioning her about her life, Tate, and their life together. When they finally left, Kimber felt like she’d been dragged backward through the ringer. Once she was certain they were gone and would not be returning, she walked down the hall to Tate’s room. “They’re gone. It’s safe to come out now,” she said as she pushed the door open. Tate didn’t answer. He was sprawled across the bed, sound asleep. Before she could join him, the oven timer sounded. With a sigh, she went to the kitchen and turned off the stove before taking two large casserole dishes out of the oven. Then she returned to the bedroom and crawled onto the bed, snuggling up beside her sleeping mate. She gently settled a hand on his tousled hair and stroked it with a smile. He needed another haircut. “Kimber,” he murmured, rolling to his side and shifting so her front was snuggled against his back. “Yes, love, I’m here,” she said, wrapping one arm around his waist. She slowly rubbed her hand up and down the center of his
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chest. “Sleep, my cougar. Rest well, and have sweet dreams of me.” **** Kimber’s sad appearance when he told her that her parents had arrived poked a hole in Tate’s heart. He was stressed from too much work and not enough time and in a bad mood because of the weather, but taking it out on his mate only added guilt to the swirl of negativity twisting around inside him. Instead of joining her and meeting her parents, which he had no doubt was their reason for visiting unannounced, he retreated to his room. He wasn’t ready to meet them and couldn’t be sure he would ever want to meet the people who were so entwined in his mate’s life. His bed called to him. Exhausted, he laid down for just a few minutes, he told himself. The next thing he knew, Kimber had curled up beside him and was petting him in a way that untied some of the knots in his gut. He knew she felt neglected and knew he was throwing up walls between them, but he did not know how to live any differently. For nearly half his life, he had been alone and able to count only on himself. But now he had a mate who was feeling unnecessary in his life. Maybe it was time to rethink his singular focus on work and reaching his financial goals and learn how to share with his mate. Pulling Kimber closer, he took a deep breath and settled back into sleep, promising to fix things between them as soon as he could. **** Another week passed, and Kimber felt no closer to Tate. There was a bug going around, and instead of working only two nights for Petey’s, Tate had worked every night that week, covering for other drivers. The only time she saw him was early each morning, and usually she got a quick kiss and a good look at his naked ass as he
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crawled out of bed and started his day. Finally Kimber had had enough. It was time to take matters into her own hands and spend some serious quality time with her mate. Thursday nights, she had learned, deliveries slowed down after ten o’clock, so she made plans accordingly. She called Tate’s boss and told him Tate was taking Friday off. The man agreed willingly, telling Kimber that except for rain days, Tate had not taken a day off in three years and that he was getting grumpier by the day. After promising to send him back to work in a much happier mood, she called Mike, the man he worked with on weekends. When she explained that Tate would not be able to work that weekend, Mike agreed that a weekend off was what they both needed. After clearing his weekend, she spent the rest of the evening preparing for what she hoped would be a highly erotic yet restful lost weekend with her busy, weary mate. Flipping through the dresses in her closet, she reached the back without finding an appropriately sexy dress. Then she saw the little black dress she had never worn before. It was short and flirty with spaghetti straps and a deep V-neck. Kimber had always felt it was far too sexy for her to wear when she went out. For seducing her mate, it would be perfect. At ten-thirty that evening, she left the house and drove to Petey’s. Tate’s truck was parked near the door between two other older, beatup cars. As she drove past, a young man walked out of the pizza parlor carrying several large pizza boxes. She drove out of the parking lot and began searching for somewhere close-by and well hidden where she could have a few minutes of privacy with her mate. A few blocks away, she drove into a heavily wooded park that bordered the river. She drove through until she found a dark spot where she could not see either the river or lights from the road. Parking, she checked her cell phone for the time then called Tate’s cell phone.
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“Hey, sugar, what’s up?” he answered. “I’m about to call in an order which I’d like for you to deliver personally. Call me once you’re in your truck, and I’ll tell you where to bring it,” she said in the sexiest voice she could manage. She heard Tate clear his throat before he said, “Uh-huh.” “Oh, and you might want to take the rest of the night off, cause I’m not sure you’ll be able to walk after the tip I’m planning to give you.” “Yeah, okay,” he said before cutting the connection. Kimber giggled as she scrolled up her call list to the number for Petey’s. After placing her order, she laid her head back and sighed. Excitement and nervousness at what she had just set into motion warred for dominance. Fifteen minutes later, her phone rang. “Hello?” she answered, trying not to giggle. “I have your order, am in my truck, and need directions,” he said, sounding oh so professional. After giving him directions, she hung up and climbed from the car. She walked around but found teetering on her stiletto heels dangerous. Leaning against her car door, she crossed her arms. This pose pushed her abundant breasts up and together. She smiled as she imagined what Tate would see when he arrived. Fear shimmered through her as headlights came up the road. They flashed on her for a few seconds before Tate’s truck pulled in and parked. “That’s quite a dress you’re wearing,” he said, his voice deep and sounding a little jealous as he climbed from the seat. “You going out without me? Or have you already been out without me?” Kimber smiled at the questions. “Actually, you’re the first person to see me in this dress. Do you like it?” Straightening, she turned a circle, wobbling on her high, high shoes with each step. When she turned to face him again, she saw that he had closed his door and silently approached until he was only an
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arm’s length away. “Yes, I like it a lot,” he said before taking another step closer. “What do you have underneath that pretty little dress?” His hands came up and landed easy on her shoulders. He slid fingers under the straps then slowly drew lines down the front of her chest to where the dress began. “You can find out in a minute. First, we need to talk,” Kimber said, taking a step back.
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Chapter 9 “We’ll talk later,” he said as he moved forward. “Right now I want to know what’s under this dress.” In the next second, she found herself trapped between her car and his long, strong length. She tried to fight her body’s need, but the speech she had been rehearsing for days slid from her mind like a leaf down a waterfall. He leaned closer and purred as he brushed his cheek against hers. He then took her earlobe between his lips and suckled on it. “Ummm,” Kimber said on a moan, wanting to deny him, but sex overtook her need for conversation. Tate’s fingers traced designs across her shoulders and up the sides of her neck. He tugged on her ears before his fingers combed through her hair. He cupped the back of her head in his palms, turning her head slightly as he brushed his lips across hers. His tongue then licked at her lower lip. She willingly parted her lips, tilted her head further, and kissed him fully. Her hands slid down his sides to his waist. Grabbing his shirt, she pulled it from his jeans and slipped her hands underneath the knit cotton material. He growled into her mouth as he pressed his erection into her lower belly. Her pussy gushed, her juices dampening her thighs as she began to trace invisible designs over the skin of his back then around his sides to his chest then down to his waistband and beyond. Kimber could not help but grin when his fingers released her hair and brushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders and down her arms. He sucked a breath when a fingertip brushed over the head of
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his cock. When she touched him a second time, his cock jerked and grew even longer. Instead of continuing, she pulled her fingers and quickly opened his jeans. She needed him inside her immediately, if not sooner. Once they were open, she shoved them down his legs until his cock and balls bobbed free. Before she could climb his body and impale herself on his erection, he stepped back, pulling from her grasp. “Hey, come back here,” she demanded softly. “I wanted to play.” He ignored her. Leaning forward, he sucked one erect nipple into his mouth while fingers played with her other one. She stopped trying to get away, and instead, she arched her back, wanting to get more of her breast into his mouth. She wrapped an arm around his neck to maintain her balance as his hands pushed her breasts together. He took both nipples between his lips and sucked hard on them. She moaned and tightened her grip on him when fire shot across her body from nipples to clit. He continued, suckling hard even after one hand released her breast and slipped to the hem of her dress then up between her legs. “Oooo, no panties,” he said around her nipples as his fingers traced from her back hole up her centerline to circle her clit. Then he traced his way back down and slid two fingers into her. He latched onto one breast and bit it gently as his fingers began to piston in and out of her pussy. It only took seconds for Kimber’s orgasm to break, battering at her like ocean waves during a storm. She cried out as she held on tight to her mate. He continued playing with her pussy, settling her slowly while not allowing her to relax completely. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, all she could say was, “More.” “Mmmm, I like the sound of that,” he said with a hungry grin. She expected him to fuck her right then and there. Instead, he dropped to his knees in front of her.
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**** The hot anger of jealousy shocked him when he saw his mate wearing the sexy black dress. She was trying to get his attention and tell him something, and he thought he knew what it was. Though they slept together each night, she was feeling neglected. She needed more from him than his rent and a quick hug and kiss in the mornings before he raced off to one job or another. If his crazy work scheduled continued to come before his mate’s needs, he would lose her. And if he lost her, he would certainly either go crazy, or die of the heartbreak. When she shoved his jeans out of the way and reached for his cock, he almost lost it and shot a mess all over her dress. Instead, he stepped away, earning her displeasure until he distracted her with fingers and lips and sent her flying through her first release. Before she could catch her breath and drive him completely nuts, he knelt before her, lifted her dress up so he could slip his head under it, and then began to lap at her juices. He quickly drove her arousal up again, not stopping until she gushed juices on his face with her second orgasm. He stood and picked her up, once again amazed at how well she fit in his arms. Tate carried her to the back of his truck and set her in the bed on a pile of tarps that he had tossed in there just that afternoon. He pulled up his jeans until he climbed into the back of the truck as well. “On your hands and knees, sugar. I need to take my mate, kitty style.” Tate watched as she quickly moved into position, looking like a sexy little kitty. Needing a minute to cool down so he didn’t come the minute he entered her, Tate crawled around her, stroking her back and shoulders, working his head toward her head. He combed her hair away from her face and gave her a long, deep kiss that had them both panting when he finally moved away. He then pushed her dress down her body, over her hips and down her legs until it reached her knees.
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She pushed it off and kicked it out of the way. His shirt followed, several heartbeats later, and then he moved to kneel behind her. Her body was like a high-powered electric magnet to his, pulling at the head of his cock until he fit it into her opening. Once the head was in, he pressed forward until her hot, wet pussy fully embraced his thick, aching length. Leaning over his mate, he placed his hands next to hers on the tarp. His chest and belly brushed against hers, setting all his nerve endings to tingling. “I love you, mate,” he whispered in her ear as he began moving back and forth, rocking his cock in and out. “I’m sorry I’ve been putting work ahead of you.” She made a whining sound as she rocked back and forth. He was moving faster and faster, and her movements were slower, so sometimes she moved with him and other times in counterpoint to him. He thought his head was going to explode because of the pressure building in his balls, but he needed just a little more. Straightening, Tate wrapped his hands around her hips and took over her movements. He guided her hips back as his moved forward, slamming their bodies together with even more power. He chuffed with pleasure when her arms gave out and her shoulders and upper body dropped to the tarp. “Oooo,” she cried as her pussy muscles massaged up and down his cock as she came again. “I love you, Tate.” “Oh, mate, I love you, too,” he said as his hips slammed home one last time before he came with a roar. His cock pulsed so hard that his vision dimmed. Her warm wetness clenched hard around his cock as his semen jetted deep into her pussy. It took several minutes before he was able to move enough to release the tight hold he had on her hips. She didn’t seem to mind, not complaining as he held himself deep inside her cavern. Once they finally relaxed and could breathe again, he eased from her core with a sad sigh. Sitting back, he worked his jeans back up
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before settling on his large toolbox. He was happy she did not fight him when he pulled her up onto his lap. Cuddling her close, he began petting her again, unable to keep his hands off her. This time he concentrated on loving and not arousing touches. When she finally stopped trembling, he pulled her dress back over her head and then asked, “So, what did you want to talk about?” He waited patiently as she took several deep breaths. Finally, she said softly, “I know earning money and going back to school is important to you, but if I’m your mate, shouldn’t I be more important? You’re still treating me like a roommate, and that hurts.” “I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “I’ve been missing you, too.” She remained silent for a few minutes, and he enjoyed just having her in his arms. Finally she said, “I hope you won’t get mad, but I called your bosses and told them you were taking the next three days off. You’re exhausted, and we need some time to figure things out.” “You did that for me?” Instead of anger that she had stepped in and gone behind his back, Tate felt gratitude fill him. She nodded then tilted her head back to look at him. “You’re not mad?” He met her gaze and smiled. “No, sugar, I’m happy you felt strongly enough to do it. Did anyone give you any problems?” She smiled back. “Actually they were happy you were going to take some time off. They both agreed with me that you work too much.” “So, I have three days off, huh? What will I do with all that time?” Her smile turned sexy, and she lifted an eyebrow at him. “I have a few ideas about that.” “Hot damn, then what are we doing sitting here? Let’s go home and talk about your ideas.” Tate’s heart sped up, and his cock began inflating again. “And when we’re done with your ideas, I have a few thoughts of my own.” Kimber licked his cheek before climbing from his lap. “I just hope
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none of them have anything to do with laundry or cooking,” she said. “Not a one, though there is one that involved the porch swing. And at some point before Monday, we will be visiting your parents, so I can assure them I’m not an ax murderer or something before I propose.”
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Chapter 10 “I can’t believe it,” Kimber said six weeks later on the first night of their girls’ weekend. They’d chosen a club in the military town about ten miles from where their beach house was located. “What?” Stacy asked, looking at her friend. “Even here, where the men outnumber women by three to one, the old men are dancing with younger women,” Kimber nodded to the dance floor. “Isn’t that why we went for younger men?” Gwen asked. “And cougars in their own right?” Stacy added. Kimber had to giggle when she thought back to that afternoon when the others had arrived at the beach house. Tate had recognized the shape-shifting nature of the other men, and as the women fixed dinner, the men discussed it between themselves before sharing their secrets with the women. That information sent the three friends into tear-producing laughter. They had become cougars by finding love with younger men who were were real, live, shape-shifting cougars. A warm hand traced down her spine just before Tate said, “Why don’t we show them that older women are sexier than the young ones? ’Cause you in that little black dress is something to drool over.” Kimber giggled again, feeling so much younger than her forty years. “Okay.” Before he moved to allow her out of the U-shaped booth the six of them had squeezed into, he leaned in and whispered directly in her ear, “Then I think it’s time to go back home.” “But it’s early,” she pointed out. “Maybe so, but I’ve got plans for that sexy ass of yours that do not
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include an audience,” he said before he nipped at her earlobe. “Oh really?” “Yes, it involves my cock taking that sexy ass and making you come so hard you will be still wobbling at the breakfast table tomorrow morning.” Kimber pulled her head back and looked at her mate, amazed at his boldness with the others sitting so close, even if they were involved in their own intimate conversations. “Even with the others in the house?” “Uh-huh. This is our weekend away, and we’re going to have as much fun as we can squeeze into it,” he said before sliding from the booth and helping her to her feet. The others joined them in the slow dance before all agreed that making an early evening of it would be a good idea. Once they returned to the big three-story house on the beach, Kimber said a quick good-night before Tate led her up the stairs to their suite on the third floor. After closing and locking the door, Kimber stood staring at the door. Her nerves began jangling at the thought of what he was planning to do, with her friends just feet below them. Before she could open the door and run out to the beach, soft jazzy music they found they both liked filled the silence. A moment later, warm hands settled on her shoulders and began to massage her knotted-up shoulder muscles. “Relax, sugar. If you don’t want to do this, we won’t,” Tate said, his voice soft and gentle. He brushed his lips across the back of her bare neck and then up the side of her neck. Kimber moaned and tilted her head, allowing him full access. She leaned back into him as his hands worked their way down the front of her body to cup her breasts. She didn’t fight when he turned her and pulled her close. “I want to, but—” she whispered just before he kissed her. When he broke the kiss long moments later, she was pressing her
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body against him, rubbing herself against the erection she felt through his slacks. “Dance with me,” he said, sliding his hands down her back. She nodded and followed wherever he led. As they danced, she pulled his shirt from his slacks and began to stroke his back. He kept himself busy pulling up the back of her dress until his hands cupped her bare ass cheeks. As one song ended and the next began, their dancing slowed and became a mutual striptease as they slowly undressed one another. Once they were naked, instead of throwing her down and just taking her as she wished he would, he wrapped his arms around her and continued dancing. He shifted so his cock pressed against one hip and slipped a hand between her legs to stroke his fingers up and down her center. She gasped when he tweaked her clit and sighed when two fingers slipped into her pussy. Her arousal grew until her legs refused to hold her up any longer. Sliding down his body, she knelt and dragged her tongue across the tip of his cock, earning a low-throated growl from her mate. Parting her lips, she took him in and laved his cock, using all the things that she had learned over the last weeks that made his toes curl. “Oh, sugar, that feels so damn good,” he moaned, threading his fingers through her hair as his hips began to shift. She cupped his balls in one hand and rolled them gently as she began to suck on his shaft. He groaned then stepped back, pulling from her grasp. “That mouth of yours is lethal, mate.” He bent and lifted her, sitting her so she sat on the edge of the bed. He pushed her knees farther apart and moved between them. The bed was high enough that he did not have to bend his knees as he rubbed the head of his cock up and down, wetting it in her abundant juices. With one hand in the center of her chest, he pushed her to lay back then lifted her knees to her chest before pulling her even closer to the edge of the bed. Still in no hurry, he used one hand to guide his cock up and down from puckered star to clit and back again. After the third
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pass he pushed his cock into her pussy and began stroking. Kimber moaned and began panting, her arousal climbing for the stars once again. When he reached below and used her juices to lube her back hole, everything in her tightened. His pistoning carried her higher and higher until her orgasm exploded over her. She was still convulsing when he pulled out then moaned loudly when he pressed for entrance into her back passage. Over the past weeks, he had played extensively back there, playing and bringing her to several intense orgasms. Just a few nights before, he had used her favorite vibe on her, bringing her to a screaming orgasm in preparation for this moment. Without his saying a word, she took deep breaths and pushed out as he slowly pressed deeper and deeper. He did not stop until the curly hairs that surrounded the base of his cock brushed against her ass cheeks. Instead of moving once, he filled her completely. He held steady until she could not stand it any further. “Move, dammit,” she said, reaching out with both arms. He leaned forward so she could grab his forearms then began a slow, easy fucking, which lasted until she growled at him and used his arms for leverage to move herself faster and harder on his cock. He purred loudly as his hips began moving faster and faster. She zoomed into another orgasm when he reached between them and stroked a finger over her engorged clit. “Oh God, mate. I love you so damn much,” he cried out as he thrust even deeper before crying out his release. She screamed as her orgasm exploded even hotter when he pinched her clit as his cock jerked and heat filled her ass. He collapsed over her, resting on his forearms as they recovered and caught their breath. Finally Tate eased from her, disappearing into to the bathroom to clean up. He returned a moment later and cleaned her up as well before moving them to the center of the bed where they curled
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together. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” “That was…was…wow,” she said with a soft giggle. “Yeah, it was,” he said, kissing her and cuddling her closer. “So, madam cougar, are you happy?” She giggled as she kissed his chest. “I can’t believe that not only did we women all become cougars, but we all ended up with our own cougar cubs for mates.” “I, for one, am very happy that you did,” he said, kissing her deeply as his cock surged to life between them once again.
THE END WWW.COOPERMCKENZIE.WEBS.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cooper McKenzie always thought she had been born a hundred years too late, but appreciates air conditioning, computers and other conveniences of modern day living. She enjoys the slower pace of New Bern, North Carolina as well as the history and small town community found there. In addition to dreaming up her next story, Cooper enjoys reading everything except scary books, singing in her church choir, and needle-weaving.
Also by Cooper McKenzie Siren Classic: Pyrate’s Treasure 1: Goldie Siren Classic: Pyrate’s Treasure 2: Emerald
For all other titles, please visit http://www.bookstrand.com/cooper-mckenzie
Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com
