Cat and Mouse (Claimed by an Alpha Paranormal Romance Book 1) Read online

  “I’ve heard that,” I said.

  “Unfortunately, they’ve been keeping us pretty busy this time.” He raised his glass to his lips and shifted on his stool so that his leg brushed mine.

  Chapter Two

  The touch could have been an accident, but my body certainly didn’t think it was. There was a sudden throb of awareness as heat collected between my thighs and my nipples contracted into hard little pebbles. Charisma and sex appeal rolled off of Luke like the fog coming in over the bay back home, but he had always kept things perfectly professional between us. There was no reason to assume things were different now, was there? I was still the chubby nerd I had always been.

  But he had called me beautiful.

  “Have they?” My voice sounded a touch too high and breathless to my own ears. I picked up my glass to finish to finish the whiskey off, then looked around the bar. “Maybe we can find some company for you here.”

  “Do you think so?” His hand settled on my knee. I’d been wearing a skirt which fell to just below knee level, but sitting down drew it up further so that his hand was on my bare skin. The air conditioning in the hotel was brutal enough that pantyhose would probably have been a wise idea if I hadn’t also spent some time outside in the blistering heat before coming to drink. Even with the sun down, it still felt stifling.

  A dry heat, they called it. Like an oven is dry.

  I debated with myself over what to do for a few heartbeats before I shifted my leg in closer to his touch. For the sake of modesty I’d been keeping my knees together, but the move parted them a little as well. The unspoken invitation I’d just made left my mouth as dry as the air.

  “I’ve noticed that pair over by the door watching you for a while, if that was your sort of thing,” I said.

  Luke turned his head to check the table I’d indicated. They were both skinny, with blonde hair that had been expertly crafted in a salon. They had long, manicured nails and were drinking vibrantly colored drinks. They were occasionally looking over at Luke with flirtatious smiles, but they also seemed to be having a lot of fun with one another. They would laugh and were showing one another pictures or things on their phones. It made me feel lonely and wish I was home. Being far away from Chris was safer, but having people like my best friend Sofia to support me would have helped tremendously.

  “Is that what you think I want?” Luke’s fingers slid up the inside of my thigh, inching their way further up under my skirt. “They’re not really my type.”

  I drained my whiskey in one swallow, then set the glass down a touch more heavily than I had intended. “No?”

  “I’d rather have a woman with more...meat on her bones.”

  His hand was fully under my skirt then. Sitting close together with the bar in front of us hid most of what he was doing, but it was still outrageously public. My heart pounded and I felt just a touch lightheaded. Most of that was likely a result of my blood leaving my brain for more interesting parts.

  “I see. I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

  “Good.”

  Though he sounded amused, there was nothing in his face or tone to imply what he was doing with his hand. It continued its journey upward until I felt one finger rub against the lace of my underwear. He spared a glance at me then, arching a brow slightly. Staying quiet was about all I could do as his finger rubbed back and forth against the damp lace, stroking me teasingly through it.

  “You’re going to make me sit here and spell out everything I’m thinking, aren’t you?” he purred, so quietly that only my ears could pick it up.

  With my skin too warm even in the icy air conditioning, I gave him a playful smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I was just thinking, in light of your recent divorce, you might have some free time tonight.”

  “Oh, I suppose I do.” I paused, my throat closing around my next words. His questing finger had slipped under the edge of my underwear. It brushed directly against the outer lips of my sex, then ever so slightly dipped between them. I had to clear my throat to make any sound other than a whimper. “Did you want to talk about the conference?”

  “We could. Did you attend the presentation on national funding for aeronautics research? I thought we might head to my room and have an in-depth discussion about that. I see some interesting implications,” he said.

  My hips slid forward so that I was on the very edge of the bar stool, giving him more access. I was rewarded with his finger now circling my clit. My breath came out a bit harshly, before I sucked it in and forced myself to answer his question. “I’m afraid I hadn’t been at that one. There was a timing conflict with the panel on green development, so you’ll have to tell me all about it.”

  “Now that sounds interesting, too. I suppose we could compare notes?”

  “We could. Find out what we’ve both been missing.”

  “I agree. No time like the present,” he said.

  His hand withdrew from under my skirt, leaving me aching and cold in its absence. With my whiskey gone, I picked up his to take a swig off of it, then slid off the stool to get to my feet. I felt unsteady on them, but perhaps if anyone saw and noticed they’d think I was just drunk instead of dizzy with arousal and soaking wet.

  “Shall we?” I asked.

  The hand he’d had under my skirt moved to his glass. His middle finger caught a droplet of whiskey there on the rim of it, then carried it to his mouth. He licked it off as his eyes met mine. The spell was broken when he looked away to get a tip out for the bartender.

  I took a deep breath of the cold, dry air of the hotel, then walked on ahead of him to leave the bar and get to the nearest elevators. I wasn’t sure where his room was in the hotel, but I knew it would be above the floor we were on, so I hit the up arrow and waited. I could hear as he came up behind me, but resisted the urge to turn and look at him.

  Well, I resisted it for the most part. A brief glance over showed me he had enjoyed the teasing in the bar as much as I had. His cock was outlined against his slacks, looking tempting and thick through the fabric.

  My eyes moved straight ahead again once the doors opened. No one was inside, so I stepped in immediately. Apparently even Vegas eventually went to bed and things were dying down. What few people were still out and about were either desperately gambling or drinking themselves into oblivion. The lack of people was welcome at the moment. Being seen by anyone else from our company would have been a problem. Only the most unobservant fool could share an elevator with us and miss the sexual tension.

  Was I really going to have sex with Luke in a hotel? I watched the doors shut, locking us in together in isolation, and allowed myself a good five seconds or so of absolute, naked panic. This was insane. It was the stupidest thing I had ever done in my life. The ink was barely dry on the divorce and here I was hopping into bed with a new man.

  Whatever could be said for Luke, he lacked my conflicts. Five seconds of panic was all I got, because five seconds after the doors closed his lips were on mine. One of his hands slid to the small of my back, pulling me hard against his body. His lips stroked and caressed over mine before his tongue sought entrance. The moment my lips started to part he pushed past them to claim my mouth. His free hand moved down and pushed my skirt up again to grip my thigh. Almost before I could respond to this sensuous onslaught he had backed me up against the wall of the elevator and pinned me there between it and his body.

  The hunger from him was overwhelming. As his tongue wrestled with mine he made quiet sounds of pleasure low in his throat that verged on growls. The hand at my thigh worked its way up higher to knead my ass, tugging my hips forward at the same time to press his arousal against me.

  My hands had been resting on his chest, too startled to do much more. Once the shock wore off I slid them down his body, fingers exploring the contours of it through his button up shirt. He was lean and not especially bulky, but that masked his strength. His muscles felt like living iron under my finge
rs. Sleek but powerful, like a racehorse.

  One hand finally dared to work down against the front of his slacks. I rubbed my palm back and forth against his trapped cock, moaning softly in pleasure. Any earlier panic or concern I’d had was gone in the face of the sheer joy of touching him. He was massive in comparison to Chris. Intimidating, really. I wasn’t entirely sure if I could take all of him, but I was suddenly very interested in testing myself to find out.

  The hand he had at the small of my back abandoned its post to come to the front of my body and he cupped one breast through my blouse. His thumb traced circles over my nipple through the layers of fabric and I let out a shuddering sigh, leaning into that touch. The hand at my ass moved to cup my sex through the lace panties and then his fingers curled against me. With the sound of shredding fabric I was suddenly exposed beneath my skirt as my underwear were torn open.

  “How—” I began to ask breathlessly against his lips, but the rest of my question was swallowed up in the kiss as he took my mouth again.

  His fingers slid against my outer lips briefly, then pressed between them. Two fingers rolled over my clit, making me shudder and gasp. Unconcerned with propriety any longer, my own hands unzipped his trousers and I slid my fingers inside. His cock was already straining against his boxer briefs and I had to imagine it was a relief for him to be finally freed of them. My hand wrapped around his thick shaft to stroke along it, my thumb brushing over his head already slick with precum.

  He broke the kiss off abruptly and buried his face in the side of my neck. His voice rumbled and vibrated there when he spoke. “I need inside you, Dawn.”

  “Yes. Please.” The words were gasped out and I worried he might not have heard them, but my concern was misplaced.

  He pulled my hand off of him and slid his hand back under my ass to lift me slightly off the floor, then plunged himself into me in one savage thrust. I bit my bottom lip, strangling my cry. We were still in the elevator, I remembered as I tipped my head back against the wall behind me. The doors could be opened at any moment. Surely there were security cameras. Somewhere, someone was quite likely watching us.

  I didn’t care. If anything, the thought only made my body tighten all the more with excitement.

  He drew back from me, then thrust forward again. This time he forced every thick inch of his shaft inside of me and I whimpered, shudders racing down my spine. My arms wrapped tight around his shoulders and my legs mirrored them around his waist, giving myself up entirely to his physical power as he drove into me. His movements were fast, demanding, but I could find no fault in that. We could be found at any moment, after all. Fast was better. My own hips rocked to meet his, urging him onward with every stroke.

  My fingers curled at his shoulders, digging into his flesh through the cotton shirt. It had to hurt, but he offered no complaint. No, in fact he groaned against my throat and I felt the scrape of his teeth there in a playful nip. The hand he’d had at my chest worked up under my blouse and then pushed the cup of my bra out of his way so he could get at my skin directly. He massaged the soft mound, his thumb teasing against my nipple.

  I was dimly aware of the elevator chiming and the doors opening. My eyes slitted open to check. We had no audience, thankfully, but we had arrived on the eighth floor. His floor, I assumed. One of my hands left his shoulder to flail over and hit the button to close the doors. It wouldn’t do any good if anyone else needed to use this elevator, but it could buy us a few more moments of pseudo-privacy, couldn’t it?

  His thrusts were growing faster and he barely drew out of me before his hips were bucking into me again, driving his cock as deeply as it could go. I bit my bottom lip, still struggling to stay quiet. That resolve broke when I felt his teeth dig into my shoulder. I cried out, shocked by the pain and even more shocked by just how good it felt. The sting of his teeth made the rising tension snap and in the next instant I was writhing between him and the wall, shuddering with my orgasm. He came in nearly the same instant, his groan muffled by my shoulder. His body pressed to mine, working us together as jet after jet of his seed flooded me.

  Chapter Three

  The tension of the moment gone, I collapsed back against the wall of the elevator, gasping for breath. He carefully lowered me back to my feet, then stepped back to tuck his cock inside of his slacks. When I could move again I straightened up and got my own clothing back in order. He looked me over with a satisfied smile and as soon as the doors opened again to the eighth floor he led the way out.

  Once he had let me into his room and shut the door behind us I slipped out of my shoes and reached under my skirt to tug down what remained of my underwear. I could hear him chuckle behind me and glanced over my shoulder. He was unbuttoning his shirt. When I looked at my underwear I could see that they had been sliced through the crotch with something sharp, but I couldn’t figure out how the hell he had done it.

  “I hope you’re still interested in more. I’ve wanted you for far too long to be satisfied with the elevator.” He slid off his shirt, then unbuckled his belt.

  “I’m interested.” Once I was undressed, I tried to look at my shoulder to see the bite. From what I could see the skin was a little red, but it hadn’t been broken and didn’t look as though it would bruise. “I’m going to need warning before you do anything like that again, though.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry.” He stepped out of the remains of his clothes to come closer to me, his cock already half-hard again. His hands slid against my upper arms and he ducked down, kissing the bite mark gently. “So sorry. I was overcome and wasn’t thinking straight.”

  My eyes slipped closed and I leaned into the warmth of his body. “I didn’t mind. It was just a shock is all. Are you often...bitey?”

  “No. Only if I really, really want a woman.” His lips brushed against the bite again, then worked their way up the side of my neck. I felt his breath at my ear and the tease of his tongue against it, making me shudder. I could also feel his rising erection against my stomach.

  “I hadn’t known you wanted me so badly. I like it,” I whispered as I turned my face to brush my own kisses against the side of his neck.

  He made a quiet sound of approval, so I continued kissing. My lips trailed down over his collarbone and over his chest. My hands came up between us to nudge him back against the wall. There was a brief flash of surprise in his widened eyes before I began kissing lower down his body, letting myself sink to my knees. One of my hands wrapped around his shaft to stroke it, then guide it to my lips. I wrapped my lips around his head, suckling at the mingled taste of our coupling. He was thick, but I could take him, which pleased me. My lips slid up and down his length as I worked him into my mouth, my tongue curling to drag along the underside of his shaft, teasing just under his head each time I drew away.

  His hand slid against my hair and I felt his fingers drag through it, his blunt nails lightly running over my scalp. “That is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he murmured, his voice trailing off into a quiet groan.

  I drew back, my breath tickling his damp skin. “I didn’t know cocks like this existed in real life.”

  My hand stayed gripped around him, beginning to work along his length. I ducked down to nuzzle against his balls, then gently took one between my lips to suck. The deep, masculine sound of pleasure from him made me shiver happily. After a moment I brushed a kiss against the soft skin and then took the head of his cock into my mouth again. This time I could swallow down more of him as his slick shaft slid to the back of my throat.

  From above came the sound of his breath being choked off, then he hissed inward through his teeth. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

  If my mouth hadn’t been busy, I might have laughed. I’d hope not. There was no reason for anyone at work to know, was there?

  I slid him free from my mouth again so I could speak. “I’ll do anything with your cock you like.” I brushed a kiss against his head, then began working my way up his body a
gain, lips brushing and pecking along the way. “But I’d really love it if you’d go down on me. I can go hop in the shower first, if you want.”

  Chris had always made me feel a bit dirty, and not in a fun way. He had enjoyed my body well enough, but I always felt like an object with him. A possession that he didn’t want to share. One that he would control every aspect of. When and what I could eat, what I could wear. He even picked out my gynecologist for me. Being told to bathe immediately after sex or groom myself a certain way for his enjoyment had been par for the course and with no other lover but him to compare to, I was assuming that Luke would be similar.

  When I finished my journey up Luke’s body, he drew me closer and kissed me, which surprised me. His tongue slipped between my lips, tasting the both of us on them, and then he turned his face slightly to nuzzle me. “Anything you want. How would you be most comfortable? Laying down?”

  I froze for a moment, then nodded. He flashed me a toothy grin and gave me a little nudge back toward the bed. “Get comfortable then,” he said.

  Being told to do what I found comfortable honestly left me feeling lost for a moment. Had my own desires ever really mattered that much before? I couldn’t remember a time when they had been. I wasn’t even entirely sure what I preferred, though I didn’t say that out loud. All my own desires had been subsumed by Chris’s, so that what I desired was to be desirable to him. My pleasure came from appealing to him, not from lustfully seeking out my own fantasies.

  Luke just waited. I moved back onto the bed and adjusted the pillows, my head propped up a bit on them so I could watch him. Nude like this and acting only on what I wanted, there was nowhere to hide. I took a deep breath, then drew one knee up before sliding that leg to the side to expose myself to him. Luke’s eyes moved over me admiringly without lingering. Instead he moved onto the bed with me and climbed over my body.

  His lips slid over mine again, his teeth glancing at my bottom lip when he suckled it. Soft kisses moved over my cheeks and my jawline, then down my throat. He kissed in the hollow of my throat, teasing the sensitive skin there with his tongue, then worked his way over my collarbone. In contrast to the frenzy earlier, he took his time. He kissed, stroked, licked, and bit as he traveled over my body. The journey had an eventual goal in mind, but he was in no race to get there. It was more like a pilgrimage.