Kodiak's Claim (16 page)

As if they played a role in a romantic movie, he literally swept half of his desk clean, sending papers and folders, even pens, tumbling to the floor, clearing a spot so he could sit her on the scarred wooden surface. She wondered why for a moment until he began yanking at her pants, tugging them past her hips and buttocks down her legs. He stripped them off her, leaving her clad only in her shirt and socks, in too much of a hurry it seemed to go any further.

He dropped to his knees between her thighs, a supplicant determined to pay homage on a certain part of her body. At the first lick of his tongue across her nether lips, she couldn’t help but cry out. She quickly bit her lip, using the sharp point of pain to muffle further sounds, trying to keep the audible evidence of her pleasure quiet. But he made it so hard. He feasted on her, spreading her plump lips to lap at her core. He jabbed her with his tongue. He flicked her clit. He sucked on it. Toyed with her as she leaned back on his desk, panting and quickly approaching the edge of pleasure.

But he didn’t let her come. Not yet.

Grasping her by the thighs, he slid her off the desk and spun her. A firm hand in the middle of the back bent her over, and she placed her hands flat on the wooden surface as he nudged her thighs apart. The distinctive sound of a zipper lowering preceded the poke of his hard cock against her moist sex.

He didn’t fumble or play around. He thrust into her welcoming channel. Slid his thick shaft into her, stretching her. He curled an arm around her waist as he leaned over her. His other hand palmed the desk as a brace. Positioned, he began to pump her, in and out strokes, deep, hard, and oh so welcome.

Her sex clung to his cock, squeezing and fisting it, shuddering each time he struck her inner sweet spot. Faster he thrust, in and out, his breathing just as ragged as her own, his arm tight around her waist so as to not lose his rhythm.

When she came, a climax that wrung his name from her in a tortured gasp, he growled, a soft rumble, which only made her shudder harder. But it was his huskily said, “
mine!
” that triggered her second orgasm.

Their breathing erratic, her heart racing, and her body now limp, she remained bent over his desk, his body curved against her backside. She could have stayed like this forever. All it would take was a few words. The right words.

But being a man, he, of course, didn’t say them. Instead he showed his cave bear roots.

“You’re staying, and that’s final.”

We’ll see about that.

Reid felt the anger in Tammy not even a second after he spoke. Saw it in the way her lips remained tight and her glances glared. In silence, she dressed.

Let her be angry. She’d come to understand he did it for her own good.

Hers or mine?
he wondered as she slammed out of his office in a huff.

The more Tammy seemed determined to leave, the more Reid didn’t want to let her go. Part of it had to do with her safety like he’d mentioned. Another with the fact that she knew his secret, the town’s secret really, and he was somewhat worried about it getting out. But the real reason, the biggest one, was he didn’t want her to leave.
She can’t leave me.

Yeah, he knew she wasn’t the woman for him. He understood she belonged to a different world than his. Yet, it didn’t change how he felt, and he couldn’t even blame it all on his bear.

I want her to stay. With me. She’s mine.
Even if she refused to recognize it.

The more she argued about wanting to go, the more adamant he became about making her stay. The more her eyes flashed and she tilted that stubborn chin, as she faced him, unafraid and sexy, the more he wanted to crush her perfect frame to his and kiss those delectable lips until they changed their tune.

It was why he couldn’t stop himself. Why he took her over his desk, her sweet ass a welcome cushion for his pushing. He thrust into her welcoming heat until the defiance in her turned to soft cries of “yes”. No matter those yeses were for something else, they appeased his inner beast.

But they didn’t solve his dilemma.

How to keep her? Not now. She’d stalked off in a snit, a probably deserved one given his high handedness with her, but what else could he do? She wanted to leave, and for some reason, he just couldn’t let that happen. Yet she was right. She couldn’t stay forever, not unless he did something to make her situation more permanent.

If he claimed her as mate, he’d cause a shitstorm with his grandmother, his family, hell, possibly the whole town, who expected their alpha to choose a shifter to stand at his side. Custom and expectation, though, didn’t take into account his happiness. His wants.
My needs.

He was boss, Alpha and leader. If he wanted to keep Tammy by his side, did he really give a flying fuck what the rest of the world thought? What was the point of having all this power, of ensuring he had the respect of his clan, if not to use it? Yes, taking a human as mate might be selfish, but dammit, the world wouldn’t end if he indulged in one selfish act. Yes, he might have to face some grumbles and disappointment, but fuck it. Being a leader wasn’t about making everyone happy but about doing what was right. And what was right for him had stalked out of his office and was threatening to escape from his life.

Not acceptable. I’m keeping her.

However, how could he convince her to stay, and stay not because of danger or because he’d accused her of not being trustworthy? How did he get her to agree and have her feel for him what he felt for her?

They’d known each other for only a few days. No way would she understand that shifters were more impulsive and intuitive when it came to selecting a mate. Humans had all these strange preconceived notions about dating and compatibility. Hell, they even had quizzes in those girly magazines sold on the shelves at the store.

Reid didn’t need no stupid multiple-choice questionnaire to tell him he and Tammy were compatible. He knew it. Felt it.

He’d have to figure out a solution to his dilemma later, though. For the moment, she was stuck because he’d not lied about that. If he said no one would give her ride, then no amount of bribery would change anyone’s mind.

Once he got back from his planned ambush, he’d work on convincing her. First, he had some murdering little bastards to take care of.

Boris and the others had fixed the transport truck’s radiator problem. Reid had finagled a load to appease one of his distributors, and Travis was prepping to leave tonight with Boris, while Reid, Brody, and a bunch of others would shadow them on snowmobiles. If trouble dared attack—and he hoped they did—they’d have a surprise.

As for Tammy, his grandmother, and the town? Reid figured there was safety in numbers. For the night, his Ursa could stay at his Aunt Jean’s house and Tammy would bunk at Jan’s, whose collection of firearms could probably stall a small army. His receptionist might appear sophisticated on the outside, but the girl had a fetish for weapons rivalled only by Boris.

And if all went well, in twenty-four hours, Reid would have taken care of the threat to his position, avenged his people, and he could concentrate on convincing one sexy city girl that she wanted to relocate—permanently.

Tammy mumbled under her breath as she paced Jan’s pristine living room. Forget rustic country style, the room could have been taken straight from a home décor magazine for modern perfection. White walls, dark floors, and creamy-colored chenille couches with a matching beige rug were highlighted by brilliant red pillows and colorful artwork on the walls depicting, of all things, quaint Paris side streets and the waterways of Venice.

“Stupid stubborn bear thinks he can tell me what to do.” Tammy still couldn’t believe the nerve of him. She’d foolishly expected, after their tryst, for him to declare something, affection, or even a plea for her to stay so they could explore this wild attraction between them. Instead, he pulled an I-am-the-boss bullshit thing, an attitude that he then expanded upon when he told her in no uncertain terms that she would be spending the night and possibly the next day with Jan while he took care of business. In other words, hunted down the guy screwing with his business and threatening his family.

Fine. She could understand he felt a need to handle things and that he was concerned for her safety. However, it was how he did it. He didn’t ask. He ordered. Hot when done in the bedroom and during sex, not so hot when Tammy was mad and wanted to flee for home where she had ice cream in her freezer perfect for a wounded heart.

As if dealing with her tumultuous emotions wasn’t enough, he took her phone! Took it and forbade Jan from letting her use one.

Tammy finally relented in her angry silent treatment to ask, “Why can’t I use a phone? I need to call my office and let them know I’m going to be delayed for a few days. And what about my mother? She gets worried when I don’t check in.” Or if she didn’t answer. Or if the moon and Saturn were in a certain position in the sky. Her mother had issues when it came to Tammy’s safety. But Tammy forgave them, given what had happened to her dad, the one and only love of her mother’s life.

Reid’s reply. “I’ll take care of it.”

Her cold shoulder after that didn’t stop him from dropping a heart-stopping, heat-inducing whopper of a kiss on her lips. Then, he courted another frying pan to the head when he told her to, “Behave,” before swatting her on the butt. She gaped, he grinned, completely unrepentant, and strode off—with an ass that was much too sexy for glaring at—to take care of “business.”

Jan had to notice Tammy’s less-than-happy demeanor, but she didn’t say much, not during the ride to her place. But that changed once they got to her bungalow.

“So what are you going to do?” Jan asked as she stripped out of her outerwear and hung it on a coat rack just inside the door.

“What do you mean?”

“I couldn’t help but overhear Reid. He’s forbidden you from leaving.”

“Apparently he has
trust
issues.” Tammy made some air quotes as she rolled her eyes. “Like I’d go blabbing his secret or yours to anyone else. I prefer a room without padded walls, thank you very much.”

“Maybe it’s his man-way of asking you to stay.”

“I doubt it. He’s made it pretty clear that I’m too human for him. Apparently, I’m good enough for a wham-bam thank you ma’am, but anything else is out of the question.”

“Ouch.”

“Not really. He was pretty upfront from the get go about it.”

“Do you like him?”

“Yes and no. I mean I’m attracted to him, and I think under the right circumstances we could make things work. But he’s not interested in that, and I am not going to be one of those girls who begs or lets a man use her.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Tammy shrugged. “What can I do for the moment? I want to leave. He won’t let me. I guess I’m stuck for the moment.”

“Or not.” Jan went to a gleaming black armoire, which Tammy assumed hid her television and sound system. Wrong. The doors opened up onto a mini armory.

“Holy smokes. Why so many guns?” Tammy asked as she eyeballed the deadly stash.

“My dad liked them, and when I was young, he taught me to shoot. I hear you’re a pretty good shot yourself.”

“My father also had a thing for weapons.”

“Had?”

“He died when I was just a kid.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, well, accidents happen.” And the guilt never died. “But I don’t understand why you’re showing me this.”

“You want to leave, right?”

“Yes. Haven’t you heard, though? Reid won’t let me.”

“What if I could help you?”

A crease formed on her brow. “How?”

“I’ll drive you, of course. The big rigs aren’t the only way in and out of town. I’ve got all-wheel drive. Hell, we’ll make better time in my SUV than in one of those big noisy trucks. But, if we’re going to hit the road, we should bring along some protection just in case.”

“You mean arm ourselves? Do you think we might be attacked?”

While Tammy got the feeling the stranger from the other night wouldn’t be bothering her again, she couldn’t ignore the fact that Reid thought the problems plaguing his town and clan weren’t over.

“So far, they haven’t targeted regular folk, but a girl can never be too cautious.”

“What about Reid’s ban on helping me leave? You do know he’ll probably get mad.”

“Yes he will.” Jan shrugged. “He’ll roar. I’ll probably get reamed out and punished, but ultimately, he’ll understand I’m doing this for his own good. For the town’s sake.”

“Because your alpha can’t date a human.”

“No, he could. He is the leader, and he could change the rules. But,
let’s be honest here, you don’t belong here. He doesn’t call you city girl for nothing. I don’t mean for that to sound mean or disparaging. It’s just life out here isn’t
for everyone. Heck, there are days I want to ditch the small-town life and move to the city.” A wistful expression crossed Jan’s face.

“Why don’t you leave if you feel that way? You’re smart and beautiful. Why not spread your wings or, er, paws and see what else it out there?”

A sad expression crossed Jan’s face. “You make it sound so easy. Maybe it is for you.”

Don’t be so sure. I want to stay. Yet, as Reid and now Jan are telling me, I can’t.

“In my case, I know for a fact my future is here, even if he won’t recognize it.” Jan sighed.

Sounded as if someone suffered from unrequited love. Tammy wondered who the guy was. But even more, she wondered if she had the guts to take Jan up on her offer.
Or should I give it a few more days and stay like Reid wants? I can’t believe he doesn’t feel anything for me. He’s too tender. Too focused.
Too everything. He wasn’t the type of man to indulge carelessly, and yet he had—with Tammy.

Did it mean something? And if it did…

Let’s say he did ask her to stick around and see if they could try and build something together. Would she say yes? Could she?

Despite the initial culture shock, Tammy knew she could enjoy living in Kodiak Point. After the hustle of the city, quiet was proving nice.
Just think how relaxing it would be, especially if no one is shooting at me or trying to kidnap me.
It wouldn’t take much to ditch her city girl nickname. Once upon a time, she’d loved the simpler life. Finding a job might prove challenging though.