Primal Law (26 page)
“One important one, really.” Mac paused. “Did Nick tell you?”
“I told her,” the boss confirmed.
“Wait a second. Is this about me being his mate? You’re telling me that not only do we have this attraction we can’t help, but his cure depends on me?”
“That’s what we’re saying,” Mac told her gently. “His
life
depends on you.”
life
depends on you.”
She gasped. “He’s going to
die
if I don’t mate with him? Oh, my God!” She rounded on Nick. “You said I could give it time! And now I find out I have no choice? I’m supposed to just hand my entire life over to a man who’s half canine, and not really a man at all?”
die
if I don’t mate with him? Oh, my God!” She rounded on Nick. “You said I could give it time! And now I find out I have no choice? I’m supposed to just hand my entire life over to a man who’s half canine, and not really a man at all?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she’d crossed the line. Especially when a hoarse voice spoke from behind her.
“I’d never ask you to make such a horrible sacrifice. Don’t worry. You won’t be saddled with a filthy dog like me.”
With that, Jax limped past the group. His cheeks were still pale and he was holding his stomach as he walked slowly across the waiting room and out the door.
Kira’s face flamed, her heart aching with shame. And something else, a yearning for the man who’d left, looking more dejected than she’d ever seen anyone. She wanted to call him back, but the words had lodged in her throat like a melon.
She’d put her own feelings before the well-being of a good man. He could die, and she’d only thought of herself.
The scathing look she received from Dr. Mallory spoke volumes. “Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? Go see Jax and make things right.”
“I will,” she said softly.
Ducking her head, she rushed from the room. She had to apologize.
And somehow make him understand these feelings she didn’t even comprehend herself.
Jaxon’s stomach churned, and his head pounded. His throat, his whole body, felt like he was slowly being roasted in an oven, but those symptoms weren’t the worst.
No, the worst was Kira’s words still ringing in his brain. Cutting him off at the knees, bringing him lower than he’d ever been. Even after Afghanistan, with more than half his soldiers slaughtered. Or following the ambush on Alpha Pack, when Beryl had betrayed him.
I’m supposed to just hand my entire life over to a man who’s half canine, and not really a man at all?
Not a man at all.
What else had he expected? But God, it hurt. So badly he wanted to curl up in the fetal position and die. A warrior and a shifter with special abilities, cut down by a woman’s tongue as surely as if he’d been run through with a sword or shot between the eyes. The latter would be kinder than this.
Breathing through the pain—both kinds—he let himself into his apartment and headed for his room. Without bothering to remove his boots, he flopped onto his bed and lay on his side, covering his eyes. That’s when he realized the burning in his throat wasn’t all from the fever. Sweet Jesus, he hadn’t cried in years and he wasn’t about to give in now.
He’d dealt with a lot of shit and he’d deal with being rejected by his mate.
He would.
But that didn’t stop the hot moisture from seeping between his lashes. Angrily, he rubbed his eyes, willing the ache to ease. Was this the reaction of the dirty dog, or the man? How sad that he didn’t know.
Oh yeah, you’re not a man, remember?
He heard a rapping at the door to his place. He lay there willing it to stop, but his visitor wasn’t going away.
“Son of a bitch.”
Hauling himself up, he started for the door. Halfway there, Kira’s familiar scent wafted to him, freezing him in his tracks. If she’d come to apologize, he wasn’t ready to listen to excuses.
Growling in frustration, he limped across the distance and yanked the door open, schooling his expression to appear calm. “What do you want?”
His curt greeting took her aback and she fidgeted nervously. “Can I come in? I really don’t want to do this where someone might hear.”
“Funny, you didn’t have a problem with that in the clinic.”
“Jax, please?” Her small face was pinched, blue eyes shadowed with worry.
He sighed. “I guess. Come in.”
Leaving her to follow, he shuffled into the living room and sat on one end of the sofa. She took the other end, perching close to him but not touching. Since this was her dime, he let her struggle.
“Look, you don’t know how sorry I am for what you heard,” she began with difficulty. “But I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
He snorted an ugly laugh. “That I’m not a man? Really? I’d love to know how else to take that except you believe I’m an animal, or subhuman.”
“No!” Leaning toward him, she clutched his knee. “That’s not what I meant! I just find it sort of scary to learn that I don’t have a say when it comes to you being my mate. That I have to be bound to someone for life because of biology, and not love.”
He studied her, decided she was being honest. “I get that. But how do you know this attraction between us is not becoming love already?”
“How do I know it is, for absolute sure?” she countered. “I’ve never been serious about anyone before, not serious enough to marry or even live together. And then I suddenly learn that there’s a whole world I never knew existed, and that the creatures of my childhood fables aren’t so fictional after all. There was no time to adjust, to catch my breath. And then, bam! Sudden, life-altering changes and a man—and yes, you
are
a man, and I’m a jerk—a man is claiming me for his own. And, oh yeah, he and his friends are like critters out of a J. R. R. Tolkien novel, and I’m walking around half-expecting to run into Gollum looking for his precious!”
are
a man, and I’m a jerk—a man is claiming me for his own. And, oh yeah, he and his friends are like critters out of a J. R. R. Tolkien novel, and I’m walking around half-expecting to run into Gollum looking for his precious!”
Her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed from the passion of her speech, blond hair framing her face. Damned if she wasn’t the cutest thing he’d ever seen.
And fuck it all, he was going to forgive her.
Reaching out, he brushed back a pale strand. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I guess that would pretty much mess with your day.”
Arousal flared on her face, pupils dilating. Breath hitching, she scooted closer, capturing his hand. “Pretty much. Forgive me?”
“Sweet baby, I forgave you at ‘I’m a jerk.’ ”
Her lips tilted into a smile. “Don’t get used to it.”
“I’d like to get used to you, period.”
“How flattering.”
“I’m working on my delivery. What can I say?”
“Say you’ll kiss me,” she whispered.
He smiled, all his pain forgotten with her one simple request. “Baby, I’ll do much more than that.”
Pulling his woman close, he crushed his mouth to hers.
Eleven
K
ira reveled in his mouth on hers, his tongue slipping inside to taste. Being held in his strong arms was heaven and she loved his size, how she felt surrounded. Safe.
ira reveled in his mouth on hers, his tongue slipping inside to taste. Being held in his strong arms was heaven and she loved his size, how she felt surrounded. Safe.
His hardness poked against her stomach, causing her to squirm. He moaned and a little spurt of satisfaction went through her that she was the cause of his arousal. His need.
Big hands skimmed her sides, worked underneath her shirt. Found the cups of her bra and palmed them as he thrust upward, grinding his erection, seeking relief. The action caused an answering heat between her legs that spread low in her womb. She needed to be filled by him. Owned. Ravaged.
“Too many clothes,” she hissed, tugging at his shirt.
Briefly, his eyes seemed to glow. “We can remedy that.”
She yanked the garment over his head and then scooted back some, attacking his belt. With a low chuckle, he raised his hips to help her along and she freed his thick cock, lifted out his heavy balls. She’d never thought of a man’s package as particularly beautiful, but Jax was everything a man should be. And much more.
Suddenly she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to taste the precum seeping from the slit of his cock. To wrap her lips around the head and drive him crazy with lust. In the past, giving a guy a blow job was something she could take or leave—mostly leave since the act was usually all about
his
pleasure, not hers—but this time was different. With Jax, the pleasure would go both ways.
his
pleasure, not hers—but this time was different. With Jax, the pleasure would go both ways.
Sliding to the floor, she pushed his knees apart and crouched between his denim-clad thighs, smoothing her palms on top of them. She loved the feel of his muscles bunching under her fingertips and wanted to see more.
“Off with the jeans,” she ordered, smirking at his surprise. A slow grin curved his sexy mouth as he complied, sliding the offending material down his hips.
“Whatever the lady wants.”
“Smart man.”
As she eased the jeans and boxer briefs down his legs and pulled them off his feet, she glanced up to see a shadow darken his expression. His gaze flicked to his injured leg and away, so quickly she might’ve missed it if she hadn’t been paying attention.
Gently, she kissed the scarred flesh that twisted around his right thigh. “Your scars don’t make you any less handsome to me. They don’t matter.”
“You think I’m concerned about my looks? No, I deserve exactly what I got and more for trusting the wrong person and leading my team into a trap.”
His voice was filled with such self-loathing her heart went out to him. “I don’t believe that and neither should you. Someone took advantage of your trust and broke it, and that person is responsible for what happened. Not you,” she stressed.
“But I—”
“Hush.” Bending over his lap, she grasped the base of his cock and gave the slit a lick, catching the drops. Saltysweet flavor burst on her tongue and he sucked in a breath. Oh, tasting him was going to become addictive, real fast.
“Kira,” he moaned. His head fell back to rest against the sofa and he spread his legs wider, raising his hips the slightest bit, a silent encouragement to continue with the welcome attention.
She didn’t need much convincing. As she took the spongy head between her lips and began to suckle, it was readily apparent that giving in to him was to be its own reward. His tanned skin was hot, his long, thick cock flushed dark, balls heavy with need. He was sprawled before her like a feast, one hand buried in her hair, the other clutching the arm of the sofa as though he might blast off any second and had to somehow anchor himself.
She watched his face as she took him deeper, sucked his rod and laved the silky underside, pumping the base. His eyes were closed in ecstasy, chest rising and falling more rapidly, making the swirling tattoos on his shoulder move and seem almost alive.
“God, I can’t take much more,” he told her roughly.
His control was admirable, but he was no match for her bobbing up and down. Taking him to the back of her throat, and out again. She slid along his length until he pushed her back carefully with a low chuckle.
“Damn, woman, I’m about to lose it. My turn,” he insisted, his dark tone making her shiver in anticipation. He slid to the floor next to her and patted the sofa cushion. “Brace yourself, honey.”
Moving forward, she laid her front half down on the comfortable seat, hyperaware of him positioning himself behind her. Even though he was exposed and vulnerable moments ago, she wasn’t certain she liked feeling that way herself. She was too skinny, shaped too much like a boy without womanly curves and the lush bosom that appealed to so many men. She didn’t know what a hottie like Jax saw in her body, but he seemed to appreciate it just fine.
Can’t fake a gigantic hard-on.
“Spread for me, baby.”
She inched her knees apart more, and the position had her offered with her ass in the air, ready and willing to be his.
“That’s it. Jesus, you’re so pretty.” Two fingers dipped into her slit, already hot and wet. Rubbed and smeared her juices, played with her clit. “You like that, baby?”
“Y-yes. Please . . .”
“More?”
“Please, don’t stop!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you hanging.”
Suddenly his lips were bestowing soft kisses to the small of her back. It was slightly ticklish and she stifled a giggle, and then he moved on. He caressed her rear and then nuzzled her sex, taking a tentative swipe with his tongue. Arching her back, she opened for him as much as possible, telling him without words to take what he wanted. Give them what they both needed.
As he laved her folds, tongue dipping inside, she started to feel too big for her own skin. Like she was swelling, a balloon becoming more and more full, heat pushing at her from inside out. The feeling began in her sex and washed to her limbs, filtered into her blood, bringing it to a gradual boil. Searing her.
“Oh . . . Oh, Jax.”
“You taste so sweet,” he whispered. “I’m going to fuck you so hard.”
The image his words inspired, his mouth working her into a fever, shattered whatever resistance was left. Her bones melted and she submitted completely, his to do with whatever he wished. She was his. Nothing else mattered.
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