The Mating Intent-mobi (6 page)

After decades of never displaying emotion in the political firestorm of the Fae King’s court, she knew how to keep a poker face.

The gator opened its jaws and swallowed the raw chicken whole.

Gabriel shook his head. “There goes my dinner. At least he left you all the vegetables.”

The gator grinned, showing rows of pointed teeth.

“Don’t get ideas or I’ll turn you into a cluckagator wrapped in bacon. Everything tastes better with bacon. Even your gnarly hide,” Gabriel warned.

Sienna’s mouth worked as she held back a laugh, her previous grief now gone. Gabriel’s jocular threat diminished the power of the fierce beast shifter.

George the gator ambled out of the kitchen, but not before giving Gabriel a one-clawed salute that clearly indicated, “Fuck you.”

“Nice guy. You’re still friends?”

Gabriel nodded. “He’s ornery and only Willow seems to calm him down, but George is the best protector of the ‘Glades for miles. He knows every inch of the swamp, alerts me when the water levels are low and poachers are trespassing. In turn, I alert the Skin authorities.”

“He lives here?”

“No, I bought him a house nearby. George was homeless. Some stupid Skin thought it would be dandy to torment a gator by stabbing him with an ice pick. He was laid up for a while and lost everything he owned.”

Touched at Gabriel’s thoughtfulness, she shook her head. “You’re very unusual. Not many shifters would grant refuge to other shifters, predator or prey.”

He glanced at her. “It’s a necessity, Sienna. We all band together for protection from development, the Skins who live here and tourists.” His mouth quirked. “Sometimes I think the tourists are the worst, with those hideous lime green shorts they wear.”

Then his gaze grew tender and he touched her cheek. “Although you’d make any crazy outfit look better.”

Her breath hitched. Sienna leaned against his touch, closing her eyes for a moment. It had been too long since anyone touched her with tenderness. For too long she’d shuttered her feelings, never showing herself to the outside world. She was the stoic Shadow Guardian, always devoted to duty.

A duty that did not include Gabriel Sanders in her life.

Drained, she pulled away.

He lightly squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll get used to my touch again. Go take a short nap while I fix dinner. After we eat, I have something to show you.”

“It had better not be you serving me dessert naked,” she warned.

He threw back his head and laughed, such a rich, full sound that the darkness inside her shrank.

“Never thought of that. Though we did have fun with the coconut oil that first time.”

His minty breath feathered over her cheek as he dipped his head. The smoldering look in his eyes echoed her own desire. “I’d rather taste you, darling. Whipped cream on your breasts, slowly licked off, and then I’d part your legs and put some on you there, and lick it off slowly, so slowly, until you screamed. And then screamed again. Maybe after five orgasms, I’d let you taste me.”

Her mouth watered. Sienna was fascinated by the vision.

“Would you like a demonstration to trigger your memory?”

Sienna drew back. Two could play this game. Gabriel was sexy and dangerous, but she also held power.

“You keep talking about getting naked. Maybe I don’t want to see you nude after twenty-five years. Maybe things have changed.”

Gabriel’s expression did not change. He unzipped his jeans, kicked them off and shed his shirt. Fully naked, he stood silently, his heated gaze locked to hers.

Oh. Boy.

“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy,” she whispered, staring.

Gabriel’s mouth quirked ever so slightly. “That’s right. I am a boy.”

His right hand dropped down to his impressive, half-erect sex. “In case you were wondering…”

Sienna swallowed hard. He was magnificent, all male muscle and hardness, sleek and smooth. No other male had the ability to make her burn with sexual desire she could barely control.

“You’ve still got it.”

The words were a whisper. Gabriel tilted his head. Then he cupped his sex. “I hope so. Haven’t lost it since we last made love, in case you were worried.”

For a moment, she stared. But he kept grinning that sweet smile full of arrogant pride and charm. Sienna laughed, the amusement bubbling up from her stomach, tickling her throat and bursting out of her like helium from a balloon. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth, pain stabbing her stomach from the darkness inside her.

His grin dropped. Gabriel yanked up his jeans, zipped them. Then he was at her side, rubbing a thumb over her hand. The pain vanished.

Pressing his mouth against her temple, he kissed her. She felt an odd sensation, as if sinking into a warm bath.

Gabriel drew back. “Now try to laugh.”

Sienna tilted her head. “Why?”

“Just try it. I fixed it so you won’t have any more pain when you have a happy thought. Imagine having sex with me. Now there’s a very happy thought.” Gabriel winked.

“I’m supposed to be attentive to my duty.”

“It’s permitted to think about sex around here, Sienna. You don’t have to stand on protocol with me, or any of us. Let it go.”

His deep, husky voice reminded her of their first time together when she’d been petrified of the new, exciting sensations filling her body. He’d whispered into her ear and she’d finally climaxed. Her body had sung in perfect harmony to the melody he’d created. The memory of his lovemaking made her feel wet and swollen and wanting.

Oh, so wanting him.

“Sex with me, Sienna. Think of it. Remember how it felt,” he murmured.

A shiver raced down her spine.

“It was better than eating chocolate,” he bragged.

A small smile touched her mouth. Fearing the pain, she tried to keep a straight face. “Nothing tastes better than chocolate.”

Gabriel considered. “What if I put chocolate on my dick?”

Her insides tightened and she laughed. Sienna stopped, fearing the pain. But this time there was no ache, only an uplifting feeling of joy.

“Wow.” She pressed her palms against her stomach. “The pain is gone when I laugh.”

“Good. Now you can laugh all you want. Enjoy yourself. You did last time.”

But that had been a lifetime ago, and she was not the same foolish Elf. Sienna shook her head. “I’m here for a reason. I need to get cleansed of this darkness.”

“Trust me, pixie,” he murmured. “I’m going to take very good care of you.”

But she did not dare trust a naked, sexy panther, especially one who wanted to seduce her. “I’m going to bed.” At his wide smile she added, “Alone. “

“I’ll leave you to rest. This time.”

Gabriel winked, sending a blush curling through her body as he bent over to retrieve his clothing, his sex dangling between his legs like her favorite, tempting fruit. Sienna headed for the bedroom, feeling the heat all the way down to her toes. How the hell could she resist him, and be the good Elf she longed to be when every bone in her body was crying out to be bad?

She went to bed, but did not rest.

She dreamed of their first time together. Gabriel, taking her hand and leading her to the bed. After she’d undressed, feeling shy and uncertain, he’d kissed her, his mouth warm and firm upon hers. And then he’d laid her on the bed, the sheets soft beneath her warm skin, and spread coconut oil across her stomach, her breasts, her thighs. He’d rubbed the oil into her skin until she writhed and moaned with want. Then slowly, he’d licked it off with his long cat’s tongue, taking extra time with her nipples until she felt ready to burst.

Then he’d parted her legs and rubbed oil there, too. He kept stroking until she’d screamed and shattered.

And then he’d used more oil on his hand and slathered his rigid cock, positioning it right at her entrance…

It had stung and she’d cried. And then as she finally obeyed his whispered command to relax, the pain faded and it felt like heaven. Gabriel’s muscled body had slid across her oil-soaked skin as he gazed down at her intently. He’d loved her long and slow, and made her come again and again…

Waking up was cruel. Sienna rubbed the dream out of her eyes, feeling sexually frustrated and needy as hell, Sienna splashed cold water on her face. Lots of cold water.

Then she joined him in the dining room. Gabriel glanced up from setting the table.

“You look flushed.”

“I had a dream. It’s nothing.” Sienna rubbed her arms.

“Ah.” He gave her a meaningful look, then picked up a glass bottle from the table and shook it. “Care for some ….oil with your salad?”

Heat spiraled through her, flushing her from head to toe. Sienna shook her head.

Dinner was a fresh pasta salad tossed with raspberry vinaigrette, the tiny cherry tomatoes bursting with flavor, and the greens crisp and green. Gabriel had baked a carrot cake with cream cheese icing. He poured two glasses of chilled Chardonnay.

Sienna dug into the meal, hungrier than she had been in days. When they finished with dinner, he cut her a large slice of cake.

She ate it with relish. “You haven’t lost your touch. You’re such a great cook. Nice house, good business. How do you cope with all the development out here?”

“I partnered with a man who was a contractor, and built my own development.”

Sienna nearly choked on a bite of cake. “You? What, did you decide if you can’t beat them, join them and grab the money?”

His gaze darkened. “No, I sold land the county wanted to preserve as a heritage park. And with that money, I took other land I owned and built homes for Skins, each tract with an acre of land, solar panels and plenty of trees. And drainage ponds to attract endangered birds, so that they’ll adapt to urban life.”

Respect filled her. Gabriel had adapted, using his resources.

“You decided to beat them at their own game. You haven’t changed as much as I thought.”

He sipped his wine and leaned back. “You haven’t changed much either, Sienna. Except you’re a little…darker.”

Such teasing remarks were part of his charm. “It happens in my profession.” She picked up her wineglass, took a huge swallow. “Job hazards.”

Gabriel studied her with his remarkable green eyes. Panther eyes, she thought dimly. “What happened after you left me?”

A fist squeezed her insides. Suddenly her appetite faded, leaving her cold. “I returned to court. Resumed my responsibilities.”

After living with the consequences of her behavior.

“What did the Enforcer do to you?”

His voice was deep and husky, but his expression remained smooth. The shifter knew how to play his hand.

“Nothing more than I deserved. It’s the price for being a Shadow Guard.” Then remembering, she inadvertently flinched.

“What did she do?” Gabriel repeated.

“Lana didn’t do anything. She judged me and then had the Crimson Wizard deliver the punishment.”

Mouth tightened, he studied her. “Because she’s a heartless bitch who passes herself off as a good Elf.”

“You’ve had some dealings with her?” Sienna felt confused.

“I’ve watched her in action. I told you, I’ve visited the king’s court before. Now tell me.  Did she order you beaten before kicking you out for a few days, a few weeks, a month? Leave you to fend for yourself?

Sienna shrank back, trembling. Her buttocks squeezed and sweat popped out on her forehead. “The Crimson Wizard removed all my magick and then stripped me naked and whipped me. After that, I was sent to live in the woods alone for two months.”

Hard anger flickered in his eyes. “Bloodied and beaten, no powers, no means to defend yourself.”

“I survived.” She shook her head, the remembered humiliation hurting worse than the pain.

Gabriel sat and drank more wine. When he set down the glass, he wiped his mouth with the back of one hand. “Cael is a cruel bastard of a king and Lana is a coward. I could strangle them both for hurting you.”

“He is a just ruler and I deserved it,” she protested. “It was the price I paid…”

For sharing your bed.
The unspoken words hung there between them.

“I knew it was wrong to have sex with you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with making love,” he said tightly.

“There is when you’re a Shadow Guard and vowed to be celibate.” Pushing back her plate, she picked up her wineglass and drained it. “It was delicious, but I’m full. Are you still growing organic?”

“As much as I can, though I buy vegetables from the market instead of using our stock.”

“Because you want to sell what you grow?”

“Because I don’t want our dinner attacking us.”

Sienna blinked. “My hearing must be poor. Your dinner attacking you? As  in heartburn?”

His expression grew grim. “Attack as in the tomatoes choking you deliberately.”

“Gabriel, vegetables don’t attack…”

“A local deer shifter died after eating a radish from the garden. It turned to acid and ate through his throat.”

Sienna’s stomach churned. “Your garden? The garden where you grow organic vegetables for Skins?”

“Odd thing, the vegetables don’t affect Skins, only Others.” 

Dread curled down her spine. She looked at him, her skin growing clammy. She’d thought to visit, use the spring and leave.

“Have you called Cael about this?”

“No.” He grew very still. “That bastard is the last one I’d call upon for help. I’m not indebting myself to him, not after what he did to you.”

“But he can help you.”

He leaned forward. “I’ve found a way to cope on my own. Do you think I’m the type of guy who’d buddy up to the royal who hurt you?”

“You didn’t know what happened to me.”

“I suspected as much. And it was only because you never answered my letters or my phone calls that I didn’t come charging up there to throw you over my shoulder and take you away from all that.”

His chivalry touched her. Sienna shook her head. “I couldn’t let you do that. It’s my life and I made the decision.”

“And the good bitch Lana provided the punishment, courtesy of the Crimson Wizard.”

Alarmed at his simmering anger, she decided to steer the conversation in another direction. “Tell me what’s going on with your land. Attacking radishes? Mangroves beating snake shifters? Snake shifters wanting to attack me? How bad is this?”