Catching His Cat (Romance on the Go Book 0) Read online

  “I like that look on your face right now, little cat.” His gravelly voice sent a flutter through her stomach.

  “What—what look?” she whispered back.

  “A combination of lust and anxiety … though you truly have nothing to fear from me. You know that, right?”

  “I know. It’s just this is a big change for me. I’m unsure of how it's going to work.”

  “We will take it one step at a time mate. That’s all we ever have to do.” He smiled down at her, his hands moving lower to settle over her breasts, the warmth of his skin feeling amazing with the chill still in the air around them. “But I’d like to get on with the step where I take my mate again so that she can mark me properly in return, as I did on our first night together.”

  Bella couldn’t deny that she wanted to sink her teeth into this male so that no other female would think to take him from her, but she had her own ideas on how that scene would play out.

  “Ahem, don’t you think you’re forgetting something here?” She waved her tied wrists around.

  He seemed pensive for a moment, his eyes narrowing, but she could see the small quirk of his lips. “Are you sure you won’t hit me with another lamp and then run away, mate?”

  “I’ve run out of reasons to flee you, Laird,” she winked at him, “but there’s no guarantee I won’t hit you with a lamp again in the future if you piss me off.”

  “Fair enough,” he agreed as he quickly sliced through the material holding her wrists and then pushed her back into the mattress as his mouth hungrily found hers.

  Chapter Eight

  Laird thrilled at the taste of his mate. He’d planned a long, drawn-out seduction in his mind, but she’d surprised him once again with her trust that they would be able to make this work together, now that his intentions had been clarified. He knew that they would indeed make it work because he’d do anything in his power to make certain this woman was happy for the rest of her life.

  His hands moved back up along her arms until their fingers clasped together. It was shocking how connected it made him feel to her. Laird reluctantly left her sweet lips, to trail his tongue and mouth along her delicate neck. He sucked over the spot on her shoulder that now bore his mark, causing her hips to buck beneath him as she moaned in pleasure. One of her long legs wrapped around his hip, pulling him closer, close enough that he could feel the wet heat of her pussy brush along his hard cock. When he let his weight fall against her, he was the one groaning as he rubbed the length of his engorged flesh in between her wet folds. He thought back to their first night together, the feel and taste of her most delicate flesh against his tongue, and he needed to taste every inch of her this time.

  “Hmm, I think I should have left your hands tied, little cat,” he mumbled as he shifted his ass down so that he could move lower. “Your touch is distracting me from my plan of attack.”

  She laughed then, even as she moaned when his cock slipped down and she could no longer grind herself against him. “What’s that they say, ‘All’s fair in love and war’?”

  The feel of her fingers tangling through his hair as he lowered his mouth to one peaked nipple was perfection. He laved and suckled at her until it was swollen and red, and then he moved his attention to the other. Her quick intake of breath when he bit down on the nub was an intriguing reward. He’d have to explore the possibility of her reaction to that small taste of pain later on. He left his fingers and thumbs to continue to tease her sensitive breasts as he kissed his way down her stomach and finally to the bare mound of her pussy. The sweet, musky scent of her arousal was intoxicating, and he drew in a deep breath of it before he ran the tip of his tongue in between the wet folds.

  Sybella’s legs opened wide for him, and her deep sigh as he slowly licked the full length of her satisfied his inner cat immensely. Finally, he was caring for his mate, giving her the pleasure she needed, and something inside of him felt completed. Laird used his fingers to open up the swollen lips of her pussy, his tongue covering every inch of her as it was revealed to him, and when the hard, little nub of her clit was the only spot left he hadn’t tasted she groaned out his name in a plea.

  “Please, Laird.”

  “Mmm, is this what you want?” He teased her clit, running circles around it with the tip of his tongue, holding her hips firmly when she tried to move them.

  “Suck it, please.” Her voice was a desperate whisper. “I need to come, and then I need to feel your cock filling me up.”

  He needed that, too, to sink his now aching shaft into the warmth of her body, into the only woman he would ever take from now on, the only woman who could complete his soul.

  Laird wrapped his lips around the swollen piece of flesh and suckled it as he used the tip of his tongue to move back and forth over the sensitive nerve endings. He slipped two fingers slowly inside of her wet passage just in time to feel her entire body shudder and tense as she screamed out his name in ecstasy. Still, he did not release her. He slowly moved his digits inside of her, still licking at her clit, until she came once again, only this time he drew back and soothed her flesh with gentle kisses.

  He looked up the length of her body, and the sheer beauty of her took his breath away. Her dark auburn hair was in a wild halo around her head, a stark contrast to the white sheets below them. Her eyes were closed, and she had a sweetly satisfied smile on her beautifully pink, perfect lips. The creamy pale skin of her chest and neck was flushed with desire, and the deep breaths she was taking caused her perky breasts to move with each inhale, hypnotizing him with their dance.

  Laird moved his hand down to stroke his hard cock, spreading the wet pre-cum that had escaped in his desire all over to ease his movements. He was so turned on at this point that with a few strong pulls he could be shooting his seed all over his mate’s soft belly, marking her with his scent—but he wanted to feel her softest flesh surrounding him. He wanted to feel the muscles of her pussy contracting in her pleasure, working to draw the seed from his body, to plant his legacy in her womb. He moved up to rest in the cradle of her thighs. Slowly, with his shaft in hand, he rubbed the weeping head along her wetness. The scorching heat of her flesh causing more of his essence to escape from the tip, teasing them both as he spread it to mingle with her own.

  “You are a terrible tease, mate.” Her eyes opened, and she smiled at him once again. “I need you to fuck me now.”

  He did not answer her; he simply pushed himself forward to slowly sink into her entrance. Laird took his time, feeling every single inch as it welcomed his throbbing flesh. This was different than the first time. It wasn’t the rush of hormones and urgent alarms that had made their first joining so explosive. This was like coming home. He felt the soul deep connection to this woman, this fierce, strong, and amazing woman. He was humbled that she had accepted him as her mate, and he would spend the rest of their lives making sure that he did his best to surpass all her expectations of him. When he finally was as deep as he could get, his balls nestled against her soft body, he looked deeply into her eyes.

  “You are mine, Sybella.” His voice was raw with emotion, and his hand rose to cup her cheek. “From now until the end of us. My mate, forever.”

  “Yes, Laird.” She nuzzled her face into his hold. “I am yours as you are mine—forever.”

  ****

  “Forever” seemed to be the magic word, for as soon as it left her lips, Laird began to finally move inside of her. His thick length drew back until it was almost free of her, and then he plunged back inside with the most wonderful power. The more she writhed and purred underneath his powerful body, the faster and stronger his thrusts were. Bella could feel his need and his lust for her, and it only multiplied her own, making her feel crazed to have him deeper inside of her, to be as connected as two people can be.

  “More, love.” She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him down so that she could kiss and lick along his chiseled chest. “Harder, deeper.”

  He grunted and followe
d her commands, and she couldn’t stop her nails from digging into his ass to urge him on. The force of his pelvis slapping against her own sent a sharp pleasure through her clit, and he cursed as her muscles fluttered around his shaft.

  Goddess, I am so close!

  The thick flesh inside of her filled her in the most incredible way, and with her body still sensitive from her previous orgasms, one more hard thrust in she finally toppled over the abyss into the warm pleasure that awaited them both. Sybella dug in those nails and pulled his ass in tight to her as she sank her shifted teeth into the flesh of his shoulder. She hung on tight as his hips bucked hard against her and he screamed out her name, emptying his seed inside of her body, just as she’d needed him to.

  She softly licked at the droplets of blood that seeped from the marks from her teeth, and her cougar preened at how fiercely they’d marked their mate. Laird groaned as he wrapped one arm around her and moved them to lie on their sides, his flesh still buried inside of her.

  “Mmm, it's nice up here.” Laird pulled her in closer and nuzzled her neck. “So quiet. My life doesn’t have a lot of quiet these days.”

  “Well, I hope you remember that in six months when you’re cursing the fact that the nearest Starbucks is in Chilliwack.” She sighed, her mind already thinking ahead and worrying that he’d regret agreeing to move here for her.

  “I will have to travel at least a couple times a month. I have meetings that can’t be missed.” He leaned back and then kissed her quickly and gave her a wink, “Oh, and I do have a helicopter at my disposal for emergencies—so in life or death situations … we could have the coffee flown in.”

  She laughed, loving this lighter side to her mate. Bella would never have guessed this side was there, but she looked forward to bringing it out more—Laird seemed too serious most of the time. Maybe together, they would be able to help ease each other’s burdens.

  Chapter Nine

  “Race you back? Loser makes dinner.”

  The mischievous smile on his mate’s face instantly made him respond in kind. He’d forgotten how cold it was outside until they were standing buck-ass naked out in front of the cabin.

  “You’re on.” Almost before the words were finished she’d shifted and taken off like a shot into the woods. Laird laughed and then followed her, relieved when the warmth of his cougar’s thick fur covered his skin. He followed her scent, full on, trying to catch up with her, catching glances of the beautiful red pelt through the trees before she was once again out of his sight.

  One day, I’ll know these woods as well as my mate, and I’ll make sure to make a wager I’ll enjoy collecting much more than a home cooked meal.

  He was still smiling when he finally ran into the shed that held his clothes. He quickly dressed and rushed out to find where his mate had gone off to. When he arrived back at the main office building, there was a crowd of people gathered in front, and he could feel the tenseness coming from his mate. Sybella stood beside Gage and Jackson, but there was a male standing opposite them with a smug look on his face that Laird didn’t care for at all—especially since it was directed at his mate.

  “It’s good to see you again, Bells. I hear congratulations are in order?” the smarmy male said.

  Bella threw a scathing glance towards one of the younger wolf males who’d tussled with Laird earlier that day, and the boy bared his neck and looked away.

  “Brody. It’s been a while, though I can’t say that I’ve missed having you around these parts. Are you here to see your brother? Your mother didn’t mention you’d be paying us a visit, and given how you’ve treated her in the past I’m certain she would have warned me if she’d known.” Bella’s tone clearly indicated that she wasn’t pleased with this male showing up unannounced, so he wasn’t a part of this pack—which Laird thought was odd considering two members of his immediate family were. He also wasn’t keen on the way this male was looking at his mate. He had a feeling they had a history together.

  “Still as bitchy as ever I see, that’s why you and I never worked out, you know, Bells,” his eyes moved to Laird as if to gauge his reaction, “but since I’ve been told you’ve mated up, and to the Ruling Alpha no less, I’ve come to claim my rightful place as Alpha of this mangy pack.”

  Ah, so this was one of the exes that had left his mate so distrustful of men. Laird was beginning to see why that was.

  Her growl was loud and immediate. “Sorry to disappoint you, Brody, but I’m still Alpha here, and I have no intention of going anywhere, mated or not.”

  “Less than twenty-four hours and she’s taken your balls already, Connors?” Brody sneered over at Laird, no doubt trying to bait him into undermining Sybella’s authority in front of witnesses.

  “My mate doesn’t need my help running her own pard, but you should watch your tone nonetheless, boy,” Laird growled back. “Once she’s put you in your place, there’s no reason why I can’t teach you some respect for your Ruling Alpha.”

  His answer seemed to enrage Brody, his eyes growing wild. Laird could see this male wasn’t all there mentally. He was aggressive with an easy trigger and from the sounds of it, hadn’t been a part of a proper pack in some time. He was prime rogue material.

  “If you aren’t stepping down, then I challenge you, Sybella Gandry.” His words were furious, and gasps came from the crowd in their surprise at his actions. “I challenge you for the right to lead this pack.”

  “There are more than just wolves here, Brody. This is a mixed community.” Her words came through clenched teeth, but Laird could hear her rage.

  “Not for long it isn’t.”

  ****

  How fucking dare this bastard come back to her pard and say such a thing? How dare he undermine the security her people felt? There were more startled gasps, and she watched as those of her pard who were not wolves look around with fear and confusion, wondering if they were about to be pushed out of their homes. Brody’s poor mother looked terrified as she clung to her youngest son. After Sybella had finally gotten rid of him and he’d left town, she’d been sickened to find out that he’d been emotionally and physically abusive to his own mother ever since their father had passed years before. She supposed it wasn’t a huge surprise that Brody had lost what little he’d had left of his fool mind. She felt like an idiot for even finding him remotely attractive in the past. Bella was astonished that Laird hadn’t immediately rushed in to confront Brody—but then again, her mate was smarter than most, and she’d never appreciated it more than right now. No doubt he’d have questions once they were alone. But what’s done was done, so all that she could do now was take care of the threat standing in front of her.

  “I accept. You know where to meet me. Fifteen minutes,” she spat back at her ex-boyfriend. “Gage, gather the pack to witness the challenge.”

  Minutes later they were standing in a clearing in the woods, waiting for the bastard to arrive.

  “So, are you sorry you chased after me yet?” she half-heartedly joked to her mate. “Quite a bit of drama for our first day as bonded mates, right?”

  The look on Laird’s face told her that he saw through her attempt to try to hide her emotions using humor. How did he read her so well already? Laird stepped up to her and slowly undid the buttons on her shirt, leaving only one remaining in the middle. Clearly, he was quite familiar with challenges. The seconds it could take to do something as simple as unbutton a shirt could mean life or death. She’d heard that many males simply showed up naked to take the advantage away from their opponent. Bella wasn’t about to let something as silly as modesty get in her way. She boldly undid the button and then slid off the shirt before doing the same to her pants. She was impressed how his eyes never wavered from hers as he brought his warm hands up to cup her cheeks.

  “Are you ready for this, little cat?”

  “Yes,” she answered simply. Did he even know what a gift it was that he gave her, trusting that she knew what she was doing in accepting Brody’s chall
enge? Believing in her strength? It humbled her that he had such faith.

  A low whistle interrupted their moment.

  “Now I remember why I put up with all that attitude from you, Bells. That ass doesn’t look a day over seventeen.”

  Now that particular comment had the bile rising in Sybella’s throat, not to mention the growls coming from many of the other pack members, especially her mate. But rather than let him know he’d gotten to her, she simply began to stalk his way, looking for an opening to attack.

  “Too bad your bits don’t look as appealing as I remember.” She smiled when his face twitched in anger. “Hibernating for the winter, are they?”

  “Why don’t you just give up and I won’t have to hurt you, Bells? You know who came out on top before when we used to wrestle.” His waggling eyebrows on the last word made her stomach turn once again.

  “That’s the entire point, Brody.” She knew all she had to do was make him lose that famous temper of his, and she would have the opening she needed to take him down. “When we dated you were always too stupid to realize that I let you overpower me on purpose. I mean, who wants their night ruined because their boyfriend is pouting about being on the bottom and can’t perform like a real male?”

  Bingo.

  Chapter Ten

  It was almost torture for Laird to stand there and watch as Brody finally snapped and roared his rage. He lunged at Sybella, claws swiping as his form changed into the dark gray of his wolf, but she must have anticipated his movement because she’d ducked and shifted, turning mid-stride before Brody’s large paws even hit the ground.

  He was impressed with how she’d taunted the male to lose control. Brody was a large wolf, but her cougar was almost his size and what she lacked in weight was more than made up in the agility of her cat.

  Sybella tackled her opponent to the ground, trying to avoid the wolf’s strong jaws as their limbs clawed and grappled to get the upper hand. Laird’s cougar was pacing inside of him to have to watch the blood bloom through the pale fur along her underside from the wolf’s sharp claws. Finally, her muzzle found purchase and clamped down around the thick fur on the mutt’s neck, and he could see her slowly putting pressure on Brody’s windpipe. There was no way for the dog to get out of this now, but would he submit … or would he make Sybella finish him for good?