Miles stared down at him, still with the sad eyes, then socked him in the gut, right above where the bastard had left his mark days ago.
“Ow!”
“Watch your mouth,” Miles growled. “She might be your mate, but she’s my little sister. You treat her right or I’ll reopen that cut and strangle you by your intestines.”
Finally. The real Miles Bermin had returned. “Yeah, yeah. You know, Dean Chastell gave me the exact same warning not too long ago.” Miles’s scowl delighted him. “Come on, bro. Joy is hot. And she’s finally mine.” He wiggled his brows.
“I can’t believe you’ve had that scraggly thing for so long.” He glanced at the frayed string bracelet beaded around Quince’s left wrist. “Just don’t tell anyone it’s a Bermin design. That’s embarrassing.”
“Okay, Nancy.” He flipped Miles a finger and chuckled. “Now remember, you can’t over-task my fiancée.” He and Joy were going to make it super official. Mated and married in another six months. He didn’t care what she wanted, as long as she loved him. “Between her job as liaison and working with that new bathing suit crap for your lady line of clothes, she’s barely taking care of me like she should.”
“Please.” Miles snorted and sat across from him in a leather reading chair. “She’s been by your side for the past week. I’ve never seen her coddle anyone the way she’s been taking care of you. It’s a little sickening.”
“Yeah.” His smile left him. Sickening sweet. The woman wouldn’t respond to his more amorous overtures either. “I’ve shifted a few times, even hunted a wild boar. But she just won’t believe I’m totally recovered yet. Who knew she had that mother hen instinct?”
“She’ll be a good mom.” Miles smiled wryly. “You as a dad… yeah. Between your protective instincts and her mothering, your kids are set.”
Quite a compliment.
“And of course, with me as his or her uncle, the child will be blessed beyond anything.”
“Of course,” Quince said wryly, knowing Miles meant it.
“So onto more important things…”
“Meaning you.”
“Meaning me,” Miles agreed. “How the hell do I get out of being pride leader? You were doing such a great job.”
“No. I stepped in because Michael asked me to, but I never wanted the position. I’m perfectly content being your lieutenant.”
Miles cringed. “Danville keeps arranging meetings. I’m having to talk to lions in France, Burke in Montana and some assholes in San Francisco. They want a big pow-wow next summer. Hell, I have businesses to take care of. They don’t run themselves.”
“Too bad.” No way in hell would Quince ever go back to being in charge. “Hire more employees. The pride needs you. Trust me. I tried to find someone suitable months ago. There is no one better suited to run things. You’re not on a power trip, you don’t need money and you won’t let the fuckheads in the pride ruin the good thing we have going. Everyone’s happy again. Did you see everyone at the House the other night?
“All that hunting and purring and laughter? This is the way life is supposed to be.” Quince smiled.
“Alissa didn’t look too happy.”
“She won’t be unless you decide to mate her. Woman wants power.” At Miles’s disgust, Quince chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Ellis and I will keep an eye on her. You need to figure out how to manage things without me next week, though. Joy and I are taking some alone time.”
“She didn’t mention it to me.”
“Mention what?” Joy asked as she entered the room. Dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a bright red tee-shirt, her hair wild and her eyes bright, she looked absolutely beautiful to him.
“Our vacation, baby. We need time alone.”
“Oh. Okay.” She smiled and punched her brother in the arm. “How’s it going, pride leader?”
Miles groaned. “You keep telling me I owe you, but you owe me. Not nice to trick your wonderful brother into the position from hell.”
She laughed.
“Speaking of the position from hell…” Quince patted the bed next to him and said in a deep voice, “Come here, Joy.”
Miles grimaced. “I have work to do. Somewhere far, far away.” He walked to the door, then stopped and turned to smile at his sister. “Happiness looks good on you, Joy.”
“That’s because I’m great,” she said.
“And a true Bermin.” Quince snorted. “It’s like the whole family was born with giant-sized egos.”
“That’s about right.” Miles’s smile deepened. “It’s good to have you back, Quince.”
“Yeah, you too, bud.” Quince watched him leave and close the door behind him.
Without pause, he hurried from the bed, locked the door and stripped out of his clothes. Joy’s gaze went immediately to his lower abdomen, where the scar had nearly faded. He’d always been a fast healer, but apparently that Forissol crap wasn’t just a sedative, it had healing properties. Doc Hicks was going nuts trying to figure out how to manufacture the stuff without the sedative part.
“Quince?” Joy had that sly look on her face that he loved.
“Strip. Now, woman.”
“Make me.” She fingered the bottom of her tee-shirt, and he pounced.
Between laughter and breathless sighs, he had her naked and under him in seconds. And then he slid inside her wet heat. Home. Where he belonged.
“I’m yours,” she pledged and kissed him.
He kissed her back, sliding his tongue in time with his cock, plunging into the woman he couldn’t do without. It had taken persistence, patience and a lot of grunt work to get in her good graces. But damn, it had been worth every hardship.
He pulled out of her and kissed his way down her body, not wanting to end things too soon. “I’ve been out of my mind wanting you,” he said between kisses.
She moaned. “Me too. Oh God, that feels so good…” He kissed past her mound and lingered over her clit, licking up the sweetness pooling there for him. He angled a finger inside her and grazed the spot that set her off. Then he sucked her clit into his mouth and gently teethed her.
Joy lit up like a firecracker and cried out as she came. Loving how her cat purred and rubbed against his, he felt that indescribable urge to join fully with her again.
“Oh yeah, that’s it,” he said on a breath and glided back up her body and into her. He thrust in and out with deliberate slowness, then ceased moving, embedded deep inside her. “How about something different?” he whispered and rotated his pelvis, hitting her hot spots.
She arched into him. “Yes. More. Fuck, you’re good.”
He laughed, then groaned when she clamped down on him. “Shit. Easy, or I’ll come too soon.” As it was, he nearly spent inside her when her clever hands reached for his chest. She stroked and petted him, and he pumped inside her a few more times.
“Witch,” he rasped and hurriedly withdrew. Then he reached into the nightstand and took out a small tube of lube. She’d made him wet, but he wanted nothing to impede her pleasure. After oiling himself, he dragged her ass to the edge of the bed, pushed her legs wider, and angled her hips up.
“Oh, yeah. In me.”
He positioned himself against her anus and slowly pushed. Deeper, slower, the heat enveloping him while he circled her clit with his thumb, stirring her to orgasm once more.
She whimpered and begged him to fuck her while he rubbed her taut bud, and then he was moving with her, faster, harder, his strokes impossibly deep.
“I’m coming. Oh, fuck. Yes,” he hissed and shoved hard one final time. He came just as she shuddered and bore down on him, lost in her own ecstatic release.