A bigger, badder breed of hunter had arrived in town.
Chapter Nine
Ava waited until Diskant stepped inside her apartment before she turned and closed the door behind them. The meeting with Thomas had gone exactly as she’d thought it would. Her brother had been cashing out his tab by the time they’d arrived, five minutes late, and from his expression—both shocked and angry—she knew he was eager to take the deed and sell it elsewhere.
Thank god Diskant knew back alleyways and shortcuts to get there faster. Otherwise her asshole sibling would have been long gone and her opportunity would have passed.
She walked to the kitchen and studied the manila envelope clutched in her hand for a moment before placing it atop the cheap Formica counter. As she emptied her pockets, placing the cell and her keys on top of the yellowed paper, she allowed a moment of happiness and relief to wash over her. All of her saving, planning and scrounging had worked.
Finally, after all these years, the cabin was hers.
She’d never understood why her parents left her silly things, such as jewelry and heirlooms, while they passed a vital part of her childhood to Thomas. They’d known how irresponsible he was and what he was likely to do with the property.
Diskant’s substantial weight on her shoddy and pockmarked floorboards caused the wood to creak, and she glanced over her shoulder to watch as he studied her home, his hawklike eyes homing in on the pictures crammed into the shelving molded into the wall. He walked past the couch and coffee table and stopped in front of rows of photos, studying each one intently.
He seemed so out of place standing inside the cream-colored room with the matching slipcovers protecting the couch and sofa, his jeans covered by leather chaps matching an oversized black leather trench coat and scuff-marked boots. His hair was slightly messy from the ride over on the bike, a few random strands attached to the whiskers along his jaw.
God he was a fine specimen of man, too deliciously tempting for his own good. Not only was he the most gorgeous thing she’d ever seen, but when Thomas had tried to blow her off and escape their meeting, Diskant had proved he was equally protective, all but cornering her sniveling brother into an adjoining booth to get down to business.
Diskant had taken the seat beside her and made the basis of their relationship obvious by wrapping an arm around her shoulders and playing with the wisps of hair at the back of her neck. Although he’d seemed at ease, she knew he’d digested every single word spoken. Each time Thomas raised his voice or tried to overplay his hand Diskant would nail him with a warning stare—allowing the threat to soak in—before returning his undivided focus to her.
Despite her vow to talk rather than engage in more sexual play, she’d felt her body respond as she recalled his calloused fingers against her skin, the way his warm breath tickled the flesh at her nape. His touches were so teasing and gentle, so very different from the night before. As she shivered in remembrance, the area he’d bitten pulsed and throbbed, along with various other regions of her body.
Diskant went stock-still as she studied him, and she knew he smelled her growing desire. Hell, she’d been in a constant state of arousal since she’d woken. As she’d never been one to engage in unrestricted and uninhibited sex, her newfound libido was unexpected and confusing. As were the questions of exactly what was occurring between them. Unlike normal relationships that included a courtship and warm-up period, this one barreled full speed ahead without any concern for things like compatibility, mutual interests or future plans.
Desperate for normalcy, she denied her rising need by clamping her thighs together but couldn’t mask her gasp when Diskant turned to her and she glimpsed irises the color of vibrant emerald. Four long, catlike strides and he stood in front of her. He cradled her jaw in his hands as he lowered his head, his tongue sliding out to caress her lower lip.
One lick and her body erupted into a fit of heat. Never had she felt a pull so strong. As if she would die if he didn’t bury himself inside her, over and over again, until they were both spent. Strange, high-pitched cries echoed through the small space and she realized they were whimpers emitting from her throat. She grasped his wide shoulders to remain upright when her knees failed her, tremors preventing her from speaking coherently. The walls of her core went taut then released, aching for the relief she intuitively knew only Diskant could provide.
“Fuck, Ava.”
Rough hands snagged her slacks and made quick work of the buttons. Diskant slid the material down her thighs, skimming his fingers along her skin. Her shoes were gone in moments, stripped away with her socks and pants. He lifted her on the way back up and placed her ass on the chilled counter as he took up the space between her legs. A couple of deft motions and his cock burst free from his jeans, the plumlike tip slick and engorged.
There was no precursor, no preparation, but it wasn’t necessary. Her eager body quivered in delight when she felt the head part her, seek entrance and slide past the folds as Diskant shifted his hips and claimed her entirely.
Clutching at his jacket, she buried her face in his neck, breathing him in, and moaned in bliss when he rolled his hips and began an all-too-familiar dance. Her body rejoiced in the motions, her pussy squeezing tightly before letting go, over and over again. An orgasm rolled through her and she cried out against leather and prickly skin, reveling in the tremors that encompassed every square inch of her body, starting in her belly and expanding outward. This was sex to the millionth power, so potent it electrified her from head to toe.
Within seconds Diskant was following her over the precipice, his hoarse growl both throaty and deep. A sharp thrust arrived just before she felt him pumping his release inside of her, the last spasms of her orgasm milking him to completion. Their combined intakes of air filled in the room, the ticking of the nearby wall clock continuing on as their bodies descended from the high of climax.
Breathless and confused, she mumbled, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Shh.” Diskant silenced her with a quick kiss and slowly eased from her body, his cock still hard and glistening from their combined juices. “It’s normal.” He left her clothes and wrapped one arm around her waist as the other cradled her ass, lifting her from the counter. “Where’s the bedroom?”
She flushed in embarrassment. “You can’t be serious.”
He chuckled and began walking down the hall. “Tempting as the thought of keeping you naked and tied to the bed is, Ava, I’m just trying to make you comfortable. I have things I need to take care of, but not before you’re settled.”
She tried to mask her tension at the reminder of who he was—a shifter of extreme importance. Although she didn’t know of the complexities his life entailed, her gut told her it wasn’t as simple as making phone calls, scheduling dates on a desk calendar and making small talk at mandatory dinner meetings.
So where did that leave her, exactly?
More questions than answers assailed her, and she felt that familiar drowning feeling of worry and doubt. He said she was his mate but she’d never seen a shifter mated to a human—aside from the one who nearly ripped out his partner’s throat.
Was it possible to change your mind? Could he have figured out this wasn’t what he thought it was all along?
Why did her heart ache at the possibility?
When Diskant stepped past the threshold into her bedroom, she quickly slid free of his embrace and rushed to the closet to retrieve her robe while he zipped up his jeans. Snagging the plush garment, she placed it in front of her like a barrier, obscuring her thighs and what Diskant’s bulky sweatshirt didn’t cover. He frowned at her obvious attempt at detachment and folded his arms over his chest, becoming intimidating as hell as he blocked the doorway.