Jodi_ByTheLight Read online

  “Yes, dating.” He cleared his dry throat.

  “Why?” Granny leveled her gaze at him, as suspicion flared in her scrunched brows.

  “Yes, honey bear, why don’t you explain why we are dating.” Ava looked up at him with a beautiful smile and a flash of anger in her emerald eyes.

  Honey bear? Couldn’t she at least come up with a manlier nickname? Like anaconda?

  Granny pursed her lips. “I don’t believe it. You mean to tell me you two aren’t mated?”

  “We’ve not had sex.”

  “Yes, I can confirm there has been no sex going on.” Ava stepped back from him and cut him with a glance.

  Jayden snorted.

  Granny narrowed her shrewd eyes. “How odd. I could have sworn you two were a match.” She shook her head and shrugged. “Young people these days. They think they know it all.” She shook her head again. “Come along and I’ll fix you all some lunch.”

  Damon stepped into the dated 1950’s kitchen decorated in black-and-white tile and smiled. Exactly as he remembered, just a few more dust catchers to take up room on the kitchen counter. There was even the creepy, black-and-white cat clock hanging on the wall that he hated so much. The tail swished back and forth in time as its eyes lolled side to side. He hated cats.

  “Y’all have a seat.” Granny pointed toward the vintage gray Formica kitchen table.

  “We aren’t going to sit in the dining room? There’s more room.” Jayden eased his big frame onto a small kitchen chair.

  “Not today. I’ve got a little party tonight and my stuff is already set up in there.” Granny opened the refrigerator and pulled out plastic containers of deli meat.

  “Are you having another Tupperware party?” Jayden popped the top on his soda that he’d snagged from the refrigerator and took a long drink.

  “Not exactly. But there are a lot of products made of rubber.”

  Jayden choked on his soda. “Oh, hell, Granny. You’re not having one of those parties, are you?”

  “I sure am.” Granny straightened her proud shoulders.

  “What kind of party is it?” Ava looked at Granny.

  “The kind you need to stay for. Especially if you and Damon are only dating.” Granny winked.

  What did that mean? Curiosity got the better of him and he sauntered to the dining room. He opened the door and froze as a fresh horror washed over him.

  Dildos and vibrators in every shape, size and color littered the lace-covered table. It looked like an obscene adult store.

  Jayden’s eyes widened. “Granny, how many times have I told you that you can’t have sex parties like this? Word gets around and they’ll kick you out of the church.”

  “Who do you think is buying this stuff?” Granny huffed as she waved a dismissive hand in the air.

  Damon cringed. He did not want that image locked in the recesses of his brain.

  “I’m seventy years old and I can do whatever I want. Besides, there’s a lot of money to be made at these parties.” Granny stuck out her chin. “Why, last month I cleared five thousand dollars and that was just to my Bible study friends.”

  “Five thousand dollars?” Jayden’s eyes narrowed.

  “Yep. Tonight, friends from my book club are coming. They’re not as uptight as the church group, so I expect to make a killing.”

  “What, exactly, is a sex party?” Ava ventured further into the room as her smirk grew across her face.

  “It’s a party with products guaranteed to enhance intimacy between couples. Or, if you’re single, enhance your own pleasure without going through the hassle of having a man.” Granny smiled.

  “Please tell me that’s not the company’s official tag line.” Damon rubbed his eyes while wishing he’d never opened the door.

  “It sure is hon. In fact…”

  The phone trilled in the other room, saving him from whatever else Granny was about to say. He loved that woman, but having to hear her talk about sex toys was beyond crossing the line.

  “Let me grab that. Might be a customer.” Granny hurried to answer it. Jayden was right on her heels ticking off reasons why her career choice was going make him the laughingstock of Shreveport.

  “What is this?” Ava picked up a purple dildo with an extra head.

  His cock twitched as she ran her finger along the length of the sex toy. He wished she were holding him instead of that piece of plastic.

  “It’s a dildo.”

  She gave him a droll look. “I know it’s a dildo. What the hell is this extra horn? Where exactly does it go?”

  His nostrils flared. His grabbed the obscene sex toy and tossed it on the table where it landed with a thud. He leaned in, crowding her, as every muscle in his body tensed. “I’d rather show you where it goes.”

  “I think that would be very hard for you to do, seeing how repulsive I am to you. Or would you see it as part of your job?” Anger flashed behind her eyes as she jabbed her finger in his chest.

  Lust raged through his body and his mind clouded with her scent. Move away from her. Wrapping his hands around her waist, he pulled her against him, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Fucking is never part of the job. Let’s get that straight right now.” Her lips parted as her warm breath glided against his mouth. He should let her go. He shouldn’t even be touching her. She was part of his job and nothing else.

  In the end, animal instinct won out.

  His mouth slammed down on hers, hard, hot and possessive. First they were arguing about sex toys, and in the next breath they were kissing and clawing at each other’s clothes.

  He clasped the back of her head, holding her still as his tongue licked inside her mouth, her taste tattooing its way into his soul.

  Her scent of arousal wrapped around him until he couldn’t let her go as his fingers threaded through her silken hair. He was fighting a battle he feared he could not win.

  She was going to be the end of him

  ***

  Ava wrapped her arms around Damon’s waist and melted, boneless, against his body, sinking into his warmth.

  Her hands moved around his broad back, muscles rippling under her touch. The man’s body was like honed steel, hard and unyielding, no weakness anywhere.

  His lips trailed kisses from her mouth to her neck and she panted as desire swept through her body and pooled between her legs. She wanted him with a desperation that shook her.

  “Fuck,” he whispered. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

  For a second she thought he was going to push her away, like he always did. Instead, he pulled her tighter as he covered her mouth, stealing her breath with his kiss.

  She sighed. His scent was driving her insane as she contemplated shoving him down on the table, pulling his pants down and riding him until they were both coming.

  She’d never wanted a man as much as she wanted Damon.

  “See what I mean?” Granny’s voice startled them. They jerked away from each other.

  “One minute alone with my toys is enough to stir the flames of passion.” Granny nodded proudly.

  Ava’s face heated.

  “Jesus, do you have to keep saying that kind of shit? Flames of passion?” Jayden grimaced.

  Granny slapped him on the back of the head. “Don’t use the Lord’s name in the same sentence with profanity.”

  “Why?” Jayden asked as he rubbed his head. “Was it grammatically incorrect?”

  “Jayden Alistair Parker!” Granny scowled.

  “Alistair? Your name is Alistair?” Damon didn’t bother hiding his smirk.

  “Shut up, asshole.”

  “Granny, why don’t I help you in the kitchen?” Ava figured distraction was the best plan right now. If she stayed in the same room with Damon and all those dildos, she wouldn’t care who was watching. She was going to jump him.

  “You have such nice manners, Ava.” Granny wrapped her arm around her and the two of them headed toward the kitchen, leaving the men behind. When they were out of earshot, Gr
anny patted her hand and whispered, “Don’t worry, honey. He may be saying he’s not interested in you, but I see the truth.”

  “What truth?” She held her breath as she looked at the old woman.

  Granny chuckled. “Damon is just afraid of getting hurt again.”

  “Again?” Ava frowned.

  “Yes. His last relationship ended badly.”

  “What ended badly?” Damon sauntered into the kitchen with Jayden at his side. He arched a brow and looked from her to Granny.

  Granny didn’t miss a beat. “That movie I was watching on Lifetime ended badly. Do you want to hear about it?” Granny gave him a hopeful smile.

  “No.” Damon and Jayden answered in unison.

  ***

  The drive back to the casino had been tense to say the least. Ava had wanted to ride around and see the city, but Damon shot that idea down immediately. He knew the less visible they were the better. This was not a vacation but a mission. He’d rather have her mad and safe, than happy and in danger.

  Damon dropped Jayden off in the lobby before heading upstairs with Ava. As the elevator doors closed, he glanced over at her and tried his best not to notice how pretty she was when she was mad.

  “Are you going to pout all day?”

  “I don’t pout.” She kept her gaze straight ahead, arms folded.

  “Ava, I told you why we couldn’t stay out any longer. It’s just not safe.”

  “I know. But riding around in a car is not as visible as riding around on the back of a motorcycle.”

  Touché.

  The doors opened and Ava stepped off the elevator and headed for their room, not stopping until she got there.

  He sniffed and then relaxed when he didn’t scent any wolf odors. He unlocked the door and ushered her in.

  “Everything smell okay?” Her tone smacked of sarcasm as she passed him.

  “I was making sure no one had entered the room after we left.” He locked the door behind them.

  “What does danger smell like?”

  “I can see you’re not taking this seriously.” Ignoring her question, he headed to the window. She grabbed his arm.

  “No, wait. I’m being serious.” Between the puppy eyes she was flashing him and her hand touching his arm, he was in no condition to refuse her.

  “Damon, please. I really want to know. Especially if I’m going to have to turn into…” She bit her lip and cringed.

  “It’s not that bad, being a wolf.” He laughed softly at her pained expression.

  “It’s different for you. You’re a guy. It doesn’t matter if you get all hairy.”

  He laughed.

  “Stop laughing. Do you know how much money and pain I go through every month to get a Brazilian wax, and now it’s just going to get all hairy down there.”

  He stopped laughing. Her words knocked the breath out of him. “You get waxed?”

  “Yes.” She narrowed her eyes. “Let me guess. Wolves don’t like their females waxed.”

  Why the fuck was she asking him this? Now, he couldn’t get the image of Ava’s silky sex out of his oversexed mind.

  “I don’t know.” How the hell was he supposed to answer that? He swallowed. His throat felt like sandpaper. Avoiding her eyes, he stomped over to the thermostat, making sure the heat wasn’t set at a hundred degrees. Nope, set at a cool sixty-eight.

  “So, there’s no protocol that says I can’t get waxed?” she asked hopefully.

  “God, Ava. You’re killing me.” He palmed his eyes and rubbed.

  “What? Look, I need to know these things. How am I supposed to know what’s acceptable and what’s not?” She arched her brow and gave him a perfectly serious look.

  For someone who had just discovered that she was werewolf, Ava was holding up pretty well. It must have something to do with that stubborn streak running through her.

  Trying to swallow but finding his mouth had turned into a desert, he walked over to the mini fridge and pulled out complimentary water. After downing half the bottle, he eased onto the edge of the bed. He felt like he was about to give a talk on the birds and the bees.

  “You’re right.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “So you’ll answer my questions?”

  He flinched. He had never considered that she would have questions about being a werewolf. He’d been too busy doing his job to consider her feelings. He was such an asshole.

  “You’ll be getting a man’s point of view.” He was pretty sure she needed to talk to another female, not him.

  She sat down on the opposite bed and crossed her legs. “Can I ask you anything?”

  “Of course.”

  She frowned. “Does it hurt when you shift into a wolf?”

  He chose his words carefully so as not to frighten her. “The first time it happened, it hurt. But after that it only feels sore, like the day after you’ve worked out really hard at the gym.”

  “When did you know you were a werewolf?”

  “I’ve always known I was different, even when I was young.” He shifted his weight on the bed. He’d never shared his first shifting experience, with anyone, not even Jayden. “I guess the first time I shifted I was ten. It scared me at first, but then I realized that’s why I always felt so different from everyone else.”

  “Didn’t your parents tell you?” She frowned.

  “My parents died when I was a baby. I was raised in an orphanage.”

  “I’m sorry.” She uncrossed her legs and reached for his hand. The gesture made his chest ache a little.

  He shrugged. “I had no other relatives so I was placed in an orphanage run by nuns.”

  “Were they nice?”

  “The nuns?” He chuckled. “As nice as a nun can be, I suppose. They didn’t beat me if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “That’s good.” She relaxed her shoulders. “Granny asked if I was your mate. What’s the difference between a mate and a girlfriend?”

  “A mate is your life partner. Once a male and female are mated, it’s like being married except there’s no divorce.”

  “By having sex with someone does that mean you’re mated?” She wrinkled her brow, awaiting his answer.

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  She blew out a breath. “Good, because I thought I mated myself to my ex-boyfriend.”

  His chest clenched at the thought of some other male touching her. He tightened his grip on her hand. “How long were you together?”

  “Only a few months.” She snorted. “I broke up with him. I knew things were never really serious between us. I think I was lonely more than anything. After seeing what Granny had laying out on the table, I’m more inclined to start handling things myself. I mean, did you see the size of the one called the Bad Beaver?”

  Clenching his jaw, he closed his eyes, trying to get the image of Ava masturbating out of his head.

  “I hate when you do that.”

  His eyes popped open. “Do what?”

  “Roll your eyes like everything I say is stupid. You’re probably not used to women having an opinion.” She snatched her hand away and stood, glaring at him.

  Fuck, she was pretty when she was mad.

  “I never said you were stupid.”

  “You don’t have to. I can see in the way you grit your teeth or fist your hands, like you want to strangle me.” She stomped toward the bathroom.

  She made it one step.

  He pounced, shoving her up against the wall. He pinned her with his chest while his hands rested on her slim hips, holding her captive. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to leap out of its cage. Curling his hands around her small waist, he shoved his face into the crook of her neck and inhaled, deeply. He’d longed to do that ever since he laid eyes on her. Her scent washed over him, fueling his lust.

  “You couldn’t be farther from the truth,” he growled against her neck.

  “Really?” She breathed out the word. He could feel her heart racing against his chest, knowing
she was feeling the pull of desire as well.

  “I fist my hands to keep from touching you. Do you know how hard it is, to be so close to you, to have your scent on my flesh, to want you like my last breath and not be allowed to touch you?”

  Desire flashed through her eyes. “What if I wanted you to touch me? Would you touch me if I asked you to?” She reached up and pulled his head closer into her neck, rubbing against him like she wanted him to claim her.

  He growled as her lush body rubbed erotically against him, teasing him to the point of pain. She felt too damn good.

  He squeezed his eyes, trying to rein in his desire. He could not do this. It would cost him everything. “This is a bad idea. If I touch you, Ava, I’m not going to stop.”

  “I’m counting on it.” She pulled his palm to her breast, molding his hand to those delicious curves he’d dreamt about.

  ***

  Ava looked into Damon’s heated gaze. His blue eyes burned with need so strong, it was almost animalistic. She sucked in a ragged breath, suddenly deprived of oxygen.

  His hands trailed from her breast to her waist holding her close, while his lips sucked her neck. She moaned, shivers racking her body as she clutched him tighter. It was enough to send her into an orgasm on sensation alone.

  She had never really been consumed with sex. Her ex hadn’t even bothered to get her off the few times they’d had sex. After that she had decided she was done, that sex was something she could live without.

  Now, for the first time in her life, she wanted a man between her thighs, pounding deep inside her body. Not just any man. She wanted Damon. She’d bet he wouldn’t have a problem getting her off.

  His calloused hand cradled her cheek with a gentleness she didn’t expect from a man his size. She turned, nuzzling his palm. Their gazes locked. He swiped his thumb across her bottom lip. Her lips parted, sucking his thumb into her mouth, moaning at the saltiness of his skin.

  He groaned. “Fuck, baby.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

  His mouth came down hard across hers, his tongue invading her mouth. God, he tasted good, like hot alpha male. She wanted more, she wanted to taste all of him.

  His hands slid lower until he cupped her ass. He lifted and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed her back against the wall, grinding against her, as he continued to assault her with his heated kisses.