03 - You Only Live Nine Times (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

“You sure you’re up for another round?” murmured Isis as she lavished fluttering kisses all over his sweat-beaded torso. 

“Just try and stop me,” chuckled Raf, hoisting her over his body to straddle his waist.

Her tiger purred her satisfaction.  Isis was in the midst of her heat, and Raf was more than rising to the challenge.  It was the first time she had ever indulged in male company during one of her heats.  She had always feared that any male she chose would take advantage of her less than clear mind.  The way she was feeling right now, she’d give away her car for an orgasm.  And then there was the fear of getting pregnant.  She wasn’t ready for kittens just yet, if ever.  She would think about that one day, way, way, way in the future.  For now, she was happy to trust Raf to see to her needs, she was on the pill and they were using condoms during her heat – just in case.

He clamped his hands on her waist and rubbed his thumbs over her stomach.  She leaned over to snag another condom, her breasts swung in front of his face, and he took the opportunity to kiss them.  Her nipples puckered, and she shook them in his face.

“Keen, aren’t we?” she teased.  “I felt certain I’d worn you out that last time.”

“I can go all night, well, I can go some of the night, as long as I have rest breaks and timeouts to get some water.  But while I’m resting feel free to do whatever you want to my body.”

Isis flicked his nipples, and he groaned.  “Oh, I will.”  She shuffled down his body, settling over his thighs.  His manhood sprung up before him, large, hard and oh so tasty.  She bent her head and licked her way up his length, before nibbling on the engorged head, sucking at the drops of pre-cum.

“Baby, please, you gotta stop before I explode.”

A smug grin touched her lips, and she ripped apart the condom wrapper with her teeth.  “Well, as much as I enjoy you that way, I wouldn’t want to waste this delicious treat.”  She traced a fingernail over the underside, and he shuddered as she smoothed the condom down his length.

Isis placed herself over him, leaning back to rest her hands on her thighs, arching her back, pushing her breasts out and her groin forward.  She rubbed her sex over the blunt tip, drenching him with her honey, before lowering herself in tiny increments, as much teasing him as allowing his thick cock to open her slowly.  His mouth opened, and his eyes glittered with desire.  Finally tiring of her game and impatient to feel him inside her, she dropped her body down the last few inches and let out a satisfied moan as her hips rested against his.  Her tiger roared. 
Mate
.

“Oh, yes, honey, that’s it,” she purred as she began rocking her hips against him.  She moved slowly at first, whimpering as his thickness slid in and out of her quivering sex, before the need for release, the need to mate, and sate her heat drove her to crash against him.

Raf bucked his hips against her, meeting her furious rhythm.  His hands roughly kneaded the twin orbs of her breasts.

“Yes, touch me!” she cried as the delightful feeling inside her surged, demanding release.

Her movements became frantic as she ground herself down on him.  He released her breasts and rose up on his elbows, pulling her down so he could suck one of her orbs into his mouth.  She leaned over him, bracing one arm on the bed and looping the other around his neck, clutching him to her, crushing him against her flesh.  He teased her pebbled point with his teeth, before biting down.  The pain sent her spiraling into climax, and she howled in ecstasy as her tiger roared in completion.  Her muscles tightened around him, almost strangling his member and he groaned around her soft breast as he thrust inside her and exploded.

Panting, they collapsed into a sweaty heap on the bed.  

Isis smiled contentedly.  “Hmmm, that was fantastic.”

Raf traced his fingers down her back.  “Yeah, but I think I might need a little time to recuperate this time.  In the meantime, I’ll bring in one of the reserves.”

He reached over to the bedside table and pulled out a pink vibrator.   It was a little shorter and thinner than him – chosen, especially so that she didn’t prefer it to him. 
There was no chance of that ever happening. 

“I think I need a little recuperation first, too.  I’m amazed, my darling human, you’re actually wearing me out.”

“Yeah?” he laughed.  “I’m glad to hear it.” 

He wasn’t proud of that fact, nor lording it over her, he was just pleased that he satisfying his mate – which he was, astoundingly so.  He wasn’t an arrogant ass about his sexual prowess, like so many male shifters would be, he was just happy to be with her.  It was one of the reasons she loved him – one of many.  And this time they were spending together was almost perfect.  It would be completely perfect except for one thing…

A frisson of cold air danced over her spine.  “Mom!  Get the hell out now!”

*

The captain glared at him.  “Are you sure this is what you want?  If you leave, you can’t come back.”

“I’m sure,” replied Raf, firmly.

He’d thought it over, talked it over with Isis, who was behind him one hundred percent, talked it over with his father who was behind him zero percent, and then finally made his own decision.  He was joining the SEA.  He loved being a cop, and he decided he wanted to work more supernatural cases, but doubted he’d be able to in the LLPD.

His superior tapped his pen on his desk.  He was keen to get to his golf game, which was the reason Raf had chosen to tell him at this time, but he wasn’t about to just give in without some cajoling.  “You know I was hoping that maybe you’d take over as captain when I retired.  I was putting in a good word for you to get a promotion, and then I figured I’d teach you all I know so you’d be ready.”

A lot of uncharitable thoughts ran through Raf’s head about what he knew, but he wisely held his tongue.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Very,” confirmed Raf.

“You’re not just doing this because of that…”

“I’m not,” interrupted Raf before the captain did something stupid like insult Isis.  If that happened, Raf would have no option but to punch him right in his jowly face.

The captain blew out a protracted sigh.  “Well, it’s your life, I guess I can’t stop you.”

How generous and gracious of him to admit that.

He jabbed a chubby finger in Raf’s direction.  “But I expect you to stay until I have a replacement for you.”

“Of course.”

He grunted in disgust.  “Ummm, well, you better get back to work.”

“Yes, Sir.”

On his way out he caught the eye of Georgia.  Detective Barnes was perched on the edge of her desk telling her his tiny pianist joke.  When Georgia saw Raf looking, she laughed louder than anyone ever had at that joke.  Barnes was delighted.  Raf wished them both luck.  He was shallow, she was shallow – they’d make a great, if shallow couple.

The captain had already donned his lucky purple bobble hat and was heading out for his golf game as Raf sat down at his desk.  He didn’t bother looking up as Detective Ethan Miller approached his desk. 
Toadying cretin. 
Huh, maybe Isis was rubbing off on him more than he thought.

“I heard you were planning on leaving,” said Miller in a tone that was aiming to be conversational but fell short by being eagerly accusing.

“Yep.”

“I heard you’re joining the SEA.”

“If they’ll have me.”  He was practically a member of the SEA.  Isis’ director, Gerry Sanders informed him there would definitely be a place for him, he just had to clear it with his boss as to what that would be.  Raf was hoping for agent.

“So I guess you’re not after becoming captain here, then?”  Miller leaned on the desk and Raf shot him a narrowed look that soon had him removing his hand and even wiping the area it had touched.

“No, never was, never will be.”

Miller nodded and started walking away, again trying for casually, but he looked as casual as a plump and juicy gazelle in a restaurant full of starving lions.

“I guess now I’m leaving I don’t need to worry about anyone leaving disgusting pictures on my desk or destroying my car with paint, right?”

He spun to look at Raf, a deep tomato red hue imbuing his features.  He opened his mouth like a fish a few times before clamping it shut firmly and scurrying away.

It wasn’t hard to figure out that Miller had been the one to do those things.  After he eliminated Georgia, Miller was the only one who would actually go to the trouble of messing with him.  Not because he had a problem with shifters or Isis in particular.  No, this was personal.  Miller was ambitious and he wanted to be the captain’s favorite.  He wanted to be on the fast track to become the captain.  Embarrassing Raf and trying to turn the shifter-hating members of the LLPD against him was a pathetic ploy to get rid of the perceived competition.  Raf would have told him not to waste his time if he knew what was happening.  It would have saved him the trouble of getting his car repainted.  Course, he’d send Miller the bill, and if he didn’t pay, he’d send Isis round to sort him out.  He smiled at the thought. 
That was something they’d both enjoy.

Raf leaned back in his chair.  As he watched Johnson applying his athletes’ foot powder, Barnes flirting outrageously with Georgia and Miller frowning disapprovingly at them all, he realized, he really wouldn’t miss these jokers at all.  The job, yes, because it had been a big part of his life, but hopefully his new job would be pretty similar.  Plus, he would be nearer to Isis. 
He couldn’t wait.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tonight was the night.  The night when they joined together as mates. 
They were going to bond.
 

It was a big step, and both felt a little trepidation, but they both knew it was what they wanted.  Neither could perceive a future without the other, and since bonding was inevitable, they decided that they didn’t want to wait.  For one thing, Raf was a little keen to find out what it was like to be truly in tune with his mate.  Cutter, not one for divulging much about his sex life with his little mate –
in his words, it was no other fucker’s business
- had told him that the bond made sex even more intense.  As for Isis, Ms. Kitty was being unbelievably impatient and insisting that they get the hot human bonded to them before he does something crazy like try to run away. 
Not that he’d get far
.  She’d hunt him down wherever he went and enjoy doing it.  But, why make the effort?  She could get him to run away from her for fun after they were bonded.

They were making it as romantic as possible, to cover up the nervousness they both felt, but Isis would die before admitting that.  Hey, she’d never done anything so intimate with a lover before.  Hell, she’d never really had a lover before. 
Previous fuck buddies so did not count
.

Candles dotted the room, sexy music floated in the background, and the cats had been locked out for the night and her mother ordered to remain AWOL, under pain of exorcism.

Isis kneeled between his legs and took his manhood into her mouth, laving him with her tongue.  She spent a few minutes pleasuring him, readying him for their bonding.  As she felt his hips start to buck, felt him reaching towards his climax, she released him.  Chuckling at his murmurs of disappointment, she climbed up his body.

“Another night, honey.  Tonight you’re going to need all your energy for the bond.”

Raf smiled, a crooked and nervous smile that made her inner tiger melt.  He wasn’t pretending that bonding and getting bitten was no big deal – he was anxious about it, plain and simple, and she didn’t blame him.  She was glad that he wasn’t trying to hide that. 

He scooted up the bed, making her follow him until he was leaning against the headboard.

“I want us to be face to face,” he explained. 

He dragged her mouth to his for a lingering kiss.  She settled on his lap as he licked at the seam of her mouth and nibbled her lower lip.  Isis gripped his rock-hard member with her slender hand and positioned him against her sex.  Impatient to feel him inside her, she slid down his length, and immediately ground herself down against his hips.  He moaned against her lips as she whimpered at the sudden yet pleasurable intrusion.

Partly due to the excitement of her tiger and her own lust, she was already inflamed and eager to get to the biting. 
Screw romance; she needed him now!
  Her gums ached as her fangs pushed forward, her teeth lengthening for that all-important bite.  She rocked and rolled her hips against him, her clit grazing against his body sending sharp, tingles of pleasure to every nerve ending.

Raf thrust up inside her, more than matching her greedy, hurried rhythm.  His hand ran up her thighs until they reached her buttocks.  He grasped them, kneading the soft, peachy flesh and slamming her down on him every time he pushed up inside her.  He pulled away from her mouth, barely able to breath, and instead enjoyed the exquisite moans she emitted every time drove himself into her.

His mouth found her breasts, sucking and nibbling on her puckered buds.  She breathed his name, urging him on.  They were so sensitive; his ministrations always sent her wild, quickening her to completion.  She felt the familiar stirrings of her imminent orgasm and her movements became frenzied.

“I’m going to bite you,” she hissed, her tiger roaring and pushing her complete the bond.

“Yes,” he groaned, muffled around her flesh.

Her hands clutched his shoulders as he swelled and throbbed deep in her body.  “It’s going to hurt.”

“Do it.”

“Yes, my mate.  Mine!” she screamed as lightning-like pleasure hit her.  She sank her teeth into his shoulder as he clamped his mouth onto her breast.  Her tiger howled as the bond took hold, the invisible connection between the two of them darted through their bodies, swirling its hold onto their hearts.  The pleasure and pain of both their bites raced between the newly formed bond.  Raf flexed his hips and exploded inside her.  She released him and let out a stuttering wail as his orgasm resonated through her.

After a few minutes, they both wound down their movements, stopping and just holding one another as their bodies continued to tremble. Every muscle they owned ached with exhaustion.

Isis glistened with sweat, her hair was mussed, drops of blood peppered her lips and she looked like she’d run a marathon.  Raf thought she’d never looked more beautiful.

She eyed the bite mark on his neck and actually winced in apology.  “It’s going to scar.”  Her fingers traced the raw wound, and he flinched.

“I already knew that,” he chuckled as he pulled her fingers away and kissed the tips.  “Reminds me where I’ve been.”

“Reminds everyone else who you belong to.”  She lapped at the trickles of blood, sealing the wound.  Ms. Kitty lazily stretched out and purred.  Yep, he was all hers.  There was no escape now.  “Mmmm, mine.”

*

Considering the pink monstrosity that was Raf’s apartment, out of pity, Isis casually invited him to come live with her, and he said yes – out of the interest of getting away from the pink.  Then she said ‘no backsies’ and that was how they started living together.

Raf’s family wasn’t altogether welcoming of his new shifter mate, finding her a little scary and harsh.  Isis could give two hoots what they thought.  Yeah, she had some respect for them –
they produced her gorgeous mate, didn’t they?
  But other people’s opinions were totally worthless in her eyes.  They weren’t her opinions, so she had no time for them.  Of course, Raf was the exception to that rule.  What he thought was important.  When she asked him how she looked in a certain outfit, she listened and cared what he had to say – she always looked stunning according to him.  When she asked him what he wanted to do, whether they should catch a movie or go to the shooting range, she wanted to know what he thought – he always let her decide so it was a moot point.  The point is she listened to him. 

As for his family, they’d probably warm up to her eventually.  And if they didn’t, she could get through a couple of holidays a year with them.  Hey, if she could put up with the ghost of her mother, she could put up with anything. 

Speaking of, Cleo was delighted to have Raf come live with them.  While Raf couldn’t see or hear her, he made the effort actually to speak to her, which titillated her no end.  Naturally, Isis found it funny to lie to him about her mother’s whereabouts so that he ended up talking to an empty room – but that was par for the course.  Cleo got into the habit of walking through Raf to let him know she was there.  The cold shiver he felt announced her presence.  Raf was surprised at how easy it was to adapt to living with a ghost – welcomed it even.  Cleo actually started getting good at moving objects, and Raf heaped praise on her abilities.  Isis just sneered and muttered threats about exorcisms. 

Adapting to living with cats was also easy.  Although, he did note there was always a fight to see who slept next to him at night.  Isis always won that, as anyone would expect, but then it was a fight to see who would have his head, then who would have his feet and who would get his chest.  The winners of those positions varied.

Their nights were filled with games of strip chess, all of which ended early because Isis was a terrible chess player.  Either Raf couldn’t hold back because of the expanse of naked flesh on display and virtually jumped on her.  Or Isis became frustrated and threw the chess set out the window, before jumping on Raf.

Then there were the special treats where she dressed up as Lt. Uhura from Star Trek.  But that was only if he had been a very good boy.

Mmmm, mine.