Andrew: Lanning’s Leap: Erotica Shapeshifter Romance (Lanning's Leap Book 5) (6 page)

“All right.” Her yawn and smile had him thinking she was only about half listening to him. “It’s been so long since I’ve slept in a bed. Who knew that it could be so relaxing? Oh, and the sex helped too, I suppose. But I’m so tired right now.”

He was still smiling twenty minutes later when he called his mom. She said she’d go and look at the address that Kendra had set up for him. He’d realized after Kendra left that he had no idea where his new home was, but he had felt something in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with the address on it, then the initial K on at the bottom. His mom laughed before speaking again.

“Are you all right, Andrew? I know that she’s still there, at the hospital, but I was wondering if you’d like to bring her over for dinner tonight. I’ve talked to Misha and Hannah, and they think it might be better if we sort of spaced out our meeting her. We don’t want to overwhelm her too much.” Andrew laughed and told her that he was pretty sure that just being the two of them was too much for her. “I heard about that dreadful man that hit her. I do hope you break his other jaw. The nerve of some people.”

He wanted to point out that she’d been mad at him a little while ago, but decided that he’d be healthy longer if he were to just let it go. His mom was his mom and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. But he was no less afraid of her.

Andrew looked at Laci as she slept and thought of all the times that Warren had more than likely threatened her before this. He was going to make the man pay, that much he knew. When his mom asked him again about dinner, he told her fine but he’d have to ask Laci how she was feeling first.

“She’s sleeping right now. And I’m not sure what she has in the way of clothing. The ones she had on when she got here are in a bag for her, but I think they might be ruined. And I didn’t see any in her bag that Phillip picked up for her either.” His mom asked him if he wanted her to go shopping for her. “I don’t think so. I don’t know her that well, but I have a feeling that she has tastes in clothing not at all like yours. She’s more...I think she’s more eclectic. Like she wears what she likes and to hell with convention.”

After telling his mom that he’d talk to her when she reported in about his new home, he put his phone away. Andrew was just about to make a couple more calls, one to his attorney and the other to his banker, when Laci woke again.

“I keep dozing off.” Andrew told her that was fine. He loved watching her sleep. “Oh sure, that’s a lot of fun, watching me snore. Don’t you have to go to work or something? I mean, you have to have something better to do than hang out here. Don’t you want to go and hang around with Blair? I’m sure he’d just enjoy that to no end.”

“No, I don’t think either of us would enjoy that. But I don’t have a thing to do actually. And my job is sort of in limbo right now. I suppose I could be packing up my apartment, but I have an idea that’s been taken care of as well. And before I forget, my mom invited us over to my brother’s house. She’s living there with them and I told her that I’d speak to you first.” Laci told him she didn’t know her. “I know. What better time than now to get to? My brothers have been uninvited. She was afraid that they’d overwhelm you.”

“Everything about you guys overwhelms me, in case you didn’t get that. But I don’t understand what this is about.” He asked her what she meant. “I mean, you’re acting like we’re a couple or something. We can’t be. I’m not like you.”

“I should hope not. I don’t think making love would be that much fun if you were.” Her face flared up again. “Christ, seeing you all embarrassed makes my dick hard. I would love to make love to you again. Right now.”

Had she not looked at his cock, he might have been able to resist her. But her mouth opened just slightly and her body seemed to warm for him. Moving to the bed, he reached for her hand and put it over his cock. As he rocked into her warmth, he told her what he wanted to do to her.

“My cat wants to eat you.” Her hand jerked back, but he pulled it back to his cock. “He won’t hurt you. He wants to feel you coming down his throat too. His tongue can lap you in ways that I can’t, and I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“I’d rather you did it.” He nodded and moaned when she opened the top buttons on her gown and exposed her breasts for him. “I love the way you suck my nipples. The way you nibble on them until I’m so close that I think I could come only from that.”

“Show me. Take it completely off and let me see all of you.” The sheet was once again on the floor, her gown with it. And when she cupped her breasts in her hands and moaned, Andrew freed his cock and then took off his shirt. His cat, never one to be left out when there was some fun to be had, moved along his skin quickly. Andrew knew that he’d not be able to hold him much longer and pulled his pants off and left them where they lay. “I can’t wait, baby. He wants you too.”

Andrew pulled Laci to the edge of the bed, her legs dangling off it. When she reached for him, her hands brushing over his aching cock, he kissed her hand and put it beside her on the bed. Andrew kissed her then and let his cat take him.

She didn’t run. Nor did she scream like he had expected her to. Andrew knew he was taking the coward’s way out of showing her that he was indeed a cat, but he needed her to understand. With his paws on either side of her, his head was level with hers and she only watched him. Andrew dropped to the floor and sat down.

“You’re really a cat.” He nodded and she giggled. Not the kind of giggle you would expect when something happened that was funny. But more of a nervous kind of I’ve-gone-over-the-deep-end sort of giggle. “I’m afraid, if you want to know the truth.”

He wants you.
Her legs closed, and Andrew’s cat licked her knees. When she moved, opening her legs to no doubt move away, his cat moved in. Licking her from gate to clit before she could move again, his cat seemed to be pleased with their mate and purred. Her nervousness had the cat in him looking up at him.
Give yourself to him. He wants to drink from you so that he has your scent in his body. And he loves you.

His cat was gentle with her, bringing her to peak several times before he laid his head on her thigh. She didn’t move him off her, nor did she move her leg, but they both seemed to be content with watching each other. And when his cat lifted his head and licked her thigh, she nodded once and he bit her.

Laci watched his cat. She even put her hand in his fur and held him to her. And when he lifted his head, licking the wound closed this time, his cat let him go and Andrew stood over her.

“Take me. Please.” He moved between her legs and lifted them up so that her feet were at his shoulders. Sliding into her, feeling her tightness around him, Andrew took her slowly, being as gentle with her as his cat had been. “Please, don’t leave me.”

“Never.” He could see the tears in her eyes, and letting go of her legs so that she could wrap them around his hips, he held her to him, kissing her face, neck, and shoulders while he took her higher and higher. “I love you, Laci. I know that you can’t love me yet. But I—”

“It...I think I love you too.” Andrew held her to him, taking her harder now, his body needing to claim her again. “You marked me. Bite me again and mark me, Andrew. Please?”

He licked her shoulder to her pulse. He sucked at the heat there, knowing that her blood would be all the riper for her climax, her skin covered in her dew. When she cried out that she was coming, her nails digging into his back, Andrew bit her, feeling his cat helping him. And when he released his own orgasm inside of her, Andrew thought he saw stars and held her closer when he came a second time when she bit into his shoulder.

Holding her now, not having the energy or the willpower to get up, Andrew thought about how his life was going to change. He’d been around his brothers enough to know that this was as enviable as breathing, finding a mate and letting them into your heart. And that was just where Andrew wanted her to be.

Chapter 5

The house—was really an understatement to call it something so mundane as a simple house—was beautiful. It hurt her head to think she was going to be staying here with Andrew. Even the furniture—which he claimed he’d had no say in—was just what she would have picked for herself had she the money to do so.

“What do you think?” Laci looked around the huge room they were in…the dining room. Or in this case, what was called a dining room. The room looked nearly as large as some larger restaurants that she’d worked in. “We can change whatever you don’t like. I just want to say again that Kendra did this for us, and she won’t mind at all.”

“The queen.” He nodded. Andrew had been telling her about all the people in his life, and her head was beginning to spin with it. “This room is lovely. Just like the rest of the house. You act like you’ve never seen it before.”

“I haven’t. I live...lived in an apartment until this morning.” Laci nodded. She was homeless up until an hour ago too. “Laci, I know that this is a bit much, but I have to tell you something else. I can read your mind. All of us can. And I’m not sure, but I think it’s a good possibility that you can read ours as well.”

She didn’t say anything. Not that she didn’t believe him…with all the shit going on right now, there was no reason for her not to believe him. But what did you say to a man who professed that he loved you, was a leopard that could read minds, and had told you that you were going to be living in his grand house for the rest of your life?

“The next thing you’ll be telling me is that I’m going to live forever.” When he didn’t laugh or make a comment, Laci turned to him. “I’m not, am I? Going to live forever? And even if I am, could you not tell me right now? I mean, yay, I’m going to live forever, but I don’t think I can take too much more change in my life at the moment.”

The woman, Emma Rutledge, who had met them at the door, cleared her throat. Laci wasn’t sure what she was doing here. She’d told her that she came with the house. Came with the house like she was a stick of furniture that needed to be dusted. Laci had an insane thought as to whether or not she preferred lemony or plain polish when Andrew laughed.

“Miss, there is a gentleman at the door that claims to have a letter for you.” Laci backed away from the woman and looked at Andrew. “He said that he’s been looking for you for some time. That he has this letter for you and only you.”

“I don’t want it.” Miss Rutledge nodded and started to back out of the room when Laci stopped her. “Did he say who it was from? Or how he found me?”

“No, miss. He only said that he’s been looking for you.” Miss Rutledge looked at Andrew, then back at her. “He can’t come into the house without a proper invite.”

“I’ll come to see him.” Miss Rutledge moved out of the room, and Andrew took her into his arms. He spoke to her in low tones, almost as if he were afraid that she was going to freak out. “He’s a vampire. He’s fairly old, I think. And pretty powerful. He has no ill will in his heart, only to do what he’s been told, and as far as that goes, I can’t see what that is beyond the letter. If you don’t want to see him, then I can send him on his way.”

“Is there anyone that is what they appear to be around here?” Laci knew that she sounded slightly panicky but let him hold her. “I don’t know if I even know anyone that’s human anymore.”

“You know a few that I know of. They smell of you. Not physical contact, but more of a passing one.” She looked up at him. “The people you work with, they’re all human. Warren is human too. There are a few other shifters at the company, but there are more people like me than you think. After a while, like most shifters, you’ll be able to tell the difference. And if you ever want me to change you, then—”

“Not ready for that just yet. But these other people, you can smell them on me.” He nodded and backed up a step. “Are you by chance afraid of me?”

“Just a little. You look like you’re a little on edge.” She told him that she was a lot on edge. “Yeah, I got that too. While you can’t kill me, you look like you’d give it your best shot about now.”

“I can’t take too much more. I feel like that rabbit and the hole he fell into.” Andrew said he understood. “No, I don’t think you do. I’ve been leading a normal life up until that fateful day when I only went to the store for some milk. And I’ve been thinking on that too. I think she had something to do with it. I don’t know why but...my aunt must have been pouring it in the sink when I left for work, so I’d have to get it for her. Then all of the sudden, there was a robbery—or what I thought was a robbery—and men were shooting at me and telling me that they’ve come to get me. Not just a woman, but me by name.” Andrew said nothing but she could tell that he was tense. “He called me by my name, not miss or lady, but Laci Wintermute. I thought for sure that my aunt had given it to him, but then he said that they were there to get me and the robbery was going to make for good cover.”

“What happened to your aunt? Did they try to get her? Or to hold her hostage so that you’d come to them to get her?” She’d wondered about that as well. How her aunt had been just there, sitting in the aisle waiting for her. The cart she’d been pushing around nowhere in sight. She told Andrew that. “So she was neither shot nor was she hurt. And you brought her with you when you left town.”

“She’s my aunt.” It was lame, even to her ears, why the old biddy was still with her. “I don’t know what would have happened to her if I had left her behind.”

Nothing, her mind screamed at her. Not a damned thing. Andrew paced the large room but said nothing more. She had her own demons to deal with concerning her aunt, and she wasn’t going to talk to him about them right now.

“This vampire. What are we going to do about him?” Andrew looked at her, then at the doorway. “I’m serious, Andrew. I really don’t think I can take much more today. Or the rest of the year, as a matter of fact. If he shows his fangs or whatever, I’m going to stake him, then run screaming in the night for any other creature to get me. It’ll probably be a giant werewolf, and he’ll cut me down before I get ten feet.”

“I personal know several. James Luna, for one. But he’s a friend of the family. He’d never hurt you. His wife is a lovely woman by the name of Ruby. You’ll love her too.” He was pacing again and she was sure that he didn’t realize what he’d said. There were fucking werewolves too? Laci sat down, then stood up. She was out the door to the main hall before he caught up with her. The man standing at the door smiled at her, without showing any of his teeth.

“What the fuck do you want? And if you so much as mention biting me, I will tear your head off and pee down your neck hole.” The man glanced behind her, then at her again. She knew that Andrew was there, but he was staying back. “What’s this about a letter you have? Just put it on the floor and kick it this way.”

“You’re nothing like what I expected. Not timid, nor are you intimidated. Much anyway.” She asked him again about the letter. “I’m under orders, you might say. It’s to be handed to you. By my own hand.”

“Well that’s not going to fucking happen, in the event you didn’t get that by now. I’m not going anywhere near you without a stake in my hand and a string of garlic. Does that even work?” Both Andrew and the man said no at the same time. “Figures. My life is going to shit every second I’m standing here. Nothing about my life has been right. You should know that I’m on the very edge of getting a gun and blowing every person I see up. Not really, but I’m stressed out. Now tell me or move on, I really could care less at this point.”

The man laughed and then bowed. “You are a rare treat in an otherwise sad world. My name is Cyrus. I have no use for a last name, but should you call to my lady Sina or her mate Nildale, I’m sure they can vouch for me. But as I have said, I have this letter for you and you only. It has been...commanded of me that I make sure that you have it.”

Before she could ask who they might be, two people were standing in front of her. Laci fell back on her ass and stayed there. If they were going to kill her, then she’d just as soon be close to the floor when she died. Then when another man came in the room, this one dressed in an outfit that made her think of science fiction movies where body armor was made of softer shit, she closed her eyes. When someone touched her shoulder, she sobbed.

“Please don’t hurt Andrew. He’s a really nice guy. A little on the strange side, but all together nice.” She heard someone laugh and opened one eye to look at the woman. “You look like a fashion model. Not that it makes you any less scary, but you’re beautiful.”

“As are you, Laci Lanning. Come now, get up and let us properly introduce you to ourselves. I’m Sina, second queen. But right now I’m working as queen. My daughter is on an adventure.” Laci nodded. “This is my mate, Nildale. He’s helping me while she’s away. I must say, it’s been much harder than I remember it being. And this gentleman here is our son, Nic. He’s been working the estate, getting it squared away for Andrew here. But we have come to see you and to clear up any kind of confusion about young Cyrus here.”

“If you can clear up even one tenth of the confusion I have, I’ll be greatly indebted to you.” Nildale moved toward her as he laughed and put out his hand for her. “If you touch me, and I’m not saying you can or not, what happens to me? I mean, I’m new to this whole...I have no idea what you’d call this, but I’m learning shit that is making me a little leery of everyone. But I have a feeling that anything and everything should be questioned. Or just ignored. Which is it?”

“As you should be leery of things. But I only wish to help a lovely young woman from the floor, and to assure you that Cyrus here is truly a friend to us all.” Laci eyed his outstretched hand, then him. “You aren’t very trusting, are you? I do assure you, I’m not going to harm you in any way that will not benefit you.”

She touched her hand to his. By the time what he was saying registered, she felt as if her arm had been set on fire and it was burning down her body. Screaming at the pain of it, she held onto the man that had caused it and screamed again when he was suddenly jerked from her.

~~~

Nic wanted to laugh. It was painful not doing so, but he was barely holding onto his humor. Every time he looked at his father, his back so flat to the floor that he looked as if he might be trying to merge into it, Nic had to work all the harder at not laughing. He was sure it was the cat, his massive jaws around his father’s throat, that had him staying as still as he could. Nic tried again to speak around the laughter bubbling up when his sisters came into the room, both Linyah and Kendra. Linyah started laughing almost as soon as she saw him, and it was all it took to bring him over the edge too.

“Would someone like to tell me what in the blazing hells of Madeally is going on?” Kendra looked at him, and he could only point to Laci, then back at his dad and Andrew. “That is not helping. Should I get help?”

“No. No, I don’t think Andrew needs any help.” Nic laughed harder when he saw his dad’s face. “I’m pretty sure that he has it under control.”

“Nic. Behave.” He tried to for his mom, but he was going to hurt himself. With a final look from his mom that said he’d pay, she continued. “Your father thought he’d be clever and give young Laci here a bit of his magic. He actually told her that he’d not hurt her. Well, as you can see, he did, and Andrew took exception to that. Poor dear. I bet she never lets any of us hug her again. And I’ve so come to enjoy it when one of you would just wrap me up in their arms.”

Laci struggled to stand, and Nic moved to help her. “Don’t touch me. I think I could go for the rest of my life without any of you touching me again. Christ, what the fuck was that?”

“Magic.” Laci glared at him as she made her way to Andrew. When she wrapped her arms around his waist, Nildale whimpered. Nic walked to the couple and his dad again. “He’s hurting him. While he cannot kill him, he can still cause him a great deal of pain.”

“Yeah, well, he can suffer a bit longer.” Nic said nothing, but he knew that the couple were talking. And when Andrew let his dad go, Nic helped his dad to stand up. Laci looked at his dad. “You should be beaten. All of you. You lied to me. And hurt me. Why? What did I ever do to you? Nothing. That’s what. I did nothing to you.”

“I am profoundly sorry, my child. If I had thought this through, I would have known that as a newly mated couple he would have been on the defense.” Nic watched his dad put out his hand. “Will you forgive an old man who only thought to help you out?”

“Not yet. And if you think I will ever let you touch me again, you’re nuttier than my aunt.” He looked pained, but his dad nodded and stepped back from Laci. Nic wanted to tell her that he’d never hurt her again, but his mom spoke through their link.

Don’t. This is between them, and your father should have known better than to do such a stupid thing.
Nic agreed with his mom but told her that dad was hurt.
And you don’t think that she is? She trusted him and he hurt her. Laci will forgive him, but she needs this as much as he does. Andrew will feel badly for this as well. He hurt a friend of his.

Nic knew that his mom was right, but he didn’t have to like it. He turned to the front door when someone cleared their throat. Christ, he’d forgotten about Cyrus. The big vampire was smiling when Nic walked to him.

“You have quite a family here, Nic. Why have I not noticed that before?” Nic told him he wasn’t around enough. “True. But my kind causes more grief than it does happiness. People are simply too afraid of me. Then there is my master. He is not a man that should be trusted even with his own mother, I think.”