Astrid Cielo (9 page)

He clicked the
apply button and quickly filled in the necessary information, then he sat back
in the computer chair as though he'd run a marathon.
 
And maybe he had.
 
That night had changed him
and not for the better.
 

"Andrew?"

He looked up at
Miranda and sighed.
 
She had that worried
look on her face again.
 
This was going
to be painful.

"Yeah,
sis."

"What's up
with you?"

"What do
you mean?"
 
Evasiveness was the best choice
he told himself.

Miranda's eyes
widened and she waved her hands in the air.
 
"What do I mean?
 
Andrew,
you've not been yourself since you arrived, and I thought...well, I thought you
and Aspen were getting a little close, but now that's not an option...is it
that?"

Andrew closed
his eyes.
 
Aspen was beautiful.
 
Pale skin, black hair that framed a heart
shaped face, and a wonderful personality...at least when she wasn't so damn sad
it hurt, but he knew she wasn't the one for him.
 
She wasn't his mate, and truthfully he saw
her as more of another sister than a potential...wife or mate.

"I never
saw her like that, sis.
 
We were just
friends."

Miranda
propelled herself to sit on the desk and her brown eyes stared into his
own.
 
It was like she was reading his
soul and all his failures were there for her to see.

"Look, I know
something is wrong and you know I won't let up until you tell me, so why don't
we just save ourselves some time."

Andrew shook his
head.
 
Dammit
she was right.

"I'm not
ready, Miranda, not by a long shot."

"Well, when
you are, then you know exactly where I'll be."

Andrew nodded
but didn't smile.
 
Miranda would know how
fake it was if he did.
 

"Well, I've
got to go pick up my dress," she rubbed her abdomen, "had to have it
let out since the bump is beginning to show."

Andrew nodded
and Miranda left him.
 
Too bad his
nightmares hadn't left as well.

Aspen
settled into the bathtub and sighed.
 
There was nothing like a bubble bath after a long day--even if it wasn't
as hot as she'd like, but she had a baby to think about.
 
She didn't know where Gunner got all his
energy, but if he was anything to judge by, then she was in for one wild ride
with her own son.

She
rested her head against the back of the tub and closed her eyes.
 
She had work tomorrow and she needed to
finalize all the food orders.
 
Then she
needed to come up with a summer dinner dish that would bring more business
during the summer months.
 
Something with a citrusy or grilled taste.
 
Definitely pineapple.
 

Hands
captured her feet and she jumped nearly falling beneath the surface of the
water.
 
She opened her eyes to find
Skylar smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry,
I thought you'd have heard me."

"Well,
I didn't and you walk like a serial kill...
ohhhh
my!"

Strong
fingers dug into her instep and she forgot everything but the male bringing
such ecstasy to her feet.

"Now
I know how to end an argument."

Aspen
half-heartedly splashed water at Skylar and moaned when he moved to her ankle
and calf.

"Tell
me how you and Xavier met."
 

Aspen
leaned back against the tub once more and waited.
 
Skylar's hands stopped and Aspen looked back
at him.

"I
just want to know more about you guys. I don't know the first thing...well, I
don't know much.
 
Hell, I don't even know
your last names."

Skylar
sighed.
 
"It's not exactly the
happiest tale--I mean, don't get me wrong I love Xavier, but, well-"

Aspen
leaned forward and cupped Skylar's cheek.

"Please?
 
I want to know."

Skylar
nodded his lips pressed into a thin line.

"I
was working a case in south Mississippi when a scent caught my
atten
-"

"Wait,
you were working a case?
 
What exactly do
you do?"

"I'm
an agent with the Shifter Council's Human/Shifter relations department.
 
We have two main goals, maintain our secret
and protect humans from shifters who would do them harm."

"Okay...so
you and a scent?"

"Right.
 
I was running in wolf form in the woods
looking for clues about a string of murders.
 
Hunters were being slaughtered in a manner that was bringing too much
attention to shifters.
 
The shouts came
next.
 
I'll never forget it for as long
as I live.
 
A group of wolf shifters in
human and wolf form were kicking, punching and biting at the male they'd
overpowered.
 
The scent of his blood
enraged me and before I knew what was happening I'd ripped a few throats out
and injured a couple more.
 
The rest
ran," Skylar shook his head and tightened his hands on Aspen's legs.
 
Aspen winced and Skylar loosened his hold.

"Xavier?"

Skylar
nodded.
 
"He was half dead.
 
I don't remember much of what happened next,
but I do know that I somehow got him back to my hotel room and called in
someone to help patch him up.
 
Thankfully
he hadn't suffered any internal injuries, though a few ribs were broken."

"Then
you mated?"

Skylar
laughed.
 
"Oh no, baby.
 
Xavier is more stubborn than you'd ever
dream.
 
I was a little confused having a
male as a mate, but I'd always been attracted to males and females pretty
equally, so it wasn't that big of a deal for me.
 
Anyways, it took him a few weeks but he
finally convinced me we were mates.
 
We've been mated three years now."

Aspen
sat up in the tub, the cooling water a signal for her to hurry and scrub
down.
 
She reached for the soap, but
Skylar took it from her hand.
 
His green
eyes glowed.

"Allow
me."

Aspen
nodded slowly and he lathered the soap between his hands.
 
Aspen loved the feel of his soap-slickened
hands as they glided over her skin, shoulders and down her arms to clasp his
hands with hers.
 
At this moment Aspen
was happy that the bathtub was large and in the middle of the room granting
Skylar access around the entire tub.
 

He
traced his way back to her shoulders and down.
 
Aspen thrust her chest out ready for him to cup her breasts, but he
skipped them altogether and pulled her to a kneeling position within the tub.
 
His hands disappeared beneath the bubbles and
water to slide across her abdomen.
 
He
took a moment to cradle her belly before sliding down her hips and making his
way up her sides.
 

Aspen
moaned as his hands neared her breasts again.
 
Already her nipples were pebbled at though straining towards him for
attention.
 
Aspen's breath caught in her
throat waiting for his next move.

She
groaned when he motioned for her to turn around.

"
Tsk
,
tsk
,
tsk
.
 
Baby we're getting clean here."

Aspen
had never felt this much pleasure bathing before.
 
She turned and he soaped her back, his hands
taking bolder strokes at her lower back before cupping her buttocks.
 
She leaned forward and braced herself against
the tub.
 
She was panting and her breath
caught when he parted her cheeks to tease her rosette.
 

"What
are you doing?"

Skylar
nipped her ear before whispering, "Exploring."

Aspen
shuddered as he rinsed the soap from her body.
 
She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off with his hands
delving between her legs.
 
Unfortunately,
he only cleansed her before moving up to clasp her breasts in his hand.
 

Her
body on fire Aspen turned and pulled Skylar's mouth down to hers.
 
She clung to him as he pulled her dripping
water everywhere to the bathroom counter, his kiss never ending as he placed
her on the counter and pulled her legs apart.
 
Cool air hit her most intimate flesh and her hips bucked.
 

Skylar
captured her squeal in his mouth when his fingers teased her clit.
 
Aspen moved her hips in time with his
ministrations and he left her lips to trail kisses down her neck.
 
She moaned as he slowly slid a finger deep
into her channel.
 

"Please,
Skylar."

He
nipped her neck and she dug her claws into his back.
 
Skylar hissed.

"I'm
sor
-"

Her
words were cut off with his mouth and the wicked way his finger slid in and out
of her channel.
 

"Don't
apologize, baby.
 
I love to see you lose
control."

She
couldn't speak, her hips moving frantically.
 
Aspen arched as she came, Skylar sucking on her neck.
 
She'd thought the first time was when she
wanted his bite the most, but this time her mind was a mantra of bite me
repeated over and over again.
 
When the
bite never
happened
a wave of disappointment came over
her so strong that the last few moments meant nothing.

She
couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
 
Aspen pushed Skylar away and hopped down from the counter.
 
She wrapped a towel around herself and walked
away.

"Aspen?"

She
didn't even turn to acknowledge Skylar's questioning plea.
 
When she exited the bathroom she ran,
straight into Xavier's arms.

***

Xavier
caught the running Aspen as she left the bathroom.
 
He tipped her chin up and the tears tightened
his gut.

"What's
wrong, sweetheart?"

Just
moments before he'd heard her sounds of pleasure coming from the bathroom.
 
He hated that jealousy had reared its ugly
head.
 
He hated that Skylar had another
chance to sample their mate while he waited in the background, hoping against
hope that she wanted him as much as she did Skylar.
 
But a part of him understood that Skylar had
a bridge to mend between Aspen and himself, so he could wait and make this
family whole.

"He...I
don't think he wants me."

"Sweetheart,
what gave you that idea?"

"He
still hasn't mated me."

He
held her tighter as she cried.
 
It pained
him to see her so upset, but he didn't understand the whole of it.
 
It was their mutual idea to get to know one
another.
 
The fact that Skylar restrained
himself was testament to his agreement of those terms.
 
He traced the love mark Skylar left on her
neck and smiled.
 
His mate had been
tempted.

Xavier
looked up into Skylar's glowing green eyes and wished he could heal the torment
that lay there, but Skylar had never let him in.
 
Not even after their mating.
 
With just a look it was as though an entire
conversation was relayed between them before Skylar was gone.
 
He needed time before he lost control around
Aspen.

"Aspen, sweetie, look at me."

Aspen
obeyed and his dick hardened.
 
It wasn't
often that he didn't have to fight for dominance.

"I
thought we agreed this morning that we would get to know each other a little
better.
 
Wasn't Skylar just keeping his
word?"

Aspen
bit her lip and nodded.

"I
don't know what's wrong with me."

Xavier
cupped her cheek.

"You're
pregnant and in the throes of a mating heat.
 
Those things can mess with your mind, sweetheart."

When
she didn't look convinced, Xavier took her by the hand and pulled her into the
master bedroom.
 
A floor length mirror
was hung on the closet door, and though he knew the occupants at the time had
placed it for a less carnal purpose, he couldn't help but imagine.
 
With the angle of the bed and the mirror,
they could use it for a more intimate purpose.
 

He
stood Aspen in front of him and pulled her hair over her shoulder.
 
He traced the love mark with the pads of his
finger.

"Sky
fought hard not to place the mating bite, but he didn't leave you unmarked,
sweetheart."

Aspen's
fingers touched the mark and she smiled.

"I'm
being silly."

"I
think you're just dealing with a lot of things right now.
 
It can't
be easy knowing
that your destined mate is already mated."

Aspen
turned and hugged him.
 
He loved being
around her, loved her scent and the sound of her voice.

"You're
my mate, too," she whispered.

Xavier
scooped her up and placed her on the bed.
 
He turned and rummaged through his bag until he found one of his
shirts.
 
He turned and removed Aspen's
towel.

He
took a moment to look at her.
 
She was
beautiful.
 
Soft pale skin with breasts
that were just a handful topped with dusky nipples.
 
Soft curves amplified by a slight muscled
definition and her hips flared giving her an apple shaped body.
 
Xavier shook his head and pulled the shirt
over her head.
 
His
shirt.

Aspen
frowned and Xavier laughed.
 
She was cute
when she pouted.

Xavier
pulled the covers back and motioned for her to crawl in.
 
She was also cute when she did as he asked.

Xavier
pulled his shirt off and stepped out of his jeans before climbing in beside
her.
 
Aspen smiled and placed her head on
his chest.
 

"Skylar
told me how you two met."