Like a Fox, Ridgeville Book 7 (2 page)

Her lioness purred, stretching and flexing
her nails in Gina’s mind. The kitty wanted to rub against the man.
Mmm… The fox. He was a fox. Literally and figuratively.

Gavin grasped her fingers securely, claiming
more of her and rubbing his thumb over her palm in a small,
alluring circle. Her body melted, and tendrils of arousal plucked
her nerves. The cat craved him like a drug, and the human half of
her wanted to fondle him. She ached to trace those corded muscles
and see which spots would make him moan. Gina wasn’t
normally
Wonder Slut, but this was her
mate
.
Slutasticness was called for. Necessary even.

The arguments and exclamations surrounded
them, but her gaze was intent on Gavin. Nothing mattered but
him.

“Do you think there’s a licking hall of fame?
I bet there is.”

“Dude! Can we not talk about licking
anything? He’s my
brother
.”

“You bought him the shirt. Hell, you were
just asking him if you should have added ‘a lot’.” Maddy tapped her
ear. “Super hearing. I haz it.”

“I don’t want my girl mating a butt-sniffer.
Is he housetrained? I mean, Elise was, but you never know about
boys.”

“Is he gonna pee on her? Dogs do that,
right?”

A grin threatened to emerge, laughter
battling with her desire, and she nibbled her lower lip. Gavin’s
focus centered on her mouth, and she let her tongue peek out to wet
her lips. His eyes darkened, and the scorching scent of his need
wafted over her. Silence descended on their table. Gina tore her
attention from her mate and focused on the women only to find her
friend’s gazes on her and Gavin.

Maya cleared her throat. “Okay then. Puppy
gets the pussy.”

A low rumbling growl came from Gavin, the
sound traveling through his hand and right into her, shaking her
from inside out. Of course, it slid right to her clit, thrumming
the bundle of nerves.

Gavin’s nostrils flared, and pure
unadulterated desire poured from his gaze. His white fangs peeked
from beneath his upper lip. He tilted his head to the side as if
asking her permission to take them out of the diner, and she nodded
her agreement.

That fast, he had her out of the seat and
following in his wake. He didn’t drag her to the front door.
Instead, he tugged her behind the counter and back through the
kitchen.

“Just cuttin’ through, man.” Gavin yelled to
the bear, giving Seno a smile and a wave as he passed.

Mimicking her mate, Gina opened her mouth to
say “hello”, but she didn’t get a chance to pause for niceties.
They went from the kitchen to the storeroom and then were in the
back parking lot. She kept pace with Gavin as he pounded up the
rusted metal stairs that hugged the back wall, giggling with every
step. The man was practically running to the apartment. She
remembered that his sister Elise had rented the space at one time.
It’d been gutted and redone after Jenner destroyed the place in an
effort to run Elise out of town.

Unease slammed into her, memories of Jenner
and his lies assaulting her with each move closer to the door.

Gavin froze, turning toward her. “Baby?”
Worry inched into his features.

“Sorry,” she waved her hand. “I’m being
stupid and—”

He backtracked to her, wrapped his arms
around her waist and tugged her close. Gina’s lioness purred in
response, loving the feel of his lean body against her curves.

“Shh…” He stroked her hair and she nuzzled
him. “I shoulda thought.” He sighed. “We cleansed the place, tore
everything out, and Seno even got one of his witch friends to
‘purify’ the space. Brute and my sister “helped.” Though, she
winked when she said it, and I
so
don’t wanna know. Plus,
with Elise happy now, I kinda push away the past. We can put on the
brakes and slow down. Maybe go somewhere else.”

She shook her head. No, that’s not what she
wanted. At. All. “No, I’m being a baby.” Her emo bullshit crap was
nothing compared to what Elise went through with the apartment and
Jenner and… If Gavin was cool, so was she. “I’ve got my mate, and I
want to be alone with him. Driving over to the motel so isn’t
happening.”

Gina hugged him, tugging him tighter against
her body. She rocked her hips, shivering at the feel of the hard
cock branding her.

“Yeah?” His voice was strangled.

“Yeah.” She grinned, loving the bit of
control she had over her mate. Gavin was trembling in her arms, his
eyes now looking more like his inner-fox than human. If she wasn’t
mistaken, his claws were digging into her back. If she hadn’t been
turned on before, she sure as hell was now.

Gavin leaned down and pressed his face
against her neck, the rough scrape of his morning scruff causing
goose bumps to race over her skin. “Good.”

He took a deep breath, and then warm air
bathed her. His scent wrapped her in a welcoming blanket. A shudder
overtook him and he stepped away, putting space between their
bodies. Without another word, they were on the move again, stomping
up the stairs toward their destiny.

Okay, that sounded lame. True, but lame.

“
Never, ever be nervous about having sex.
Women are always awesome. If there’s no big ‘O’, it’s his fault.
That’s your story and you’re sticking to it.
”—Maya O’Connell,
Prima of the Ridgeville Pride and total sex-pert.

A lot of people say that when they are
nervous, butterflies take up residence in their stomachs.

Gavin got rhinos. Giant, ungainly, dangerous
beasts that stomped and frolicked on his intestines, and the urge
to vomit stabbed at him. His rising cock deflated the moment they
crossed the apartment’s threshold. Gina followed him, her scent
teasing his fox with its alluring flavors, but he couldn’t shove
down the unease.

He’d found his mate, for fuck’s sake. And
wasn’t that scary as hell.

She strode past him into the renovated
apartment, and he tried to look at it through her eyes. He noted
the bright walls, splashes of pale color that lightened the tiny
area. Furniture had been purchased from the local stores, and the
apartment appeared brand new. He remembered what Jenner had done,
remembered Elise’s descriptions of cow’s blood splattering the
walls. With Jenner out of the picture, Gavin tended to forget that
the apartment was anything other than a place to crash when he came
to town. But Gina had lived through the worry and danger, and he’d
brought her to the scene of one of many crimes committed by her
ex.

“Gina…” He ran a hand through his hair.

“You’re a worrier, aren’t you?” His sweet
mate snared his fingers and hauled him to the couch, shoving him
down and then plopping sideways onto his lap. Her plump ass
caressed his dick, and his erection returned in full force. “No
worrying today.”

She laid her head on his shoulder and relaxed
against him. Taking her laidback pose at face value, he let his
hands wander, allowing himself to explore his clothed lioness.

“None? No worrying?” His voice was a foxy
growl, his canines aching to rip her bare and sink into her skin.
They’d exchange blood and saliva and be bound together forever.
“How about concerns?”

Concerns? Right. Another way to say “worry.”
His beast didn’t want to address worries or concerns or doubts. He
wanted his cock inside her and fangs piercing her. In that order.
It was his human half that realized there were a handful of things
to discuss first. Like: where they were going to live.

He stroked her back, tracing the delicate
line of her spine from lower hip to neck and back again. With his
other hand, he followed her leg, caressing the exposed skin below
the hem of her flowing skirt and down to her knee. On his return,
he delved beneath the light fabric, searching out her heat.

Gina nuzzled his neck, her silken skin
sliding over him and transferring her scent to his body. “Concerns?
Like positions? I’m flexible,” she giggled, and even that made his
dick pulse.

God, he was being a wishy-washy girl. Talk or
bang. Damn, now he sounded like a dick.

When she patted his chest, finger tracing his
nipple, he tore his palm from her leg. He grasped her wayward
digits, halting her ministrations. “Concerns. Like, what do you do?
Where do you live? Practical stuff.”

With a huff, she laid her forehead on his
shoulder. “Fine. Practical stuff and then I’m pouncing. Cats do
that.”

Gavin rolled his eyes, chuckling deep and
taking note of the shiver that overtook her body. “K. You know I
don’t live in Ridgeville. I was living with the Skulk in Virginia.”
At her nod, he continued. “Well, I was hired by the Council as the
Director of Communications. Elly killed Alistair, and his absence
left his brother Niall in charge. The man has been trying to right
Alistair’s wrongs, and the Council is having difficulties keeping
up with everything. Hell, you heard about the trouble with Deuce
and Tess. The Council is pretty sure that was just a hint of some
bigger problems. My job is to keep the rescue teams in touch with
each other and ensure that the network can handle the extra load.
This was supposed to be my last visit to Ridgeville for a while
because I’m moving to Chicago.”

Silence descended, the quiet enveloping them
for one beat, then two. “Chicago?”

“Yup. But now…”

“But now you have a mate whose life is in
Ridgeville. And she’s also got three ex-Freedom captives living in
her home.”

His stomach churned. “Yeah.”

Gina raised her head, her golden eyes meeting
his. Her lioness peered out at him from behind those glowing orbs.
“I’m a teacher and I can get a job anywhere.” She took a deep
breath. “The only lingering hitch would be the females currently
staying with me. And I think… I think they’re doing a lot better.
Maddy and Elise have been working with them daily for the last
month. Plus, there are plenty of other members of the pride who are
itching to help out.” Gina nibbled her lower lip. “I’m not trying
to be callous and brush them off. I just really, really want to be
with you.”

The truth seeped into him, sending shining
happiness through his veins. Her devotion to those women touched
his heart, but her desire to be with him touched something
decidedly lower. “So that means you’re willing to come to
Chicago?”

“That means I’m willing to come to
Chicago.”

“Even though you don’t know me from Adam?” He
raised a single brow.

“You’re Elise’s brother. She’s wonderful, so
you can’t be too horrible. Besides, I’ll sic Maya on you if you’re
mean.”

“Evil witch.” He growled, but she’d agreed to
move with him, and that’s what mattered. The timeline could be
dealt with…later.

Gavin couldn’t hold his fox back, the beast
advancing with a massive lunge. He leaned forward and snared her
lips, slanted his mouth over hers and slipped his tongue into her.
Her natural flavors flowed into him, and he gobbled up every
morsel. Sweet, seductive strawberries and cream danced over his
taste buds.

Gina shifted in his lap, ass grinding against
his growing hardness. Her movements yanking a groan from his
chest.

Need thundered through him, his beast
hammering his control as he drank from her lips. Delicate whimpers
echoed his booming growls, confirming that his gentle lioness was
just as affected. The musky, tempting scent of her arousal drifted
into the air, and his dick stiffened further.

Gina turned and pressed her chest to his, her
stiff nipples searing his chest. Yes, his lioness was aroused,
needy and craving him. She changed position again, pulling away but
returning just as fast to straddle him. The heat of her pussy
burned his cock. The source of that tormenting aroma was now snug
along his length. She ground against him, pressing her hips down
and stroking him with her panty-clad pussy.

“Gavin…” she murmured into his lips, breaking
their kiss long enough to gasp out his name.

“Mmm…” He stroked her back, starting at her
shoulders and ending with the lush globes of her ass. He squeezed
and kneaded the abundant flesh, urging her to rock against him,
silently begging her to take and give pleasure.

She flexed her hips, increasing the pressure,
and his cock throbbed within the confines of his jeans. His dick
was primed and ready, aching to sink into her moist heat and fuck
her until she screamed with her release.

Another grinding press, another pulse of
arousal threatening his control.

Gavin wrenched his mouth from hers, resting
their foreheads together while panting into her kiss-swollen lips.
“Damn, baby.”

Gina whimpered. “I like that. ‘Baby’. Not
‘kitten’ or ‘kit’ or ‘pussy.’ My cat has nothing to do with it, I’m
just your ‘baby.’”

“Always. You’re more than your lioness.
You’re a gorgeous, beautiful woman. More importantly, you’re
mine.”

She purred. “Yours.”

“Uh-huh. Mine. My mate. My baby. My woman.”
And he ached to claim her. “Ready to be mine?” He squeezed her ass,
loving the way she filled his hands. She was perfect for him, all
plump curves he couldn’t wait to nibble and nip.

“Oh yeah.”

He nudged her from his lap, immediately
missing the heat of her pussy against his throbbing cock.

The moment he gained his feet, he reached for
her hand and twined their fingers together. He led her through the
tiny apartment and straight to the bedroom. There, once again, he
tried to see the room through her eyes, noting the queen-sized bed,
the small end tables and bright walls. It was quaint and neat,
apart from his shirts and jeans strewn everywhere from his earlier
hunt for clothes, and a little homier than a hotel. The space
wasn’t his den, but it would do for now.

Gina crowded him, plastering her body to his
back.

He turned his head and kissed her nose. “My
new place is bigger, more comfortable. I found this old brownstone
with wood floors and—”