Mate Not Wanted (20 page)

She hoped Pierce could help her out. He had a large wine cellar and was an investor with Wolven Winery, as well as other paranormal vineyards. Maybe Jessica, his chef, would be able to give her a hand.

With a sigh, she rang the bell and waited for Inga to answer the door. Pierce surprised her by pulling it open himself. Zoe wound around his ankles, looking quite at home.

Madison didn’t feel the least bit jealous of this. In fact, she was relieved that Zoe seemed so content with Pierce and his staff. It didn’t mean she was moving in with him, yet, but at least Zoe had a second home there.

Pierce’s gaze brushed over Madison in a heated caress that left her skin prickling and desire blooming in her stomach. Her pussy slickened and thoughts of dinner temporarily flew out of her mind. She tried to ignore the way her nipples had tightened and the slow pulse of her clit. She swallowed and took a breath as her mating heat came back in a slow throb. A blush filled her cheeks.

“Hi.” She looked down at her shoes, feeling shy.

Their relationship had changed so completely in just one night. Intimacy and knowledge had taken the place of stubbornness and aggression. She couldn’t ignore her desires any more, not after what had happened between them.

“No need to feel shy, love. Come on in. You look gorgeous, as usual.”

He reached down, grabbed her hand, and pulled her forward until she stopped just millimeters away from his body. Pierce bent down and brushed his lips against her cheek, sending a lick of fire down her spine. He moved his mouth over hers, which only ignited the flame in her body.

With a whimper, she pressed herself against him and rose on tiptoe to kiss him more fully. She sighed and opened her mouth, slipped her tongue out, and tracing a line along the seam between his lips. They parted to allow her tongue in for a deeper taste. A muffled groan was her reward. She felt his canines thicken and sharpen until they nearly drew blood when the brushed against her lips.

Madison wrapped her arms around Pierce’s neck and slipped a hand over his head, feeling the smoothness and heat of his skin against her palm. She could feel the hard planes of his body, even with the barrier of the silk shirt and wool pants he wore. She wanted to feel all that muscle and sinew against her body.

Her shoulder bite throbbed, and an insistent heat grew in the pit of her stomach. Her clit pulsed in time with her heartbeat, demanding attention. Her breasts ached for his touch. She groaned and lifted her leg to twine it around his. The pencil skirt she wore was too tight. She hated that she’d chosen to wear a waist cincher. It felt as if it weren’t allowing her take in enough air. Her blouse felt itchy and abraded her skin.

“Dinner is served.” Jessica brushed past the two of them. “Or are you two gonna keep letting in the flies and night air? I’m off to the movies. Enjoy!”

Rather than embarrassment, Madison felt amused. She gave Pierce another kiss and stepped back. Her stomach gave a growl and she gazed up at him.

“Time to eat.” She took his hand and led him into the house. “And then dessert.”

He released his hold on her and bent down to get her bag. “I’m gonna deduct some pay from her salary. Can’t get good help these days,” he muttered.

Madison laughed. “No, don’t do that. She might poison your coffee. Let it be. And besides, I need to eat. I’m starving. And for more than just food.”

Pierce followed her to the dining room and pulled out her chair. “You get settled and I’ll put your bag away. If you’d like, you can serve yourself first.”

Madison didn’t object. It would give her time to compose herself. Her panties were wet and she wanted to take off her clothes and get herself off to ease some of the need. Instead, she decided to indulge in some wine and let the alcohol work its magic. She hadn’t taken anything since the aspirin that afternoon.

She found that being with Pierce both eased the passion and increased it. It was manageable, but just barely. She poured herself a glass of red and took in the spread on the table. Their plates had already been made up with an herb-crusted steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus in a butter sauce. It all looked delicious. And they would have plenty of protein to give them energy for the night ahead. She just hoped that Pierce would like the plan she had in mind. Madison hesitated before picking up her utensils. Should she start without him?

Rather than be rude, she sat at the table and admired the dining room. It was clean as a whistle and didn’t look as though it got a lot of love. Everything seemed so pristine and untouched. It was a shame; a room like that should be used.

She found herself comparing her modest dining area at the guest house to his. She used that little space almost every day, whether by herself, with her parents, or with Lea and Alec. Her friends loved to drop by when they were feeling too lazy or too tired to cook for themselves.

Madison made it a priority to use her kitchen every day. The only time she heated up frozen meals was when she was sick or if the air conditioner had broken down. She itched to see Pierce’s kitchen but doubted that Jessica would allow her anywhere near it. He probably had top-of-the-line everything.

Madison had been eyeing a new refrigerator and KitchenAid mixer for the guest house, but she knew her parents would want to have final say on everything. She did want to get her own place, but did she want to rent a house or an apartment? A house might have too much space; an apartment might not have enough room to cook. She wanted a place where she could spread out, but didn’t want rooms she didn’t use.

With a sigh, she realized she’d taken herself out of the mood for sex. The need was still there, curled up in the pit of her stomach, but all the thoughts of unused rooms, cooking, and getting her own place had put a temporary damper on things. She picked up a glass of wine and took a sip to give herself something to do. What the hell was taking Pierce so long?

As if the thought had summoned him up, Pierce walked through the arched entryway into the room. “Sorry, love, had to deal with Zoe. She was trying to get into the pantry.” He gave her a wry smile. “That’s where Inga keeps the cat treats. She’s taken a real shine to Zoe. She went out and got cat toys and treats and everything just for her.”

Madison grinned. “She’s a little ninja. If you don’t watch her she’ll manage to get in there even if the door is closed. She has ways. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve started without you so I waited.”

Pierce’s features softened. “Oh, gorgeous, you didn’t need to, but I appreciate it.” He came around the table and dropped a kiss onto her forehead. “Thank you. Looks and smells delicious, and I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

He sat down across from her and dug into his meal. “So, how was your day? Other than the heat, of course. Any interesting events going on at Shadows?”

Pierce looked at her with interest but she didn’t miss the spark in his eyes. She settled into her chair and started to cut into her meat.

“Sully really wants to do a wine event, but the private rooms will be off limits during that time. He’s sending me to the Wolven Wine Weekend to sample wines and pick a few brands. I do feel out of my depth. I have no clue what I’m looking for. I’ve had wines before, but never had to rate them.”

“Well, you’re in luck. I can help with that. I have a huge wine cellar and some Wolven Brands for you try. So he gave you tickets?” Pierce raised a thick eyebrow in question, mirth on his face.

She frowned. “What’s so funny? And yes, he gave me tickets. I was thinking of bringing Alec with me. He’s getting a break from the college and he needs a pick-me-up.”

Pierce shook his head. “I’m sorry, love, it’s just that
I
booked us a room for the Wolven Weekend. Thought it might be romantic and a good way to spend time together. Why does Alec need a pick-me-up? Should I be worried?”

“No need to worry. Alec is gay. He’s one of my best friends. He bid on his crush at the auction—one of the football players—and was rejected. Alec is an intelligent, sexy, handsome, loving man. He’s got a job and his own house. He’s stable and a total catch. He deserved so much more than he got. He needed this distraction with all his family problems. He doesn’t put himself out there, for all his talk he’s really shy around other gay men. He deserves love.” Sadness filled her chest, making her hurt and her heart ache.

Pierce grinned. “If I weren’t so comfortable with your attraction to me I’d be very worried about your description of Alec. Who did Alec bid on? Maybe I know him. And, no, I won’t have a ‘talk’ with him to make him go out with Alec. But maybe I’ve heard something about this person that could shed some light on the subject.”

Madison didn’t want to give him a name just in case the man wasn’t officially out. “I don’t want to say. It’s not my place to out one of your players.”

Pierce rubbed the stubble on his cheeks and chin. “Well, there aren’t many out gay players. What’s Alec’s type?”

Madison thought about the men Alec went out with. “Blond, athletic, smart, looks sort of like Torsten.”

“Ah. There are a few I can think of, all of them young.” Pierce fell silent. “It could be that the man he bid on recognized Alec as his mate, but wasn’t ready to be tied down. That’s often the way it is with young guys. The man recognized him as his mate and wanted to run. Kind of like what you did with me.”

Madison frowned. “I don’t like that this guy hurt Alec, but I can understand that. As for myself…it’s not the same. My fears have to do with my independence and worry about what I can bring to a relationship with you. I’m still finding my feet. But your acceptance of me and my situation has helped me greatly.”

She gave him a grin. Emotion filled her chest. Pierce had fought for her every step of the way, even when she’d pushed him away, and now here they were. It was exhilarating and unbelievable that they’d found common ground and that he truly wanted her, warts and all.

“Good. Now enough with being sad, let’s heat things up. What do you want to try tonight? Maybe some fire play? Candle wax or heated massage oil?” Desire darkened his eyes to midnight skies.

The kernel of heat in her stomach bloomed to envelope her belly and slip down to her pussy. She squirmed in her seat as she tried to ignore her body’s reaction. “Who said I wanted to heat things up? Maybe I’d like to cool things down, maybe bring some ice into play?” she teased.

Pierce’s eyebrow shot up. “On me or you? You still haven’t told me your plans for tonight.”

Madison licked her lips. “Well, I was thinking of cuffing you to the bed and having my wicked way with you, if that’s OK.”

Pierce shook his head and her heart dropped. “Love,” he reached out his hand to hers, palm up. She accepted his gesture, hoping he wasn’t trying to let her down gently. “You don’t have to ask if it’s OK. Just tell me what you want. If I have issues, I’ll let you know. Being tied down by you sounds very enticing. Will you blindfold me too or make me watch every excruciating minute?”

She took a moment to consider while trying to ignore the press of his calloused palm against hers. The roughness only reminded her of how it felt against her bare skin. She suppressed a shudder of excitement.

“I think I’ll make you watch.” Madison withdrew her hand and went back to eating.

“Minx. Do you want to do this in the playroom or in my bedroom?”

“Your bedroom. Do you have cuffs there too?”

“I keep everything, with the exception of condoms and lube, in one place.” Pierce paused to take a sip of wine before he continued. “Makes it easier to distinguish boundaries. The playroom is for play and my bedroom is for sleep. But with you the lines will be blurred.”

“And Ryan is out tonight?” She wanted to make sure that they wouldn’t be interrupted.

“Yup. Business trip. So we have the house to ourselves.” He pushed away an empty plate. “Shall we get the festivities underway?”

Madison’s heartbeat sped up and her palms became damp. She looked at Pierce and felt a sense of shyness take over.

“No need to be nervous, love. Go with your instinct. I’ll let you know if there’s something you need to know. No worries.” He rose from his chair and went around to her side of the table to help her up.

“OK,” she murmured.

Pierce drew her into a kiss. He held her head in place as he nibbled. His sharp teeth scraped against her lips, and he lapped at the stinging spot, only to repeat the action over and over and until her mouth was hot and throbbing. Pierce placed soft, open-mouthed kisses down her neck, trailing his hands down after.

She moaned and pressed herself against him, needing to feel the solidity of his body and his warmth. She rose on tiptoe and wound her arms around his neck, then tipped her head back to allow him access to her collarbone. She didn’t resist when he cupped her breasts and gave them a squeeze before undoing the buttons of her blouse one at a time.

He swore when he reached her waist cincher, trying to tug at the material with no success. “How the bloody hell do I get this thing off of you?”

Madison giggled and stepped out of his arms. With care, she undid each of the eyelet closures until it had fully opened. She held up the offending item of clothing and then dropped it onto the floor.

Pierce tilted his head to the side. “It makes you look sexy as hell, but I don’t think I want you wearing them all the time.”

“What’s the matter. Scared of a little ol’ corset?” Before he could reply, she kicked off her shoes and took off, racing out of the dining room.

She heard him swear before his heavy footfalls followed her out into the foyer and up the grand staircase. She remembered the route from the previous night. She found the playroom easily.

With her heart racing, she entered and started opening up cabinets, hoping that Pierce wouldn’t enter too soon. When he did, his tie, shirt, and jacket were off. His belt was already undone and the top button of his pants was open. Scars and old wounds crisscrossed his body.

Despite being almost forty he was still fit, with hard muscles. His pecs and abdomen were clearly defined, as were his arms. They were not overly muscular but had just enough definition to make it clear that he kept himself in prime condition.