Melissa's Mates (5 page)

“Melissa, you don’t know what you’re doing. You don’t know who he is.”

“So tell me, damn it! Who is he?”

Stephen took a step to the side, closer to her. “He’s one of the most feared men I know. “

Pieces began to come together. Stephen and Ayden were both cops, so if this guy was feared, he had to be into something illegal or bad. “Oh god, are you a drug dealer or a murderer or something?”

Taking a step back from Channing, she looked at him skeptically. He laughed, and the fear vanished instantly, leaving her confused as to what they were referring to. The look he shot to Stephen was one that made her feel stupid for asking the question, which only replaced the earlier anger. Impatience left her fists clutched.

“No, I’m not into anything criminal, I assure you. Now, do you want to leave with me or not? I’m not letting anyone tell me what to do. I’ll deal with the consequences.”

Melissa looked back over at her best friend’s boyfriend. “Stephen? Please tell me why you don’t want me to go. Is he going to hurt me?”

A look she couldn’t make out crossed over his face. “Hurt you, no, probably not.” He turned his attention to the tall man standing beside her. “Channing, you need to tell me what your intentions are. Is this just for tonight? What are you planning to do with her?”

“I want her.”

Those three words caused Melissa’s heart to race. Stephen’s eyes grew the size of saucers. She looked back and forth between them, feeling as though she was missing some large piece of his statement. “Channing…oh fuck. I don’t know. You don’t know her temper. She’s all wrong for you.”

“God damn it, Stephen! What the fuck is the matter with you!” Tears clouded Melissa’s vision. It was one thing for someone to say something like that behind her back, but so bluntly caused hurt like she couldn’t imagine. She had problems. She knew that. But what was wrong with
her
? Channing said he wanted her. She wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but she liked the sound of it.

“Mel, that didn’t come out right. I’m sorry. You know I love you, but Channing doesn’t know you. I just think both of your personalities don’t mesh well together.”

“We’re talking about a night, Stephen, not forever.”

“I don’t know about that,” he mumbled.

“What did you say?” She’d heard him perfectly well, but she still couldn’t believe what he’d said. Not waiting, she grabbed Channing’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“Mel, wait. Just please, think about this. Don’t look at him, and look at me. What does your mind, your heart, tell you to do?”

Stephen grabbed her face and made her stare into his. For seconds she stared into his eyes, searching her own mind for the truth. “I don’t know what you mean, but I know I feel compelled to go. I want to. Now let me, and tell Ev congrats. I wasn’t the nicest person earlier. Tell her I’ll call tomorrow.”

He nodded and dropped his hands. “Be careful. Call me if you need anything. Anything! I’ll come get you or whatever needs to be done.”

Channing pulled her closer to the car, and she climbed in as he opened the door. Settling back on the seat, she tried to process exactly what just happened. She felt more lost than ever. Before she and her soon-to-be lover parted ways, she was going to figure out a way to get him to tell her everything. To do that, she wanted to be on familiar ground. No hotel rooms for this one. For the first time, she’d bring a bet home.

Chapter 5

Nervousness filled Melissa as they pulled into her drive. Leaving her truck probably hadn’t been very smart, but she’d called Julie, and it just so happened that Julie left her keys on the counter to her car and her friend had a spare at her house. She could drive the Mercedes to Corpus, pick up her truck, and lock Julie’s keys in her car. It worked out perfectly.

“Second thoughts?”

Looking into Channing’s face in the darkness, she shook her head no. Melissa opened the door and proceeded up the steps. When he paused, she turned around to see him staring out toward the sand dunes.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.” He moved forward but kept his gaze in the general direction of the beach.

Unlocking the door, Melissa walked in and dropped her stuff on the coffee table. Heat enveloped her from behind so fast the surprise made her suck in air. Wasn’t he just at the door? She hadn’t even heard it shut.

“Your smell has been driving me wild since I met you.” Pressure gripped her hips as he pulled her ass deeper into his form. The hardness pressing against her through the thin fabric of the dress caused her legs to tremble.

An arm wrapped around her chest, wedging between her breasts as his hand cupped her chin. The smoothness of his face nestled into her neck and sent currents all throughout her body. Melissa moaned, moving closer against him.

“I want to taste every inch of your body. I’m betting you taste even better than you smell.”

Suddenly lifted, Melissa clutched to his arm. He walked straight to her bedroom without so much as a pause. When she was placed stomach-down on the cool comforter, he didn’t give her time to roll over. The weight of his body covered hers.

Fabric ripped, causing cool air to brush against the exposed skin of her back. Shocked, her head turned to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of him. The top of his head was all she could see. Lips began placing nearly nonexistent kisses along her spine. More fabric ripped the further down he trailed. Heat scorched every inch of her body, igniting a path of fire wherever he touched. A cry escaped her as he lightly sucked her skin into his mouth.

Channing growled under his breath, flipping her on her back. He tore his clothes off faster than anyone she’d seen undress in their life. Excitement caused her to pull what remained of hers off, too. They reached for each other at the same moment.

Melissa swept her tongue against his and moaned loudly. He tasted like nothing she’d ever savored before. Sensations exploded, working their way down her body. Weaving her fingers though his hair, she pulled him further into her. No matter what she did, it didn’t feel like enough.

“Slow down,
mon amour
. Let me take my time tasting you.”

“Oh God, was that French?” Melissa moaned, feeling his mouth trail down her neck.

“
Oui
.”

“Oh, fuck. Tell me something, anything.” No one had ever spoken another language to her intimately before. Especially, when she was this hot and ready. The way the words flowed smoothly from his tongue sounded so right, so perfect.

“
Du moment que je vous ai vu, je savais que tu serais a moi
.”

“Oh my God, what did you say?”

“I said, from the moment I saw you, I knew you would be mine.”

Channing sucked her nipple into his mouth, and she screamed out against the pleasure. On numerous occasions men had done this, and never once had her body responded so powerfully. She wasn’t sure what to think of it. Everything felt so new. It was if her body had been reborn again, just for him. How long had it been since she felt like this? This was past just needing to be filled with him inside of her. She craved him, couldn’t think without him touching her.

Fingers trailed her slit, rubbing the wetness into her smooth folds. Melissa arched, waiting for him to make an entrance, but he didn’t. Instead, he brought his fingertips to her clit with a touch that barely even registered. She felt heat blaze through her at the small circles he made.

“Melissa, you know you are mine, right?”

“You mean for tonight. I get it.”

“No, not for tonight.” Channing’s body lifted, and the missing weight made her cry out.

“You want to stay tomorrow, too? I guess that would be okay.” She reached back for him, but he caught her hand and pulled her to her knees. Hands grasped her face, and she immediately looked into his eyes.

“I want you forever,
mon amour
. Come with me. Be mine. I smell it in your skin, taste it on my tongue. You belong to me.”

“Belong to you?” Melissa shook her head hard and looked away from his eyes. “Wait, what do you mean? Leave with you? I can’t leave. This is where I live, where I belong.”

“The mere fact that you can break yourself from my gaze tells me I’m right. You’re the one. Don’t fight it, Melissa. Just come with me.”

“The one what? Channing, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but I just met you today. If you seriously think what I think you are referring to, maybe I should have listened to Stephen. When you said you wanted me I thought, well, like now, you wanted me. If you’re talking about happily ever after or something like that, then you’re looking at the wrong person. I’m not the Vegas type.”

“Okay, let’s start over. My words are getting confused, I think. No more talking. Just feel.”

Uneasily, Melissa looked back into his eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be able to break myself away from your gaze?”

“No more talking. I will explain afterward.”

Thoughts rushed through her head. Something told her she was about to discover this big secret she
knew
everyone was keeping from her. Of course, she shouldn’t get her hopes up. It was quite possible she was losing her mind. She wouldn’t doubt that it was hereditary.

“You promise?”

At his nod, she felt relief flow through her. Leaning closer, she brought her lips to his. Pressure from his hands gripped around the back of her thighs, pulling her from her knees. She clung tightly to his neck as he completely held her off the bed. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she felt him ease from his knees to sit down. Resting her legs against the mattress, she paused, feeling the tip of his hard cock rub her entrance.

“Wait.” Melissa jumped off and pulled open her bedside table drawer. Pulling out a condom, she tossed it to him. He looked at it a few seconds, and then looked up at her.

“You want me to wear this?”

Melissa tried not to let herself look puzzled, but she knew she was failing miserably. “Yes, don’t you wear protection?”

“Well, I haven’t actually had sex in a long time. I…”

Shocked, she crawled up to him and took the package from his hand. She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not, but she could play along just in case he wanted her to think that. Opening the wrapper, she kept eye contact with him as she wrapped her hand around his width. At the shock, the need to look down almost overpowered everything. He was big. Not just big, but huge compared to what she was used to.

A ragged breath escaped him as she slowly managed to roll the condom down his length. Once again, she was lifted. Wrapping herself around him, their moans filled the room as he eased his thickness into her wet pussy.

Melissa could feel herself stretch to take him in. Tightening her arms, she clutched around his neck. The tingling in her nipples increased while she moved her way down his chest. “Channing.” She looked into his eyes, forgetting what she wanted to say. All she wanted to do was kiss him. For once, she pushed the thoughts away and lost herself in his taste.

* * * *

Channing couldn’t describe the emotions that kept sweeping through him. For so long, he thought he’d never find the right woman. From the moment his vision captured Melissa walking toward him with her eyes closed, a smile on her face, he knew, knew more than anything he’d ever experienced in all of his years. She was meant for him.

He couldn’t explain it and didn’t even feel the need to. Nothing would keep them apart—not Ayden, not anyone. He didn’t live here, anyway. He traveled more than anything else, but with him being in the Alpha’s territory and Melissa being somehow connected to the pack, he needed permission. Now that was going to complicate things. His reputation wasn’t the best. But if all else failed, he hated to think what things would come to.