Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Bearpaw Ridge
Gabriel lost himself in Kymberlie’s taste and scent, his tongue delving deep into her pussy as her fingers clutched at his hair. The sweet musk of her arousal filled his senses, driving his inner sabertooth cat to a fever pitch.
Nothing in his life had ever felt as right as this—her body quivering beneath his mouth, her gasps and moans echoing in the darkness of her bedroom.
A week had passed since their trip to Missoula, and they’d spent every night together since then. Every encounter had only intensified his hunger for her.
These days, he was happiest when his face and fingers were buried in her pussy, making her beg and writhe and scream his name.
Now, he circled her clit with the tip of his tongue, then sucked hard, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.
“Gabriel,” she panted, arching her back. “Oh God, don’t stop.”
He had no intention of stopping. He slid two fingers inside her, curling them upward to find that spot that made her shake and scream with pleasure. His sabertooth purred with satisfaction at the way her body responded to him. It was as if they were made for each other.
Kymberlie’s scent grew sharper, more intense as her arousal built. Her thigh and belly muscles tensed. She was getting close.
Gabriel doubled his efforts, alternating between flicking her clit with his tongue and sucking it. Her hips bucked against his mouth as he pumped his fingers in and out of her slick passage, stroking her G-spot with every sliding caress.
“I’m so close!” Her voice was tight with desperation.
Gabriel hummed against her flesh, the vibration making her gasp. He loved making her come, loved the way she abandoned herself to pleasure in his arms. His cock throbbed painfully against the mattress, but he ignored its needy ache for now.
Her inner walls clenched around his fingers as her climax hit, her entire body tensing beneath him. “Gabriel! Oh, God, Gabriel!”
Her cry sent a thrill of possessive pleasure through his chest. His sabertooth roared with satisfaction as her release flooded his senses.
“Holy shit,” she breathed as the aftershocks subsided. “I swear, your mouth is pure magic.”
She tugged at his hair, urging him upward. “Come here.”
Gabriel kissed his way up her body, paying lingering homage to her sweet, pink-tipped breasts before claiming her mouth.
They traded slow, deep kisses while her heartbeat and breathing slowed. Then she drew back, grinned, and rolled him off her.
“My turn,” she announced.
“I like the sound of that,” he purred. “I’m all yours, sweetheart.”
Kymberlie’s dark blue eyes gleamed with mischief as she wriggled her way down his body, placing a trail of slow kisses down his throat and across his chest and stomach.
When her mouth finally closed around his straining cock, Gabriel groaned with pleasure, his head falling back against the pillows.
“Fuck, Kymber,” he groaned as she took him deep into her hot, wet mouth.
Her hand closed around the base of his shaft, caressing the part that didn’t fit in her mouth.
She drew back partway and hummed around him. The vibration traveled down his cock and sent sparks of pleasure up his spine. Her tongue swirled around his sensitive head before she drew him deep again, setting a rhythm that had him clawing the sheets to maintain control.
His sabertooth prowled beneath his skin, demanding more. Claim her. Mark her as our mate!
His beast’s desire to seal their mating bond was nearly overwhelming, especially with her mouth on him, her scent surrounding him.
Kymberlie looked up, meeting his eyes as her sweet lips stretched around his shaft. The sight pushed him dangerously close to the edge.
“I’m coming,” he warned.
She hummed in agreement and took him deeper. Her eyes were still locked with his. It sent him over the edge. His release hit him hard, his hips snapping up as he spilled himself into her mouth with a deep growl and an explosion of pleasure.
She stayed with him through it, only releasing him when the last shudder of his climax had subsided. Then she crawled up to curl up next to him with a satisfied smile.
“You taste good,” she said, stroking his chest.
Gabriel pulled her close, breathing in the mingled scent of their satisfaction. Her body fit perfectly against his.
Both he and his sabertooth rumbled contentedly, though the urge to complete their bond still simmered beneath the surface.
After their eventful road trip last week, they’d both agreed to take things slow—or as slow as their beast halves could manage. Their shifter sides might yearn for each other, but their human halves needed time to build something beyond the physical connection.
But God, it was difficult to restrain himself when every part of him demanded he fuck her deep and hard and make her his forever.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Kymberlie asked, her fingers combing through his chest hair. She enjoyed playing with it. He loved having her touch him. Win-win.
Gabriel hesitated. “Just enjoying how good this feels. Being with you.”
She cuddled against him. “I feel the same way,” she said, sounding uncharacteristically shy.
And then, just like that, he was ready for another round of lovemaking.
How the hell did I get so lucky?
∞∞∞
December 17
A week later, Gabriel stood in The Hair of the Dog’s kitchen, staring at the stove hood with a sinking feeling in his gut.
His fire safety inspection of the premises before reopening had been going smoothly until now.
The new sprinkler system had passed all the tests with flying colors.
Each of the club’s exits were now unobstructed, and all the doors opened easily from the inside, with lighted signs installed above the doorways.
But now, his discovery threatened to derail the club’s reopening… and possibly even his relationship with Kymberlie.
The old stove, grill, and fryers Tyler and his crew had reinstalled to save money weren’t the issue. It was the ventilation hood above them.
One glance up at the hood’s interior had told Gabriel everything he needed to know—it was a simple extraction system with no fire suppression capabilities whatsoever. The smoke-stained metal and grease buildup confirmed it had been a part of this kitchen for years.
How the hell did this place ever pass inspection before? Gabriel asked himself for the hundredth time since the fire three weeks ago.
He could guess why… this wasn’t the first time he’d run across glaring examples of uneven code enforcement in the small towns scattered around the county. And the previous inspector had been a member of Kymberlie’s pack.
“Everything okay in here?” Kymberlie asked as she entered the kitchen.
Gabriel’s fists clenched. She looked so beautiful, her eyes bright with excitement about the impending reopening.
The absolute last thing he wanted was to crush her hopes. He knew how hard she’d worked to scrape up the funds to complete the renovation… and how much next week’s wedding reception booking meant to her.
But he couldn’t ignore this. Not after what had happened the last time he’d been pressured to overlook a code violation.
“We’ve got a problem,” he said, his voice slipping into his professional tone.
He hated how cold it sounded, but he couldn’t help himself as the words spilled out.
“This hood doesn’t have a fire suppression system.
It’s ventilation-only, which violates International Fire Code, Section 609.
All commercial kitchens are required to have a compliant hood and fire suppression system. ”
“What?” She glared at him. “Is this some kind of sick joke, Gabriel?”
He looked away, unable to deal with the dawning horror in her expression.
“But it’s the same hood we’ve always had in this kitchen! The last inspector never said anything!” Kymberlie protested, her eyes flashing with anger and frustration.
“I can’t understand why the hell he didn’t cite you, because this hood has never been up to code!” Gabriel snapped. “The law requires a Type I hood with automatic fire suppression for the type of greasy cooking you’re doing here.”
Kymberlie flushed and looked away. “Guess the other inspector didn’t think it was such a big deal,” she muttered.
Gabriel stared at her. Fuck, this is why I always hated doing freelance inspections in small towns.
Though Granite Gap hadn’t been any different, in the end.
In any case, it wasn’t Kymberlie’s fault that the previous inspector had been fucking negligent.
Gabriel felt himself shutting down, retreating behind the professional facade that had served as his armor for years. “I’m sorry, Kymberlie, but I can’t sign off on this. Your club has failed the fire safety inspection and can’t reopen until this is fixed.”
She stared at him, the color gone from her face. “Are you kidding me?” Her voice was edged with panic. “The Christmas Eve wedding reception is next week! I can’t lose that booking, Gabriel. I can’t! If you shut me down again, my business won’t survive!”
His chest tightened. He wanted to take her in his arms. He wanted to fix this for her.
Maybe you could let this one thing slide, if she promises to replace the hood ASAP, a voice whispered in his head.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, hating how cold he sounded. “But I won’t compromise on safety. Not even for you.”
Kymberlie stared at him, her face now a sickly shade of greenish-white. She looked like he’d just punched her in the gut.
“So that’s it?” she asked in a monotone. “After everything… after us… you’re going to destroy everything I’ve worked for?”
Tears began flowing down her cheeks, reddening her eyes and leaving red blotches. Gabriel clenched his hands, fighting the urge to reach for her and comfort her.
This was killing him. And inside his soul, his sabertooth cat was snarling and pacing. Protect our mate!
“This isn’t about us, Kymberlie. One grease fire without proper suppression could destroy this entire building in minutes, with everyone inside.”