Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
RíO
S omeone pounded on the door, jolting me awake. I blinked up at the ceiling and reached for the bedside table where I could’ve sworn I put my spare glasses. With my propensity to have unplanned shifts to release the tension that would build from being in my human form too long, I’d learned to carry them with me pretty much everywhere I went. After a few seconds and more irritating knocking, I managed to snag the frames and put them on without jostling Ramona too much.
She was stirring a little from the noise but hadn’t fully woken up yet. I was going to kill Brody for disturbing her.
Carefully, I slid out from under her and settled the covers over her chest and arms. After taking a second to make sure she was covered and still asleep, I silently stomped to the door.
When I flung it open, just enough so that he could see the scowl on my face, I noticed the amused grin on his. He was still wearing yesterday’s jeans but was missing his shirt. “We were gonna order somethin’ to eat,” he tried to crane his head to see inside the room, and I had to hold back my snarl. Brody was as human as they came, so I just crossed my arms and blocked his snooping with my body.
So, he turned his attention to me and trailed his gaze down my naked form. He whistled, “Did that hurt?” he pointed to my dick that was still half hard from sleeping with Ramona beside me.
I rolled my eyes. The piercing had been a spontaneous decision during one of my stints as a tattoo apprentice at a shop out west. “No. What are you getting?”
He mentioned one of the breakfast places in town that wasn’t too far. Lord knew we weren’t gonna find any food in Tyler’s kitchen. How did Brody and Jess make sense of that?
“Hold on,” I closed the door in his face and turned back to the bed. I sat on the edge and caressed the side of Ramona’s face. Her brow was adorably furrowed, her full lips pouting, and I kissed the side of her mouth before doing the same to the top of her cheek. I pulled back to see her face smooth and a precious and sleepy smile spread. My heart jumped.
“Princess,” I whispered gently in her ear and licked at her delicate skin. She squirmed like it tickled, and I did it again until she turned over.
Half-asleep, now, she rolled onto her back and puckered her lips for a kiss. As much fun I had with her prickly side, I loved this one too. I met her lips with mine but kept it fairly chaste. Even when she brought her hands to my neck and kicked her legs, trying to find my hips and hold me to her. “Ramona,” I spoke into her lips, “are you hungry?”
“Uh-uh,” she mumbled, but that was not what I wanted.
I separated us, in the little cave that my loose hair provided where it was just me and her. Brody tapping his foot impatiently on the other side of the door didn’t matter. “Baby, what do you want to eat.”
Ramona huffed, coming back to her usual self, and I smiled affectionately. I swiped her lip with my thumb. “Whatever. I’m not picky. What are you making?”
“Not making. Brody and Jess are ordering from the diner on Fourth Street. You ever been there?” She shook her head. “They got the usual. Pancakes, waffles, bacon.”
She rubbed at her eye and scrunched her face in such a cute way. “Uh, just get me whatever you get. And iced coffee.”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “All right.”
I left her on the bed and went back to the door. Brody looked less chipper now, but whatever. “Two orders of chicken and waffles, bacon extra crispy, scrambled eggs with cheese. Two large iced coffees. Extra syrup on the side.”
Brody’s eyes were wide, but he pulled out his phone and started tapping away, adding our breakfast to their order. “Jesus, you both gonna eat all that?”
“Damn right. I tired her ass out. Gotta feed my lady.”
I grinned at Brody when Ramona’s indignant shout flared behind me. “Don’t fucking tell people that!”
I glanced at her over my shoulder, gut lurching at the sight of her sitting up and swaddled in the sheets. “But it’s true. I’m sure they all heard you screaming my name last night.” After coming back from outside, we’d returned to the guest room and used the connected bathroom to shower before tumbling into the bed. For hours, we alternated between talking and fucking any which way we could. Her riding me, me hitting it from the back, with our tongues. During our breaks, she told me a little about growing up in a rich family with less than affectionate parents, and I reminisced about the good years. When I’d spend my time on my aunt’s land and playing in the woods. How I taught myself how to draw and play the guitar.
“Well, if they heard me, then they heard you too,” Ramona grumbled.
Brody shook his head and gave a final tap on his screen before putting his phone back in his pocket. “Unfortunately. Went to take a piss in the middle of the night,” he jutted a thumb up the hall where there was a half bath, “and was forced to hear it.” He made a stupid come face and tried to mimic my voice, “Yeah, Princess, take that dick.” I socked him on the shoulder which just made him laugh harder. “Food’ll be here in thirty.” He turned and started up the hallway, and I slammed the door.
“You do sound like that,” Ramona snickered but yelped when I pounced on the bed and yanked the sheet off of her.
It was later in the morning, now, and with the bright light from the windows and my glasses correcting my vision, I greedily drank up the view of Ramona’s naked body. I yanked on her legs until she slid back down on the mattress. Her chest rose and fell quickly, jiggling her tits. My dick was all the way hard, now, and I thrusted it lazily against her stomach. The black barbell pierced through the crown of my cock clacked against the silver one stuck through her bellybutton. It sent a zip of pleasure straight up my length, and I did it again and again.
“You too sore from last night, Princess?” Well, if I was remembering correctly, our final round had to have been just a few hours ago, when the sun was making its way back up the horizon. But time had also blended together as we lost ourselves in each other.
I eyed the red and purple bruises along her neck and around her nipples that hadn’t lightened quite yet. She was gonna walk out of this room with them visible for my friends to see.
Before she answered, I went a bit lower, nudging myself right against her clit. She scrabbled her heels over the bed, whimpering with her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. “Huh? You gonna let me come in you again?” She nodded, her black and curly hair frizzy and magnificently escaping the confines of her braid.
I used my hold on her thighs to raise her hips. She was still slick from all we’d done earlier, wet with herself and my cum, and I threw my head back. “God, Princess, I’m never gonna get tired of this,” I drew my hips back and sank in slowly, deeply.
It didn’t take long for her to come, especially when I lightly pinched her clit while we fucked. The cat had long been out of the bag, so she just clenched her eyes and let her loud cry of ecstasy out.
The tightening of her walls around me and the sight of her neck flushing and covered with my teethmarks were my undoing. My face screwed up, absolutely not in the way Brody had mocked, and I spilled into her. I was honestly surprised my balls had anything left after the marathon we’d run together, but sure enough, I filled her up again.
I pulled back and watched, entranced, as my cum leaked out and started to pool beneath her. Fuck, I was already addicted. Did this count as a breeding kink?
Ramona relaxed back onto the bed, now sighing in content. The corners of her mouth tilted upward again, and I answered with a swipe of my tongue along her arm. She still smiled, but a wrinkle between her brows formed as she watched me.
Another thing we did talk about a little bit was how she’d given herself these. Based on how she spoke about her life before moving in with her brother, I wasn’t exactly surprised.
Now wasn’t the time to get truly sappy and tell her that I was thanking every deity and the universe that it hadn’t worked. That I was at the point of needing her. So, I let my tongue speak for itself and adored our mingled scents and the taste of her skin.
Eventually, her expression settled, and I switched to the other arm. Let her know that I loved them both because they showed how much she’d overcome.
I ended one swipe with a light flicker, getting what I was looking for in the form of a giggle. The little noise startled her, so I did it again. And again.
“ Stop , that tickles,” her belly shook, and I did it once more before settling her hands at my waist. Like the brat she was, she moved to grab at my ass instead, squeezing in the same way I liked to do to her.
“As much as I would love another round, we should probably get up so we can eat soon.”
“What is it with you and making sure I eat,” she said more to herself, watching as she pet up my sides and ribs. I was used to the sight of my tattoos by now, so that I barely noticed them, but she seemed to be cataloguing every corner, every curve of my art on my skin.
I shrugged. “Gotta take care of you,” I answered honestly. It wasn’t like I could even imagine doing anything different. She didn’t have an answer for that one, but she also didn’t argue with me. For my princess, that counted as a win. “Come on, let’s throw some clothes on.” I hopped out of the bed and started searching the floor for our clothes. Her hoodie was near the door to the bathroom, my shirt had been almost kicked under the bed.
After doing a sweep of the floor, I groaned.
“What?” She asked while pulling her sweatshirt over her head.
“Half our shit is still in the woods.” Apparently she hadn’t realized it either because her groan echoed mine. “Be right back,” I mumbled and marched to the sliding glass door. Not like there were any neighbors to look out for. I ran across Ty’s yard, butt ass naked, and went into the trees. A wolf whistle rang across the grass, my ears telling me it was Jess who saw me sprinting toward the woods.
I let my nose guide me to our clothes, and I ran back to the guest room under the bright sun.
When I handed Ramona her shorts and panties, she took them with nose wrinkled in disgust before shaking them out. She opted not to put on the underwear and stepped into the skimpy denim. I did the same with my jeans and tucked myself in, sans boxers, before zipping and buttoning up.
With quick splashes of water on our faces and taking full advantage of the extra toothbrushes under the sink, we emerged hand in hand.
I guided Ramona to the pool where everyone was again congregated. Jess was lounging beside the deep end in a one-piece swimsuit while Tyler looked only slightly pissed beside her and under a parasol. Brody was bobbing along in the shallower end of the pool with Alex who must’ve spent the night, too.
I glanced down at Ramona as we padded to a lounge chair on the other side of Tyler. They didn’t stop their conversation, but every eye followed us as I sat and pulled Ramona between my legs. We settled back into the wooden seat, and I didn’t have to look at her face to know she was shooting me a dirty look. I kissed her cheek.
“You done with your all night fuck fest? My house isn’t a rent-by-the-hour motel, you know.” Tyler groused without any venom. He just took one look at us and rolled his eyes like we were dumb kids. Which, maybe we were to him. I’d never asked how old he was. Certainly older than he looked, which was younger than my twenty-six.
“Nah? Then who did I give my money to?” I snarked.
There was a round of good-natured laughter, and Jess started filling us in on what we missed. Brody getting wasted, doing stupid flips and only belly-flopping a few times. Some of Jess’s friends already listening to the new song we finished and giving positive remarks.
“It does sound really good,” Alex piped up, and Ramona stiffened in my arms. He gave a nice but weak smile our way, probably all too aware why she was being cold towards him.
My glasses nudged against the side of her face, and I whispered low, “Be nice, baby.”
She whipped her head around, knocking into my glasses, which just made her scowl deepen. “Not possible.”
I pulled against her stomach even more, trailed my nose against the edge of her hairline. “Yes, it is. He didn’t do anything wrong, and I already told you. The only one I want is you. That’s the truth. Or do I need to fuck you in front of everyone to get it through your stubborn head?”
She sucked in a breath and hissed, “You wouldn’t.” Was that lust I smelled?
I grinned evilly into her skin and rocked us from side to side. “I would. Gotta teach you how to act right.”
“No, please don’t do that.” Tyler grumbled, the only one privy to our hushed conversation. The rest of them turned even more curious glances our way, though Alex was trying not to look too long.
I laughed and spoke loud enough for the rest of them to hear. “Y’all would be so lucky.” As much as public sex thrilled me, none of these shitheads deserved to see my princess naked. That was for us to share. If she asked me to though…
I grabbed her jaw and planted a deep kiss on her lips, and she didn’t resist even a little bit. More of Jess’s whistles coursed around us, and I smiled into Ramona while I continued to dance us in our seat. Was this happiness? How could I make sure that we woke up together every morning and went to bed beside each other every night?
“Food’s here!” Brody hollered and slapped his wet feet across the concrete poolside, opting to go around the house instead of through it. When he came back with arms weighed down by food bags and drink carriers, we all gave a round of applause. Besides Tyler, at least, who just took his extra large coffee and started loading it down with sugar packets. When I was twelve, freshly scooped up and training with my sisters, I once asked a vamp that worked for my father if they puked when they ate food. Apparently, vampires didn’t, but it all tasted like shit. Liquids and strong flavors were more palatable, and I wagered that Tyler excused himself out of eating by stating he wasn’t a breakfast person.
Ramona and I separated just enough to sit with our to-go platters in our laps, the iced coffee cups sat on the small table between us and Tyler.
Just like I thought, she immediately shoveled down her food, and after watching her awhile in appreciation, I started on my matching meal. It was hot as shit out, but this kind of weather never bothered me none. My Jaguar loved the heat, and I’d grown up in the South. How I’d lasted this long this far up north was beyond me.
After about ten minutes, Ramona and I finished our meals, just before Brody who scarfed down his pancakes and eggs a minute or so after us. Alex and Jess ate much more slowly, talking and laughing in between bites while Tyler just sipped and chipped in here and there. He was a little like Ramona in that way. He’d scowl and sneer, but he never really kicked us out. Always opened up his fancy house for us to practice. I wondered if he was… lonely.
The six of us stayed outside for a few hours, talking about a bunch of nothing, but the company more than made up for it. After we threw our trash out, Ramona and I switched to sitting on the edge of the pool with our feet in the water. Her cute little toes were painted the same shade as my Iceman, and even though it was probably a coincidence, I decided to take it that she thought of me as much as I thought of her.
“So, what’s your story, Río’s Girl?” Brody had returned to swimming in the water, and he turned the conversation to zero right in on Ramona. She’d been fairly at ease beside me, splashing the blue water. Instead of trying to splash Alex who was treading a few feet away.
But I could tell that she wasn’t one to enjoy an entire group’s attention. She cleared her throat, “What do you mean?”
Brody shrugged, “Dunno. Did you grow up here? Didn’t remember seeing you around.”
“Oh. No, I moved here back in May to stay with my brother and his family. I grew up in New York.”
He whistled like he was impressed. “City girl, all right. Who’s your brother? Maybe I know him.”
Ramona picked at the frayed edge of her shorts, so I moved my leg just a little to nudge her toes with mine. My nails were painted black, and our feet looked good together.
She wiggled her toes against mine. “Orion Gealach. He’s a professor at the college. His m-wife is Sylvie Williams.”
“Huh, weird last name you guys have.” I flung a splash of water at him for being rude.
But Ramona didn’t shoot back. “That’s his. Mine is Wells.” When she’d first told me her last name when I’d asked, I’d experimented with funny nicknames for her in my contacts. Welly Belly stuck for a little bit. At least, until she saw it in my phone and demanded I change it. She’d still grumbled when I reset it to ‘Princess’ but didn’t outright protest.
Jess flipped up her sunglasses and leaned forward to squint at Ramona. “Wait, that name sounds familiar. Are you famous or something?”
That got my princess stiffening. She glanced at me, just for a split second as if she was going to ask for reinforcements, but then she blanked out her face and arched a brow at Jess. “No.” What was going on?
“No, no,” Jess waved her sunglasses at her, “ you aren’t famous, but is your dad Sean Wells by chance? My dad and I watch football every Sunday,” she rolled her eyes like it was a stupid tradition, “and you look like his kid.”
“Fuck,” Ramona mumbled before sending an almost apologetic smile my way. She turned back to Jess. “You got me.” I took her in, my princess who I’d sussed out as a rich kid from the moment I saw her. I didn’t watch sports at all, but my uncle had kept it on every weekend before he died when I was ten. Back then, Sean Wells played for the Giants, if I wasn’t mistaken.
Jess laughed like she’d discovered some great secret. “Holy shit, I gotta tell my old man about this. You know, your dad’s his favorite commentator to this day. Wait—could you get us tickets?”
“How presumptuous of you, Jessica.” Tyler drawled, but it didn’t deter her. She was looking at Ramona with hope and excitement lighting up her face.
I rubbed a hand on Ramona’s back, willing the tension in her spine to ease. Obviously, she didn’t want to talk about her family, but Jess was a weirdly avid football fan. Soccer was a better sport, in my opinion, but the two of us had already gotten into it enough about it.
“Uh, we’re not really… close. Sorry.”
“Oh,” Jess deflated, “well that’s okay.” I tightened my mouth and caught her eye before cutting mine to Ramona and back. Jess blinked a few moments, not understanding what I was trying to indicate until at least ten awkward seconds had passed. “Are you coming to our next show?”
Ramona exhaled and leaned a little into my side. I grabbed her waist and scooted myself the rest of the way. My Jaguar tossed and turned with the need to purr, but I couldn’t exactly do that here, so I settled for scenting her all over. Running my face up the side of hers, sniffing in her hair. It was a fucking shame I had to go to work soon because I could already feel myself ramping up for more rounds with my princess. And just alone time, listening to her talk and taking care of her.
“Damn, man, let the girl breathe. You’re like a damn cat.” Brody shouted before losing himself in a round of deep belly laughs.
I shot him the finger and gave Ramona’s face a hearty lick for good measure. The humans groaned in disgust, but Ty’s dark chuckle made me grin with the inside joke.
The rest of the hour passed far too quickly, and how I ended up being the only one who had to work that day, I didn’t know. It was fucking unfair, but I had to tear Ramona and I away from the hang that looked like it was going to continue for hours more. She’d started adding to the conversation by the end, and I felt like a jerk for taking her away. But when I declared that I had to head to Vinny’s, she said her goodbyes and followed me inside to grab our stuff and back out to the driveway.
I was already cutting it too close to run to my place and drop off my guitar, so I opted to keep it at Ty’s. No way in hell was I leaving her in my truck.
Ramona opened the door of her brother’s black SUV and turned to face me. I palmed her ass and pulled until our hips connected. Fuck, how was I supposed to get through the next eight hours without her? Especially after the night we had.
She had her fists balled and rested against my chest, but her fingers were nervous as she pulled at the fabric of my t-shirt. “I’m… um, sorry I didn’t tell you. About my family.”
I squeezed her cheeks and kissed her hairline. “Aw, don’t worry about it. I knew you were a princess from the first time I laid eyes on you. Makes a lot more sense now.”
Her expression didn’t settle like I’d hoped it would. She kept on picking at my shirt. “And. I.” She breathed out, back in, then out, as if that was going to calm the galloping in her chest. My own heart rate quickened in sympathy, and I worried for a second what she was about to tell me. “I… really—like you. Río.”
My cheeks pulled back to show every one of my teeth, and I even flashed her my upper fangs for good measure. “Yeah, baby? How much?”
Ramona stared at my mouth, and it wasn’t just hunger that flitted across her face. It was something akin to adoration, and my smile softened. “A lot,” she whispered then clamped her mouth shut. Her brown cheeks deepened with a fierce blush, and she glared as if daring me to say something smart.
But I didn’t. I took her chin in hand and kissed her. With no tongue, just soft movement of my lips that she retuned just as sweetly. “I lo—like you a lot, too. Princess, I think I’m gonna have to keep you.”
She gasped, but whether it was because she caught my slip up or because she was surprised by my declaration, I didn’t know. By the widening of her eyes, I was starting to panic that it was the former. “Okay,” she whispered.
I cleared my throat. “I gotta go, but I’ll text you. Wanna come over to mine later?”
Ramona nodded, and I kissed her again before giving one last lick at her temple. With my friends, she’d acted begrudged or resigned with my grooming. But now, when we were alone, she preened and sighed. “All right, baby. Be good.”
It was hard to get my body to cooperate, but I managed to step away and let Ramona slide into the driver’s seat. She didn’t try to hold her eye roll. “Yeah, yeah. See you later.” Once she was buckled in, I closed the door for her and headed to my own truck. I waited for her to back out, turn the car around, and head up the drive. Pantera blasted through the old speakers while I followed her out. She turned to head further out of town, while I went the opposite way with a wave. Ramona smirked and waved back before going in the direction of her brother’s cabin.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I chanted. Now that I was by myself where she couldn’t see, I had the freedom to freak the fuck out. I was so whipped that I’d almost admitted to her that I loved her.
The whole way to Vinny’s, I tried to convince myself that I was still fuck drunk or having a damn heat stroke. But I knew none of that was true as I parked in front of the small pizza place. We were two months into this… thing between us, and if I had any sense, I’d declare it too fast.
I walked into the restaurant and straight back to the manager’s office to drop off my backpack and clock in. Van, the other manager who had opened today, gave me a nod that I absently returned, thoughts still churning. All right, if I loved her, and it was looking a hell of a lot like I did, then I was really going to keep her. Which led me to ruminate on broaching the topic of leaving town with Ramona. I was a sitting duck, but I wasn’t going to go without her.
My mind whirled with… hope. Plans of where we’d go. I could take her to Michoacán, show her the city for a while before letting her pick the next place. We’d have to find temporary jobs to sustain the constant travels, but I also had a hefty nest egg if we wanted to just sight see for a few weeks. Or years.
Years.
Literal butterflies, like the last sketch I’d drawn, fluttered in my belly as I checked the cooler temps and turned the ingredients that needed it. What if—what if she wanted to be my mate, too?
A la mierda . I had to grip the prep counter to calm myself and keep the mating roar from coming out. Now that I’d done it once, my Jaguar didn’t want to stop calling out to her. Again and again and again until she answered. When I’d done it the first time last night, I felt the answering buzz under her skin.
The chime on the front door sounded, and my thoughts were still a haze of animalistic desire as I let go and went to take the order. Dealing with customers never failed in turning me all the way off.
Unfortunately, as soon as I pushed open the door that led from the kitchen to the register, I knew that I had truly fucked up. I’d thought almost confessing my love for Ramona was bad?
No, this was so, so much worse.
“Oi, maninho,” the tiny female grinned wide at me. I’d been so wrong. My doom was already here.