Alphas of Red Moon Ranch Complete Series Page 15

  He must have stood again, because his voice was at her ear when he murmured, “Go to the rug and get on your knees.”

  Holly stepped over to the soft woven rug in front of the fireplace and folded her legs underneath her. The fireplace warmed her naked skin, but she already felt as though she was burning.

  Jacob stood in front of her, his denim jeans hanging low on his hips, and he slipped his fingers through her long hair. She could see the shape of his cock underneath the denim, thick and upright, and Holly couldn’t help it—she stared and wet her lips.

  “Is this what you want, princess?” he said, his voice low and dark as he used his grip on her hair to pull her closer, until her face pressed against the tenting denim. Holly’s fingers wrapped around his legs and she nuzzled against the bulge in his pants, craving it, wanting to worship him from here.

  “Answer me,” he growled, snapping her out of her daze.

  “Y-yes,” she stammered. “Please.” She felt a blush blossom in her cheeks, embarrassed to have to beg for it while his erection was pressed against her face. Yet she also felt strangely safe here and his fingers raked through her hair soothingly.

  “God, you’re beautiful when you blush,” he told her, which only made her blush more. Emboldened by his clear need for her, she shifted in his grip so she could look at him. His eyes locked on hers then and, innocently, she flicked her tongue once over the threatening-to-burst seam of his pants.

  That drew a rewarding growl from him and he demanded, “On your hands and knees. Now.”

  The urgency in his voice did terrible things to her and she could feel her tiny clit throb hotly. She was tempted to rock against her folded legs for just a little relief, but she unwound at his order and then turned around on her hands and knees, her bottom on full display for him. She heard him rustle out of his jeans and then felt his large fingers part her pussy lips. She was slick, so wet, and she gasped, pressing back into his touch as his fingers rubbed against her.

  “Don’t move,” he said and she locked her legs instantly with a whimper. It was almost impossible not to press back into his touch, however, especially when he found her sensitive little nub, and her thighs trembled with strain.

  “You’re soaking wet,” he told her, as though she didn’t already know. Holly bowed her head and buttoned her lips to keep herself from crying out as he drew slow circles around her clit. “Did you like your spanking?”

  “Yes,” she whimpered. Even as ashamed as she was to admit it, she was more afraid his touch would stop if she didn’t tell the truth. His hand did pull back suddenly, and a small noise escaped her throat—she was so desperate for him, she felt like she might cry if she didn’t get his hands back on her soon.

  Instead, she felt him press against her pussy. She felt him slicken the swollen head of his cock with her wetness before he eased it inside her. She gasped and her forehead fell to the rug, which she tightened her fingers on. He was so big and moving so slowly—she could feel every inch of him as he eased inside of her, stretching her, filling her. She needed him so badly, it took everything inside of her not to push her hips back and feel the full length of him inside of her immediately. Her thighs quaked now and she was reduced to a whimpering, quivering mess.

  “Oh, God, Jacob, oh please…” she whined into the carpet.

  “Good girl,” he purred and thrust fully inside of her. She gasped; she felt so deliciously filled. He rocked against her slowly, forcing her to feel every push and pull of his hips. She felt herself fall into his rhythm and her hips moved back to meet his thrusts.

  His palm came against her ass suddenly, hard, and the jolt tore her out of her lust-induced haze. Holly jerked and he said, “Don’t move.”

  She felt Jacob’s large hand take control of her wrists then, pinning them to the ground. His free hand reached underneath her hips and almost immediately found her rock-hard clit, which he began to flick relentlessly.

  Oh God. She was completely at his mercy now, utterly under his control, trapped underneath him and assaulted with wave after wave of pleasure. She thought she would cum right then and there, her pussy clamping around his cock, but she struggled to hold out because it felt so damn unbearably good that she wanted this to last.

  “Oh my God,” she gasped. “Oh my God, that feels so good.”

  “You feel so good,” he growled over her and she felt his pace pick up. He was pounding against her suddenly, nice, hard fucks that made her sore and aching for more at the same time. His hips slapped against her ass and made it sting, but the mix of pleasure and pain threw her into a tailspin.

  Holly felt her breath get shorter and shorter and shorter as her core muscles tightened and her whole body trembled with anticipation. She heard him pant over her, heard him grunt and growl as he thrust against her, and finally Holly couldn’t take it anymore.

  As though he could sense her right on the cusp, Jacob growled suddenly, “Lose control for me, Holly.”

  And that was all it took—at his demand, she cried out and felt her pussy clench around him, throbbing. The intensity of her orgasm made her whimper his name over and over again, pleasure ricocheting through her body, and in the midst of it all she felt him tense over her as he gave his own final, shuddering thrusts before he spilled over inside of her. Holly’s rocked her body back against his then, fucking him as he came, wanting everything he had to give her, every drop of him inside of her. He kissed her throat, her back, and they moved as one until they were both fully spent. Even then, he didn’t leave her, not yet, and she relished the feeling of him inside of her and hooked her arm behind to grab a handful of his hair. Jacob panted against her, his body warm and damp over hers.

  “I love you,” he said into the crook of her neck.

  “I love you too,” she whispered into the carpet. Finally, he unwound himself from her, pulling out of her, and rolled her onto her back so they were facing one another. They lingered there and she slipped her hand to his face, her eyes taking him in. He looked satisfied, drained, but warm and open. Holly felt as though she was seeing him—really seeing him—for the first time.

  “You’re my princess,” he murmured as he gazed down at her, his eyes filled with love.

  “No,” she said. “You’re my king. And I’m your queen.”

  Chapter 44

  In the dark shadows of the night, when they were tangled up in each other and their heartbeats had finally resumed a normal pace, Jacob told Holly everything. He told her how Brent had dragged him to a setup in the middle of the woods. He told her that Miranda had come out, claws extended, and run his Beast in circles. He told her about the fight. How he thought he’d hurt the boy.

  “Are you okay?” she asked finally, her head pressed to his chest.

  He stared up at the ceiling and toyed with her hair. “I feel like I’m running out of sand in my hourglass. It’s getting harder and harder to come back. I’ve got two changes left, at best. Maybe less.”

  “You can’t let them get to you. You know that.”

  “Yeah.”

  Silence filtered in through the holes in their conversation.

  “What are you going to do now?” Holly asked.

  “Deal with Brent. And Miranda. Lead the clan, like always.”

  “He’s your brother,” Holly reminded softly.

  “And a traitor.” Jacob’s voice was hard, stony.

  “Be the man,” Holly said, rolling over and propping herself up on her elbows to look down at him. “Not the Beast. Promise me.”

  Jacob’s eyes met hers. “I promise.”

  Chapter 45

  Jacob pounded his fist on Brent’s door over and over until he heard the lock unlatch. A light rain pattered outside, dampening Jacob’s denim jacket and misting on the warm soil below. The hinges creaked as the door opened a couple inches and then stopped, just wide enough for Brent to poke his head out and see Jacob on the other side. There was no mistaking the ghost-white pallor of his cheeks or the fear he swallowed back.
Hard.

  “Boss,” Brent began hesitantly, “I can explain…”

  “Can it,” Jacob barked sternly. Brent’s jaw snapped closed instantly. “I know you set me up. You put me in front of that cougar and figured I wouldn’t be coming back.”

  “It ain’t like that,” Brent started, but Jacob cut him off.

  “Don’t tell me it was for the good of the clan. You got a little tail and you let it walk circles around you. You’re weak. And I can’t have a weak Beta on my side.”

  Brent’s eyes got real wide at that. “What’re you saying?”

  “You’re not welcome in this clan anymore. You have two weeks to find somewhere else to stay.”

  Brent looked like he wanted to crawl under the foundation of the house and die. “Boss—”

  “That’s my only offer. I think I’m being more than generous. Another Alpha would throw you out tonight.”

  Brent went quiet at that. Be a man echoed in Jacob’s head. But being a man hurt, especially when his brother was looking so hangdog in front of him. Jacob wanted to forgive and forget; Brent had been his right hand for as long as he could remember. More than that, he was his brother, his best friend.

  Which made the betrayal sting that much deeper, like a knife stuck in his bones.

  “I understand,” was all Brent said at first. Then he added, “I’ll earn my way back into this clan.”

  “Don’t bet on it.” Harsh? Maybe. But Jacob had to lay down the law. The violence was gone from his temper. Instead, his voice was cold steel, controlled. Brent started to close the door, “Brent.” His brother stopped in his spot and looked up at him. A lethal smile cut across Jacob’s mouth. “You tell that furry bitch if I see her around here again, I’m ripping her limb from limb.”

  Brent nodded once and mumbled something obedient under his breath as he scurried back inside before he suffered the brunt of Jacob’s rage. Jacob had Brent tucking tail and running and all without a single show of fang.

  That man enough for you? he thought to himself as he flipped back the collar of his denim jacket and made his way back up the hill in long, powerful strides.

  Chapter 46

  St. Mary’s Presbyterian Church was small but—in Holly’s opinion—mighty. Its white walls and copper-green doors opened up to a steady flood of people Sunday morning as the old brass bell clanged in the belfry. Jacob and Holly walked inside, hand-in-hand. Jacob cleaned up well enough—as much as he could, anyway. A pair of nice slacks, a clean shirt without too much wear and tear, hair combed back. Holly wore a modest spring-inspired blue denim dress dotted with tiny white flower blossoms.

  “Holly Westmore. Getting used to the big house on the hill?” The corners of Pastor Mitchell’s eyes crinkled when he smiled and he offered her his hand at the church doors.

  She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze right back. “It’s a big house for a big girl. It’s perfect,” she said.

  That got a nice deep chuckle from the older man and he released her hand. “Good to see you, my dear.”

  “You too, Pastor,” she replied, immediately warmed by the light that broke through the stained glass. At the ranch, she occasionally felt shackled to expectations or weighted down with worry for Jacob. She had two sanctuaries, places she called her own. The first was her office—now fully cluttered with her favorite books and plans for the rest of the semester. The second was St. Mary’s, which always welcomed her with open arms, even if she was the outsider in a small, close-knit town.

  There was a stale edge in the air, however, and she could feel it when her eyes swept the familiar pews. Jacob led her to their spot, near the front of the church, where Cassidy and her family had already taken their places. Trish spotted Holly and grinned eagerly, squirming over to give the older woman a place beside her. Holly returned the smile and murmured greetings to the family; Cassidy and Jacob kissed cheeks and Holly heard Jacob murmur in his sister’s ear, We need to talk.

  Holly sat down in the pew and—oh—that hurt. She was still sore from the spanking she’d received last night and she shifted uncomfortably in her spot, adjusting her dress. Jacob’s eyes caught on her like a fishing lure and he smiled, cocky bastard. This was not the place to be thinking about how his palm had felt against her ass, or the surge of strength she’d felt when he’d bared his carnal side to her. Holly felt a blush rise hot in her cheeks and she willed it away, knowing Jacob would see that, too.

  She tried to focus on other things instead. Trish launched into a diatribe about the current book she was reading (and could she borrow the sequel from Holly?). Holly nodded, but her eyes trailed through the church until she found Brent. Even worse at dressing for church than his older brother, Brent wore clean clothes, at least, but his head was mostly hidden under his Stetson hat. He kept his head bowed as though he didn’t want to be seen. Beside him, Miranda and Cayden filed into the pew, dressed in sharp, freshly pressed whites.

  Holly’s heart went out to the younger Westmore, but she knew she couldn’t do anything about it, not now, anyway. Time would chip away at Jacob’s hard exterior, and if not, Holly would take a chisel and hammer to him herself.

  Pastor Mitchell took the pulpit and all talk died down. Holly focused on the sermon and felt Jacob take her hand as it began. He didn’t let go throughout the whole service and she found herself tuning in and out of the pastor’s words, focusing instead on the small, lazy brush of Jacob’s thumb. Close. They still had distance to cross, but after last night, she felt closer to him than ever before.

  When the sermon came to an end, the pastor urged everyone to bow his or her head in silent prayer. Holly knelt on the bench and dropped her forehead. After a couple minutes, she felt Jacob’s hand squeeze her shoulder and she glanced up at him. “Take your time,” he murmured in the shell of her ear. “I’ll see you outside.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. He pressed a small kiss to the side of her face and then vanished.

  Holly pressed her forehead back down against the cool wood of the pew in front of her and let out a breath. Here, with the low hum of spiritual energy vibrating around her, she felt like she could truly focus.

  Dear God, she prayed. Stopped. Thought about it. Then tried again: Dear God…thank you for bringing Jacob into my life. Thank you for giving me this new chance at love. Please give Jacob the strength he needs to control himself right now. He’s going through a hard time—a really hard time. Which, you know. Obviously. Anyway…sorry.

  Holly pressed her forehead a little harder into the bench in front of her, trying to realign her thoughts as they bounced frantically around her head. Finally, she prayed: Dear God, please give me the strength to be what he needs. Give me the guidance to help bring his family back together. Give me the tools to be a loving wife and a supportive mate. Give me the strength to tame the Beast inside of him.

  She took in a deep breath. Her mind drifted again to that moment over the couch, when he spanked her again and again. She remembered the spike of power she felt in that moment. The feeling he needs me beat in her chest like a second heart with every spank. He won’t leave me. Not now. Not ever. He can’t. I’m the only one who can give this peace to him. That kind of strength…it was something she had never felt before. And, she was quickly realizing, it was dangerously addictive. Maybe too addictive. Quietly, to herself, she admitted in her final prayer: Give me the strength to tame the beast inside of myself.

  The Shifter’s Spouse

  (Part 4)

  Chapter 47

  Please be menopause. Please be menopause.

  That was the one thought that ran over and over through Holly’s mind as she tapped her nails anxiously against the linoleum bathroom countertop. Underneath her, the pregnancy test slowly began to show signs of changing color.

  She hadn’t gotten her period all month. Holly never skipped. Her body was like clockwork, on the same day every month. Heck, she could practically pin it to the hour. That was Holly. Reliable. Predictable. At least, that had been H
olly. Little Miss Yes, Of Course, How Else Can I Help You? Holly. She’d been less than predictable since coming to Red Moon Ranch. Now, she was doing things she’d never imagined she’d do, with a man she’d married almost out of the blue—the rugged bear-by-night, rancher-by-day Jacob Westmore. He’d opened her world, her heart, and her body, in ways she had never known before, not even in her thirty-nine years of existence. Then again—

  Oh God. Please be menopause.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t want a child. Not exactly. It was just that she’d spent so long chained to the idea that she’d missed her window, that her ticking biological clock had run out and she was doomed to play the role of a crazy cat lady or Alice’s overweight, sometimes-funny best friend, or Chris’s uncomfortably clingy ex-wife who just couldn’t let go of the past.

  Now she had a chance at a life of her own. With Jacob. But they’d barely been married a month; there was still so much they had to work out. He was still struggling with the Beast that lived inside of him and it fought against the seams of his skin constantly. She was still learning how to trust him instead of getting wildly possessive and lashing out at any woman that laid eyes on him.

  They weren’t ready for this. Right? They still needed to get in tune with one another. To learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. To—

  The colors on the pregnancy test started to deepen. Holly’s eyes widened as though to drink in every dot of pigment. One line. Then two—

  Positive. Holly was pregnant. She felt a wave of emotion sweep through her, hot, like a fever, hitting against her ribcage and the top of her mouth with full force. The backs of her eyes burned and then the flood burst. Holly laughed as tears of gratitude slipped down her face and her hands fell to her stomach. She felt dizzy, overcome, and gripped the sink as she dropped to her knees.

  A child. She was pregnant with a child. She was going to have a baby of her own. She was going to have a family with Jacob.