Falling for the Shifter Box Set, page 9
part #1 of Falling for the Shifter Series
I know it won’t be easy. But what good thing is?
I watch him for a moment longer before blowing a silent kiss in his direction and walking out to go to work.
Chapter 7
I’ve finished my morning coffee and I’m now in Mr. Vitt’s office sitting across the desk from him. He has papers spread out on it. I know they are the ones he wants me to sign.
“Miss Jenkins, have you given any more thought to the promotion I offered you?”
It’s not a promotion. If he thinks making me do someone else’s job as well as my own is a promotion, then he’s deluded. “Yes, but you can drop the pretence. We both know this is not a step up. Nothing about this change is going to further my career.”
Mr. Vitt cocks his head to one side and studies me closely. “At least you’ll have a career, which is more than I can say for Mary.”
“You know that’s illegal, right? To sack someone for having a baby.” I’m in no mood to be nice today, especially not to my weasel boss. He’s not going to fire me, he needs me right now so he can keep the department running smoothly. I wonder if I can use that to my advantage somehow. Maybe, I could ask for more money.
“I’m not firing her; she’s leaving of her own accord. If the company structure changes while she’s gone, then it’s unfortunate, but certainly not illegal. She was stupid to get knocked up in the first place. I don’t appreciate women who think I’m running a charity and will hold their positions. Either choose work or family.”
Is he serious? A sudden burst of revulsion flows through me. I know in that moment that I don’t want to work here any longer. That one statement has made me realize that I’d be better off anywhere but here. I’ll have to figure out something else to pay rent, but I can no longer stand to be around this misogynist piece of shit. I stand up and coolly reach out my hand for him to shake.
He takes it with a smirk on his face. He thinks I’m agreeing to his terms but I’m not. As he takes my hand, I look him square in the eye. “I quit.”
“What?” He lets go and takes a step back. “You can’t quit, you need this job.”
“I don’t need anything from you.” I shake my head thinking about how long I’ve put up with him. That ends now.
I turn around and walk out of his office, heading toward my desk to collect my belongings. I can hear him splutter and huff behind me but I don’t look back.
Once I’ve collected my things, I head toward the elevator. A few co-workers look in my direction but they have no idea where I’m going or that they’ll never see me again. They don’t know that I’ve just quit. I glance over at Mary and smile. She smiles back, not realizing that her future is as uncertain as mine.
As the elevator doors close and the lift heads down to the car park, I feel like a weight has been lifted from me and I’m surprised how calm I am about the decision I just made to leave.
In fact, everything seems better, even the problems I’m having with Tarben don’t seem as significant as they did a few hours ago. I smile as I reach my car and turn over the engine. I’m heading home. Whether that will be my home for much longer I have no idea, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters anymore except being happy.
~
“You’re back?” Tarben is awake and standing in the middle of the room. He has a slice of toast in one hand that he’s made for breakfast even though it’s closer to lunchtime. “Is everything okay at work?” I glance up and down his naked body and smile to myself. Everything is as it should be.
“I quit,” I say calmly. “My boss is an asshole.” I place my keys down on the hall table.
Tarben shrugs. “Good.” He takes another bite of his toast.
“It is good. It means we can spend the rest of the week together and I won’t be so stressed. It also means I won’t be such a bitch.”
He pauses, a crumb of toast hovering on his lip. “You’re not a bitch.”
“I know I’m not, not usually anyway. I’ve let work get to me, and now that’s changed, I feel like myself again.”
“You’re not concerned about losing your income?”
“Yes.” I shrug as casually as he did. “But it’s cool, I’ll figure something out.” I will. I always do. I’ve been in worse situations before and I’ve always been able to look after myself.
“You could move in with me. I don’t charge rent.” He finishes his toast in one last mouthful and brushes the back of his arm across his mouth.
Live together? A small excited flutter dances inside me. “It might be possible,” I say as casually as I can, even though the thought excites me. “Although, you’ll need to make a few changes.”
“Such as?” I can tell he likes the idea as much as I do by his grin.
“For a start you’ll need to finish the shower. I don’t want to bathe in the stream, especially when it starts getting colder.”
“Done. I could have that done within a week.”
“And I’ll need a bigger kitchen, if I’m going to cook, I’ll need a proper area to prepare and store food.”
“Easy. I can even build you a walk in pantry if that’s what you want.”
“And shelving. The furniture here can go.” I sweep my hand around the room. “But the books I want to keep.”
He curls his mouth into a full smile. “Sounds like we have a deal.”
I drag my tongue over my lip. There’s something else I need to ask him and I’m not sure what type of reception I’m going to get. “One more thing. I need you to open up to me more. I know you’ve had some fucked up shit happen in your past, but if we are going to work together then you need to trust me and let me in.”
He didn’t expect that. I can see the struggle cross his face as his expression changes from delight to apprehension. He doesn’t want to talk about his past and I know that. I don’t want to force him to either, but I can’t have him close off from me every time something happens to trigger his memories.
“You don’t need to tell me right now,” I continue. “Hell, you don’t even have to tell me everything if you can’t, but someday, someday I want you to feel comfortable enough to open up more. I don’t want every conversation to end with you telling me I don’t understand, because that’s crap. I’m stronger than you think.”
He nods slowly. “Are you sure this is what you want?” He walks over to me and glides his hand down my shoulder. “You want to give up your life here and be with me? Live in the woods?”
He’s saying it like I’m giving up so much, but it’s not a hard thing to do at all. I don’t belong here anymore than he does. It feels right. I don’t care that we barely know each other, I don’t care about anything else, I know in my heart this is what I want. “Yes, I do.”
Chapter 8
I take Tarben’s hand and lead him toward the bedroom. He doesn’t protest, not that I thought he would. His cock begins to twitch in anticipation when we reach my bed. I stand in front of him and slowly peel away my shirt and let the skirt I’m wearing fall to the ground.
There is hunger and desire in his eyes as he watches me.
As I step out of my skirt, I walk toward him. I want to be the one in control and I push him backwards toward the bed, kissing his neck, his chin, his mouth. He tastes good, the melted butter from the toast he had earlier still lingers on his lips.
He kisses me back hard, hungry for more. His tongue slips inside my mouth and his hands explore my body.
“God, you’re so hot, Jade. I can’t believe how lucky I am that you want to be with me. I never thought that would happen, being what I am.”
No, I’m the one that’s lucky. I suck on the flesh part of his ear lobe and he groans. I continue to scrape my teeth down his neck. His hands grip my hips and I know at any moment he could flip me over and take control, but he doesn’t. He lets me have this false sense of power.
I straddle him, my knees on either side of his body. I let my hair fall forward as I unclasp my bra letting my breasts spring free, then sit back up. His eyes stay on mine as his hands grab and knead my breasts, pinching my nipples hard until they are red and pert.
The pain is nothing. It’s no match for the desire that his burning inside me.
I move so I can remove my underwear and then return to him. I keep my heels on.
“Do you want me?” I ask.
It’s an easy question and I already know the answer, I just want to hear it. His eyes glaze. “Fuck, yes.” A low guttural animal groan escapes his lips and I reach back and feel his cock between my fingers. I want it inside me.
I position myself so that I’m hovering over him then slowly lower myself down. “Like this?”
“God, Jade.” He rolls his eyes back and grabs hold of my hips. “Yes, like that.”
I slide myself up and down his length, taking it slow so I can concentrate on every delicious bit of him. I reach down and touch my clit, letting him watch as I circle my fingers over it.
“Jesus Christ,” he says. He groans again, this time louder and more urgent. “I love how turned on you get when I’m inside you.”
It’s true, I do. Every part of his muscled body turns me on, but it’s more than that now, I love him, I can admit it, and knowing that makes it even more intense.
His hand slips behind my neck as he leans forward pulling me down to meet me half way as he slips his tongue back in my mouth, feverishly devouring me.
My core is throbbing for release but I want to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can.
“Let me fuck you harder,” he says. “We both want it.”
“No,” I say and shake my head. “I’ll fuck you harder.”
I use all my strength to push myself up and down his hardness, grinding my hips into his body. I gasp each time, louder and louder as I feel myself getting weaker. The closer I get to orgasm, the less strength I have.
But I don’t give up. I’m breathless, desperate, hungry for him.
I increase my pace as best I can. Feeling him slide deeper and faster inside me, all with me being the one in control. The power is intoxicating but it’s nothing compared to the intensity of him filling me with each thrust.
He’s under me, still holding my hips. Groaning and growling, as he gets closer and closer to release. I want him to come first.
My body is beginning to quiver and shudder with each stroke. I’m alive with electricity. I’m not sure I can hold off and wait for him.
“Come, Tarben. Show me how much you want me.”
He roars and slams my hips down onto his shaft. His body pulses and I can feel his warm pleasure pouring into me.
It’s all I need and I follow with my own screams. Yes, yes, oh god, yes. The avalanche of exquisite orgasm overtaking me as I succumb to the wave of pleasure.
I fall forward onto his chest, still pulsing with the heat from my climax. He runs his hand down my hair and over my back. “That was amazing again. I’m never going to let you leave the cave now. I want to tie you up and have you all day, every day, as often as I can.”
“Is that a promise?”
~
“This is delicious.” Tarben takes another bite of the roast chicken I’ve cooked. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
I want to say I can’t turn into a bear, but I don’t think he’ll find the joke very funny. “Heart surgery,” I say instead.
He laughs. “How long do you want to stay in your apartment before we move back?”
Before we move back. It seems so strange to be saying that. “I’m paid up for another two weeks. We could take the time to sell the furniture, pack up what I’m moving and just relax the rest of the time.”
“And fuck some more,” he adds. “A lot more.”
“Don’t you think about anything else?”
He looks thoughtful for a moment. “I think about painting bowls of fruit sometimes.”
“Painting?” I furrow my brow as wonder what he’s talking about. “Are you messing with me again?”
He laughs. “Of course.”
I shake my head. Idiot. Thank god I’ve fallen for him or I’d really have to slap him for teasing me so much.
“I’m going for another run tonight.”
I look up from my plate. “Really?”
“I know how to stay out of sight.”
“I didn’t think you’d go again. Don’t you want to stay here with me?”
He places his fork down on his plate and grabs my hand. “I’ll be back before you know it. I need to do this.”
“I know,” I say. “To get rid of your excess energy. I just thought you got rid of it enough times today.”
He smiles. “It’s not like that.”
I exhale out heavily. “You’ll be careful?”
“Of course.”
I can’t stop him going. I don’t want to be that person that tells him what to do. Not now, after I’ve made the decision to move in with him. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
He stands up and grabs his plate and mine, and takes them into the kitchen. “I’ll wash up.”
I follow him. “Tarben, is it going to work out, us living together?”
“Of course it is.”
“I mean financially. I don’t have a job now.” I can’t read his reaction yet, I need to ask more questions. “I could get a job though, if it will help.”
“You don’t need to.” He places a washed plate on the sink and grabs the second one.
“I don’t need to get a job?” I lean casually against the counter.
“I have money.”
“A lot?”
“Enough.” He turns to me. “Are you asking whether I’m rich?”
I raise a brow. “Are you?”
A grin forms on his lips. “I’ll tell you when I get back from my run.”
“That’s not fair.”
He smiles. “I know.”
~
“You could stay here instead of going for a run,” I say. “There’s a good movie on.” I know he won’t stay but it’s worth one last shot.
“You watch the movie. I’ll be back before it finishes.”
“Promise?”
“Yep.”
He grabs the spare keys and takes off. I wonder what he does with his clothes when he shifts. I wonder what he does with my spare key. He had better not leave it lying around where anyone could find it. I decide it’s not worth worrying about since I won’t be living here much longer anyway.
I turn on the movie and slump down onto the couch.
The movie is half way through when a breaking news announcement pops up on the screen.
The announcer reads the prompter and a picture of a bear appears in the corner of the screen. My heart is pounding at a million miles an hour.
“A bear has been spotted running through Wilson Park,” she says. A grainy video taken with a cell phone with bad resolution shows a blurred image of a bear in the distance of the screen. “There are no reports of attacks, but we advice residents to stay clear.”
Holy shit! I jump to my feet.
At that moment, the front door opens and Tarben appears. He’s breathing heavily and leaning against the door. He’s still naked and there is no sign of his clothing.
“I think someone saw me,” he says.
I point to the television. “You think?”
PART FOUR
Chapter 1
I feel like I’ve been holding my breath ever since we left the city.
Now that we are pulling the car into the campground I can finally relax.
We grabbed the bare minimum of belongings to bring back with us. Clothes, a few books, but not much else. I’ll need to go back to my apartment to get my computer and a few other necessities, but right now it was imperative to get Tarben out of sight and back to his home.
I still don’t know what he was thinking by going out for a night time run but I can’t dwell on that now.
“Feel good to be back?” I ask.
“Jade, nothing about the city was good. Of course I’m glad to be back.”
I press my lips together to prevent biting back. I know he’s just venting but it’s not helping. I want the strong, confident man I met a few weeks ago back.
Perhaps we aren’t going to make it after all.
I can’t think like that. After we settle back in, everything is going to be good again. We’ll go back to lots of hot sex and lots of happy times together. It’s been a long time since either of us has been in a relationship, so it’s clear there are going to be a few bumps to begin with.
Besides, it should be an adventure to live in a cave with Tarben.
I turn off the engine and get out. I’m sure he’ll be anxious to get home. I pop the trunk and lift out the bags, flinging the largest over my back.
“I can carry that,” he says.
“It’s cool. I’m strong.”
“You are. I know you are, but I want to.”
I hand over the bag to him, he’s trying. He takes the smaller one, too. We can make this work.
I lock up the car and we head down the path. It’s late and dark, so it’s hard to see where we are going but that’s the whole point. Neither of us wants to be seen. It’s a half hour walk to get to his cave and we are silent for most of the trip.
His chest rises and falls as if he’s letting all the air out of his body once we reach the cave entrance and step inside. He heads toward the back and opens the door. Once we are both inside he turns on the lights.
I’ll never get used to having this here - a whole mini house hidden in a small hill. Even though I’ve been here a few times now it still surprises me. I wonder how long that feeling will last now that I live here.
He places the bags against the furtherest wall out of the way. Immediately I start to unpack and place a pile of my clothes neatly in the far corner of the bedroom. I’ll need somewhere to hang them later, but for now I don’t mind if they are on the floor, as long as they are neat. I don’t want mess.
