White Cougar Christmas
By Eliza Gayle
A White Cougar Christmas
Copyright © December 2011 by Eliza Gayle
Cover Art: Selena Blake
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This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Chapter One
“What’s a woman like you doing in a bar like this all alone on Christmas Eve?”
Niki rolled her eyes. That lame pick up line wasn’t even enough to interest her in turning to face the drunk who dared to hit on her. Feeling surly enough to rip someone’s head off, she growled low in her throat. A warning she hoped the idiot would heed. This had not been her week and with the prospect of spending another holiday alone looming in front of her, she’d grown restless and edgy. A dangerous combination in any shifter.
“What was that?”
So much for a warning. He was either too stupid or too drunk to realize how close he was to death. It might not be his fault she’d arrived in a foul mood but that wouldn’t stop her from taking it out on him. She sniffed the air hoping to catch the scent that would give her permission to put him down. Unfortunately, he appeared to be one hundred percent human, which meant she wasn’t allowed to touch him. The less they interacted with his kind, the less chance of them being discovered.
“Hey, honey. I’m talking to you.”
Niki narrowed her eyes and compressed her jaw. Rules be damned she needed an outlet for her frustrations and a little violence was certainly one way to get it. Niki Harris deserved some fun for one night even if that meant unauthorized bloodshed.
She eased herself from the stool, straightening the leather halter she’d chosen for the night, making sure the optimal amount of distracting cleavage showed. Heat surged through her system as she prepared for a fight. It took a few seconds to control the urge to shift before she turned and faced the annoying stranger.
When he got a good look at her, his eyes widened and his gaze locked on her breasts like she’d expected. He licked his lips and she half expected drool to begin dripping from his mouth within seconds. Spying the glazed over look in his eyes from too much consumption of alcohol and the soft fleshy musculature of his arms, not to mention the beer belly, she knew this would be far too easy. She’d have him on the ground and broken to her will in less than a minute. It wasn’t even worth the trouble. No satisfaction would come from a man like this. She needed a fight or a fuck but it needed to be fair.
“I suggest you move on before I lose what little patience I have left.”
“Want to play hard to get, huh?” His words slurred together in one nearly incoherent jumble, causing her stomach to roll in disgust. This idiot had no idea who or what he was toying with.
Concentrating inward, she nudged at the cougar inside her. The slow pulse of blood in her veins picked up its pace and warmed her from the inside out. Niki closed her eyes and imagined the ice blue glow of her own eyes when she shifted. Not gold like most of her cougar brethren. Her eyeteeth elongated and poked at the side of her lip. Satisfied that she’d controlled the change just enough, she lifted her lids and bared her fangs at the helpless stranger. He might not be much sport but beating the hell out of him would still feel good nonetheless.
Her hand shot out to grasp his neck but was grabbed instead by someone crazy enough to step between her and her prey. The touch sizzled and burned straight to her core.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We don’t need that kind of trouble,” the stranger warned.
Her snarl of frustration cut through the din of conversation in the bar, garnering the attention of more than a few patrons. But the warmth of the hand encircling her wrist distracted her, reminding her why she’d come this far from home in the first place. She didn’t want to spend Christmas alone this year. She raised her eyes to the newcomer to discover sex on legs standing next to her. At least six feet of broad, muscular male stood less than a foot away from her and just ripe for the picking.
“Hey pal, this lady is mine, no poaching allowed.” The drunk didn’t know when to quit.
“I just saved your life, now be a good little drunk and order another drink from the bar before I change my mind and throw you out of here.”
Hot and sexy’s voice flowed over her like warm butter, all silky smooth as he spoke to the idiot without taking his eyes from her. Her heart pounded as his unwavering gaze traveled over her. Dressed in jeans and a dark t-shirt with the name of the bar emblazoned across his chest, drawing her in, she was hard pressed to turn away. The arrogant lines of his face only emphasized the amazing package he presented. He had the body of a warrior, not one sculpted in a gym. Even better. She could smell the cougar on him, a wild and reckless scent that made her nipples tighten and her nostrils flare as she took in more. For the first time in a very long time, the feline inside of her wanted to roar its approval.
His olive toned skin and long dark hair made him flat out sexy and gorgeous as hell. Without even knowing his name, she wanted to wrestle him to the ground and take a bite. He didn’t look like any other cat she’d ever encountered and something about him pulled her to him.
He smiled at her then, white teeth flashing against ruby lips that she could imagine nibbling on for days. The arrogant way he looked her up and down would have earned any other man a punch in the gut or worse. Instead, the compulsion to wind her legs around his waist and hang on for dear life sucked the air from her lungs.
Now there was an image she could wrap her mind around.
Niki shook her head, wondering what had gotten into her. One look at a hot, hard stud and she was ready to get naked and horizontal with him.
I really need a vacation.
When the drunk gave up and wandered away, her hottie let go of her wrist and reached for her hand. “I’m Dean, by the way.”
“Niki.” She took the hand he offered and watched him bring it to his lips. His dark eyes sparkled with a teasing light and a suggestive look. Her skin tingled, her body lit up and when his tongue darted out to lick at her skin, fire raced over her, engulfing her in heat that pulsed straight to her clit and nipples.
“Can I offer you a drink, Niki?”
Her breath caught in her throat as he continued to kiss and lick his way up her arm. Something about the way he spoke her name implied much more than a drink. An overwhelming sense of desire flowed through her veins, peaking in her nipples. When he reached the inside of her elbow, she nearly shot to the ceiling. He’d discovered one of her special spots, the place that always made her hot and wet in an instant. Her hope that she wouldn’t embarrass herself died when his nostrils flared at her sudden rush of arousal. He’d caught the scent.
“Whiskey,” she answered a bit too breathlessly for comfort. Another woman might have blushed under the circumstances, but not her. Sex was as natural to her as bathing or hunting. In fact, she and her feline sisters had abnormally high sex drives and regular releases kept them on an even keel, or as their mothe
r reminded them all the time. Sex kept their aggressive tendencies at bay. Unfortunately for Niki, her releases lately had been strictly alone and she’d grown tired of solo play. Earlier that day, she’d run the familiar woods not far from home as the snow fell in big, wet flakes all afternoon. But she never reached the level of satisfaction her body craved. Nature had forced her to accept that without the adrenalin rush of fear or sex, she’d never settle back down.
Things were looking up for her now though.
Dean lifted his head to the man behind the bar.
“You got it, boss.” The barman nodded.
“It’s nice to meet you, Niki.” Dean stepped closer. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in my bar before. I’m sure I would’ve remembered someone like you. You stand out in a crowd.”
Niki barely heard his words. With every move he made, her senses were suddenly overflowing with the smell of musk and pine after a violent storm in the mountains. His scent. Male. Strong. Dominant. Images of him nudging her thighs apart so she could straddle his leg made her weak in the knees.
“You have no idea,” she answered without thought. “At least this time of year I can get away with a lot more camouflage than normal.”
His sudden look of puzzlement finally broke through her lust-addled brain. She’d come dangerously close to revealing her status as a rare white cougar warrior to a perfect stranger. The one secret that could get her killed. What the hell was happening to her? Her body had gone molten hot for the man standing in front of her, but that didn’t usually make her stupid. She knew next to nothing about the man or his establishment. In fact, how had she not heard of a cougar friendly business this close to home?
Niki accepted the glass of whiskey from the bartender and took a quick sip, hoping to gather her wits before she made any more mistakes. “Thanks for taking care of your overly friendly customer for me. As much as I might have liked to break a few bones it probably wouldn’t be a great idea.”
“Feeling a little tense?”
He had no idea. She simply shrugged. It wouldn’t do to put all of her cards on the table this early.
“Maybe we could find something else for you to do with all that pent up energy.”
Her ears perked up. Now he was talking. She stepped closer to him, soaking in the heat radiating off his body and another noseful of his delicious scent. Much more of this and she might find herself addicted. “What did you have in mind?” she whispered.
He smiled. “Eager aren’t you?”
She pulled back at his mocking tone, withdrawing from his touch. Despite the immediate feeling of loss, she didn’t have to stay where she would be taunted. Besides it wasn’t as if she couldn’t find a willing partner without the sarcasm. She turned away from him hell bent on getting out the door without causing anymore of a scene or looking back at the luscious man who’d turned her on more in a few seconds than any other man had for as long as she could—she paused—well, ever.
“Don’t.” His voice sounded loud and clear and she could have sworn the entire bar came to a standstill, including her.
It hadn’t been a plea or a request. No the tone of that command sizzled from her head to her toes and everywhere in between. But she was a woman with an overdose of pride who refused to turn and go back. He would have to meet her halfway or forget it. So she waited.
When he settled his hands on her waist she shuddered in pleasure. In that moment the deal had been set. For tonight she would be his and he would be hers, no questions asked.
“This could get dangerous,” he warned, his voice lowered to a level only she heard.
She leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder. “Danger is my middle name.”
He wrapped her jacket around her shoulders and steered her toward the back of the bar. When he reached for the door he paused. “Last chance. Any second thoughts?”
“None,” she assured him.
With the first step outside, she inhaled deeply, taking in the clean scent of fresh snow and wild earth. This time of year was her favorite. From the cold nights in front of a warm fireplace to the long hours of darkness that gave her the cover she sought, to run free and wild every chance she got. Winter was her time.
The forest, with only a small dirt road that led visitors back and forth to the parkway, surrounded the small bar. The seclusion didn’t bother her at all. Thanks to her mixed DNA, she valued her privacy more than the average shifter. Although they were all pretty private when it came to public places that included humans. She curled her lip. More often than not it wasn’t the humans who caused her trouble. Most of the cougars on this side of the ridge were pure blood born and wanted to keep it that way. So what was this guy’s story, she wondered.
“It’s a nice night for a run.”
“Is that where we are going?” That hadn’t been what she had in mind but she couldn’t exactly invite him back to the house she shared with two of her sisters. The few affairs she indulged in were always kept discreet no matter how long they lasted.
“Maybe another time. That’s my place right there.” He pointed to a small house nestled in the trees at the opposite end of the parking lot. She hadn’t even noticed it before now. In her defense, it was an unremarkable tan building that blended into the landscape, except for one thing. Surprisingly, he’d strung white twinkling Christmas lights along the porch railing that now beckoned them to enter.
“Nice lights.”
He shrugged. “I’m not immune to a little Christmas cheer now and then.”
He opened the door and ushered her inside in front of him. At the threshold she paused for a fraction of a second before she gave in to the need, or the cougar, clawing at her insides.
Inside his home she admired the fact that while sparsely furnished with cream-colored leather furniture, an average sized flat screen television that took up very little space and a dinette table for two, it was clean and orderly. Just the kind of place she would have if she lived on her own. “Do you live here alone?”
“Yep. It’s not fancy but it’s home and I like it. Plus it’s close to work so I don’t have much of a commute.” The slight smile he gave her did something weird to her stomach. She’d say it fluttered but she was most definitely not a fluttering kind of woman.
Without waiting for a response, he moved over to the Christmas tree and turned on the lights, which cast a soft glow over the room. “I don’t know what brought you to my bar tonight but I’m grateful for whatever it was.” Dean moved close and removed the jacket from her shoulders. His hand brushed her bare shoulders for a split second, sending a heated shudder down her spine.
Her heart tripped at the look in his eyes. The lust and want shone bright and she sighed in anticipation. “I didn’t want to be alone for Christmas,” she admitted.
“You don’t have to be anymore.” He gripped her shoulders and pulled her flush against him. His fingertips pressed against her bare back, eliciting a small tremor in response. He caught her hip with one hand and held her still. He lowered his head until his lips were inches from hers. “You never have to be alone.”
This close his scent overwhelmed and weakened her. Niki stared up at him, a strong sense of vulnerability washing over her. There was no fighting the pull between them even if she wanted to. She didn’t. He pressed his lips against hers, running his tongue along the seam until she opened on a soft gasp. He darted inside, stroking and licking. Niki’s mind whirled with sensations; the tongue devouring her mouth that tasted like heat and spice, the hands that pulled her tight against him, and the stiff erection that pressed insistently against her abdomen. Her fingers flattened against the contours of his chest. Body heat emanated through the material of his shirt, soaking into her skin. With her head spinning, she focused on the beat of his heart under her hands. It pounded faster than she expected, almost in exact rhythm with her own. Together they were spiraling toward the inevitable.
She had a strange feeling something important was about to happ
en.
Dean had only meant to give her a reassuring kiss to ease the tension he sensed inside her. Instead hunger for her surged, easily overtaking his control. He walked her backward a few steps until her back met the wall. He pressed his thigh between her legs while his hand slid across the leather of her small top and slipped beneath it to stroke the silky flesh of a small breast. The deepening kiss muffled her soft cry and only served to urge him deeper until their tongues twined in a fierce battle of need and will.
She tasted even better than he’d expected. Hot, sweet with a heavy dose of spice that flushed through him like a flash fire on acid. He tightened his grip as she arched into him as eager for more as he. He cupped the soft mound of her breast and thanked God he hadn’t taken the day off like he’d originally planned. Her nipples hardened to sharp points the more he explored, giving him another indication of how aroused she’d become. He moved his mouth from hers and skimmed them across her chin until her head tipped back against the wall, giving him full access to whatever he wanted. And boy did he want.
She had a body for sin and thanks to her breed, likely the penchant for hard and fast sex. For some reason he’d pegged her as a different cougar the minute he scented her. Now, her arousal soaked through her panties, filling the room with a fragrance he would never forget. The image of him devouring her from head to toe crystallized in his brain and he knew then what he’d thought would be a one-night stand with a beautiful woman would be far more.
Mate.
His lips skimmed the rise of her breasts and she purred against his head, ruffling his hair with her breath. The head of his cock swelled and flexed against his body, eager to be free of confinement. He needed to be buried inside of her more than he needed his next breath. She shifted in his arms, her breasts rubbing against his chest. A sweet movement destined to drive a man like him wild with lust. To retaliate he bent his head, nudged her halter aside and stroked his tongue over a bared nipple.
“Oh hell,” The words from her mouth fell on a long, low moan that sizzled across his skin and straight to his dick.
He lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist, nestling the heat of her pussy along the rigid length of his erection.
His nose flared. “I can smell how delicious you’ll be. It’s intoxicating.”
His fingers dug into the soft skin of her thighs as he grappled for control.
“You need to hurry,” she breathed roughly.
He kissed her hard, a sudden wave of possession stealing over him. Dean didn’t need to be told twice. He carried her like that to the bedroom and fell onto the bed with her. Their kiss broken, she laughed and twisted in his arms. Her tiny top slid up exposing her bare breasts and he nearly swallowed his tongue.
“You have the most exquisite breasts, honey.” He licked his lips and dipped his head, anxious to taste and tease them. He grazed her pebble hard nipples with his teeth until she squirmed and moaned underneath him. Her hands grasped at his shoulders, her nails biting into the skin of his back.
“Ahh yes, Niki. So beautiful,” he hissed as his tongue laved at the curve of her breast, continuing downward until his tongue swirled into the slight indentation of her belly button. He felt the muscles in her abdomen jerk, shooting lines of pleasure into his arms and legs and along his spine. Dean growled and scraped his teeth along her bare flesh.
He continued to move lower until he was draped across her legs and his face hovered over her skirt and panties. Pushing her skirt up and out of the way, he buried his nose against her sex, inhaling a deep breath. “Oh so sweet. I can’t wait to taste you, feel your wet flesh against my tongue.” He peeled her panties slowly down her legs before tossing them somewhere in the room. He didn’t care about anything when all he could think of was her tender, aroused pussy waiting for him.
Her thighs fell open and Dean licked his lips at the sight before him. A sprinkling of fine light blond curls covering swollen lips begging for his touch was spread out and waiting before him. No sane made could resist such perfection. He slipped his hand between her legs and pushed a single finger against her dew entrance. Fuck, she was already soaked.
“Please Dean, you’re driving me crazy.” Her breath came in excited pants now as she tilted her hips for easier access.
“Am I?” He liked that she had turned desperate for him because he was exercising every ounce of control he possessed to not rush through this. He pushed the tip of his finger just inside before he bent and licked his way from her heated entrance to her protruding clit, the flavor of her exploding on his tongue, searing into his brain forever.
She gasped and cried out his name as her fingers dug into his hair holding his head to her. Little did she know he had no intention of going anywhere. He settled further between her legs and continued his feast with licks, nibbles and small bites to her inner thighs. She squirmed and cried out as he edged her closer to release. His dick ached with the need to be buried inside her as the heat between them licked at his balls. Christ, he was never going to make it like this.
He pushed up and brought his body above hers. He looked at the creamy white skin of her beauty, so translucent she looked nearly ethereal to him. Some of her white blonde hair clung to her face where perspiration had popped out on her forehead. Staring into her eyes, loving the undisguised desire that shone there, he placed his cock head at her entrance.
“Tell me this isn’t a dream Dean. That you feel it too.” She moaned as he pushed just the tip inside her.
“No, this is definitely not a dream.”
She held her breath as he separated her folds when he pressed forward. Nerve endings ignited and a cry tore from her throat as he filled her achingly slow. A taunting pleasure swamped her until her screams turned to whimpers of pleasure when he buried himself to the hilt. Dean swooped in and captured Niki’s mouth in a fierce, hot kiss meant to sear them both together in mindless need. Their tongues slid together in an ages old competition for dominance. He ate at her like a man possessed, praying she would accept his claim.
“I want to watch you come,” he whispered, his words rougher than he expected. He speared into her body at the same time he tweaked a nipple to the edge of pain. Her orgasm built like a flash fire, sudden and combustible tearing through her with a force that took her breath away. She convulsed around his cock. The explosion went straight through to his soul until her pleasure swamped them both. He moved faster. Short hard thrusts as her pussy clenched around his hard flesh, losing his own tightly held control. Sweat slicked between their bodies.
Niki tore at the bedding underneath her while he slammed in and out of her, all control lost. He grabbed her tits and rubbed her nipples to rock hard points, drawing moans and pleas from her to keep going.
His canines poked at his lips as he snarled and bent to her shoulder. Under the onslaught of overwhelming pleasure and with the mating scent torturing his senses, Dean couldn’t resist the urge to bite.
“I’m going to come in you, baby. Now!”
“Oohh, God.” Niki cried out when he sank his teeth into her supple skin as he pumped his release into her, marking her as his. The resulting jerk of her hips made her pussy clamp down on his shaft until black spots swam in his vision. Niki howled and hissed while she dug her fingertips into his back, the edge of pain drawing out his pleasure. Together they rode the wave until they finally collapsed together on the bed, bodies slick with sweat and an aura of satisfaction surrounding them both.
“Fuck Niki, what the hell was that?” The question made her smile. She blinked up at him but remained silent. The look in her eyes gave him the impression she simply wanted to curl up in his embrace or his new fierce need to protect was demanding it.
“So sleepy.”
He tightened his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. “Sleep then. I’m not going anywhere tonight.”
“Me either. Not tonight,” she replied.
Dean listened to her heartbeat slo
w and her breathing even out. He propped his head on his free arm and watched the Christmas lights outside twinkle in the reflection of the window. Adrenalin still popped and sizzled through his blood over the wondrous fact that he’d found a mate. He was anxious to spend Christmas day getting to know her and she him. For some reason their lives had intersected and their fate sealed. Now he needed to make sure she felt the same way.
A soft purr broke the silence in the room and rumbled along his rib cage. Despite the second wind he’d encountered after sex, the sound of his new mate content in sleep lulled Dean to follow her.
Dean kissed her awake as he crawled over her, trailing his lips from her feet to neck, paying close attention to her pretty pink pussy and tight nipples. He wanted to play again.
“Merry Christmas, Niki.”
She cracked open her eyes and looked at the sunshine just peeking into the room.
“It’s barely dawn,” she complained. “Why are you waking me up?” She stretched her arms, effectively pushing her breasts close to his mouth.
This was normally the point he’d get up and get dressed encouraging his lover to do the same, but Niki was different. Despite the many times he’d had his way with her through the night, his cock was already rock hard and eager for more.
She looked down the length of his body. “You are insatiable aren’t you?”
“Are you complaining?”
She looked down at him and licked her lips, a rumbling purr coming from her throat.
“You won’t hear any complaints from me. But isn’t this the part where we kiss and promise to call and then never do?” She stroked her hand back and forth across her shoulder.
He watched her as he thought about what she’d said. He wondered if she realized she was rubbing the spot where he’d marked her.
Mine.
“Is that what you want?” If she said yes, he would have to show her just how wrong she was. He could take it nice and slow if he had to but one way or another she would be his.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be for the holiday? Some family waiting for you?” She looked at him expectantly as he trailed his fingers along the curves of her hips.
“I’m right where I’m supposed to be,” he rumbled. “Besides, you owe me a run.”
She smiled at him and shifted onto her knees, pushing him to his back. She fisted the root of his erection and brought the tip to her mouth. “Run later. First, it’s my turn to give you a Christmas gift.”
He hissed in appreciation. He’d already gotten the best present of his life.
A Mate.