Chapter 7

 

“Good morning, Kat.” Ronin stuck his head into her office and smiled cheerfully at her. “Willow said you wanted to talk to me.”

“Yes, come in. Close the door.”

He sat down in the chair with a lazy grace and she folded her hands together neatly on the desk. “I had two things I needed to speak to you about. First,” she forced herself to meet his gaze, “I wanted to apologize for my behaviour on Saturday night. I was extremely drunk and the things I said and did were very inappropriate.”

She waited for his sarcastic quip but he only nodded and said, “Apology accepted.”

“Second – we’re pulling you from the warehouse security and giving you a new assignment. We have a vampire who needs some protecting.”

“Against what?” He asked curiously. “It seems a bit unusual for a vampire to need protection.”

She nodded. “It is but this vampire in particular is being harassed by an older and more powerful vampire. It’s probably nothing - her parents are a bit on the nervous side when it comes to their daughter - but Mal, Bishop and I thought it would be best to have someone with your skill sets work this assignment. In case this other vampire is actually a problem.”

He nodded and she said, “If you’d rather not take this assignment, tell me now so we can find someone else. This has the potential to be much more dangerous than our usual security jobs and we’ll understand if you’d rather stick to the warehouse.”

He shook his head. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”

She frowned at him. “You understand how dangerous vampires can be, right?”

“I do.”

“Do you?” She arched her eyebrow at him and his dimple deepened as he grinned broadly at her.

“Are you worried about your pretty little bird, kitten?”

“No,” she snapped irritably. “Obviously it’ll be a night shift, probably ten until dawn, but we can confirm that with the Sorenson family tonight. Can you meet Bishop and me here at the office at around ten? We’ll drive to the Sorenson’s and you can meet Mavina.”

He nodded. “I’m supposed to be working the warehouse this afternoon though.”

“We’re assigning Garth to the warehouse. He’ll take your shift.”

“Sure,” Ronin said. “But be prepared for an angry call from Marika Belfry.”

“What? Why?”

“That lizard loves me,” Ronin said solemnly. “She’s not going to be happy when she finds out I’ve been put on a different assignment.”

“Mrs. Belfry loves you?”

“Yes, is that so hard to believe?”

“Uh, yes,” Kat said. “Mrs. Belfry doesn’t love anyone but her sons.”

“What can I say? I can be very charming.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed back her chair. “Okay, well, unless you have any more questions, we’ll see you at the office at ten tonight.”

“Actually,” Ronin stood and moved behind her desk, “I did have one more question.”

She took a nervous step back before forcing herself to stand still. “What is it?”

He reached out and took her wrist, rubbing his thumb over her pulse, and a smug little smile crossed his face when her pulse quickened. “Have you decided on who you’ll be hiring for your heat?”

She glanced nervously at the closed door and tried to pull her wrist free. Ronin’s grip tightened for a moment before releasing her and she tucked her hands behind her back. “Keep your voice down. I don’t discuss my personal life at the office so unless you have a work-related question, I’m very busy.”

“Here,” he pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to her.

“What is this?”

“Medical records,” he said. “In case you decide to choose me, I thought you’d like to see I’m as clean as that tiger shifter.”

“I don’t need this,” she said. “I’m – I’m not choosing you.”

He gave her a careless little grin before heading for the door. “See you at ten, Katarina.”

Kat sat down in her chair and stared at the paper in her hand before unfolding it and scanning it. She stuffed it into her purse then pulled out the tiger shifter’s business card and stared fixedly at it for a moment. Her heat cycle was happening next week and she needed to call Jace. He really was the best candidate and the longer she waited, the higher the chance that he would no longer be available to help her. She tapped the card against the desk before, using her office phone, calling the number. The phone rang twice and, her nerves fraying, she was about to hang up when Jace answered.

“Jace speaking.”

“Uh, hi, Jace. It’s Kat Frost calling,” she said nervously.

“Hi, Kat. How are you?”

The friendliness in his voice calmed her nerves and she said, “I’m good. How are you?”

“Doing very well, thank you.”

“So, I’m calling about our, uh, meeting the other night. I’ve thought a lot about it and I – I’m sorry, but I won’t, that is, I’m not going to be requiring your, uh, services.”

“That’s a shame,” he said.

“It’s not you,” she said hastily. “I’ve just decided it’s not for me. I – it would have been you if I had decided to, um, go this route.”

His low chuckle brought heat to her cheeks. “That’s good to know. Thanks for calling, Kat.”

“Bye, Jace.”

She hung up the phone and stared at it blankly. What the hell just happened? She had called with every intention of asking Jace to help her during her heat, so why the hell did she just tell him thanks but no thanks?

Because you want the bird. Ask him to help you, Kat. He’s more than willing.

She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. She couldn’t do that but she also couldn’t sleep with Jace – not when she would just be imagining he was Ronin for her entire heat. She’d just have to hope that her damn vibrator was enough.

 

* * *

 

“Saul gained access to the squirrel’s body at the morgue, Wyatt. The wounds are consistent with the other bodies,” Clay said.

“I know. I’ve read the report,” Wyatt said irritably. He was pacing back and forth in his office and he glanced again at the monitor on his desk. “Did you speak to the squirrel shifter who survived?”

“Not yet, but I have her address. I think it’s more important that we find the porcupine shifter before he infects others, don’t you?”

Wyatt grimaced. “What if the squirrel shifter was bitten? You need to speak with her, Clay.”

“I will,” Clay said before shifting in his chair. “I’ll give it a few days. A detective spoke to her this morning and I don’t want to chance running into him if he decides to ask a few more questions.”

“If she’s been bitten or scratched, we’re running out of time,” Wyatt said before running his hand through his hair. From the monitor came a low roar and he winced before dropping into his seat and tracing his finger across the screen.

“Shh, ma chérie,” he whispered. “Shh.”

“It took two months for the porcupine shifter to change. We’ve got time.”

“Each shifter is different,” Wyatt snapped at him. “You know that, Clay. Squirrel shifters have high metabolisms which means she’ll change faster. We can’t risk her infecting someone else.”

“We’ve already got a shifter killing people, possibly infecting them. That’s our number one priority right now,” Clay said patiently. “I have two of my men watching the squirrel. If she shows any signs of changing, they’ll bring her in.”

“Have you spoken with the wife of the porcupine shifter?” Wyatt asked.

“How did you find out his name?” Clay asked.

“Leon hacked into the police station’s computer system. It didn’t take long for him to find the information on the attack that day.”

Clay shook his head. “Fuck, that was quick. Where the hell did you find Leon? The kid can’t be more than eighteen.”

“It’s not important. Did you speak to the wife?” Wyatt asked impatiently.

Clay nodded. “After Leon texted me his name and address, I went to his home. I spoke with,” he checked his phone, “Marla and she assures me that Bart neither bit or scratched her.”

“We should bring her in anyway, test her for the virus,” Wyatt mumbled as he stared at the computer monitor.

Clay shook his head. “Not a good idea. She’s filed a missing person report and the cops have already been to see her. They’ve already connected him with the dead squirrel shifter. She bought my story that I was a detective without asking for a badge but that was just luck. She was too distraught to think straight. We can’t just bring her to the facility without her asking too many questions that we can’t answer.”

“Jesus, what a fucking mess,” Wyatt said.

“I’m meeting with the cat shifter tomorrow morning,” Clay said. “I’ll find out if she or the bear shifter were bitten. If they were, we’ll drug them and bring them to the facility. In the meantime, we’ve got men combing the park and surrounding areas for the porcupine. If he’s out there, we’ll find him.”

“And what about the bird?” Wyatt suddenly asked.

“No luck yet,” Clay said.

Wyatt glared at him. “Maybe you should be leaving this other business to your men and to Saul and do what I asked you.”

Clay’s temper flared and he said icily, “If I’m not doing a good enough job for you, Wyatt, I’m more than happy to walk away and let you find someone else to do your dirty work.”

“You don’t think Ronin can help, I know that,” Wyatt said, “but it’s not your decision to make. I need you to find him if we’re to have any chance of curing her.”

“It’s too late to cure your wife,” Clay said bluntly.

Wyatt, his face bright red, stood before ripping the phone from his desk and throwing it at Clay. He vanished and the phone landed on the empty chair with a muffled thump. Wyatt, breathing harshly, jerked back when Clay appeared in front of him and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.

“Don’t ever do that again, Wyatt. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” Wyatt snapped. “Let go of me.”

Clay dropped his hands and took a step back. “I’m your friend, Wyatt, you need to remember that. Now, go home. Have a shower and something to eat and get some goddamn sleep.”

“I’m fine,” Wyatt said sulkily.

“You’re not. You’re falling apart and we need you. If you really believe that you can still save your wife, you need to get some fucking sleep so you’re thinking straight.”

Wyatt glanced at the computer monitor before giving Clay a haunted look. “I will cure her, Clay. I will.”

Clay squeezed his arm gently. “Go home and get some rest, Wyatt.”

 

* * *

 

“So, how do you like living with Fenton?” Willow asked brightly as she sat down at the kitchen table.

Ginger flushed a little. “I’m not living with him, Willow. He was just giving me a place to stay while I cleaned up my mess of an apartment. In fact, I’m staying at my own place tonight. Thanks for helping me, by the way. I know you’re still trying to settle in here at Mal’s and it was really nice of you to spend your entire evening helping me.”

“It’s not a problem, honey. Besides, you and Fenton had most of it finished by the time I came by.”

“It was mostly Fenton,” Ginger said. “I’m still fairly useless. Do you know he even had Garth pick up a new box spring and mattress for me? He brought it by this afternoon with his truck.”

“I knew Garth had asked Bishop if he could take a couple hours off this afternoon but didn’t know why,” Willow said. “That was sweet of Fenton to do that. How are your ribs, by the way? You didn’t seem to be wincing as much when we were throwing your ripped-up clothing in the garbage bags.”

“Getting better, I think. Of course that could just be the morphine pills Dr. Jibbens prescribed for me,” Ginger said as the cat, its black fur gleaming in the light from the kitchen, rubbed up against her leg. She reached down and patted it lightly. “Which one is this again?”

“Dolly Parton, I think,” Willow said. She bent and reached to pat the cat. It hissed loudly at her, arching its back, before streaking out of the kitchen. “Yep, Dolly Parton. Johnny Cash is starting to at least let me touch him but Dolly still hates my guts. Ungrateful brat.”

Ginger glanced at her watch as Willow stood and dropped tea bags into the two mugs sitting on the counter. “Do you need me to give you a ride back to Fenton’s?”

“No. Fenton said he would drop by and pick me up after he was done running his errand.”

“What’s he doing?” Willow asked curiously.

“I don’t know,” Ginger admitted. “He wouldn’t say.”

“That’s weird.”

“Yeah, it is a little. I mean, not that Fenton’s the most talkative guy but he usually tells me what he’s doing.”

Willow grinned at her. “You two having sex yet, or what?”

Ginger blushed. “Of course not.”

“Because you’re injured, right?” Willow said. “It’s obvious you two have a thing for each other.”

Ginger’s blush deepened and she traced the top of the kitchen table with the tip of her finger. “It might be because I’m injured.”

Willow squeezed her hand delightedly. “I’m so glad you and Fenton are dating, honey. He’s a good guy.”

“We’re not dating,” Ginger said. “I – I don’t know what we’re doing. I mean, I like him, obviously, and he’s attracted to me but we barely know each other.”

“That’s what dating is,” Willow said. “Getting to know each other.”

“I guess,” Ginger said. “I just wish I could read him better, you know? I don’t know if he let me stay with him because he’s attracted to me or because he feels sorry for me. I have terrible taste in men and I know Fenton is different but what if I’m reading the signals wrong? What if he just wants a roll in the hay?”

“He doesn’t,” Willow said firmly as she lifted the whistling kettle from the stove and poured the boiling water into the mugs. “I’m sure of it.”

Ginger sighed and took the mug of tea from her. “I hope you’re right. Where’s Mal tonight, anyway?”

“Becky has a baseball game. Mara and Roland are out of town this week at some work conference for Roland’s law firm so Mal picked up Becky and drove her to the game.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you miss it,” Ginger said.

“You didn’t,” Willow said. “I wanted to help you and besides, Amos was going as well and I figured it would be good for Mal and Amos to have some alone time together.”

“I thought it was going better with Mal’s grandfather?” Ginger said before sipping at her tea.

“It is. I think. He calls me by my name now instead of human, most of the time,” Willow said. “I think I’m starting to win him over but that probably has more to do with Ava’s influence then mine.”

Ginger gave her a curious look and Willow grinned at her. “Mal’s grandfather might hate humans but apparently that hatred doesn’t extend toward Ava. He’s very fond of her and since Mara and Roland are practically Bishop’s adoptive parents, Ava and Bishop visit them often. I guess the other night Ava hugged him and he didn’t even freak out. I get anywhere near him and he tenses up and gets this weird look on his face.”

“Sorry, Will,” Ginger said.

“It’s fine,” Willow said. “Eventually I’ll win him over completely. He doesn’t stand a chance against my charm, he just doesn’t know it yet.”

Ginger laughed, “Isn’t that the truth.”

“What did the police say about talking to Robbie?” Willow suddenly asked. “I keep forgetting to ask.”

A look of anxiety passed over Ginger’s face. “They dusted for fingerprints but didn’t find anything and Robbie denied it was him.”

“Of course he did,” Willow said irritably.

“I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t him,” Ginger said. “There were no fingerprints and – “

“So Robbie was smart enough to wear gloves,” Willow interrupted. “He’s an idiot but even idiots have moments of brilliance from time to time.”

“He said he was at a friend’s house all night and his friend confirmed it,” Ginger said.

“Easy enough to get a friend to lie for you. You know it was him, don’t you?” Willow said.

“Yeah,” Ginger said quietly. She studied her tea as Willow squeezed her hand.

“Are you afraid to go back to your apartment, honey? The door has been repaired but you’re still staying with Fenton.”

Ginger nodded. “I am. It’s ridiculous but I can’t shake the feeling that Robbie is going to do something else. I had no idea he could be so vindictive. Just more proof that I’m terrible at relationships. Still,” she sighed loudly, “I can’t keep staying with Fenton forever. His place is pretty small and I really shouldn’t have sex for at least another few days. He’s going to get tired of me sooner or later and – “

“Fenton isn’t that type of guy,” Willow said with a frown. “He’s not going to force you to go back to your apartment just because you can’t have sex with him.”

“Do you know that for sure, Will?” Ginger asked. “I never thought Robbie would break into my apartment and destroy everything I owned and look how that turned out.”

“Fenton is nothing like Robbie,” Willow said.

“I know he isn’t. I just – I can’t trust my judgment when it comes to men,” Ginger said.

Her cell buzzed and she read the text quickly, a small smile crossing her face.

“Is that Fenton?” Willow asked.

“No, my brother. I made the mistake of calling him and telling him what happened and now he’s sending me daily texts. He was going to come home but I told him not to and that I was perfectly fine and safe.”

She hesitated, “I might have told him that I had some protection detail from your security firm.”

“You kind of do,” Willow said cheerfully. “Fenton isn’t going to let anything happen to you. Is your brother still in Australia?”

“Truthfully, I’m not exactly sure where he is and he won’t tell me. You know how he is when it comes to his job. It’s so secretive, hell, I’ve never even really been positive of what he does exactly.”

Willow took a drink of tea as Dolly Parton returned silently to the kitchen. She rubbed up against Ginger before leaping into her lap and butting her face against her chin. She scratched the cat’s face and throat and Dolly purred loudly before lying down in her lap. She caught sight of Willow and hissed as her tail flicked back and forth.

Willow rolled her eyes. “I’m starting to regret the day I saved her and her brother from certain death.”

Ginger laughed and stroked the cat’s soft fur. “She’ll come around, Willow. You’re terribly hard to resist, remember?”

Willow nodded. “So true but my charming personality seems to be completely useless with house cats.”

Ginger snickered again before glancing at her watch. After helping her and Willow clean up her bedroom – the last of the apartment that was still a mess – and setting up her new bed, Fenton had left on his errand. He had said he wouldn’t be long but it had been nearly two hours since Willow had driven her back to the house she now shared with Mal, and she hadn’t heard a thing from the cheetah shifter. Worry gnawed at her belly. God, she hoped nothing had happened to him.

 

* * *

 

Fenton stood quietly in the dark apartment. It smelled of stale pot and sweat and his cheetah hissed disgruntledly. He soothed it lightly and shifted on his feet. Sunday evening, exhausted after spending the day cleaning up her apartment, Ginger had fallen into a deep sleep in his bed. He had found some evidence of her old life with Robbie when they were cleaning – a cell phone bill with his last name, a photograph of Ginger and Robbie lying in the mess on the living room floor – and he had memorized his face before Ginger had snatched the photo from him and ripped it into pieces.

Once she had fallen asleep he had logged in to Facebook and found Robbie in less than five minutes. After only a few minutes of perusing his profile it had been ridiculously easy to find out where the man was at that exact moment. Leaving Ginger sleeping soundly, he had driven to the pub and found a booth a few feet from where Robbie, surrounded by his equally vile friends, was loudly arguing the merits of some online video game.

He shifted again, ignoring the sounds of the couple fucking in the apartment next to this one, and snorted quietly. Gaming held no appeal for him, and he would never understand why a grown-ass man like Robbie would be so obsessed with it when he had a woman like Ginger.

His groin stirred as he thought of Ginger sleeping in his bed and he adjusted his dick with a grimace. It had been pure torture sleeping with Ginger the last two nights and not being able to touch her, to hear her cry his name with breathless need. His cheetah made a soft growl of agreement and he soothed it again.

After four hours, he had followed the extremely drunk Robbie out of the pub. The loser had stumbled his way four blocks north to a run-down apartment building and hadn’t even noticed the large blond man who followed him silently up the stairs. Once he had discovered which apartment was Robbie’s, he had left, melting into the shadows of the narrow hallway as Robbie had staggered into his apartment and slammed the door. He had been back home and in the bed next to the still-sleeping Ginger without her ever realizing he was gone.

The police had nothing to tie Robbie to Ginger’s apartment and he clenched his fists as the woman next door screamed her pleasure like a banshee and the man gave a harsh animalistic grunt of satisfaction. Ginger was still afraid, he could smell it on her, and while he was happy to have her stay with him as long as she wanted, he hated that she was afraid to go back to her apartment. The lock turned and his cheetah growled softly as his body stiffened with anticipation.

Robbie dropped his keys into his pocket and pushed open the door. He set the groceries on the floor before flicking on the light. He thought about the rat he had seen scurrying in the hallway and grinned a little. He’d see if he could catch it later tonight. He couldn’t go back to Ginger’s apartment, the police might be keeping an eye on him despite their lack of evidence, but he could send Ginger a little present in the mail. She hated rats and the thought of how she would react when she opened up her mail and found a dead rat made him laugh out loud. That bitch had always thought she was better than him and fuck if he wasn’t enjoying making her squirm. Tearing up all of her clothes and destroying her furniture had been a fucking blast and he hadn’t been surprised to see he had a hard-on when he was finished. If he had been thinking, he would have jerked off on her favourite dress but he’d already shredded it and he had been at her apartment long enough. He scratched his balls absentmindedly before giving his fingers a sniff. He should probably shower before he went out but fuck it – if the bitches at the bar didn’t like the way he smelled, they could go fuck themselves. A flicker of movement caught his eye and he glanced up to see a large man, dressed all in black and wearing a black knitted cap on his head, standing in front of him. He screamed shrilly and stumbled back as the man grinned.

“What the fuck! Who the fuck are you?” Robbie snapped.

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” the man said.

“How the fuck did you get in my apartment?” Robbie rubbed at his chest. His heart was pounding a mile a minute and he glanced uneasily at the man in black.

“You really should get a better lock on your door, Robbie,” the man said.

“How do you know my name?” Robbie whispered. His unease was turning into panic and he licked his lips nervously. “I ain’t got nothing worth stealing, man.”

“I’m not a thief,” the man said.

Robbie took another step back. “What do you want from me?”

“What I want is very simple. You’re going to stay away from Ginger. Do you understand?”

Robbie’s mouth dropped open. “That fucking bitch sent you?”

The stranger made a soft hiss and Robbie had time for one strangled yelp before the man was on him. He wrapped his hand around Robbie’s throat and shoved him up against the door, squeezing firmly when Robbie tried to scream.

The stranger’s pupils were changing into dark slits and a golden-coloured beard was sprouting on his face. He hissed again at Robbie and then made a low chuckle of delight when the scent of urine filled the air. He glanced at the wet patch spreading on the front of Robbie’s pants and released his throat. Robbie stood frozen against the door as the stranger raised his hand. He moaned pitifully when the stranger’s blunt nails turned to razor-sharp claws.

“No, please,” he moaned again.

“You’re going to stay away from Ginger. Is that clear?” The shifter said softly.

Robbie nodded frantically, turning his face away and closing his eyes when the shifter leaned even closer and his hot breath washed over him.

“If you go anywhere near her, if I find out you so much as say her name,” the shifter reached out and traced one claw across Robbie’s throat, “I’ll hunt you down and slit your throat. Do you believe me, Robbie?” He asked as a thin line of blood appeared on Robbie’s neck and tears oozed down his face.

The shifter growled menacingly when Robbie remained silent. “Do you believe me?”

“Yes!” Robbie cried. “Yes, I believe you.”

“Good.” The shifter grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him carelessly to the floor before opening the door and disappearing into the hallway.

Robbie, still on his knees and his breath whistling in and out of his throat, slammed the door and locked it with a trembling hand. He stared wide-eyed at the bag of groceries sitting forgotten on the floor before climbing to his feet and staggering to the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

“Thank you for driving me home, Fenton,” Ginger said quietly as he parked on the street outside of her apartment building.

“You know you can still stay with me if you want,” he said. “I don’t mind.”

“Thanks but I’ve intruded on your space long enough,” she replied.

“Two days isn’t a long time.”

She smiled at him. “I can’t stay with you forever.”

She could, he thought but didn’t say. He would scare the crap out of her if she suspected that he was already half-way to obsessed with her.

She glanced nervously out the window of the car and he squeezed her narrow thigh. “I’ll walk you up.”

“Thank you,” she said with obvious relief.

When they were standing in her apartment, he had installed a heavier chain across the door after maintenance had repaired it, she smiled weakly at him. “Well, um, thanks again. Maybe we could have dinner sometime?”

“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” He asked.

“Yes!” She blurted out before blushing. “I mean, no, that’s okay. I’m good.”

“I’ll stay,” he said.

She nodded, her relief was written all over her face, and he glanced into the living room. Her couch had been ruined and Garth had hauled it away to the dump after delivering the new bed but he could sleep on the floor. He’d slept in worse places.

As if she read his mind, she took his hand and led him to her bedroom. She disappeared into the bathroom and he stripped down to his briefs before climbing into the bed. It was early, not even nine yet, but Ginger looked tired and in pain. She returned wearing a silky little nightgown that made his cheetah purr happily.

She gave him a nervous look before rubbing her hands over the material. “Willow and I did a quick shopping trip when you left on your errand.”

“It’s very pretty,” he said hoarsely as he willed his cock to behave.

She slid into the bed next to him and hesitated only briefly before cuddling up next to him. “I know it’s early,” she said, “but I’m pretty tired.”

He put his arm around her and stroked her back before pressing a kiss against the top of her head. “It’s fine.”

“Thank you for staying with me, Fenton. I’m sorry I’m being such a big baby.”

“You’re not,” he said before grasping her chin and tilting up her head. “You don’t have to worry about Robbie. He’s not going to bother you again.”

“H-how do you know that?” She whispered.

“I just do,” he said. There was no way in hell he was telling her about being at Robbie’s place earlier tonight.

She gave him an intent look, her brow furrowing. “Fenton, did you – did you hurt Robbie?”

He shook his head. He hadn’t hurt him, not really. Pissing your pants didn’t exactly hurt. “No, of course not.”

She gave him a slightly embarrassed look. “Sorry, that was a stupid thing to say.”

She pressed her head against his shoulder and rubbed his chest with one soft hand. His purring started immediately and he groaned inwardly. Fuck, it was embarrassing that he couldn’t control his purring whenever Ginger touched him.

After about ten minutes, she raised her head and smiled at him. “Your purring is my new favourite thing. Did you know that?”

He shook his head and studied the glassiness in her eyes. “Love, did you take a morphine pill?”

She nodded as her hand dipped below his navel and his hips jerked in response. “Yeah, I didn’t want to but my ribs were hurting pretty badly.”

Her words were starting to slur together and he groaned when she pushed her hand under his briefs and wrapped it around his erect cock before stroking him firmly.

“Love, we can’t.”

“Sure we can,” she said. “I’ve got no pain at all, Fenton. This is the perfect time.”

She gave his cock a firm squeeze, smiling when he gasped out a choked purring noise and his pelvis thrust against her.

“Maybe we can’t have sex yet,” she whispered, “but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to come.”

His nostrils flared as she bent her head and flicked his flat nipple with her tongue. She stroked his cock rapidly and he groaned before yanking her hand away.

“Fenton?” She frowned at him. “Let me make you come.”

“No, love,” he said hoarsely. “Not if you can’t.”

Her eyes widened, her pupils were large and dark and he would have grinned at how stoned she was if he wasn’t so worried about her, and she blinked at him.

“I – you’re turning down a handjob because I don’t get to have an orgasm?”

He nodded and her bottom lip dropped a little. “I – I don’t even know what to say to that.”

He leaned over her and pressed a light kiss against her mouth as she wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

“I don’t want you to leave because I can’t have sex with you,” she confessed hazily.

He frowned. “Love, I’m not going to leave.”

“You might,” she muttered. “Robbie didn’t like it when I said no to sex.”

She parted her thighs and tried to urge him between her legs. “Just fuck me quickly, Fenton. I don’t mind,” she sighed as her eyes drifted shut.

Fresh anger flooded through him and for a moment he wished he had actually hurt the slimy little bastard.

“Quick, honey,” Ginger murmured with her eyes still shut. “I don’t need to come, just let me make you feel good.”

He turned her gently on to her uninjured side before curling up behind her. His erection pressed against her soft ass and she made a low cooing noise of pleasure as he cupped one small breast through her silk nightgown.

“Please, Fenton,” she muttered and he kissed the back of her neck.

“Go to sleep, love.”