It was going to be a long day. He’d barely gotten to sleep when his phone rang and woke him. His grandmother had wonderful timing as usual. It was all Josilyn’s fault. Soft sighs and moans of pleasure combined with that low humming sound let him know what she was doing behind closed doors. Even after she’d drifted into a contented sleep, all he could hear were her breathy groans of ecstasy. She was going to be the death of him.
Xander climbed out of bed and made his way to the kitchen for much-needed coffee. Between the lack of sleep and the tongue-lashing from his grandmother for still being in bed at this late hour, he was done. The rich scent of freshly brewed strong Colombian coffee hit him as he came down the hallway. He rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks.
She stood facing the coffee machine, her head dropped forward as if inhaling the coffee scent. Fuck she was sexy leaning against the counter like that.
He moved up behind her and trapped her there between his hard body and the cold counter. “Morning, sexy,” he whispered as he nuzzled against her neck. “Sleep well?”
She tensed for a second before sighing and pressing back against him, letting her body relax.
“Morning,” she said as her voice quavered slightly. “I did, very well, actually. How about you?”
He pushed his erection into her delectable ass. “Barely slept a wink.” He rubbed his lips over her ear. “I’m being patient, Josie, but it’s hard. I want to dive balls deep into you.” He nibbled on her lobe. “Thinking of how hot and slick you’re going to be is making me hurt.”
She gave a soft moan. “I’m sorry.”
“Not as sorry as my hand is. I’ve never had this much solo action. You’re driving me crazy. I want to hear those moans in my ear tonight, and not from down the hall.”
She stiffened and turned to face him. His cock pressed at the juncture of her thighs. “You could hear … I didn’t … I’m … oh, my gosh,” she stammered as her face turned bright red.
“Don’t be ashamed, baby girl.” Xander smiled and leaned in so his lips were millimeters from hers. “You will be in my bed. It’s only a matter of time. I’m warning you now. Make a choice, but if you come back here, I will fuck you. I won’t say when, but I will. You can be sure of that. I will fuck you within an inch of your life. Then just when you think you can’t handle it, I will do it again. Just when you think your body has given all, you’ll tense up and fly when I remind it you’re mine. You will never want one of your toys again. Not unless I’m the one using it on you.”
She gasped, and he took advantage to slam his mouth on hers. His tongue invaded and stroked hers with masterful swipes. He nipped at her lips and pulled her tightly against his aching cock. The taste of her was addictive. He’d fucking known she would be.
He’d never get enough. Not now that he had. Not when all he wanted was to have her warm body curled up around him as he pounded deep into her, taking her over and over again. Reminding each of them this was where they both belonged. He slowly pulled back and leaned his forehead to hers.
“If we don’t stop now, I’m going to set you on the counter and bury my head between your legs. The next time I stand, my face will be coated in your honey and your legs will be shaking for hours.”
He smirked in self-satisfied delight as she reached for the counter to hold herself steady. “Are you hungry?”
Her eyes shot up to his. She cleared her throat and her tiny pink tongue roamed over her lips. “You could say that.”
“Get dressed. My grandmother is here early and would like to meet us at a café.”
Xander turned and headed to his room for a highly needed cold shower. That kiss left him throbbing, and if he didn’t get relief soon, he was going to explode. Touching himself was nothing when it was her hands he wanted on him. Her body he wanted pressed up against him. Fucking hell! It was her mouth he wanted wrapped around his cock. This was going to be the longest day of his life.
Forty-five minutes later, they were walking into the little café Julia preferred on her rare trips to town. Xander grabbed Josilyn’s hand and gave a gentle squeeze. “Calm down, sweetheart. She is going to love you. There is no doubt in my mind.”
“How can you possibly know that? You have only known me a couple of days yourself. What if I ruin this for you? What happens if she asks me something I don’t know the answer to? What if she tries to trick me to catch me lying?”
Xander laughed and pulled her to a stop outside the café doors. He turned her so she could look into his eyes. “Baby, stop. I promise, you’re reading into this way too much. If you get freaked, just take a sip of water, and I will jump in. You have nothing in the world to worry about.”
“If you say so. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”
“You could never do that. You have already exceeded all my expectations. Now come on, let’s show my grandmother what an amazing mate I have been gifted.”
Xander didn’t give her time to fret or argue. He pulled the door open and guided her through with a gentle hand on her back. As soon as they walked in, he spotted Julia sitting in her favorite booth in the corner. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a glare. Xander chuckled and gave Josilyn a slight push to get her moving again. They stopped next to the table, and Xander leaned over and kissed his grandmother’s weathered cheek.
“Stop scowling at me, you old bat. I’m on time and you know it.” Xander gestured for Josie to slide into the booth and he scooted in beside her. “Grandmother, this is Josilyn. Josie, this is my grandmother, Julia.”
Xander watched as the two most important people in his life sized each other up. Josilyn was nervous, and that was obvious. His grandmother had that evil gleam in her eyes he’d come to know so well. He scowled at her and shook his head in warning, but she ignored him.
“So, Josilyn, you’re my boy’s mate, he tells me.”
He wanted to groan in frustration; this was going to be a long lunch. He slipped his hand under the table and placed it on Josie’s leg and gave a slight squeeze of reassurance.
“Yes, ma’am. You raised quite a gentleman.” Xander preened at her words and had to hide a smile as his grandmother grinned broadly at her words. He wanted to hug Josie for that brilliant remark. His mate was smooth.
“How did you two meet?” Julia asked as she cocked an eyebrow at Xander and glanced at his missing hand.
He winked in reply and waited to see what Josie would say. They hadn’t discussed this part. Stupid on their parts, it was a logical question, after all.
Josie frowned in concentration. “It was outside my favorite restaurant. I was being attacked.”
“Oh my God!” Julia gasped.
“It’s okay. Xander rescued me. It was like a fairy tale, the way he swooped in and saved me.”
Xander could barely hold in his laughter as his grandmother’s mouth gaped in surprise.
“Too bad she ran from me before I could learn her name.”
Julia leaned forward intent on their story. “Ran? Then how…”
“I had a reservation and I was late. I didn’t want them to give up my table. I told the lady Xander was with to thank him, and I ran into the restaurant while he was dealing with this shifter issue in the alley.”
“You were with another lady? Shifter issue? I’m so confused,” Julia said as she stared back and forth between the two of them. “Are you two making fun of me?”
“No, I’m deadly serious, Grandmother. This actually happened. I was with Ally. She is moving to town and we were discussing business. I was outside saying good-bye when I saw Josilyn being dragged off by this half-crazed shifter. I was dealing with that, and when I turned around, she had disappeared. Luckily, Ally had seen her go into Ricardo’s, and I went in after her.”
Julia’s eyes bugged at his words. “You went in after her? What if she had been on a date?”
Xander was having trouble keeping his laughter contained.
“He marched right up to my table and sat down. The rest, as they say, is history.”
He caught his breath as Josie placed her hand on top of his on her leg. He flipped his hand and twined their fingers. This shit was surreal. He’d never felt this connected to another person, human or shifter, before.
“It was fate. There is no other explanation for it,” Julia said in an awed whisper.
“As soon as I looked into her eyes,” Xander said in a soft tone as he met Josie’s eyes, “I felt the connection, the instant pull. My bear and I knew it immediately. She was the only one for us.”
Xander lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of her knuckles.