Amber: July: Mystic Zodiac, Book 7 (9 page)

A
mber’s gaze
slid to the entrance of the bar again. Leif and Gunnar, the two bouncers with grizzly bear running through their veins stood watch, checking the patrons as they walked in or stumbled out. The bar seemed busier than usual, but then it could just be her.

Andreas had yet to show up, and she was beginning to wonder if it had all been a dream or a cruel lie. A way to stay in her bed for some fun over a long weekend.

Her stomach had been in knots since he left Monday afternoon. And the arousal he sparked to life in her to but refused to see through…don’t even get her started on that. It couldn’t be dampened. No vibrator in the world could satisfy her, and the thought of taking another man home left her cold and disgusted on the inside.

The damn wolf had claimed her Siren, and the woman wasn’t interested in anyone else. It was the part of her the Siren had no hold over that still resisted. But even that very human side had weakened over the days, and she actually missed the big possessive man.

“You going to stare at the door all night, or are you going to get some actual work done?” Frost stood behind her, arms crossed over his chest. He’d been there for the last hour, and his brooding presence wasn’t helping in the least. She’d already messed up a couple drinks and almost dropped a bottle of the high-end scotch.

She refused to look at the man and give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right. “I
am
working,” she said, appalled he’d had to mention her lack of focus again.

“He’ll come.”

Amber rolled her eyes and popped the tops on three bottles of beer before placing them on the tray for the server. “I’m not worried. If he shows—great. If he doesn’t, well, then I’ll be fine with that too. My life does not revolve around that man.”

Frost’s chuckle grated on her nerves. “You used to be better at lying. You’re worried. I can smell it rolling off you. He’s claimed you, Amber. Wild horses wouldn’t be able to keep him away.”

What she wanted to say was
how do you know,
but she couldn’t voice that thought. It would mean she really
was
worried. Pining for a man wasn’t in her normal purview of activities. Showing that weakness would kill her.

“Whatever,” she huffed under her breath.

The band stepped up on stage, signaling the start of their set and giving her something else to focus on. Ten o’clock on the dot, every Friday and Saturday night. Jaz tapped a beat out on the drums as Case, Rhys, and Fin joined her on stage. Fin stepped up to the microphone, crooning out a greeting to the crowd, inciting the women. He was a Siren like Amber and Brit. Brought in to enthrall the patrons. The rest of the band consisted of a faerie (Jaz) and two Djinns (Case and Rhys). Good looks and smooth voices won the crowd over every time. More liquor flowed, and the bar made mad amounts of money. It also helped those drinking heavily to dance off the alcohol’s affects.

Amber tried to tune in and relax to the easy beat of the first song, but she couldn’t. Her gaze flicked to the entrance again, and the door opened. Andreas filled the doorway. Her breath caught in her throat and relief filled her.

Squelching the impulse to run over to him and fling her arms around his neck, she filled the next order in a bid to keep her hands busy. Each second that ticked by brought him closer. Each step he took sent her pulse fluttering rapidly out of control. Her tattoo heated and sparks of desire fired her blood. Her fingers twitched with the need to let her power free.

Frost stepped up next to her and snatched the beer she’d been holding out of her hand. “Go take a break. Take him with you. I need you focused on work, and maybe a quickie will get you back on track. Use my office.”

Amber frowned at her boss. She didn’t think she was
that
bad.

A
ndreas stepped
up to the bar, took one look at Amber and knew he had to get her out of there. Her green eyes darkened on the verge of being black. The shaking of her hands was barely noticeable, but enough for him to be concerned. Her pulse was accelerated and breathing deep. He nodded to Frost, who, in turn, tipped his head in silent greeting.

“Take her to my office,” the big man grunted. “Sort her out.” The bear in him had to sense the turmoil in Amber’s lush body. His pale eyes shimmered softly and mouth thinned. Tension lines formed around the corners.

Andreas didn’t need to be told twice. He went around the bar, grabbed Amber’s hand and maneuvered her in front of him. He dropped his hands on her shoulders and felt instantly better. Gently, he pushed her in the direction they needed to go, even though it wasn’t necessary.

“I know where I’m going,” she said over her shoulder, echoing his thoughts. Her brows drew down in irritation. He didn’t think she realized how much anxiety she gave off. Any shifter in the bar would be drawn to her. The nervous, defensive energy calling out to predators looking for an easy take down.

“I know. I just don’t want you out of my sight.” Not that he was afraid she would disappear if he weren’t holding onto her, but having his eyes on her helped soothe the wolf and kept other animals from sneaking up behind them in an attempt to steal her away.

He drank in the sight of his mate, intrigued by a muted red glow coming through her white tank top.

Amber opened the door to Frost’s office, and he steered her in. He kicked the door shut, but didn’t let go of her until he had her pressed up against the desk.

“Hands on the desk,” he growled, waiting impatiently for her to comply. When she did, seconds after his demand, he ran a finger down her spine. She arched her back the lower he got. “What’s this?” Reaching for the hem of her tank, he grabbed it and pulled it up.

“My tattoo.” Her breathy voice tugged at his balls. A welcome grip he’d oddly missed during the week.

“I can see that. But why is it glowing?” He yanked the tank over her head and off, tossing it on Frost’s desk. “Wow. It’s beautiful.” Intricate diamonds dotted her spine. The muted red brightening as he traced around each swirled design inside the shapes. A shudder ripped through Amber, jerking her body. She moaned softly.

“It’s reacting to you,” she whispered. “It’s the harness for my power, and you incite it. You push the Siren closer to the surface.”

Andreas leaned in and feathered kisses over her shoulder and down her spine. The tattoo was hot beneath his lips. She shivered, her body vibrating in response. Goose bumps broke out across her skin. It was a heady feeling to elicit such a reaction from her.

A Siren was the epitome of sensuality, typically unaffected by their lovers. To be able to weaken her knees, fill her body with need, was a sign of something rare and magical.

“Did you miss me while we were apart?” He skimmed his hands up her sides then onto her front. He danced his fingers across her belly, driving downward to the front of her jeans. Popping the button and making quick work of the zipper, he wedged his hand inside, anxious to touch her, cupping her mound in the tight quarters.

“She did,” Amber gasped. Her resistance swirled around them. He aimed to break it down before he gave them what they both needed.

“And she is part of you.” He pressed up with his middle finger, coming into contact with her fabric-covered clit. He tapped the bud repeatedly, adding a circle every few taps.

“Oh!” Amber dropped her head to her chest and bowed her back.

“Amber.” He pressed against the little throbbing bud. Holding firm while he waited for her to acknowledge that the Siren and she were one. “And she is part of you, correct?”

She wiggled her hips, forcing him to grab hold of one hip to keep her still. Moving in closer, he pressed his pelvis against her delectable ass. His straining erection cried for relief, begged to be let free and thrust into her tight channel. He moved against her, letting her feel his thick cock. “Amber,” his growl deepened, his patience growing thin. “Tell me what you know is true.”

She hesitated and let out a shuddering breath. “Yes, she’s part of me.”

“And…” With quick movements, he swirled his finger around her clit. Moans filled the room and Amber’s hips rocked the tiniest bit.

“And I missed you too.” The breathy words were barely audible. He thanked his wolf hearing and the Gods above for catching them. His wolf howled in approval.

He had fucking missed her like crazy. The wolf, unhappy not being with his mate, pushed to the surface each night they were apart and burst through his skin. In wolf form, he prowled Andreas’s condo searching for a way to break free. And each morning Andreas would wake up naked on his bed, more exhausted than the day before.

Andreas pulled his hand out of her pants. Gripping her jeans, he yanked them down, pulling her panties with them. He got them to mid-thigh before he stood back up, impatient to get his mouth on her. With a hand pressed to her upper back, he pressed her flat against the desk. “Stay.”

Dropping to his knees behind her, hands planted on her ass cheeks and set his mouth against her pussy, dragging his tongue up and over the lips of her sex. Sweet arousal coated his tongue in an instant, sending a bolt of pleasure through him.

Fuck, he’d missed the taste and smell of her. Every cinnamon latte he’d caught a whiff of drifting through the office had his dick coming to life. At night before his wolf took over, he would masturbate to the remembered feel of her skin, her taste on his lips, and the echoes of memories of the sounds she made as she climaxed.

Andreas fucked her with his tongue. Ate her pussy like it was his last meal. Kissing, nibbling, and sucking until she bucked back against him, ready to explode. She moaned and cried out for more. Pushing her ass back into his face. The harsh sounds of her excitement filled the room with her need, and drove him to take her higher.

He slid one thick digit into her core, felt the rippling of her muscles, and then pulled out. Rising to his feet, he ripped his jeans open, shoving them down far enough to free his dick. Erection in hand, he pumped it and squeezed once before lining up with her wet, welcoming pussy.

Without preamble, he thrust in to the hilt. Amber’s back arched and she gasped. “Fuck, that’s good,” she purred.

Fuck, yeah it was! Andreas would never get enough of the woman beneath him. Lodged inside of her, her muscles working over his dick on the verge of orgasm, it was the best it had ever felt. It wasn’t only the physical part either. They were linked on a different level. A more spiritual one, once Amber gave up her token resistance to him.

Until she did, they had this. A coupling that grounded them in the other. Merged their auras, their souls. With a hard grip on her hips, he fucked her with abandon. Pulling out until just the mushroomed tip was inside before thrusting back in. His balls bounced off her clit, pulling a surprised cry from her. In and out, he kept up the fast rhythm, pounding into her, knowing it wouldn’t take long for him to fill her with his seed.

Amber tossed her head back, her hair falling to one side. “Oh Goddess.” The words fell from her lips and her tattoo lit up. Cool air swirled around them, licking his skin.

A tingling sensation started in his balls, drawing them up. Any second now he would climax. His thrusts came harder, and he found himself covering Amber’s back. Fangs punched through his gums. He clamped down on the faded mark of his bite, pulling a scream from her throat. Her pussy locked down on his cock and milked him to completion. He shot high into her, his wolf urging him to breed with the Siren. Andreas wasn’t so sure about that at the moment, but Fate would have her way if that were what she deemed.

He collapsed against her back, sucking in a lungful of air. When he felt he could move again, he pulled out of Amber and yanked up his jeans.

Rubbing a hand down her back, the red glow faded. He helped her stand, so she could pull up her own pants.

Dressed and put together for the most part, he kissed her deeply. Thrusting his hands into her hair, holding her in place. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

“You’re mine, Amber. Always will be.”

She sighed in response, so he took her lack of argument as agreement.

A
mber woke
to the smell of bacon. The hard body she’d slept against during the night had disappeared. Stretching her arms over her head, her brain and body slowly stirred. The minor aches and pains zipping through her a reminder of the evening’s activities.

“I could get used to waking up to that smell.” No doubt the wolf in him needed the meat. And if he cooked, she didn’t mind keeping him around. She’d only bought a fresh pack in case he showed up like he said he would.

She lay in bed for a few more minutes before her bladder told her to get up or suffer the consequences. She used the bathroom. Washed her hands. Brushed her teeth. Raked her fingers through her sleep and sex mussed hair. The glow of a healthy night of mind-bending sex radiated from her. She had to admit it was a good look on her.

Traipsing out of the bathroom, she contemplated for a second about putting clothes on. The last time Andreas slept over, Marge had shown up and, as much as she liked the dear old lady, she wasn’t comfortable standing around naked in the woman’s presence.

She grabbed a long T-shirt from the drawer and threw it on. Fuck the panties. There was always the chance she could get some morning nookie if her neighbor wasn’t around.

Amber made her way to the kitchen; pleased to see it was only her wolf standing there. He was shirtless but had on his jeans. They would need to grab him some other clothes to wear around the house at some point. Washing the same pair over and over again would get tedious.
Or
he
could walk around naked.
Her words registered and she stopped. The domesticity of the situation should have had her running in the opposite direction, but she wasn’t. She realized she didn’t want to.

She snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. Her hands had a mind of their own and skimmed over his chest. Loving the feel of him beneath her palms. “Smells wonderful.”

Andreas reached behind him and grabbed her ass. “It certainly does, and it feels pretty damn great too.”

She bussed a kiss on his back and broke his hold. “I was talking about the bacon.” She spun to grab a cup of coffee and noticed one was ready and waiting for her. A freshly poured mug if she judged by the steam, which told her he knew she had been coming.

“Go sit, love. I’ll bring the plates.”

Amber wasn’t going to argue. The man cooked for her again. She’d be an idiot to voice offense to that. “Do you cook often?”

“Every chance I get.” He brought the plates and joined her at the table.

They ate in silence, inhaling the food. She pushed her plate away when she was done, and he did the same.

“We need to talk,” Andreas started. He sounded so damn serious; her stomach took a nosedive, turning the food she’d just eaten upside down with nausea. Andreas must have sensed her distress. He took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “Not to worry, agape mou.”

“Your love? You
love
me?” The words caught her off guard. Part of her shrieked like a girl seeing her first crush at school, while the other part panicked like the damn house was on fire.

He nodded and squeezed her hand lightly. “Yes. My wolf is madly in love with you and your Siren. He’s like a dog panting after a bone.”

“Nice,” she snorted. She sobered up when his brows furrowed.

“Do you not feel it?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to elaborate, but she knew what he meant. Now wasn’t the time to play the fool. Her Siren wanted no one else, but they hardly knew each other. Two weekends of hot sex was not enough to build a relationship on. But still… “My Siren does. I’m a bit more wary. We’re practically strangers. I don’t know anything about your Pack.”

“It is in Greece. I am an honorary guest of Theo’s Pack, as are my siblings.”

“There are more of you?” Goddess forbid there were more Greek hunks roaming about. The female population, wherever they lived, had to be in vapors.

“Two brothers, Nikos and Giorgos. And two sisters, Ilana and Lina. All are younger and all live in the city near me. Nikos works for me and will be taking over the running of the company beginning next week. Gio is what many would call a rich playboy with nothing better to do than charm women out of their panties, and my sisters are in college.”

Amber’s mouth dropped open. She was stunned to hear his brother would be taking things over. She would have thought Andreas would want to keep a firm handhold on his empire. That’s what business tycoons did, wasn’t it? “Wow. Wait. Your younger brother is taking over
your
company? What are you going to do then? Won’t you miss it?”

“That is the other thing we need to talk about. I’ve rented the storefront we saw last weekend. I’m starting a new business, here…in town.”

Amber knew her eyes were bugging out. That was one hell of a shock. “Because of me?” She didn’t know if she was comfortable with him rearranging his life because of her. Not when she wasn’t sure how she felt or where their week-old relationship…
stop right there. Relationship?
She didn’t even know how that word snuck into her vocabulary.

He shrugged apparently unaware of her thoughts. “In part. I want to be close to my mate, but I know we need more time to get to know each other. Only spending weekends together isn’t enough for the wolf—or me.”

She nodded, not quite sure what else to do. A small sense of relief unfurled in her chest. “Okay. What’s the other part?”

“I’ve been unhappy with my work lately. I love my company but hate what my job has boiled down to. I’m no longer involved like I used to be. You were right. I’m bored. The storefront gave me the kernel of an idea that expanded off
A Shift in Style
. A personal shopping experience for designer clothing. It also made me realize I want to get back to designing. The past couple years have been nothing but paperwork and meetings. I haven’t designed anything for anyone in years, and that was always my first passion.”

Amber loved the idea of having him closer. The past week sucked without him. She wasn’t, however, ready for him to be in her house full time. “And where will you be staying once your brother takes over?”

Andreas grinned and tugged her over to his lap. “Never fear, agape mou. I’ll be staying out at Theo’s cabin. We aren’t ready to move in together, no matter how much the wolf says we are.”

She let out a sigh of relief, earning her a raised eyebrow from him. “Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy having you around.” She wiggled on his lap and felt him harden against her thigh. “
Really
enjoy having you around. But I’m just coming to terms with being a Siren with a mate.”

He grinned and she realized she’d admitted to being his mate. “I understand. But be warned, even though I don’t think we’re ready to move in together either, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and spend every waking moment here with you.” He brushed a kiss across her lips, and her heart melted. “How else are we going to learn more about each other? How we each like our steaks? Do we have any annoying habits that show up after the first blush of being together wears off? I want to know everything about you, Amber, and I want you to know everything about me.”

She hummed in agreement. Her mind already drifting to something much better than discussing the merits of not moving in. She stood and straddled him so she could face him. Taking hold of his hand, she placed it on her thigh. Guiding him, she slid it up until both their hands disappeared beneath the hem of her shirt. He took the hint and feathered his fingers across her slit. His eyes widened for a second before a wicked grin took up residence on his handsome face.

“Has my Siren come out to play?”

“She’s always ready to play with you.”

“As it should be.” He leaned in and kissed her, while sliding a thick finger into her core. All thoughts of anything else left her mind, as he took her with his hand and lips into oblivion.