Collared for a Night (Crimson Romance) (25 page)

Mia had emailed him as soon as he’d returned from his week with Diana, wanting to do a meet-and-greet. That ludicrous statement about the economy back at the table in front of Diana … He should have thrown back in her face that several of her creditors had called him to discuss Mia’s dismal financial picture as if she still worked for him.

He had Quinn check Mia and Frazier out again and he’d found out answers to his questions. Up until then he’d not thought much about either of them over the last six years.

He hadn’t wanted to start something with Diana there. Mia was on a manhunt and he knew when she had begun casting her net that she was looking for bigger fish than Frazier. Her partner had hit bottom in the design industry and hadn’t had a good idea since he’d split from Matrix. Mia and Frazier burned the clients they’d stolen and now had a mere handful left, not enough for a firm to survive.

Mia was looking to jump ship and he ascertained she’d been scouting for information about him. Quinn said she’d made calls to the Den and had gotten hold of Sonya, pretending to be a design consultant working with Matrix. Sonya didn’t buy it and had relayed that she’d recognized Mia’s voice with that all-too-perceptive coyote hearing. His manager had informed Quinn that someone had given Mia some information when she alluded to Shawn leaving the Den with a Matrix designer. Once Sonya had made it clear she wasn’t going to divulge anything, Mia became riled and went so far as to insinuate that Shawn’s business was more hanky-panky than aboveboard with his staff.

Quinn had sworn he’d fucking kill Mia and that the leak didn’t come from him. Hell, he had also sworn that he didn’t even know that Shawn had
relations
with Diana. The way his friend phrased “sex” as relations made him realize that Quinn was being respectful, and he’d smiled ruefully.

No, the leak was one of the room attendants, possibly the one he and Diana had passed on the stairs. That night had been crazy. Mind-blowing sex, all right.

Hell, he’d never come down from that high and he never intended to, ever. Diana was his. He waited for her to return, only letting his gaze break when he texted Tristen to get his ass over here. Stress. Yeah, he’d say that this situation with Mia reeked of stress.

He stood in the shadows at the back of the room, tracking Diana’s movements as she was escorted to the location of her seat, and then up across the stage. Her grace and ease were a masterful cover for the tumultuous undercurrents that were roiling through her at this very moment, while she smiled and listened to the young woman next to her. From his vantage point, he sipped the air currents for Diana’s scent.

Diana turned slightly, apparently feeling his gaze. She lifted her head and stared at him, unblinking. Her slightly-parted mouth briefly displayed the tips of her canines, while the skin across her face tightened.

Had she been in leopardess form, her ears would have laid flat against her head while her tail whipped back and forth. Diana and he were now deeply marked by each other, and that came with a heightened sensory perception that easily interpreted non-verbal nuances--especially when their gazes clashed and her eyes shot daggers across the room at him.

Fuck, Mia and her games; he should have been better prepared.

At the end of the rehearsal Shawn walked back to the corridor, arriving before Diana who had to weave through a throng of people in front of the stage.

She appeared at the end of the hall, the color high on her cheekbones; her eyes gleamed green, then flashed red.

Christ, he could see that only her will to control shifting kept her from prowling down the hall toward one deserving target. He couldn’t let her do that. This place was so full of security that they’d cart her away to some facility for uncontrollable shifters. No one in his inner circle had ever made the mistake of thinking a wild animal would be welcomed at an event. Shifter or not, in human form they were all vulnerable and, regardless of what sentiments a shifter had, the law was the law. This wasn’t the time of Jesse James, and busting someone out of a lock-up facility didn’t happen.

This required that he assert himself so that she could fall back upon instinct, if nothing else. The leopardess would respond to the leopard. “Come, kitten. The car waits outside.” He took hold of her elbow, drawing her next to him firmly and securely. She flinched, nearly yanking her arm from his grasp.

He pulled her into an alcove and positioned his feet on either side of hers, his hands holding onto her squirming body. “Don’t fight me. I promise if you let this situation get away from you, from your training, I will assist you to regain control. Twenty hand prints across your ass will be nothing.” His voice had dropped down to a growl, into the range that piqued the feline within her.

From the slight flaring of her nostrils and dilation of her pupils, her leopardess brain was reacting, even though he could see the woman was very much not letting the issue go. So he changed course, and set out to get the woman’s attention. Without warning he feathered his fingers across her jaw, over her cheeks, and then ran his fingers through her hair. His mouth came down upon hers, and he wasn’t gentle or coaxing.

He kissed her fiercely, demonstrating that he wasn’t playing or teasing. His mouth set to work on her, first getting her to simmer down long enough for her passion to override her rage. Hell, he’d be boiling mad if the shoe were on the other foot.

She pushed against him, using her palms on his chest, but he was having none of it. When his phone buzzed, he refused to stop kissing her. He met force with force, driving her back easily, up against the wall, and following with his body. He snarled across their lips, a heated conversation they both understood. Twisting his fingers within her hair, he yanked just once, then deepened his kiss, thrusting his tongue over and over again into her mouth. Finally, he released her lips when her body relaxed. The feel of her easing up had his hands coming out of her hair and running down over her clothing. He took her waist between his hands, exhaling, debating whether he should finish this in the car, or look for an empty office.

“Don’t push your luck, or I swear I’ll be only too happy to show you how committed I am to you.
Listen to me. I love you.
Only you. No one else. Now, let’s get the hell out of here. I need to explain a few things.”

He backed off of her slowly, taking in her reaction and watching for any sign that she was less than ready to walk out into the corridor. He didn’t trust Mia, and looked both ways down the hall in case she reappeared. Now that she’d tasted blood figuratively, she more than likely would seek another bite. He’d seen this type of move in shifters. Mia wouldn’t understand that an alpha such as Diana held back, but didn’t waste time with sparring. Mia didn’t have the good sense to take in her environment, or to comprehend that Diana was a force to be reckoned with when thwarted.

Mia had become a wannabe-human. From what he knew, she tried to meld with them, rarely shifted, and had even gone so far as to prevent any pregnancies or hormonal rifts. That didn’t mean that shifters like Mia couldn’t shift, but they’d be more akin to tame animals who no longer relied upon instinct, became docile, and wouldn’t know an alpha leopardess from a housecat … until it was too late.

Diana straightened her clothing. “I’m fine, really. Don’t worry that I’m going to make a spectacle of myself. I won’t and certainly not here.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not concerned about that. You’re so far off base. Whatever you’ve got roaming around in your lovely head is all woefully wrong.”

He had to get her out of there and set her straight. Of all the things he should have done, explaining this situation beforehand would have been a much better idea.

Stepping back into the hall, he led her to the intersection where the check-in table was stationed. No sign of Mia. Only the other young woman remained and he waited as Diana handed back her security badge. Outside, Santo leaned against the trunk until he noticed they’d exited the building. He was wearing a Bluetooth clipped to the collar of his black shirt, and Shawn wondered what was up now.

“Please, give me a few moments.” He opened the car door, assisting Diana into the backseat, and then turned back to Santo. “Something’s up?”

“You’re upset?” Santo asked, his voice so low it was difficult to make out the words.

“I asked you a question first. But, no, I’m not upset.”

“Tristen wasn’t able to come. Is that a problem?”

“Tell me the reason why he didn’t and I’ll let you know.”

“Tristen tried to phone you, but couldn’t reach you, so he called me. A group of dancers showed at the venue for tonight.”

“Dancers?”

“Strippers. Four of them. They told the manager that you had requested their services and were there to rehearse and change.”

“And where are these dancers now?” Shawn gazed into the back of the car, checking to see if Diana had heard any of this.

“Gone. Tristen didn’t think it prudent to leave the place unattended. Fin grabbed a taxi and is on his way there now.”

“Good call. Take us back to the hotel.”

Shawn unbuttoned and removed his jacket. After loosening his tie, he rolled up his sleeves, in preparation for whatever came his way. This was going to be a roller coaster ride. His entire focus was on enduring the next forty-eight hours and then getting the hell out of Vegas, He’d be damned if he ever came back here, even if it meant selling what area businesses he owned. He got into the backseat, tossing his jacket to the opposite side of Diana.

“We’re going back to the hotel so we can bathe and then leave for dinner.” He wound his arm over her shoulders, waiting to see if she’d go tense. When she sat relaxed under his arm, he lowered his hand, palming her ass. “You’ve got to get control of yourself. There’s nothing going on here, outside of you and me.”

“I don’t understand why you didn’t say something about her being in charge of this event. Was I even nominated for my design? Or is this just a reason to get you to come to Vegas?”

He’d wondered if Diana would come up with that assessment. He had to reassure her that Mia didn’t have any power; just a big, vile mouth.

“No, it isn’t. She’s doing PR for the design committee and this is some type of
pro bono
work, I imagine. Or she’s getting paid, which is worse. Either way, she and Frazier are financially in dire straits. They’re struggling and scrounging for work. I knew she was here; same as I knew Frazier was. Didn’t I already address the fact that they live and work in Vegas? This is a microscopic town for the design community and many things for that matter. Of course I expected to run into them. But if I’d imagined it was going to be catastrophic, I never would have brought you here. Or I wouldn’t have come. Mia brews trouble. Don’t let her words twist in your head. She wants to mess with your mind.”

“I get her personality type. The timing is suspect.”

“What timing?”

“Asking me to marry you. That seems rather convenient. Your showing up with a fiancée.”

“I already explained that. I acted on the spur of the moment when you gave
us
the green light to come out of hiding. Not because I wanted to show up with a woman on my arm. Don’t think so little of yourself, or me.”

“I don’t know … things have a way of creeping out of the darkness and, you’re right, into the mind.”

“Baby, I’ll fuck you mindless as soon as we get upstairs. If that’s what it takes.” He pulled her over across his lap. “Diana, I love you. I’m here to support you.”

• • •

Entering their hotel suite, he stripped her down, then picked her up and put her on the table in the dining area.

He pulled her legs apart so her thighs straddled alongside his hips. “Lean back,” he said in a rough, hoarse voice. “God, I’ve wanted to do this since we departed this morning. And you’ve sorely tempted me. Brace yourself. Do you remember our first night, how you wanted me to take you up against the wall?” He leaned over Diana, the scent of her rising around him like a tide rushing over his senses.

“You wouldn’t do it. You said it would exacerbate my heat.”

“Yes. But there are times when you need to know who you belong to. Tonight is one of those times.” He trailed his mouth along her jaw toward her neck, nipping and sucking pressure points that made her flinch. Her breasts were tight against his palms. God, he wanted her more than ever. Soon, he would forego condoms and empty himself deep within her body. Her whole body would be his to do with as he pleased. And he planned on bringing her plenty of pleasure.

Shawn pulled a condom from his pocket, which had become a practice of late. Tearing open the foil packet, he gazed down at Diana’s pussy, and groaned as he rolled the condom down his length. Entranced, he watched her rub her clit and writhe. “Oh baby, I love seeing you touch yourself. Right now, I’ve got to fuck you.”

The head of his cock pressed against her opening, and he stared down at her glistening and pink skin abutting his crown. He swiped his dick across her pussy and then returned to her entrance, pushing forward. She was tight, and he had to force his way into her. She might act relaxed, but her body and her pussy said otherwise.

“Keep touching yourself.” He pushed, driving his cock inside her body. “That’s it. Help yourself to relax, kitten. Let your fingers work to make you feel good,” he said in a voice pulled taut.

He held onto her fingers, guiding her to play with her clit. Slowly, she opened up to him. Thrusting forward, she felt like heaven; a velvet-lined nirvana. “Oh baby, you’re so tight and so wet.”

He pressed into her, stopping to gauge if she could take more.

“Shawn, please, babe, I need you.”

Now, with her moan, she was on fire and he eased himself forward, forcing himself to go slowly, nudging the rest of the way inside her. He pulled on her legs and she nearly came up off the table. A groan lodged in his throat. He’d not last more than a couple of strokes at this rate. There wasn’t anything left to do here but fuck her like she’d wanted the first time they’d made love.

Christ. That’s what they’d done that first night. And many nights after. But tonight wasn’t about making love; it was about control and branding Diana. It was about making certain she understood they were together and soon would be bonded. No more doing whatever the hell crossed her pretty little mind. No way. He’d not let her wild instincts get away from her. He’d promised he would train her and he’d neglected this part for too long. Down, dirty, hard, and fast.