My Healer (Bewitched and Bewildered Book 3) (15 page)

Colton felt his heart skip a beat; these two might be his new best friends. Colton looked over to Penny. "What do you think princess? Would you like to have a sleepover with Jaxon and Noah?" Penny looked at the two young men who were smiling at her and nodded. Colton wanted to jump up in the air and click his heels. "Okay, darling, I'll let your mother know." He turned to Jaxon. "Thank you."

Jaxon blushed slightly, though his grin was knowing. "We may be young, but we're not monks."

Colton laughed. "I hear that. Okay, I'm going to go find my mate."

"Toodles! Don't do the things I wouldn't do if they're boring," Meryn called out. Colton nodded, then stopped.

Don't do...

He turned back to her. "What?"

"Have fun," Beth said nudging Meryn.

Colton winked at them and jogged up the stairs.

*****

Colton walked in and saw Rheia was sitting in his favorite chair in his reading nook by the window. Wrapped up in his large throw she looked small and vulnerable. He didn't like the serious look on her face.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. He walked over and sat down in the other wingback chair next to the window. He loved the fact she had gravitated to his favorite spot in the room and wrapped herself in a blanket cover in his scent.
 

She turned to him, her blue eyes thoughtful. "I'm really going to have to move here, aren't I?"

The sad look in her eyes hurt his heart. He would do anything to make her happy, even give up the Alpha Unit and move away, but that wouldn't keep her or Penny safe.
 

"Yes. It's no longer safe for you outside of Lycaonia. To be honest, I'm not sure how safe it is here since the ferals have decided to learn new tricks, but at least here we have the other units to fall back on." He scooted his chair close to hers so he could reach out and take her hand. She smiled and gripped his hand like a lifeline.

"I'll call Radek tomorrow and tell him to start boxing up my stuff. I never thought I would ever leave that house. It's the last tie I have to my parents." She dashed a tear from her cheek and looked at him, her bottom lip trembling. "I'm being silly, aren't I?" It broke Colton's heart that she was trying so hard to appear strong, when he was the one person who could be strong for her. He was overwhelmed by the sudden need to show her how good they could be together.

Without saying word he stood and scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

He looked down and let what he was feeling show on his face. When her pupils dilated and he caught the faint scent of her arousal, he nearly groaned out loud. Breathing hard, he pressed his forehead to hers. "Tell me to stop and I will, but if you don't, I am going to do my damnedest to show you how I feel. I know you're giving up a lot to stay here with me. Let me show you it will be worth it."

Her arms came up and circled his neck. She pulled back and looked up at him, eyes hesitant. Whatever she was about to say, she wasn't sure of his reaction. Colton wanted to drive away every trace of doubt that, he needed to prove to he was hers, no matter what.

He smiled and nudged her nose with his own. "Whatever you want to say, just say it. Nothing you say or feel can be wrong."

She took a deep breath. "I do want you to show me how good it can be between us, but I don't think I'm ready to be claimed yet," she confessed.

Colton kept his smile frozen on his face. His wolf was already chomping at the bit to claim her, but he had a feeling if he pushed the issue, she would just pull back even further.

"You're mad aren't you?" she asked. The scent of her arousal began to diminish.

Colton shook his head. "No, it's just that ..." He paused, trying to figure out the best way to phrase what he wanted to say. Somehow, he knew, 'I may accidentally fuck you to death in an effort not to claim you.' probably wouldn't go over very well. "Without claiming you, the sex may be a little wild."

Her eyes widened and his heart stopped when she gave him a sultry smile.

"Challenge accepted," she said and leaned forward and bit his chest.

Growling, he tossed her onto the bed. His canines burst through his gums and he knew without looking his eyes would be the yellow color of his wolf.

"Strip," he ordered, reaching for his own shirt.
 

She gave a startled gasp before she began to quickly undress. He was completely nude by the time she was down to her bra and panties. She hesitated and looked up at him. When her eyes landed on his groin she subconsciously licked her lips and he growled low in approval.

"Do you want to suck my cock, baby?" he asked as he started to stroke himself.

Her eyes followed his hand. She nodded, completely mesmerized by his movements.

"Let me see your body, baby, show me how wet you are and I'll give you a treat."
 

Rheia raised a brow at him. Without breaking eye contact she reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra, letting the material fall away before she threw it over the side of the bed. Colton had to grip the base of his dick tight to keep from coming, her breasts were perfect. They weren't high and perky like those fake human commercials. She was rounded and completely natural. He knew he could spend hours between her breasts and never tire of them. When she shimmied out of her panties, he nearly came undone.
 

Without hesitation, she opened her legs wide and pulled apart her tender folds. He could see that she was already dripping wet. When he looked up, he saw that she was biting her lip. Despite the sex kitten act she was nervous; she was the best of both worlds.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he asked. He watched her shiver at his deep bass-filled voice. His wolf was truly at the surface now.

"Please Colton, make me forget, even if it's just for a little while. I just want it to be you and me," she pleaded.

He crawled onto the bed, moving slowly until he was kneeling between her legs. "Then I can do nothing less than give my mate what she wants. Now turn over and get on all fours."

She looked at him, uncertain.

"It will help me not to claim you, sweetheart," he explained.

Understanding filled her eyes. Grinning she turned over and raised her ass in the air. Unable to help himself he leaned forward and buried his nose against her slit.

"Gods, baby, you smell like heaven. Later, when we have more time I am going to tongue fuck you until you beg me to stop, but I don't think either of us wants that right now, do we?" He reached forward and lightly traced her opening with two fingers. She moaned and pushed back against his hand.

"So eager." He leaned forward and nipped her right cheek. She yelped but he noticed that the scent of her arousal got muskier. Grinning he did the same to the other cheek.
 

"Colton," she moaned his name.

"It's gonna be fast and hard, baby." He couldn't wait another second. He reached down, lined up the head of his cock and thrust hard. He placed his hand on her lower back for control and set a merciless pace. Beneath him she gasped for breath and groaned his name over and over again.

With his canines fully extended, every fiber in his being wanted him to lean over her and bury his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck, welding them together for all eternity. But he'd made her a promise, they would take this at her pace, the thought of breaking her trust was the only thing holding him back.

He felt his balls draw up and knew that he was close. Leaning forward slightly he reached around her hip and snaked his hand down to dip between her folds. He found her clit and fingered it roughly. She went wild and he felt her body clench around him. It was enough to send him over the edge, crying out he emptied himself deep inside of her.

Colton shook his head to focus; he had never come so hard in his life. Slowly, he pulled out of her and she slumped down onto the bed, she was gulping air. He slid off the bed and headed to the bathroom.

When he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he was shocked. His eyes remained yellow and his canines dangerously low. He ran the water in the sink until it was warm and splashed some on his face. He took several deep breaths and looked back up. His eyes were back to their normal color. He washed himself off and rinsed out the washcloth.

He chuckled when he saw that Rheia hadn't moved an inch from where he'd left her. Walking to the foot of the bed, he started to get hard again watching his seed drip down the back of her legs. Gently he cleaned between her legs before placing a soft kiss over his two bite marks on her delectable ass.

He walked back to the bathroom, tossed the washcloth in the sink and returned to his mate. She was still on her stomach facedown in the covers. He pulled her onto her side and into the curve of his body.
 

"That was amazing. I've never come like that before. Claiming me can't get better than that." Rheia said turning her head slightly to look back at him.
 

He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Challenge accepted."

*****

When Colton and Rheia ended up being a no-show for lunch and dinner, Meryn and Beth sat the little girl between them during meal times. Meryn was afraid at first that Penny would be nervous without her mother, but she was soaking up the attention that Aiden and the rest of Alpha Unit heaped on her. It looked like she was used to being the center of attention when it came to her uncles. Aiden had even taken her upstairs to introduce her to his fish, Jaws.

After dinner, they all retired to the family room to wind down before bed. Noah and Jaxon were absorbed in their X-Box game. Normally Meryn would be right there with them, but she wanted to work on the personnel list before tomorrow.

"I can't believe ya'll are teaching a four year old to play poker," Beth said in disbelief.

Meryn looked up from her laptop to see what shenanigans the men were up to. They'd set up a table in the family room and were currently explaining different hands to Penny. The men decided to play for candy and snacks instead of money, for Penny's sake.

Meryn watched the girl's eyes go from the cards to each of the men, before nodding. When she neatly stacked her 'money' into piles Meryn had to hide her smile.

"So we'll play one hand to practice okay?" Keelan asked. Penny nodded.

Meryn shook her head; they'd figure it out eventually.
 

"Wow, look guys Penny won that hand. Way to go, baby girl!" Aiden announced proudly.

Meryn looked up and saw Penny was on her knees raking the candy pile over to her.
 

Meryn smiled and reviewed the short list of Vanguard warriors Aiden and Gavriel and compiled from memory. She'd have to get with Radek soon to get a more complete list.

"Look at that, she won again. She's too cute," Keelan said as Penny arranged her winnings in order from hard candy to chocolate.

Beth walked over holding the novel she'd been reading. Frowning, she sat next to Meryn.

She nodded her head in Penny's direction. "She..."

"Probably, yeah." Meryn nodded.

"Do they realize..."

"Nope."

"Are you going to tell them?" Beth asked her eyes now filled with amusement.

Meryn turned to her and just stared blankly.

Beth sat back in her chair and brought her book up. "Yeah, me either."

"Okay that's the eighth hand in a row, that can't be beginner's luck," Darian grumbled as Penny packed half her winnings away in her backpack, making room for more candy on the table.

The men stared at Penny who expertly shuffled the deck before dealing.

Aiden cleared his throat. "Penny, darlin, do you know how to play poker?"

Penny looked up and nodded and the men groaned.

Darian sat forward a devilish look on his face. "Okay sweetie, gloves are off. You're going down."

Half an hour later Meryn and Beth watched on as Gavriel and Penny faced off as the last two remaining players, staring at each other across the table without blinking.
 

Meryn held up her pen like a microphone. "We're down to the professionals folks."

"Hey!" Aiden, Darian and Keelan protested.

Meryn ignored them. "On this side of the table we have the epic vampire legend of the past two millennia and on the other, the stoic toddler." Beth and Meryn giggled.

"I believe she is bluffing," Gavriel announced. "I call."

Without changing expression, Penny laid her cards on the table. The men crowded around, their jaws dropping. Groaning, Gavriel dropped his head to the table.

"She swept the table," Noah whispered in awe.

"How old is she again?" Jaxon asked.

The men all looked up and answered as one. "Four!"

CHAPTER NINE

When Rheia turned over in bed, it immediately registered that she was alone. She opened her eyes and rolled onto her back. Being with Colton had been the hottest experience of her life, but she couldn't forget the look in his eyes when she'd told him that she wasn't ready to be claimed. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to explain it in a way he would understand, that for that level of commitment she needed to be sure. She knew she was close to saying yes, but needed more time.

He was a shifter, he'd grown up with the knowledge that, one day, if he was lucky, he would find the one person meant just for him. Growing up human, she knew there was no guarantee for her, she had fully expected to marry another surgeon, have a late in life baby, divorce five years later and live out the rest of her life as a single parent.

Now, the rest of her life was looking like it would last much longer than she had anticipated. She ran her hand over the indention his body had left in the mattress. What was with him always getting up before she was awake? Feeling grumpy, she got out of bed and got ready for her day.

She was still kinda pissed when she went downstairs in search of Penny and Colton. She paused at the doorway of the dining room and glared at Colton, who was completely unaware that she was there. Keelan saw her first and stood, the rest of the men following suit. When Colton turned and saw her expression, his face dropped. She walked over and pulled his face down to hers. The taste of him was more potent than coffee. Sighing she stepped back and had to hide her smile at his dazed expression.