The Bass (6 page)

Chapter Nine

Cateline accepted Shade’s help from the car. Smiling up at him, she
turned to Jeremy. “Thank you for coming with us. It wasn’t needed, apparently,
but the company was most welcome.”

“No problem,” he said with a grin. “It was a good excuse and got me out
for a while. Now I need to go and do some work. I’ll catch you two tomorrow for
breakfast. Don’t be late this time. We’re having waffles, and I refuse to fight
them all off when they know we’re doing that.”

Laughing, she nodded. “We’ll be on time, I promise. See you tomorrow.”

Jeremy snapped her a cocky salute before walking off toward his place.

Leo pulled the car away, leaving her alone with Shade. Suddenly Cat was
nervous. The others didn’t expect to see them before tomorrow morning which
left them roughly eighteen hours to themselves. Heading for the door, she wiped
her sweating palms to her jeans.

Inside Shade locked the door, tossed his keys onto the little table in
the front entrance, and moved her way. He caught her hips to stop her
instinctive backward motion. “Hungry?” he asked.

She shook her head. Christine had fed them lunch during which the guys
had admitted their plan if their manager had been planning to run a check on
Cat. Since Cateline had told the woman everything about her past, mainly the nightmare
relationship she’d had, Christine had assured them all such tactics were not
necessary. She’d stated that if Shade had bothered to give her a small hint as
to Cat’s past she’d have understood.

Cat had a feeling there was something in Christine’s own past that made
her understand on a level many wouldn’t, or couldn’t. Not that she felt
comfortable probing into the woman’s past. Some things had to be volunteered rather
than pried loose.

“I’m good,” she said. “Christine fed me well, Shade. You know that, you
were there watching over me.” He was always watching over her. She probably
should feel guiltier about it. Oddly she couldn’t, maybe because it was who he
was. Shade was a protector. It was encoded in his DNA.

“Okay,” he said softly. His hands slid around her waist, and down to cup
her ass. Cat couldn’t stop the shiver that worked through her body any more
than she could stop the increase in her breathing speed.

When he lowered his face toward hers, Cat grabbed onto his waist until
she found the belt loops, and could hook her fingers through them. She had a
feeling she was going to need an anchor. His lips brushed gently to hers,
causing her breath to catch in her throat. Letting it out in a rush, she barely
had time to suck in another lungful before he took her mouth.

Moaning, she let her lids drift down. One hand at a time, she moved them
to hook around his neck until she was practically hanging off him. Not that he
apparently minded if the growl he let loose was anything to go by. His hands
tightened on her ass, and then he lifted. Knowing what he wanted, Cat jumped to
wrap her legs around his waist.

Shade began to move, but wherever he was taking her, she didn’t care.
Winding her arms around his neck, she broke the kiss to suck in some air. It
was only a moment he gave her before taking her mouth again as he hit the
stairs.

Cat rocked her hips against him and the seam at her crotch rubbed to his
prominent erection. When Shade tore his mouth from hers to curse, Cateline
pressed her mouth to his neck and grinned. She gave the tendon in his neck a
little bite, and ground against his cock again.

Another curse sounded he stumbled up the last couple steps. She soon
found her back pressed to the wall with his body pressing tighter to hers. Cat
pushed her hands into his hair, and lifted her face to kiss him again. “Shade,”
she said. Then she let out a moan against his mouth. “Need you, now.”

He must have agreed because his hands landed on her ass, and she felt them
moving again. Tightening her hold on his hair, Cateline brushed kisses all over
his face. The door slamming shut warned her they were finally in his bedroom.
Which meant the bed was close.

Something she soon found herself bouncing on with a shriek when he
tossed her. Pressing her hand to the mattress, she sat up quickly to face him.
Whatever she’d been about to say was lost when her brain scrambled upon seeing
him starting to strip down.

Her mouth actually went dry when he pulled the shirt over his head to
bare his torso. She’d laid against that chest last night, but hadn’t seen it.
This morning she sadly hadn’t been paying attention. Scrambling for the edge,
Cat knelt down as close as she could get and pressed her hands to his skin. Her
fingers brushed over the tattoo on his chest. Sucking in a sharp breath, she
felt tears welling up at the tiny furry kitten curled up wearing a collar
bearing her name on the tag.

“Shade.” Somehow she managed to force his name out around the emotional
lump residing in her throat.

His hand came down over hers to flatten her palm to his flesh. “First
one I put on my skin, Cat. The only one that holds more meaning than I could
ever express.”

With her free hand, she reached up to pull his head down and she kissed
him with all the emotion welling up from within. She didn’t know how to tell
him what seeing that silly tattoo meant to her. The others on his body all
seemed to be influenced by music, his and others. The kitten was completely out
of place compared to the full sleeves. If the rumors were true, his back piece
was pretty fucking spectacular, too. Not that Cat held any particular faith in
the rumor mills when it usually involved screaming, salivating, and oblivious
twits who all thought they were God’s gift to men.

“You’re thinking too hard,” he said.

Cat blinked to bring him back into focus, and smiled at the annoyed look
on his face. “Well, you know if you actually put in some effort to keep me
otherwise occupied, babe.” She nearly lost it when his face showed shock, and
then the determination she loved. Cat knew she was in for it now, and couldn’t
wait to see what he came up with.

“Them be fighting words, woman.”

“Really?” she asked with what she hoped was a surprised look on her
face. “Who’da thunk it?”

Cateline knew better than to push his buttons. Possibly, she should have
thought it all through a little more. When she found herself being stripped from
her clothing at high speeds, she couldn’t claim any ignorance as to what caused
his sudden intense burst. He flipped her onto her belly at one point to work at
her bra before she found herself on her back again.

Only when she was naked did Shade step away to finish removing his own
clothing. Cat scooted up the bed, and stretched out slowly. He fumbled on the
button fly for his jeans when she spread her legs, and stroked her hands down
her body. Her body hummed with the knowledge. Moving her hands back up, Cat
cupped her breasts and gave her nipples a hard pinch. The little painful jolt
went straight to her clit. Cat let out a moan, and did it again.

Shade was cursing as he finished stripping down his jeans, stumbling
when a foot got caught which led to some cursing before the pants flew across
the room. The bed dipped near her feet when he climbed up to join her. She
shivered when his rough fingertips brushed up her inner calves and thighs.

Cateline let him move her where he wanted, spreading her legs wide, and
pulling her knees up to give him more room. His hands stopped on her inner
thighs. Forcing her eyes open, she hadn’t realized they’d closed, Cat stared at
him. He was kneeling between her legs staring at her. She could almost feel the
heat from his gaze.

Not sure what he was waiting for, Cat almost stopped what she was doing.
Then a wicked thought slid through her mind. Releasing her breast with one hand
she trailed it down over her belly to her mound and through the trimmed hair to
her pussy lips. Slowly she speared a finger between her folds to find her clit.

The nub was throbbing with need, and fucking sensitive. Cateline
couldn’t hold back the moan when she pinched the bundle of nerves. Emboldened
by the growing heat of his gaze, and rough breathing, Cat slid her fingers
lower to stroke her opening. Then she slipped a finger in.

Shade’s fingers flexed on her thighs. He pushed them further apart.
“Fuck me. That’s hot, kitten.”

Biting her lower lip, Cat slowly began to pump her finger in and out.
She’d never done anything like this with someone watching before. The fact it
was Shade made it all more intense. She knew he wouldn’t let her get away with
teasing him as she was for long. Already she could feel the strain that holding
back caused in the faint tremors from his hands on her legs. That along with
the nearly constant squeeze his fingers were doing told her he was on the
razor’s edge.

Much like herself. Withdrawing her finger she swirled the damp digit to
her clit before holding it up to Shade. He didn’t need any more encouragement,
and lowered his head until her finger was enveloped in the heat his mouth gave
off.

His tongue stroked over her finger before he slowly pulled off. She was
panting hard as he caught her hand, turned it, and pressed a kiss to her palm.
Then he lowered her hand to the bed. Shifting, he lowered himself between her
legs, and swiped his tongue up her slit.

She let out an inarticulate sound as she jolted under him. He threw an
arm over her waist, using his fingers to spread her open to give him room to
flick his tongue over her clit. Cateline did the only thing she could. She
grabbed onto his hair, desperate for something solid to grip, and held on for
the ride.

Chapter Ten

Cateline tasted like nothing he could have prepared for. Shade breathed
in her scent for a moment in a vain attempt to wrestle some more control. Settling
his mouth to her clit, he began to suck, flicking the tight nub with his tongue
from time to time in an effort to make her as mindless as he currently was.

Watching her stroke herself had made his entire body hum with need. It
had been a battle to let her go as far as he had. Any more and he’d likely have
come like a teenager in his pants the first time with a girl.

The little sounds she made now spurred Shade on. Leaving her clit for
the moment, he lapped at the liquid her pussy gave to him. He pushed his tongue
between her smooth folds to gather more of the taste sweet. Returning his mouth
to her clit, he slid a finger, then a second one into her pussy to pump them
slowly.

Her inner muscles clamped down around his invading fingers, squeezing
tighter the more he sucked on her clit. Cat made soft and highly erotic sounds.
Shade had to press his aching cock to the bed hard to keep from coming when she
let out a greedy plea for more while tugging harder on his hair.

In the next instant she went over the edge. The bite her short nails created
on his scalp sent a shiver through him as she arched her back. Shade slowed,
but didn’t let up until she finally collapsed. Her chest rose and fell quickly
as she sucked in air.

Finally lifting his head, Shade slowly withdrew his fingers to lick them
clean while she watched him from under lowered lashes. Her face was flushed
from her pleasure, the color down her chest and across her upper breasts. Such
a pretty color. He found himself shifting his body to brush his lips over the
heated flesh.

Easing his weight over her, he brushed a kiss to her lips before
nibbling on her throat. Her arms and legs looped around him, pulling him in
closer to her heat. Shade could feel her swollen, wet folds against his cock.
He needed to bury himself deep inside her body.

With that thought held tight, he shifted enough to find the side table,
and pulled open the drawer. Grabbing a condom from the new box, he carefully,
but quickly, tore through the wrapper. Condom in hand, he rolled it down his
aching cock before settling back over her fully again. Her arms tightened, and
with a hand in his hair, she drew him in for a kiss.

Shade went willingly. Anything she wanted he’d gladly give to her. He
slid a hand up to collar her throat gently, using his thumb to tip her chin up
before he took her mouth. Angling his head to take her mouth deeper, he
practically purred when she kissed him back, everything in him enjoying the
sensation their dueling tongues created.

He broke the kiss a moment later to take a breath. Cat yanked him right
back down as soon as she’d taken her own lungful. The little wench actually bit
him. Jerking his head back he ran his tongue over the spot while she smirked up
at him. “That wasn’t very nice, kitten.”

Her smile grew bigger. “What are you going to do about it?”

The playful, saucy answer had him grinning back at her. “Oh, I will come
up with some way to punish you for that later.” Palming her pussy, he thrust
two fingers into her sheath, and then kissed her again. He pumped his fingers
into her hard, and fast. The little sounds she made spurred him on. All the
while, she attempted to squirm under his weight and had his cock rubbing to her
thigh, increasing the ache.

Cat’s mouth moved like she was trying to form words. The glazed look in
her eyes assured him she was in the moment with him. Nibbling on her throat, he
brushed his thumb to her engorged clit. It was a damn good thing he had his
weight over her or she might have twisted off the bed she bucked that hard.

“Shade,” she said. “You’re fucking killing me here. I need more.”

Since he wanted more too, he took it. Drawing his fingers free from her
pussy, he toyed with her clit for a moment. After lifting her leg up over his
hip, Shade settled between her legs. “Look at me,” he demanded.

When her honey-colored gaze collided with his, he pushed his cock
against her slick entrance. Her body grasped at his cock the moment he slipped
inside. Cat’s mouth dropped open on a moan, and she took his arms in a tight
hold, digging in with her short nails. It was perfect.

Pressing in deeper, Shade clenched his teeth in an effort to stave off
his orgasm. She was snug, hugging him tight with her hot little pussy. He hiked
her leg up a little further, his fingers massaging her thigh gently.

Cat grabbed onto his hair, and tugged him back into a kiss. He took the
moment to wrestle for more control. Not that easy given her internal muscles
were squeezing him tight. Sucking on her tongue, he began to move. A slow
withdrawal followed by an equally slow thrust. She gave a low moan each time he
pushed in deep. The sounds she made drove him a little crazy.

She broke the kiss on a gasp, her fingers holding tight to his hair which
meant he couldn’t go in for another kiss without losing a chunk or two. It was
tempting, but watching the expressions developing on her face held more appeal.
Especially the closer she came to release.

Shade locked his gaze with hers to watch for any small change. He didn’t
want to miss a single thing. This was their first time together, and he fully
planned on committing every sound, every sensation, and every movement she made
to memory. Then he’d attempt to top it all.

Cupping a breast, he massaged it in time with his thrusts. Unable to
stop himself, he dropped his head to flick his tongue to her tightly budded
nipple before pressing kisses along her throat. A small nip to her jaw had her
jolting, and then tipping her chin down to get a kiss. Shade thrust his tongue
in deep while pinching, and tugging on her nipple.

Each tug had her pussy clenching tighter around his cock. It was getting
hard to think, to control his movements. Then she bit his lip hard enough to
sting, and it put a strain on the chains that held his more dominant traits
back. Capturing her hands, he pushed them over her head. With one hand he held
them in place, leaving him a free one to do what he would to her.

His fingers wrapped around her throat and he gave her another kiss,
fully in control. Licking, sipping, and tempting her with everything he could.
Cat’s body twisted under him, straining to get closer as he pushed them both
toward the edge.

He tore his mouth from hers to suck in a ragged breath, and tightened
his hold on her throat. She tipped her chin up with a delicious moan filled
with need that snapped the last restraint holding him back. Shade gave in to
the need inside and took her. Hard, fast, furiously. His hips moved at a rapid
pace that soon became an audible sound of damp flesh slapping to damp flesh.

Cateline’s eyelids slowly lowered, and she bit her kiss swollen lower
lip. “Look at me,” he demanded. It was more a growl than anything else, but it
worked.

Her eyes snapped open, and she met his gaze squarely. Glazed, and
slightly unfocused, she stared up at him. Desperate need written all over her
face.

“You are mine,” he told her.

Cat’s lips parted on a breath, and then she arched up with a scream. Her
internal muscles clamped down hard around his cock. A sensual vise tormenting
him for each push and pull. Finally he couldn’t stand it a second more, and let
himself go.

Her name tore from his throat in a strangled sound. Shade’s body filled
the condom as he collapsed over her quivering form. Pressing a kiss to her jaw,
he let her go to wrap his arms around her. When her own arms slid around his
sweaty shoulders, he buried his face to her neck.

“Mine.” The nearly soundless word from her shook him to his core.
Squeezing her closer, Shade stroked a hand over her shoulder in slow circles.

This was only the beginning. She was back where she belonged: with him.
He would do whatever it took to keep her in his life, and to show her how truly
special she was to him. Cat was, after all, his everything.