The Mane Attraction (22 page)
Read The Mane Attraction Online
Authors: Shelly Laurenston
“You’re going to hell,” Ronnie reminded her for the millionth time.
Travis walked into his parents’ house and scented the air. No one around, but the whole damn house stank of cat and sex.
Damn. That girl simply couldn’t keep her legs closed. And the cat had a usefulness most of his kind didn’t have. A usefulness that Travis would be damned before seeing Sissy ruin it by messing with the man’s mind like she’d been doing to every male in a three-hundred-mile radius of Smithtown since the day she could walk.
He didn’t hate his sister. Not like she believed he did. But Travis didn’t like her. She never would acknowledge him as the strongest of her brothers, and she did that because she knew it bugged Travis. She liked bugging him. She liked causing shit. She lived for it. And if she left town and never came back, Travis wouldn’t shed a tear. He had daughters and female cousins, so he didn’t see much use for a sister.
He’d have to watch her closely. She could use the cat to her advantage, and Travis wouldn’t let her get any advantage in this town. He couldn’t afford to.
Travis left the team’s playbook on his parents’ kitchen table with a note telling Mitch to review it for that night’s practice. When he walked back outside, Donnie was running out of the woods and motioning to him.
“You need to see this.”
With a sigh of annoyance—of course, almost everything annoyed him—Travis followed after his brother. As they walked out of the woods beside the lake on his parents’ territory, Travis stopped in his tracks.
“Holy shit.”
“I know.”
They watched as the Shaw brothers played tug of war with a crocodile over what Travis would guess was a nine-point buck. The buck was still kicking, too, but that didn’t stop the brothers or the croc.
“I’m sensing the crazy gene, hoss,” Donnie mumbled.
“Ya think?”
Slowly, the Smith brothers backed up into the woods. They moved silently, hoping neither the croc nor the lions noticed them. When they got to their car, they didn’t say another word until they made it back to the garage.
The sobbing had been the best part. Not Bertha. She didn’t cry after Sissy went on and on about the beautiful Smith–Ward wedding. As always, Bertha handled her pain with violence. But that poor little Omega she’d lit into had only been walking by. Then, that Omega’s sister had gone after Bertha, which led to an enthralling fistfight. Sissy simply didn’t see good ones these days. But the sobbing ... well, that came when a male tried to break it up and got punched in the face for his trouble.
That had been the
best
.
best
.
Still, all that faded into the background as two blood-covered lions came running up. One had half a deer in its mouth; the other was trying to get it.
“I bet they were fighting with Ralph again.”
Ronnie looked at her. “Why would you say that?”
“Because they wouldn’t fight over half a deer. Mitch would have one half, and Bren would have the other. They’d both be happy.”
“I see.” Ronnie smirked. “What are you going to do when you find out you’re falling for Mitch?”
“Pop you in the mouth.”
With a nod, “Good to know.”
Brendon had the deer, and Mitch took him down, the pair fighting over that carcass like two pitbulls over a tennis ball. The rest of the wolves sunning themselves watched in silence while Sissy and Ronnie discussed dinner plans after football practice. When the brothers went up on their hind legs and tore into each other’s mane-covered necks, Ronnie asked Sissy, “Where did Dee go?”
“You know Dee. She’s the ghost. Disappears whenever the mood strikes her fancy. She’s good, too. Even I don’t notice.”
The brothers must have worn themselves out because they both crashed on either side of Sissy and Ronnie, panting, covered in blood, and appearing quite happy.
“You know except for Mitch almost getting blown away, this has been the nicest little vacation.” When everyone gaped at her, Ronnie reiterated, “I said, ‘
except
for Mitch almost getting blown away.’”
except
for Mitch almost getting blown away.’”
“True. She did qualify.”
Mitch rubbed his mane against Sissy’s leg, and she stared at him in disgust. “You’re getting blood all over me.”
That’s when he put his whole face into the act.
Sissy sighed. “Why do I bother?”
Football practice seemed to be going really well, except all the players kept staring at him and Brendon, and Mitch had no idea why. True, he was a fascinating specimen of male perfection, but it was starting to weird him out.
Mitch walked off the field and up to Sissy. She held out her water bottle, and he gratefully drank from it. It was a hazy, hot day, and he was simply covered in sweat. Still, he liked the way Sissy kept eyeing him.
“Your brothers keep staring at me and Bren. Think they went gay overnight?”
“I could only hope. It would make them much more interesting. But I think they saw you tussling with Ralph.”
“It wasn’t a tussle. He wouldn’t give up that buck, and Bren and I took him down. He was ours.”
“Darlin’, I think you keep forgetting that you’re supposed to be smarter than the croc ’cause you’re only lion half the time.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Of course you don’t.” Sissy stood, and Mitch smiled when he noticed she’d put on another pair of shorts. Even better, though, she only wore her bikini top, and the shorts over the bikini bottoms. It was sexy as hell.
She took the empty bottle back and with her voice low, said, “Meet me in the visiting team’s bathroom in three minutes.”
Then she sauntered off.
Mitch cleared his throat and glanced around. The team had taken a break, heading off to get sports drinks and water from the coolers on the sidelines.
“Go behind the bleachers and around,” Ronnie said, her eyes never turning away from the field. She raised her hand to wave at Brendon.
“I guess this isn’t the first time you two have done this before, right?”
Ronnie looked up and winked at him. “You are so cute, Mitch Shaw.”
He chuckled and walked off behind the bleachers and around the far end of the field.
Mitch walked into the ladies’ bathroom and glanced under the stalls, looking for good-sized feet in flip-flops. Apparently the bathroom was the one place Sissy wouldn’t or couldn’t go to without something on her feet. He found himself kind of grateful for that.
“Sissy?”
“Lurking in the girls’ bathroom again, huh?”
He turned around, and she closed the door, locking it.
“Just seeing where you went off to.”
“Really? Sure you weren’t hoping to find me with my panties around my ankles ... all vulnerable and defenseless?” Mitch laughed. Sissy hadn’t been defenseless a day in her life.
“And if I had?” He stepped toward her, smiling. “What would you have done?”
Sissy backed up against the door. “Nothing.” She raised her hands, palms out. “I would have been helpless. You could take complete advantage of me.”
“I could.” Barely an inch separated them, and Mitch cupped her cheek, holding her in place. “And I would, too.”
“I knew it,” she whispered, her gaze focused on his mouth. “You have dirty bad boy written all over you.”
Mitch’s grip tightened, and he groaned, taking her mouth with his. Plunging his tongue inside, taking what he wanted. Sissy’s hands gripped his sweatpants, struggling to push them out of her way. Mitch stepped back and quickly untied the cord holding them up. Watching him, Sissy pushed her shorts and bikini bottoms down. She’d already pulled a condom out of her shorts pocket and had it clamped between her lips until her shorts hit the floor. Then she tore the packet open, and as soon as Mitch’s sweatpants were far enough down, she slid the condom on his cock. It was already so hard it hurt, and Mitch immediately reached for her.
He hiked her up, her back tight against the door, and pulled one leg around his waist. With one swift move, he pushed inside her, forcing her hard against the door. Sissy let out a yelp, but her grip tightened on his shoulder and scalp, urging him on.
Mitch gave himself several moments to simply enjoy being inside her, having her pussy tighten around his cock, squeezing the life from it.
The heel of Sissy’s foot dug into his lower back, and she nipped the side of his neck. The woman had a way of telling him exactly what she wanted without saying a word. Mitch pulled his hips back and slammed forward. Again and again, he pushed into her, only to stop and grind his hips against her until Sissy moaned and gasped against his ear, her fingers digging into him. When he had her crazy, he thrust up, riding her hard until she came, burying her face against his neck and shuddering out her climax.
That’s when he let go, exploding inside her, his hands gripping her rib cage so tight he feared he’d crush it.
They held on to each other, their harsh breaths easing into general panting. That’s when they heard a knock at the door.
“Uh ... Sissy?” It was Ronnie.
Sissy lifted her face, light brown eyes blinking open. “Yeah?”
“Break is over, and they’re looking for Mitch.”
“He’ll be right out.”
“Okay.”
Mitch knew Ronnie had walked away even though he never heard a sound.
“You all right?” he asked when Sissy closed her eyes and rested her head against the door.
She smiled. One of her wicked smiles. “Darlin’, I am just fine.” She let out a satisfied sigh, and Mitch couldn’t help but feel pretty good about being the one to make her so relaxed. “You better get outside, though. Before my brother whines like the big-headed baby he is.”
Sissy brought her legs down and pushed Mitch back. It took him a second to realize he hadn’t wanted to step back. He’d been damn comfortable with his cock still snug inside her and his arms wrapped around her.
“I swear,” she said as she headed to the stalls, “I can’t wait to get you home tonight. I’m gonna fuck you raw.”
“You don’t make it easy to focus when you say shit like that.”
“Yeah,” she giggled before closing the stall door, “I know.”
Sissy stepped outside, her clothes all back in place. She couldn’t do anything with her shaggy hair. From what she’d heard over the years, her haircuts always made it seem like she’d just gotten laid.
Ronnie waited for her, leaning back against the brick wall, one foot raised and braced against it. “Lord, you two.”
Sissy grinned. “What can I say? The boy works me.”
“Yeah, I could tell.”
The friends walked back to the bleachers, moving around the field since practice had already resumed. “Am I going to have to pick up the pieces of his broken heart when this is all over?”
“Doubt it.”
“You say that, but I don’t know ...”
They both looked over at Mitch out in the middle of the field. He seemed to know Sissy was looking at him, and his gaze found hers. He smiled—and that’s when the football slammed into the side of his head. They watched him fly off his feet and hit the ground.
Sissy winced. “Oops.”
“You’re distracting him. And you’re gonna hear about it.”
As if on cue, Travis jogged over to them. “What did you do to the cat?”
Sissy opened her mouth to speak, and Ronnie cut in before the words could come out.
“Sissy Mae.”
Sissy closed her mouth.
“You promised he’d play,” Travis uselessly reminded her.
“And he is playing.”
“Play
well
, Sissy Mae. Ten minutes with you, and he’s ...”
well
, Sissy Mae. Ten minutes with you, and he’s ...”
They looked over to watch Mitch get blindsided by one of the team’s slower players.
Sissy tossed her hair back and headed toward the bleachers. “Your point is taken.”
Chapter 16
M
itch pulled out of Sissy and rose up onto his knees. He flipped her onto her stomach and yanked her back by her hips, driving into her with such force she cried out and laughed at the same time.
itch pulled out of Sissy and rose up onto his knees. He flipped her onto her stomach and yanked her back by her hips, driving into her with such force she cried out and laughed at the same time.
She gripped the headboard, pushing back as he fucked her, demanding he give her more. The woman was a demon in bed. To be blunt, she fucked like a man. She took what she wanted, and if you could keep up, great. If you couldn’t, she’d leave your ass behind in a New York minute.
Fortunately for Mitch, he could easily keep up with her. He hadn’t realized until this moment that he’d been looking for a lover like Sissy for years. Someone who could match him every step of the way.
After practice, they’d headed out to dinner with Ronnie and Bren. It had been surprisingly fun, he and Bren getting along better than they ever had. But every once in a while, Mitch would catch Sissy looking at him, and he knew she was thinking the same thing he was ...
When I get your ass home ...
They didn’t even make it out of the car before they started going at each other. Once they did get out of the car and into the house, they didn’t make it past the family room—that poor family room. It had seen much fucking over the last couple of days. This time, Mitch slammed Sissy to the floor and took her there. He couldn’t help himself. She was such a vicious little cock tease—he loved it.
That was four hours ago, and except for brief breaks between bouts, neither seemed ready to head off to sleep for the night.
Mitch leaned over Sissy, their bodies slick with sweat, and grabbed her hair. He pulled her head to the side and kissed her neck, her shoulder. Then he pulled her head straight back and kissed her mouth, their tongues sparring and teasing.
He’d never met a woman who liked as rough a ride as Sissy did. At least not one who didn’t need a lot of leather and latex involved. Mitch had never had the patience for knots and complicated scenarios involving chains. He wasn’t averse to pulling out his handcuffs, but he was a simple Philly boy. And what he liked was hard, sweaty, naked fucking.
Sissy did, too. But she didn’t just receive. His vicious She-wolf knew how to take. Even now, she pulled back her right hand and gripped Mitch by the hair. She yanked hard and demanded, “Make me come.”
Mitch grinned and placing his hand flat against her back, pushed her down. She rested her cheek against the pillow and gripped the edge of the mattress with both hands. Sitting up straight, Mitch pounded into her. When he knew she wasn’t expecting anything but a helping hand between her thighs, he pulled his arm back and slapped her hard on the ass.
“
Ow! You bas—”
Ow! You bas—”
He slapped her ass again.
“
Stop doing that!”
Stop doing that!”
And again.
That’s when Sissy screamed into the pillow, coming hard, her shaking body slamming back into his.
“Oh, God; oh God; oh God; oh, God.” Another wave hit her, and her fangs tore into her pillow, ripping it open.
Mitch couldn’t take anymore. He let go, his head thrown back as he came, the power of it sapping any strength he had left.
With a purr, he landed against Sissy’s back, and she dropped to the mattress. A well-aimed elbow to his ribs forced Mitch onto his back, and Sissy turned over, curling up against his side. He slipped his arm under her shoulder and pulled her closer, his fingers stroking her neck.
He thought one of them would say something, but neither did.
Maybe for once there was nothing to say.
“Are you the hard-core Led Zeppelin fan?”
Sissy laughed as she placed the big bowl of tossed pasta on the table. “That’s Daddy. He’s been a fan forever, to hear him tell it.”
Naked, Mitch dropped into one of the kitchen chairs. Man, she’d have a lot of cleaning to do before her parents got back.
“He’s got vinyl, tapes, and CDs. The vinyls are probably worth something, too.”
“He’d never sell ’em. He’s too loyal to Jimmy Page.” Sissy placed a bowl in front of Mitch and using tongs, loaded it up with as much pasta as she could. “I grew up listening to Zeppelin.”
“Do you hate it now?”
“Surprisingly, no.” Although she was grateful that Mitch had put some Eric Clapton in the CD player. “But my momma has a thing about Johnny Cash, and you couldn’t make me listen to him with a gun to my head.”
Mitch stared into the bowl. “What did you mix in here?”
“Why do we keep going through this? You know you love everything I make.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Eat it, and stop acting like a five-year-old.”
“Fine. But if I don’t like it, I’m spitting it out and making dramatic gagging sounds.”
Sissy filled her bowl halfway and wasn’t remotely surprised when she heard Mitch groan.
“That is so good.”
“Told you. I don’t know why you question me.”
“Am I tasting zebra?”
“What I had left.”
“By the way, Brendon brought cash with him, so we’re cool for money.”
Sissy stared at him for a moment. “Sure he has enough to feed
you?”
you?”
“Look, woman, I’m a growing, virile young man. I need my food.”
“I still say you should be checked for a tapeworm. Or in your case, a tape-snake.”
In less than fifteen minutes, Mitch had finished off his bowl of pasta and what was left in the serving bowl, and now he was eyeing what she hadn’t eaten yet.
“Leave me alone.”
“Come on. It’ll give me extra energy for the rest of the night.”
“From what I’ve been able to tell, the last thing you need is extra energy.”
“Fine. Starve me.”
Sissy shook her head and continued eating. Slowly, taking her time. And it took Mitch all of two minutes before his fingers started to tap impatiently against the Formica table.
“Are you going to be much longer?” he demanded.
Sissy could only laugh. “Don’t rush me.”
Mitch slumped back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
“My poor, disgruntled baby.”
That got her a hiss, and Sissy went back to eating her food.
“Your brother ...” Sissy peered at him, and Mitch added, “Travis.”
“What about him?”
“Have you two always been this way toward each other?”
Sissy wiped her mouth with her paper napkin. “That has to be the nicest way anyone has put my relationship with that idiot.”
“I guess I can take that as a yes.”
“Momma told me that when I was still in the crib, Travis walked up to her and said, ‘I don’t like her. She stares at me.’”
“Did you?”
“She wasn’t sure she believed him at first, so she watched me for a while. My daddy would come in, and I’d giggle and wave my hands and feet. Sammy and Bobby Ray would come in, and I’d reach for them. Jackie and Donnie ... I’d start giggling again, and Momma said it was mocking even then. But when Travis came in, I’d immediately stop whatever I was doing and just stare at him. I’d stare until he left the room. And I wouldn’t fall asleep if he was in the room unless I was in either Momma’s or Daddy’s arms.”
“Those are impressive instincts.”
“Sometimes you have no choice if you want to survive.”
“Is he why you left?”
“You mean to come to New York?”
“No. When you were eighteen. With Ronnie.”
“Ronnie was eighteen; I’d just turned nineteen. And I left because no one in this damn town ever leaves. I mean, they go to other Smith-run towns for vacations. Smithburg. Smithville. Smith County. But they never wanted to see what else was out there. I knew when I was five I would travel. That I would see the world. Smithtown is not the beginning and end of all things, but try and tell my daddy that.”
“I’ve never traveled”—Mitch rested his elbow on the table and his chin on his fist—“but I’ve always wanted to.”
Sissy pushed her empty bowl away. She loved talking about traveling. “Where would you go?”
Mitch shrugged. “I don’t know. Anywhere, I guess.”
“Where have you been?”
“I’ve never even been off the East Coast.”
Sissy sat back. “You’re kidding?”
“Nope. And this is the farthest south I’ve traveled except of course, for Disney World in Florida, which I think every family is required to go to at some point. I believe it’s in the Constitution.”
Sissy laughed. “Well, darlin’, we’ve gotta get you out and about.”
“Where would you take me first?”
Squinting, Sissy thought about it for a moment. “I’d start you off easy. I’d take you to Ireland. They speak mostly English, and you can look up your family. And the lions there are real nice.”
“Is this one of the places you’re allowed in?”
“Oh, yeah. Bobby Ray helped me pay that fine years ago. I’d take you to Asia, too. The major cities, to start. Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong. That sort of thing.”
“What about Korea?”
“Yeah.” Sissy wrinkled up her nose a bit. “Maybe not right now. In another ten or so years, ya know, I could definitely. . . ask.”
“Wait. Are we talking North or South Korea?”
“Well ... both.”
“That’s too bad.” Mitch leaned forward a bit and looked into her empty bowl. “Guess we’ll have to find something else to do since both North and South Korea are out and you’re finally done eating.”
Sissy slid out of her chair and backed up. “We should sleep,” she giggled.
“Later.” He came around the table for her and pushed her up against the refrigerator. She could feel the magnets her mother loved to collect digging into her back.
With one arm braced over her head, he used the other to slide down her neck and across her chest. His hand cupped her breast, the fingers teasing the nipple. Sissy moaned as she reached for him.
“Besides,” he murmured, slowly going to his knees, “I never said I was finished eating.”
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