The Blackstone Lion: Blackstone Mountain Book 5 Read online

  Luke growled, his lion rearing up and getting ready for a fight. But he knew he wasn’t a match for Jason. Besides, he’d already torn this family apart once.

  His lion wasn’t very happy about having to back down and made its displeasure evident with loud growls and clawing at him from the inside. He deserved it. Deserved to have all this misery eat away at him.

  “Luke.”

  Georgina’s voice brought him back. “I have to go,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “I can’t ….” He felt the lion wanting to rip out of him, and he didn’t want to do it here.

  “Luke!”

  He ignored the calls as he sped away, running into the woods behind the castle. No, he told the lion, not now. His animal would be unpredictable and out of control. He had to stay human.

  Luke didn’t get too far. He didn’t have a plan, and he didn’t know where to go. All he knew was he needed to be alone. His instinct somehow brought him to where this all began. He walked right into the thicket of trees where, as a cub, he had stumbled into the Lennox property and the four boys—Matthew, Jason, Nathan, and Ben—had found him.

  Those evil bastards would pay for this, he vowed. For what they did to his pride, not to mention Georgina and Grayson, and for everything else they might have done to other shifters. He would annihilate every last one of them.

  “Luke?”

  He whipped around. “Georgina?”

  The low branches to his left shook as they parted. Even in the dark, he recognized the figure that walked through.

  Georgina sighed in relief. “They told me I might find you here.”

  He huffed. “You should go back. I’m sure Christina could drop you and Grayson off.”

  She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not leaving. Not until I know you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine, all right?” he groused. “Now go.” He turned away, but she circled around to face him.

  “No, you’re not.” She placed a hand on his chest. “I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t do anything,” he said. He thought he saw her wince. “Those people who hurt you and Grayson, they were responsible for everything.”

  “Then why are you out here? Why are you mad at your family—”

  “They’re not my family!” he roared. “If Hank and Riva cared about me, they would have told me!”

  “You stubborn ass!” She pushed at his chest.

  Her words caught him off guard, so he remained frozen, watching her with careful eyes.

  “They did—do—care about you, don’t you see?” Her eyes were rimmed with tears. “I don’t know what happened and what they were thinking, but I do know what it’s like to want to protect your child. What happened to your pride was awful, and there’s just no good way to explain to anyone that their entire family was killed, no matter what their age. Maybe Hank and Riva were wrong and they should have told you.” She paused, her breathing labored. “But parents are human and not perfect, no matter how much we want them to be. They make mistakes, too. They can only try to do the best they can in any situation.”

  A new emotion choked him up, one that he named easily. Guilt. Georgina’s word struck him in the gut like a knife. And that dreaded feeling he’d been keeping inside him threatened to burst out.

  He let out a roar as his hands turned into claws. He turned around and slashed at the nearest tree trunk, ripping the bark into ribbons. When he was done, he was still unsatisfied, but it felt good.

  “Feeling better?”

  “You’re still here.”

  Her warm palm pressed against his back. “Of course. Where else would I be?”

  He slowly turned around, as if he were afraid she’d disappear into a puff of smoke if he moved too fast. But she was here. Standing in front of him. Very real. “Georgina,” he whispered.

  She stepped forward, sliding her hand up his chest, until she cupped his jaw. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her warm skin. He caught her scent—that delicious smell that called to him, mixed with arousal. He let out a growl and pulled her soft body to his, bringing his lips down to hers.

  Her moan of pleasure as their mouths met was like music to his ears. He wanted to make her his, right this moment, but at the same time, wanted more for her. The plan was to take her away for a weekend, somewhere beautiful and romantic where he could make love to her on a soft bed with luxurious covers for hours and hours. Not a quickie in the woods.

  “Wait,” he said, pulling away from her. “I wanted to do this right. For this to be perfect.”

  She grabbed his hands and tugged him down on the soft grass. “This is perfect.” She leaned over and kissed him. “This is right.”

  He pushed her down. No, he wanted to say. She was the one who was perfect. Beautiful, kind, and perfect.

  “Luke, kiss me again,” she said.

  He complied. How could he not? Her lips were sweeter than any dessert he’d ever tasted, and he could never get enough of her. Their mouths clashed, and when he slipped his tongue inside hers, she gasped, then moaned, pushing her body up against his so he could feel every curve.

  Luke was desperate to touch her. He moved his hand between them to unbutton the front of her dress, keeping himself under control so he didn’t rip it off. Without breaking their kiss, he lifted her shoulders and eased her arms out of the sleeves.

  She let out a moan when he moved lower, raining kisses on her jaw and down her neck. He pulled her bra cups down to reveal her breasts, tipped with gorgeous dusky nipples which had tightened under his gaze. Her fingers dug into his hair as he took one in his mouth and teased it with his tongue. Her arousal seemed to fill the air, and the scent wrapped around him.

  “Luke!” she cried out when his hand moved between her legs. He was done denying himself and her. After tugging her panties down to her thighs, he teased her soft and wet lips, making her squirm. Her fingers yanked at his scalp when he pushed a finger inside her. God, he could come just smelling her and touching her like this.

  She moved her hips, obviously wanting more. His thumb found her clit, and when he stroked the engorged bud, she let out a squeal. He smothered her mouth with his lips, tasting her again as his fingers plunged into her. She tightened around him, her pussy squeezing his fingers as her orgasm razed her body. He continued to tease her and push his fingers into her, not wanting to stop until another smaller orgasm made her body shudder.

  Georgina’s breath slowed, and she opened her eyes. Luke lifted his fingers to his mouth, tasting her sweet juices. Her taste shot desire straight to his cock, and his erection strained painfully against his pants.

  “Please, Luke, I need you.”

  He whipped off his shirt and made quick work of his pants and underwear, tossing them aside. His hard cock sprung free, ready to take her. He spread her knees apart and moved between her thighs. He teased her, rubbing his cock against her clit and up and down her slick lips. He had to make sure she was ready for him.

  “Now, Luke,” she whispered.

  He covered her body with his, careful not to crush her. As he claimed her mouth again, he pushed the tip of his cock against her entrance. She was tight and hot, but slick enough to take his length. He went slow, pushing himself inside her inch by inch so she could adjust to him. Finally, he was fully inside her and he gritted his teeth to keep himself from losing control.

  She sucked in a breath. “More,” she pleaded, rocking her hips into him.

  Luke shoved his hands into her hair, undoing her braid as he plunged his tongue into her mouth to taste her again. Slowly at first, he moved his hips, drawing out of her halfway before pushing inside again. Her body writhed underneath him, her tormented groan a heady invitation.

  He moved faster, picking up his pace. She cried out, begging him for more. He slipped his hands under her sweet ass so he could lift her and drive deeper into her, letting her have what she wanted. He pulled back and slammed into her. She yelped, her body shuddering as he filled her. She was tight and slic
k, and his cock moving inside her brought a strangled cry from her lips. They were a perfect fit, as if they were made just for each other.

  “Open your eyes.”

  And she did. Even in the dark, he could see her large, brown eyes were clouded with desire. He held onto her gaze, watching her as her body spasmed and exploded while he continued to thrust inside her.

  Her eyes shut and her mouth opened as her orgasm came, blasting out quickly. “Luke!” Her body lifted toward his, tremors rocking her body as he kept thrusting inside her, seeking his own pleasure.

  Luke let out a guttural moan that came from deep inside. It was primal and wild, and he felt his cock spasm and swell as his own orgasm made his body wrack with shudders. He exploded inside her, filling her, and she cried out again as her pussy pulsed around him. He didn’t stop, couldn’t stop, as he continued to thrust into her, coaxing another smaller orgasm from her.

  The sensual, frenzied haze around them didn’t go away, but rather, it settled over them like a warm blanket. Even as he slipped out of her, he could feel the heat between their bodies, as well as something he hadn’t felt in a long time, if at all—a sense of peace and contentment.

  “Georgina,” he whispered. “I need to tell you something.”

  “Hmmm?” She smiled up at him. “What is it?”

  “You’re mine,” he said. “My mate.”

  She sucked in a breath, and her eyes went wide. “I’m your mate?”

  He nodded. “Do you know anything about mates?” He tried to dampen down the jealousy rearing inside him as he thought of a way to bring up what he’d been dreading to ask. “Your … Grayson’s dad. He never called you that?”

  She shook her head. “No. We didn’t … know each other very long. We weren’t in love or anything. He … passed away right after I told him I was pregnant.”

  “Oh.” He felt some relief knowing she hadn’t been anyone else’s mate. However, he also felt sadness for Grayson, who never knew his biological dad. Just like he never knew his.

  “I don’t understand.” She shook her head. “How could I be your mate? I’m not a shifter.”

  “You don’t have to be,” he said. “My lion, it recognized you as my mate the moment I laid eyes on you. At the lab.”

  “You knew? All this time? And you didn’t say anything?”

  Luke sighed and rolled onto his back. “When I first saw you with Grayson, I thought you had someone. And if Grayson had a father who was waiting for you two to come home, I wasn’t going to get in between that.”

  “Oh.”

  “And after … well, I just knew I wasn’t good for you. Would never be good enough for you—”

  “Don’t say that!” She propped herself up and then lay on his chest. “Don’t say that,” she repeated in a whisper, then pressed her lips over his heart.

  “It’s true. But,” he sat up and lifted her so she straddled him, “you can be damned sure I’ll do everything to make myself worthy of you.”

  Her face faltered. “Luke, I ….”

  “Yes?”

  She swallowed, and he saw the pulse at her throat tick. “Nothing. I mean, we should probably head back. It’s getting late. Grayson—”

  He nodded. “Of course.” They got up and began to gather their discarded clothes.

  “It’s too dark,” she said, as she wiggled into her panties. “Though I’m glad you can’t see my jiggly bits.”

  He bit his lip, trying not to remind her that he could see in the dark. Instead, he grabbed her and pressed her luscious body up against his, his hand going down to cup her ass. He wanted her again, and he let her know by brushing his semi-erect cock against her stomach. “I like all your bits.”

  She frowned. “Even the jiggly ones?”

  “Especially those.”

  She laughed and pushed him away. “C’mon, let’s go before they send out a search party for us.”

  They finished dressing, Georgina fixed her hair, and then they made their way back to the castle. Jason, Christina, and Matthew were still there, waiting by the foyer.

  Matthew smirked at them. “Should I call Catherine and Grayson?”

  “Yes, please,” Georgina said. “We should head back; it’s getting pretty late.”

  Matthew nodded and disappeared into the castle. Jason, who had been full of rage before, looked relaxed. He even gave Luke the same smirk. “Why the hell do I feel like Dad, back when I was a teen and he’d wait for me to come home when I snuck out?”

  Christina smacked her husband on the arm, then turned to Georgina and grabbed a blade of grass sticking out from her hair. “I see you found him.”

  Georgina turned bright red. “Yes. I did.”

  Luke frowned at Christina, then put an arm around Georgina. “She knows. That she’s mine.”

  “And you’re hers,” Christina reminded him. “Don’t forget that.”

  The door opened, and Catherine walked out with Matthew, Grayson nestled in his arms. “He got excited, then fell asleep on the couch,” Catherine said.

  Luke grabbed Grayson from Matthew and settled the boy against him. “I’ll take them home.”

  The drive home was silent, but comfortable. When he got to Georgina’s house, he cut the engine and turned to her. “Hold on.”

  He got out of the driver’s seat, walked over to her side, and opened the door, then helped her out. “I want to see you again.”

  She glanced around nervously. “Of course.”

  “I want us to go out. I mean, will you go out with me? I’ll ask Kate or Sybil to babysit.”

  She nodded. “If they say yes, sure.”

  He slid a hand into her hair and leaned down to kiss her, savoring her taste and feel and smell, hoping to drink in enough of her to last him until they saw each other again. When he pulled away, she sighed and braced herself on his chest.

  “I’ll put him to bed,” he said, nodding at Grayson. “You can go relax, if you want.”

  The young boy was dead to the world and was heavy as a rock in Luke’s arms. He brought Grayson inside, all the way to his room. Laying him down on the small twin bed, Luke brushed aside a lock of reddish blond hair from the boy’s face. The tendrils felt soft and delicate in his rough fingertips. A rumble came from deep within him and while the sound was unintelligible, he knew what it meant. From now on, Grayson was his, too.

  “Thank you for bringing him in,” Georgina said as she entered the room. She was wrapped up in a thick, terry cloth robe.

  “No problem,” he said, walking up to her. “I’ll see myself out. Go and get some rest.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “I will,” she replied in a soft whisper. “Good night, Luke.”

  “Good night, Georgina.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Georgina sat at her desk and crossed a leg over her knee, bouncing it nervously as she watched the clock on the wall across from her. Fifteen minutes to noon.

  She tried to occupy her mind, so she wouldn’t notice the seconds crawling by. Of course, when she had a free moment, the only thing she could think about was Luke and last night. Making love with him was something she would never forget, something utterly indescribable. The memory would be forever burned in her mind, but she couldn’t decide whether that was a good or a bad thing. On one hand, she would at least have the memory forever. But on the other hand, each time she thought of last night, she would always think of the act of betrayal she was about to commit.

  Act normal. She glanced over at the window, wondering if Adrian’s snipers could see her, too. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she had no doubt of just how far The Chief would go. She’d seen it with her own eyes and lived through it.

  Some people might have said her past was privileged. Her family had owned a dozen businesses on the Eastern Seaboard, and she grew up in a beautiful home with servants catering to her every whim. But looking back now, she saw what it truly was—a prison. And when she went off to college, she realized how truly sheltered she had been. Her
first semester, she met Mark Mills. Georgina didn’t know he was a bear shifter.

  She went to a bar in the next town with her dorm mates. Mark was there with his friends, and they came over to talk to the girls. He was handsome, funny, and oh-so-smooth. Needless to say, he got into her panties real quick. The next day, they exchanged numbers. They saw each other a couple more times, mostly meeting him at his place after classes were done.

  Then, a few weeks later, she started feeling sick, so she took a test. Positive. She was pregnant with Mark’s baby. She told him, and that’s when he confessed about being a bear shifter.

  She was shocked. All her life, she’d been taught shifters were bad. They were evil abominations. The Chief had taught her that. They were not to be trusted, nor should humans mix with them. But Mark was sweet and kind; he even assured her he was going to take care of her and the baby. Georgina figured, even though she didn’t love him right then, she would eventually. Not that she ever got the chance.

  Pushing the memory aside, she glanced up at the clock once more. Ten minutes to noon. Matthew was at the mines for the day, but Jason was still inside his office. She had to find a way to get him out. An idea struck her. She picked up the phone and dialed his extension.

  “Yes, Georgina?” Jason answered.

  “Umm, Jason, Christina’s office called. They said they needed you down there right away.”

  “Oh? Hmmm, she didn’t message me or anything.” There was a short pause, one that made her heart nearly stop. “All right, I’ll head out then. It’s almost lunchtime anyway, so I should see if she wants to get a bite.”

  The line went dead and a few moments later, Jason strode out of his office. “It’s nearly noon,” he said as he stopped by her desk. “Shouldn’t you be going on your lunch break?”

  “Umm ….” Get a grip. “I just need a couple more minutes. Er, I’m waiting to call back Stevenson in the New York office.”

  “Oh, okay. See you later!” With a wave, Jason turned and walked out of the executive suites and into the elevator lobby.