Taming the Beast Read online

  She dug her hands into his hair, raking her fingers through the strands as she pushed her hips up to get closer to his mouth. Sebastian thrust a tongue inside her tight little hole, making her squirm and thrust her hips. His finger found her hard clit, and he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, teasing her in a slow, torturous dance. He was relentless, keeping the rhythm of his tongue and fingers on her. He didn’t stop, not even when her pussy walls clenched around his tongue and her honey flooded his mouth.

  Jade screamed, lifting her hips up off the couch, her pussy squeezing around his tongue. Sebastian reveled in her first orgasm, pride surging in him knowing he had given it to her. Fuck, he could come right then and there, surrounded by her scent and her soft thighs around his head. He took a deep breath, scrambling for the control that seemed to be on the verge of shattering.

  She fell back on the couch, her breathing ragged. Sebastian took his shirt off and tossed it aside, then moved up over her. His eyes devoured the sight of the rise and fall of her breasts, her skin flushed and covered in a light sheen of sweat. Bending his head down, he kissed her, letting her taste herself on his lips.

  “That was…” she sighed when he pulled away. She closed her eyes and let out a short breath.

  “It’s not over yet,” he teased.

  Her eyes flew open. “It’s not?”

  “Oh no…that was your first orgasm, but not your last.” He pulled her panties back up, then hooked his arms under her and pulled them both up on the couch, in the same position they started, with her knees on either side of his thighs, straddling him. Pushing the frothy fabric of her skirt up, he slipped one hand between them.

  “I thought you said we weren’t going to have sex tonight?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

  “That’s why we’re keeping these on,” he said, stroking the fabric of her panties with his knuckles. He lifted her hips so he could unbutton his jeans. His cock was hard as steel, and he needed some relief. Wrapping a fist around his cock, he pressed up against the silky, wet fabric of her panties.

  Jade gasped, and she rocked her hips forward. Her eyes grew wide, and she moved her own hand between their bodies. A soft, delicate palm wrapped around his dick and he nearly came right then and there.

  “Jade?” he asked in a ragged voice. “What’s wrong?”

  She was frowning. “Er…I’m a doctor, and I know biology, but are you sure this will work?”

  He let out a pained laugh. “Don’t worry, darlin’, it’ll work. I…ugh!” She gave his cock a gentle squeeze, and it took every ounce of what was left of his control to stop from cumming all over her dainty fingers.

  “But I can’t even wrap my hand all the way—”

  “Sorry, darlin’. You need to stop,” he said, quickly pulling her hand away. He gave her soft kiss, then repositioned her over him. He pressed his cock up between her smooth thighs, the underside sliding against her heat.

  “Sebastian…” she sighed, arching her breasts up against him. He bent his head down and captured a nipple, drawing it deep into his mouth.

  He moved his hips, sliding his cock between her thighs. She cried out his name, and ground her hips down, the fabric of her panties getting even wetter. Jade moved faster and faster, pushing against him harder as her body tensed, her second orgasm fast approaching. He could feel her hard clit through the soaked fabric, bumping against the length of his cock.

  “Fuck!” he cried out, unable to stop himself as he spilled his cum all over her thighs and belly, the sticky liquid shooting out so hard he thought he would pass out. He popped the nipple back into his mouth, giving it a gentle nip. That seemed to send her over the edge as she screamed, clutching onto him, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as her body shook with her orgasm.

  She collapsed against him, her sweaty body trembling with small aftershocks. He wrapped his arms tight around her, holding her close. Hanging his head back over the couch, he took a deep breath, remembering to suck air into his lungs.

  Her breathing slowed down, and she slowly pushed herself back, planting her hands on his chest. “That was…uh…” Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glazed over, and tendrils of hair were sticking to her face. She was magnificent.

  “I told you, darlin’,” he said, tipping her chin up to meet his gaze. “You never have to feel ashamed or embarrassed with me. I won’t ever let you feel like that again.”

  “I’m just…this is..sorry, I don’t know what to say.” She planted her face in her hands.

  He pulled her hands away and drew her down for another kiss. This time, he was gentle, pressing his lips against her softly.

  She started to move her hips again, then gasped and pulled away. “I’m sorry…I should…uh…get you a towel.” She scampered away, disappearing into the bedroom.

  Sebastian leaned back, stretching his arms out. He looked down at his cock, which, for some reason, was already half hard, despite having just shot a load all over Jade’s sweet thighs. Fuck, he needed to be inside her, but he calmed himself. He meant what he said. When he took her for the first time, she would only remember him. Jade looked beautiful tonight, as she did every night, but she didn’t dress up for him. And damn if that didn’t make him want to destroy something. He craved her, all of her. Wanted to see her get all nice and pretty just for him, thinking of him when she picked her outfit or put on her lipstick. He was a selfish, possessive bastard for sure, but he couldn’t help it.

  Her words suddenly rang back in her mind. It doesn’t have to mean anything afterwards. She didn’t want a relationship. She just wanted some stud to help her get rid of her cherry and then what? His hands clawed at the couch cushions.

  “Sebastian?” Jade called softly. She had changed into a terry cloth robe, and held a towel in her hand.

  “Thanks,” he nodded, then stood up and took the towel from her. He entered the bathroom and wiped himself down. Tossing the towel and his ruined underwear into the hamper, he washed his hands quickly, pulled on his jeans, and went back to the living room.

  Jade sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her face didn’t have a trace of makeup, and her hair flowed down in waves around her shoulders. God, she looked exquisite.

  “Everything all right?” she asked in a small voice.

  Sebastian sat down next to her, gathering her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. “Yes. And you?”

  She sighed. “It was…more than I could hope for.”

  “Good,” he said, stifling a yawn.

  “Well, um, I guess if you’re tired…you can head home. I’ve got an early day, too and I’m sure—”

  “You kickin’ me out?” He frowned. Something squeezed around his chest, making it hard to breathe.

  “No, I mean…you don’t have to stay…if you don’t want to,” she said, her eyes lowering away from him. “But you don’t have to go, either.”

  “It’s a long way downtown,” he said. “And I am tired.” He didn’t wait for her to say anything but instead picked her up, carrying her back towards the bedroom. Pulling the covers aside, he placed her on the bed and then took his jeans off. He slipped into the bed, gently pushing her towards the other side to make room for him.

  “Take off your robe.” He wanted to feel her skin against his.

  With a nod, she untied the belt and shrugged the material off her shoulders. She stiffened at first, as he wrapped his arms around her, but then relaxed against him.

  They lay there in silence, and soon Jade’s breathing became even, and her body grew heavier against him. Sebastian brushed her hair aside, exposing her neck and back to him. On impulse, he kissed the whorls of ink on her back, his breath hitching when he felt the faint scar against his lips. He blinked, staring at her tattoo in the scant moonlight, trying to discern the raised tissue. It was long and straight, starting from the middle of her back and went straight down along the spine. It seemed the more he thought he knew Jade Cross, the more she became wrapped up in mystery.r />
  There was one thing he knew for sure. He felt something he had never felt before. Calmness. The Beast inside him snorted in contentment and lay still.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jade stared intently at her screen, trying to make sense of what she was reading. The text was fascinating, and she’d been devouring the old books, trying to find some clue as to how the mages figured out how to control humans. As far as she could tell, there were at least six separate sources from all over the world that talked about this kind of magic.

  The knowledge itself didn’t seem to come from one single source, and she wondered how Stefan was able to gather all the information. It must have taken the mage years, traveling thousands of miles to find the right people and encantations. One of the books was translated from old Norwegian and talked about the runes, while another book in Swahili had at least the first part of the necessary spell. But, finding out how he got the spell was only a minor part. How it worked, and more importantly, how to stop it, were the more crucial tasks at hand.

  In the beginning, she put off having to interview Marcus. Fear and apprehension prevented her from even looking at the mage. He had, after all, orchestrated her kidnapping and detention. The Alpha had been generous, giving her as much time as she needed before confronting Marcus. However, the clan needed her. She was the only person who could figure out how the mages were controlling the humans and how to stop them. Now, she was ready to face Marcus.

  “Jade!” Meredith called from the main lab downstairs. The other Lycan was late. Usually, Meredith arrived at the lab at the same time or just before Jade arrived, escorted by one of the Lycan security people. Jade was surprised to find the lab empty that morning, but it meant she could work in peace.

  “Good morning,” Jade replied as she descended the staircase.

  “Sorry, I’m late,” Meredith said, plopping herself on her favorite office chair. The blonde Lycan had declared it her princess chair, and covered it in pink and purple glitter stickers, writing “Princess Meredith” all over the back. Jade had warned her that was vandalism, to which she replied, “Awesome. Put it on my tab.”

  “What happened?”

  “There was some excitement with my roommates.” She rolled her eyes. Her “roommates” were Marcus and Daric, who were detained on the same floor as her, deep in Fenrir Corporation’s super secret, secure bunker. Meredith had never actually seen either of them during her time there nor shared a room with them, but said roommates sounded much better than fellow prisoners. “Anyway, the security guys were tied up, not literally—but damn, have you seen that Tate Miller? Anyway, they were all busy, so there was no one to bring me here.”

  “Well, I was just working, so no worries,” she turned to walk back up the stairs, but Meredith used her cat-like reflexes to bounce from her chair and catch her arm, spinning her around.

  “Hold on, young lady! Aren’t you going to tell me what happened last night?”

  Jade clamped her mouth shut, her face going red all the way to the tips of her ears. Oh, God. Last night. She still couldn’t believe it. Had it really happened? Waking up, alone in bed this morning, she wasn’t sure it was real. But the beard burns on her neck and between her thighs told her otherwise. She and Sebastian…on the couch. And then he slept over, right next to her on the bed. He held her all night, his rock hard body pressed up against her. It was still dark out this morning when she felt his lips on her cheek, murmuring an apology. There was some emergency at work, and he had to leave right away. She was half asleep, and she remembered reaching out to him—

  “Hello? Earth to Jade?” Meredith waved a hand in front of her. “Oh. My. God. Was it that good that he literally fucked your brains out? Jade, you slut! High five!” The other Lycan raised a palm at her.

  “Meredith!” she exclaimed, swatting the palm away “He didn’t…we didn’t…”

  “You’re telling me nothing happened?”

  “Well, not nothing.” God, she wished Lara were here. It was too bad she and Liam had to fly to San Francisco and wouldn’t be back until next week.

  “So you guys…” Meredith wiggled her eyebrows.

  “I’m not telling you anything about my private life!”

  Meredith, of course, took that as an invitation to cajole her further. “I don’t need to know everything! Just the juicy bits! Although I should have known you didn’t serve him your cherry pie since you can still walk straight.”

  Jade let out a pained groan. “Look, it’s not what you think. And by the way, your grand plan was a failure. We didn’t drive him away.”

  “Well, that was the genius of my plan!” Meredith cackled. “I knew Sebastian would either leave you alone or pull his head out of his ass and finally admit he wanted you himself.”

  “What?”

  “Well, it worked, didn’t it? Jealousy on a man is so hot and Sebastian was off the charts last night! And while you may still be virgo intacta, you won’t be for long, will you?”

  “I—”

  “You’re welcome!” Meredith preened, giving her an exaggerated curtsey.

  “Ugh!” Jade threw up her hands. “I don’t know—” A vibration from her pocket startled her, and she quickly fished her phone out. She frowned when she saw the unknown number on the screen. “Hello?”

  “Jade, it’s Sebastian.”

  Her stomach did flip-flops, hearing his rough voice. “Um, hi,” she said, feeling her face go hot. How could the bloody man make her blush over the phone? She quickly ran up the stairs to her inner office, locking the door behind her before Meredith could guess who it was.

  “I’m sorry about this morning. We had an emergency with one of our jobs over in the Middle East,” he explained. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine. Dandy. Just great,” she said. God, did she sound like a dork? “How did you get my number?”

  “I called my number from your phone before I left,” he explained. “Listen, I don’t have a lot of time to chat right now—I’m still putting out fires here—but I should be done here in a couple of hours. I’m taking you out tonight.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he said cryptically. “But wear something nice. A dress. Like you had on last night.” His voice was thick and warm like honey, and Jade wondered if he was thinking of the same thing she was. Could she go through with it? Maybe she should think about it first. Yes, she should step back and re-examine this whole thing.

  “I’m not sure—”

  “Great, I’ll pick you up at seven, darlin’,” he said, hanging up before she had a chance to protest.

  Jade leaned back against her table, her brows knitting in confusion. He was taking her out? Like on a date? Honestly, she thought they could just go back to her apartment. It was a perfectly good place for sex, and she changed the sheets on her bed regularly. They didn’t need to go somewhere fancy. Maybe some takeout at her favorite Chinese place beforehand.

  “Was that him?” Meredith asked as she burst into the room, the supposedly locked door flying open.

  “That door was locked,” Jade said wryly.

  “Did you forget who I am?” the other Lycan asked, waving a small metal tool in her hand. “You need a better lock.”

  Jade sighed and shook her head.

  “Soooooo,” Meredith said, sauntering over to her. “Are you going to see him?”

  “I guess? I mean, yes. He’s taking me out tonight. He said I should wear something nice.”

  “Woohoo! Shopping time!”

  Jade groaned. It was a wonder she got any work done, spending half her days shopping. Looking at Meredith, dancing happily at the prospect of being able to get out of Fenrir, she sighed. I’m such a pushover.

  ***

  “You look gorgeous,” Sebastian said, his eyes roaming over her. He was standing outside Jade’s door, looking handsome himself in a dark suit.

  “Thank you,” Jade replied, her skin heating from his perusal. As muc
h as she hated shopping, she was glad Meredith convinced her to pick this dress. She thought the white color was a bit much, but it was sexy. The lacy sheath dress skimmed her slim figure, ending in an asymmetrical hemline. The deep V neckline flattered her cleavage without being vulgar, and the peekaboo ladder-stitch insets under and between the bust line gave just a tiny hint of what was underneath. It was the back that made the dress show-stopping. Thin straps crisscrossed over her naked skin, intersecting over the lines of her Tree of Life tattoo. Her hair covered the back part, so she felt confident enough to wear the dress.

  “Now go change,” he said gruffly.

  “What?” she exclaimed.

  “I can’t stand anyone else seeing you in that dress,” he said. “I’d end up spending half this date beating up anyone who looks at you and the other half trying not to tear it off. Go change, darlin’.”

  Jade stomped back into her apartment and grabbed the white shawl hanging from her coat rack. With an exaggerated flourish, she draped it over her shoulders. “Better?” she asked sarcastically.

  Sebastian gave her a quick kiss on the lips, a gesture that sent zings of electricity straight to her core. “It’ll do,” he said, tying the shawl around her. “I can unwrap you later.”

  He offered his arm, and with a wry smile, she took it. They went downstairs, where his car was parked. He opened the door and helped her inside, then slipped into the driver’s side.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  He flashed her a grin. “Like, I said, it’s a surprise.”

  Sebastian drove expertly along the streets of Manhattan, heading downtown. They turned on 23rd Street and then slowed down as they approached 10th Avenue. He parked the car right underneath some old above-ground railroad tracks.

  “We’re at The High Line,” Jade said, looking up at the old freight train line that was turned into a public park.