Take Me, page 2
“Yes?”
But she had no idea what to say. She was shaken by the intensity of their connection. There was so much to say, and she had no idea where to begin. Coming down from the thrill of orgasm, of her first time with her mate, made the terror return. What had she done? What had she been thinking to sleep with her brother’s Second, no matter what he was to her? She hadn’t thought, that was the simple answer.
His palms cupped her hips, lifting her free of his body to set her beside him. The inner drag against his semi-hard cock made her shudder and want to reach for him once more. “We’re here.”
Panic exploded in her veins and she scrambled for her clothes. Jerking her top over her head, she shoved her hands through her short hair to give it some semblance of order. She scooped her panties off the floor, stuffed them into her purse, and winced when she saw the broken leather strap. So not her best day.
“Where’s my other shoe?” She straightened the wedge heel sandal on her left foot, but her right was bare.
He leaned sideways toward her and pulled her shoe from behind his hip and handed it to her. He zipped up his slacks and smoothed his dress shirt. Tugging on his cuffs, he lifted his arms. Deep scratches scored the parts of his wrists that she could see. “Want to kiss it and make it better?”
She snorted. As if kissing it would make it better. Panthers had to sleep in order to kick-start the magic that would heal them. He’d be fine after a catnap.
“Welcome home, Andrea.”
“This isn’t my home.” She didn’t look at him. Instead, she dug a hand mirror out of her purse and refreshed her lip gloss. Anxiety knotted her belly again. No matter what had happened with Miguel, she still didn’t relish returning to a life that had stifled her. Here she’d always be Esteban Cruz’s daughter, Antonio Cruz’s sister. She’d be the big sister of the Cruz twins, Diego and Ricardo. She’d be…no one on her own. Just a part of the group when she’d spent over a decade standing out from the crowd as a model.
“Andrea.” Miguel’s hand closed around her wrist, stilling her movements. “Look at me.”
His voice brooked no argument, which just pissed her off. Anger twisted with the panic rolling through her. She hated being ordered around—she’d gotten too much of that from her father. She jerked her arm away from him. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
She could feel his surprise, but she refused to let herself care. Mate or not, he wasn’t going to help her get through the meeting with her family. Nothing could make this easier.
The end of her freedom.
Miguel followed his mate into Antonio’s study in silence. Nervous energy rolled off her in waves, and it set every protective instinct inside him on high alert. What could cause such a reaction from her? As far as he knew, the only problem she had had here was with her father, and he had died almost two years ago. Her family had accepted him completely when he’d followed Antonio from South America to serve as Second. The Cruzes were all good people, and in many ways, he was far closer to them than he had ever been to his own family. He shut down thoughts of his dysfunctional familial relations and focused on Andrea.
He set his hand between her shoulder blades, feeling her muscles tense and flex against his palm. He moved his fingers down to her waist, pushing her forward when she froze in front of the people spread in a semicircle around the room. Then he watched a mask slide over her beautiful features, and he saw her years as a model come forward.
Frustration made his hands clench. Hiding herself from her family was not the way to rejoin the Pride. He was torn between wanting to protect his mate from something that upset her and helping a family that had earned a permanent place in his heart. He watched her give Antonio a short, stiff hug before bending forward to embrace a very pregnant Solana. Antonio’s eyes cut to him, narrowing. Diego and Ric also glanced at Miguel as Andrea moved toward them. He gave a quick shake of his head, indicating they not mention that they could smell him all over their sister.
“Later,” he mouthed. He’d have to explain that Andrea was his mate or he’d end up in a very awkward situation with his best friend.
The other men nodded and Ric stepped forward to scoop Andrea off her feet. She squealed with laughter when Diego swooped in to steal her away from his twin and swing her in a circle. He planted a loud kiss on her cheek. “Welcome home, big sister.”
“Thank you.” Her face tightened and she turned to the side a bit, glancing up to meet Miguel’s gaze. He saw the quiet panic, the flash of trapped anger before it was gone again. He wanted to strip her of that mask and discover what hid beneath…why returning to a Pride he loved disturbed her so much.
He’d wanted to comfort her in the limo, but perhaps it was too soon for that. If she thought she was going to pretend they weren’t mates, that she hadn’t screamed in his arms, then she’d have to think again or she’d find herself bent over his lap and spanked for her resistance. His cock swelled at the thought of her slim body bared and spread before him. A small smile curved his lips. His fingers flexed, wanting to touch her again.
Soon. Soon he’d have her just as he wanted her. The way she’d reacted to the small amount of pain she’d experienced in the limo, the scent of her wetness flooding his nostrils as her pussy hugged his cock, made him even more certain that they were well matched sexually. Anticipation hummed in his veins.
He pulled in a deep breath, caging the Panther inside him. For now, he’d let her cope with her homecoming and help where he could. Tonight, she was his.
Walking over to the bar, he poured drinks for everyone and handed them around. He grinned at Solana and gave her a chilled glass of seltzer water. “Sorry, no alcohol for you.”
“I know. It sucks owning a bar, you know?” She tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder. “I buy all the booze and not a drop of it is for me.”
He stepped over to Andrea, offering her a finger of Scotch. She accepted it, her hand clenching the glass until it groaned. He stroked his palm over the small of her back and leaned in to speak in her ear. “They aren’t going to eat you.” He let his nails curl into claws and scraped under the edge of her top. “That’s my job.”
She choked on the sip of alcohol she’d taken, her gaze snapping to him. A startled grin crossed her lips and it made her glow. God, she was beautiful. No wonder she’d been such a successful model. She shook her head at him and turned back to Solana. “You own a bar?”
“Cat Scratch Fever over in the Mission District.”
A bitter little smile twisted her mouth. “No doubt the Pride leader forced you to turn the business over when you rejoined the fold.”
“Over my dead body.” Solana grinned, her cheeks dimpling. She leaned back against Antonio, and his arms engulfed her. “Cat Scratch is mine. I turn a percentage of the revenue over to the Pride—but I live and eat here, so it’s only fair.”
“I would never ask my mate to give up her career. Besides, it would be foolish to force a successful manager to step down from a profitable business. More money is always a good thing.” Antonio rested his chin on top of her head, cuddling her closer. Both their hands rested against her burgeoning belly.
It had been so good to see his friend find his mate, but it made Miguel want it, too. That closeness with another person, children, a woman who belonged to him and him alone. He’d never thought to have such a thing. As with all Panthers, if they reached thirty and hadn’t found their mate, they were sent to all the other Prides to meet every other unmated Panther. Miguel had gone over five years ago and found no one.
And now he’d discovered his mate in the least likely of places. So, there was a deep awe that banded around his chest, but also an uncertainty because he’d been so sure he didn’t have a mate. He let his hand drift in soothing circles over the small of Andrea’s back. She relaxed a bit and leaned into him, pressing herself to his side as she sipped her drink and let the conversation flow around her. She didn’t say much, but the awkwardness had left the room and he was grateful for that.
He and the Cruz men had worked very hard to restructure the Pride after Esteban had died and Antonio took over. None of them wanted any tension with Andrea’s return. They wanted her to be folded back into the Pride quietly, without a ripple in the power structure. He’d come with Antonio to serve as this Pride’s second in command…and he’d done his best to be of use. But being Second only lasted a few years, so he knew he’d be going back to his own Pride in Argentina soon.
As his oldest friend, he knew Antonio wanted to keep him here, but that was a poor political choice. Panthers had predestined mates, so there were no arranged marriages to create alliances. The Prides had always used their Seconds as a way to influence other Prides and create those alliances. Though the time for arranged marriages had mostly passed among humans, the Second system worked well enough that no one thought to get rid of it.
He hoped Andrea learned to love it here as much as he did because there was no way Antonio could let her leave again. It would cause too many issues in the Pride. Until Antonio’s heir was born, she was the heir to the Pride as second oldest. It left them in political limbo not to have her as a present, loyal supporter of her brother. Perhaps people might think they could use her as a pawn to overthrow Antonio.
And she was his mate. He couldn’t leave the Prides the way she had. His life was with Panthers. He blinked when Andrea nudged him with her shoulder and he snapped back to attention. “Yes?”
She arched a brow. “Diego asked when your meeting with the Australian delegate is tomorrow.”
“Ah.” He glanced at the smirking twin. It wasn’t often that they caught him off guard, so he had no doubt they’d relish this occasion. “Midnight.”
Like most cats, Panthers were naturally nocturnal, so their days began after sundown.
Diego nodded, but his mocking grin didn’t fade. “Are we ready to eat? I’m starving.”
“You think with your stomach, bro.” Ric shoved his twin’s shoulder.
As irresponsible as the twins appeared on the surface with their shaggy hair and love of extreme sports, they worked as hard as they played. They served as the Pride’s legal counsel and everything he’d seen from them impressed the hell out of him. On top of that, he liked them…they were good men, much like their older brother.
Antonio offered his elbow to Solana. “Shall we?”
She grinned and tucked her hand in the crook of her mate’s arm. Everyone else fell into step behind them. They rounded the corner into the dining room when Solana stumbled and doubled over with a hand pressed to her belly. She moaned and Antonio caught her before she hit her knees, every ounce of blood draining from both their faces.
The room erupted in chaos, but for Miguel time slowed down. He simply reacted, strode into the hall, and picked up a phone. He dialed the suite number for Dr. Gabriel Roca, the physician he’d recruited from the European Pride a month before. When the man picked up the phone, Miguel snapped out, “Get to the dining room. Solana collapsed.”
His heart pounded loudly in his ears, his fingers clenching into fists. Walking back into the room, he forced his voice to remain even. “The doctor will be down in a moment.”
“Thank you,” Antonio said as he held Solana tighter, running his hands over his mate’s body.
God help them all if something was wrong with her. She, like the twins, had become his friend in the time he’d known her. She was Antonio’s balance and he couldn’t imagine what would become of the man without her. He prayed harder than he ever had before that this was a minor issue with her pregnancy. He watched the panic and terror washing over his friend’s expression…reflecting to a lesser degree on the twins’ and even Andrea’s faces.
He reached for her and she stepped into his arms. Her breath shuddered out against his neck. “Oh, God. What am I doing here?”
“What you have to.” He kissed her forehead, hugging her close. He savored the feel of her against him and pulled her out of the doorway when the doctor strode in. Gabriel had the situation in hand within seconds and Solana was moved to the master suite.
Andrea jolted when her cell phone rang. She pulled it out and stared at it blankly for a moment before she looked up at him. “I—I have to take this call.”
“Then take it in my office. You’ll have privacy in there.” He pushed her in the direction of the Second’s office. She froze for a moment and something dark flashed through her gaze. Before he could decide what it was, her face went blank, she spun towards his office, and she had the phone pressed to her ear before she’d gone three steps.
The twins burned off their restless energy by pacing the length of the main hall, waiting for word from the physician. A murmur sounded behind him and he turned to see several Panthers hovering in the hall. He smoothed his face into one that exuded approachability and confidence. They all offered a tentative smile, and he motioned them into the large kitchen that serviced the entire Pride. He soothed fears and reassured them all that nothing serious was wrong, hoping like hell that he wasn’t lying, that Solana was fine.
Since there was little he could do for his friends now, he focused on making sure the Pride remained calm. Later, he would deal with the tension running through him. This brought back so many unwanted memories of his family, his sister. That Solana had been neglected and abandoned by her father when everyone thought her a non-shifter had always made Miguel especially protective of her—not that the fiercely independent Panther female appreciated it.
He also couldn’t help but draw parallels between her and his own sister, and in many ways, Solana had filled the hole Violeta’s death had left in his heart. He balled his fists tight. God, please let Solana be all right. He couldn’t lose someone else he loved. Not like this.
Chapter 2
Andrea shut the door to her suite behind her and collapsed against the carved wood. She closed her eyes and sighed. What a hellish day. She pulled in a deep breath, and then her eyes snapped open at what she smelled in the suite with her. Or rather, who she smelled. Her head jerked to the side to look through the open bedroom door, where Miguel sat against her headboard. She moved through the sitting room to stand in the bedroom doorway.
“Hello.” He crossed his legs at the ankle, his feet bare. He still wore his trousers, but his dress shirt was open at the throat.
She blinked. “Um…I’m sorry, I thought I was in the same suite as I was when I lived here.”
“You are.”
“Then…what are you doing here?”
He arched a dark brow, a grin quirking at the corners of his lips. “Waiting for you. How was your phone call?”
“Long. How is Solana?”
“Braxton Hicks contractions. She’s fine now, but Dr. Roca is going to keep an eye on her.” A flicker of emotion passed over his calm expression, but it was gone before she could identify it.
“I’m glad.” She pulled in a deep breath. “If she…if she went into labor now, would she and the baby be okay?”
“I asked the same thing. She’d be about three weeks early, but the doctor seems to think so. She’ll be fine.” His deep voice was reassuring—but who was he trying to reassure? Her or himself?
“Thank you for telling me.” She nodded to the exit, letting him know he could go.
He folded his arms, something dangerous flashing in his gaze, and she was immediately wary. This man was more than met the eye. Everyone she’d spoken to seemed to think he was quiet, even sweet. None of them recognized the air of competence that surrounded him…or that he had clearly handled them when they found out something was wrong with the Pride leader’s mate. The man was good. And much more dangerous than he looked. She had no idea how the Pride didn’t see this, but if Antonio had any brains at all, he was using it to his advantage. She huffed out a breath—everything about Miguel terrified her.
“This has been an insane day. I’d like to sleep now.”
“Are we going to talk about it?”
“About what?” But she knew what he was referring to and she didn’t want to have that discussion. So much of what had happened lately had been taken out of her hands. It was too much like with her father. No control. No say.
“Are you really going to take that tack?”
Her chin jutted and she folded her arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do.” His voice lowered to a growl, sexual and possessive. “My mate.”
A hiss sputtered out of her throat, and she strode forward from the door until she stood beside the bed. “We aren’t mated, and I am not yours.”
“Yet.” He rose to his feet before her, towering over her and forcing her to look up at him. That he was this close to her reminded her exactly how good it had been between them. Heat rippled through her, loosening some muscles and tightening others. Readying her for his possession. Her body recognized what her mind wanted to fight.
Her nostrils flared in annoyance at her weakness. He was as arrogant as every Panther male she’d ever met, even if he disguised it better than most. He certainly didn’t seem to need to hide it from her. “Perhaps not ever. You’re not going to force me.”
His head tilted, lowering until his eyes were level with hers and their lips almost brushed. Her breath caught, longing so deep she couldn’t contain it clawing through her. She wanted him to kiss her, wanted his lips on hers, his hands on her skin again. The slightest smile curled the corners of his mouth. “I’ve never forced a woman in my life. I’ll have you willing, stripped, and begging me for more. We both know you’ll enjoy it.”
Liquid heat exploded in her veins as she pictured what he described. To be helpless beneath him, to let him fuck her any way he wanted. Could he take her where she needed to go? Where no man had taken her before? She squelched the thought. A snarl pulled from her throat. She’d put aside that part of herself the day she’d left this Pride. Shoving a finger into his chest, she hissed, “Look, just because I fucked around with you in the limo doesn’t mean you know me or what I want. Don’t make assumptions.”
