The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

All night long, Hunter made love to Elissa. She’d lost count of how many times he’d kissed, licked, and fucked her to orgasm.
Shivering, she came back down to earth with the stars shining overhead. During their night, it had stopped raining.
Was it only yesterday she’d been on a terrible date that had ended with her walking on the highway in the rain?
Wow. She could hardly believe it. Elissa felt like she was in a fairy tale. Maybe she was. How else could she explain lying in an enormous bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, and her Tiger mate wrapped around her?
Not to mention the delicious soreness between her legs from the fuck marathon she'd just had with the sexy as fuck man. Elissa grinned. She had never had such mind-blowing orgasms before. Hell, that wasn't even the best part, though it was pretty fucking awesome.
The fact was Elissa Phoenix had never felt more safe, secure, wanted, and loved in her life.
Loved?
Yes, loved.
Wow. She didn’t know what to think about that. Sure, love at first sight was a thing even in the human world, but she never thought she could feel that way. But now, as she lay safe and warm in her lover’s arms, the word simply fit. It felt right.
Could she be in love after one night of mind-blowing sex? Well, why not? Elissa had thought herself in love before for far worse reasons.
Smiling to herself, she allowed sleep to wash over her as she snuggled into the safety of her mate’s arms. Hunter growled, kissing the back of her neck in his slumber, and she sighed, happy and content for the first time in her life.
He was by far the hottest, most handsome, sexiest man she’d ever seen in her life. And he wanted her. Only her, if she were going to trust what he’d told her was the truth, and she so was. Why deny herself the chance to be happy?
She might only be a personal chef from Hoboken, but she wasn’t stupid. Uncle Uzzi finding her on the side of the road and bringing her here was no accident. It was fate. Hunter really was her destiny, and Elissa was going to hold on with both hands.
Sunlight filtered through the windows and skylights, and Elissa almost forgot where she was when she woke up the next morning.
She blinked rapidly, taking in her naked state. Then she flushed as her body ached in the most delicious places.
Ooh, cramp.
She stretched carefully and waited for it to pass. It wasn’t like her to get all stiff and achy. Then again it wasn’t like her to have marathon sex either.
High-five self! Peace out, jealous bitches!
Hunter was a total beast. And not just because he was all stripy and furry when he Shifted into his Tiger.
The man had proven himself to be insatiable last night. At least, where she was concerned. Oh, she’d moaned and begged, until she thought she would die of the pleasure. But still, he made her come, again and again, until she thought he’d completely broken her poor tired pussy.
Of course, he had apologized. On his knees, with his face between her thighs, and her ass hanging off the side of the bed.
Day-um.
He sure liked licking her in just about every place and position she could think of. Invented a few new ones too. Not that she’d minded. Truth be told, Elissa was a fan.
Who knew a man who looked like that would want to spend his nights eating her pussy? When he wasn’t fucking her silly, that was. She didn’t think she’d gotten more than a few hours of sleep, and he had even less.
Poor guy had to wake up to do something for work. He’d explained a little about his business, Maverick Development, last night. She blushed thinking about the conversation since he hadn’t stopped touching her while he talked.
Hard to focus on conversation when he was thumbing her needy little clit between words. That alone had her convinced he was something not altogether human.
Speaking of his beast, Elissa wondered when she would meet his other half. He’d said soon. The Tiger wanted to make an introduction someplace open and safe, where she would not feel intimidated by his size, and she was surprisingly fine with that.
Elissa sighed and stretched, noting the pile of folded clothes at the foot of the bed. There was a sheet of paper on top. She grinned as she read the decidedly masculine scrawl.
Good morning my Nari,
I have some calls to make this morning, though I hate leaving you alone in bed. These are from my sister Jess. I had her bring them in from her store. She runs a boutique in town. She can’t wait to meet you. I don’t want you to worry about anything. The Pride House is yours, just take your time and relax.
I’ll be back soon.
-Hunter
Okay. It wasn’t exactly a love note, but still. It was something. Besides, he had to care about her. No one did the things they did to and with another person without caring for that person. Even just a little bit.
Elissa might be naïve about some things, but she was woman enough to admit it when she caught feelings for a man. Okay, so Hunter Maverick was more than a man, but still. He’d captured her body, mind, heart, and soul.
She stretched and winced as her overworked girly bits made their tiredness known. Oh boy, was she sore! But in the most delicious way.
It wasn’t all just fabulous sex, though. They’d talked and Hunter had held her all night long. He seemed just as content to simply listen to her as he was to kiss the heck out of her.
She’d never had so much attention from anyone. Certainly not from a man. Chubby blondes were considered cute in her world, but not worthy of the kind of single-minded attentiveness he’d lavished on her.
Of course, Elissa thought herself worthy. She wasn’t exactly void of all self-esteem. Hence the reason she’d remained unattached for thirty years. She was not one to settle for anything.
Of course, it had seemed hopeless at times, with her inability to find even one decent man to date. But Elissa did not have to worry about that anymore. She was no longer the cute but chubby, single friend. Emphasis on single.
Elissa was taken now. She was mated to a Tiger Shifter. A big gorgeous one at that.
She giggled as she rinsed the conditioner from her hair, smiling as she wondered why he even had conditioner since his head was shaved. She noticed the pristine straight-edge razors and accessories at the end of the marble counter when she’d entered the bathroom that morning.
He must have to shave every single day to keep it so smooth and sexy. It really was a hot as fuck look. The man had one hella sexy shaped head.
Not all men could or should try to pull off a shaved head, but Hunter was beyond hot with his scalp void of hair.
Uh oh.
Her belly flopped as she went back over the hair products. Maybe he kept the expensive coconut oil conditioner for all the women he brought here?
Women he possibly had sex with. That thought brought a snarling rumble to the back of her mind, and she nearly doubled over with the strength of it. What the hell was that all about?
She frowned hard, trying to get her temper back under control. She was never one to jump to conclusions. It was better to explore the evidence than to decide based on nothing but theory.
Elissa looked back at the bottle. She didn’t recall seeing it last night. She lifted it and her smile came back full force. It was full. Just like the matching coconut shampoo she’d used.
Hunter must have had his sister bring this as well. She practically bounced up and down with happiness. He’d had his sister get her some things to make her feel more at home in his big masculine room.
See, she told herself, he was being thoughtful.
After wrapping her freshly scrubbed body in a large bath sheet she turned to the sink to see a brand-new toothbrush, a wide tooth comb, some lotion, her brand of deodorant, and leave-in conditioner for her hair.
Wow.
She didn’t know her name, but Elissa already thought Hunter’s sister was awesome. She smiled and finished getting ready. When she slipped on her new clothes, she wanted to moan in pleasure.
The weather was chilly, but Elissa hated big, bulky clothing. She thoroughly approved of the stretchy blue jeans and the white cotton tank top with a simple gray cardigan to go over it.
The fabric was light and flowy without being clingy. Perfect for a bigger girl like her. She slipped on her now dry shoes and went downstairs. With her hair in a long ponytail down her back, she felt fresh and rested if not too crampy.
She’d forgone make up since she didn’t have any and, truth be told, she wasn’t fond of the stuff. She wasn’t about to start this relationship with deception, so if he preferred her with an affinity for heavy make-up, well, he was in for some disappointment.
The thought worried her and a nagging voice in her head reminded her she should try to please her Neta. What the heck?
That same voice then whispered that he should remain aware that she was his Nari, and as such, was his perfect mate as is. No frills necessary.
She agreed with the sentiment, but what the actual fuck was going on inside her brain? Elissa was damn sure she had never heard voices in her whole life.
She shook her head. It must be nerves or maybe exhaustion. Last night would have tried the endurance of Olympian athletes. The thought made her smile.
Ooh yeah.
Sexy times with Hunter were definitely smile inducing. Her stomach growled and she forgot all about her wayward thoughts for the time being. Heading for the kitchen, she thought about what she wanted to eat.
For some reason, steak sounded good. Or a big piece of fish. Odd. She didn’t even like fish.
Hmm.
She stopped as she entered the room. Standing at the counter was a friendly looking younger woman with a mane of curly red hair. Something about the stranger seemed familiar to Elissa. It was in the shape of her face and the way she stood.
“Hi.”
“Um, hello.”
Elissa didn’t feel threatened or anything. She was simply curious. The woman had been reading the back of a box of pasta and looked near to tears.
Her head shot up when Elissa shuffled forward, making herself known with the noise. She sniffed and turned familiar, teal-colored eyes to Elissa’s now wide ones.
“I’m Jessica, Hunter’s sister. You must be Elissa.”
The woman smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She set the box of pasta down and clamped her hands in front of her. She was tall, curvy, and beautiful. But why was she upset?
“My brother told me to make you feel at home, and I wanted to have lunch ready for you, but I’m a disaster when it comes to cooking. I am so sorry,” she started.
“Oh no, don’t be silly,” Elissa told her.
“Please, don’t worry about it. It’s kind of my job, cooking,” she explained with a wink.
“Oh, where are my manners?! Thank you so much for the clothes and toiletries. I really appreciate it.”
“I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I just guessed by what you had on yesterday,” Jessica replied and shrugged shyly.
Elissa noted a hint of a blush across her cheeks and her heart warmed towards her. After all, this woman was like her sister-in-law.
“Well, it fits perfectly. These jeans are the most comfortable pair I have ever worn,” Elissa said, turning around to show them off.
“Really? Awesome, I try to cater to curvier girls like myself, and I am glad to hear it,” Jessica replied.
She was sweet and pretty with a clean, bright complexion. Her hair was such an amazing shade of red and Elissa thought she was just beautiful.
“Wait, did you say my outfit from yesterday? I didn’t meet you yesterday, did I?” Confusion clouded her eyes.
“I know. Oh geez, you must think I’m nuts! Hunter asked me to come over and wash them for you since he didn’t want any of the other males around your clothing. It’s a Shifter thing,” she said and scrunched up her cute nose.
“I’m so embarrassed. You didn’t have to do that really,” Elissa felt her blush, but relaxed all the same.
Jessica was more than friendly, and she felt no threat from the woman at all. Being new to the Shifter world, she appreciated some insider info.
“Oh, I don’t mind. Besides, I am thrilled you’ll be staying here.”
“Do you live here too?”
“Not anymore. I live in an apartment over my store in town. But I am here a lot. This is the Pride House, so you know, there is an open-door policy to the Maverick Pride Tigers.”
“Actually, I didn’t know,” Elissa murmured, taking in the strained silence.
“Oh, um, did I mess up? Hunter will be so mad if I make you uncomfortable. Not that he is a bully or mean in any way— OMG! I am just messing this all up,” Jessica said, and grimaced.
Elissa waited for the woman to run out of steam before replying with a patient smile.
“Look, I have a proposition for you, Jessica. How about I make our lunch, and you can fill me in on things? This way, I don’t make an idiot out of myself in front of your brother or anyone else. Sound good?”
“Sure,” she replied happily.
“So, you cook for a living?”
“Well, I try to. But yes, I am a chef. Graduated from a culinary institute too,” Elissa smiled, and grabbed the box of pasta from her new friend’s hands.
“Wow,” Jessica said, her teal eyes wide.
“It’s not a big deal. I just love food, as you can see,” Elissa joked.
“You and me both,” Jessica grinned.
“Alright, let’s see what we have to work with.”
Elissa began opening cabinets and removing ingredients. She almost had a heart attack as she discovered a large walk-in pantry stocked with row after row of restaurant quality ingredients.
“Oh my, this is like my dream kitchen.”
Her pulse raced as she took in the wonderful assortment of goodies and gadgets before her. This only cemented her belief that fate had played her a very good hand.
Uncle Uzzi too.
Sparkling marble countertops, real wood cabinets, oversized terra-cotta tiles, an eight-burner stove, three sets of double wall ovens, and more.
All the appliances were state-of-the art, top quality too. Every one of them looked brand spanking new! It really was a dream kitchen.
“Well, you see, no one here really knows how to cook,” Jessica explained.
“A lot of the Pride males work for Maverick Development, so they can build anything. Hunter has loads of contacts in just about every industry, so getting this stuff factory direct is like no big deal,” she said.
“Really? I worked for a restaurant recently, and the manager ordered stuff from this same manufacturer. He was told these ovens were back-ordered for a minimum of six months,” Elissa replied, grinning.
“Oh, really? I could make a call and see if they can rush⁠—”
“No, it’s okay. The manager was a dick, anyway.”
Elissa shrugged, and Jessica laughed.
“Well, it is not unusual for a Pride to be mostly males, with a few mates and single females scattered in between. And I’m not saying cooking is a female only thing, not at all,” she was quick to insert.
“Actually, Lance, he’s the youngest Tiger in Hunter’s Honor Guard, that’s like a group of Tigers who work directly under the Neta, anyway, he is trying to learn to cook. But he is awful, burns everything,” Jessica said.
Elissa thought back to the young man who’d brought her the towel. That must be him, she thought, nodding absently while searching for just the right ingredient. She moved cans and bottles on the shelf, then paused. She couldn’t help herself, she yelped.
“OMG! What is it?”