The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 70: Chapter 70

Reg’s orgasm grew and grew until he thought he would die from it. So much pleasure, he never thought it was possible.
They were both hoarse from roaring by the time they collapsed onto the mattress, his cock still buried deep inside her sweet pussy. They lay in a sweaty and sticky tangle, boneless and completely sated, neither one of them could move.
Still, he could not stop the grin from spreading across his face, even as he sucked in air greedily. He couldn’t help it. She’d marked him. Really marked him good judging from the sting. Reg was too damn tired, to turn his head and look.
She’d claimed him as her own for all the world to see, and he had never been happier in his whole life. His Tiger roared with pride even as his cock continued to pulse.
He was insatiable for her. A marrow deep satisfaction coursed through him. Whatever this had been, too impulsive, too soon again, it didn’t matter because it felt right. Primal and raw, their sex had been life changing.
He was whole and complete. Why shouldn’t he be? He was well and truly claimed by his mate.
And wasn’t that a-fucking-mazing?
Reg’s chest vibrated with the strength of his purr as she sighed against the arms he had wrapped around her. Pure bliss echoed through him, filling the room with warmth and the heady scent of their mating sex.
He could spend forever wrapped around her, he thought, and happily too, tending to her every need and want. He’d give her lifetimes if she let him.
“Mine,” he whispered once more as he fell asleep like that, balls deep inside his mate.
It was the only place he ever wanted to be, he thought as the spring sun peeked through the blinds, warming their satiated bodies.
Mate.
Gretchen grinned at her last client, a wonderfully blunt elderly woman who’d wanted her to dye the tips of her short hair bright pink for her grandbaby’s fourth birthday.
“Maia wants a fairy princess party, and I told her I would be ready for it. She is gonna love this,” Mrs. Sanchez said, and patted Gretchen’s hand affectionately.
“I just bet she will Mrs. Sanchez,” Gretchen told the woman as she put the last finishing touches on her new do.
She watched the clock anxiously as she wrote up the bill. Tara, a teenaged girl she’d hired to work the reception desk on the weekends, rang her up while Gretchen walked over to the window.
“I’m just gonna grab some lunch,” she told the teen as Reg pulled up to the curb.
She was in such a good mood lately. Heck, she even giggled when Marion made an obscene gesture, and fanned himself as Reg hopped out of the driver’s seat and stalked over to her.
“Cut it out,” she yelled, laughing as everyone groaned at the pun. It was the name of her establishment, after all. She wagged her finger at Marion before racing out the door and tackling Reg.
Her fine as fuck mate caught her easily and slammed his mouth to hers. The kiss was hot and quick. Too quick in her opinion, but she’d learned the hard way that was best.
If one of them didn’t put a stop to their kisses quickly, they’d end up naked in seconds no matter where they were. It had already happened in the bathroom, the kitchen, the stairwell, and even the rather cramped back seat of his Jeep.
Sigh.
Oh, her aching vagina.
She thought he broke the damn thing last night. But they were all good aches, she smiled slyly and thanked heaven for Shifter healing and rejuvenation abilities.
“My employees think you’re hot,” she told Reg as he squeezed her from behind while she opened the door to the stairwell that led to her apartment.
“Yeah? And what do you think?” he asked and kissed her on the neck.
“I think you’re okay,” she shrugged, then laughed uncontrollably as he mock-growled, and nuzzled her mating mark while tickling her belly.
“Oh fuck, stop it or I am gonna trip up the stairs,” she said, knowing he would let her go immediately if there was a chance she was going to get hurt.
She’d learned that Shifters, especially mated ones, were very protective of their significant others. Reg was a complete and total doll. Her sexy tattooed mate would do anything for her, and wonder of wonders, she felt the same. It was so fast, true, but she had never felt so good in her life.
Gretchen ran up the stairs with him following closely behind her. That was another thing she’d learned. Running from a predator almost always ensured getting chased. Something she liked, but only if Reg was doing the chasing.
After a few more quick kisses at her insistence, Reg sat down at the table, and she went to the fridge. She’d wanted to surprise him with lunch today. Gretchen bit her lip as she pulled out some homemade chicken salad sandwiches.
“I made these for us,” she said, and laughed at his shocked expression. “What? I can cook.”
“Wow. I just didn’t expect this. Thank you, shona.”
“Well, after living with Elissa, I picked up a few things.”
“I love chicken salad,” he said, and ate more than half of the sandwich in two bites.
“Mm, good,” he managed with his mouth full.
Gretchen giggled and wiped his mouth with her napkin. That just got her another sloppy wet kiss she absolutely loved. Shit, there was that word again.
Love.
It made her nervous and gooey inside. A bundle of anxiety if she were being truthful. Did mates love each other? Was that a thing for Shifters? There was so much she did not know.
After they’d finished eating, she handed him a tall glass of water with a slice of lemon floating on top. Reg winked at her and tipped it to his lips. She sighed, marveling at how he drank the entire thing in one sip.
My oh my, she loved a man with a big appetite.
Okay. Truth time. She loved this man and all of his appetites. She just hadn’t told him yet. Being his mate was fine and good. Hell, more than that. It was better than she had ever expected, but he never said a thing about love.
Her heart squeezed at the thought that he could grow tired of her one day. After all, even if Uncle Uzzi and Elissa were telling the truth when they’d said a mate was the epitome of devotion, neither of them mentioned love either. Not really anyway.
Men were men, Regardless of the species. But Gretchen was a hopeless romantic. Fuck, she wished it were true. Wished he could love her even a little bit. She turned her head so he wouldn’t see her frown. Smiling at him when he took her hand.
The second he touched her, she pushed those negative thoughts aside. Whatever this was, and for however long it lasted, she was going to enjoy it.
Gretchen allowed Reg to steal her from her seat. She even giggled as his hands sought her skin beneath her shirt at her waist. He was extremely touchy feely, and she loved that about him. Loved it even more when he sat her down on his lap.
She was taller than him this way, and she liked having the advantage. Gretchen tugged his face up to hers, dropping long, tender kisses on his lips, then dipping her tongue inside his mouth.
An electrical sizzle of desire shot through her whenever she was with him, and her panties were proof of that. Damn, he was perfect.
Mine, her Tiger growled possessively.
Sheesh.
She’d need to keep a lid on her beastie.
“Mmm, you taste good, shona. I wish I didn’t have to return to the site we’re working on. So, tell me how’s work going today?”
She worked hard to rein in her inner slut, loving the hard feel of him beneath her ass, Knowing he wanted her just as much. The waiting would make later even better, and that was the only reason she was talking instead of ripping his clothes off.
“It’s good. I just had the spunkiest grandma in the world as a client. She had me dye the tips of her hair pink.”
“Cool. Doesn’t sound like my grandma. She wore her hair in a braid and used to hit me and Robbie with wooden spoons when we were bad,” he winked, and kissed her on her chin.
“Oh, yeah? I bet you deserved it.” Gretchen giggled, picturing him as a kid when she realized what he’d said.
“Wait. Who?”
“Oh. My brother, Robbie.”
“You have a brother?”
“Yep. He’s a seal.”
“He’s not a Tiger?”
“Yes, he is a Tiger,” he laughed, and she felt a warm blush spread over her cheeks.
“Rob is a Tiger Shifter, but he is also a Navy seal. We were both mischievous monsters when we were kids. Shifters have tons of energy, even if we can’t always change into our animals till after puberty,” he told her.
“Really? So, Elissa’s not giving birth to an actual baby Tiger then?” she asked.
“No, just a baby, but we call our young cubs. He or she won’t change until puberty, usually about thirteen or so,” he shrugged nonchalantly, but his deep blue eyes landed on her stomach, and she could see the longing in them.
A child? Her body flushed with warmth, She had always wanted children, er, cubs.
It would be amazing, but not for a while yet, at least. She was no way near ready to have a baby. Besides, she’d been on birth control since she was a teen.
Reg had cured her fear about their lack of condom usage after explaining that Shifters don’t typically get diseases, and they definitely did not get STDs. She’d had a lot of questions, and he really did his best to answer them.
Sighing, Gretchen relaxed into Reg’s arms, and he contented himself drawing little circles on her back. This was one of her favorite things about him.
The cuddling.
Her Reggie always seemed to want to hold her, and Gretchen was more than happy to comply. There hadn’t been a lot of affection in her life growing up, and she relished each cuddle session for the gift it was.
He kissed her forehead and rested his cheek on top of her hair. He smelled so very good to her new supernaturally enhanced senses. Like fresh cut grass and a cool spring breeze.
Her inner she-Cat chuffed happily as she lay in his arms. She could definitely get used to this. That fact was worrisome in itself.
For weeks now, they had been inseparable. Either he’d spend the night at her place, or she’d go with him to his suite of rooms at the Pride House.
She’d been a little nervous at first. Being around Hunter and Elissa now that she knew who and what they were, basically her kickass bosses, was a little nerve wracking.
She might have had a little bitty bone to pick with her best friend about the fact that she’d all but lied to her. A lie by omission was still a lie in her book. Gretchen had been pissed Elissa didn’t tell her a thing about all this. Still was, a little.
Imagine not explaining about Shifters to your own best friend! Hmph!
The fact Shifters existed, and Elissa could now get all stripey and furry, were things she should have told her as her best friend. She could have shared something, for fuck’s sake. At least, she should have in Gretchen’s opinion.
The nerve of Elissa! It broke all the best friend rules, but it was water under the bridge now. She’d already forgiven Liss. And now, she understood the need for secrecy.
The supernatural world had to remain secret. It was vital to their survival, and very few humans were in the know. Gretchen couldn’t even begin to grasp the many wonders and marvels that she had yet to discover.
That was all fine and good. Exciting even. There was just one thing that bothered her. Not knowing where she fit exactly. If only she could guarantee Reg would want her and be there with her for always.
Sigh.
Life didn’t come with guarantees, so she’d have to learn to enjoy this while she could. Her Tiger hissed and growled. The animal didn’t like it when Gretchen’s thoughts turned dark, but she couldn’t help it.
Her future was tenuous at best. Hunter mentioned an induction ceremony into the Pride, but that was in passing. Reg seemed to like being with her, but he’d never said a thing about what came next for them.
Hint hint.
How about something sparkly for that third finger on her left hand?
Gretchen might be a Shifter now, but she’d been a human for thirty-years before that. She had very human expectations of how relationships progressed. There had been plenty of growling, kissing, tearing each other’s clothes off, and hot, sweaty sex that ended in super amazing orgasms, and even biting, but she had yet to hear him say those oh so important three little words.
And yet, their absence hurt. Funny how three words could mean so much.
Why hadn’t he said them? That was the thing truly driving her nuts. It was not like he was shy about anything else. Her sweet Reggie was always touching her and telling her she was beautiful.
She wasn’t complaining, but she needed a little verbal affirmation. Maybe it was a Shifter thing. Maybe they were secret commitment-phobes.
Shifter society rules were out of her range of experience. Meeting the other Pride Mates had gone alright. The men were all sexy and huge, and the females gorgeous.
No one was as handsome as Reg, but still, they were a very good looking bunch. She had already met some of the women from the Pride.
They’d come to Cut It Out to either welcome her or just to look around her salon. Some of them, she hadn’t recognized as Shifters since they’d visited before she went through the Puspa.
Others she’d met at the Pride House. In fact, one of them was her two o’clock. She glanced at the microwave and sighed.
“You have an appointment coming in, shona?”
“Yeah, a cut and blow dry at two with Pamela Brown, but I would rather stay here with you,” she said Regretfully.
“Pamela?”
“Yes, she’s a Tiger from the Pride, right?” she asked missing the worried expression on his face.
“Yeah, she is. Be careful, okay? Pamela doesn’t play nicely with others. She can be a bit rude,” he told her, frowning.
“Of course. Don’t worry. I’m used to dealing with waspish females,” she replied and smiled at him.
“Alright, well, I have to get going too. The crew is working on a repair to the exit ramp off I-95 to Barvale,” Reg said, reaching for a kiss.
“You be careful too,” she said.
“Uh huh,” he nodded, and brushed her lips with his.
Shivers of anticipation made Gretchen tremble just before his lips, soft and firm, melded to hers. She swayed closer to him, loving the feel of all his rippling muscles against her softness.
There was just something about the man that knocked her completely off balance. Gretchen wiggled on his lap and felt the hard bar of his evident arousal beneath her ass. Desire flared between them, hot and quick as lightning, but the buzzing of the intercom broke them apart.
“That’s Marion,” she said, breathing heavy as Reg was.
“Later, we finish this later,” he said firmly.
Dark blue eyes, like sapphires, held hers captive. Gretchen realized for the first time that the deep magical glow was his Tiger sneaking a peek at her. She felt her own beast rush forward in response. The she-Tiger anxious to see her mate.
“Yes, later,” she answered, despite all her reservations.
She was in too deep to deny him anything. Neither of them had made any declarations, but she knew exactly how she felt about him. Her own Tiger was more than thrilled by it, the damn beast was purring with emotion.
Gretchen was in love with the big, sexy man. She just didn’t know if he loved her back.