Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

T he days fell into an easy routine. Travis seemed to go out of his way to make things simple for her. He was adamant about her being either with him or with other cops. She was not to be by herself. Therefore, he was patient about going with her to look at crime scenes.

At week's end, Bertrand delivered the harvest table as well as an elaborate St. Andrew's cross.

"You aren't seriously going to keep that in here?" she said to Travis.

He brushed his lips against hers and trailed his hand across her backside. "Serious as a heart attack. I thought we'd put it between the fireplace and the windows. Bertrand can build a cabinet for it, with storage for various implements that need to be hung up instead of stuffed in a drawer."

Skylar could feel heat suffusing her cheeks. "How… how did you know?"

"Piper and I are pretty open with one another, and I was at Dante's last year when you, Mariah, and Abriana were there. I've never been interested in impact implements other than for discipline or maybe stress relief, but when I saw how you responded, I started learning. In fact, I stayed an extra week with Luca, and he taught me how to use various kinds of floggers. I've been studying with Lincoln Steele, and hold whip master status at both Dante's and Torch Light."

Instead of getting angry, Skylar felt tears forming. She knew all too well what it took to be declared a whip master at either Dante's or Torch Light. "You did that for me?"

He nodded. "And like Luca after he met Seraphina, I never provided anything more than comfort care. Took nothing for myself."

"I… I never… I mean…"

He kissed her. "I know, baby, Luca told me. So did Linc."

She walked to the cross and ran her hands down the smooth metal. "It's a work of art, Bertrand."

"Thank you," said Bertrand, looking proud. "I had some vintage ironwork that I thought I could use, and then put something behind it to hide your pleasure from prying eyes."

She turned to Travis. "I really don't deserve you."

"Not true. I know this case has you on edge. We'll find our way."

Bertrand finished taking measurements of the space and said he could take the cross back with him until he had the cabinet ready. Skylar was grateful for his offer but declined. When he left, she locked the door and joined Travis in the kitchen. The cabinetry and appliances had been installed and the only thing they were waiting for was the open shelving.

"Okay, I give up. What's this space by the fridge for? I mean, I can tell it's supposed to be here as it's fully enclosed, but for the life of me, I can't figure it out," she said. "And there looks to be electricity and a data port."

"It's a surprise, and it'll be here tomorrow."

He finished cooking a simple yet delicious scallop risotto, then stripped her trousers off and sat her on the counter. He stepped between her legs and began to feed her.

"You know," she said in a sultry voice, "it occurs to me that this counter is at an odd height."

"I don't find it odd at all. I find it just perfect."

She nodded. "Agreed, but I'm guessing you were thinking about cooking when you picked it."

"No. I was thinking about eating and other things I could do to my beautiful mate." He walked to the wall by the sink and turned off the lights in the kitchen.

The sun had set, but the night sky was full of stars and the lighting for the courtyard had been installed—hundreds of small twinkle lights were strung throughout the trees as well as the beams and portico of the outside dining space. The ambient light from outside cast an ethereal glow into the kitchen.

"Take off the shirt and bra, Skylar," he said, his voice low, husky, and full of lust.

She'd known from the moment she walked in that Travis planned to seduce her and then fuck her into absolute oblivion. Her mate seemed to know what she needed without her ever having to verbalize it.

Her fingers trailed down her throat and she pulled the blouse away from her neck, exposing the place she knew he meant to mark. She could feel the bulge in the front of his jeans as her legs dangled off the edge of the counter and he pressed himself against her. She reached for the small pearl buttons and unfastened them, shrugging out of the silk blouse and letting it fall to the floor.

He nodded toward her bra. It was one of her favorites, a lacey creation made of fine plum-colored fabric and lace dyed to match. It pushed her tits up as if they were on offer to him. Travis growled softly as she reached around to unfasten the clasp in the back, letting it slide off of her arms and allowing it to go the way of her blouse.

"Now the hair."

She smiled and released her blond tresses from the messy bun she favored for work. Her locks fell to half-way down her back, some of it ending up teasing her breasts and her distended nipples.

Travis's fingers ran down her neck and traced each of her breasts, never quite touching the sensitive tips. He continued teasing her by running his hand down the midline of her body until he came to her mons. He slid his fingers between, circling her clit and finding her luscious cream just waiting for him to use it. He smiled, knowingly, greedily. Travis knew damn well what he did to her and reveled in her response.

He leaned in, tangling his fingers in her hair and kissing her. A small tremor went through her body as his tongue traced the seam of her lips and she swore she could feel it in her pussy. She moaned into his mouth and brought her arms up to wrap around him.

"No, Skylar. I want your hands on the edge of the counter on either side of your gorgeous thighs."

Skylar purred in response and placed her hands where he wanted them. It was so easy to submit to Travis. He didn't make a big deal of it; he simply led her where he wanted her to go.

H e pressed his lips to hers, his tongue pushing past her teeth to tangle and dance. He loved the way she surrendered herself to him. During the day she might be a hard-driving detective hunting a serial killer, but at night she was his sensual mate, his sex kitten, his fuck toy. Skylar was everything. He wanted her to catch this bastard if for no other reason than then he could mark her and knot and tie her to him. While their loft was as secure as he could make it, he knew it wasn't safe to have her bound to him in a tie until the killer was caught.

Travis nibbled down her jaw and continued down her neck. Skylar leaned back and offered him her throat. He knew it was instinctive, but it was hard to resist. He nipped the spot he intended to claim and felt her pussy pulse against the hard bulge in his jeans before moving down to her breasts.

Swirling his tongue around her nipple, he sucked it between his lips, rumbling to her as he felt a shudder go through her body. Skylar arched her back and pushed her breast deeper into his mouth. He moved from one to the other, lavishing them with attention. When she started to squirm and push herself against him, he nipped the pebbled peak.

"Such a good mate," he purred as he kneeled in front of her.

"Travis, no," she cried softly. "Please, baby, fuck me. I need you to fuck me."

"You have to trust that I know what you need and accept that whatever I give you is the best thing for you. Place your legs over the tops of my shoulders. I fed you dinner, now I intend to have dessert."

Leaning in, he used his thumbs to splay her labia so he could see her swollen lips and clit. It was begging for his attention. He circled the engorged nub before flicking it with his tongue, and inhaled deeply as she moaned. The perfume of her arousal washed over him. He nipped her little pearl and fused his mouth over the opening to her core, allowing his tongue to surge inside to taste her cream. She pounded the counter with her hands as his tongue became coated with her essence.

His own arousal raced through his blood like a wildfire. It seemed to get more profound each time he had her. He stood up, unbuttoned his jeans, and pushed them down past his buttocks. His cock was hard and throbbed with need.

"See what you do to me, mate?" he rumbled at her. Her eyes held his and glowed with pleasure and resurging need. "Look down. I want you to watch my cock plow your pussy."

Her breath caught in her throat as she cast her eyes down and watched as he slowly penetrated her opening, pushing himself deep inside her with one long pass, groaning as he did so. Her head fell backward, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she came again. Travis fisted her hair and forced her head forward.

"I said watch me fuck you," he growled.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he pulled back before once more surging into her. He grasped her hips and began thrusting into her again and again. Every time she tried to look away, he growled. Skylar clutched the edges of the countertop and he felt her let go of everything except her need to provide him with the perfect vehicle for his lust.

Harder and harder he pounded into her, her pussy clamping down on him. He shoved himself deep, holding himself hard against her as he bathed her pussy with his cum, groaning with the sheer pleasure and relief of becoming one with her.

"Hang onto me," he rumbled.

She locked her legs around his waist and sagged against his chest. Skyler rested her head on his shoulder and her arms went around his neck. Slipping his hands under her ass, he lifted her off the counter and took her to their bed, which he had already turned back. He lay her down, pressed her into the mattress, and finally disengaged.

"Catch this guy, Skylar. I want to claim you fully, take you into seclusion and knot and tie you to me over and over and over again."

He grinned. She was already asleep. If the cops couldn't catch this guy and put him behind bars… Maybe it was time he went hunting.