12. Amy

12

I'm boneless.

And confused.

My arms are pinned to my chest with Dante's wide body curled over the top of mine. My cheek is flattened against the solid muscle of his chest, but he's somehow keeping the bulk of his weight off of me. The steady lub-dub of his heart against my ear is soothing, his comforting warmth soaking into me through his skin. But I can't help but feel like something just went very wrong.

For a moment I could have sworn that we were synced. Our hearts beating the same rhythm. Breathing the same air. All of it was perfect. The way he filled me. Hitting that spot deep inside that turned my bones to mush and rocketed me into the most amazing orgasm. He had my body clenching and tightening and then accelerating towards—an unexpected and disappointing power down.

The moment I'd begged him to cum inside me every muscle in his body locked up and he pulled out, leaving me empty and startled. But my orgasm had already started to crest and as he pumped his fist and shot his load across my stomach, I finished in a horribly mediocre way.

I'm not sure if minutes or hours have passed. But suddenly my bladder is starting to complain. My arms feel like they weigh ten tons each as I struggle to push him off of me.

"Shhh, baby," he whispers as he adjusts his weight so he's no longer caging me but curling up next to me. "Let me make you more comfortable," he whispers before placing a kiss at my temple and pulling a blanket over my shoulder.

Tears suddenly burn the backs of my eyes and I blink to keep them back. Next my nose starts to run, and before I can stop myself, I'm sniffling.

The mattress heaves under me and suddenly he's looking down at me with concern filled eyes.

"What's wrong?"

I turn away from him with a shake of my head, but Dante is having none of it.

"Amy," he cups the bottom half of my jaw and turns me back to look up at him. "What's wrong."

"I—" my throat closes and more tears well up, spilling down my cheeks with my next blink. "You—you didn't—" Why didn't you come in me? I want to shout it, but emotion has stolen my voice.

The mattress heaves again and suddenly I'm being lifted and then cradled in his lap.

"Shhh," he hushes me. "I'm sorry. Whatever it is, I'm sorry."

I want to push him away or strike out until he lets me go. Instead, I curl into him, pressing my face and hands against his chest, letting out the sobs that refuse to be held back. Like a breached dam, suddenly I'm releasing all the stress I've been holding in. All the pent-up anger and frustration at Chad. The worry I have for Molly and if I'm protecting her the way I need to, especially after agreeing to this auction. Also, for this infuriating male who is somehow wriggling himself into my heart.

Dante holds me, gently rocking us back and forth until my sobs slowly turn to hiccups. When I finally calm, he wipes away my tears and places soft kisses across my forehead and cheeks.

"What did I do, Amy?" he asks as his eyes scan over my face.

"It's not—it's what you didn't do," I finally manage, with only a slight waver in my voice.

He frowns, but then understanding flickers behind his eyes.

"Fuck, Amy. Is it because you wanted me to cum in you, and I didn't?" When I nod, he drops his head and lets out a long sigh. "We only have tonight. I didn't want to dump this on you all at once."

Exasperation flares hot in the center of my chest. "Stop speaking in riddles!" I push at him, but I might has well be trying to shove a solid steel wall for all the give I get under my hands.

"Alright, baby. You're right," his eyes slide closed for a moment as he breathes deeply through his nose. "I need you to listen until I've finished telling you everything." When his eyes open again, his expression is dead serious and maybe even a little… terrified.

"Okay. Just—I need you to tell me the truth. Whatever it is."

Dante's arms wrap around me, and he squeezes me tightly against his chest. "Always. I'll always tell you the truth, I vow it."

My heart is pounding, and all hints of teasing are gone from his expression. He's serious as a heart attack and… and suddenly I wonder if I really want the truth from him after all.

"You know that monsters exist. That's one of the stipulations that you have to agree upon before being accepted into the auction," he says.

Oh. Oh, right.

With everything that has happened, I forgot about that part. Partially because Dante looks so… so human. That and running into him at the diner…

"So, what kind of monster are you, then?" I ask him cautiously.

His lips peel back from white teeth that suddenly look a lot sharper than I remember. It's not a smile, though, this is him showing me what I asked.

"I'm a shifter. That's why I look human to you. I am human. At least one half is. My other half is puma. Or mountain lion, panther, catamount, cougar. Take your pick, they all mean the same thing."

Suddenly, I can see it. Not with my eyes exactly, but I feel the truth in his words.

"Alright, so you're a cougar shifter," my eyes go to his tattoo. "Is that your cat then?"

This time when his lips spread, it's because he is smiling. "It is."

"Ok," I say with a slight nod, "that still doesn't explain why you pulled away from me?"

His muscles tense around me and the sound of his swallow is loud with my ear to his chest. He's quiet for a long time before he finally takes a breath to speak.

"What do you know about the mating habits of cats?"

"Um—?" I have no idea where he could possibly be going with this? "I mean, the basic stuff, I guess?" Which is practically nothing.

"Felines have barbs that run the length of their penis, it keeps them connected to the female during mating. Puma shifters… have something similar."

My back straightens and suddenly I want to get as far away from Dante's lap—his dick especially—as possible. But he holds me in place as he continues.

"In shifters, the barbs only engage when we ejaculate inside our mate."

My knees snap shut, and I whimper.

"I wanted to warn you before it happened," holding me tightly, he brings his mouth to my ear, "Don't worry, my cum has special properties. It will trigger the most amazing orgasm you've ever had and dull any pain you might feel with the most exquisite pleasure."

His deep, raspy voice sends waves of gooseflesh skittering across my skin, and heat pulsing between my legs.

"My barbs will lock us together, keeping my seed inside you," he breaths hotly into my ear along with a low moan, "where it will trigger your ovulation and, Fates willing, plant itself nice and deep."

I shiver at the erotic imagery, but quickly shake myself out of the stupor he's managed to put me into.

"I barely know you," I push myself back so I can look up at him. "If you think I'm going to be on board with letting you knock me up?—"

His arms tighten around me and he chuckles, "I know, baby. I know. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get the contraceptive shot before we leave. That should give us plenty of time to get to know each other before we need to think about adding to our family."

My tight muscles relax at hearing that getting me pregnant isn't part of his immediate plan.

"Mmm, but it turns me the fuck on thinking about breeding you," then he leans down and silences me with his lips. Nipping and licking, before plunging his tongue to swirl and dance with mine until I nearly forget what it was we were arguing about.

"Wait. Adding to?" I gasp, pushing myself away from his heady kisses once more.

"Of course," he chuckles, softly brushing his knuckles down the side of my face. "You're a package deal, you and Molly, and I am going to do everything within my power to make sure that neither of you have to deal with your asshole ex, ever again."

"As much as I wish that was so, Chad will always be Molly's father. And until she decides that enough is enough, I won't keep her from him." My hand leisurely runs up and down the tight muscles of his chest as I let out a long sigh. "Right now, he's the one that's not fulfilling his end of the bargain and that's hurting Molly, which is why I want to take him back to court. He needs to be held accountable for his actions, instead of laying the blame at my feet. If he ever changes, I won't keep him from having a relationship with his daughter.

"And as for you having a relationship with my daughter," I look up and meet his eyes, so he'll see just how serious I am about this. "You're going to have to earn that, too. I won't be introducing you to her right away. We need to get to know each other first."

"Fuck, Amy. That's exactly what I would expect! You call all the shots when it comes to your daughter, and I'll do whatever you tell me to."

My heart swells inside my chest as I reach up to take hold of his wandering hand that is slowly making its way down the front of my chest towards my breast.

"Dante, all of that sounds—really fucking amazing," I admit to him, "but I think you're forgetting something. The rules are that we get a night. Just one. And when I leave here, I won't remember you or any of this."

"Hmm, you're right. Those are the rules," his eyes flash with mischief. "But you're forgetting something else I said. Something that is very important. You're my fated mate, which means that my cat won't let them take you from me without a fight."

His head dips and his lips crash down on mine again. His kisses take my breath and kindles the simmering heat inside me. God, do I even dare consider everything he's promising me? Can I trust him and all the wonderful things he says? It wouldn't just be my heart at risk, but Molly's as well, because I know that the moment she meets him she's going to love him. So, do I trust him?

He pulls me so that my back is pressed against his front, tucking his knees behind mine, and curling his much bigger body around mine. Tipping my head back, I turn the side of my face into the space between his shoulder and chest. Drawing in a deep breath I let myself bask in his sunshine and woodsmoke scent but soon it becomes obvious that there is a part of him that's not at interesting in cuddling. A big part.

"Mmm, baby. You feel what you do to me?" he drawls as he rocks his hips against my ass. "You can take me again, can't you? I'll make it so good for you." His cock is hard as steel as he slides it up and down the crack of my ass. "No stopping this time."

My breath explodes from my lungs because I know just how good he'll make it for me. But everything he just told me has me tensing up and suddenly I remember that my bladder is needing my attention.

"I need a minute first," I tell him as I roll out of his arms. As I slide from the bed, I look back at him over my shoulder. The way he watches me has my breath stilling in my lungs and I'm tempted to forget about my bodies needs and launch myself back into his arms. Instead, I bite down on my bottom lip and run across the room to shut myself inside the attached bathroom.