Chapter Nineteen: Clint

Chapter Nineteen – Clint

“Do you think he’s asleep?” Martha whispered as she raised a glass of whiskey to her lips and took a sip.

“I know he’s asleep,” Clint replied. “And if he wasn’t, he could probably hear us talking even if we whisper.”

“Really?” Martha squawked.

Clint nodded his head. “Welcome to the world of shifters!” He raised his glass in a mock toast. “I hate to break it to you, but there’s no such thing as a private conversation if there’s a shifter close by.”

Martha looked shocked at the revelation. “Oh, my goodness,” she said. “How can I ever feel like I have any privacy?”

Clint smiled sadly and shook his head. “Most shifters have what I call selective hearing,” he explained. “They don’t listen to other people’s conversations unless they really want to or unless they’re a teenager.” He shrugged as her eyes widened. “It’s a self-preservation thing, I guess. They don’t want to get involved in other people’s business unless it affects them directly.”

Martha took a swig of her drink and murmured, “I’m so thankful that I didn’t pursue law here. There would be no such thing as attorney-client privilege, right? Is that why the crime rate is low here? Because everyone knows what the others are doing?”

Clint chuckled. “No, the crime rate is low because most folk in town are shifters.”

“Do you have some kind of secret code?” Martha leaned in, as if expecting his answer to contain top-secret shifter information.

“No, we have an instinctive need to provide for our mates and our families. So we work hard. And play hard.” He gave her a knowing look.

And don’t forget to tell her that most shifters would never risk going to jail because they would be parted from their mate,his bear added.

And we would never want to be apart from our mate. Clint sighed contentedly as Martha downed her whiskey and placed the empty glass down on the counter and offered him a gentle smile, one that spoke of their deep connection.

“Thank you for the drink.” She glanced toward the door. “I should get going. I need to sleep. I get the feeling that tomorrow is going to be an eventful day.”

“Not as eventful as this one,” Clint replied.

“No, today is almost impossible to beat.” The tips of her fingers skated along the countertop, and he could barely contain the groan that threatened to burst from his throat. His skin felt electrified by desire, desperate for the feel of her fingertips moving over every inch of it. Did Martha have any idea of the effect she was having on him as she said, “But depending on what you hear back from Brad, we might have to act fast.”

“Then why don’t you stay the night?” Clint held his breath, watching as she lifted her chin and their gazes collided. She was so beautiful it took his breath away.

She’s going to remind you that her cabin is only a stone’s throw away,his bear told him.

Maybe, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get,Clint replied.

Are you testing our mate?His bear chuckled to himself. You want to know if the connection between us is as strong for Martha as it is for us.

You have me, Clint replied. I don’t want us to ever be apart unless absolutely necessary.

And you need to know how strong the pull is for Martha.His bear nodded in agreement and settled down to sleep. That is such a human trait. Whereas I am confident in my relationship with our mate. The bear closed his eyes, leaving the human side of Clint to figure out his insecurities.

“I don’t have any PJ’s,” Martha answered.

“That’s not a no...” Clint arched an eyebrow at her.

Martha’s cheeks flamed red, and she smiled shyly. “I guess it isn’t, is it?” She took a deep breath and looked into Clint’s eyes.

“I can lend you some, if you’d like,” he offered. “Or we could sleep naked.”

Martha nodded slowly. “That is a tempting offer.” She glanced around the room and added with a mischievous grin, “It’s too late to go back to my cabin tonight, anyway.”

Clint laughed and shook his head. “Even though you only have to walk less than fifty feet across the parking lot?” he said and immediately regretted the words spilling from his mouth, knowing he might push her away.

Martha turned around and leaned on the counter, staring out of the window. “But it’s so cold outside.”

Clint crossed the kitchen and stood behind her, their bodies touching. He slid his arm around her waist and drew her back against him; it felt like his skin melted into hers. Heat radiated from her body, flooding his senses until all he could focus on was their closeness.

Martha shifted her weight and tipped her head back, resting it on his shoulder as she inched her body up and down, rubbing against his hardness. “And it’s so hot in here.”

“Maybe we should do something about that.” He pressed his lips to her neck softly, and she gave a low moan that made him harden even more.

“What did you have in mind?” Martha purred, running her hands up his arms.

Clint turned her around to face him, his hands on her hips as he looked into her eyes. “I think it’s time to get out of these clothes,” he said huskily, biting his lip as the intensity of the moment took over.

Martha nodded in agreement, her eyes never leaving his. She stepped back and pulled her sweater over her head, teasing him with every movement. Clint was mesmerized by her, his eyes following the sway of her curvy hips as she undressed.

She reached behind her back to unhook her bra and Clint felt his heart skip a beat as she slowly slipped it to the floor. He took a step closer, his hands gliding over her smooth skin as he leaned in for a kiss. Martha opened her mouth to him, tasting sweet like honey.

As their tongues entwined, Clint’s arousal shot up a notch. He wanted nothing more than to tear the rest of her clothes off and make love to her right there in the kitchen.

But then Martha stepped back, her breasts rising and falling with her heavy breathing. “Shall we go upstairs?” she whispered.

“I think my bedroom might be too far,” he murmured. “But the kitchen table is handmade. And sturdy.”

A small smile played across her lips as she ran her hand across the hard wood with her eyes fixed on his groin. “It does feel rock solid.”

Clint nodded, his gaze never leaving her as he stepped closer and brushed a stray hair away from her face. “I think it will do just fine,” he said huskily before sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her over to the table.

He lay Martha down on the cool surface and kissed her as he slowly unbuttoned her slacks, his fingers tracing every inch of her skin. Martha moaned in pleasure and he reached up to pull his shirt off, wanting to feel nothing but skin on skin. A wave of desire washed over him as he kissed her neck and along the curve of her hipbones before gently pushing her slacks off.

Martha arched her back as Clint’s hands roamed all over her body, exploring every inch of her curves and making her moan with desire. He leaned in to kiss the hollow of her neck and his hardness pressed against her.

He ached to devour her in the most intimate way, and he sank onto his knees, spreading her legs wider. He inhaled her sweet aroma as he bent forward and brushed his lips over her inner thighs, eliciting a moan that drove him to distraction.

Damn, he needed to taste her.

Clint’s lips moved higher, pressing against her most sensitive flesh until she trembled beneath him, and he savored the sweetness of her essence with his skillful tongue. Her hips bucked as he flicked his tongue over her delicate flesh before he traced his tongue in ever decreasing circles, eliciting a low moan from Martha. He continued to lap at her as he slid two fingers inside and grazed her inner walls.

She gasped and covered her face with her hands. He quickened his pace, lapping faster and harder as she approached her peak. Every lick, every thrust was like a sweet torture that pushed her closer and closer to climax.

Martha gripped the edges of the table as Clint increased his speed, taking her to new heights of pleasure. Finally, she cried out in a release of pure ecstasy, and Clint continued to lick her until she quivered beneath his touch, her breath coming hard and fast as a small sob escaped her lips.

In one fluid movement, Clint stood, the space between them charged with sparks of electricity that seemed to jump from his skin. Martha’s lips curved into a knowing smile as she sat up and her arm snaked around his waist, drawing him near until his steel frame was pressed against hers.

“Make love to me,” she whispered in his ear before she sucked his fleshy lobe into her mouth.

Clint groaned in response, his hands cupping her breast, his thumb rolling over her nipple. “Here?”

In response she released his earlobe before she turned around in his arms and leaned over the table. “Here.”

Clint was painfully hard. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside his mate and take her hard and fast until she cried out his name.

But he also wanted to savor this moment, with his mate bent over his kitchen table. It was as if fate had reached inside his head and plucked out one of his fantasies.

With a sigh of contentment, he slipped his hand around her and cupped her breast, tweaking her nipple between his finger and thumb. Martha moaned and arched her back as he continued to pinch her nipple, then he dipped his fingers inside her and took her to the edge of her orgasm before stopping.

He moved closer until he was pressed against her back and trailed soft kisses up and down her spine as his fingers moved inside her, slower, exploring her intimately. She squirmed beneath him, pressing herself against him as her breathing quickened.

“Clint,” she gasped and looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes dark with desire.

Clint slipped his fingers out of her and placed them on her hip as their eyes locked together. Martha licked her lips and gripped the edges of the table as he rubbed his hard length against her before slowly, inch by inch, he entered her.

Clint moved slowly so as not to overwhelm her as he stretched her inner walls, pushing himself in deeper until they were joined completely. He paused for a moment to take in the sensation, and Martha moaned softly in response as he flexed his hips in small circles.

Then he began to move in a slow rhythm, enjoying the sensations of being buried deep inside his mate. He changed the angle of his thrusts and leaned over, kissing along the length of her spine. Martha shivered beneath him, and her inner muscles gripped him tighter, the sensation exciting him even more. With each moan that escaped her lips, his need to take her to new heights grew.

She was close to coming, and he slid his hand around her waist before moving it lower. He circled her clit with his thumb and Martha gasped, her body trembling as he increased the pressure.

Martha’s breaths came out stuttered and she moaned as Clint increased his speed, lunging into her until he was buried to the hilt. She matched his pace, her small cries interspersed with words that urged him on.

Finally, with one last thrust, both of them cried out in pure ecstasy as they reached their peak together. They stayed connected for a few moments before Clint gently withdrew from Martha and pulled her into his arms, where she lay against him contentedly until finally their breathing returned to normal.

“Until you, I hadn’t made love for years,” she admitted as she stroked his chest. “Actually, I don’t know if I’ve ever made love at all.”

“It was just sex,” Clint said, understanding her completely.

“Yes. Nothing compares to this.” She tilted her head back and looked into his eyes. “And nothing ever will.”

“Oh, I disagree,” he replied. “I plan to make it my life’s work to bring you pleasure.”

She shivered against him, and he effortlessly scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed.

Another of his fantasies fulfilled.