Unexpected Sting by Viola Grace (free reads .TXT) 📕

chuckled. “You both had unusual afternoons, so I will guess thatyou would need to discuss things.”

“Not really. Her sex life is herown business.” She smiled.

“That is a very openattitude.”

She turned her head, and theywere face to face. “You haven’t been around many women withtransferable power, have you? Moods, hormones, power, it allflows.”

She looked at him, and his eyescrossed. She smiled. “The PMS damage around my mother’s home istremendous. That is what made us move from Nana Baker’s. Moodswings and exploding trees. What happened to your grandfather?”

“No one knows. All we know isthat full power transferred to my father when he was in hisforties.”

“Wait. You aren’t at full poweryet?”

He chuckled and wrapped his armsaround her. “Nope. Probably won’t get it until I am old andwrinkled if my mom has any say in it. She is keeping my dadridiculously healthy.”

“So, yours passes on as astraight inheritance?”

“Yes. Doesn’t yours?”

“Abrax said that he lost thecompulsion eighteen years ago when I was fourteen. That was after Ihad gotten control of the power that I did have, and then, it gotturned up exponentially, and I had to start learning all overagain.”

“Compulsion?”

“To follow the currentOrion.”

“So, it is an actualcompulsion.”

“It is. Apparently, I restrainedmy stalking to the continent. I know the feeling of the push andnot knowing why.”

His eyes widened. “Because noone taught you what it was.”

“Correct. Nurture over nature inthat case. I didn’t know why I was supposed to be stalking you, soI didn’t.” She shrugged. “I just kept showing up in the cities youwere travelling to.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because when I would arrive inthe place I was being pushed to, I would be able to relax. So, myeighteenth birthday, my twenty-first, friends’ baby showers,bachelorettes, girls’ nights, they were all within a few blocks ofwhatever you were doing, which based on the neighbourhoods that myfriends frequent, it was either a land deal or strippers.”

He blinked. “How could you knowthat?”

She chuckled. “We hung out in alot of warehouse districts.”

“Alone?”

“I come from mage blood. We do alot of stuff without men to chaperone us.”

He blinked and grinned. “Fairenough.”

He slid his hand into her robe,cupping her breast.

She looked down then up at him.“Where did that come from?”

“I have been thinking about itsince you were sleeping.” He smiled. “I behaved myself.”

“This is behaving?”

He thumbed her nipple andsqueezed her breast lightly but firmly. “You are awake, aware, andhave full ability to issue a yea or nay.”

She huffed and pressed her kneestogether. She slowly closed her laptop. It levitated off of her lapand settled securely out of standing or kicking distance.

“I will take it that that is ayes.”

She bit her lip and nodded. “Itis.”

He smiled and pulled her ontohis lap, undoing the belt of her robe until it slid off hershoulders. He bent his head to her breast, and she threaded herfingers through his hair and gasped as every part of her woke up inhis arms. When he started to get hotter, she became wary, and whenhe got larger, she sighed with a chuckle. “You like sex in themornings?”

He moved to the other breast andchuckled, his hand caressing her with the back of his knuckles. “Ilike it any time I can get it.”

“I see.”

“I am glad. You do notmind?”

She looked at him and hishopeful expression. “I do not mind, just no blood without consent,and watch the nails.”

He nodded. “I can do that.”

Stinger smiled. “In that case,Arthur, I put myself in your hands.”

He grinned, showing the lockingcanines. “I will be careful with you.”

He rubbed the back of hisknuckles between her thighs until she widened them. She was alreadyslick from the attention to her breasts. He kissed her, and hislong tongue flicked into her mouth. She wasn’t able to reciprocate,and she figured out that he was tasting her.

When he withdrew, she looked athim with narrowed eyes. “When will you stop tasting me?”

“When I know all of you. Arthurneeds to know as well in case you are ever in danger.”

“How is knowing what I tastelike going to help if I am in danger?”

He smiled. “When we know all ofyou, we can know where you are at all times.”

“Creepy.”

“As if your following of usacross the continent has not been creepy?”

“I didn’t know I was doing it,and when this contract is over, he will be free to make himselfavailable to gym bunnies again.” She blinked. “Can this bereversed?”

“Can what be reversed?”

“The tracking.”

“No. Once we have bound to you,it is permanent. His gym bunnies are no longer a concern.”His fingers continued to rock against her.

She gripped his wrist. “This isa mistake.”

He paused. “What is?”

“This. You keep telling me thatwe are mates. We aren’t.” She panicked, and her breathing wascoming faster.

He met her gaze, and he removedhis hand from her as he gathered her to him. He licked at hisknuckles absently. “What frightens you so much that you won’t tellhim?”

She swallowed. “What do youmean?”

“When I mention that we aremates, you panic. Your heart pounds, you go pale, and it is onlywhen you insist that this is only for the breeding contract thatyou calm down. If the breeding contract gets us into your bed andbody, then that is the means we will use.”

“I don’t know how to think of afuture.” She murmured it. “I have seen so many women who deludedthemselves with forever and were willing to pay anything for it...and they did.”

He lifted her chin, and histhumb wiped at the tear that she didn’t realize was on her cheek.“So, you will take an ogre to your bed, but you are afraid of aunion of equals?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know howto be a couple. How to make space for another person in my life. Itis too big a challenge. I don’t even have a home.”

“Ah. Well, that should beremedied first. Did you want to move near your mother?”

“Um, no. I would definitelyprefer to be in a place that is accessible when stuff like thecurrent weather kicks in.” Stinger nodded. “But maybe with a largeyard.”

His body cooled to normal bodytemperature ranges. “A fenced yard?”

“An acreage. I like to do whippractice when I have a chance, and finding space to do it