Heat in the Bayou Read online

  Kissing a path down her neck, he inhaled her unique patchouli scent. The air thickened around them and he lifted her head, gazing into her eyes. The glow was hypnotic and drew him in. The contrast of her light green eyes against her dark skin was eerily erotic. Consumed by a sexual haze, all he knew was he needed more.

  His hands dug into the cotton of her top and tugged. She lifted her arms to help him and when her breasts fell free with a slight bounce, he was speechless. She wasn't wearing a bra and certainly didn't need to. Her ample breasts were pert and stood high and firm. Her dark nipples pebbled in the slightly cool air, begging his attention.

  Lowering his head, he licked the underside of her breast and smiled when she gasped. He continued a path around her flesh and settled over her nipple. He palmed the large globe as he sucked on her flesh as his other hand went to the clasp at the front of her shorts, lowering the zipper. He groaned as his taste buds reveled in her flavor. She was the sweetest chocolate, dark and tangy. The best truffle he'd ever tasted and he needed more.

  Her fingers were hot brands against his abdomen where she tugged at his shirt, quickly removing it. He wasn't done with his exploration of her breasts so soon and latched back on before his shirt hit the ground.

  Her hands went to his jeans and fumbled at his waist. His shaft pulsed in his pants as if the damn thing could jump into her hand. He was completely onboard with the idea, but he had to get her ready for him. The moment Mr. Hard-on made his appearance it was going to be a quick, hard ride this first time. He wanted it to last longer so he could savor the female in his arms, but the sexual tension was wound so tight it was a wonder he hadn't already exploded.

  Her shorts hit the floor and she pushed at his chest. The little vixen didn't have any panties on either. A slight hesitation on her part had him lifting his head reluctantly from her breast. "Whatever you're thinking about, stop. I know you want me," he murmured inhaling her arousal. "You have no idea how much I want you. I need my hands all over you."

  "I don't have a problem with dat plan," she panted, tilting her head to the side and allowing him to kiss and explore the skin there. "I was tinkin' we could do dis on da bed, but if you prefer standing, I'm up for dat challenge."

  He chuckled against her skin. "I'm going to fuck you up against the wall this first time, chicory," he declared, picking her up. Hot limbs wrapped around his waist and he felt wet heat on his stomach.

  Groaning, he palmed the globes of her ass and pressed their bodies against the wall. "Take your shoes off, Zeke. We may be fucking like animals, but I want you completely naked."

  Chuckling, he said, "Your wish is my command." Using one foot, he kicked off his boots. It was difficult to manage, but he enjoyed the way his movements rubbed his erection against her core. She liked it too if her whimpers were any indication.

  Reaching between them, she unzipped his pants and shoved them down so that when he was stepping out of his pants and boots at the same time. Her hand wrapped around his hard length. Electricity buzzed where their flesh met and sweet pain extended to his too eager cock, making it kick in her hand.

  "Do you always go commando?" she asked.

  "I could ask you the same thing, but yeah, I hate to be constricted," he admitted. "And, at the moment, I couldn't be more grateful."

  She released her grip and the spongy head slipped through her wet slit. "Fuck, you are so hot and wet, Tia. I need to be inside you. Are you ready for me?"

  Moving her hips so the underside of his shaft rubbed through her juices, she threw her head back and groaned. "Yes, I need you, now." He loved how aggressive she was, no hesitation on her part.

  He knew he hadn't properly prepared her for him. He was well endowed and didn't want to hurt her, but his need was pounding, making it impossible not to take her. Pulling his hips back slightly, head poised at the entrance to her body. Lowering his head, their gazes locked and hazy lust reflected back at him.

  Tilting his hips, he pressed slowly inside, her liquid heat tellinghim she was more than ready for him. Eyes locked on hers, he set aside the fear that this would be over before it started and focused on bringing Tia pleasure. Gripping one hand under her ass, he took all her weight and his free hand reached to pinch one of her nipples, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. She arched into him, her deep moan echoed inside his chest, and that fast, he was thrusting balls-deep into her.

  "Zeke," she pleaded, moving against him as much as his body allowed.

  "I've got you, chicory," he promised, grinding against her. Sensations bombarded him from all sides. Her slick, tight channel squeezed him, trying to rob him of his seed. Her soft skin slid against his, aided by the light sheen of sweat that slicked their skin. Her thighs cradled his hips and drew him closer each time he moved inside her. Her hands rested on his shoulders and she used them to lift and lower herself in time to his thrusts.

  She stole his lips and kissed his deeply, sucking on his bottom lip. Each draw went straight to his cock and he shoved harder, knocking their bodies against the wall. He hoped they weren’t flimsy because he was pounding hard enough to break sheetrock. She spread her thighs even more, taking him deeper and rubbing her clit against the top of his shaft every time he withdrew and slammed back into her.

  This was beyond anything he'd ever felt in his life. He had never imagined that sex could be this powerful between two people. Combustive and explosive like lava erupting from a volcano. Losing all sense of himself, he thrust into her with everything he had to offer.

  He his hands dug into the flesh of her hips as he picked her up and slammed her back down on his shaft. He was likely leaving bruises, but he couldn't stop. He was close to climax and refused to go over without her. Her core clenched around him and a sensation he'd never experienced claimed his pulsing cock.

  Pressure built in the area just underneath the crown of his shaft and several things happened at once. The intense pleasure bordered on pain. His climax barreled down on him and he felt something protrude, locking him inside her, making it impossible to move. He moved in short, jerky jabs and she shouted out as her climax tore through her. Roaring, he released his seed as his orgasm barreled through his body.

  As blinding pain on his side cut into the bliss of the moment, he realized what had happened. He understood why he had been so drawn to Tia. The barb that appeared on his cock moments before his climax was a first for him, but he knew the meaning behind it. For shifters, it only occurred when having sex with one particular female. The pain on his side was the branding of his mate mark.

  Tia was his Fated Mate.

  Realizing she had to be experiencing the same pain on her side, he placed his palm over the left side of her ribcage, hoping to alleviate the worst of it.

  Several minutes later, their orgasms and the pain of the mating mark abated enough that he could focus. "How are you feeling, chicory?"

  "Dat hurt more dan I thought it would, but the pleasure made it worth. Dat was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I hope you're ready for round two, panther, cause I'm not done wit' you."

  "You aren't surprised that we are mates?" he observed, watching her closely.

  "No, I knew the moment you entered my shop," she replied, shocking him. "Now, how 'bout round two," she said with a roll of her hips, suffocating all rational thought.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Zeke hated that he had left his mate's house without waiting for her to return home from work, but he had no choice. He wasn't about to allow her to put herself at risk by following him into Goddess-only-knew-what. She may have some power over the dead, but she wasn't a trained fighter. After learning that she was his Fated Mate, he'd made love to her all night, reveling in his blessings. Glancing down, his watch told him that he had a couple hours before her shop closed. He planned on being done by then so he could meet her at her place and make love to her all over again.

  The idea had never crossed his mind that he would be blessed with his Fated Mate. Like most in the Tehrex Rea
lm, Zeke had accepted long ago that the Goddess wasn't going to continue that tradition. He had learned to live his life without pining away for something he was never going to have. It had been less than a year since the Goddess had begun her blessings again and he hadn’t wrapped his brain around what that mean for him.

  Texting another message to Brett, the pack leader in the area, Zeke cursed when he didn't reply. He was ready to get this done. Poking his head around the brick building across the street, he noticed a few supernaturals continuing to haul five-gallon jugs from the restaurant to a waiting van. Why were they removing full bottles? They typically weren't taken away until they were empty. Lifting his nose to the cool night air, he wasn't able to detect any hint of angel's blood or the drug. If he didn't act now, they would get away with whatever was in those bottles.

  Indecision had his feet frozen for a split second. He had no intention of placing himself in greater danger than necessary. He had more reason to live than he'd ever had before, his mate mark burning in agreement. He wouldn't ever willingly leave Tia, but he had a job to do. His loyalty was as strong with his pack as it was with his mate and Hayden was counting on him to complete this mission.

  When the males went back into the restaurant, Zeke felt this was his best opportunity and darted across the street. Jogging across the desolate two-lane road, he paused outside the entrance. Glancing around, he checked to see if anyone was watching.

  The outside of the building was run down. Most of the sign was broken and missing letters so it read Bi Los instead of Big Louis. The smell of mold and decay told him it had probably suffered significant damage during Hurricane Katrina when the area was decimated. In fact, it was in such bad shape, he wondered if the place was still open to the public.

  Twisting the nob, he pushed the plain wood door, surprised when it opened. He was immediately greeted with a strong scent of angel's blood. They were definitely dealing Angel's Kiss in the place. Schooling his features, he entered the empty restaurant.

  Three medium-build males quickly approached him with the one in the lead calling out, "We're closed. You're going to have to come back another time." The three males looked out of place in their designer suits and dress shoes.

  There were about twenty tables and chairs in the place that looked to be new. It might’ve looked run-down on the outside, but they'd completely remodeled the inside. The floor was covered with dark grey tiles and the walls were painted sage green. The smell of mold was second to the pungent scent of the drug. He had no doubt that this was either a manufacturing plant or a processing plant.

  As they got closer, Zeke's panther sensed two of them were shifters and another was a cambion. How could these males betray their pack and sell drugs that were addicting hundreds and killing countless more? Their animals should be clawing at them to stop. Animals ran on instinct and it was difficult to ignore unless you drugged them.

  "Hey there. I'm in town on business for Hayden and was told this place had the best creole in town outside of human establishments," he replied, keeping an easy, friendly tone. No reason to hide he was a supernatural, they'd be able to sense it. And, it was impossible to mask his level of power in the shifter community.

  "Told you, asshole, the place is closed. Find your creole somewhere else," the cambion snarled.

  He allowed a small portion of his power to spread outward and was glad to see the shifters take a step back. Unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough. "Yeah, you need to leave," insisted one of the shifters.

  Taking in as much of the room as he could without turning his back to them, Zeke noticed there was a hall off to the right and a set of double doors straight ahead. He could turn around and leave now, but there was no way they would let him get very far.

  The shifters knew he was high in pack hierarchy and would return with reinforcements. Besides, he wanted to get to the bottom of this so he could get home to his mate. "See, that's going to be a problem for me. Hayden sent me here to tear down your operation."

  The cambion laughed, but there was no mirth in the sound. It was pure menace. "And, I'm going to enjoy sending your Omega his pussy in pieces."

  Zeke widened his stance, reaching for his blade to show them he wasn't one to be fucked with. "I've already got back-up on the way. Your boss, A, isn't going to be too happy about you losing so much product."

  The shifter who had remained silent turned white as a sheet and Zeke could smell the fear coming off him in waves. Whoever this A was, the guy was a ruthless sonovabitch. "I bet it takes a lot of energy for the witch to make the product. Magic comes at a price, after all."

  "Looks like you don't know shit," one of the shifters commented. The cambion glared at the male, and Zeke the shifter had said too much, telling Zeke it wasn't a witch, but a sorcerer, behind the making of the drug. The cambion made a signal with his hand and the three of them charged Zeke.

  Jumping on a table, he kicked the first shifter to reach him, but wasn't fast enough on the rebound as the second grabbed hold of his ankle and yanked, causing him to crash to the hard floor. Stars swam in his vision when his head bounced off the tile. His weapon flew out of his hand and skittered across the floor out of reach. Damn if that wasn’t going to leave a huge fucking goose knot on his head.

  "Looks like you aren't such a badass, after all," the cambion taunted, widening his stance. "But, you do have some skills. Skills that will be better suited on our side." There was no way in hell Zeke was going to agree to working with these asshats. He refused to be a part of anything that ruined lives.

  No time to sit on his laurels, he was up and on his feet in the next instant. Zeke picked up a chair and hurled it at the group, hitting one of the shifters in the shoulder. The male bared his fangs at Zeke and lunged. Boxed in from three sides, Zeke braced himself for impact.

  The male lowered his shoulder at the last minute and hit Zeke in the stomach, tossing him over his shoulder. Air whistled past his ears as he sailed through the air. His breath gusted when he landed awkwardly on a table. He felt something crack in his ribcage followed by excruciating pain. "Fuck," he cursed, certain the landing had broken a rib or two.

  Falling to the floor, he landed on his injured side. Grunting, he managed to roll to his side and watched the males slowly approach him. He hoped and prayed that Brett got his message and would get there soon. It seemed as if they were going to torture him rather than kill him outright.

  A leather dress shoe stopped in his line of sight before the cambion leaned down and spoke to him. "You don't want to fight us. Agree to work with us and this will all end."

  "Not gonna happen, fuckface," he gritted out.

  Heaving a theatrical sigh, the cambion rested his elbows on his knees. It struck Zeke that these males were dressed like they were heading to work in a large office or a bank, and yet, they were the muscle behind a sorcerer who made drugs. Whoever this person was, they had an overinflated image of themselves.

  The cambion stood so fast, Zeke missed the move until his pointy-toed shoe connected with the side of his face. Blood spurted from a cut that opened on his cheek as his head snapped back. He swore it almost left his shoulders. Perhaps they were going to kill him, after all.

  "Pick him up and take him to the basement," the cambion ordered, removing a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the hem of his pants and shoe.

  Thinking it was time to let his animal handle these goons, Zeke called on his panther. Too weak to concentrate on the shift, hands grabbed under his arms and he kicked and twisted, trying to get free.

  The males knocked him against the table when he nearly managed to break loose. Swiping his foot out, he connected with the ankle of the shifter on his right. The male faltered then punched his injured cheek, making him sees stars. They managed to wrestle him to the double doors where the cambion held the way open.

  Dragging him across the empty kitchen, Zeke managed to take in a high-end kitchen that was kept neat and clean, like the dining room. The cambion opened a doo
r leading to a freezer and headed to the back with him being towed by the shifters. The cold rush of air woke him enough that he gave it another effort to escape and received another pointy shoe to his injured side.

  Close to passing out, Tia's soul rustled in his chest and he felt her presence. The back of his neck prickled, as well. He hoped the ancestors were watching and would tell Tia who could help him. At the moment, he didn't have a good feeling about getting out of this predicament.

  The cambion ushered them through a hidden door in the back of the freezer, with him fighting the entire way. At the top of a narrow set of stairs, the shifters let go of him and pushed him. Nothing but air surrounded him as he freefell before his shoulder hit the cement step. Still too weak to shift, he brought his hands up to protect his head as much as possible as he tumbled to the bottom.

  Immediately, he tried to crawl away when he heard pounding on the stairs. Bright light blinded him before he was picked up off the cold floor and dragged several feet. Next thing he knew, his ass was shoved into a chair and the shifter grabbed his arms. Strands of silver chain were quickly wrapped around his wrists.

  Silver was the one substance that could damage or kill a supernatural and in the form of chains, it weakened them significantly so that they wouldn't be able to break free, and in his case, prevent him from shifting.

  The cambion came to a halt in front of him, dragging a chair with him. Turning the chair around backwards and sitting, the male dropped his arms over the back of the chair. "Now, lets try this again, and you need to listen closely. A is going to take over the realm, and eventually, the entire world. Make no mistake, Hayden and his silly council will be eradicated. I’m giving you the opportunity to join the winning side."

  Zeke had a feeling he wasn't going to like what this male had in store for him. At least it was warmer down there than it had been in the freezer, although the cold seemed to seep through the walls. From out of the blue, he wondered how these assholes even had a basement. He recalled hearing that due to the floodplain, or some shit, basements weren’t constructed in New Orleans and that was why they buried the dead above ground.