Page 21 of Stormbringer (Tracthesian Academy #1)

T hey were all dripping sweat by the time Marc called it quits. Jarred had become far too familiar with the floor because he just couldn’t fucking focus with Wayla around. She had fallen, one way or another, eighty-two times. Not that he had counted.

“Well, this was fun,” she quipped when they all filed out of the room. Marc glared at the woman, and Grant sighed. She hadn’t shielded successfully once. Where Marc seemed to be ready to tear out his hair, Jarred had very different urges.

“Wayla, a moment, please,” he said.

At some point, she had pulled off her shirt, and the tank top left her arms bare. She rolled her eyes but slowed her steps and then stopped when he laid his palm on her arm, sending a shiver over her skin.

“What do you want?”

Not exactly a warm start to their discussion. Jarred pulled up all his strength and kept his hold on her light.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For anything I said last time that had you storming out.”

“You’re not really sorry,” Wayla said, narrowing her eyes. “You’re just saying that to placate me. Well, don’t bo—”

Jarred gave in to the urge that had been pounding in his veins since the moment she stumbled out of her room this morning looking cranky, soft, and mussed up. He yanked her into his chest, wrapped his other hand around her neck, and kissed her breath away.

Wayla’s hands flew up and her nails dug into his forearms, but she wasn’t raking him, just holding on, a stunned look in her eyes.

“If you want me to stop, you’d better shield,” he murmured against her lips.

She made some unintelligible sound and clung to him. Jarred softened his hold and teased her tongue with his own. When she relaxed and leaned into him, he nibbled her lips, pulling a soft sigh from her.

Eventually, he pulled back and looked into her slightly glazed eyes. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” he said earnestly. “I worded things poorly.”

“Wh-what did you mean then?”

“I meant that none of us had a claim on you. That you are free to date whoever you want.”

Wayla blinked rapidly. “That’s all.”

Jarred wondered if he should leave it at that, but decided to lay it all out there. “I wouldn’t be upset if you dated several someone’s, as long as I was one of them.”

“You… you want to date me?” Wayla was shaking her head.

“Yes,” Jarred replied. “Although I have to be honest and say that if you fancied, let’s say Irishen, then I’d be out. I couldn’t share you with someone whom I don’t respect and trust.”

“I don’t date!” Wayla screeched, and she would have torn herself away if Jarred hadn’t swept her up from her feet again.

“What do you do then, Wayla? Fool around? Have hook-ups? A line of fuckbuddies?” Jarred gritted his teeth. “You deserve better than that.”

She had been ready to tear into him before those last words. As he uttered them, she fell limp and shook.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t… I can’t…” She muttered dejectedly. “Please, put me down.”

Jarred shook his own head and instead sat on the floor with her still on his lap. He cradled her in his arms, the urge to pound anyone who had hurt her into pulp roaring in his veins.

“I’m not dating you.”

“Fine. Let’s call it something else then.

” Jarred kissed the top of her head. “Friends with benefits doesn’t quite fit.

Hook up is too casual for me to use it to drive away someone throwing themselves at me.

” Wayla stiffened in his arms, and Jarred leaned back enough to see her face before smiling.

“What? You think I don’t get offers basically on a daily basis? ”

“Hmph.”

“See. You don’t like that open-endedness either. Fuckbuddies sounds so juvenile, I don’t think I can call you that with a straight face either.”

“Jarred,” Wayla moaned, a bit of heat rising to her cheeks.

“Shh, let me think,” he shushed her. “Where was I? Oh, right, no fuckbuddies. How about me being your little toy, hmm? Will that keep your pretty head from exploding?”

“What?” She looked shocked and, if Jarred wasn’t completely wrong, a bit turned on.

“Your toy, Wayla. Not boy-toy, that’s almost as off-putting as fuckbuddies, but your toy.” He narrowed his eyes, and then it hit him. “No. Not a toy. Pet. You want a pet.”

When Wayla’s eyes flashed and her cheeks flamed red, Jarred roared out laughter that came up from deep in his belly. Oh, his precious really wanted a pet. Well, he could play that part.

“I don’t want a pet,” Wayla spluttered.

“Yes, you do,” he argued. “I remember those remarks from the library.” Jarred leaned closer and nipped her earlobe. “You want to stake your claim and hold the leash. Admit it, Wayla. Even the vague idea of giving me orders turns you on.”

“No.”

“Precious, I can smell you.”

Wayla wriggled in his lap, making his cock harden. “No, you can’t.”

“Tell me to stop, Wayla. Give me an order and I’ll drop it,” he murmured into her ear.

Thank gods for yoga pants. Jarred slid his hand over Wayla’s mound and cupped her pussy through the pants, and she moaned.

“Shall I drop it, precious?” He rubbed her gently, and her thighs opened, giving him more space. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that you don’t want to yank my hair while you push my head down to your needy pussy.”

“Fucking hell, Jarred,” Wayla groaned. She was panting, her nipples were hard, and her whole body was nearly steaming. Jarred purred. He almost had her. Time to risk it. He nipped her neck hard and then pulled away.

“Don’t you dare,” Wayla growled, but Jarred only smirked at her.

“You know what to do to get what you want.” She would have to lay claim to him. She would have to say what she wanted, not just go along and then claim she had no say in the matter. He could see the struggle play out on her face.

It was a gamble. She might pull back, get up, and tell him to go to hell.

The longer she held her silence, the more cold sweat beaded along Jarred’s spine.

He wanted her more than anyone or anything ever before.

It was an instinctual need, combined with a feeling he wasn’t quite ready to name yet.

Wayla had wormed her way under his skin, and he had no intention of letting go of her if he could help it.

Then the look in her eyes morphed into something else as she rolled off his lap and rose to her feet. Tortuously slowly, she pulled the tank top over her head, holding him in place with her eyes only.

She had a very sensible sports bra on underneath, but it could have been the sheerest lace for the effect it had on Jarred. A necklace hung around her neck, and the charm it held nestled between her breasts.

Jarred’s breath stalled when his eyes moved lower, and Wayla hooked her fingers under her waistband.

“Come here, pet .” The command rolled from her lips softly and straight into his cock that sprang to full attention. He started to rise to his feet, but Wayla shook her head. “Tut, tut, tut, pet. Crawl.”

She was only two paces away, but those two steps felt longer when Jarred moved slowly forward, holding her eyes the whole time. He rose to his knees in front of her and she nodded, satisfied.

“Take off my pants.”

That was an order he had no problem following. Jarred leaned in to kiss her stomach as he hooked his fingers next to hers and then pulled her pants down. She steadied herself on his shoulders as she stepped out of them.

Jarred looked down and gulped. Her bra had been sensible. Her panties were a scrap of black lace. Pleadingly, he looked up at her again. Wayla chuckled.

“Yes, you can take those off, too.”

Since she hadn’t told him how to do so, Jarred used his teeth. He nosed her mound and inhaled the sweet, tangy scent of her arousal. When her panties dropped to the floor, she stepped out of them and nudged them aside.

She stood in front of him in just a bra, and a light flush colored the top of her breasts. Oh, she was turned on all right. Wayla kneeled down and took his face into her hands. She kissed him, and it felt like she was giving him some of the control back.

Her words proved his feelings right. “Make me come, Jarred.”

He liked hearing his name from her lips. Carefully, he laid her down on the floor, regretting that he had chosen to push the issue here. She should be lying in a soft bed, warm and comfortable.

When he opened his mouth to speak, Wayla laid her finger over his lips to stop him.

“If the next word from your mouth is how, I’ll return you to the pound, pet. Take some initiative.” Her eyes sparkled, and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Jarred grinned back. He could work with loose instructions.

“Yes, mistress,” he teased her back.

“Now, pet.” Wayla slid her fingers into his hair and tugged.

Jarred moaned. “You actually like me being in charge,” Wayla murmured softly, some wonder in her voice.

Carefully, Jarred met her eyes. He was a big, muscular, powerful male.

Not many expected someone like him to be anything but a bossy alpha hole.

When their eyes met, Wayla smiled, this time softly, and then followed it with a gentle tug on his hair. “Be a good pet and kiss my pussy.”

Jarred was going to come in his pants. He resigned himself to that fact as all the blood drained from the rest of his body. Eagerly, he moved down and wedged his shoulders between Wayla’s spread thighs.

Except that when he leaned down to her pussy, she didn’t release her hold on his hair or move her hands lower to give him space. The next voice from Jarred’s throat was a fucking whimper as he strained against the sting in his scalp trying to reach her.

“What a good pet,” Wayla whispered when he managed to stick his tongue out and lick her neatly trimmed curls. They were short and bluer than her hair. Her scent was intoxicating this close up, and he yanked his own hair as he dove down.

Wayla’s happy moan was music to his ears, and then the pull in his hair turned to push as she held him against her. Her hips undulated gently, rubbing her pussy against his face, and Jarred kissed her outer lips like he would her mouth.

Briefly, he wondered if she would pick up on what he was doing, following her orders, but of course, she did. She was perfect for him. Her fingers stroked over his hair and grabbed his nape.

“How do I taste, pet?” She held him in place, and Jarred purred.

“Fucking delicious, mistress.”

“Mm,” she hummed. “Put that tongue of yours to use and fuck me with it.”

She allowed him to move, and Jarred buried his face even deeper into her pussy. He didn’t need air, he needed to hear her purr and moan and…

“Good pet,” she whispered between soft moans as he pushed his tongue as deep into her channel as he could. A fresh wave of arousal coated his tongue, and he growled, needing more. His cock ached to be inside of her. To feel her internal muscles fluttering all around him.

He wanted to beg her for something, anything, more, but Wayla held him in place and rode his face for so long, he was sure he couldn’t survive it a second more. Just as he was ready to rebel, her hold moved back to his hair. She yanked his face upward and right over her clit.

“Make me come,” she gasped, as out of breath as he was. Jarred didn’t need to be told twice. He licked her with wild abandon. Finesse was beyond him; he just needed her to shatter against his tongue.

She didn’t disappoint. Wayla’s whole body arched, almost dislodging him as she moaned. Loudly. A spike of pride shot through him. There was no way the others in the house didn’t hear that. He wanted them to know what he was doing to her.

He would have kept going, but Wayla moved her leg to his shoulder and pushed him down. The view, combined with the friction of his cock sliding against the floor, was too much for him. His own climax roared through him. He might have roared out loud too.

Wayla was panting, eyes half closed when he crawled up and slumped to the floor next to her. To his surprise, she held out an arm and pulled his head to lie on her chest. He felt a soft kiss graze the top of his head.

“Very good, pet,” she whispered. “I guess, I’ll have to keep you.”

E ventually, they made their way up from the basement, and Jarred fully expected to face some merciless teasing and plenty of comments, but the house was suspiciously empty. There was a note taped on the basement door.

Out for lunch. -Marc

“They all went out for lunch?” Wayla sounded surprised, but not offended.

“Marc probably threatened them to get them out of the house and not give you any hard time.”

“Me? What about you?”

“I doubt his motives had anything to do with giving me a hard time.”

Wayla sighed. “Damn it. He’s being a considerate fake-boyfriend. How am I supposed to fight that?”

Jarred snorted and then quickly schooled his features to something mild. He would have to compare notes with Marc at his earliest convenience. The bastard had wheedled a fake-boyfriend status out of Wayla before she had had time to blink.

“Not funny,” she huffed, reading his amusement easily.

“A little funny.” Jarred grinned.

“Bad pet.” Wayla frowned.

“Aww, come now, precious. Let me get you into a shower and find you some clean clothes.”

“I don’t have anything in here. I should get home and change.”

Panic hit Jarred so hard he almost swallowed his own tongue. Neither he nor his jaguar was ready to let her go, even for a little while. Irrational, maybe, but he wanted to bundle her up and hide her away for a week at least. His brain scrambled for some solution.

“If you could wait just a second, I’ll shower and change and then walk you home?”

“I can walk by myself.”

Jarred turned on the charm. “Yes, but how could I then take you out for lunch? Everyone else is eating, and we definitely need to fuel up.”

Wayla blushed slightly. In fact, Jarred suspected that most people wouldn’t even notice the light sheen on her cheeks. It made him feel all kinds of territorial.

“I don’t know…” She hesitated.

“I’ll be good and eat you for dessert.”

Wayla managed to grin and scowl at the same time. She shimmied in place and groaned. “I can’t get the image of you under the table out of my mind now.”

“For that, we would need a dining hall.”

“You want to show off. Marc wants to show off. Where’s my audience, huh?” Wayla complained.

Jarred bit his lip to keep silent. It was Hellion’s business to disclose his voyeuristic tendencies. And besides, he didn’t want to show off per se. He just wanted everyone to know how well he took care of his woman.

“How about we work on that plan, and for now, just go out for plain old food? Wait for me?”

“Fine.”