"You're mine, Charlotte." Daniel bit her shoulder and thrust himself in.
Her scream froze in her throat.
It hurt. But it felt so good, she didn't know what to think. The only thing she could do was surrender, surrender to his mastering-his claiming.
His cock speared her open, forcing her to accept him whole. The penetration had ripped her last strand of sanity. She felt as if she'd been split in half. In a good way. And that was nerve-wrackingly good.
She clawed the hard surface of the floor as he eased himself and thrust deeper inside her. It felt so alien to have a cock in her. At the same, it felt so right. She was his woman. As it should be.
A growl of satisfaction escaped him. "Baby, you're so tight." He tugged and pushed, working his way in several times before he finally slammed home, burying himself balls-deep.
Charlotte bit her lower lip. The only thing she could think of was the sinful pleasure of the burrowing heat in her pussy. His cock throbbed in her depths.
"You okay?" he breathed out on her cheek.
"Yes."
"Good." He pulled his cock almost all the way out. Just before his cockhead left her opening, he thrust back in slowly, as if he wanted to relive the initial penetration.
She swooned from the sensation.
He did it again, slower than before. Her pussy desperately clenched on his granite-hard shaft, but he was too slick and too wet; the impact intensified the sensations tenfold. She couldn't believe it. She'd never thought sex could be this good.
"Still okay?" Daniel whispered in her ear.
She nodded.
"Say it."
"Yes."
A low growl reverberated, too feral to be human. "Good." He pulled and thrust. "You're mine, baby." His cock penetrated her so deeply, she felt him in places she never knew existed, pulsing and grinding, causing raw, spine-deep sensations of pleasure to explode from her depths.
Her train of thought dissipated when Daniel started to pick up his pace. He pulled out. Rammed in. Faster. Harder. He fucked her in a series of harsh strokes. Bursts of pleasure exploded one after another, making it hard for her to breathe.
Hot. It was wickedly mind-bending, unadulterated ecstasy.
Charlotte didn't want to admit it, but she loved every bit of it.
Daniel nuzzled her neck as he pummeled like an incessant jackhammer, pounding her with short, rapid, ravenous thrusts. He palmed her ass, anchoring her still as he pistoned in and out faster, harder and rougher.
His breath labored. Hers too. An opera of whimpers of lust filled the room. Ecstasy climbed in a fevered pitch. Her body shuddered. She tensed. "Daniel … I … "
Daniel bucked and thrust harder.
She cried. "I … "
He slammed faster.
And then it hit her. She climaxed. Hard. Brilliant fireworks burst before her eyes. Exquisite pleasure consumed her whole while Daniel pounded repeatedly into her pussy and orgasmed. His breath seared her cheek. Sweat dripping. Juice gushing. Half-formed words rasped from his mouth as his cock spasmed, flooding her with his seed.
Her body quaked from head to toe as her mind swam to oblivion.
When she floated back to reality, the first thing she noticed was that Daniel's cock was still hard inside her. His breath was labored and his body was sheathed with sweat.
"God, baby," he panted in her ear. "You're so good to me."
Daniel eased himself out of her. She could feel the juice of their mating dripping on her thighs.
She rolled onto her back and drowned in the intensity of Daniel's gaze. Acting on impulse, she reached up to him and pulled him closer. She kissed him ravenously. Daniel reciprocated. For long moments, they kissed and touched.
The loud sound of Silkie's clucks reminded them that they were not alone in the room.
Daniel looked over his shoulder and laughed. "Are you feeling self-conscious that your pet is watching us doing it?"
Charlotte could only laugh.
"Let's go to my room," said Daniel. He lifted her from the floor and carried her in his arms.
Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck. "Later," she said to Silkie.
Chapter Five
The Gulfstream had touched down forty minutes before, but Charlotte still felt the effects of jetlag as the SUV merged onto the busy street. They headed to the hotel where Daniel had his meeting. It occurred to her that Daniel had no intention of letting her out of his sight. She would accompany him wherever he went.
Often, she searched for a feeling of resentment for being treated as if she were his property, but to her surprise, that feeling had disappeared. Good lord, I've been brainwashed. He'd bedded her once, and now she was thoroughly compliant. Never underestimate the power of sex, she thought ruefully.
"You're so quiet since this morning," Daniel noted. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Daniel searched her eyes. "You sure? You look pale."
Heat burned her face. "Well, whose fault is that? You didn't let me sleep last night."
Daniel had kept her awake until dawn, introducing her to the art of lovemaking. She felt sore and tired, but it was a pleasant experience. She was startled at the contentment that washed all over her. She was different. She was a woman now. Daniel had made her his woman.
Daniel laughed. "I'm sorry. How about you catch some sleep in our room while I attend the meeting."
"Where are we going again?"
"Four Seasons."
Half an hour later, Charlotte walked around on bare feet in the posh suite. The luggage had been brought in, but she didn't feel like unpacking yet. Silkie clucked softly in her cage, wanting to be let out. Charlotte wouldn't dream of it. She didn't want her pet messing up the luxurious room.
The room was airy and very comfortable. Daniel had reserved the most expensive suite. From the window, she could see the magnificent view of Elliot Bay and Olympic Mountain. This was the first time she'd travelled out of state since childhood.
She sank down on the cozy chair in front of the fireplace and put her feet on the ottoman. She pulled out her phone and called her boss. She wanted to explain her absence. It turned out her boss had expected it. Moira said that Daniel had arranged beforehand that he'd take Charlotte away for a few days. Moira also congratulated her on her engagement and the business deal she'd brought to the company.
Charlotte pinched the bridge of her nose as she wondered just how much Daniel had told her boss. Engagement. She guessed when she slept with Daniel, their relationship has been elevated towards imminent marriage.
Lion's mate.
That status bypassed the courtship, dating and engagement periods.
Yowza!
She wondered what Abby's take on that would be. She was halfway dialing Abby's number then decided against it. She wasn't ready to answer her friend's questions. Abby would surely bombard her with them. Like, how was it a dinner with Daniel had turned into marriage plan overnight?
Charlotte wasn't sure herself.
She was a bit annoyed that Daniel had ignored her demands about taking it slow. Then, Daniel had given her his reason last night.
A week from now, the pride would hold a large gathering in London. Everyone belonging to the pride would show up. Daniel wanted to use the opportunity to announce that he'd taken a mate.
The event was very important for him. Once the alpha took a mate, others would have to stop proffering up their daughters as a potential mate-one thing that Daniel had disliked so much for all these years. She could understand his reasoning.
Furthermore, Daniel promised to make it up to her for being pushy. If she wanted him to take everything slow and easy, it had to be after the gathering.
Charlotte texted Abby instead of calling her directly. That way, she wouldn't have to explain things too much. Feeling tired and groggy, Charlotte decided to take a long hot bath to unwind.
Daniel called and said he'd be late for dinner. He asked if she'd already had lunch. She hadn't. He told her to order room service. So she did. After lunch, she took a little nap and woke up a few hours later. She took another shower and donned her favorite Dr. Who shirt and frayed pants. Daniel told her to make herself at home. At ten after seven, Daniel returned. He smiled when he saw her outfit.
"Who makes the best Doctor?" he asked.
"It's gotta be David Tennant, of course."
"What's so good about him?"
"He's the coolest guy ever."
Daniel laughed.
"Do you watch the series?" Charlotte asked.
"A few minutes. I had my assistant summarize the premise for me."
"Do you watch TV at all?"
"Some news. I don't have much spare time."
"What do you do most of the time?"
"Work. There are so many things to be done and so little time."
Charlotte shouldn't have been surprised. She'd read somewhere that Daniel was a renowned workaholic.
Daniel studied her outfit. "Change your clothes. I've invited some people for dinner."
"Do I have to come?" She didn't feel like meeting new people.
"Yes. I want to introduce you to my brother and a few people from the pride. Anika will be there also."