Batch (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Desired by a Dragon Book 2) Read online

  Scarlet’s beautiful bronze eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “I’m fine, but I see where this is going. If you’re done playing tit for tat, I’d be happy to take your order.”

  My grin grew. I’d forgotten how much fun it was to get beneath her skin. I opened my mouth to place an order, or say something else smartass, but closed it the second I noticed her boy toy step to her side.

  “I have to get going, babe. I’ll catch you later, right?” He grabbed her hip and leaned in to peck her on the lips.

  “Yeah, sure, later.” She reached out and ran her fingers through the hairs along the base of his neck as she brushed her lips against his, returning the kiss.

  My blood boiled. I moved a hand up to rub along the back of my neck as I forced myself to remain calm after seeing their public display of affection.

  Becky walked past me with a tray of food, sashaying her hips. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d reached out to stop her. “I’m new to town, and Scarlet here is tied up for the night. If you don’t have any plans, would you mind showing me around the place?”

  “For you, I think I’m free. Let me see your hand,” she insisted. I held out my hand and felt satisfaction vibrate through me as she wrote her number across my palm. “Give me a call around seven and we’ll see what kind of mischief we can get into.” She winked before she turned to walk away.

  “What was that?” Scarlet asked from behind me.

  “That was me making plans for the night.” I faced her, wanting to see her reaction. “Or quite possibly, me matching your move with lover boy.”

  “So this is a game to you,” she scoffed. Disgust reflected in her eyes, but behind it, I could see the tiniest glimpse of hurt.

  Hurting her had never been my intention, but maybe it was for the best. It would keep the distance between us I needed.

  “Damn right, darlin’.” I leaned in until my lips brushed against her ear. “Are we having fun yet?”

  Five

  Scarlet

  “Hot water. Cold water. Pull this up for the shower to work.” I tucked some wild strands of hair behind my ear as I wondered if there was anything else I needed to point out before I left Batch to shower.

  “Towels?”

  “Oh, right.”

  I headed to the closet in the corner and pulled one out for him. He took it from my hand, brushing his fingertips against mine in the process. I couldn’t tell if it was an accident or intentional, with him you could never tell. The sparks that shot through me from the brief moment of contact had me not caring, though.

  God, I craved his touch.

  “Thanks, darlin’.” He took a step back, putting more space between us than was necessary. I took it as my cue to remove myself from the room.

  “All right, if you need anything, just yell. I’ll leave you to it.” I straightened my back as I headed toward the door, hoping he wouldn’t notice how much the brief skin to skin contact we’d shared had gotten to me.

  “Will do.”

  I left the bathroom, closing the door behind me. A long breath expelled from my lungs as I smoothed my hands over my face. I needed to learn to control myself better when I was around Batch. Otherwise, I’d continue to make myself look like a flustered schoolgirl, and that was just embarrassing.

  My heels clicked along the hardwood of the stairs as I made my way down to the kitchen. A glass of water to calm my nerves and cool my hormones off seemed like the perfect idea. After chugging half a glass, I started back upstairs to finish getting ready for my date with Dylan. My movements came to a screeching halt when I noticed Batch exiting the bathroom in nothing but a towel.

  “Forgot my body wash.” He attempted to maneuver around me and slip down the stairs, but instead, we did a little dance. The warmth from his body reached out to caress my skin as we did and I felt my heart rate jump from the sensation. A rumble of laughter spurred from deep within his chest as he reached out and gripped my hips, locking me in place. “You stay still, and I’ll move around you. How about that?”

  The sudden feel of his hands on me had parts of myself I’d been trying to tame since his arrival flaring to life. My heart pitter-pattered too hard and fast against my ribcage, and I nibbled my bottom lip before responding. “Okay.”

  Batch spun us around, his eyes never wavering from mine, until we each stood where the other previously had. Seconds ticked away before I realized his hands were still clasped firmly on my hips. I leaned forward, my lips drawn to his. His eyes flamed to life with a heated sense of desire I felt mirrored within me. I waited for him to kiss me, but it never happened.

  Instead, he cleared his throat and released my hips as he took a step away. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I breathed, watching the muscles of his back rippling as he jogged down the stairs.

  The second he was out of sight, I slipped inside my bedroom. I debated closing the door, but in the end left it open, as fantasies of him strutting in and having his way with me surfaced in my mind. I wanted to taste him, touch him, to seal myself to his body in the best of ways.

  It didn’t happen, though. Minutes later, I heard him make his way back into the bathroom.

  I ran my flat iron through the same section of hair repeatedly. The curl there wouldn’t straighten. Camille was going to hate me at my next hair appointment because using all this heat on my silky locks was doing nothing besides frying it.

  The wind outside my bedroom window picked up, sending Spanish moss flying. There was a storm coming. I set my flat iron on my dresser and padded across the room to open the window. The scent of the coming rain blew into my room, making me smile. There wasn’t a scent in the world I enjoyed more. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

  “It’s good to see some things never change.” Batch’s voice startled me. I shifted to face him.

  He stood at the entrance to my bedroom, leaning against the frame. My stomach somersaulted at the sight of him. His hair was wet and his eyes were hard, determined, haunted. I wondered if it had been just as hard for him as it had been for me to get the moment at the top of the stairs out of his head. I studied his tall, muscular frame, noticing how he took up the entire doorway. My eyes skimmed over the length of him, taking in the tight-fitting t-shirt that accentuated his abs and squeezed his biceps in just the right way, and the pair of dark jeans I wanted to unzip with my teeth and pull down to reveal the boxer briefs I knew were hiding beneath.

  “Like?” I questioned, trying to ignore the flickers of lust sparking through my body at the sight of him again.

  Batch stepped into my room. His lips hooked into a half grin that had my chest blooming with heat. I bit my bottom lip the second I noticed his eyes narrow in a playful way. He could be unpredictable at times, and this was one of them.

  “Your love for the scent of coming rain.”

  The promise of rain saturating the air disappeared to be replaced by the intoxicating scent of Batch’s cologne as he sauntered toward me. He paused when there were a few inches remaining between us and reached out to slip his fingertips through the straightened strands of my hair, causing my heart rate to speed up. When his fingertip brushed against my collarbone, all the air left my lungs. Batch’s gaze fell to my mouth as conflicting emotions shifted across his face. His thumb moved up to trace along my bottom lip and I opened my mouth as he increased his pressure. My eyes closed as I allowed myself to enjoy the sensations sparking through me from his touch.

  “Have you thought about it since it happened?” His voice was a mere breath whispering against my face.

  “Yes,” I admitted without hesitation, knowing instantly what he was talking about—our special night together. My heart thundered in my chest as I tried to take stock of how many times I’d thought about that night.

  I opened my eyes to take in his expression and noticed his gaze had darkened with a sense of hunger. His thumb fell away from my lips, leaving me with a burning desire for more scorching through my stomach. I only had a moment to consider h
is expression and how it made me feel before his lips skimmed against my collarbone and erased every thought I had.

  “God, I’ve craved you since then.” He said the words slowly, emphasizing each one.

  The feel of his hot breath washing over my skin as he spoke, and the intoxicating scent of his cologne mixed with his arousal, pushed me over the edge. My fingers intertwined with his long hair and I forced his lips to meet with mine. Fire surged through my veins, numbing my mind to thought and reason. The slight brush of his tongue touched against my closed lips and I immediately opened up for him. His tongue invaded my mouth, making my thighs tremble as a burning desire uncoiled within me. My fingertips trailed along the back of his neck, scratching and digging into his flesh. His tongue explored and tasted every inch of my mouth as his hands roamed my body until he found the hem of my dress line. I raked my hands up and down his back as I ground my hips against him. The friction between his erection and my pulsing center was almost too much. I moaned as his teeth grazed my bottom lip, and began tugging off his t-shirt. Once his solid chest was exposed I did what I wanted and leaned forward to lick and kiss toward the deep V leading the way to his crotch.

  Batch gripped the back of my head and a low hiss escaped him as I teased my tongue along the waistband of his jeans. My fingers fumbled with the button, too eager to taste him. Once I got them unclasped, they fell to his ankles, but he didn’t bother to step out and I didn’t give him time to. I pushed his boxer briefs down next, revealing all of him to me. My mouth watered. He was rock hard. I reached out and pumped him a few times, feeling satisfaction when groans released from him at my touch. My tongue flicked out to taste the juices that had built along his tip, and another groan vibrated through him. The feel of his fingers fisting into my hair and the pressure he placed on the back of my skull had wetness pooling between my thighs. I loved feeling as though I had him in my control.

  I continued to stroke him as I licked around his tip in slow circles. His stomach muscles spasmed as a low hiss passed from his lips. He tried to jerk away, but I tightened my grip on him.

  “Fuck. I can’t handle this.” His words blasted through the room, sounding as though he was stuck in a place of pure agony. It made the corners of my lips prick upward into a smile. “I need to be inside you. Now.”

  Goose bumps erupted across my skin from hearing this. I increased the speed of my strokes, fueled by his dirty talk, and sucked harder. As much as I wanted to feel him inside me again, I couldn’t stop what I was doing. Knowing I was breaking down his walls and forcing him to submit to the pleasure I was causing him to feel fueled me.

  “Aw fuck, Scarlet,” he breathed.

  In one powerful movement, Batch lifted me in the air and spun us around until we were lying on my bed. His mouth crushed against mine as his hands slid the straps of my sundress down, exposing my bare breasts to the cool air of the room. Thunder rumbled overhead as the storm I’d seen coming finally pressed down upon us. My toes curled as Batch’s mouth descended on my right nipple. A moan pushed past my lips as his teeth grazed it. His tongue twirled along the bud he’d created, sending shockwaves of heat through me. My nails dug into the flesh of his back as his hands skimmed along my hips to force the hemline of my dress up. In one swift motion, he’d jerked my lacy panties to my ankles and tossed them aside.

  “I’ve wanted to taste you for so long,” he whispered as he gripped my knees and forced them farther apart. “Have you wanted me to taste you?” His fingers started traveling along my inner thigh toward my slick center as his steel gray eyes locked on mine.

  His words had my skin tingling. I loved it when a guy could talk a little dirty in bed. It intensified things to an all new level.

  “Yes,” I breathed, and then nibbled my bottom lip, because I knew he was watching me.

  A dangerous glimmer sparked through his eyes at my answer. It was primal and hungry, and I loved the sight of it.

  “And where would you like me to taste you, Scarlet?” His thumb moved in slow circles along my inner thigh. “Here?” Without giving me a second to respond, he moved his thumb upward, brushing against the slick folds of my center. “Or maybe here?”

  My hips bucked against the pressure of his thumb. “Yes, right there.”

  As though my words had been exactly what he was looking for, Batch flicked his tongue out and lapped up some of my wetness. Spasms of pleasure ricocheted through my lower stomach as my hips lifted off the mattress to meet with his tongue stroke for stroke. The pad of his thumb circled my clit as an orgasm built within me. Thunder rumbled overhead again as a gust of wind filtered through my open window. My fingers entwined in Batch’s hair as he pulled his mouth away to adjust himself on his knees for better balance. He slipped two fingers inside of me and began pumping hard and fast as his tongue worked my throbbing clit.

  I watched his dark head move between my thighs. His eyes were closed, allowing his long, dark lashes to fan across his cheeks. I focused on the muscles of his shoulders and arms next, watching them flex and move as he continued to pleasure me. My fingers wove their way into his silky locks and tugged as he hit just the right spot with his tongue. A moan escaped me. It was lost quickly in the rumbling of the storm above us, but I knew Batch had heard me because he released a breathy moan of his own shortly after. It sounded as though he was trapped in an agonizing place between lust and an overwhelming desire for a release.

  He was torturing himself, and I loved every second of it.

  Batch massaged my clit with his lips as his fingers continued to pump in and out of me at a steady rhythm. I lifted my head for a better view of his mouth making love to me. As though he could feel my eyes on him, he lifted his gaze and held my stare. Seeing his tongue work against my clit while his eyes were focused on mine was one of the most erotic things I’d ever witnessed.

  “Come for me, Scarlet.” His warm breath swept across my wetness, causing goose bumps to prickle across my skin.

  Batch’s mouth dipped to my clit again, this time sucking as well as licking. My back arched and I bucked beneath him as waves of pleasure burst through me. My climax hit hard and fast. It rolled through me, spurring tiny moans and gasps to work their way past my parted lips. My core muscles tightened as my body shuddered. Batch continued to work my climax until the entire beautiful thing had overwhelmed my body and then began to fade away, leaving me in a state of languid bliss.

  I melted into the mattress, releasing my grip on Batch, and smiled up at him.

  “Scarlet, I was wondering—” Violet’s words clamped off as she paused in my doorway.

  Batch jerked away from me as though we’d been caught doing something we shouldn’t, and I remained frozen in shock, feeling as though I’d been robbed of something beautiful.

  Violet’s hands moved to cover her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you had company. The door was open and I just walked right in.” She hurried away before I could say anything in response.

  I pressed into the palms of my hands and sat up. A goofy grin sprang onto my face as a small chuckle slipped from my lips. “Well, that was interesting.” I didn’t know how I was ever going to look at Violet again.

  Batch shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. It was stupid.”

  “What do you mean?” Hurt splashed through me as I watched him scurry to gather his clothes from the floor.

  “We were lucky that wasn’t Silas.”

  My lips pressed into a thin line. Was he really that scared of my oldest brother? Silas had never given him a reason to be. “So what if it had been? Would it have been the worst thing in the world?”

  “Silas is my best friend, and you’re his little sister.” He pulled on his boxer briefs and then reached for his jeans next.

  “Which means what? That you can’t touch me?” There was a wild note whirling within the pitch of my voice I couldn’t control. Silas didn’t rule my life, he didn’t dictate who I chose to be with. I was a grown woman. Couldn’t Batch see that?

>   Batch ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes lifted to mine and I could see how torn he was inside. “I don’t know what the right thing to do here is. Like I said, Silas is my best friend and you’re his sister. I shouldn’t feel the way I do for you.”

  “Silas won’t care. He doesn’t govern who I date.” I grabbed my sheets and bunched them around my chest to cover myself as I thought about my words.

  Would Silas care if I started dating Batch? I’d never dated one of his friends in the past, but then again, I’d never received a warning from him not to.

  “He would care. Trust me.” He tugged his t-shirt over his head. “I know he would, it’s why I fought so hard to keep a lid on the way I felt about you.” The muscles of his jaw grew tense and his eyes became hard. There seemed to be more to what he was saying, but he didn’t seem willing to go any deeper.

  “How do you know? Did he already say something to you about it?”

  Batch didn’t answer. Instead, he left my room, leaving me alone to wonder what my brother had said to him and when.

  By the time I dressed and headed downstairs after him, he was already gone. I could hear the rumble of his motorcycle blending in with the thunder from the coming storm. A sinking feeling centered itself in the pit of my stomach and my teeth sank into my bottom lip as I replayed the conversation we had.

  “Are you okay?” Violet asked from where she stood in the kitchen. “I swear I had no idea the two of you were in there together. I just saw a light on in your room and the door open when I came upstairs. I assumed you’d be alone.”

  “We should’ve closed the door. It’s not your fault.” My face heated as visions of what I was sure she’d seen flashed through my mind. I couldn’t meet her gaze.

  “So, who was that?” She took a sip of her coffee. “I know that wasn’t Dylan. I’ve seen Dylan before. He’s a lot younger than that guy, and his muscles are not nearly as big.” I looked at her then and smiled when she wiggled her eyebrows at me.