The bathroom muffles the speakeasy's din, but as I dry my hands, I hear an angry woman’s voice and a man’s obnoxious laugh. I open the door to see one of the drunk hipsters leaning over Artio, saying something smarmy while she is gritting her teeth and making a fist on the table.
“I said no!” she says forcefully, as the man reaches toward her face.
Stepping forward to kick the shit out of this guy when what I witness stops me in my tracks. Artio, now standing, shifts into a huge, black bear and roars directly into the hipster’s face. He is so startled that he falls backwards onto the floor. Artio then stands on her hind legs and roars over him, making him scramble away on the ground.
Falling to her four paws, she looks over at me and shifts back into her human form. I realize my jaw has fallen open and shut it as she gives me a small smile.
“I realize I didn’t tell you this nugget of information about me,” she says, with combined notes of apology and defiance in her voice.
I shake my head, speechless, and she gestures for us to leave.
We walk outside, the stinging cold February night air greeting us. Turning to her, I see a vulnerability in Artio’s eyes that is new to me. I realize I have yet to say anything, so I reach out to touch her arm.
“That was one of the most badass things I have ever witnessed in my entire life.” I blurt out.
Next thing I know, Artio presses her wine-flavored lips against mine, her hands in my hair and I explore her delicious curves.
Chapter Eight
Artio
The combination of shifting, Ray calling me a badass, and his gorgeous green eyes causes me to throw all caution out the window and attack him with my hungry mouth.
And he doesn’t stop me.
We stand in front of the speakeasy kissing until a couple walks by us, interrupting our make-out-fest. I catch my breath and pull him up against me.
“Take me home.”
Ray pulls into my driveway.
“Would you like to come in?”
“I would love to come in. Are you sure?”
“Very,” I say, squeezing his upper thigh and noting his jeans becoming tighter in the low light.
Opening my front door, I toss my purse to the side and walk in, turning to face him. He closes the door while I throw off my coat and unzip my dress. My pussy throbs, seeing his expression while he watches me strip. I continue to walk backwards down the hall, leading him to my bedroom.
At the bedroom door, I stop, standing in front of him in just my bra and panties. His eyes keep falling to my cleavage, so I cup my tits and shake them for him. Ray utters a low growl and dives his face into my cleavage. I can no longer stand seeing him clothed, so I grab at his sweater to remove it.
We tumble into my bedroom, with me trying to disrobe him and Ray attempting to free my breasts from their cage. I yank his sweater halfway over his head, causing us both to fall onto my bed, laughing.
Ray stands up, wiggling his way out of the knitted contraption I created, and grins down at me.
“Is this what you wanted?” he says, and I soak in the sight of his chiseled pecs.
“Yes,” I breathe out, unhooking my bra and tossing it on the floor, “Is this what you wanted?”
“Fuck, yes.”
Within a half second, his warm mouth and tongue explore my hard nipples and his fingers find their way underneath my satin panties. When he touches my swollen lips, he groans with pleasure.
“My, you’re awfully wet down here, Artio.”
I respond by curving my pelvis up, so that he cups my pussy while inserting a couple of long fingers into me. His nipple sucking becomes more fervent and I meet each of his finger pumps with a thrust of my hips. I watch him take my brown nipple and suck it through his lips while giving me a wicked, sexy look. He then allows my breast to fall out of his mouth and begins kissing my skin while he works his way down to my panties.
Ray slips his fingers out of me and slides my underwear to my ankles. The feel of his tongue pressing against my throbbing clit makes me yelp with pleasure. He lifts my bottom with his firm hands and treats my clitoris like it’s a popsicle. Moaning, I arch my back, arms flailing on the bed. My thighs clench and shake as I climax in his award-winning mouth.
