The Tigers Shared Mate Read online

  “No. I like it here, you were right.”

  When he puffed up with pride, Lydia knew she’d chosen the right words.

  “I’ll have your stuff moved now. But first, let’s look at the rest of your suite.”

  He grabbed her hand, leading her to the other side of the closet and out a set of doors that led directly into the bathroom. When Jareth slid the door closed behind them, Lydia saw that a large mirror was affixed to this side of the door. It was all very well thought out.

  This bathroom was also larger than hers, with a much larger jet tub and a shower large enough for six people.

  “The shower doubles as a steam room and that door beside the shower leads to your personal gym. The door locks, so you can work out without worrying about anyone barging in on you.”

  “This is all so amazing, and more than I deserve.”

  “That’s not true. The truth is, Lydia, these are just things. Money buys so much, but it can’t buy happiness, or truth, or love.”

  “But it can get close.”

  She peeked through the door and into the tiny room with gym equipment and a small dance floor for yoga.

  “If you need a personal trainer, that can be arranged. It’s up to you.”

  She nodded and closed the door again.

  “There’s a balcony out here that connects to the bedroom and the bathroom.”

  “Why would I want to leave the bathroom and go to a balcony?”

  “Sunbathing?”

  “Naked?”

  “It’s not like we have neighbors. The only ones who might see you are myself and Carter. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, would it?”

  Jareth was close. She hadn’t realized how close until his talk of her nakedness had led to thoughts of her own. Maybe being alone with him wasn’t such a good idea.

  Jareth stared at her lips, his lips parting slightly, but he didn’t move.

  “You’re beautiful, Lydia.”

  She smiled, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

  “You’re even more beautiful when you’re embarrassed.”

  He pulled her to him, kissing her on the mouth. Gently at first, he waited until she opened her mouth to his before he pushed his way inside. He explored the heat of her mouth leisurely. When she tensed, he followed her cue and released her. He wiped a stray strand of flaxen hair from her fair face and looked deep into her eyes.

  “Lydia, I don’t want to scare you. But I would regret it if I didn’t say, that these few weeks with you have been some of the best weeks of my life.”

  “Mine, too,” she admitted.

  “I’ve grown rather fond of you, and I love how my heart quickens at the sight of you. You’re truly a unique and precious woman. I find myself dreading the day that I have to let you go.”

  His hand lingered on her ear, where he’d tucked the stray hair. Lydia’s lips were dark red and swollen from his passionate kisses.

  “It’s going to be awhile until spring. By then, you both might be tired of me. I just move about the house, spending my days wandering around the property. It’s not like I contribute anything of value.”

  “Do you need to, I mean contribute? Would that make you feel like less of a burden?”

  “It would. It doesn’t have to be anything substantial. I just want to feel like I’m giving something for all that I’m taking. You’ve fed me and clothed me and asked nothing in return.”

  “That’s how we feel about it. You don’t need to do anything to be worthy of those things. We want to shower you with gifts and provide for you. You deserve that and so much more.”

  “But what is it even for? The wedding isn’t going to be real. Our love, it’s just a façade that you’ve put on to save my life and I-”

  “My feelings are not a show I put on for Gavin. I don’t give a rat’s ass about that man and his stupid rules. I only care about you, and my feelings for you are real.”

  Lydia stopped arguing, looking at him in surprise.

  “You have feelings for me?”

  “Yes. Is that such a surprise?”

  “Of course it is. How could you be attracted to me? I’m a nobody. Just some lost soul in the woods who was captured by the wrong crowd.”

  She pushed passed him and into the bedroom. She sat down heavily on the bed, feet dangling above the floor. Jareth went after her, struck by how small and vulnerable she looked, sitting there, dejected, on the enormous bed. She was so sweet and so lost.

  He sat down beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his lap. He rubbed her back, holding her tightly and whispering soothing things as the tension slowly eased out of her body.

  “Who told you that you were nobody?”

  “Everyone. My entire life.”

  “Well, you’ve been surrounded by idiots your entire life, then. Lydia, look at me. Do I look like an idiot to you?”

  She pulled back and regarded him seriously. “No. How could you be? You created this empire from scratch. You and Carter are the most amazing men I’ve ever met.”

  “Then why is it so hard to believe that we could be right? That you are amazing and we are the lucky ones for having you in our lives?”

  “I don’t know. I just feel so confused. All I’ve wanted to do was leave, to get away from Kentucky and to Florida, where people have more sense.”

  Jareth decided not to mention that she’d let her hometown slip. It was the first time she’d let them glean any personal information from her. If she’d been on foot the entire way, she’d traveled quite far to escape whatever was chasing her.

  “I care about you, Lydia. And people in Georgia have sense. You can stay here, and you can be happy with us. I don’t want to let you go, and I know you feel the same. Even if you’re not ready to admit it.”

  “If I tell you that I think I love you, everything will be ruined.”

  Did she just say she loved him?

  Jareth cupped her cheek in his hand, rubbing his thumb across her lips. He stared into her eyes and was shocked when she stared back. There was a challenge in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. She was asking him to prove he had feelings for her, but she was too afraid to ask.

  Was he right? What if he took a chance and pushed her and it turned out that he was wrong? Would she ever forgive him?

  “I want to kiss you,” he blurted out, his voice heavy with a need that had been bubbling beneath the surface for a while.

  “You’ve been kissing me. What’s stopping you now?”

  “No, I want to really kiss you. I want-”

  He thrust his fingers through her hair and pulled her too him, kissing her roughly. When Lydia returned the kiss brazenly, he knew he hadn’t misread the signs. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

  Fingers still buried in her soft hair, he laid her down on the bed beneath him. Lydia moved beneath him until she was between his legs, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer without breaking the kiss.

  Jareth let his weight rest on her and she shuddered almost immediately. He smiled into the kiss.

  “Is that what you’ve been waiting for?”

  “Yes.”

  Her voice was breathless, and her eyes already hooded with desire. How long had she been fighting against herself on this?

  Jareth moved to the side of her, resting his weight on his arm so that he could look at her. He took his finger and traced the side of her face, over her lips and down to her throat. He stopped at the collar of her shirt, dipping his fingers just inside her shirt and stroking her collar bone.

  Lydia tried to remove her shirt, but Jareth stopped her.

  “Let me.”

  He slid her shirt up her belly, planting kisses as he went, following the hem of her shirt up her body. He lingered between her breasts, warm breath causing her skin to tighten and her body to respond to his touch.

  Jareth slid her bra off with her shirt, throwing both over her head and onto the floor. Her breasts were pert; heavy and round, but no
t overly so.

  Lying there on the bed, he watched her body react as his eyes raked over her. Even without his touch, he was setting her skin ablaze.

  Jareth stood, dropping his clothes to the ground with little care and whisking her jeans off quickly. Only her soft, lacy panties remained. The purple fabric was dark against her delicate skin. He slipped his finger beneath the fabric, running the length of it until the back of his finger caressed the heat of her. She gasped softly, but Jareth had found what he needed to know.

  Lydia was more than ready for him.

  “Jareth please,” her voice was husky.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, giving her one last chance to walk away.

  “I’ve never been so sure of something in my life.”

  Jareth slid her panties down, eyes locked on her smooth skin as the fabric revealed the last of her secrets. She lay there before him, naked and more beautiful than he’d imagined.

  He kneeled over her, lips caressing her navel and working their way down her belly. She threaded her fingers through his hair, fingers moving jerkily as he traveled south. She held him for a moment, stopping his progress. Reaching up, he grabbed her hands in his, holding her hips with her fingers locked in his.

  His mouth dipped between her legs, and Lydia threw her head back. She was very aroused and the touch of his tongue was almost too much for her. He dipped and prodded, teasing the little nub between her legs as she moved against him.

  Her shyness faded quickly as the heat within her built beyond her control. She was writhing and bucking beneath his mouth within moments, the tension already too much to take.

  She fell back against the bed, panting, heart racing and body quivering. Jareth slid from between her legs, trailing kisses again, this time towards her breasts. He grabbed one in his mouth, tugging the nipple between his teeth and rubbing his tongue along the tender flesh. Lydia tried to pull away, but his hold on her was too firm.

  Closing his mouth, he sucked hard and released her, blowing cool air across her nipple and watching as it tightened. He moved to the other breast and did the same, drawing a moan out of Lydia this time.

  Knees on either side of her hips, he straddled her. His pelvis pressed against hers and she reached for him, pulling him close and wrapping her legs around him.

  “I want to feel you inside of me,” she ground out, trying to keep hold of her slipping sanity as he moved against her already tortured flesh.

  “Was one orgasm not enough?”

  She smiled at him wickedly. “Is it?”

  He growled beneath his breath at her as she slid along his rigid flesh, teasing him with the entrance to her body.

  “You’re playing with fire, Lydia.”

  “Good.”

  She bit her lip and stared into his eyes, all but daring him to deny her the pleasure she sought.

  He didn’t wait another instant, plunging into the depths of her. He began to thrust immediately, moving slowly at first, then quickening. The tension built in her quickly again, and Jareth wondered how long it had been since anyone had given her what she obviously craved; too long, that was certain.

  Lydia’s legs squeezed tightly around him, driving him further inside her and forcing him to move faster against her wet heat. Lydia was ready now, and she wasn’t going to wait for Jareth.

  “Slow down, Lydia. We have all the time in the world.”

  “I want you now,” her voice was far away and airy.

  Jareth watched her face as she moved through her passion, moving closer and closer to the edge of sweet bliss. Jareth was almost there himself, holding onto his self-control by the sheer force of will. He wanted to watch her face as the climax overtook her before he lost himself in his own pleasure.

  He didn’t have to wait long. Lydia’s body grew rigid around his for a moment before she flew apart, twisting and thrashing beneath him. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut as the waves crashed over her and she fought to hold them back.

  When she could hold out no more, her eyes flew open and she smiled at him for the briefest second before the orgasm claimed her.

  That was all Jareth needed to see. He let go of his tenuous hold on himself, riding the pleasure with her and burying himself deep inside her. Dipping down, he captured her mouth and kissed her deeply.

  “I love you, Jareth,” Lydia gasped into his mouth.

  “I love you, too,” he whispered softly as the waves got less and less turbulent.

  Had she meant to say it? Was she even aware he’d said it too?

  Jareth doubted it.

  Lydia’s body grew heavy as the last of the pleasure released its hold on her. She fell into the pillows, eyes heavy and face slack.

  “Are you tired?” he asked quietly, kissing her softly on the lips once more.

  “I am.”

  “Sleep. I’ll hold you until you’ve fallen to sleep.”

  “Thank you, Jareth. For everything.”

  Jareth smiled. Her voice was already so heavy with sleep, her eyes closed in spite of her fighting to keep them open. He snuggled down beside her, holding her while she let the last bit of consciousness fade away. Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep.

  He sneaked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Carter saw him from down the hall and smiled at him. They’d been friends for years, and had no issues with jealousy. It was doubtful that Carter didn’t know what he’d been up to in Lydia’s new room, but he wouldn’t care. If Lydia was up for it, he’d get his time with her soon enough.

  Jareth crept down the hall quickly to meet Carter.

  “I was wondering when that tension between you two was going to get the better of you both.”

  “Really? It was a complete surprise to me. I didn’t know she had feelings for me.”

  “Of course she does. You’d have to be blind to miss how she looks at you. Did you tell her about the decree yet?”

  “I didn’t. But I don’t think we need to, Carter.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I don’t know. Something about her has changed. When she talks about leaving, a sadness comes over her.”

  “I’ve noticed the same when she talks about the wedding being fake.”

  “I think she’s happy here. With us. I don’t know, Carter. I think, if we give her time, she might want to stay and live here with us. Start a family and live happily ever after.”

  “She’ll have to choose then, and one of us will be left out in the cold.”

  “Why does she have to choose?” Jareth asked. “It seems silly. We’ve shared women before, and Lydia adores the suite we had decorated for her. Why make her choose when things are fine the way they are?”

  “I guess I can’t argue with that.” Carter looked towards Lydia’s door and took in the disheveled state of Jareth’s clothing. “I’m shocked you’re not bragging about having her first.”

  “I am, too.” Jareth chuckled. “I don’t really feel like that about Lydia. She’s not a contest to be won like women before her. She’s more special than that, you know what I mean?”

  “I know exactly what you mean.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The wedding came up faster than Lydia was prepared for. The day before the actual ceremony, guests started arriving in droves. Within a few hours, every available space on along the paved road leading to the house from the front gate was taken. Everyone else parked in the empty field behind the first curve, cars lined up in an ordinary fashion despite the lack of direction.

  Lydia could tell that many of their guests had done this before.

  A large canopy was set up near the house and away from the area set up for the actual ceremony. Chairs and lounges of all shapes and sizes were brought in and spread out under the canopy on a massive outdoor rug.

  “What is that for?” Lydia asked Carter from her seat on the balcony where she’d watched the workers setting up early Friday morning.

  “People will start arriving today and they won’t leave u
ntil Sunday afternoon. They have to have somewhere to rest, away from the festivities.”

  “Where are they going to sleep?”

  “Some will sleep under the canopy, others bring tents and sleeping bags and sleep under the stars.”

  “They do? Is that normal?”

  “For us it is. No matter how into the finer things in life we are, we never move far away from our roots. We thrive in nature, and sleeping outdoors in groups is a pretty regular thing. Of course, some of the older tigers and women who are expecting will be welcomed into our home if they ask. But people rarely ask.”

  “This is nothing like anything I’ve seen,” Lydia remarked, watching the workers transform the vast open field with speed and precision that she’d never seen before.

  “There’s going to be a lot going on that you probably won’t understand. Just remember, it’s all for show and you can leave any time.” Carter moved closer to her on the large, padded bench and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a squeeze to reassure her. “No matter what Gavin or anyone else says, the only thing that matters is what’s between us.”

  “I know that.”

  “I’m glad.”

  The first guest had arrived then, the ringing of the doorbell interrupting their conversation.

  “It’s begun.” He started to walk away, but Lydia grabbed his hand. Her eyes implored him to stay a bit longer and reluctantly, he sat back down beside her. Jareth was somewhere in the house, he could take on greeting their guest for a moment.

  “The way you say that, it sounds like such a big deal,” said Lydia.

  “It is, but not for you today. Today, the ceremonies are about the men. Everyone will expect you to make an appearance at dinner but the rest of the time, no one will question you resting in your rooms.”

  “So I won’t see either of you the rest of the day, then?”

  “You’ll see us at dinner. And Spencer will bring lunch to your room.” He kissed the tip of her pert nose and smiled at her. “You can come out if you want, but I would rest. There’s a lot going on today and into the night. The more time you spend resting, the better. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

  “And what about Sunday?”