Liar, Liar by A.R. Hall

Fiona

Jasper paced across her small living room as she stood near the stairs. She didn’t know what to say. They got him. Michael was currently in custody, as well as some of his goons. Fiona didn’t know the details, and he assured her it was for the best. It almost seemed too easy. He wanted her to trust him.

She wanted him to trust her too though. Fiona told him she knew when they were still at the event. She knew part of the truth; her brother told her how they had changed. They were different since they’d come back. Fiona read the books that belonged to Grams. She understood there was truth to them.

In a world where magic existed, it made sense that the creatures of fairy tales were real too. The stories had to come from somewhere. Grams always liked to tell them growing up, “You can prove something exists, but you can’t prove something doesn’t exist.”

So, she continued to watch him pace before he finally stopped and looked at her. He raked his hand through his hair and sighed.

“I’m a bear shifter.” His brows furrowed. “He talks to me sometimes. Mostly when we’re around you. He wants me to finish claiming you, and so do I. You’re mine.”

“I’m yours?” Fiona reached for the mark on her shoulder. “What happened to the saying ‘I licked it so it’s mine’? You just had to go and bite? You had to mark your territory?” She crossed her arms. “What does it mean to be claimed? How does it happen?”

He started to take a step toward her, then hesitated. “I’ll bite you as I’m inside you.”

“Sex?” Fiona laughed. “You’re talking about sex, when you haven’t even kissed me?” She shook her head at herself for making it sound like she didn’t one the same thing. She’d been waiting for this moment since they returned.

His phone rang, interrupting them. “Yeah?” He held it up to his ear.

“It’s been a long night, Jasper. I’m tired. Lock up when you leave.” She sighed and walked up the stairs to her room.

It was too awkward. Fiona didn’t want it to be, but it was. There was still so much left unsaid between the two of them, but there was nothing she could do. He’d been avoiding her for five years. Now, all of a sudden, he wanted to claim her?

She knew it had to do with his bear. She knew it also had to do with her gifts. Fiona felt the pull of her magic when she was around him. She could feel it before he died and after he came back.

Everyone in the magical community had an ability to find their one true love, their soul mate. Growing up, she knew her happily ever after was out there.

Real life wasn’t a fairy tale though. People don’t always get their happily ever afters.

Fiona was a twenty-seven-year-old virgin whose soul mate died. Then he made a deal with a demon to come back, apparently for her, but then proceeded to avoid her for five years.

Fiona’s life was a mess, but she thought she put on a good act.

It took a while for her mind to settle and finally fall asleep. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she awoke to the sound of her bedroom door opening.

“I’m sorry,” Jasper whispered as he climbed into the bed behind her. “Don’t let me go.” He pulled her close. “I need you.” He placed soft kisses on her shoulder, on her mark, up her neck.

She heard the growl come from somewhere deep inside him. “All yours,” she reassured him. “So stop running away from this. No more staying away from me.”

“Fuck, Fi. I’m never leaving you again.” He rubbed his hardening cock against her ass. “I want to claim you. I need to make you mine.”

“I’ve always been yours and always will be.” She leaned her head back as he continued to kiss and nip across her shoulder.

“All. Fucking. Mine.” He nibbled along her ear as he slid his hand down the front of her pajama shorts to cup her. He groaned, “Wet for me?”

She gasped as he started to rub. “Yes.”

“Mine.” He bit her ear as he dipped a finger in.

“Yours,” she gasped.

“Tight.” He added another finger.

Didn’t he know? Fiona had saved herself for him. She wasn’t a prude; she had a drawer full of toys. She could never bring herself to have sex with anyone else though. Not when she knew he was out there.

“Fi?” He continued to work his fingers in and out of her as his thumb rubbed her clit.

“Yes?” she breathed.

“Has anyone else ever touched you here?” he growled in her ear.

She turned her head to look at him. “No. I’ve always been yours.”

“Fuck.” He stopped, turned her, and smirked. “Always mine.” He dipped down to capture her lips.

Sparks.

Chills ran down her arms as heat rushed to her core. She hadn’t expected his lips to be so smooth. He rocked his body against hers, and her legs separated even farther, wanting to feel the length of him against her. His tongue had barely touched hers before he was traveling down her body. Kissing and biting. Marking his territory.

“I need to taste,” he murmured as he pulled her shorts down and inhaled. “Fuck, you smell good. You smell like mine.” He placed a kiss to both of her inner thighs before his teeth grazed her and his tongue was pushing inside.

“Fuck!” She bucked, and he wrapped his arms around her legs, pulling her closer and not letting her move.

She was brought to orgasm quickly, and he was crawling back up her body, leaving more kisses and bites along the way.

“I need you,” he groaned, his skin growing hotter against hers.

“I’m here,” she whispered before his lips claimed hers.

The rest of their clothing was removed in the blink of an eye, and his lips were on hers again. He stopped and looked into her eyes. “This is your last chance to tell me to stop.”

“Jasper.” She shook her head. She wanted him to finish this.

“I’m serious, Fi. This is the moment of no return. After this, you’re mine. I’m going to be stubborn and an asshole most of the time, but it’s because I want to keep you safe. This is where I keep you. Forever.”

“Forever.” She turned her head to submit to him. Fiona didn’t know why she did it. Something inside her told her to. It was like her magic was telling her what to do.

He thrust into her.

She gasped and dug her nails into his back.

“Yes, mark up my body like I want to mark yours.” He hesitated to move. “It’s going to be fast this time, but I promise to make it up to you.”

He slowly pulled out and thrust back in.

He continued the agonizing pace before she was yelling at him to let go. She wanted it rough. She wanted it fast.

“Getting close.” He pulled out and flipped her over onto all fours and was back inside her impossibly fast.

She was pretty sure she was seeing stars as his thumb rubbed her clit and he pounded into her. She felt her soul leave her body as she felt her release, quickly followed by his. Another sting at her shoulder brought her back inside her body.

He slowly pulled out of her and rolled them over so he could hold her.

“You already marked the other side.” She raised an eyebrow and looked up at him.

“I wanted to see it from both sides.” He grinned. “Never leaving you again.”

“Good.”

She knew there were things they still needed to talk about. He’d avoided her for too long after he came back, and she deserved to know all of it. One day at a time though.