More Wicked Alphas, Wilder Nights: Sizzling Collection of Paranormal Romance (Wicked Alphas, Wild Nights Book 5) (17 page)

His best friend and fellow officer, Jackson Kenner, strolled over to his desk. “Want to grab a beer?”

Cord glanced at the clock. Shit. It was five-thirty on a Friday night and he hadn’t even noticed their shift had ended over half an hour ago. His wife had planned to have a girls’ night out with Jackson’s mate, Selena, and a few of her other friends, but Piper had canceled, saying she couldn’t get anyone to watch the two-year old twins. He believed the real reason was she was just too tired to go out. His heart ached for her. Something needed to be done, and soon.

“Can’t tonight. Piper has been totally frazzled and is staying home tonight. I need to help her with the kids.”

Jackson planted a hip on Cord’s desk. “What’s really going on with you, buddy? You look like you want to eat someone or hibernate for a few months.”

Cord had never been able to keep anything from his best friend. “It’s been over two years since the kids were born, and I want another one.” There. He’d said it aloud. Cord hadn’t dared bring up the topic with Piper because she was stretched too thin as it was.

“That’s wonderful, but from your sour-ass expression, I take it Piper is resistant?”

“I haven’t asked her, but I know the answer. She works all day at the hospital, picks the kids up from daycare afterward, and then has to take care of them until I get home. They just learned to shift, and you know the trouble that can cause. There’s no way she’ll be amenable to another one.”

Jackson whistled. “I think that’s why Selena and I have been hesitant. We’re pretty confident we could handle one, but if we have twins like you, it would be next to impossible given our jobs here.”

“They can be hellions, but they are so damned cute. The challenging part is having them be different breeds, something you two won’t have to deal with. Jax can be a bit rough when he’s in his panther form, but Emily is doing well to fend him off. She’s already quite large even for a baby bear.”

His good friend snapped his fingers. “I have an idea. Why don’t you let Selena and me take them for the weekend? It might open our eyes to what we’d be up against.”

Cord had to chuckle at that. “It might dissuade you too.” What was he doing? He didn’t need to be talking his friend out of his generous offer. “Are you sure Selena would say yes?”

“Positive. I think it would do you and Piper a world of good to have a romantic weekend away.”

Holy shit. Jackson was his new hero. “That just might work. God only knows Piper deserves a break. Our time is limited so I don’t want to go too far away. Any suggestions?”

Jackson glanced to the left then pointed a finger at him. “Harvey Stetson owes me a favor.”

“Meaning?”

“He has a cabin north of Asheville. I’ve seen pictures. It’s amazing. It even has a hot tub.”

“Piper would love that. When can you ask him?”

“I’ll do it now.”

***

Piper was in the small corner kitchen making a meatloaf casserole for dinner when it sounded like a lamp crashing to the floor in the other room. The roar that followed had her heart racing.

“Emily and Jax Triggert, what did I say about shifting in the house?” she shouted. It was the only explanation for the chaos.

Piper did not need this. Not now. She had to stay calm when she told Cade her news.

Leaning heavily on the Formica counter, she lowered her head, trying to compose herself before she saw the destruction. When she’d arrived home, she hadn’t thought her day could get any worse. Right before she left work this evening, the paramedics brought in six people who’d been involved in a three-vehicle crash. Several were in serious condition, and she’d had to X-Ray them without injuring them further. That put her twenty minutes behind in picking up the kids. When she arrived at the daycare, Natalie, the woman who ran the center, told her that Jax had been rather aggressive with another little boy. Piper had apologized, but this wasn’t the first time her son had stepped out of line. Young panther shifters were known to be rambunctious, or so Cord had said.

A different sounding crash came from the den.
Time to referee
. Piper tossed the mixing spoon onto the already messy counter and rushed into the family room where the kids were supposed to be playing quietly. She opened the door and stilled. “What the—”

Two of the throw pillows from the sofa had been torn to shreds, the metal lamp with the pleated lampshade that her parents had given her was in pieces on the floor, and Jax was swiping a paw at his sister’s legs, which was the reason for Emily’s continued growls.

“Jax, stop it.” Emily pawed at her brother and missed, seemingly unaware that Piper was standing there. Poor baby was scared. “Emily.”

Her daughter made one final attempt then lumbered toward her. Immediately, she shifted back into her human form and hugged Piper’s leg.

“Jax, shift back this minute.”

He growled then spun, transforming into his small form. Looking up at her with those big brown eyes, his cute pout almost made her relent and not punish him. He looked so much like his daddy, having the same olive skin and sturdy body. The kid was hell on wheels, but when he got older, he was going to break a lot of girls’ hearts. She couldn’t love him more if she tried, but right now, she was tempted to throttle some sense into him.

Piper picked up a sniffling Emily and brushed her long blonde hair from her pale face. “Jax, go to your room right now.”

He widened his stance, looking adorably fierce. “No.”

“I won’t ask you again. Your father will be home soon.” At the mention of Cord’s name, her two and a half year old son waddled out of the room. “I’ll be in to check on you, young man.”

As soon as he disappeared from sight, she checked out Emily. Her arm was bleeding. “What did I say about shifting in the house, young lady?”

“Jax started it.” She scrunched up her face and looked as if she was about to cry—and that was the last thing Piper needed right now.

Blowing out a breath to keep from giving a lecture, Piper carried her daughter to the bedroom. Halfway down a hallway plastered with family photos, she heard the front door open and relief washed through her. Cord was home.

“Could use a little help in here,” she called out as she stepped into Emily’s room.

Seconds later, he entered the bedroom where Piper was patching the scratch on their daughter’s arm. Piper could have healed Emily with her powers, but a bandage would remind her daughter to be careful.

Cord stepped behind Piper and slipped his arms around her waist. His mere touch had her senses reeling. She needed him so much, but right now, she had to tend to Emily.

Leaning over Piper’s shoulder, he kissed her neck, making it hard for her to concentrate. His scent was fresh and oh, so masculine, causing delicious sizzles of lust to spring up her body. “Better not start, I have to put the casserole in the oven.”

“Spoilsport. What can I do to help?”

He was in a good mood for a change. She knew it was her fault he’d been so sour, but of late, she’d been overwhelmed and had gone to bed exhausted every night. Yesterday, she’d found out why. “Jax and Emily trashed the den again. He’s in time out in his room. Can you go talk with him?”

“Shit. I am so sorry. Sure,”
 he telepathed. He squeezed her tight and trotted off.

Everyone kept telling them that things would get better once the twins turned three, but Piper wasn’t sure she’d make it that long. After she finished with Emily, Piper carried her back to the kitchen and placed her in her highchair.

Emily fussed, but Piper had learned to let her rant. “Things will get better,” Piper said aloud mostly to convince herself.

A minute later, Cord walked in with their son in his arms, looking so handsome in his uniform. She wanted to hug them both, but Jax had to learn when to shift and when not to.

“Did you explain to him how to play nice in the house?”

“Yes. He said he’d try to be more careful, though not in those words.” Jax’s ability to communicate wasn’t as advanced as Emily’s.

Cord set him down, and for once Jax just stood there. She wished she had her husband’s magic touch around the kids.

“How would you like a weekend away from all this?” he asked.

She shoved the casserole in the oven and closed the door. “What planet do you live on?”

He moved closer and nuzzled her neck again, not seeming to care the kids were now silently watching them.
“I’ve missed you so much. Missed this so much,”
 he telepathed as he kissed her neck again.

“Me too.” The desperation in his voice made her want to run away with him this minute. When he sucked on her earlobe, she was close to dragging him into the bedroom, but she didn’t dare leave her babies unsupervised again.

Piper wanted the romance and the passionate sex as much as Cord did. She might not be a shifter, but his bite had brought on all the same urges.

Cord spun her around. “I have a surprise for you.” He told her about some amazing cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. “The best part is that Jackson and Selena want to babysit.”

Her knees weakened, and she planted a palm on the counter to keep from collapsing. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. Everything is set. We leave tomorrow morning.”

Piper threw her arms around Cord and hugged him tight. Over his shoulder two sets of big eyes watched. As much as she would miss their sweet smiles and cuddling with them at night, she needed to delve into her husband’s body more.

***

Cord was barely able to keep his hands on the wheel during the two-hour drive up to the cabin. The bear in him—or maybe it was his panther side—was urging him to pull off the road and claim Piper since her scent was making him wild with need. He glanced over at her with what he was sure were lust-filled eyes. Piper had on a pair of body-hugging jeans and a tight, red pullover top that was making his feral side go crazy. “I can’t wait to get you naked.”

Piper laughed. “Keep your eyes on the road. I want that too, but I thought we’d relax first. Light a fire, and then afterward sit in the hot tub you said he had,
before
 we rip off each other’s clothes.”

“Spoilsport.” He lightly growled at her, and she laughed just as he’d hope she would. “We’ll do those things, if I can wait that long.”

“Be good. By the way, the turnoff is the next right,” Piper said with the written directions on her lap. She acted as if she wasn’t bursting at the seams for them to have wild, passionate sex, but he’d spotted the quick upturn on her lips when he told her he wanted her naked. She never could hide her desire from him.

He’d hold back rushing her because his wife deserved more romance and some downtime, and he was determined to give her what she needed even if it killed him.

Ten minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of their weekend retreat and his heart beat fast. The cozy log cabin with the two-seater swing on the front porch screamed romance. The single-story house sat on the steep precipice with a spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

No other cabins were in sight, affording them total privacy
. Yes!
 He’d be writing a thank you note to the owner as soon as he returned to Hidden Hills.

“Wow.” Piper pushed open the door despite him rushing to her side to help her out. She jogged over to the fence that separated the drive from the dramatic falloff. “It’s spectacular, isn’t it? I love how the rolling hills are all different shades of blues and purples. It’s pure magic.”

He moved behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist, her long, auburn hair cascading down her shoulders. “It is.”

She might be speaking of the view, but he was looking at her, still enamored by her silky smooth skin and trim body even after two kids. Everything about her excited him.

She twisted in his arms. “I can’t wait to see the inside.”

Forget the inside. Drinking in her beauty was all he needed. With the hint of fall in the air, he leaned over and kissed her. The moment their lips touched, his cock pressed against his zipper, and his hormones flooded his system. Holding her this close after their long ride might have been a mistake, but he was powerless against his mate’s allure.

Piper groaned, and his promise to keep his hands to himself disappeared. He swept her off her feet and carried her up the gravel drive toward the cabin.

“Cord, what are you doing?” Her laughter made him want to love her even more.

“It’s a bit too cold out here to be naked—at least, for you it would be. I thought you’d appreciate being seduced inside.” He had to set her down to unlock the front door. “After you.”

Piper shook her head, chuckled then rushed past the open kitchen on the left, across the living room with its massive stone fireplace, to the floor-to-ceiling,  fifteen-foot window. “Are you kidding me? Cord, come see this view. It’s even more amazing from this angle.”

He was thrilled she was so happy. He couldn’t remember her this excited since the first time the twins shifted. Like a moth to a flame, Cord strode across the expanse to his wife. Without asking, he reached around her and unzipped her pants. When she didn’t swat his hands away, hot anticipation seared him. His fingers actually shook as he lowered the jeans. As much as he was impressed with the sun highlighting the hills, casting them in a bunch of different colors, his wife held his attention more.

“Kick off your shoes,” he demanded, as he nibbled on her ear.

Still looking at the vista before her, she toed them off then swiveled around to face him. “I like this view better.”

Her words were like warm cognac, soothing the animal within. “So do I.”

When Piper grabbed his crotch, it was like a million stars just shot across the sky. He ran his tongue across his teeth and cursed that they’d already sharpened. Her scent and warmth, along with the love in her eyes, was melting his determination to take it slow.

He grabbed a chunk of her soft auburn curls and kissed her hard, trying to ignore the urge to shift. Their tongues dueled and sparred, his sweet wife tastier than any lick of honey. As she fumbled to undo his pants, she moaned and he grunted.

God, how he loved her desperation. Hurrying her might spoil the mood, and that was the last thing he wanted. This weekend needed to be all about Piper.