At the first touch, a flash of pain arrowed down her fingers to her elbow, like sticking her finger in a socket. Then the pleasure hit, stronger than ever, sucking her under the tidal wave. Logan tightened his hold, then pulled her inside the vehicle until she was tucked up against his side.
He was right—the more skin she touched, the more solid her flesh became—and the greater the pleasure.
Logan placed her hand on his stomach, a grimace contorting his features, his fingers clamping down on her hand as if he was terrified she would pull away again. He screwed his eyes shut, then gripped the steering wheel with both fists, the metal groaning in complaint. Then he nodded, staring straight ahead. “Close the door.”
Annora reached back, her hand dragging across his stomach as she slammed the door, and he gave a tortured groan. “Baby, you shatter my control.”
He didn’t wait for a response, but put the car in gear and drove like the demons of hell were after him. The touch between them became soothing after a few minutes, and she brushed her fingers over his chest until he seemed to relax.
She glanced down at herself, noting that she looked solid, the dizziness all but gone, and reached down to touch her leg.
Solid.
“I think whatever was happening is finished.” When she went to remove her touch, he quickly slapped his hand over hers, settling their joined hands low on his stomach.
“Don’t.” He cast a critical look over her, then shook his head. “Let’s wait until we get home. I don’t want to risk it.”
She hesitated for a second, worried what prolonged contact might do to him. But he no longer appeared to be in pain, nor could she sense that he was weakening like Xander. He began to lightly trace his fingers over the back of her hand, distracting her from her chaotic thoughts.
And it was impossible not to notice the erection straining the front of his jeans, her hand resting just inches away. Though she’d been doing her best to ignore it, couldn’t curb her curiosity.
“Does it hurt?”
Logan made a sound between a groan and a laugh. He pressed against the back of his seat, lifting his hips to readjust his pants. “Yes, but in a good way.”
His husky tone had her squirming in her seat.
He noticed—he seemed to notice everything about her.
He cast her a look from the corner of his eyes. “Do you want me to show you what it feels like?”
She swallowed hard at his question, her curiosity getting the best of her. “Yes.”
The last thing she expected him to do was take their joined hands and place them high on her thigh.
“Whatever you do, don’t let go,” he whispered.
Then he slowly dragged their hands up the inside of her leg, then back down, higher and higher with each pass until she was squirming in anticipation. Her breathing became ragged as he gently ran their hands up to the juncture of her thighs, and she couldn’t stop the groan that tore from her chest.
It only lasted a second before he retreated again and she groaned for a different reason.
“See,” he swallowed hard. “It’s a pleasurable pain.”
Not wanting the lesson to end, she placed their clasped hands back on his leg. “Show me.”
It was a demand.
The car swerved wildly before he gained control. “Fuck, babe, are you trying to kill both of us?”
Instead of answering, she ran their joined hands up the inside of his thigh like he had done with her, and it was his turn to groan.
“Wait.” He smashed her hand tight against his thigh, his breathing rough. “I want to touch you.”
“Too bad you’re driving.” Annora smiled up at him as she snuggled closer, digging her nails into his thigh until he hissed and loosened his hold. “And I have free hands to explore you.”
“Fuck.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing painfully, the steering wheel creaking again as he tightened his hold.
When she once again moved her hand up his leg, he exhaled in a shaky rush, and he crushed her hand under his. Just when she thought he would pull her away, he placed her hand directly over his erection, curling their fingers over him, showing her what he liked until he was arching up under their combined touch.
“Stop.” He was breathing like he’d just ran five miles. “We have to stop.”
“Why?”
He gave a strangled laugh. “I want to show you pleasure.”
She leaned forward, then ran her lips up the side of his neck. He hissed in a breath, his body twitching under hers. Thrilled at his reaction, she tipped her head back to whisper in his ear, “But I’m already enjoying myself.”
His hips flexed as she said it, and she’d swear his erection throbbed under her touch.
“Fuck, babe, you’re going to kill me at this rate.” His eyes were wild as he scanned the road, refusing to look at her. Then he slipped his hand free of hers, placing her fingers in the crook of his elbow, and undid his pants. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Then his erection was free.
“My shirt.”
Annora reached between them with her free hand, then yanked the shirt free.
He grabbed it, placing it across his stomach, fussing with it. “You don’t have to do this.”
In response, she captured his hand again, threading their fingers together, then placed their joined hands over his erection.
He sucked in a startled breath, his hold tightening on hers, his hips arching, his erection jumping under her palm. “Shit. Shitshitshitshit. Shit.”
She tightened her hold, liking the way he surrendered to her, fascinated by the combination of smooth, heated skin wrapped over iron. “Show me.”
After a second of hesitation, his fingers tighter around hers, then he began to move their linked hands over himself. He tightened his grip at the base, then ran their fingers up and over the tip.
Then again.
And again.
With every pass he moved faster and faster, his breathing more ragged each time. He slammed on the brakes, then jerked the wheel until the car swerved to the side of the road, nearly sending crashing into a tree. Without a word, he slammed the car into park, then lifted both hands, snagging them in her hair, jerking her forward to ravish her lips.
She almost lost the rhythm he set as his mouth destroyed her mind. Pleasure soared under his complete loss of control. Wanting more, she wrapped her second hand around him until he lifted his head and hissed.
“I’m going to come.”
As if sensing her curiosity, he stretched back into the seat, watching her as her attention dropped to his erection.
“Fuck.” Then his thighs flexed as he arched under her touch. His erection pulsed as he took his pleasure, spilling his seed over his shirt, never once looking away from her.
A second later, he sagged against the seat, then dragged her forward, his kiss gentle, his lips barely touching hers. Her whole body tingled as she squirmed in her seat. He slowly sat, then dragged his shirt over himself, cleaning up the mess. He tossed it to the floor, then closed his pants.
He opened his door, completely focused on his mission as he flipped off the interior lights. When she would’ve retreated to her side of the car, he grabbed her knee, pulling her leg up onto the seat, twisting her until she fell backward. Then he crawled across the seat until he was crouched over her and smiled roguishly. “My turn.”
He leaned forward, settling his weight between her splayed thighs, and she gasped as pleasure swirled through her at the contact. Then he flexed his hips again, dragging another gasp from her. She slipped her hands around him, her nails sinking into his back, urging him to move. He reached down, running his hand along the outside of her thigh until he reached her ass, then lifted her up to angle her hips as he moved again, and she couldn’t help arching against him.
Pleasure sizzled through her, and she urgently craved something she couldn’t name. Every time he moved, he sent her soaring higher and higher.
> Logan buried his face against her neck, a growl rumbling from him. “Fuck, you smell good.”
Before she had time to say anything, he reared back and attacked the closure of her jeans, then he shuffled backwards on his knees, taking her pants with him. A second later, he grabbed her ankles and drew her toward the edge of the seat, until her legs hung outside the car, startling a squeak out of her. Then he leaned down, buried his face between her legs, and licked her.
Her hips shot off the seat.
He growled hungrily, then held her still while he feasted. As he used his tongue and lips on her, she wasn’t able to catch her breath, her entire body shooting higher and higher with each pass. She sank her fingers into his hair, clawing at him in a silent demand for more.
He seemed to take it as a signal, reaching between them to slowly push a finger into her core.
Then breathing became unimportant as his tongue and fingers sent her shooting for the stars with a scream of pleasure. He gentled his touch as she slowly came back to earth.
Only then did she realize his phone was ringing.
When Logan continued to caress her, she squirmed, then yanked on his hair. “Logan.”
He growled again, his grip tightening, and she shivered as the sound vibrated through her, and her breath caught roughly.
She wanted him again.
When the phone stopped, then immediately rang again, it took her a considerable effort for her to shake off the effect he had on her. “Logan.”
She tugged at his hair again, jerking him back up until he looked at her. “Your phone.”
It was like he didn’t hear her, his beast staring at her from his eyes, then he blinked as if waking. Ignoring the ringing, he leaned up and brushed his lips against hers again, gently tucking her hair away from her face. “Are you okay?”
Her insides went gooey at his concern, and she couldn’t help but smile. “I’m wonderful.”
The phone stopped ringing, only to start again immediately. Logan heaved a sigh, pressing his forehead against hers. “We could ignore them and just run away.”
She laughed, then pushed at his shoulder. “If I know them, they’d hunt us down before morning.”
He grumbled but retreated. He fished out his phone from his pocket, never once removing his gaze from her as he answered, watching while she collected her underwear and jeans, pulling them back on. He frowned while she did it, and she shivered at the look of hunger on his face, a now-familiar fire licking through her when she understood what it meant.
“We’re ten minutes out.”
When she crawled to her feet and reached for the door, her hand passed clear through. “Son of a bitch.”
Chapter Fifteen
Logan combed his fingers through his hair as they approached the house. It was all he could do not to stomp on the gas and take Annora somewhere else, anywhere they could be alone again. He shuddered, still remembering the way her fingers whispered across his skin, the way flames licked his flesh.
His kitsune clawed at his insides, determined to be released so they could claim their mate.
He tightened his grip on her delicate fingers, afraid she would slip through his hold and disappear from his life. Panic shredded his guts at the thought of her vanishing, and he pulled her closer, only able to catch his breath again when she snuggled clumsily against him.
She wasn’t going fucking anywhere without him.
She’d given him his freedom, rescued him from a life of slavery and servitude to the bitch his family had sold him to without a care, knowing he would most likely be dead within five years. To compensate, he lived his life to the fullest, drinking, whoring about with the girls, drugs, you name it.
Then Annora burst into his life and destroyed everything…and gave him a reason to live.
He was free to do whatever he wanted.
And he wanted her.
He hadn’t picked up a drink since then, his cup tonight had contained nothing but water. He’d flushed his drugs. Fuck, he’d even stopped answering his booty calls. Because of her. He wanted to experience everything to the fullest with her without being dulled by anything.
It was like everything was new.
Fuck if he wasn’t feeling things more vividly when she was near, the world brighter, the smells stronger. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but she shattered the shell he kept around himself. Her touch ran deeper. Fuck, she only had to look at him with her nearly black eyes for his cock to jump to attention.
But her touch destroyed him. It was a craving better than any fucking drug, and he’d never get enough of her. He ran his thumb along her palm, his chest puffing up when she shivered at such a simple gesture, and he licked his lips, still able to taste her. It was all he could do not to pull over and take her again. The only thing stopping him was he wanted her first time to be something other than in a backseat of a car.
He needed to find his control. He wanted to go slower, show her that she was special…different from all the others.
That she mattered.
He wanted to be the one she turned to when she was in trouble. He wanted to rescue her from the demons hunting her, save her the way she’d saved him, but he was afraid it wasn’t going to be so simple. As they pulled up to the house, he shook his head at his fanciful thoughts, but it didn’t change a thing.
Whether she knew it or not, he was hers.
He just needed to find a way to convince her to keep him, prove to her that he was worthy of being chosen as one of her mates.
* * *
As soon as Annora walked through the door, all three guys waiting for them lifted their heads like predators sensing their prey, and they slowly rose to their feet. They scanned her from head to foot, then their eyes locked on the fingers she had tucked into Logan’s hand, then scanned his still-naked torso. They turned toward Logan, their eyes darkening with accusations.
Xander crossed his arms, looking pissed, Camden wore his usual mask of indifference, while Mason continued to stare at their joined hands, his face inscrutable. And she felt like she’d betrayed them somehow. Not wanting to dwell on the conflicting emotions, she lifted her chin. “I may have found a clue to your missing supernatural problem.”
She squeezed Logan’s hand, then slipped free from his hold and casually walked through the counter. Being separated from Logan made her stomach lurch, and he hurried to her side as if he felt the same and pulled her tight to his side.
The guys’ eyes widened slightly at the display of her power, but they didn’t say anything, waiting for the rest of her revelation.
“When she was left alone, someone slipped something in her drink.” Logan pulled her in front of him, wrapping both arms around her waist. “The drug appears to have boosted her powers, and she’s having a little trouble holding her form.”
The guys stepped forward as one, and she cringed against Logan. “Don’t!”
They froze, holding up their hands, as if she was a gun about to go off. She swallowed hard, unable to meet their eyes as shame burned like acid in her gut. “My touch causes pain. Until I can regain control, you must keep your distance.”
Their attention flickered from her to the arms wrapped around her, then they all scowled. Mason crossed his arms, as if to stop himself from reaching for her. “You don’t seem to have a problem letting him hold you.”
Logan snorted. “I’m the only thing grounding her in this world. How the fuck do you think I got her home? If I let her go, I’m afraid she’ll vanish.”
Camden looked suspicious, like she was actively working to destroy his team, his silent accusation hurting more than any beating, and she curled her hands into fists. The sharp bite of pain where her fingernails dug into her flesh was enough to distract her. She glared at them, then rapped her knuckles on the fridge, the hollow thump matching the hollowness she felt inside.
“Is that proof enough?” Bitterness twisted through her, their lack of trust driving the blade in her back deeper. Her chest tightened,
the room becoming crowded, the air suffocating her with each breath.
“Release me.” She tapped on Logan’s arm, struggling hard not to lose her shit. She needed to stay out of the afterworld in her current condition, terrified that she might never be able to come back.
Instead, Logan’s arms tightened around her like a vise. She tried to twist away, anxious to be free, when Xander stepped into her space, cupping her jaw until she was forced to look up at him.
He hissed at the contact, then groaned and pressed his forehead against hers. He ran his thumb along her jaw, then sank his hands into the hair at the back of her neck. “You should know better than most that some pleasure is worth the pain.”
“Why?” she whispered up to him, pressing back against Logan, but there was nowhere to go, both of them tightening their grip on her.
“You’re safe.” He massaged the back of her scalp, until she couldn’t resist him anymore and dropped her head against his chest. “The drugs will wear off in a few hours. In the meantime, we won’t let anything happen to you.”
She gingerly reached out and settled her hands against his waist—and could swear she could hear his beast rumble its pleasure.
Logan leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You’re not hurting us. Every time you touch me, the ache lessens and the pleasure doubles. The last time I barely even felt a flash of pain. We’re adapting.” He nestled his face against her neck, inhaling her scent. “We were born for you, my grá.”
Her heart jolted at the sound of his complete conviction, the yearning to belong to them a physical ache, but she shoved her emotions away. “Don’t you understand? I’m infecting you! The darkness inside me is spreading to you, tethering my soul to yours.”
She tried to push Xander away, gouging her fingernails into his flesh to get him to back off while kicking back at Logan. Both men immediately pressed closer, smothering her between them. The darkness began to whirl inside her, seeping through her skin as her panic spiraled, her breathing coming in gasps as the afterworld tugged at her, demanding her return.
Tethered to the World: A Phantom Touched Novel Page 17