Touch of Temptation

by Rhyannon Byrd

  “Kellan,” she panted, when she could finally draw enough air to speak, barely able to hold herself upright, the hot glow of ecstasy melting her bones. “It’s too much…”

  “Too bad,” he rasped, his rough breaths rushing against her sensitive flesh. “This time, Chloe, I’m not stopping until you’re coming in my mouth.”

  “I can’t take it,” she sobbed, trying to hold herself together, but it was impossible. Anger melted into hunger, her worries into craving, and she lost herself, coming hard and fast, her arms curled over her head as hoarse cries spilled from her lips. Her body pulsed with blinding points of light and heat, and he growled with visceral satisfaction, keeping at her with his lips and tongue, his mouth deliciously greedy, letting her know that he got off on the explicitly intimate act every bit as much as she did. She was still coming, hard and sweet and heavy, when he tightened his hold on her hips and lifted her with ridiculous ease, the power in his muscular arms making her breath catch. Then he stole her breath completely when he pulled her down his body…and straight onto the throbbing head of his cock.

  “Take me, Chloe. All of me,” he groaned, his fingers biting into her hips as he waited, jaw clenched, for her to work her way down all those thick, vein-ridden inches. A choked gasp shook her chest when she’d finally sheathed him, her body stretched to its limits, her face tingling, blood pulsing in her earlobes and her breasts…in her fingers and her toes. Curving his hand around the back of her neck, he pulled her against his chest and rolled over, reversing the position of their bodies, his hips slamming against hers, shoving his cock so deep, she felt like he was in every part of her, taking up space in every cell of her body. His hand fisted in her hair, holding her, his eyes fever-hot and wild with need, glowing an unearthly blue, the sheer intensity of his gaze making it impossible for Chloe to look away. Watching her closely, he pulled back his hips, then rammed in, shoving himself deep, the slick, blistering friction too good to endure. He was going to kill her with pleasure, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to soak in every second of bliss, her fingers tingling as she ran her hands down the muscular length of his back, loving that animal-like play of muscle beneath his sweat-slick skin as he started riding her in a rough, grinding rhythm.

  He made a hard, thick sound in his throat, and then his mouth was covering hers, the kiss raw, drugging her senses with pleasure. She climaxed, screaming, and he swallowed the keening sound, the orgasm catching her in an explosive rush, crashing over her in another shattering wave of ecstasy.

  “You didn’t come?” she whispered against his throat, when she could finally catch her breath, realizing he was still hard inside her, feeling even bigger than before.

  “Not yet,” he growled, wedging his hips tighter between her thighs. His soft lips touched the apple of her cheek, as if tasting the heat of her skin, his muscles locking the instant he found the hot trail of tears slipping from the corner of her eye. “What the hell, Chloe?” He drew back his head so that he could see her face. “Did I hurt you?”

  She shook her head, taking a shivery breath, trying to get it together.

  “Then why are you crying?”

  “Because it shouldn’t be this good!”

  At first he didn’t say anything, a tremor moving through his big, muscular body as he held himself hard and still, packed deep inside her. And then he quietly asked, “Why?”

  Chloe turned her face to the side, wishing that she’d never said anything, because now that the conversation had started, she knew it wasn’t going to end anywhere good.

  “Damn it,” he growled, losing his patience. “Answer me.”

  Quietly, she said, “This isn’t real, Kellan.”

  “You’re wrong.” Bracing his weight on one forearm, he touched her chin, demanding she look at him, his eyes smoldering in the flickering shadows cast from the distant fire. “I told you before, this is as real as it gets.”

  “You’re giving me your body,” she whispered, unable to stop her tears, “but…that’s it.”

  His brows drew together over the burning blue of his eyes, his heart thudding heavily against hers. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  Chloe licked her lips. “You’re holding yourself back from me.”

  For a moment, he looked stunned, and then a grim, breathless rumble of laughter shook his chest. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

  “I wouldn’t joke about this. And you’re wrong if you think I don’t know this sounds crazy. I mean, we only just met. I know that! And I know this wouldn’t be considered a normal conversation for a couple who only just started…doing whatever it is we’re doing, but damn it, nothing about this situation is normal.”

  “Yeah, well, this doesn’t feel like holding back to me,” he grunted, his voice a guttural mix of anger and lust as he gave her another deep, devastating thrust, her body melting around him, clinging to his shaft.

  Drawing an unsteady breath, she somehow managed to say, “I’m not talking about holding back when it comes to sex. I’m talking about holding back when it comes to us. I mean…look at us, Kellan. You’ve never once said anything about us continuing to see each other once we’re out of the Wasteland. How hard would it be to say ‘Hey, when this is over, maybe we should go out on a date sometime?’ But no. All you’re willing to give me is this,” she told him, wiggling her hips, “and that’s why I think it has to have something to do with the curse. Because I might not have your experience, but I’m not stupid. Men don’t make love to women the way you make love to me then talk about it only being for the moment. For now. That’s not how it works.”

  “Christ, Chloe. In case you didn’t notice, this isn’t a bloody social outing. We’re on the run for our lives. It’s not like I’ve got time to sit and come up with a fucking five-year plan.”

  “That’s not what I’m asking for,” she argued, shoving against his chest.

  His nostrils flared, a muscle pulsing in the hard line of his jaw. “What do you want from me?”

  “I don’t know,” she burst out. “I just…I need to understand what’s happening. Where this is going—or if it’s even going anywhere, so that I can prepare myself for what’s coming. Because if I’m not careful, Kell, I’m going to get in too deep. And I can’t help feeling that I’m the only one treading water here. That maybe we should step back a little and ease things off.”

  FEAR SHOOK HIM.

  “No. I can’t…I can’t do that. I don’t want to lose you, Chloe. Damn it, I won’t lose you. Not yet.” The ragged words trembled with emotion, and he took her mouth, pouring everything into the kiss that he couldn’t put into words. She lay still beneath him for a heartbreaking span of seconds, then moaned, finally kissing him back, her arms wrapping around his neck, and his wolf silently howled with triumph, his fangs getting heavier in his gums, burning to be released.

  God, he wanted to bite her so badly it was a physical ache in his gut, the wolf punching against his insides, demanding he do it. As if she were already spilling down his throat, he knew exactly how perfect her blood would be against his tongue…how hot and sweet and achingly addictive.

  Since the moment Kellan had first met her, his feelings had been wrapped up in utter chaos—his cravings and fears battling for dominance. But now they’d coalesced into one seething entity. One fired by a hunger to have her and claim her that was unlike anything he’d ever known.

  Possession.

  He wanted every man out there to know exactly who her sweet little ass belonged to. Wanted it so badly he could taste it. It was only for Chloe’s sake that Kellan stopped himself from making the bite, because he couldn’t do that to her—couldn’t tie her to him when the odds were strong that he wouldn’t be around much longer. If he bit her, she would still feel the pull long after he’d gone. Spend the rest of her life aching for something that she couldn’t have. That was no longer within her reach.

  Fighting the primal pull of the beast with everything that he had, Kellan pushed himself up
on his straightened arms and raked his gaze down her slender, beautiful body, until he reached the intimate place they were joined. With hot eyes, he watched the way his cock stretched her, the heavy shaft gleaming with her juices as he thrust into her with deep, penetrating lunges, keeping the pace grinding and slow, knowing it would drive her crazy. Lifting his gaze, he watched the breathtaking swirl of emotion in her glowing eyes, needing that intense connection. Pressing deep, he held hard and tight inside her, loving the warm flush of color in her cheeks…the white flash of fang beneath the curve of her upper lip; their breaths ragged and loud, as if the air was too thick for their lungs; their bodies shuddering…pulsing, held on that knife’s edge of sensation. And then a low, predatory sound tore from his chest, and he broke, his fingers biting into her hips as he leaned back, pulling her over his spread thighs, pumping into her with a raw, savage rhythm that would have scared the hell out of most women, his wolf so close to his surface he had no doubt she could see it in his eyes.

  “Touch your clit,” he growled, thrusting into her harder…faster, the slick, erotic friction so good it nearly killed him. She flushed brighter, but followed his gritty command, and the instant she grazed that swollen little knot of flesh with her fingertip, a scalding orgasm burned through her, sharp and explosive. Her power filled the tent, rushing against his body, searing and strong, and he gave a guttural roar as she screamed, her climax dragging him right along with her, milking him…draining him, until he collapsed over her, completely destroyed.

  Kellan had no idea how long it took before he could finally find the strength to pull away and take care of the condom. “You drive me over the edge every time,” he muttered a moment later, lying beside her on the pallet, wishing she would open her eyes and look at him. “I promised myself I was going to be gentle with you tonight, but I was too rough again.”

  “No you weren’t.” With a yawn, she turned so that her back was against his front, then nuzzled her sweet little ass against his groin. “Regardless of how I feel about the curse and what’s happening between us, I like your wolf, Kellan.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Chloe?”

  “You’re always so worried about hurting me or scaring me,” she said in a soft voice, sounding thoroughly exhausted, “so I thought I’d go ahead and make it clear that I like it when your wolf takes over and you lose control. I think it’s sexy as hell.”

  Christ, this woman completely blew his mind. She was so sweet, accepting every part of him, no matter how rough-edged or difficult, with open arms. And in return, he gave her half-truths and lies. Ones he had no chance of escaping, much like his fate. The way his eyes had turned red the night before was proof that the poison was gaining the upper hand. Proof that he was losing the fight.

  I’m such a bloody bastard, he thought, knowing it was wrong for him to be there with her, when she was only going to end up hurt. Knowing she deserved so much more than this. And yet, he didn’t have the strength to get up and walk away.

  Silently cursing his weakness, Kellan took her into his arms and pulled her against the heat of his body, simply needing to hold her as close and as tight as he could…for as long as it lasted….

  Until his time ran out.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Friday afternoon

  OUT OF THE FRYING pan…and into the fire.

  They’d only just made it out of the mountains an hour ago, and already there was trouble. Having been on the move since the early morning, the group had finally stopped for lunch, and had been in the process of packing up when the scouts that Juliana had sent up onto a high ridge, where they could get a clear view of the forest that spread out for miles below them, reported back with grim news. Not only had they spotted a sizable force coming toward them from the northeast, they’d also reported activity heading their way from the northwest, which meant their group was being hunted on two separate fronts. Since the mountain range formed a kind of J shape, they’d actually come out south of the Sabin compound. Their only option was to go north…right between the two oncoming groups…and there wasn’t enough time to reach the compound before they were caught in the middle.

  The situation was the last damn thing that Kellan needed, considering he felt like death warmed over. His condition had been growing worse all day, his body ravaged by the poison coursing through his system, but he ignored the pain, determined to hide any signs of weakness, hoping like hell that his eyes wouldn’t turn red in front of the others. Though his body was working to counteract the poison, he was losing strength with every passing minute—and it was only a matter of time before his healing abilities were useless.

  We need to find the Reyker bastard, the wolf snarled. Find him…and fight him for the antidote, just like we agreed to do.

  Get real, he growled back, refusing to encourage the animal’s hope, knowing damn well that the odds were slim he could defeat Asa Reyker in his current condition, and even slimmer that an antidote actually existed. And that wasn’t taking into account the fact that he’d have to find Gregory first, wanting that bastard taken down so that he’d no longer be a threat to Chloe. It was a fucking mess, but he didn’t have time to worry about it now. He refused to leave Chloe’s side until she was safely secured within the Sabin compound—and that wasn’t going to happen unless they figured out a way to survive the afternoon.

  Knowing they needed answers, and quickly, Kellan glanced around the small glade where the group had stopped to eat. He wanted to talk to Raine, but he didn’t see either her or Seth, and he knew they’d be together. Despite the palpable tension that remained between them, Seth continued to watch over the psychic, often carrying her when she was too weak to walk. Her body was still trying to heal from the trauma she’d suffered at Westmore’s compound, and Kellan was worried that she might never fully recover. Her power remained unstable, but while she hadn’t been able to get a clear read on where Gregory was, she had managed to provide the group with several important pieces of information…and he was hoping to get more. “Does anyone know where Raine is?” he asked, interrupting the others as they discussed what should be done next.

  “Seth is with her,” Noah replied, his black hair falling over his brow as he stood at the edge of the group, his shoulder propped against one of the surrounding trees. “He said she needed some sleep before we start moving again.”

  “Where the hell did they go?”

  Noah jerked his chin toward a tangle of broken tree limbs that sat on the far edge of the glade, and after making sure that his brother was keeping an eye on Chloe, Kellan headed in that direction, his tension ramped up more than ever. Earlier that morning, Raine had told them the Infettato had managed to track Kierland’s scent along the route he’d taken earlier in the week when he’d traveled from the Sabin compound to the base camp. Considering the direction they knew the Infettato were traveling, Kellan had little doubt that they were the group closing in on them from the northeast, and it was obvious that the Watchmen had underestimated how quickly the infected humans could track.

  Raine had also told them that Spark had heard rumors of the Infettato traveling through the Wasteland, and had started searching the “death” journal for information about them, though she hadn’t yet found anything. Though he figured it was probably a long shot, Kellan needed the psychic to try to check in on Spark again, in case the assassin had recently opened the journal and found something useful.

  As the Lycan moved around the snarled tangle of stumps and broken branches that Noah had directed him toward, he found Seth sitting on a bit of dry ground, his back propped against one of the fallen tree trunks. The soldier was whittling at a piece of wood with his pocketknife, while Raine slept curled up on a blanket beside him, still looking too gaunt and pale, her body healing far more slowly than it should have been, despite the blood she’d been taking from Juliana. Knowing damn well that Seth was going to give him a hard time, Kellan cut right to the chase. “We need to wake her up.”

  Cl
osing his knife, Seth slipped the blade back inside his jacket pocket and lifted his head, his shadowed gaze making it difficult to read his mood. “We heading out already?”

  “Not yet,” Kellan replied, quickly telling the soldier about the report Juliana’s scouts had just given them. “I need to know if Raine can see anything new with Spark.”

  “You know, every time you ask her to use that power of hers,” Seth grunted, moving to his feet, “it drains her a little more. Don’t you think she’s been through enough already?”

  “Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, but she might be the only chance we’ve got.”

  Seth cursed, but he didn’t argue as he turned and dropped to one knee beside the sleeping Deschanel. She came awake with a small gasp the instant he touched her shoulder, and Kellan could tell that Seth was trying to keep his tone as gentle as possible as he told her what had happened…and what they needed. Despite the fact that she really did look like she needed the sleep, the bruises under her eyes even darker than they’d been the day before, she didn’t argue or complain as she sat up and pushed her long hair out of her face. Kellan moved a little closer when she closed her eyes, her forehead scrunching with concentration as she tried to focus her power. It seemed like he waited forever for her to finally open her eyes again, the gray-blue depths shadowed with frustration as she stared up at him.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t see it before,” she told him, “but Spark is leading the group closing in on us from the northwest. Westmore sent her to get me and Chloe back, and they’ve heard rumors that the Sabins are helping the Watchmen. That’s why they were heading for the Sabin compound, but I think the Casus she’s commanding must have caught our scent, because they seem to be heading straight for us now.”

  “Since the Casus are naturally able to home in on the Merrick, they’re probably tracking Chloe,” he muttered, fighting to keep a tight hold on his rage, knowing it wasn’t going to help solve anything if he lost his temper. “What about the other group? The scouts said there was something moving in from the northeast as well.”