Hunter's Edge

by Shiloh Walker

  He heard a low, worried whine and glanced down to see a big, ugly dog with floppy ears and soulful eyes staring at Angel. The dog rested his muzzle on the couch next to her, nudged her thigh and wagged his short, stumpy tail. When she didn’t respond, the dog sent Kel a look that very clearly said, Do something.

  Closing his hands into fists, he muttered, “I can do this.” Hell, all he’d wanted do for twelve years was hold her again. No reason he couldn’t manage it now, right? He settled down on the couch, sitting behind her. She was sitting sideways on it, with her legs drawn up to her chest, huddled in on herself. Nestling up behind her, he slid his arms around her waist and tucked her against him.

  She was cold. Too cold. Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, “Come on, Angel. Snap out of it.”

  The rapid, irregular beat of her heart was clear to him as if he’d had a stethoscope pressed to her chest. Sliding one hand down her arm, he closed his fingers down on her wrist. The thready beat had him swearing. Scooping her into his arms, he strode through the house, searching for her bedroom. The dog followed along behind him and when Kel laid her down on the bed, the dog jumped up as well and stretched his length out against her side.

  Kel let the dog be. As cool as Angel’s body was, she needed heat from somewhere and she wouldn’t get it from him. There was a fat quilt folded down at the end of the bed and he tossed it over Angel. As the dog wiggled up to poke his nose out from under the blanket, Kel lay down on the other side of her and wrapped his arms around her.

  Snap out of it, he thought. If she didn’t soon, he was going to have to get her to a hospital. Most of the Hunters received crash courses on emergency first aid and as far as he could tell, she was in shock. She hadn’t been physically hurt—

  No. You just pretty much ripped her heart out. Kel didn’t mind feeling guilt. Sometimes it was the only thing he did feel. But the weight of this was too damn heavy, crushing him. Easing her over onto her side, he curled his body around hers and pushed up onto his elbow, staring her profile.

  “Do you remember that summer you broke your arm…”

  He talked. Seemed like he talked for hours. He might have given it up after the first few minutes, but her body no longer felt so cool against his and her heart rate slowed down, taking on a more regular rhythm. By the time he got to their last summer, she had a faint blush of color to her cheeks and her gaze would flick his way for a minute, then just bounce away.

  “That night you moved out of your mom’s place…remember that?”

  Her lids lowered over her eyes, shutting him out. Pressing on her shoulder, he guided her onto her back. A soft breath shuddered out of her, but other than that, she made no response. Kel took her hand and twined their fingers. His voice was harsh as he muttered, “I remember it.”

  Shit, did he remember. You need to find something else to talk about, man. Fast.

  But before he could wrest his attention to something other than that first night they’d made love, her lids lifted, revealing heated, hungry eyes.

  “I remember.” She laid her hand on his cheek. “Are memories all I’m ever going to have of you, Kel?”

  “Angel…”

  She shook her head. “Never mind. That’s answer enough.” She started to wiggle away, but the dog’s weight kept her from moving away too fast. He brushed a hand over her shoulder but she jerked away. “Move it, Rufus.” At the sound of her curt voice, the dog shoved his mammoth weight upright and leaped off the bed.

  Kel watched as she headed toward the door, the rational voice of common sense telling him to let her go. Disappear from her life. She’d be better for it.

  He didn’t remember leaving the bed. He didn’t remember crossing the room, or barring the doorway. He didn’t even remember reaching for her, but he must have, because she was pressed up against him, his hands gripping her upper arms. She had her palms pressed against his chest, keeping him at bay. He held back but it took a measure of control he wasn’t sure he had.

  “Go ahead, Kel. Disappear. I know that’s what you want.” She stared at him, her blue gaze icy and cold. She tried to twist away from him but he wouldn’t let go—couldn’t seem to manage it.

  “You think that’s what I want?” he rasped, dipping his head and pressing a kiss to her neck, just below her ear. Her scent was strong there, warm, soft and female and he wanted to lose himself in it. The rapid beat of her heart was a siren’s song and he could almost imagine how she’d taste, could imagine pressing his mouth to her neck, his teeth piercing her silken skin…

  Instead of doing it, though, he lifted his head and stared down at her. “Can you really believe, even for a minute, that I’d wouldn’t do anything to have you back in my life?”

  His words had little effect—if anything, her gaze became more aloof. She flashed him a hard-edged smile. “Doesn’t look that way from where I’m standing. Let me go, Kel. Despite what your nudist friend thinks, I’ll be fine.”

  “Nudist… Toronto.” Narrowing his eyes, he studied her face. “You heard him.”

  “Yeah, Kel. I heard him—sort of. I took a mental trip but that doesn’t mean I’ve completely taken leave of my senses.”

  I only wish I had…maybe life would be easier that way. Insanity sounds a lot easier. That or just plain dead.

  Angel never spoke the words aloud. But those words echoed between them. She paled and jerked against his hold as his eyes flew wide. He snarled and wrapped an arm around her waist, locking her against him as she struggled. “Damn it, Kel, let go of me.”

  “Not going to happen, babe,” he growled. Reaching up, he fisted a hand in her hair and jerked her head back, forcing her to meet his eyes. “You don’t think like that, Angel. You hear me?”

  A sneer curled her lip. How such a derisive expression could be so damned appealing, Kel would never know.

  “You can’t tell me how to think, babe.” Her voice was deliberately scathing, deliberately insulting.

  His control stretched tight, he tried to let her go. He needed to do just that—get some distance between them before need, love, lust and fear got the better of him.

  But his body wasn’t listening to his head’s commands and instead of letting her go, he shifted, turned, pressed her back against the door. Leaning into her, he slid one hand up and rested it over her neck. His thumb lay in the hollow of her neck, feeling the silken softness of her skin, the warmth of life rushing just below.

  “I said, don’t,” he muttered as he dipped his head and pressed his mouth to hers.

  She gasped…and it was like she was breathing him in—absorbing him, their bodies melding into one. He slanted his mouth more firmly against hers, licking the seam of her lips. Angel moaned and opened for him, rising on her toes and hooking an arm around his neck, pulling him closer.

  In the back of his mind, a faint voice tried to warn him to stop now before it was too late. But Kel knew it had been too late from the moment he started down this path. Coming back into Angel’s life could have only led to one place…right here. All the self-denial and rambling about self-control had been nothing but a waste of time.

  Slowly, he pulled back, watching her. Angel’s lids lifted, revealing turbulent blue eyes. But for the life of him, he couldn’t pick up anything from her. She had her mental shields locked down so tight, she could have been silently ranting at him and he wouldn’t know. He extended his thoughts, tried to touch hers, but she deflected the mental probe, throwing it back at him. A look of surprise crossed her face, but she said nothing.

  He curled his hand over her neck and lowered his head, pressing his brow to hers. “Let me in, Angel,” he whispered. He felt so broken without her.

  Her body, so soft and pliant against his, stiffened and she turned her head aside. Panic erupted—she was going to pull away. Before she could, before she could say anything or do anything, he kissed her again and this time he didn’t stop until she was moaning in his arms and rocking against him. Through the layers of her clothes, he could feel her
heat and he wanted desperately to strip her naked, hold her against him and lose himself in the warmth of her.

  When he lifted his head this time, she mewled low in her throat. That hungry, kittenish sound hit him with nuclear force. His blood, pumping hotter than it had in years, roared in his ears and his hands ached to tear her clothes away.

  Instead, he eased back, held her gaze as he reached for the placket of buttons that held her simple red shirt closed. One button, another, another…and all the while he watched her, waited for some sign that she was going to pull away from him.

  But she didn’t. When he reached the last button, she was the one who pushed it off her shoulders, shrugging out of it. The plain red cotton fell to the floor, forgotten. She wore a bra, simple red cotton and her pale white flesh seemed to glow against the rich, vibrant tone. She reached behind to free the hooks at her spine but Kel caught her hands, urged them down to her sides. Instead of stripping the bra away immediately, he turned her around until she stood with her back to him. Dipping his head, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. She shuddered, arching her neck to the side—it was an instinctive, innocent movement, but it lit through him, burned through him.

  Unable to resist, he lifted his head from her shoulder and stared, watched as he trailed his fingertips down the elegant curve. Entranced…it would be so easy…

  Her soft moan broke through his daze. He almost pulled away—almost. But then she swayed back against him and once more, he was lost. Control it, Kel, he told himself. He could do that. He would do that.

  His hands shook a little as he stripped her bra away. From behind, he cupped her breasts. From over her shoulder, Kel stared at the way his hands looked on her smooth, ripe curves. Her breasts were high, full and round, her nipples drawn tight and blushing the same shade of rose as her mouth.

  She arched into his touch and at the same time, pressed her lower body back against him. A soft pleading whimper escaped her lips. Her soft curves cuddled up against him and he swore. Banding an arm around her, he lifted her and carried her back to the bed. Lowering her to her feet, he reached for the snap of her jeans, jerking it free, fumbling with the zipper. Stripping her out of the heavy denim seemed to take forever, but the minute he tossed them aside, he wished he hadn’t been in such a damn rush.

  He needed to take his time, move slow, make this moment last and last…but the sight of her long, slender body clad in nothing but a simple pair of black panties wasn’t doing a damn thing to help him slow down and take his time. It also didn’t help that she reached up and twined her arms around his neck, urging him closer. With her strong, sleek curves pressed against him, the beguiling arch of her neck now just inches away from his mouth, Kel felt his control crumbling under him like sand.

  He had no firm place to stand on and he was left floundering, with nothing to hold onto…but her.

  As though she sensed his torment, she turned in his arms and lifted her gaze to his. Lifting a finger, she traced the line of his lips. “You think too much, Kel. Stop thinking already.” Then she pushed up onto her toes and pressed her mouth to his. She licked his lips and he opened for her, groaning as she took the kiss deeper.

  Without thinking.

  Without thinking about the fact that his hunger and his need had caused his body to react—that reaction was instinctive. His fangs had dropped and now she was tracing one of them with her tongue. He stiffened and jerked back and Angel reached up, fisted both hands in his hair, pulling his face back to hers. “Would you please…for five minutes…just stop thinking?”

  She kissed him again, nibbled at his lower lip, traced to the outline of his lips, whispered his name. The naked longing he sensed inside her was reflected in her voice, in her eyes.

  He was a weak bastard. He had to admit it to himself, and he could castigate himself later. But for now…he opened his mouth for her and when she once more started to kiss him, exploring his fangs with her tongue, he let her.

  Angel tugged at his shirt and he pulled back long enough to strip it off and then he dipped his head, rubbing his lips against hers. If it would have been possible, he could have spent the rest of her natural life kissing her…her life…for a moment, he almost let his mind roam down a path he really didn’t want to follow. Her life would be shorter than his. Unless he got killed on the Hunt, he’d be walking this earth long after she died.

  But he couldn’t think about that now.

  He couldn’t think about anything but her hands on him, her mouth against his. Soft but strong hands moved over his chest. Her fingers toyed with the chain at his neck, paused briefly as she touched the ring it held. When she pulled away, he tensed, braced for whatever questions, but she didn’t ask any. All she did was lean and press a kiss to his neck before reaching for the snap of his jeans. He hissed as she dragged the zipper down, freeing his aching flesh. The kiss of air on his cock was almost painful.

  Kel let her strip his jeans away but when she would have wrapped her fingers around his cock, he caught her wrists.

  He needed more than just her hand on him.

  He needed to lose himself inside her.

  Guiding her to the bed, he urged her to lie down and then he sank down beside her, smoothing a hand up her thigh. Shifting, he settled on his knees between her legs, watched her face as he opened her. Their gazes locked, held as he lowered his mouth to her pussy and licked her.

  She moaned, her lashes fluttering down. Her hands cupped his head, held him close but she didn’t need to worry. Kel had no plans on doing anything but this until she was limp and barely lucid from the pleasure.

  Her hips bucked and automatically, Kel shifted, moving with her so his fangs wouldn’t graze that sweet, delicate flesh. He licked her clit, sucked on it and listened to her cry out his name. He smoothed a hand up her thigh, seeking out the wet heat of her sex. He touched her, hot and soft—and tight. Pushing two fingers into her sex, he lifted his head and watched her face.

  So tight…

  She keened out his name, arching her hips up in a sexy little plea. He lowered his mouth back to her sex and circled her clit with his tongue. Twisted his wrist as he started to pump his fingers in and out, screwing them deep into her pussy, watching from under his lashes as her body started to flush and gleam with a light sheen of sweat.

  Heat. Life. It had been missing from him for far too long.

  He growled, pulling his hand away and cupping her butt, lifting her more fully against him. He pressed his mouth against her sex in a full, open kiss, circled her entrance with his tongue, greedy for the taste of her. Stiffening his tongue, he fucked her with it, pushing and pushing until she went screaming over the edge.

  His cock jerked demandingly and he lowered her hips back to the bed, crawled up over her. Staring at her flushed face, he waited until her lashes lifted and her eyes cleared before he spoke, before he moved. “Open for me,” he whispered—but he wasn’t talking about her body. Or at least not just that.

  She brought up her knees, squeezing his hips. Her lashes drooped. He bent his mind to hers once more and this time, she opened for him. This time, she welcomed him.

  Minds merging, he reached between them, grasped his cock. Watching her, he pushed inside. She gasped out his name and the dazed pleasure wasn’t just in her voice…it was within her, he could feel it, feel need that was almost painful, feel the pleasure that wrapped around her, flowed through her.

  It was an echo of what pulsed inside him. A driving need that went deeper than sex.

  He slid a hand down her knee, along her thigh, holding her as tight as he could even as he withdrew. Their gazes locked, they stared at each other, silent save for her ragged, hungry moans and his harsh, desperate growls. Angel stroked her hands down his shoulders, hooked one behind his neck, tugging him closer. The other hand, she pressed to his heart—and it beat for her.

  The cold, all but lifeless piece of flesh leaped up under her touch. It pounded, pulsed—not with the speed it would had he been human, but it beat,
sending blood coursing through his system and bringing a sense of life that he hadn’t felt—not once since he’d left her.

  No Hunt could equal this. No hot, desperate or even hard and bloody sex could equal this—and even as his body became lost in the pleasure, guilt choked him. He’d tried finding it—tried, failed, substituted. And nothing could compare. Shame darkened what should have been perfect and priceless. Kel went to lock her out, tried to jerk his shields up.

  Angel lifted her hands and cupped his face. “No.” And she shoved—not physically. Strength for physical strength, she couldn’t match. But psychic strength, she damn well could. And she would—she felt his retreat, felt the ugly blackness of shame, but she’d be damned if she let him pull away.

  She focused her mind, flooding him with all that she felt for him, telling him in images and emotions that no words could describe. She moved under him, clenching her muscles around the thick ridge of his cock, showing him with her body. “Don’t pull away from me,” she whispered. “Don’t.”

  Curling upward, she pressed her mouth to his, caught his lower lip between her teeth, biting gently. He shuddered. One hard, calloused hand came up, curled around her neck. With his thumb, he angled her face up and he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her. Their tongues twined, that awful mental retreat stopped and once more, they were lost in each other.

  Lost.

  What was broken became new and old hurts and miseries faded away as he moved within her. Her hands, smooth, gentle but so demanding, clutched at him, racing over his sides, down to his hips to pull him deeper—deeper. He couldn’t take her any deeper—couldn’t get any closer without their bodies simply merging into one.

  Angel’s nipples, tight, aching and hot, stabbed into his chest. His body felt blissfully cool against the heat of her own. Cupping one breast in his hand, Kel pulled his mouth from hers and kissed his way down her neck, lingered over her pulse and down until he could close his lips around the stiff peak. Careful…so careful…he touched her with such care.