by M. L. Briers
“I think not,” Harley offered back, trying to still her racing heart back to normality, and her eyes locked with his once more. She couldn’t seem to catch a break…
“I think you’re running away.”
“Chance would be a fine thing,” Harley didn’t want to move because she couldn’t. His body was surrounding hers, and if it had been an inch closer then they’d be touching all the way down… she feared that touch because she knew it would just bring on the mating pull, and she didn’t want to risk it.
“You’re talking, but-”
“It’s not what you want to hear,” she cut him off.
“Call me crazy but I have a thing for the truth,” he offered back, wiggling those eyebrows once more, teasing her to another small smile.
“Truth hurts,” she whispered back.
“Try me,” Colin matched her level of quietness.
“I have a thing for vampires.” It wasn’t a lie and it wasn’t the truth, it was somewhere in the middle, but it seemed to do the job as those playful eyebrows of his shot up on his head.
“You were with that bloodsucker,” his eyes narrowed on hers.
Harley didn’t confirm nor deny it, she was too busy trying to calculate the fallout if she lied and said yes. Colin took her silence for confirmation, and pushed his body back from hers- he looked pensive as he palmed the wall and kept his body at arms length…
“I’m going to kill him,” he growled out. Pushing away in one fluid motion that turned his body towards the nearest exit, and he started to stalk away.
Harley’s mind spun and her lips parted to speak, but he was already making fast time devouring the space away from her on long legs. She bit out a curse and had to run after him to catch him up…
“I was not with-”
“Don’t lie to me now,” Colin shrugged it off.
“Will you stop and-?”
“No,” he growled out, turning the corner of the hallway as she double timed her steps to keep up with him.
His beast was close to the surface, anticipating the fight of its life, and he had a need to rip the vampire’s head from his body as jealousy pinged off every nerve within him, right down to the very last one.
The next second; he heard her curse- then he felt something hard hit his back, and it took him a moment, and her arms around his throat for him to realise that it was her- she either wanted a piggy back to the action, or she’d decided to wring his neck.
He felt the restriction against his windpipe and ground to a halt, reaching up, he made short work of releasing her arms- locking an arm around her body, he dragged her around to the front of him, her legs still locked around his hips, and backed her up against the wall, pinning her arms beside her body, and bringing his lips that close to hers that he felt the desire to drink her in…
CHAPTER EIGHT
~
“If you wanted a ride, I’d prefer this way,” Colin growled. The press of his hard length against her sex screamed at him to take her. He heard the gasped breath that she drew through her lips, and felt her body melt a little against his.
“I’ve never been with Barker,” she managed to breath out, cutting through the sexual fog in her mind, and trying to still the rush of desire that chased through her body.
“Little white lies can lead to trouble,” he growled- his lips just a millimetre from hers.
“I didn’t lie-”
“You didn’t tell the truth either,” he berated her. She didn’t answer that, but her lips did part when he shifted his hips and his length moved against that sensitive nub that shot electric jolts straight to her womb…
Colin couldn’t hold back his need to taste her on his tongue a moment longer. He captured her lips like he was on the hunt, devoured her mercilessly with heady kisses that left her mind blank and her lungs breathless, and then on a growl of remorse mixed with annoyance- he released her lips to nuzzle against her neck and take her scent.
He brushed his cheek against hers, nuzzled closer, breathed her in, and then his lips were against her ear. The feel of his hot breath against her skin was more than heady, it made her shiver.
“I crave you-”
“Like chocolate,” she managed to tease him.
“I could lick you from head to toe,” his rumbling growl rolled against her skin.
“Like an ice cream,” she wasn’t going to play his game.
“I want to devour every inch of you with my tongue.”
Boy did he sound like he meant that one. He rolled his hips against hers, his length pressing over her clit and bringing her pleasure… Harley was finding it damned hard to concentrate on being a smartass.
“Not…” she was silenced by his blunt teeth nipping the fleshly lobe of her ear. “Yet,” she managed to add, even while her mind and body screamed at her to give it up, give in, let nature take its delicious course…
“But soon,” he whispered against her ear and she shivered once more at the thought of it.
In her mind’s eye all she could see were naked images of them together. Her body wrapped around his- his muscles working overtime as he took her down his length… she was sure that she could even feel the friction inside of her channel, and she clenched her inner muscles around nothing at all, groaning inwardly at that empty feeling.
“Put me down…” before I change my mind.
With a grunt of regret, he did just that, allowing her body to slide down his, gently guiding her with his hands until she was on her feet- not stable by any means of the word. Her damn legs didn’t seem to want to hold her up.
“I know what you want, Harley, and it isn’t to walk away,” Colin didn’t gloat, he just told it as he saw it.
“Well, we can’t always get what we want,” Harley said, trying to shake off the need that flowed through her, the desire that clawed within her, and get some semblance of sanity back within her mind and body.
“Why deny it to yourself?” He teased.
“I think you have a kink on for getting zapped,” she tried to deflect his words, but that grin on his lips told her that he wouldn’t be swayed.
“If that’s what rocks your boat and makes you mine- then bring it on,” he chuckled.
Harley lifted her hand and saw him flinch. Then she gave him her best innocent smile…
“Maybe later,” she teased him, before sidestepping him and slowly walking away on a little cloud of air, grinning widely to herself at the sound of the hungry growl that rumbled down the hallway behind her.
~
~
~
Michael shot a look at Ginny when she tossed a string of spaghetti at the tiles behind his cooker. They’d been working side by side preparing the meal as if they’d been doing it their whole lives. He raised his eyebrows at her and gave her an easy smile.
“It’s still the best way to test if it’s done,” she giggled.
“You’re gonna clean that up, right?” he chuckled, those broad shoulders of his were moving up and down and drawing her attention- she kind of had the urge to prod one of those hard muscles of his biceps just for the fun of it.
“Nah, call it my contribution to making the place feel lived in,” she gave him a wide eyed innocent smile that backlit her eyes and made him hornier than hell.
Michael grunted in amusement. With a small shake of his head, he pointed towards the meatballs in the pan.
“You wanna test them the same way or are we good?” He chuckled.
“That would be a waste of perfectly good food,” she teasingly berated him.
“And what do you call that?” he pointed a thick finger towards the spaghetti sliding down the tiles.
“Done,” Ginny announced, “let’s eat, I’m starved.”
“Me too,” he gave her a hungry look that held her frozen in place for a long moment, but then she turned her attention back towards draining the spaghetti, cursing as the boiling water splashed back against her hand…
Michael was at her side in an inst
ant. One large hand wrapped around her wrist, and he flicked on the cold water with the other, shoving her hand under the icy stream and making her shiver from the heat of his body being right up close and personal with her, and chill that vied for her attention, but couldn’t match the awareness of him.
“Thanks,” Ginny offered with a small grin as he turned his eyes on hers and she watched them darken to jet black as his emotions swept through him, it was fascinating…
“You’re entirely welcome,” Michael offered.
For one long, almost agonising moment, Ginny thought that he was going to lean in and kiss her. Her heart thumped a- hello big boy, against her ribs, and her stomach lurched accordingly, but then that big, dimpled, easy smile of his was back, as he slowly eased back away from her… she sighed inwardly with regret.
When the food was plated; Michael gathered them both, and strolled around the counter top. With a look back over his shoulder at her, he motioned for her to bring the drinks of choice, a couple of ice cold beers, and set off into the large living area.
Ginny followed him, a bottle in each hand, and tipped her head to one side as he leant over and placed the plates down onto the low coffee table- the sight of his taut backside stretching the material of his jeans was just too much of a temptation not to glue her eyes to his backside.
She almost jumped in place when his head quickly snapped around and his eyes all but laughed back at her, knowing, and with a damn teasing grin on his lips to boot.
“Interesting, right?” He’d caught her fair and square and she knew there was no way around it.
“It’s certainly got my attention,” she giggled back.
“I was talking about my choice of venue for our meal,” he lied.
“Sure you were,” she offered back to him. He straightened up, figuring that he’d given her enough of a show for now.
“You prefer we eat at the counter?” He was still grinning like a man who could see right into her soul.
“No, I’m game,” she gave a small shrug off her shoulders.
“I hope so,” Michael’s eyes flashed amusement, but they also flashed hunger, and not for the meatballs, and she felt a large dose of excitement ping right to her womb.
“I’m starving,” she informed him, using her hands to shoo him over to his side of the table.
“Yeah, I know that feeling,” he drawled, making her roll her eyes in her head as she moved to sit down.
Michael moved fast, before her backside made it to the floor; he’d whipped a cushion from the sofa, and had placed it beneath her.
“My butt isn’t too good to sit on the carpet, you know?” she chuckled. “But, thanks.”
“Entirely welcome,” he said again- taking his place opposite her on the other side of the table.
Ginny felt like a mouse being hunted by his big bad wolf- she liked it. There was something about his soft, easy going side that played off against the dangerous, bad boy side that enthralled her, mind, body, and soul.
She forked her spaghetti and tucked in, sucking up the tail of the spaghetti as it flicked wildly back and forth and covered her chin in pasta sauce. His eyes watched her intently.
“You want I should get you a bib?” His chuckle was deep and gravelly and he still had that sexy grin on his face. She grinned back at him. Her eyes were wide with amusement.
“Or maybe I should just lick it off for you?” He offered. Ginny felt that buzz of excitement again, but she wasn’t about to be baited.
“You’re a bad boy,” She chuckled; pointing at him with her fork, but sidestepping his question completely.
“Is that a deadly weapon to keep me at bay?” He asked as they both started to eat with vigour, eyeing each other the whole time.
“Touch my pasta and see what happens,” she challenged him without even meaning too.
“I like a women who’s territorial, and isn’t afraid to eat,” he offered. Trying to still the need within him to rise to her challenge just to see what she would do.
“Oh, then you’re gonna love me,” she chuckled.
“Yes, I am,” He offered with a gravelly growl that underlined his words. Ginny froze in place. Her eyes were locked onto his and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
Michael saw her snared there, caught like a rabbit in the headlights, and he shot her a drop dead gorgeous smile in the hopes that he wouldn’t have to clap his hands to snap her out of it.
“You’re full of it-” She chuckled.
“If by that you mean; the need to have you in my bed, and the desire to take you down my hard length, stretch you around it, and make you come over and over again… I’ll hold my hand up to that.”
Ginny was back to staring again. For one long moment she thought that she might have been drooling at the prospect of his words… and then she snapped back out of it.
“You paint a very…vivid picture,” she offered back- and one that’s got me hornier than hell…
“One you like the look of?” He wiggled those damn cute as hell eyebrows at her again.
“I’m not answering that-”
“That’s all the confirmation I need,” he chuckled.
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” she chuckled- disbelieving just how incorrigible the man could be.
Michael got up onto his hands and knees and started to crawl slowly around the coffee table towards her. She eyed him; thrilled at the sight of him looking so much like a predator. Her fork still in hand, it hovered above her plate as he got close enough to give her an Eskimo kiss…
Then he reached out, snagged a meatball from her plate, and popped it into his mouth. She gasped in disbelief…
“Someone wants to get forked.” She gave a little hiss of disbelief and he swallowed down the tasty treat, and grinned wildly back at her.
“I have to tell you that I will defend myself,” he offered.
“You’d hit a woman?” she played him at his own game, knowing that her words would unsettle him, unsettle his beast, and it worked. He looked suitable shocked and disgruntled.
“Hit…?” He growled, “no- like this,” his lips came down on hers.
CHAPTER NINE
~
The rush of excitement and adrenalin that shot through Ginny’s body made her forget to even breathe, let alone to keep a hold of the fork. The sound of it clattering against her plate and the table went largely unnoticed by her ears.
Michael kissed her as thoroughly as he could, given the precarious way in which they found themselves. He’d just meant to punish her a little for her accusation and to prove a point, but once his lips had met hers, he found that he wanted more, and more, until finally- he knew that he wanted too much…
Michael released her to the sound of a heady gasp of breath that she hadn’t noticed she needed. Her eyes opened, hooded, and slightly glazed, but still they met his and held there…
“M-my foods going cold,” she managed to push out. What with her brain still running riot from his kisses, it was the best that she could do.
“We can make more together… later,” he had that look about him again. It wasn’t exactly smug and yet it wasn’t exactly pure innocence personified either.
“How much later?” She had a feeling that she knew what he was thinking. When his grin widened, became a little wickeder by nature, she knew that she’d been right.
“A few hours should do it,” he shot back, forcing her just to echo his words.
“Do it?”
“Be enough time,” his smile became teasing. He was in a playful mood and she felt just as damn playful right back.
“For?” she wanted him to come out and say what was on his mind. It wasn’t as if she needed him to draw her another mental picture, heaven only knew her mind was still having flashbacks to the last one, especially after that kiss…
“Me to love you right.” He was done playing, beating around the brush. He could scent her arousal. He could see the way that she was looking back at him, as if he was the
honey pot and she was Winnie the Pooh.
“Ohhhh,” she nodded a little, then her eyes snapped wider in surprise, “wait, hours?”
“Might be longer,” he tossed up a shoulder and saw her eyebrows start to lift upwards, “never can tell with these things.”
“What things?” now she was just playing him for time. He could see there was a debate raging within her mind, and he wanted her to be in no doubt of what he was offering her.
“Mating- bonding- making love to your woman…” he took a breath and she jumped in, but she didn’t get far.
“I-”
“I’m not trying to rush you here, Ginny,” he didn’t want her to feel as if he was pushing her towards something that she wasn’t yet ready for. He could wait- he didn’t want to, Lord only knew he wanted to sink so deeply inside of her that he never wanted to leave, but not if that wasn’t what she wanted to happen…
“No,” she slowly shook her head and he felt the sucker punch to his gut- she hadn’t thrown it, at least not physically… “Rush away, I like it.” She added and his heart soared as his beast yipped.
Mine.
“Well tough,” he growled out as his beast pushed forward and he slammed that damn cage down. He scooped her up towards him, “cos, I’m gonna be real slow and thorough.”
“You are?” she giggled. She liked the sound of that, but what men thought was thorough- never usually turned out to be the case.
“Oh yeah. I don’t want to miss an inch of your body,” he growled, turning her and bringing her backside down on his lap, as he sat on the floor.
“You don’t?” she was back to teasing him again, but from the look in his eyes- she kind of had the thought that he meant every word.
“Uh-uh, that would be a crime, and we wouldn’t want that,” he grinned; like the wolf that got the bunny, only better- he’d gotten his mate…