Sensuality was in their nature, the craving to touch and connect, but for a long time he’d only felt the touch of Alastair’s lash. The memory of Kara’s kiss had eased that sting.
Ryder surrendered to carnal bliss as he licked and tasted in a kiss meant not only to claim, but to awaken.
Kara responded sweetly, her body curling into his, her scent wending around his body in ribbons of erotic spice. He grew drunk and dizzy from her taste. This was the mating bond.
Breaking the kiss, he gazed down into her smoky eyes, aware of their ragged breaths and pounding hearts. Sex with Kara would not be fleeting pleasure.
It promised total consumption, dry wood set aflame.
And tonight, he intended to burn both of them. Ryder tugged her hand. “Come Kara,” he said softly. “Upstairs. It’s time.”
CHAPTER 8
He wanted her and she wanted him equally.
With a hand at the small of her back, Ryder escorted her upstairs to the third floor. At the end of the hallway he opened a door, revealing a room with a bed big enough to sleep eight Lupines.
“My only indulgence,” he said, leaning against the doorframe and hooking a thumb into his jeans pocket. “I redecorated the alpha’s room, and bought a new bed. Purged all the bad memories.”
“I’m glad.”
There were many more to purge as well. Kara closed her eyes, breathing in his scent, trembling with need as he tugged her inside. Ryder closed the door and caressed her cheek with a thumb.
“Open your eyes, sweeting. I want you to undress me,” he told her.
She unbuttoned his shirt, tugged it off with an impatient yank and threw it to the floor. Ryder looked amused as she stared at his naked chest. Kara reached up to flatten her palm against his smooth skin, and drew it away.
“You can touch me,” he said softly. “It’s okay now. No one will punish you.”
Drawing in a wondering breath, she trailed a finger across his chest. So warm and solid, smooth flesh over steely muscle. Kara grew bolder and began to explore his body. Muscle and sinew flexed beneath her fingers. She traced the ridges of abdominal muscles on his belly, marveling at the differences between them. Teasing, she dipped a finger into his naval. Ryder closed his eyes and shuddered. Having this big, strong male at the mercy of her exploring hands gave her a heady sense of power.
For two years, she’d pined for his touch, dreamed of his lips on hers, and what it would be like to finally surrender to the passion blazing between them. Tonight, she’d finally find out.
His eyes flew open. Ryder caught her wrists and shook his head. “If you keep this up, I’m going to come in my jeans and that’s no good for either of us.”
So as he sat on the bed, she helped him tug off the weathered Western boots and the thick socks. Then he stood and Kara unzipped his jeans, hooked her fingers around the waistband and tugged them down. Ryder helped her as the jeans slithered down his legs. They pooled at his ankles and he stepped out of them.
He was magnificent. Legs strong and dusted with hair, chorded with thick muscles. Her gaze traveled down each long, sleek limb up to the ridged planes of his muscled abdomen and the hard V of muscles diving down to a thick nest of dark, wiry hair and the heavy sac of his testicles. Ridged with veins, and flushed red, Ryder’s penis was thick and long, rising from his groin.
He gave a slow smile. “Like what you see?”
Kara nearly whimpered. “You’re perfect.”
But his smile faded. “Not quite.”
The beatings. She walked around him and bit her lip hard. Dear gods, what her father had done to him…
Ridges of old scar tissue flared on the thick muscles of his back. Alastair’s whip had cut deep. Moisture escaped her eyes as she traced the cruel marks.
“Dear gods,” she said thickly. “He put salt on your wounds too, to keep the scars.”
He turned and wiped away her tears with the edge of his thumbs. “Do you find my scars repulsive?”
She shook her head. “Only that they’re there as a reminder of how much you suffered. You could never be ugly to me.”
He placed a hand on her burned cheek. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Ryder drew her into his arms and smoothed back her long hair. “We both have our wounds, Kara, our scars. Mine no longer hurt. It hurt more being without you these past two years.”
Kara felt shyness take over as he undressed her. Hunger filled his gaze as he studied her naked body. Ryder touched her collarbone. “My turn now,” he said softly.
His palms splayed her breasts. Ryder studied her with a reverent look, then began to flick his thumbs over her cresting nipples. Stubble scraped her jaw as he bent his head and nuzzled her neck. He smelled so good, all male and spices. Arousal bit, sharp and sweet, as he ran his hands down her body, cupping one rounded hip, and then sliding behind her to squeeze her bottom.
He pulled her tight against him, his erection prodding her soft belly.
Ryder slid a hand behind her neck and angled her head to kiss her. Warmth surged through every vein as his mouth moved lazily over hers. Beneath the subtle pressure of his lips, she opened her mouth, letting him slide his tongue inside. Kara swept her tongue over his, the need spiking to feverish levels.
When they parted, their breathing ragged, amber flashed in his eyes, signaling the rise of his wolf. Apprehension mingled with arousal. When a male’s eyes flashed amber during sex, he risked going feral and turning savage and rough. Usually it happened only to mated couples. Only a strong, experienced female could match that ferocity of lovemaking.
Ryder dragged in a shuddering breath and his eyes returned to normal. Kissing the corner of her mouth, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
She wanted him, this wolf who looked at her as if she were the only female on earth. Anticipation shivered through her as he parted her legs and knelt between them. Ryder stroked a hand over the soft flesh of her inner thigh. A low moan escaped her as he cupped her sex. He slid a finger slowly across her wet core in a teasing stroke.
Whispering a plea, she arched against his touch. A fiery glint touched his eyes. Ryder looked dangerous and tense, his jaw clenched. He stretched out beside her, and palmed her breasts, then took a nipple into his mouth.
Gasping, she arched her hips as he suckled her. Ryder put his hand between her legs. An ache pulsed in her sex as he slid a finger into her tight channel and lazily circled her clit. The stroke of his tongue, combined with the fondling of her female flesh drew her taut as piano wire. She was panting, gripping his hair until her fingers turned bloodless. The tension gathered, the exquisite pleasure just beyond reach. Her inner flesh tightened around his thrusting finger. With one skilled flick across her tiny, swollen bud, she shattered, screaming his name.
Tears blurred her vision as Ryder raised his head. “You okay?” His deep voice was husky with masculine satisfaction. At her shaky nod, he smiled tenderly and kissed the salty tears trickling down her cheeks.
Then his nostrils flared, and she knew he tasted the scent of her arousal. A low growl arose in his throat.
With a rough sound, he mounted her. The smooth flesh of his muscled chest slid across her sensitive nipples. Her core wet and swollen, she needed him inside her. Now.
Burying his head against her throat, he drew in a deep breath.
“Kara, sweet innocent Kara. I can’t wait a minute more or I’m going to fucking die.”
Sitting back on his haunches, Ryder gripped his engorged penis and brought it to her soaked, swollen folds. The broad head slid just inside her tight core. Then he covered her, and pushed harder. Kara dug her fingers into the thick muscles of his shoulders.
His gaze glittering and fierce, he gave a single, hard thrust and penetrated.
Kara whimpered at the brief sting. Her body resisted at first and she pulled away, but then he murmured for her to relax. In total trust, she eased around him. Bracing his weight on his elbows, he kissed her, his mouth warm and so
ft. She softened around him, fully accepting. Pain faded, replaced by a wondering feeling of fullness.
Groaning, he closed his eyes, rocking against her, the thick hair at his groin meeting her ebony thatch. Each drag and pull of his thick penis against her swollen tissues created an exquisite friction.
Slowly, he repeated the mating dance. Sliding forward as she gripped his shoulders, clawing in her need. Kara arched her back and wrapped her legs around his lean hips to pull him closer. The move triggered his wolf, for Ryder growled in approval.
Her own wolf howled for release. Tension gripped her body. She squeezed tight around his thrusting penis with savage need, digging her nails into his thick back muscles.
Ryder opened his eyes.
Gaze glittering, he pushed harder, going deep inside, his heavy sac slapping against her. Each pounding thrust of his cock sent liquid heat burning through her veins. Climax shimmered out of reach. She needed this, needed her body claimed by the only male who’d ever seen her, past her scars and her pain and saw the shining heart of her.
Another orgasm, this one richer and sharper, shattered her. Veins and chords on his neck straining, he threw back his head and shouted her name as he ejaculated deep inside her. Then he collapsed, burying his face into her shoulder, his panting breaths hot against her skin.
Languid with sensual pleasure, she idly stroked his damp hair, loving his heavy weight pinning her down.
Making love with him had been better than all her innocent fantasies woven while hiding in her room at Aiden’s ranch. They were together now, and his mark on her skin would seal the mating bond. Ryder levered off her and slowly pulled away, leaving her cold and bereft. He rolled to one side and cupped her scarred cheek.
“Love watching you climax. You’re so beautiful when you come,” he said hoarsely.
A delighted smile died on her lips. Kara felt herself shrink back into her protective shell, a cold, lonely place as safe as her room back at Aiden’s ranch.
“Guess you should make me come more often then, and I’ll always be beautiful.”
The words were light and teasing, no hint of the hurt piercing her. But a fierce light dawned in Ryder’s eyes.
“Don’t do that, Kara. I meant what I said. You are beautiful when you come.” He touched his lips to her kiss-swollen mouth. “And you’re beautiful when you awaken. Beautiful when you insist on spending money on a little boy who needs a birthday party. Beautiful when you defend your brother.”
Her mouth wobbled. “But I’ll never be the same as I was. The same as I was when you first kissed me.”
“No, you won’t.” Ryder studied her right cheek. “This won’t go away, not even surgery can fully repair it. Magick maybe. But it’s got a beauty of its own as well, because it’s reminder of how damn strong you are, and brave, to have survived.”
Emotions swelled her chest as he kissed her ruined flesh. “You’re a survivor, like me, like so many in this pack. We need you to help lead us out of the darkness that’s engulfed us for so many years. I need you, Kara. I can’t do this alone. You make me complete.”
Her heart turned over at his sincere look. Ryder drew her into his arms and stroked her hair as she pillowed her head on his muscled shoulder. Maybe they could do this. For surely he loved her, and wanted her exclusively because of love, the same reason why she longed to remain at his side.
Why else would he risk everything to keep her with him?
***
Dawn broke with a soft wash of golden light spilling into his bedroom. Ryder awakened to find Kara nestled in his arms.
It was not a dream after all. He smiled.
Peace settled over him as he watched her sleep. Kara had given him an incredible gift. She was the light piercing through his dark past. The two years since she’d been gone were darker than any blackness in Alastair’s damned cages. If she left him, she'd take the light with her.
His chest tightened as he kissed her temple.
“I’ve wanted you for a long time, Kara, and this time, I will have you.” He brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek, exposing the scars. “You’re mine and I don’t care if I have to fight every single Lupine in the west. You’re not leaving here.”
The physical pain, hell, he’d endured.
The pain of losing Kara, knowing he’d never see her again, knowing all light and hope had evaporated, had crushed him in ways Alastair Mitchell never could. He’d barely survived the ten days and nights he’d spent in the solitary cell. Dense blackness had wrapped steel fingers around his body, squeezing until he screamed, his throat hoarse, his voice a whimper. The screams were echoes in the past now.
He couldn’t release Kara. If he let her go, he’d lose more than pack respect and loyalty. But what if she wanted to go? He knew he couldn’t keep her against her will.
A soft rapping sounded at the door. Only one reason someone would disturb him now…
Not wishing to awaken her, Ryder eased carefully away from Kara. He found his jeans, slid them on, zipping the fly as he padded to the door.
David stood outside, looking as stoic as ever. Ryder stepped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him, knowing the male wouldn’t bother him except for an emergency.
“What is it?”
“I set up patrols two hours outside our boundaries as you asked. They reported that Aiden is on his way, in a pick-up truck filled with strong males. They will be here soon.”
He pushed a hand through his mussed hair. “So the cagey bastard isn’t giving me 24 hours. Smart move. I’d have done the same.”
David stole a glance at the bedroom door. “But you have made her your mate…”
“Not fully. She does not yet bear my mating mark.”
“Then sir, Ryder, you must do it soon. You said it yourself, Kara Mitchell is the only female who will unite the pack and stop those who wish to usurp you as the leader. You need her as your mate to secure your political position. This is why you chose to mate with her.”
Ryder narrowed his eyes, troubled by the Lupine’s words. Sex with Kara had been explosive and mind-blowing. He’d wanted her for years. But had he chosen her as a mate because of political reasons?
He loved her.
But did he love the power, the damn pack, more? A bitter laugh rose in his throat. All those years her old man loved his mate more than the pack and Ryder had damned him for it.
Now he understood the heated bonding between mates, and how a mate must come first in a male’s life, even before pack. She must. Because without Kara, he would become an empty shell.
David’s eyes widened and he stepped back. Ryder felt a draft of cool air. Aw shit…
He turned. The door stood wide open, Kara, clad in his thick robe, stared at him with a shocked expression.
She’d overheard everything.
CHAPTER 9
Ryder used her.
The betrayal shattered her. Kara stared at her lover, whose tightened expression showed the truth of David’s words. He only wanted her as a symbol of her family’s power, to secure his newfound position as alpha. She was a political pawn.
Seeing her expression, David raced down the hallway. She stepped back as Ryder walked into the bedroom and shut the door.
“You don’t want me as your mate. You needed me to keep the peace, to bring the pack together.” She gulped down a breath, feeling rage and grief claw her throat. “You used me as your political pawn. All those words you said to me in bed, to seduce me so you could secure your position as alpha.”
“I did,” he admitted.
“Bastard.”
Ryder's gaze darkened.
She raced for her clothing and began to dress. “Screw you. You can have the pack, everything. I’m gone.”
His fingers snagged her wrist. “You’re not leaving here.”
“Try to stop me.”
“Come here.” He took a deep breath. “Please.”
She joined him at the mirror, trembling with fury.
“Yes, I used you. But not as a political pawn. I used you because all those things I said are true. You are beautiful, Kara, and you can’t see it. No way in hell am I ever letting you return to Aiden’s ranch. Broken, a shell of yourself. That’s not you.”
“I’m going home.”
“This is your home.” Ryder clasped her chin and forced her to turn to the mirror. “Look at yourself. See yourself through my eyes. You’re not a crumbled female who remained broken by her father. You’re strong, proud and a leader. I need you. I will not let you hide anymore, as Aiden allowed. You need the light, Kara, not the darkness.”
Doubts filled her. He sounded convincing and sincere, but how could she believe him when he’d admitted to using her?
“You need me for the pack. That’s why you wanted to mate me.”
Pressure increased on her jaw as he squeezed his hand slightly. Ryder’s gaze glittered fiercely. “Godsdamnit, I need you for me, Kara. Can’t you see? Do I have to spell it out for you? I love you, damnit!”
An odd fluttering began in her chest. Her gaze collided with his in the mirror. She saw his ruffled, dark hair, damp with sweat, the sleek firmness of his cheeks, the curve of his kiss-swollen mouth. And then she saw his eyes, his beautiful, mesmerizing gaze that caressed her like the touch of his warm hand.
A gaze filled with tenderness and love.
Courage filled her to admit the truth she’d denied herself for so long. Denied herself out of fear of being hurt far more than her father ever hurt her.
“I love you too,” she confessed. “I’ve always loved you and leaving this place tore me apart more than anything my father did to me. But I never thought you could love me because my father made me ugly.”
Ryder bent his head and kissed her temple, his mouth quivering. He settled a warm palm over her beating heart. “You’re beautiful to me, inside and out. You have a gentle heart filled with love and strength and courage and this is what I see every time I look in your eyes. I see a female who will always fight for justice. And you love this pack as much as I do, you’ve cared for them when they were beaten down and you helped them to stand straight and proud.
Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance Page 94