“I want you too.” Arron’s hand tightened. “I’ve wanted it since I first saw you.”
Excitement and relief washed through her, but she tried to squash it. There was so much he didn’t know about himself. She wasn’t even sure if what he felt was real. He may simply be feeling grateful for her rescuing him. It could also be the fact that she was the only female available.
“Maybe you have someone.” She licked her lips. Even forming the words wasn’t easy. She was careful to keep her eyes locked on the bush in front of her. She had the feeling that if she turned her head and saw him it would all be over. She wouldn’t be able to resist touching him. The building desire was so strong her hands itched.
Pressure on her shoulder turned her, urging her to roll over onto her back. Arron sat looking down at her, a frown on his face. His hand lifted and calloused fingers traced her cheek. She clenched her hands and pressed them to her sides to keep from returning the caress.
“I don’t. There’s only you.” His fingers brushed softly over her lips. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Well, she’d already told him that she wanted to touch him when she barely knew him. It couldn’t get much more embarrassing. “I told you I wanted to touch you, but it’s more. It’s a burning urgency and compulsion to get closer. I don’t understand what’s causing this.”
“It’s the same for me. Walking with you, I wanted to pull you into my arms and press you to the soft grass. Having you this close only makes it so much harder to resist.” He stared into her eyes. “But something about it feels right. As if that’s the way it should be.”
She could see the intensity and the honesty those silver orbs. “I can’t let it complicate my journey. I have to find my sister.”
“It won’t. Do you want me?” His deep voice resonated with easy confidence.
“Yes,” she said. It was an agreement to more than wanting him.
She couldn’t resist this. If it didn’t happen now, it was going to happen later tonight. The desire was too strong to allow her to sleep. Her mind filled with thoughts of running her hands over his chest and lower. Hot, slick moisture eased from her pussy.
He lifted one of her hands and pressed it to his cheek. “If you want me, why won’t you touch me?”
“I want it so bad that once I start, I don’t know if I can stop. I didn’t know if you wanted me as much. I didn’t want to push you into something you don’t want.” She swallowed. Her fingers tingled with the anticipation of running over his skin.
“And since I do want it, will you touch me, reha?” His fingers stroked over the back of her hand.
“Yes. What does that mean?” She still worried that it would complicate things.
His head tilted and he appeared to be thinking. “Flower. It means flower and it suits you.”
Anxiety over the strength and suddenness of this desire nagged at the edge of her consciousness. This pull wasn’t normal. That didn’t matter in the face of the hunger coursing through her body. Answering desire flared in his eyes and she knew he wanted her just as much as she did him. That made her decision.
She turned her hand in his, letting her palm glide over his skin. Her fingers tightened around his. He smiled and drew her hand to his chest. Her fingers flexed as they encountered his heated flesh. Her hand skimmed over the hard muscles of his chest. She couldn’t resist lifting her other hand to explore more of the muscles.
Her fingertips lightly traced over the tattoos on his chest and arms, following the black swirls over his pectorals. Gliding her hand down to his stomach, she swept her hand outward to brush over the markings sweeping around from his back.
The two marks on his ribs felt different than the other dark designs on his skin. He shuddered as she skimmed her fingers across the darker skin. His reaction intrigued her. She brushed her fingers back and forth over the stripes. He groaned and the sound encouraged her to keep touching him.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for.” He cupped her shoulders and then slid his hands down her arm. “I need to know that you want me too.”
She wanted him so much she wondered at the intensity. Where did this sudden hunger come from and why now? She couldn’t focus on the niggling worry as his hands moved to her waist and upward. His slightly calloused hand swept up her rib cage.
“I do want you,” she said on a sigh.
He smiled. “Then let’s get you out of this shirt. I want to touch and taste every bit of you.”
He grasped the bottom of her night shift and tugged it upward. She lifted her arms to help him get the gown over her head. As soon as the gown was off, he dropped it beside them. Prickles ran over her skin as cool night air met her heated body. Her skin seemed extraordinarily sensitive. The caress of a light breeze over her nipples sent shivers down her back.
Her hands returned to his chest, exploring and stroking the muscled flesh. Arron seemed determined to move slowly. His hands traced over her arms and up to her shoulders.
She leaned into his touch, wanting more. Her nipples hardened. Her mind immediately pictured his fingers tugging at the tight peaks or squeezing the mounds, but his hands swept downward, but moved past her breasts without caressing the aching mounds. She tugged at his flat nipple, hoping he’d take the opportunity to give hers to the same treatment.
“I want a kiss.” He leaned in and his lips brushed over her shoulder.
The moment he said the words she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more. She curled an arm around his shoulder and scooted closer. Even as she eased closer, her free hand ran over his corded stomach.
When his fingers cupped the back of her head, she sighed and her eyes drifted closed. His lips brushed across hers in soft greeting. She leaned into him. His tongue traced her lips slowly. Her mouth opened eagerly. She wanted to taste him.
Tightening her arm around his shoulder, she strained closer. His tongue stroked into her mouth. She met the bold foray and returned it. He tasted a little wild and she could taste a hint of the musk that underlay his scent. She couldn’t get enough of it.
He pressed her down to the pallet without breaking the kiss. She went willingly, but tugged at his shoulders to pull him closer. She wanted to feel the heat and weight of his body, but he held back. He straddled her.
The fingers of one hand plucked at her nipple. She moaned and arched. It seemed as if she’d been waiting an eternity to feel those slightly rough fingers on her breasts. It felt even better than she’d imagined.
“Are you a virgin?” His hand cupped her breast and squeezed.
She blinked. At first, she couldn’t focus on the question. The pressure of those fingers drew a moan from her lips, but then what he’d asked finally registered. She blushed and shook her head. Not for a few years and she hadn’t let any man that close since that disaster. But she hadn’t felt anything like the desire the she did for Arron.
“Good. I don’t want to hurt you.” He dropped a kiss on her chin before moving down and nuzzling her neck. “I want to taste these hard little nipples. Do they taste as sweet as your mouth?”
As he moved lower, he nudged her thighs wider and moved between them. She widened her legs a little. He nuzzled his face between her breasts. Shivers rolled over her body as the moist heat of his hot breath puffed across her skin. He gripped her wrist and drew it slowly between their bodies. She was too caught up in the pleasure building in her body to realize what he wanted her to do at first.
“Touch your clit, Leah. I want to watch you stroking yourself while I play with your breasts. Make yourself hot and ready for me, reha.” He licked the hardened peak of one nipple. The firm swipe sent a streak of heat slashing to the tight, coiling need.
She slipped her hand between her legs. As she dipped her finger between the lips, his mouth closed over the stiff peak. His big hand toyed with her neglected breast as he sucked at the other. Her fingers circled her clit, teasing the sensitive flesh. She became lost in the sensation, the feel of his mouth nibbling and suckin
g at her breast. Her hips rose up against her fingers.
She didn’t notice his mouth leave her breast until the feel of the breeze dancing across her wet nipple seared through her. She lifted her head as she reached for him. She wanted his mouth back where it belonged. His fingers plucked at her nipple, drawing a low moan from her mouth.
“That’s so sexy,” he whispered. His hand covered hers as he guided her fingers over her clit. “Show me how much you want it.”
He leaned down and licked her hip. His hand pressed hers firmly against her clit in long, slow strokes. Her hips rose to meet them as he scraped his teeth across her thigh. With a soft moan, she speared her fingers through his hair. He kept up the pressure until her hips bucked up, her body tensing and straining to reach that peak. A fine sheen of sweat coated her skin and she trembled as the sensation built.
Pulling her hand away from her pussy, he put it on his shoulder. He hitched her leg up higher. She hooked her leg around his hip. As he eased closer, his cock brushed against the lips of her pussy.
Wanting to feel that thick shaft pushing into her, she lifted against him. He reached between them and parted the lips of her pussy. Her nails sank into his shoulders as his cock slowly pushed into her. She wanted more.
His hips surged forward and he sank all the way into her. She gasped in surprise and arched up into him. Her tight pussy clamped around his thick cock. The quick entry stung a little, but it didn’t kill the desire building within her. In fact, the contrasting sensations seemed to heighten the building arousal. Her inner muscles stretched around him.
His mouth nuzzled her neck. His tongue swiped over her neck. Leah shivered and lifted into the steady strokes. She pulled against his shoulders to get him closer.
“Mine.” His voice roughened. One large hand slipped beneath her buttocks and lifted her into each thrust of his hips.
The word didn’t mean anything to her then. Only the building hunger mattered. Desperate for the extra sensation that would send her over the edge, she arched her neck as his teeth scraped and teased her neck and shoulders. The building heat burst, rushing over her body in a wave that left even her toes tingling.
Arron’s hips drove against hers. With each stroke, his chest brushed against her nipples, sending streaks of heat straight down to her pussy. His mouth drifted up her neck and over her cheek. He kissed her hard. Leah met the thrust of his tongue before drawing back. Her teeth nipped at his lips and her tongue lapped at the full lower curve.
She began to lift into his pounding strokes again, desire curling in her belly. His mouth slid away from her lips and down her neck. She tilted her head giving him more access even as she wanted to taste his lips again.
Arron’s teeth scraped over her shoulder. The tickling sensation curled down her body. His hips slammed against hers and his mouth clamped down on the muscle where her neck and shoulder met. Sharp pain flared at her shoulder as Arron’s muffled shout vibrated against her skin.
Even as the sharp sting flared, stunning pleasure rushed over her as his seed pumped into her. She drew in a sharp breath and her back arched as an orgasm ripped through her. Her entire body trembled and she held onto Arron as she savored his weight and solid muscle.
The pleasure still rolling over her body blunted the stinging sensation. Her mind refused to worry about what had caused it while locked in the sweet bliss. With every breath, she drew in his scent. It left her wanting more and to get as close as she could.
Chapter Six
Leah stroked her hands over his back and was astonished as the hunger began to rise once again. She swallowed hard as once again reality intervened with the fact that this sudden, rising hunger wasn’t normal. That climax hadn’t been natural either. Her desire had been rising, but it wasn’t close to intense enough for that powerful explosion of bliss.
He lifted his head and her eyes locked on the blood on his lower lip. He’d bitten her and drew blood. Another sobering revelation hit her. Unless he’d gotten carried away, Arron might be far more than a warrior.
“What are you, Arron?” She looked at him in all seriousness.
She didn’t know all that much about shifters and the other beings who were more than human. That he was more than human made sense. The bite and the wildness she sensed within him for a start. On top of that there was that unexpected climax. She wondered what had caused it, but hesitated to ask.
Her mountain village Parit didn’t have much contact with the outside world. The warriors in the area were constantly feuding and it didn’t involve anyone outside of their little valley. Most of their problems came from the clans of warriors in her home village and the other villages in the isolated area.
“Your mate, but that’s not what you mean is it?” He tilted his head, but made no move to withdraw from her.
She shook her head. The look in his eyes was different from any she’d seen from him before. A little harder and more focused. She had a feeling that she hadn’t seen the real Arron yet. It made sense. He was still regaining memories.
“I’m Zarain. Well, Shadatai Zarain, but Shadatai just indicates that I’m more than a normal Zarain.” His eyes never left hers as if he were waiting to measure her reaction.
She stared at him blankly. She had no idea what that was. “What is a Zarain? I think I’ve mentioned that the area where I come from is very isolated. I know of shifters and some of the other beings like the Dain, but other than that and rumors, nothing.”
His hand combed through the hair at the side of her face. It seemed like all of her senses focused on the soft stroking. She forced herself to concentrate. She didn’t want to miss anything important.
“A Zarain is a shifter.” He unhooked her legs from around his waist before rolling onto his back.
He kept her clamped against him as he moved. She sprawled across his chest. With her hands braced on his chest, she rose to look down at him. So many questions swirled through her mind.
“What do you change into though?” She’d always wondered that. Were they able to shift into anything they wanted or was it only one specific thing?
“I change into a Zarain. It’s…” His voice trailed off and he frowned. “You wouldn’t recognize it. I haven’t ever seen anything close to it in the wild. I’ll change sometime so you’ll be able to recognize me.”
She bit her lip. That “so you’ll be able to recognize me” gave her some pause. It sounded like he planned on more than just a few days traveling with her. She didn’t confront him with it though.
Something held her back. She didn’t know if she hesitated because she worried about how he’d react or because if he confirmed that he planned more than the journey to the next city, she’d have to do something about it.
Maybe it was a little cowardly, but she didn’t want to confront that part of her worries. At least not when he had his arms around her. She ignored the unexplainable trust she felt. It made no sense. She didn’t know him or what he might do in any situation. In spite of that, she felt strongly that he wouldn’t hurt her.
“The others you were traveling with, are they like you?” She tilted her head. He could be part of a troop of mercenary warriors looking for those monks. She knew those groups acquired men looking to be paid for their skill.
Okay, she’d avoided the important questions, but there were other things she needed to know. She consoled herself with the thought that they still had a day’s travel to pass. There was time. She’d have time to work around to asking that difficult question and any others that came to mind.
“They’re like me. In most cases, Zarain and other shifters stay in groups of their own kind.” He leaned down and inhaled deeply. “You don’t want to know something different?”
Yes, she certainly did want to know other things and he knew it judging by that knowing smirk. “I’m just trying to learn here. I have lots of questions. So many that you’ll probably beg me to shut up. I really don’t know where to begin.”
“You’re avoiding the
questions you really want to ask.” His arm tightened around her. “Waiting and delaying them aren’t going to change the answers. You already suspect the truth. I know you feel the beginning of the mating between us.”
He was right, but she wasn’t saying that to him. Arguing with him while he still had his arms around her didn’t seem like such a great idea. He was too strong to take a chance.
“I’m taking it slowly. It’s a lot to take in. How can you be sure you know what you’re saying is right? Your memory isn’t completely returned.” She hoped to divert him and maybe make him think about what he was saying.
“My senses don’t lie. I knew that I wasn’t walking away from you the moment I drew in your sweet scent.” His fingers threaded in her hair and pulled her down to brush his cheek against hers. “I don’t need my memory for this. It’s instinct.”
He sounded so certain. In a way, she envied him that. There were a few other questions she could ask though that didn’t have anything to do with his belief that this was more than temporary.
“What happened at the end?” She blushed trying to find the words to make the question clear. “When I suddenly had another orgasm?”
He smiled. “You’re lucky I remember that part already. It’s called the re’kai. It’s normal for even a regular Zarain, although stronger in a Shadatai. There’s a sensory exchange between a Zarain and his woman. When I came, the sensations flowed to your mind and triggered another orgasm for you. And just as added inducement, I’ll tell you that it will happen every time.”
She felt a little stunned and confused as she tried to sort through what he’d just told her. An exchange he’d said. It left her with more questions. Did he feel what she did? Was there more than feelings going to him? Could he read her mind?
The thought left her a little shaken. She knew she’d have to ask him about all of that, but she wanted to let it settle in her mind first. Maybe it wouldn’t seem so scary or maybe she’d find the answers on her own if she gave it some time.
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