"You are safe," he breathed into my ear, his naked skin warm against me. "That is what matters."
I laughed, tears streaking my face. "You had me worried there for a minute, when you wouldn't change back."
"I'm here now," he said, stroking my hair. I rested my head on his shoulder.
"Master?" I looked up. Simon was standing above us, holding out a warm robe.
Ryan looked up at his butler. "Thank you once again, my friend." he said, his voice unusually tender. Reluctantly, I moved away from him so he could pull the robe over his muscled shoulders, drawing it closed over his sculpted chest, covering his beautiful body. "My bandage is now a little tight. If you could look at that, and then check the windows and doors, make sure the protections are still in place."
I extracted myself from Ryan's grasp so Simon could re-bandage his leg. I watched as he removed the bandage, my stomach turning as I saw the long gashes splitting the skin. Simon had neatly stitched them up, but they still looked bad. Poor Ryan. My shoulder wound hadn't been bad enough to need stitches.
When Simon was finished, he helped Ryan to his feet, and handed him an ornately carved wooden cane to help him support his leg. "I'll leave you in Ms Kline's capable hands," he said, then left.
Ryan grinned at me, his knuckles white as he gripped the cane. "Well, that was some adventure," he said, pulling on the collar of his robe.
"It certainly was."
"You were hurt." He looked so serious.
I showed him the shoulder wound. "I assume that wolf was Isengrim? Why didn't Clara's protection spell work on him? Why was he able to touch me?"
"He's strong enough to push through it," Ryan said. "Although not strong enough to do any real damage. If you hadn't been wearing that charm, he would've eviscerated you right there."
I winced. "How delightful. How about you? Are you in an awful lot of pain?"
"I've had worse," he grunted, as he shuffled toward me. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk at all."
He narrowed the space between us in a flash, and once again I found myself lost in those wide, brown eyes. He reached up with his free hand, and grazed my cheek, his fingers dancing over my temple, stroking my forehead, cupping my chin. My breath caught in my throat. I didn't want him to stop.
He held my chin up and leaned in closer, his lips brushing mine. Soft, so soft and tender. Not like the kiss earlier in the evening. Not what I expected from his eyes filled with lust and passion. Gently he prised open my lips, and his tongue entwined with mine. My whole body coursed with warmth, aching for him to touch me, to take me rough and wild.
Ryan reached up with his hands to cup my cheeks, pulling me closer. I leaned against him, pressing my body against his. A moan escaped my lips as he slid one arm across the small of my back, lifting my shirt so he pressed his palm against my skin.
His fingers crept up my spine, reaching up to unclasp my bra. Yes, yes! I wanted him so badly, wanted to feel the warmth of his fingers all over me. I kissed him more forcefully, my tongue exploring the depths of his mouth, inviting him deeper into mine.
The next thing I knew, his wounded leg buckled beneath him and he fell heavily against me, his teeth knocking against mine as we collapsed in a heap on the floor.
"I guess I can't put as much weight on this leg as I thought," he smiled weakly, wincing as he picked himself up and held out a hand for me. He stared me up and down, no doubt taking in my dishevelled appearance, wild hair, sodden, dirty clothes, and bandaged shoulder. Is he rethinking his passion?
"Ryan–" I began.
With a look of determination on his face, he snatched up his cane, and grabbed my hand, dragging me through the drawing room into another long, dark hallway. He kicked a door open, and yanked me inside.
Ryan flicked on the light, and I gasped in awe. We stood in an opulent bedroom decorated in an elaborate, sensual style. Red velvet drapes hung from the curtains, held back with gold ties. In the centre of the room stood a large oak bed covered in red silk sheets and gold pillows, while above it, hanging from the ceiling, were two large, gilded mirrors. I felt a shiver of excitement run down my spine as I wondered what it would be like looking up into those mirrors. Is this where we would–
Ryan hobbled across the room and threw open a wardrobe door, revealing row upon row of women's garments. I followed him into the enormous wardrobe, running my hand down a rack of evening dresses, feeling the sumptuous silks and chiffons slide through my fingers. Another rack held winter coats in an assortment of rich, dark colours. Buttery soft leather jackets hung next to tight black jeans and designer t-shirts. At the back of the wardrobe stood row after row of shoes – sky-high red heels, black motorcycle boots, wedges and flats in every colour of the rainbow.
"This is what you wanted to show me? That you're secretly a cross-dresser?"
"You're lucky you're so beautiful," he replied, grabbing me around the waist and kissing my neck, sending another delicious shiver down my spine. "Your sense of humour could really turn off a man. These are for you, Alex. Your clothes have been ruined. It's the least I can do. Choose what you need for the night."
He thinks I'm beautiful. While choosing fresh clothes was the last thing on my mind, I thought I might be able to find something sexy to wear for him. I turned to the wardrobe and buried my face in the racks, hiding my flushed cheeks amongst the designer garments. In a shelf near the back, I found lingerie – silk negligees, lace teddies, all the typical stuff that wasn't my style at all. In a drawer under the shelf, I found a silk pyjama set that was halfway between prostitute and grandmother. Perfect. I also found some jeans and a t-shirt in my size, for the morning.
He gestured to a pile of towels in another alcove, then opened the door to the ensuite. "You'll find everything you need in here," he said. "Just ring the bell by the door if you need something, and Simon will bring it up to you."
I sat down on the corner of the bed, realising that he intended for me to sleep here … alone. Disappointment surged through me.
"You're leaving me here?"
He stared at me with hard eyes. "It's been a long night, Alex. I am in pain. We both need to rest."
"But you're supposed to be protecting me. Where's your room?"
He raised an eyebrow. "That's awfully forward."
"I didn't … that is … I mean … I just wanted to know you'd be close by, in case a certain wolf comes back for me."
"He won't be getting inside this house," Ryan growled.
"Ryan, I …" I squeezed my eyes shut. "I don't want to go to sleep, and I certainly don't want to sleep alone. I told you, I chose you. What happened?"
In a moment, he crossed the space between us, leaning against the bed, bracing his bad leg on the oak frame as he loomed over me. "I heard you." He growled.
"Then why–"
"I'm trying desperately to be a gentleman here, Alex. All I want to do is rip your clothes off and take you, but you're special. I don't want to hurt you or frighten you. I'm trying to …"
My heart skipped. He was so close to me, his face ferocious, wild, and his eyes boring into mine with an intensity I'd never seen before.
"You need to run away, now." He whispered, his words dark, menacing. "You have no idea what you're playing with."
"No," I whispered back, daring him to give in to that animal nature I knew lurked just below the surface.
His lips met mine with a force that knocked me backwards. Like fire, his lips scorched mine, his tongue a flame searching for something larger to burn. His hands were everywhere; cupping my cheeks, entwined in my hair, pressed into the small of my back. Ryan shoved me against the silken bed, crawling on top of me, his kisses forcing my head deeper into the silken folds. His heaviness made me feel protected, consumed by him.
He kissed a line of fire from my mouth, across my jawline, and down the sensitive skin on my neck. Ryan's hands moved up my arms, his fingers knitting with mine, pushing my arms above my head, trapping me against the bed.
I arched my back, pushing my body closer to him, longing to feel that fire inside of me. With one hand pinning my arms, he used his other to unhook the buttons on my blouse, his fingers just grazing the bare skin underneath, making me ache for him. I held my breath, watching in the mirror above me as his muscles rippled across his back.
But before he'd even undone all the buttons, Ryan stopped. He lifted his head, and his gaze flicked around the room. He sniffed the air, and something flashed in his eyes. Was it anger, or was it fear?
He leapt from me, yanking himself across the room, as far from me as he could get. What is going on? What have I done to frighten him so? Ryan stared at the ceiling, his eyes wide. He peered around the corner of the door, his stance aggressive, ready to fight off an intruder.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my heart pounding against my chest. Have I done something wrong? Do I smell bad? Is there an intruder in the house? Does he not want to …?
Ryan grabbed my hand, pulling me up from the bed. He kicked the door open with his foot. "I have a better room for you," he growled, pulling me down the hall. I cringed as the door slammed shut behind us.
"Ryan, what's wrong? Did one of the foxes get inside the manor?"
"No, it's nothing, Alex. I just … needed to get out of that room." Ryan pushed open a door and flicked on a light, revealing a dimly lit room, large, but not overly so. It was painted in a soft, soothing grey, and contained little furniture – just a large bed and a single nightstand. One entire wall was taken up by a single large window, overlooking one corner of the forest and, just beyond, the flickering lights of Crookshollow.
"This room used to be my father's study," Ryan said. "It was decorated with moose heads and dreary Victorian portraits. I chose it for my own, because of the view over the forest. I had that window lifted in with a helicopter. It's one solid pane of glass, so it was quite some undertaking."
I pulled the small pouch Clara had given me from the pocket of my shirt, and placed it around the doorknob. Then, I stepped right up to the window. It reached right to the floor, which met the edge of the roof, so the whole room seemed suspended in midair, as if I might drop away into nothing. I peered down at the sprawling lawn and overgrown flowerbeds surrounding a long pool, the dirty water glimmering a deep blue in the moonlight. Solar lights illuminated the paths nearest the house, and beyond the garden, the forest lay in shadow. Instead of its usual calming presence, the outline of those dark, twisted branches seemed menacing. It was too close, pressing in against me, forcing me into a corner. I didn't like it one bit.
I could see dark shapes moving in the garden. "What's that?" I asked, pointing.
Ryan stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me. He looked down. "Enemies," he replied. "Isengrim and his cronies. Marcus is there, too, behind the hydrangea bed."
I squinted in the poor light, and could just make out the back of the sandy-coloured fox. My stomach churned with fear. I could see at least eight large animals down there, stalking the garden, preventing us from leaving. "Where is Isengrim?"
Ryan pointed at a large shape standing on the water fountain. The creature looked up at the moon and I realised it wasn't a fox like the others, but that giant grey wolf with the cold yellow eyes. He stared up at us through the window, his wide mouth pulled back into a snarl, revealing sharp, deadly teeth. "He's the one who attacked you, and tore up my leg."
I shuddered to think I'd been so close to those snapping jaws. We watched the wolf circle the fountain, and then sit on the edge, throwing his head back and howling. The sound reached us, even through the thick glass, and it chilled me inside and out.
Ryan kissed my neck. "Relax, Alex. They can't get us in here."
I pulled away from him. "You can't do this to me."
"Do what?"
"Before, you were … and then, suddenly, you're prowling around like something is going to attack you." I folded my arms across the chest, keeping my eyes glued on the shadowy forest so that I didn't have to look at him, so that he couldn't see the tears pooling in my eyes. When I spoke, my voice was hard. "What's wrong with me? I told you I wanted to be your mate. So why do you push me away?"
He grabbed my arm and spun me around. "Something startled me," he whispered, his eyes boring into mine. His robe had come undone, revealing the outline of his naked chest beneath it. "The thread of a memory. I am sorry."
"That's not it. It seems as if you're holding back. I see all the wild desire in your eyes, and yet, when you kiss me, it is tame."
"I'm trying to be gentle," he said. His grip on my arm tightened, the pain sending a shiver of desire through me. I knew that was what he was trying to do, but I wanted him to stop. I didn't want to sleep with Ryan the sensitive artist; I wanted Ryan the wild, powerful fox man. I wanted the raw, primal lust I saw in his eyes, for that same desire burned below my skin.
"Ryan, you can't pretend to be something you're not. If I am to be … your mate, then you must treat me like one. I am to have all of you, or I am to have nothing."
His eyes flickered. "Alex, you don't know what you're asking. The relationship between a fox and his mate is very … complex. It's an exchange of power, of vital, elemental magic. It's a test of the vixen's strength to endure what her mate desires of her. I wanted to ease you into it. I wanted to give you pleasure you'd never known before I tried to break you."
"You can't break me, Ryan Raynard." I said, staring back at him with the fiercest expression I could muster. "Just you try."
As I delivered this, I yanked my arm away. But he was too quick. He stepped in and grabbed my other arm, twisting it around so that I no choice but to follow it. He pinned my arm behind my back, pressing his naked chest against me, so I could feel the warmth of him through the thin layer, feel his hardness pressing against my ass cheeks. I was just where I wanted to be, trapped and completely under his power.
This was more like it.
Ryan grabbed my shoulders and pushed me to the floor, so that I was on my knees. I tried to shift my position, to make myself more comfortable, but he pushed my shoulder down again. "Don't move," he snarled, as he reached down, and with one hand, yanked my blouse free, scattering buttons across the thick carpet. He slid down the zipper on my skirt, and tugged the fabric until it tore down the middle. Tossing my ruined skirt aside, he walked slowly around me, and with a single finger unhooked my bra, tugging the thin fabric off my shoulders, leaving my breasts exposed. The only thing I wore was a tiny pair of red cotton panties. He lifted a finger beneath the elastic and, with a sharp tug, broke those, too.
My whole body ached with desire as I waited, my skin tingling, ready for him to touch me, to do what he would to me. I started to say something, but he clamped his hand over my mouth. "You don't speak," he hissed. "Or I will think of something else you can do with that pretty mouth of yours."
My heart pounded as I knelt there, my knees and shoulder aching while Ryan circled me with slow, deliberate steps, his trademark self-satisfied smirk on his face as he ran his eyes over every inch of me. The smile tugging at the corners of his mouth suggested he liked what he saw.
"Ryan, do you–" I started, but he stepped in, and clamped my jaw shut with his hand. He leaned in close, his lips just brushing my ear.
"Don't do that," he whispered, his breath caressing my earlobe, making my body ache with desire. "I told you not to speak."
Ryan stood up again, and disappeared into a dark corner of the room. I heard him open a drawer and rummage around in its contents. He came back with a silk tie, the same tawny red as his hair. He bent behind me, and tied my hands together behind my back. While he pulled the bonds tight, his breath caressed the sensitive skin on my neck, making my hairs stand on end and delicious shivers run through my body. The black metal boyfriend had been into blindfolds and hogties, but he always wanted me to be the one tying him up and doing all the work. It felt good to submit to Ryan, to be completely at his mercy.
Giving my hands one last tug to ensure they were ti
ghtly secured, Ryan stood in front of me again, and shrugged off his robe, revealing his powerful, muscled body in all of its naked glory. His shaft stood erect – the skin pulled back to reveal the engorged head, primed and ready for action. It was by far the largest I'd ever seen, an almost terrifying length that seemed far too large to fit anywhere in my body. As I stared at him, I felt an ache pressing against my core, a strong, primal desire to take him into me, every glorious inch of him.
Ryan tipped up my chin with his fingers, and with his other hand, guided his enormous shaft against my lips. I opened my mouth, and he pushed himself inside. I took him in till I could feel the tip of him brushing the back of my throat. But still, I could not fit the whole length of him inside my mouth. I lifted myself up on my knees, lowering myself back down and moving him in and out of my mouth. He tasted warm, and slightly salty.
Ryan moaned and pushed my face down against him, his fingers gripping my uninjured shoulder as he thrust deeper into my mouth. I sucked him faster, swirling my tongue around his tip. I loved the way my mouth felt stretched around his shaft, tasting his saltiness on my tongue. He moaned as I worked him, digging his nails into my shoulder, and I could feel his whole body begin to tense. Just as I thought he was about to burst, he grabbed me under the shoulders and hauled me onto the bed.
Rolling me on to my stomach, Ryan pushed my naked body against the sheets and climbed on top of me, pinning me with his weight. He shoved his knees into mine, forcing my legs apart.
His nails scraped down my back, leaving tingling trails across my skin. He jammed his hand between my legs, his fingers finding that little spot from which all my aching came. He pulled and rubbed it roughly, and the ache grew within me, beginning to creep out through my body, threatening to overwhelm me. Unable to move at all, I gave myself over completely to him, moaning as his touch moved me closer and closer to orgasm.
"Don't move," he growled in my ear. "This will hurt."
Ryan moved his lips to my neck, and bit down against me, pulling my head back against him. I cried out as his teeth broke my skin, and searing pain rocked through my body. While he bit deeper, he continued to rub his fingers around that little bud. The pain fought against the growing pleasure spreading through my lower body, each sensation fighting for dominion.
Crookshollow foxes box set: The complete fox shapeshifter romance series Page 9