He pinned her with a dark glare. “You did.”
“Because of a special circumstance. And in case you don’t remember what we went through to get here, I’ll take a moment to remind you that we’re low on time. They have to be stopped, Noah.” Softly, she added, “I promise you I can do this.”
“Damn it, I will not lose you!” he roared. “That is not an acceptable option!”
His rage was like a physical force, slamming into the walls of the room. Stark, bleak. He was shaking, his eyes wet, and she could only stare back at him in shock. She’d had no idea that Noah could ever experience this depth of emotion, and the fact that he was losing control because of her left her…stunned.
Then his eyes narrowed with suspicion, and Willow braced herself for what was coming.
“Why are you doing this, Will? What’s the real reason?” His voice was harsh, edgy, each word striking against her with bruising force as he stalked toward her, his body moving with a sinuous, predatory grace. He looked like an animal on the prowl, and she flooded with heat.
“Is this all just some stunt to get me to admit that I want you?” he demanded. “If it is, then fine. I do. I always have. And I’m more than ready to deal with your damn virginity right this bloody second. But you are not putting yourself in the middle of those monsters.”
She opened her mouth, and he slammed his hand against the wall at her back, denting the plaster. She hadn’t even realized she’d been retreating from him step for step, part of her trying to flee his anger, while the other part was ready for him to make good on the visceral promise of hunger burning in those ice-blue eyes.
Damon cleared his throat, and said, “Before Winston puts any more holes in the wall and we end up with management up here, I think there’s something I need to say.”
Noah slowly turned his head toward the demon and glared. “I think you’ve already said enough, MacCaven.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Damon rumbled, pushing a hand through his blue-blond hair, “and I have an idea. A…compromise, of sorts.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Noah turned to face him. “What is it?”
“The more I think about the wording of the spell, the more I think that Willow’s blood alone will do the trick. I don’t think she actually needs to be there in person.”
The shock of those words nearly bent her knees, and she found herself leaning more heavily against the wall. “God, Damon. Why didn’t you say something before?”
With a wince, he said, “I’m sorry, Low. I wanted to see what Winston here would do. How far he was willing to go for you. And from the looks of things, I’d say pretty damn far.”
“That wasn’t your call to make!” she snapped, tired of feeling like she was being tossed around on an emotional roller coaster. “Was this all just some kind of game to you? You were just trying to get Noah to admit to…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. With a breathless laugh, she said, “God, I can’t even imagine what you were trying to do.”
The demon frowned. “I was just waiting for the guy to step up to the plate, Low. Get him to stop lollygagging around.”
“You had no right. I can’t bel—”
“You can yell at him later,” Kierland cut in, his brusque tone sharp with command. “Right now, we need to take enough blood to try out Damon’s theory.”
“Take it fast,” Noah growled, cutting a dark look toward the Lycan. “Because we’re leaving.”
“And going where?” Willow choked out, wondering what in God’s name he was thinking now.
He looked right at her, and said, “Somewhere with a bed.”
“Damn you,” she whispered, her eyes suddenly burning with furious tears. “You’ve just gotten your way, Noah. There’s no reason for you to go and sacrifice yourself for the cause. I don’t want you touching me out of pity.”
“You gonna run scared now, Will?” The low words vibrated with challenge. “I didn’t take you for a chicken.”
Her nostrils flared. “That isn’t fair.”
“What isn’t fair is having to walk away from something you want so badly it never leaves you in peace. But I did it. For you.” He prowled closer. “I’m not doing it again.”
She blinked, unable to believe he’d just said that. And in front of a roomful of his friends. “I’m not saying never,” she whispered, licking her lips. “I just… I don’t understand what the rush is.”
He put his hands against the wall on either side of her head, caging her in with the hardness and heat of his body. Then he leaned forward, putting his face close to hers, his eyes still burning like blue chips of fire. “I’ve waited twelve fucking years, and it’s been hell.” Each word was ground out, as if being torn from someplace deep inside him. “I’ve reached my limit, Will. You have twelve more minutes, and that’s it.”
If she’d reacted to his words alone, she might have slapped his face and told him to go to hell. Or demand he give her more of a reason than lust. But she could see the devastating emotions churning in his heavy-lidded eyes, and she knew this was more to him. She didn’t know what he felt for her, or what would come later, but for now, it was enough. It had to be, because she wanted him too badly to react with pride.
Instead, she reacted with her heart.
“Okay,” she whispered, reaching up and placing her hand against the side of his face. His skin was fever-warm to the touch, and she could feel the fine tremor of emotion rushing through him. “I’ll go with you.”
The heat in his eyes blazed, the look he gave her so scorching she was surprised it didn’t burn her skin. He turned his face, and his breath curled hotly in her palm. “Give them the blood while I’m gone. I won’t be long.”
“You’re leaving?” she asked, hating the panic in her voice that she couldn’t hide.
“I’m coming right back, I swear.”
Then he walked away and Willow just stood there, feeling like an idiot. Her throat shook, either with laughter or with tears that were trying to escape. She didn’t know which it was, but she fought them back, moving in a daze as Kierland led her to a chair, then drew his blade. Damon held her hand while Kierland pierced her wrist with the tip of his knife, collecting the bright wash of blood in a series of small glass vials that Kellan had taken from their field kit.
And then it was done.
With deft strokes, Kellan bound her wrist, finishing just as Noah came back into the room. She made a small sound, her relief nearly overwhelming. Until he’d walked back through that door, Willow had been terrified he wouldn’t return.
Damon slipped the vials of her blood into the bag of supplies he’d put together. Then he looked at Noah, who was putting her bag over his shoulder, and said, “It shouldn’t take me long to get things settled at the site, and then we’ll perform the ritual. When it’s over, I’ll call you. But until then, no sex.”
Noah scowled, but Damon didn’t back down.
“I mean it, Winston. We’ll try it this way and call you if it works. But you wait until you get that call.”
“I heard you,” he rasped, grabbing her hand and tugging her along behind him.
She carefully avoided Damon’s gaze as they left the room, knowing the demon was going to be worried about her. But she didn’t want to think about that now. She just wanted to enjoy herself, and soak up every moment of the experience, her heart pounding with excitement as they followed a winding path lit with twinkling lights through the woods. The evening air was cool, and the soft breeze felt good against her warm skin as she asked, “Where are we going?”
He held up his free hand and jiggled a key. “We have our own room.”
“Is that where you went?”
He slid her a slow smile over his shoulder. “I thought you might like some privacy.”
She took a deep breath, then shakily blew it out, her pulse rushing in her ears like a storm. “This seems so surreal, doesn’t it? I mean…I’m finding it hard to believe that it’s really going to happen.�
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He stopped in his tracks and faced her, the smoldering look in his eyes daring her to back down. “You’re mine, Will. I know it. You know it. Don’t you think it’s about damn time we did something about it?”
“Yes.” She licked her top lip, lowered her lashes and decided it was time she lay down a challenge of her own. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Noah. But you should know that I have some pretty high expectations.”
The sexy slant of his mouth as he grinned burned her with heat, and she practically melted on the spot. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint.”
“Me, too.”
His chest shook with a gritty laugh, his color high. “Considering how everything you do turns me on, I don’t think we’re going to have any problems.”
“I know this is crazy, but can you believe I’m nervous?”
The gentleness of his look made her breath catch. “You can trust me, Will.”
“I do,” she said, squeezing his hand. “But I’m just… I want this so badly, Noah. The wait for that bloody phone call is gonna kill me.”
He pulled her into his arms, nuzzling the sensitive spot beneath her ear, and Willow could hear the smile in his voice as he said, “Then I guess I’ll just have to keep you busy.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
AS HE LOCKED the door to their private bungalow, the soldier in Noah couldn’t believe that he was choosing sex instead of a fight. Especially a fight that was this important. But then, it’s not like he was just running off and getting laid. He was going to be making love to Willow. Touching her. Tasting her. Burying himself in her sweet little body.
His friends were smart, and God only knew they could fight dirty. He could trust them to handle things on their own. He had to. There wasn’t an acceptable alternative.
He took a quick look around the room as he set their bags down, relieved it was as nice as the Watchmen’s bungalow. Spanish tile covered the floor, the stucco walls painted a warm yellow. The furniture was dark and rustic, including the sprawling king-size bed that took up the far wall. The bed was covered in acres of sand-colored silk, with midnight-blue sheets, and he couldn’t wait to see Willow lying there beneath him, her pale body spread out across that dark cotton.
“It’s going to be a while before they call,” she offered a little unsteadily, sounding nervous again. Despite the desire Noah could detect in her mouthwatering scent, she retreated as he prowled toward her, the hunger in his veins one that Noah had always felt for this woman. Always.
But at the moment, that familiar hunger seemed anything but human. It was too dark. Too raw. Too demanding.
He needed her now, damn it. And as she backed into the room’s dresser, she looked as if she was on the verge of running away from him.
“Just because we’re waiting for that call,” he said, “doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves in the meantime. Right?”
“I…guess not.”
Noah stared into her flushed face, saw the worry in her beautiful brown eyes, and realized exactly what she was thinking. Quietly, he said, “You don’t have to be so suspicious, Will. If I was only doing this to get you out of taking part in that ceremony, I’d already be making damn sure you were no longer a virgin. We’d be skin-on-skin, and the only thing either of us would be worrying about is how many times I can make you come.”
That easily, her worry melted, and her lips twitched with a smile. “Well, I guess that answers that.” Her head tilted a little to the side, her gaze curious and warm. “I’m assuming you’d like to skip the condom part, since you mentioned us being skin-on-skin.”
Hearing those husky words on her soft lips made Noah so hard he thought he might hurt himself. “I know you’re on the pill,” he told her, “and I’m clean. I’ve always worn a condom. Every damn time.”
“That’s sensible,” she murmured, her smile turning wry. “Especially seeing as how there have been so many.”
Noah stepped closer, enjoying that crackling energy that always sparked between them. “I’d rather not wear one with you. But I will, if that’s what you want.”
“What do you want?”
“I want them to hurry the hell up with that phone call so I can get inside you,” he growled, his muscles coiling as he studied her eyes. Her worry and tension had eased, so he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest, his head dipping low so that he could nuzzle her throat. “I need to touch you,” he groaned, “but I can behave. I won’t go too far or do anything you don’t want me to.”
“Well, that’s no good,” she said with a breathless laugh, arching her neck for him. “I want you to do everything, Noah. All of it.”
He made a hungry sound in the back of his throat. “I like the sound of that.”
“And I want to do things, too.”
He pulled his head back, his heavy-lidded gaze locking with hers. “Yeah?”
She smiled when she saw the rise of color burning beneath his skin. “Oh, yeah.”
Then she dropped to her knees in front of him, and Noah nearly died. Together, they fought to get his jeans open, the task complicated by the way their hands kept getting in each other’s way. He finally just gave up and let her have her way with him, his hands trembling too much to do anything but slow her down. She didn’t waste time once the jeans were open, wrenching the denim over his hips along with his boxers, and his cock sprang out with almost embarrassing enthusiasm. If he hadn’t been so on edge, he would have laughed at the poor bastard.
She made a kind of husky sound that curled his toes, the warmth of her gaze on his cock making him sweat as she took her time studying him. He was harder, thicker, than he’d ever been before. Unable to wait for her to get started, he took himself in his fist and pressed the swollen head against the center of her lower lip, so turned on he had to grip himself hard to keep from coming. Not yet, damn it. He wanted to see this. Wanted to watch his woman taking him in. He had no doubt the sight was one that would blow his mind.
Her breath rushed against the taut, sensitive skin, a small sound like pain breaking from his throat, and he shuddered, the wait nearly killing him. Seed spilled from the tip in a shiny drop, his teeth gritted against the pleasure as she finally opened her mouth a little more and swiped up that glistening bead of fluid with her tongue. “You’re killing me,” he groaned in a raw voice. “Take me in, Will. Please.”
She covered the head with her lips, swirling her tongue over him, then sucked him in, and he nearly fell over. Slamming his hand against the wall beside him, Noah braced himself, thinking she just might be the death of him. His head fell back on his shoulders as the sensations rolled up his spine, making him dizzy. He took a deep breath and lowered his head again, not wanting to miss a single second.
He’d been in this position hundreds of times, with too many women to count. But it had never been like this. He clenched his jaw, fighting the driving urge to come in her mouth. Not this time. He wanted to be buried deep in her lithe little body, feeling her clench around him, pulling him in, soaking him in her heat. But she was making it damn hard for him to keep it together.
“Jesus, Will.” He sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, locking his knees to keep his balance. “That feels…”
Damn it, he didn’t have words for how it felt, the pleasure indescribable, heightened by the fact this was Willow on her knees before him, licking and sucking on his shaft with that sweet, sensual abandon, as if she couldn’t get enough.
It terrified him, this power she had over him. This need that was unlike anything he’d ever felt for another woman. He was…hardly a prize for someone like her. But if he kept her coming hard enough, maybe she wouldn’t be able to think about how much better she could do.
When he knew he wasn’t going to last another second, Noah yanked her into his arms, practically tossing her into the middle of the bed. He ripped his shirt off and came down over her before she’d even stopped bouncing, managing to get her out of her boots and clothes even fas
ter than he had the last time. He couldn’t even be bothered with his own boots and jeans, leaving the denim hanging around his thighs.
“Damn it, I can’t wait,” he groaned, pushing her legs apart and putting his mouth to her. She was already warm and wet, and he growled a sound that was dark and thick as he took her with his tongue, loving the way she tasted. She came for him so quickly, it made him smile, the experience one he was already helplessly addicted to.
He kept at her until the orgasm eventually faded, then braced himself over her body. Soft color burned along her delicate cheekbones, her lowered lashes leaving shadows on her skin. She was impossibly beautiful, both on the inside and out, and before the night was over, she was going to be his. Noah didn’t know what he’d done to deserve such an incredible gift, but he was humbled by it just the same. And willing to do whatever it took to keep it.
With a shaky breath on his lips, he said her name.
She licked her lips. “Yeah?”
Noah brushed her hair back from her face, and waited until she opened her eyes. “I just want you to know that I should have done this a long, long time ago,” he whispered, and as he pressed his mouth to hers, he lowered himself between her legs, rubbing the steely length of his shaft against her tender sex. She was creamy and warm, coating his skin, the breathless anticipation in her eyes so beautiful it made him light-headed.
He knew, with every part of him, that he would remember every detail of this moment for the rest of his life. The way she looked and felt beneath him. The way his heart pounded and his body trembled.
She arched a little, wiggling her hips, as if trying to get him inside her, and Noah scraped out a gritty curse, his lips pulling back over his teeth as he pleaded for mercy. “Damn. You’ve got to stop that, honey.”
“But I want you now,” she moaned, rubbing her body against his, her soft hands stroking his sides and back. “I need you inside me, Noah. I don’t want to wait.”
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