Savage Revenge

by Shelli Stevens

“Oh wow. When you do that…” Her fingers tightened over his head and her back arched. “Just, please don’t stop.”

  How was she still talking? She seemed remarkably good at doing that. He continued to suck and lightly nibble one nipple, but released her other breast from his hand so that he could trail his fingers down the small curve of her belly. When he reached his intended destination, he feathered them over the satin-covered cleft between her legs.

  She sucked in a breath and tried to close her thighs against his hand.

  “Relax, sweetheart. Just allow yourself to feel.”

  Nodding just barely, she relaxed her thighs again. He pressed a finger inside her slightly, dragging the fabric with it, until he felt the damp heat there.

  His chest tightened and his dick twitched with need. He removed his finger and then grasped the sides of her panties, tugging them slowly down her hips.

  She immediately tensed and he gave her bottom a light swat. “Relax, I’ve already seen this part of you, remember?”

  Her eyes went round, before they crinkled as she laughed. The tension in her body visibly eased. “Thanks for the reminder. It’s just, you weren’t so close when you saw me naked before.”

  “Well, get used to it, because I intend to get much closer.” He couldn’t even make the words light or teasing anymore, they came out as a rasp.

  Excitement flared in her eyes and the hands that grasped his shoulders clung in a little tighter.

  The sight of her—the scent of her—was going to his head and he was struggling to remind himself to take it slow. To seduce her as gently and as romantically as he knew how. Dammit, he needed her to emotionally attach to him. He needed to remember she’d never done this before. He needed—fuck, what he needed was to taste her.

  Catching her around the waist, he lifted her abruptly and tossed her back on the bed.

  She made a startled gasp, but didn’t try to move as he untied the sheet from his waist and then climbed onto the bed naked.

  The wolf inside him was ready to take over and act on primal desire alone.

  He moved to kneel over her, one of his legs on either side of her thigh. Leaning down, he kissed her belly and took a moment to explore the delicate crater of her navel.

  She made that soft sigh he was beginning to love and cupped the back of his head again.

  While still kissing and licking patterns over her belly, he smoothed a hand up the inside of her thigh toward the core of her. Ready to touch her again, but slower this time.

  He grazed a finger over the damp folds before sliding one deep into her.

  Once again, she immediately clenched around him and drew in a sharp breath.

  The feel of her—so warm, damp, and gripping him like she’d never let go—had him struggling to breathe evenly. The urge to just slide up her body, cover her, and plunge deep was instinctive. Almost driving him now.

  Must. Slow down.

  He added a second finger to her sheath, stretching and adjusting her to when she’d ultimately take him.

  Kissing lower on her belly, he made his way toward the spot that had been calling to him. The spot his tongue begged to discover, and that would no doubt bring her over the edge.

  She was close. The way her legs shifted on the bed, and the soft cries of pleasure she let out, he knew she was striving for release.

  Reaching the swell of her mound, he nuzzled the trimmed curls before sliding his tongue in between the folds to seek her clit.

  When he found it and rubbed his tongue flat against the tiny bud, her hips rose off the bed and she cried out.

  The taste of her was so sensual, so delectable. That, combined with her slickness on his tongue, snapped his control. Suddenly it was about more than just bringing her pleasure—more than attaching her to him.

  It was about feeding his hunger for her. About giving into the primal instinct to discover her body, to awaken it to his touch. To just maybe imprint himself on her memory forever.

  Allowing his mind and focus to slip away, he let the primal, wolf side of him take the reins.

  Chapter Fourteen

  She was burning up. Her entire body was aflame with heat and desire.

  What he was doing down there. Oh my God. The wet rasp of his tongue against her clit, combined with his fingers inside her, was going to make her lose her mind. Maybe it was already gone.

  He feasted on her, played with and teased her, like a man starved. It was so sensual. Such an intense pleasure that was much more amazing than she ever could’ve imagined.

  Her thoughts melted away on the heated river of need that flowed through her veins.

  Blindly, she reached to grasp his hair—to hold his head against her. Not that he would’ve allowed himself to be pushed off her anyway, she sensed.

  Her hips rose and fell against his mouth as the wave of pleasure that had been just out of her reach began to crest.

  The tiniest shift of his tongue and she was there, with her eyes almost rolling to the back of her head as she cried out in release.

  Her body trembled, even as the pleasure ebbed away again. When she opened her eyes, she stared blindly at the ceiling and drew in a shuddering breath.

  Nate kissed her inner thigh, before murmuring, “Are you okay there, sweetheart?”

  “I’m great.” Her words were husky. “That was at least twenty times better than when I’m using a vibrator.”

  Ack! She’d said that out loud.

  His warm breath feathered her skin as he laughed. “Of course it was.”

  She propped herself up on her wobbly elbows and stared down at him.

  “You have got to be the cockiest man I’ve ever met. Maybe.”

  “And I have every right to be. Damn, I can’t wait to be inside you.” He moved up her body, kissing a trail over her flesh again, before going still. “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He propped himself up on one hand and stared down at her. His gaze flashed with frustration. “I don’t have a condom. Clearly.”

  “Oh.” She bit her lip.

  “I can’t risk getting you preg—”

  “I have one. Like a box of them, actually.”

  His brows shot up and disbelief swept across his face. “You do? Seriously? But you’re—”

  “A virgin, right. We’ve covered this. Getting a little old, actually. I was going to seduce Leaf, so I planned ahead and bought—”

  He placed a finger on her mouth, silencing the rest of her words. “I don’t want to hear about tree boy. Especially right now. Got it?”

  Surprised at the little jealousy he obviously hadn’t been able to hide, she just gave a small nod. Hid a smile.

  “Top drawer of my dresser,” she said against his finger. “You’ll find them in there.”

  He was off her in a second, grabbing the box and putting on a condom in a blur of movement.

  When he returned to bed, he immediately caught her mouth in another searing kiss. And even though she’d just come, desire stirred back to fever pitch.

  As he thumbed her nipples into hard peaks, he eased his body between her legs.

  She parted her thighs to accommodate him—welcomed the weight of him on top of her and the feel of his hardened flesh against the juncture of her thighs.

  But he made no move to enter her, instead he kissed her again. Soon she couldn’t help but squirm beneath him, and lift her hips in a silent plea for him to take her.

  He continued to tease with light kisses. With skilled hands that roved and explored her body.

  Finally she pulled her mouth from his and gasped. “No more. Please, don’t make me wait a second longer.”

  The hard set of his jaw and compressed lips made her realize just how much of a struggle it had been for him to wait too.

  “Sounds like a deal, sweetheart.” He adjusted himself between her thighs and pressed another gentle kiss to her mouth.

  A moment later she felt him, hard and thick—almost alarmingly thick—prodding slowly pa
st her still swollen folds and then deeper inside.

  “I’ll go slow.”

  Was he telling himself, or her? She couldn’t be certain.

  She absorbed every centimeter that he moved into her, and the resulting pleasure. Her body both wanted to resist and accept him, and she bit her lip and forced herself to physically relax.

  He was moving so slowly. Not yet all the way inside. Nowhere close to how deep he could go, she sensed. He was so hot, silky and steel-like at the same time.

  “Fuck.” The word was ragged, torn from him as he froze in his movement. “I’m sorry, Sage. I. Can’t. Go. Slow.”

  Before he’d even finished his words, he plunged fully into her. The pleasure that had been building was replaced by a moment’s discomfort.

  “Nate.” She dug her nails into his shoulders as she gave a soft moan that was both protest and dismay.

  His mouth covered hers again and his tongue slid against hers, teasing and arousing her senses. The small ache of pain subsided, and hot seductive heat spread through her again.

  Then, when her body relaxed once more—accepted his girth inside her, he began a slow slide in and out of her. Slow at first, but then with a deliberate, steady pace.

  Having a man—having Nate—inside her was so foreign, so amazing, and just overall sensual. Her heart thundered in her chest as need built hot again in her belly.

  He lifted his mouth from hers and stared down at her. The heat in his eyes was tempered by a surprising control.

  “You doing okay, Curls?” he asked softly.

  She gave a short nod, wondering how he could be so calm. Everything about her right now felt on fire. A chaos of emotions and sensation.

  “You feel incredible,” he muttered, and there was a moment’s fissure in his words that made her realize maybe he wasn’t so in control.

  He circled his hips, thrusting in a way that had her hips lifting and her body sliding up on the bed.

  Reaching out, she gripped his shoulders and then lifted her legs to wrap her legs around his waist. Triumph and a hint of possessiveness flashed in his eyes.

  “There you go, sweetheart. Just like that.” He quickened the pace, thrusting faster and deeper into her. Stretching her and sending licks of pleasure to every nerve ending in her body. “Fuck. You feel so damn amazing.”

  Her head grew lighter as she struggled to keep up with him, but in the end she just let herself be taken.

  Before that concept had just been a word in her books, but now she knew the reality of it. How primitive and scorching it could be.

  The pleasure that had been building in her belly swelled through her. Consumed her. Until she felt him reach to touch her most sensitive spot again, and propelled her over into ecstasy.

  She cried out, clinging to him as he thrust so deep she was sure he’d scraped her cervix. Her trembles of climax continued, mimicking his, before his body fell heavy onto hers.

  When the pleasure ebbed and her body stopped trembling, her mind kicked back into action. Where before it had been blurry and out of focus, everything became sharp and crisp again.

  She became aware of the weight of his body pinning hers to the mattress. The stubble on his chin against her collarbone as he kissed her neck. She could almost swear the pulse pounding there sped up and seemed to ache for his touch. For his teeth… Weird. It must be the first-time-having-sex thing.

  The side of her that was used to constantly plucking life for research, took note of it all.

  How hard he was, and the coarse hairs on his body. How soft and squished certain parts of her were against his hard and immobile parts.

  Her heart slowed and her mind cranked back into gear.

  She’d actually done it. She’d gotten rid of the virginity that had become such an inconvenience in her mind. A technicality that might’ve upped her worth for an arranged mating. Her brother was going to be so pissed if he figured it out.

  Whatever. It had been totally worth it. She closed her eyes and a slight smile curled her lips.

  She didn’t feel any different, but she was. She’d had sex. And her first time had been with someone who was a stranger to her three days ago. Who was still a mystery.

  Even as her mind thought it, her heart denied it just as quickly. Nate wasn’t a stranger, he’d come to mean something to her. Impossibly fast, but oh God, it had happened.

  Stupid heart. Always wanting to take over the brain’s job.

  Nate kissed her neck again, and butterflies fluttered in her belly and she shivered beneath him.

  He gave a deep, husky laugh, and then propped himself up.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Her gaze swung to meet his. “For?”

  “Losing control there. I was trying to be gentle. Be aware that you—”

  “You were fine. It was wonderful. Really.”

  He arched a brow. “You sound surprised.”

  She couldn’t hide her small smile. “No. I knew you’d be good.”

  He didn’t laugh, or get cocky, but instead his gaze slid from hers.

  “I needed that,” he murmured. “More than you know.”

  “Sex? Glad I could help.” For some reason, hearing it being reduced to scratching an itch had a sting of disappointment sliding through her.

  Even though she knew it was just that. Or she would tell herself that. Sex was sex. Just a man and woman doing what nature intended.

  She’d flat out told him she was just using him to get rid of her virginity, so why was she sad that it had been reduced to a primal act?

  He scooted up her body another inch, so he could claim her lips in another searing kiss. Once again she melted. Clung to him as her soul seemed to want to climb out and cling to his.

  What was wrong with her? She never thought this way. Not even in her writing.

  Lifting his head a moment later, he murmured, “I want to be clear. I wanted you, Sage. I needed you.”

  It was as if he’d heard her thoughts. Seen the hesitancy and sudden ache in her heart.

  “This wasn’t a case where any woman would’ve done,” he added softly.

  So romantic. She couldn’t allow herself to buy a word of it. While her heart clung to the words, her mind overruled it. So the man was good at pillow talk. It shouldn’t surprise her.

  She stopped stroking his back and gave it a small tap instead. “I should shower.”

  “Shower?” Surprise flickered in his eyes, and his jaw flexed, but then he nodded and slid off her. “Good idea. I’ll join you.”

  “I’m okay, actually. Might need a moment alone.” She averted her gaze, hoping her turbulent emotions weren’t blatantly shining back. “You know, to just reflect on this and—I just need a moment. You can understand that, right?”

  “Of course.”

  She slipped past him, unconcerned with her nudity anymore.

  When she made it down the hall and into the bathroom, she gripped the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

  The emotions running through her ran the gauntlet. How could she simultaneously want to curl her toes and laugh with joy, and yet cry big fat tears of confusion?

  Touching the faint stubble burn on her neck, she frowned slightly. Had she really wanted him to mark her for a moment there? Because that would be completely insane. Almost as insane as everything that had happened in the past few days.

  She bit her lip and sighed.

  Regardless, she hadn’t lied to him. What had just happened had been wonderful.

  Maybe just a little too wonderful…

  Nathan cleaned himself up in the spare bathroom and then stomped down the stairs to the kitchen.

  He filled up a glass of water, pounded it, then did it again.

  What the fuck had just happened? He’d gone up there to blow off some frustration—sexual and otherwise—with a woman he had a mutual attraction with. And, yeah, maybe get her a little attached to him in the process.

  How in the hell had he walked out of that room questioning who’
d gotten attached to whom?

  He set the glass back into the sink with slow deliberation, because the urge to smash it was beyond tempting.

  What had happened up there was not what he’d expected at all. The word sex couldn’t even begin to describe the intensity, the sensuality of what had happened between them.

  A moment later he heard the soft footfall of Sage walking downstairs.

  Her hair once again fell in damp curls over her shoulders and down her back, and there was a sexy, pink post-orgasm flush in her cheeks.

  “Hey.” Her tone was as a bright as her sunny smile. “You hungry?”

  “No.” Christ, he sounded surly, and yet he couldn’t help himself.

  He was on edge—completely unsettled by what he’d just experienced.

  “Okay.” She waved to the couch in the living room. “I’m going to get back to writing. Thanks again for…um. That.”

  Writing? She was going to go back to writing as if nothing had just happened? As if she hadn’t just had sex for the first time twenty minutes ago? As if it hadn’t been completely mind blowing for both of them? She was just going to go to work?

  “Sounds like a plan.” Lame. Totally lame reply, but it was all he had.

  She hesitated, though. “What are you going to do?”

  “Right now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Try and figure out a way to get a message to some guys who owe me favors. A friend up in Seattle who could do some digging and wouldn’t turn me in.”

  “Oh.” She drew her lip between her teeth, as if she weren’t happy with his answer. Then, “Is that smart? If the reward is big enough, he might just turn you in anyway.”

  “He won’t.” He gave her a hard smile. “I know too much about him.”

  He’d hoped to not have to use the guy—only dug in that barrel if he was desperate—but right now he was definitely approaching desperation.

  “Okay. Well, um, be careful.” She gestured to the couch again. “I’ll just be over there.”

  Knowing he needed to get back to the massive problem on hand, Nate settled down at the computer a minute later and began the process of setting up a fake email account. It would be traceable if anyone was motivated enough, but he had to risk it. Right now he was fucked either way.