Tempting Flame (The Jendari Book 1)

by DJ Michaels

  Tallis was a dominant male and a dangerous predator. Yet nothing had ever made him feel as powerful as putting that look in Jaz's eyes. And that was taking into account the fact he was naked and on his knees with an erection that wouldn't quit.

  Rising to his feet he held out his hand. "Stand up."

  She complied and as soon as he assured himself she was steady, he towed her into the bathroom. He released her long enough to turn off the taps, then he returned and began the delightful task of exposing her skin.

  "Lift your arms." Pushing his hands under the hem of her top, he skimmed his hands up her ribs and over her breasts. Bunching the fabric as he went, he eased it up her body and over her arms. Being careful not to tangle her long hair, he freed the garment and tossed it in a corner.

  Then he embraced her, his hold gentle but firm. Nuzzling her neck he breathed her in, starved for her scent. He licked, bit, and kissed her neck, roving up and down in an effort not to miss an inch of skin. Depositing hot, sucking kisses along her jawline, he was delighted when she arched against him, rolling her hips against his aching cock.

  Slowly he pulled back. He wanted to get inside Jaz, no question, but more than that he wanted to nurture her. It was important that she felt safe and cared for when she was with him.

  Using the distance to his advantage, he stroked over her skin with palms and fingers. Neck, shoulders, arms, hands—and back up again. Then he slid his hands over her lace-covered breasts and squeezed, his sigh of satisfaction matched by her gasp of pleasure.

  "Of all the worlds I've been on, of all the people I've met, I've never come across anything as beautiful as you." He rolled her nipples and she shuddered under his touch. "Bare yourself to me, Jaz. I want to see you."

  He waited quietly while she divested herself of trousers and underwear. When she was in nothing but skin, she shook her hair behind her shoulders and stood tall and proud, allowing him to look his fill.

  So strong. So exquisite. So his. If only in the secret recesses of his soul.

  Closing the distance, he held her, chest to breast, hip to hip, heart to heart.

  "You are unbearably tempting, and I wish I could keep you." He pulled her tighter, fisting his hand in her hair. "I wish I could hold you like this until you became a part of me—as essential as the fire in my soul." As if she wasn't already.

  "I wish you could, too." Jaz rubbed her cheek on his skin. A move that was satisfyingly feline as far as he was concerned. Then her grip changed, becoming more desperate than sensual. "I know we can't be together, that our lives are too different, but…"

  "But what?"

  She kept her face pressed against him, but he could scent the heartbreak in her emotions. "It just … hurts so much when we're apart."

  "Jaz." He kept her tight in his hold, shielding her with his body. "I won't regret the time we've spent together, but I deeply regret causing you pain."

  His own yearning for her was an aching wound inside him. An empty pit of loss that rubbed him raw. He couldn't bear the thought that she suffered in the same way.

  But letting her go was the only way to protect her. And himself.

  "I love you," he whispered in Jendari. It was a foolish admission and one that wouldn't do either of them any good. Switching to English he said, "Let's get you clean."

  Talking her by the hand he led her to the oversized bath. Set in a marble nook, the tub nestled at the bottom of a huge floor-to-ceiling window.

  Jaz looked at the expanse of glass. "That's some view in the daytime."

  "It's some view at night, too. Hop in and I'll show you."

  Keeping her small, soft hand in his, Tallis helped her step into the tub and settle neck deep in the water. Picking up a fire-starter he lit a couple of candles and gave the command in Jendari to extinguish the lights.

  He heard Jaz's gasp of delight as soon as her eyes adjusted. New York's lower east side was laid out before her like a sea of sparkling jewels; buildings, traffic, and streetlights forming an intricate and beautiful mosaic.

  "It's gorgeous." Her words were barely more than a whisper.

  "It is." Tallis didn't like living in the city and he detested being so far from the forests of his new home. But he did love this view at night. And he loved that he could share it with Jaz.

  Stepping into the bath he lowered himself to sit behind her, then pulled her into his arms. "Just relax, shamira, and let me do all the work."

  Scooping up a handful of sandsoap, he began to massage it over Jaz's soft, silky skin.

  "What does shamira mean?"

  "It's an endearment," he said. Not a lie exactly, but not the whole truth of the meaning either. Urging her to lean forward, he pushed her hair aside so he could wash her back. "It's a special, very intimate term that's only used in private." And he'd never uttered it to another living soul.

  "Oh. It's lovely."

  "So are you." Gathering more sandsoap, he slid his hands to the front of her body and eased her back against his chest. Indulging both tigaren and man, he slipped and slid his hands over her breasts and belly, across her hips and thighs before coming to rest between her legs. Cupping her mound, he held her tight against him, claiming her if only in the privacy of his own mind.

  Easing his hand a little higher, he circled her clit. When she flexed into his touch he growled in approval. "Play with your breasts, Jaz. I want you to touch yourself as you come for me."

  Banding his free hand tight over her abdomen, Tallis worked her clit. Circling, rubbing, pinching, he kept her on the edge until she was writhing to get free. She squeezed and pulled at her breasts with a roughness that made his mouth water, and her incoherent begging filled him with wild satisfaction.

  Flexing his cock against her ass, he drove her towards a shattering orgasm, her cries echoing in the tiled chamber. Gasping and shuddering, she collapsed against him.

  He held her gently, waiting for her to get her breath back before he resumed his seduction. He had plans for her delectable body and he was keen to put his mouth where his hand had just been.

  As attuned to Jaz as he was, he sensed the moment her energy shifted. She turned to curl into him, not in an act of sensuality but in search of comfort. Shifting his hold, he pulled her close, resting his chin on the top of her head.

  "It's okay, Jaz. I've got you."

  And with a shuddering gasp she burst into tears.

  Tallis held his precious armful while she cried, sinking his own anger and frustration deep into his body. He was determined Jaz would feel nothing from him but love and understanding. But by the Goddess he wanted to resurrect the bastards who took her and kill them all over again.

  By the time she'd purged her tears, she was exhausted. Tallis lifted her out of the bath and sat her on the counter to dry her off. She submitted to his care, but he had a sense her mind wasn't really with him. He talked to her in Jendari, soft words of love that he would never dare utter aloud if she spoke his language. Thankfully, she didn't ask him to translate for her.

  Once she was dry, he scooped her up and carried her to bed, laying her gently between the cool sheets. Sliding in after her, he tucked her tight against his body, sharing his warmth. She was asleep almost as soon as her head settled on his chest, but Tallis had no such relief.

  The events of the last two days played over and over in his mind. While Jaz was missing he hadn't allowed himself to envision anything but complete success. But now she was back in his arms, thoughts of what could have happened kept him wide awake.

  Those men could have hurt her, killed her or tortured her. Her captors might be dead now, but Tallis was under no illusions that Jaz was safe. Those assholes were well organized, and their tactics had military written all over them. The men who died were nothing but soldiers, and whoever gave them orders was still out there. Still a threat.

  Tallis knew he had to let Jaz go, but no part of him—man or cat—would leave her unprotected.

  ****

  Hours later, Tallis used his h
ealing gift to check on Jaz and to put her into a deep sleep. Then he got out of bed, pulled on a pair of silk pants, and made his way to the study. Using a secure comlink he put in a call to Borini.

  The leader of the rhe'hashan made him wait almost five minutes before he answered the call. "A little late isn't it?" he asked in Jendari, his immaculate image filling the screen. "Or should I say, it's a little early."

  Tallis shrugged. "It's almost sunrise, and I know you don't like to sleep in."

  "Unlike some other cub I could mention."

  True. Tallis loved to sleep in. "Blame the tigaren."

  Borini took a sip from a mug and then leaned forward, elbows on his desk. "You didn't wake me to make idle chat. What's going on?"

  "Did Hadar brief you post-mission?" As the most senior rhe'hashan in the group, Hadar offered to make the report, thereby freeing Tallis to concentrate solely on Jaz.

  "Yes. It went smoothly from all accounts. How's the woman?"

  "Exhausted. Physically and emotionally." Tallis rubbed his tired eyes. "She's in my bed at the moment, in a healing sleep."

  "Hadar told me she was unharmed. Is that true?"

  Tallis understood what Borini was asking. "She is untouched."

  "Thank the Goddess." He paused for a moment, searching Tallis's face for who knew what. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

  "Yes, nadir." Calling Borini father made it clear Tallis was coming to him as a son not a warrior. "I'm in love with her." The admission was hard, not because of the emotion, but because of the repercussions those words would have in all their lives. "I'm entwined with her on a soul level. Being without her makes me bleed, all day every day." He looked up, holding Borini's gaze. "But I know I have to give her up. I have to stay true to my vows as a rhe'hashan. Walking away is the best thing for Jaz's safety and for the good of the clans."

  "But you don't want to leave it at that. I can hear it in your voice."

  Tallis shook his head. "I can't abandon her. Whoever targeted her did so to get to me, and you and I both know they'll do it again."

  "Especially considering how quickly and decisively you came for her this time."

  "Yes." Not that he would have done anything differently. He would never stand by if Jaz was in danger. And, if tonight was anything to go by, it seemed he was prepared to risk his brothers as well if it meant saving her.

  That was something he couldn't do again. It was a decision that made him no better than the warriors who had, in effect, killed his father. Tallis had to find a way to make Jaz's attackers stay away from her.

  He didn't know exactly who they were, but he knew where to start looking.

  "Do you have a solution?" Borini asked.

  "I hope so. With your permission, I'd like to pay a visit to the leader of the Humans for Earth Coalition."

  Borini took a thoughtful sip from his mug. There was a long, loaded silence before he nodded his head. "All right. Come and see me tomorrow with a plan—tactics and logistics."

  "Thank you, nadir."

  Borini scrubbed a hand over his cropped hair. "I wish I could be more help. I wish I could…"

  "I know." Tallis offered him a sad smile. "So do I."

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Tallis crawled back into bed he gathered Jaz close and stared up at the ceiling, reminding himself of all the reasons he couldn't keep her. There was his oath to the rhe'hashan and the fact that his world and Jaz’s did not overlap. There was the risk to her should the Elders find out how many secrets she knew. And the fact that her friendship with him made her a target for groups like HEC.

  But the biggest problem for him was the fact Jaz divided his loyalty.

  Tallis's mother died when he was young so, for most of his life, Tallis only had his father to parent him. As a rhe'hashan, his father was often absent, but never for a moment did Tallis feel unloved or abandoned.

  When he was twelve his father was mobilized to help head off an enemy attack. After two days of unsuccessful hunting, the mission was scrubbed. Several members of the cadre had family nearby, and they used the opportunity to check on their loved ones. And that's when the enemy struck. Nobody survived the attack, including his father.

  After Tallis had received the news, after he mourned, ranted and raged, he made a vow. He would never, ever, put his own personal relationships before the good of the clans. To his child-mind, his father wouldn't have died if his fellow warriors had stayed with the group and done their job. For years he was convinced that by selfishly going to check on their families, they'd left their fellow rhe'hashan vulnerable.

  As an adult Tallis knew this wasn't true. The cadre of warriors had believed themselves safe from the enemy. Sending four of their number to check on family in nearby settlements was a low-risk proposition. He even understood that those four warriors wouldn't have made a difference to the decimation of the cadre.

  Yet his determination to put duty above all else remained. His commitment to the clans and the Swords defined everything he was as a man. If he turned away from that, even for Jaz, he'd give up everything that made him who he was. And he feared he'd end up hating her and himself because of it.

  Yet he couldn't resist stealing these illicit hours with her. It was as pointless as feeding crumbs to a starving man, but he couldn't bring himself to relinquish her yet. So he held her, trying to absorb the feel of her right down to his bones.

  Eventually his need for Jaz overtook his desire to let her sleep. Singing her awake, he stroked his hands over her soft, curvy body—desperate to memorize every inch of her skin. She arched against him, tangling her fingers in his hair to pull him close. "I need you," she whispered. Then she took his mouth.

  The kiss started off sweet and drowsy, a lazy exploration of lips and tongues. Tallis tried to let her set the pace, but his consideration for her was no match for how badly his need clawed at him. Rolling her onto her back he moved to cover her, his legs and torso pinning her to the bed. Then he kissed her his way, plundering her mouth, sliding his tongue against hers, biting gently at her lips. Well, almost gently.

  The scent of her arousal surrounded him and chased away what little control he had left. Inching down her body Tallis laved at her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark, using his teeth to lightly grip her flesh. She rippled under him, her body singing a song that only he could hear, her pulse beating a rhythm that was exclusively his.

  "I hear you, shamira," he whispered against her skin. "Your song is beautiful."

  Beneath him, Jaz's entire body quivered. "Will you sing to me again?"

  "Yes. Soon." Right now he had better things to do with his mouth.

  Easing lower, he made his way down her neck and over her shoulders, tasting her sun-kissed skin. Then he moved to her breasts. Pale, full, and heavy. He cupped her in his hands, squeezing and kneading, reveling in the sight of her soft flesh spilling from the surety of his grip. His hands looked dark against the translucence of her skin, his calloused touch abrading the smooth silkiness of her breast.

  Their differences highlighted just how much stronger than her he was, yet somehow his small human held all the power in this bed.

  He wanted to protect and worship her, but he also wanted to devour her. To take her in a way that would leave her in no doubt to whom she belonged.

  Lowering his head he took a velvety pink nipple into his mouth. He sucked hard and soft, using teeth and lips. With every motion she surged against him, silently begging him for more.

  He lingered, moving from breast to breast, toying with her nipples until pink deepened to red. He played with her until she was incoherent and he could hold himself in check no longer. Breathing deep, mouth watering, he kissed his way down her body until he came to the core of her femininity,

  Sliding his palms up the inside of her thighs he pushed outward, spreading her legs and opening her secret places. She was swollen, wet and needy. Using his fingers to splay her intimate flesh wide open, he looked his fill. Breathing deep he t
ook her essence fully into his body.

  "You are so beautiful," he said. "I can't wait to taste you."

  Before she had a chance to answer he flattened his tongue against her and licked center to top. Jaz moaned and rolled her hips, so he did it again—a little slower and a little harder. Sometimes he circled her clit with the tip of his tongue, sometimes he pressed his mouth against her and tongue fucked her. But he always came back to the long, slow glide. Keeping her on the edge of orgasm but not allowing her to go over.

  She shook and trembled under his attentions. She moaned and begged, her whole body covered in sweat. And it still wasn't enough for Tallis.

  Selfishly, he wanted her to belong to him. He wanted to ruin her for any other man, taking the essence of who she was and keeping it for himself.

  Finally he let her come, shuddering and screaming as he kept his mouth pressed tight to her center.

  Without giving her a chance to recover he crawled up her body. Hooking his arms under her legs he pressed his painfully hard erection into the tight clasp of her core. He twisted his hips, pushing into her once, twice, three times before he spilled inside her.

  Looming over her, he gave them both a minute to catch their breaths. "You okay?"

  "Yes." Jaz flexed her hips and her internal muscles squeezed his still-hard cock. "Are you?"

  No. He was so far from okay that if he allowed himself to dwell on it he would weep. Instead, he focused on her. "Of course I am. How could I not be when I'm inside you?"

  He pulled out a little then pressed back in, savoring the glide of her slick flesh, grinding into her at the bottom of each pass. Without prompting Jaz locked her legs around his waist and eased her arms under his so she could grip his back. Tallis slid one arm under her ass and the other under her shoulders. Holding her tight, he increased his pace.

  And she squeezed him back, matching his rhythm. Straining with him to be closer, harder, and deeper.

  Tallis was on fire for her. Her scent filled him, her body cradled him, and her heart reached out and captured him whole. Pushing up onto his knees he fucked her at a pace that was ruthless and desperate, raw with the depth of his need for her. In that moment she was everything to him. When his body could no longer contain how much he loved her, he began to sing.