by Jaci Burton
He waited for her to finish, waited until she crumpled face down on the mattress, before he let her go. Panting for breath, he sheathed the beast within himself once again, then collapsed next to her, pulling her against him.
He held her, stroked her hair and her skin, watching the way the soaked strands of her hair quickly dried, as did the bed and the room as the storm withdrew. The wind and rain still lashed against the trees outside, the balcony soaked from the downpour, but the bedroom returned to normal, as if not even a drop of rain had fallen inside the house.
Amazing magic.
Amazing woman.
He could only hope she could accept who and what he was as easily, because he’d have to tell her.
Soon.
* * * * *
Shannon didn’t remember falling asleep, but she must have. For how long, she didn’t know. The room was still dark, the storm still raging outside.
They should leave, as close to the water as they were. But she didn’t have the strength to even lift her head and suggest it to Max.
His body pressed firmly against her back, one leg slung over her hip, one hand wrapped around her breast.
Possessive sort, wasn’t he? Although she had to admit, she kind of liked it. The men she’d been with before had all been the gee-that-was-great-gotta-go-now types. No cuddling, no after-sex conversation. She couldn’t remember ever having anyone spend the night.
Before, that kind of man had worked fine for her because she hadn’t wanted them to hang around after sex, anyway.
Now? Now, she was happy to have slept in Max’s arms.
She sighed, truly contented for the first time.
Damn, their sex had been wild. Animalistic, filled with a passion she hadn’t known existed. She’d never come like that, one right after the other, and with such an intensity that she’d hovered on the edge of consciousness.
Max had truly dominated her in every sense of the word, pawing her to hold her in place, even digging his teeth between her shoulder and neck.
Like an animal. She shuddered and her tired, sore body flared to life at the thought of him doing it again. Exactly the same way.
She shifted, her buttocks rubbing against his cock.
His very hard cock.
She smiled into the darkness, feeling very much the powerful woman for giving him an erection by doing nothing more than cuddling next to him.
Then again, he might just have to pee.
She giggled.
“What’s so funny?” Max asked in a groggy voice, then pushed against her again.
“Nothing. I was just wondering if you were hard because you wanted me or because you needed to pee.”
He chuckled. “I did that an hour ago.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. You’re comatose when you sleep, did you know that?”
“Obviously not.” She moved to get up, but his hand snaked out and grabbed onto her hip, pulling her tight against his raging hard-on.
“Don’t move.”
She waited for irritation to surface. Instead, her pussy dampened and excitement filled her.
Surprise of all surprises. She enjoyed having him control her.
In the bedroom, that is. Outside the bedroom, they damn well better be equals or all bets were off.
“Unless you have some immediate need to get out of bed, and I mean immediate, I don’t want you to get up.”
She shifted, wriggling her ass against his shaft. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good.” He flipped her over on her side so that she faced him, his face nearly unrecognizable in the darkness. Sliding his hand under her leg, he lifted it over his hip, aligning his cock at the entrance of her pussy.
Shannon wound her free arm around his neck and pulled his head closer, licking his bottom lip. “You taste good. Like a midnight snack.”
“Mmm, that’s about the right time of night, I think.”
“How do you know? There’s no clock in here.”
He fit his lips against hers and teased her mouth. “I can tell. Trust me.”
She’d have to, since she had no idea. Frankly, she wasn’t sure she cared. They’d made love, they slept, and from the feel of his hard cock probing insistently against her slit, they’d be doing it again very shortly.
Winding her hair around his fingers, he tugged gently, enough to send sparks of pleasure spiraling down her spine. She turned her head, then winced at the slightly tender spot on her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, going completely still.
“You bit me,” she teased. “It’s sore there.”
“Where?”
“Right here.” She pointed to the spot.
“Aww, baby I’m sorry. Let me kiss it.”
He leaned up and licked the tender spot on her shoulder. She laughed then held on as he nibbled lightly down her neck and collarbone. He stopped at her breast, taking her nipple between his teeth and tugging lightly.
Pleasurable pain shot deep inside her.
“Tyrant,” she murmured, but she wasn’t really complaining. Not when he drew her nipple into his mouth and suckled her.
“Sissy,” he mumbled against her breast.
When he moved down and licked the underside of her ribs, she giggled.
“Ticklish, are you?”
“No. I’m not.” He moved his hands over her ribcage and tickled her. She laughed out loud.
“Ah, you are ticklish.”
“No! And stop that, you big bully.” She pushed at him, but he rolled her onto her back and pinned her arms above her head.
“You like me bullying you,” he argued, nudging her legs apart with his knee and settling between them.
Maybe she did. But she wasn’t about to admit it. She’d already given up enough.
“You like me fucking you, too.” His voice dropped down an octave, a heated, dark tone that matched the moon-filtered rainy skies. Probing between her legs, he fit the head of his cock between her pussy lips and surged forward, just enough to slip part way inside her.
A soft moan escaped her lips and she lifted her hips to encourage a driving thrust. “Well, yes, I do like that a lot.”
“Show me how much you like it.” He leaned back, withdrawing his cock until just the head was inside her.
That wouldn’t do at all. With determined fervor, she wrapped her legs around his hips and soared upward, grabbing his cock with her pussy. Thunder rumbled outside the screen door, a quick flash of lightning shooting across the sky.
Max let out a grunt of pleasure and dropped her back down on the mattress, driving deep inside her at the same moment he took her lips in a punishing kiss that she welcomed with enthusiasm.
His passion was boundless, and matched her own. This is what she had been missing. How could she ever have lived without this all-consuming need that she knew instinctively could only come with Max?
He buried his head in her neck, kissing and nibbling her throat until she broke out in chills. Slipping his hands under her buttocks, he ground against her sex, his pubic mound rubbing against her clit.
“Max,” she groaned, knowing she was close.
“Yes,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Come for me, Shannon.”
As if her body obeyed his command, her orgasm rushed through her like a flood, sweeping her away in a high tide of sensation so overwhelming that she tried to escape by pushing at his shoulders. She felt water rush around them, fierce waves lapping over the bed and knew that she’d brought the flood inside the room but was powerless to stop it.
“More!” he shouted, clasping her tighter against him and stroking incessantly until tears came to her eyes. This was too much sensation, and it wouldn’t stop as wave after wave crashed through her.
Tears streamed down her face as she went from one peak to another, Max holding her close and murmuring words that she couldn’t understand. Her pussy squeezed his cock tight and he tensed, then growled as he jettisoned a stream of come deep inside her
. She screamed as huge waves pummeled them both.
He began to jerk against her repeatedly, groaning and licking at her neck and shoulders. She shuddered against him as emotion poured between them, drenching her in sensations that she wasn’t sure she could handle.
The water receded slowly, disappearing and drying the room as it had earlier. Her powers once again safely tucked away, she relaxed her tensed muscles.
Shannon blinked away the tears, shocked at what she’d just experienced with Max. She didn’t know how to interpret the overwhelming emotions she had when she was with him. Truly, this was unfamiliar territory and it scared the hell out of her. She’d have to back away from this a bit until she found her bearings.
Max rolled off and lay on his back, pulling Shannon against his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, still breathing heavily and awed at what had transpired.
She’d often dreamed of a man who could take her places she’d never been before. Of what it would feel like when she found that one man who was her match.
She’d found him, all right. She was in love with Max. Infuriating, obstinate, alpha-male Max Devlin was the man who’d captured her heart.
Now what the hell was she supposed to do? He didn’t love her. He wanted her, that much was certain, but passion eventually withered. What foundation would they have to build upon then?
Max swept the moist tendrils of her hair away from her face. “Now. How soon can you get your things together and move in with me?”
Chapter Eleven
Shannon stilled, not sure she’d heard Max correctly. “What?”
“You’re moving in here with me. As soon as you can. There’s plenty of space for some of your furniture if you’d like. And the closet in here can more than adequately handle your clothes and mine.”
She pushed away from him and sat up, wishing she could see his face in the darkness, certain he was teasing her. “Are you insane? I’m not moving in here with you.”
He caressed her back and she shivered, refusing to allow his touch to sway her.
“You and I are destined to be together, Shannon. It’s pointless to deny it. You felt what’s between us as well as I did. Quit fighting the inevitable.”
She wrenched away from his touch and moved to the side of the bed, switching on the lamp. Max squinted against the light.
“What’s wrong?” He lifted up on one elbow to reach for her.
She kept her distance. “What’s wrong? This is wrong. You and I are wrong. I can’t believe you’d be so egotistical as to assume I’d move in with you just because you gave me a good fuck.”
He frowned and shook his head. “That’s not what this is about. There’s a lot more to it.”
“I don’t care what’s going on in your mind. Your suggestion is ridiculous.” What the hell was he thinking? He’d never even told her he loved her, that he cared for her. Did he think she’d just give up her life and shack up with him so his fucking partner would be close by when the urge hit?
“If you think about it, if you feel it, it’s not ridiculous at all. We’re mated, Shannon. As sure as if we’d married. You want me. I sure as hell want you. We can start by moving in together, but in short order I want to get married.”
Chills crept through the languorous warmth she’d felt earlier. Marriage? Now he was talking marriage? This was all too much. She slipped off the bed and went looking for her clothes, finding them draped over a chaise. The underwear was ruined, but at least she had her shorts and tank top to slip on.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going home.”
“You are home.” His voice lowered and she looked over at him, shaking her head.
“No. This is not my home.”
“It will be soon enough.”
He really expected her to move in with him, just because he deemed them a match? And what about love? Was he going to mention the words? Did he even feel the emotion?
Hurt etched its way deep into her heart. Pain that came from the realization she’d fallen in love with the wrong man. A man who wanted to control her completely, not just in the bedroom. One who obviously didn’t love her enough to ask her what she wanted, and then let her make her own choices. A man who hadn’t even said he cared for her.
“Shannon, it’s storming outside. Really bad. Where do you think you’re going?”
“I told you. I’m going home.”
“You don’t have a ride.”
She zipped up her shorts and met his concerned gaze. “I’ll get a ride home.”
He pushed away from the mattress and got up. She couldn’t help but admire his long, lean body, the way his muscles bunched along his arms and shoulders.
“You’re being unreasonable about this. I’m going to take a shower, then we’ll go downstairs and fix something to eat, and talk about it. I have some things to tell you. Important things.”
She stood there as he went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Grabbing her tennis shoes, she hurried downstairs, determined not to be there when he got out.
Tree limbs lashed against the roof, the wind picking up force. How was she going to get out of here in this storm? It was way too far to walk home, and the thought of facing any one of her family members right now made her nauseous.
Dammit, now what? She wasn’t going to ask Max to take her home; she couldn’t handle having to endure the confines of the car with him. He’d just try to convince her that his way was the right way, and the ensuing argument would be more than her blooming headache could handle.
What she needed was to get away from him and fast.
She went to the kitchen and grabbed the phone, intending to call Kaitlyn. There was no dial tone. Maybe it wasn’t turned on yet, or maybe it was the storm. She found her purse and grabbed her cell phone. No service. Shit!
Closing her eyes, she willed her magic to come forth, to settle the raging weather outside long enough for her to walk to the end of the road, where she knew a convenience store could be found. She’d call from there. Less embarrassment that way. She could even take a taxi, then she wouldn’t have to explain to her family why she was sneaking away from Max’s in the middle of the night.
That’s what she’d do. But she had to get out of here first. No way would Max wait around while a taxi showed up at the house.
The weather fought her, the storm railing against her powers, but she was stronger. This was her season, these were her elements, and if she wanted it badly enough, they’d obey. They had to.
In short order the wind died down, the rain stopped. Ominous, black clouds hung low overhead, but the fury that threatened to rage was at bay—at least for the moment. She couldn’t hold it back forever, but she could long enough to reach the outskirts of town and grab a ride.
Slipping out the front door, she peered around her, wishing for that full moon to light her way, but knew the clouds would not relent. She headed down the long driveway, carefully watching her step. Limbs had fallen in the storm, littering the road like an obstacle course.
The roadway was pitch black, but she’d been this way before and knew where she was going. She pushed back the fear of walking down a deserted road in the middle of the night, rationalizing that no one would be out in weather like this. No one sane, anyway, she thought with a laugh. She’d be fine. No harm would come to her.
She’d made it about a quarter of a mile when she heard a low rumble, looking to the sky to see if the storm was about to break free.
The rumble turned into a growl, and she realized then that it wasn’t coming from the sky. It came from the line of trees along the side of the road, deep into the heavily forested bayou.
Shannon stopped, wondering what it could be that made a sound like that. Maybe it was a lost, angry dog, frightened by the storm. That had to be it. She listened for a full minute, and when she didn’t hear it again figured the animal had wandered off. She started to move again, but hadn’t made it more than a few steps when she heard the growl be
hind her this time.
Panic caused her throat to go dry, her heart ramming against her chest. She turned slowly, hoping it was a friendly but frightened dog. She loved animals. She could handle this.
But no dog had glowing yellow eyes, eyes that pierced the blackness of the road.
That was no dog. It was a wolf.
Wolves again. Just like the one she’d seen at her condo. Hell, they were out in the middle of nowhere, too. It wasn’t unlikely that she’d find all kinds of strange creatures out here, but she sure as hell had never seen a wolf before in these parts. Not even in the rural area where her parents lived.
She summoned her magic, thinking a shot of lightning or a strong hurricane force wind would either scare it into running off or push it away.
Lightning arced down from the skies a mere foot in front of the wolf. It started and backed up a step, then sniffed the air around it and continued to glare at her. She tried the wind, summoning up a gale force at the animal, but it seemed to dig its long claws into the side of the road and held on, its fur blowing back as the gust blew hard against it.
What the hell; were these creatures impervious to nature’s elements?
She had two choices. Stand there and let it attack her, or run. If she ran down the road, she was an easy target. If she headed into the trees, she might have a chance at escape, or at least could double her way back to Max’s place, providing there was a path to follow.
Deciding anything was better than allowing the wolf to tear her to pieces, she slowly moved toward the trees. The wolf growled, but didn’t advance. As soon as she lost sight of it, she broke into a run.
Her shoes immediately sank into the mud, her progress impeded by fallen limbs and watery muck. She heard the growls behind her and to the side, realizing then that there was more than one wolf out there.
Rampant fear cut off her breathing. She wanted to stop, to curl up into a ball and hide from the creatures out there. But she couldn’t, had to keep moving or they’d be upon her. She made sure to swerve back and forth instead of running in a straight line, but frankly she had no idea where she was headed. The trees were thick, there were no paths and there sure as hell was no light.