He pulled in a deep, shuddering breath. Held it, then slowly let it out, and tried one last time to make her come to her senses. To push her away, when all he really wanted was for her to stay. Forever. “I could walk out of this room, right out that front door. Head to one of the bars and find someone. Bet you wouldn’t want anything to do with me after that. Would you, Hope?”
“Go ahead, then,” she told him, the vibrant gleam in her dark eyes telling him that she wasn’t buying it. That she was onto him. Knew exactly what he was trying to do. “You want me out of your hair? Fine. Go pick up some nameless woman and take her to bed. Problem solved with nothing more than a quick exchange of bodily fluids. Go on, Riley. I dare you.”
He glared…shaking…shuddering, every muscle in his body coiled hard and tight with fury, with tension, his angry refusal to follow through on the asinine threat carved into the harsh lines of his expression. He wanted to just throw off the asshole spiel and sink into the moment, wallow in it…surrender to its power…its beauty. But he could not make it happen. Even after coming this far, he couldn’t let go of the fear…the bitterness that this was all he could have. These stolen moments in this tiny room, while guilt coiled heavily around his throat, painful and tight.
“This isn’t a game,” he finally choked out, the words gritty enough to scratch against the tenderness of her skin. But she didn’t flinch. Didn’t pull away.
As if she could see all the torment and frustration roiling through him, ripping him apart like so many knives, she softened, and her gaze slid away for a moment, past his shoulder, before pulling itself back to his. She blew out a shaky, trembling breath, and said, “I’m not playing games, Riley. I wouldn’t even know how to play your kind of games if I wanted to. They’re too confusing, and my head’s already messed up enough as it is.”
“Goddamn it.” His expression and his tone were bitterly grim, but she didn’t seem to mind as the last remnants of control were torn from his grasp. He started in on her jeans, ripping them open. “This doesn’t change anything,” he warned, crazed with need…with hunger, and hoping like hell that he was going to be able to force the starved, ravenous Merrick part of his soul into submission. “Nothing will change. No matter how good it is. No matter how perfect. I won’t stay.”
“I didn’t ask you to,” she gasped, helping him to shove the denim over her hips. “I’m a big girl, Ri. I don’t need you to sugarcoat the truth for me. I can swallow it down just fine. I might not like the taste, but I can take it.”
With her jeans around her soft white thighs, he shoved his shaking hand into the front of a tiny pair of black cotton panties, seeking out that warm, liquid heat that he knew was going to melt him down. Burn him to ashes. A fine sheen of sweat covered his body, the fabric of his clothes sticking to his fever-hot skin, but he couldn’t take the time to rip them off. He stared into her face, his gaze hard, wanting to believe her, but he couldn’t. Her eyes still gave her away, letting him see beneath the brittle shell of her anger and pride, down to the taffy-soft emotions that dwelled beneath. But it wasn’t going to stop him. Thrusting two big fingers up inside her, he rubbed against the walls of her sex, twisting and pressing deeper, his body shuddering at the tight, cushiony hold. She was so wet that his hand made slick, slippery sounds as he slowly slid his fingers inside her.
“Why are you waiting?” she moaned as he added a third, the fit so tight, Riley knew it was almost too much, but he didn’t want to hurt her when he finally drove himself into her.
“You’re small and I’m not,” he groaned, knowing it was going to kill him when all that tight, drenched silk was surrounding his cock. “I need to get you close. Need to get you ready.”
“DAMN IT,” HOPE SOBBED, pulsing around his fingers. “I’m ready for you now.”
With her breath seized in her lungs, she struggled to keep breathing past her excitement as Riley quickly turned her around, bending her over the counter so that she faced the mirror, her damp, flushed face staring right back at her, looking like someone she didn’t even recognize with that wild bloom of hunger burning beneath her skin. She sank her teeth into her lower lip to keep from screaming for him to hurry as he ripped her panties down, his hot, callused hands rubbing over her bottom, between her thighs, a low, sexy sound of pleasure vibrating in his chest, as if he enjoyed what he saw…what he touched. He pushed down his boxers as far as his thighs, and she choked back a sob as she felt the hot, damp weight of his cock against her backside. He fumbled for the back pocket of his jeans for a moment, pulling out his wallet, and then he reached down to roll on a condom. The instant he was sheathed within the thin latex, he fitted himself against her, pushing his thick, massive head inside the tight, slippery entrance.
Hope cried out from the intense pressure, his body stretching the fragile flesh to the absolute limit, and he paused. He stared at her in the mirror with a dark, searching expression, the raw desire in his eyes burning with a sharp, primal, predatory intensity. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, thinking he was the most gorgeous man in the entire world. His dark hair was spiky and windblown from the rain, the hard, rugged angle of his jaw locked tight, as if he’d clenched his teeth, while those seductive Buchanan blue eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, as if there were a flame inside his head, burning behind them. She wished he’d taken the time to pull off his T-shirt so that she could drool over the mouthwatering muscles detailed beneath the damp cotton of his shirt. The hard, male power of his big, beautiful body enthralled her, making her want to lay him down for hours while she took her time exploring…touching…tasting.
But they didn’t have hours. All they had was this stolen moment in time, and she was going to devour every vibrant, stunning second of it, holding on to the memories for the rest of her life, unwilling to forget a single breathtaking detail.
She tried to breathe her way through the pressure, but it was too intense…too everywhere. He was massive, the size and heat and power of him as overwhelming as it was incredible. She felt bruised from the force of emotion surging through her—from the sheer, powerful depth of her need. With a rough, husky groan, he worked himself in deeper, filling her…stretching her…pushing her into that place that was a crazy blend of pleasure and pain. And then he stopped, held, watching her face in the mirror. She saw her own wild gaze, trembling mouth. Took in the hard, rugged cast of his expression.
There was a hot, quivering tightness in her chest as he pulsed inside her, pressing an inch deeper, and asked, “More?”
She nodded, searched for the air to breathe out a throaty “All of you.”
He shoved then, putting his strength behind it, his fingers digging into her hips hard enough to bruise as he worked those last, thick inches in, and then his head fell back on his shoulders and he groaned, the rough, guttural sound the sexiest thing she’d ever heard.
She wanted to scream from the pleasure. From the thrust and drag of his heavy, vein-ridden cock as it moved inside her, each powerful thrust digging deeper…forcing her to open…to accept. The decadent, breathtaking rhythm was hard and fast, stunning her with the savagery of emotion she could feel in each heavy, hungry push of his body into hers. Every touch revealed a desperate aggression, a clawing need to get as close to her as he could. And when his head lifted, his dark eyes finding hers in the mirror, she could see the beast…the darkness rising up within him.
He tore his hands from her hips, flattening them against the countertop on either side of her, and she knew his talons were breaking through the skin at the tips of his fingers. His eyes blazed with a hunger…with a craving so intense, she couldn’t help but want to give him what he so desperately needed. To be the thing that nourished him, like some lush, primal earth goddess, and her body swelled with the provocative thought, drawing him deeper…bathing him in moisture and heat. He shuddered, slamming into her so hard that she had to brace herself against the mirror, her palms damp against the cool, reflective surface, and then she slowly tilted her head to the
side, exposing the curve of her throat. His lips pulled back over his teeth, the Merrick’s fangs startlingly white within the dark beauty of his face.
“Go ahead,” she told him, the words soft and thick on her tongue. “It’s okay, Ri. Take what you need.”
He shook his head, a deep, guttural “I can’t” scraping past his lips.
“Don’t you ever get tired of saying that?” she snapped, glaring at him in the mirror. “If your brother can feed from his woman, then why can’t you take what you need from me? What’s the damn difference?”
“They’re in love, which changes everything. He’ll be there to protect her…to keep her safe. Allowing me to take your blood is a helluva thing to sacrifice for an affair, Hope. And that’s all I can offer you.”
“I wasn’t asking you to give me anything. I was simply offering you something that you obviously want.”
“I can’t,” he growled again, looking as if he would explode with fury…with frustration.
BUT HE WANTED TO. God, did he ever. Riley could feel the Merrick punching against his insides, demanding its freedom. Insisting that he take what it needed, but he fought it back, choking down the pain, refusing to give in. He would not sink his fangs into her throat and drag her any deeper into this nightmare than he already had.
And he wasn’t willing to risk where he knew the raw, primal intimacy of the act would take him. It was too dangerous…too possessive.
Closing his eyes, he forced the hunger into submission as he felt her body tighten, on the verge of a powerful climax, and gave himself over to the pleasure as well, to the jaw-grinding sensation that was quickly turning him inside out. Stripping him down. Bracing himself against the counter, he went at her hard, his head flung back, lost in the hot, silken perfection of her body, while the dark, raging intensity of the experience burned through him, scorching his veins. The pleasure built up from the soles of his feet, rolling through his body in a huge, voluptuous wave, crashing through him with gaining speed…mounting violence. And then a savage, animallike sound roared from his chest, the visceral release tearing through him just as Hope began to cry out with her own stunning climax. It was explosive…shocking…incendiary. He felt blistered and scorched, as if a naked flame had swept through his body, making him burn until he had to clench his teeth against the devastating pleasure. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, the breathtaking sensations going on…and on, blowing his goddamn mind.
The encounter had been hard and fast. Gritty and primal. Exactly what they needed to burn away their anger and fears. But as the haze of mind-shattering pleasure faded, reality crept back in, and so, too, did the cold…even worse than before.
The shivery, lost sensation started in the pit of Riley’s stomach, and spread outward, shaking in his chest…his throat, until that cold, icy burn spilled into his eyes. Fighting his way out of the sweet, silken hold of her body, he gave her his back as he got rid of the condom and pulled up his jeans, the Merrick’s talons having already receded. Pressing his damp forehead against the wall, he did everything he could to hold it together. To keep from falling apart.
You’re a tough one all right, a snide voice drawled in his head. Just another one of the many assholes who seemed to keep him company these days.
He could hear Hope moving behind him, soft whispers of sound as she set her clothes back to rights. She was going to say something, and that would be it. The last thing that pushed him over the edge.
She whispered his name, and he lifted one hand, signaling for her to stay back.
“Go home, Hope,” he said in a husky, halting voice, unable to stop himself from looking at her over his shoulder.
Finishing with the last button on her shirt, she lifted her chin and stared into his burning eyes. “Are you serious? That’s it? Just ‘Go home, Hope’?”
His gaze slid away, unable to meet the shocked disappointment in her eyes, the rosy glow of pleasure fading beneath his casual dismissal, leaving her trembling and pale. And no doubt pissed as hell. Snatching up his shirt and holster, he opened the door, relieved to find they were still alone as he pulled on the items in his hands and headed for the open doorway, silently cursing himself when he realized he’d left the door unlocked.
“Keep your phone on you,” he grunted as he pushed open the screen. “If anything happens, call me. Don’t be stubborn about it. Just…pick up the phone and call.”
And then he headed out into the rain. Tilting back his head, Riley let the coolness of the shower absorb the heat in his eyes…in his face. He could feel Hope behind him, standing in the doorway, watching…waiting to see what he would do.
Without looking back, Riley shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and set off into the forest, hoping like hell he could find a way to forget.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Wednesday night
BY THE TIME Riley had returned to the cabin, Hope was gone. Not that he’d expected her to stick around and wait for him. Knowing he couldn’t leave her alone with Gregory out there somewhere…not to mention the rest of the Casus…he’d stayed close by, keeping an eye on the cabin as he smoked his way through enough cigarettes that his throat now felt raw. When she’d finally grown tired of waiting for him to return and walked back to the house, he’d headed over to the search area, pacing around, doing God only knew what. Trying to…to sense the Marker, as ridiculous as that sounded. He’d even tried excavating another patch of land, but the weather had finally sent him back inside the shelter of the cabin, and after he’d taken a shower, he’d passed the time staring at the television screen, listening to the endless warnings about the severity of the coming weather system.
The worst storm to hit that area in over a century was surging toward the shore, set to wreak complete havoc once it hit. Thrashing waves, tropical storm force winds, and enough rain to flood the inland areas. It was the last bloody thing that they needed, considering it was going to make their search for the Marker all but impossible. But it was more than just the crappy working conditions that had him on edge. Riley couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that the end was rolling in along with the foul weather, as if the monsters were being carried in on the waves…dropping from the clouds like acid rain.
He’d called to check in with Kellan earlier, just to make sure the guy was okay. After the strange attack on Monday night by one of Westmore’s men, as well as the mysterious blue-eyed stranger who’d warned Kellan of the coming danger, Riley didn’t like the idea of the Watchman being in town on his own. He only hoped Kell wasn’t taking any chances. With so many enemies roaming around, the last thing the Watchman needed to do was make himself an easy target.
Rolling his shoulder, Riley moved to his feet and began pacing from one side of the warm, rustic room to the other, trying to convince himself that he was just on edge because of the run-in with Gregory that morning…his worry over Kellan. But he knew there was more to it.
And why don’t you stop hiding from the real issue? a tired voice drawled in his head. You’re doing everything you can to keep from thinking about her. About what happened. Pointless, really, when you know it’s going to haunt your every waking moment, as well as your dreams. Might as well suck it up and face it head-on, like a man.
Stopping in the middle of the floor, Riley braced his hands on his hips and closed his eyes, concentrating on keeping his breathing even and slow, while his pulse kept gaining speed…rushing faster and faster. God, what was the point of denying it? Whatever smart-ass part of his psyche had delivered the lecture, it was right. He couldn’t avoid thinking about what had happened that morning, because it was all he could hear, see, smell. The lush, exquisite clutch of her body as she’d taken him deep, holding him tighter than any woman he’d ever known. The mouthwatering scent of her skin. The addictive taste of her mouth.
It’d been madness to think that he could have her once and ease a measure of his craving. Instead, it’d only geared his hunger—the clawing, insatiable need—up
to the point that he could all but feel his reason slipping away. The desire was a thousand times greater now that he knew just how incredible it was to make love to her. There’d been a level of intensity to it that he’d never even known he was capable of experiencing. His style had always been aggressive, but nothing that could have prepared him for what had happened with Hope. He’d been crazed. Out of control. And the connection between them had been mind-blowing, looping the pleasure back again and again, magnifying every moan…every gasp.
Knowing he couldn’t keep pacing the floorboards…reliving those moments again and again, driving himself out of his mind…he walked to his bed and grabbed the jacket he’d laid across it earlier, pulling it on over his white linen shirt and shoulder holster. Since Kellan had yet to return, he figured he’d brave the weather and spend some time searching the grounds again, making sure nothing was out there that shouldn’t be. He couldn’t shake the thick cloud of uneasiness hanging over him, scraping against his nerves, as if something else were about to happen.
He’d only just reached the door, when his phone began ringing on his hip. Glancing at the screen, his muscles clenched as he saw that it was Hope’s number. After the way that he’d treated her that morning, Riley couldn’t imagine she’d be calling him unless there was a problem, and he went ahead and started making his way down the path as he talked to her.
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