To Seduce a Witch's Heart

by Nadine Mutas

  She blinked, baffled. Had she insulted him?

  Rhun glared at her, the clear-cut beauty of his features more pronounced in his obvious anger, his lips pressed together in a tight line, and the way he held himself—rigidly dignified like someone who’d just been slapped for no good reason.

  “Uh.” Great, now she felt bad for assuming the worst about him. Still, how was she supposed to know he might have some decency? Clearing her throat, she said, “Sorry. It’s just… No offense, but your track record doesn’t exactly put you in a good light.”

  A flicker of something—regret?—showed in his eyes, but it was gone again so quickly she wasn’t sure she’d seen it. Rhun’s aura gentled, though, and he leaned against the doorjamb and cocked his head. “For your information, all the women I’ve been with were more than happy to feed me, and I left each and every one alive and well.” He glanced up and paused as if in consideration. “Although some of them were passed out in bliss.”

  When he looked back at her, the force of his heated gaze jolted her. Slow, tantalizing waves of prickling warmth rolled over her skin, sensitized her nerves, until her clothes were too heavy, chafing. A pulse of heat and want centered between her thighs, deliciously wayward. Judging by how her body reacted to him, he was aphrodisiac on legs—every lithe movement a whisper of dark sensuality that promised swooning-by-ecstasy. She suddenly didn’t doubt his last statement anymore.

  “So, little witch,” Rhun said, the timbre of his voice evocative of languorous seductions between rumpled sheets, “will you feed me, then?”

  The last twinge of doubt drowned in a surge of desire that almost made her knees wobble. She mentally stomped on the last bit of worry, and simply surrendered to the part of her that wanted to take what Rhun offered, and gorge on it.

  “Yes,” she said, her voice gone husky. It was just sex, nothing more, and gods knew it had been a while since someone had pleasured her but good.

  A wicked smile snuck onto his lips, enhancing the raw sensuality he threw off in scores. He was sex wrapped in danger as he crossed the foyer, closing the distance to her.

  “I will not sleep with you,” she said hoarsely, tilting her head up to look at his face, into those eyes glowing with calm predatory attention. They had such a striking color, a mélange of bright blue and light green, a forest lake in midsummer. “You’ll just…you know…”

  “Make you writhe on my hand until you moan my name?”

  Heaven help me.

  She pressed her thighs together. “My clothes,” she ground out while choice parts of her body wantonly throbbed with anticipation, “will stay on.”

  His eyes flashed. “Hmm, a challenge. I like that.” He brought his hand up to the nape of her neck, tangling his fingers in the strands of her hair. “Where do you want to do it?”

  “Where do I—” She shook her head, perplexed, rattled, and not a little distracted by the hand massaging her neck. “What?”

  “You know,” he said, shrugging, “where would you like it best? On the couch? The table? The carpet?” His gaze flicked to the side, and he raised his eyebrows. “Up against the wall?”

  All of the above? “Uh.” She cleared her throat, struggled for sanity. “I don’t—it doesn’t matter.”

  His hand slid from her nape to the front, grazing the sensitive skin over her racing pulse. “No preferences?”

  “No. Let’s just…get this over with.”

  “Then we’ll do it my way?” His voice was a purr that caressed her senses, stroked her in hot, intimate places.

  “Sure,” she croaked. “Whatever.”

  “Well, then.” His hand stilled. The air between them shimmered. “Run.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “What? Why?”

  “Because,” he muttered, leaning in closer, dark power rippling off him, “I like a good chase.”

  She only stared at him for a second.

  Then she ran.

  Sprinting out of the living room into the library, she threw a glance over her shoulder. Rhun stood in the foyer, watching her run. He was giving her a head start. All right then.

  She’d just barged into the dining room, when a change in the air signaled Rhun was now fast on her heels. His heat and power brushed up against her back as she skidded round the corner into the kitchen. Demonically fast, he made a grab for her when she wanted to dart past the cooking island. She yelped, jumped to the side, and he missed her by an inch. The frantic rhythm of her heart echoed the racing speed with which she ran. Next she made a mad dash toward the game room.

  She was on the secondary staircase when Rhun caught up. With a pounce reminiscent of a feline predator, he tackled her, brought her down on the steps in one fluid motion, cushioning the fall with his arms. She didn’t shriek so much from the impact of crashing into the stairs, then, as from the visceral fear of being caught. Her heart thrummed in her chest, excitement rushed through her veins, every cell of her body aware of the powerful male pressed against her back.

  Who knew being chased—and captured—could be so thrilling?

  “On the staircase then?” Rhun’s breath brushed her neck. “Kinky.”

  She only wheezed in response. Her wheeze turned into a soft moan of surprise when he nibbled at her earlobe and then rubbed his cheek against hers. With a carefulness that amazed her, he turned her around to face him. Braced on his arms and knees above her, caging her in on the stairs, his hungry gaze raked her body.

  “You sure about the clothes?” His voice was scraped gravel.

  Every heavy breath she took brought her breasts in brief contact with his chest, brushing male heat and vibrant power. It made her breathe so much faster. “Not feeling up for the challenge after all?”

  In answer, he cocked a brow and lowered his head on hers with single-minded intent, only to stop short at her hand on his lips.

  “No kissing on the mouth,” she whispered.

  “Why not?” Spoken against her palm, eyes fixed on hers, burning through her.

  “Too personal.” It might sound moronic considering what she was about to let him do to her, but this was another one of those lines she’d better not let him cross. She’d allow him to touch her, yes, but it would just be sex, purely physical, part of their agreement, nothing more than her body reacting to stimulation.

  If she allowed him to kiss her, though, well—that would open up a whole other set of reactions, and she damn sure didn’t want to go there. That one kiss in the mausoleum had already been enough. His taste was still branded into her every cell, the feel of him indelibly etched into her consciousness, making her want more. A kind of more she couldn’t allow, not when she needed to keep her emotional distance from him.

  “Pity,” Rhun muttered, still against her palm, his hot breath tingling on her skin. “I’d love to kiss you.”

  When she tried to pull her hand away, he grabbed it and held it in place. He licked a slow, hot circle on her palm, firing up her nerve endings all the way down to the juncture between her legs. A moan escaped her lips at the incredible sensation, and she pressed her thighs together. He still didn’t let go of her hand but held it up as he let his tongue trail to her wrist, nipping gently at her pulse, and then licked his way down the sensitive underside of her forearm while pushing up her sleeve. At her elbow, he stopped for a kiss in the crook of her arm, playfully making use of his tongue.

  She was already mush at that point.

  He released her arm to cup one of her breasts, rubbing his thumb over her nipple, and even through two layers of fabric, it hardened instantly. Making an appreciative sound, he plucked it until her breathing grew erratic and her skin was covered with a sheen of sweat. The smile Rhun rewarded her with was pure male satisfaction.

  She didn’t have time to glower at him for that, though—the very next second he bit her nipple and now sucked it with utmost delight, unperturbed by the clothes still covering it. Jolts of pleasure shot through her body, sizzling down straight to her core. One of his thighs was w
edged between her legs, rubbing against her in the same rhythm as his tongue now teased the nipple of her neglected breast. Breathing heavily, she dug her fingers into the carpet on the stairs.

  Her body was high-strung, her pulse running in overdrive, and she ached for more touch with a need that scared her. Driven by instinct, all thought of propriety thrown out the window, she pushed her hips against his thigh.

  He lifted his head from her breast, kissed a slow trail up to her neck. When he withdrew his thigh a little, she was about to moan in protest, but then his hand slid between their bodies, cupped her throbbing core over the fabric of her jeans. “Want my fingers inside you?”

  She nodded, face heating with embarrassment. “Yes.”

  “You got it, little witch.”

  Skimming over the front of her jeans, his fingers found the button and made short work of it. Her zipper followed suit. With delicate care, he pushed aside her panties, grazed her curls, caressed the sensitive flesh beneath. Her breathing hitched. His thumb stroked her clit with the lightest touch while two fingers brushed her entrance, teasing her most intimately, making her writhe. She panted heavily by now, her hands holding on to the carpet with a death grip.

  He slid his hand farther down and pushed those two fingers inside her. A moan caught in her throat, her body shuddering at the intense feel of the erotic invasion. Skillfully, he moved his fingers, with knowing precision and intent, and brought her close to the edge in a matter of seconds. The tension in her body built up, and she was close, so close, squirming against him, but even so, release wouldn’t come.

  “Merle.” His hand stilled.

  She whimpered in frustration.

  “Look at me.”

  Vision clouded with pent-up desire, she met his gaze.

  “Just let go and enjoy.” His face was so close to hers, she breathed him in. He let his energy envelop her senses, a warm, tingling embrace.

  She opened her mouth to speak, found she couldn’t. How was she supposed to let go, surrender, if only for a few seconds, to a being she’d been taught to mistrust, even fear? She didn’t know him. And how could she enjoy this, how could she find her pleasure here, now, while Maeve was being held, suffering only gods knew what kind of hell? How could she allow a demon to pleasure her, when another one tortured her baby sister? How—

  “Stop.” He cupped her face with his other hand, gently forced her to look at him when she wanted to turn away. “Stop thinking, Merle.” He bound her with her name on his lips, his gaze holding hers. “I don’t mean you harm.” A slow, soothing caress on her cheek. “All I want right now…” His voice was a low murmur. “…is to make you feel good…”

  Her breath hitched, burned in her throat.

  His eyes drew her in. Such a beautiful color, like dewdrops on young grass, and the way he looked at her now…as if he could see through to her soul, her heart, read her fears and hopes. As if he knew of the painful tangle of worry and guilt, knotting her chest—holding her back.

  “It’s okay to let go,” he said, his eyes still intent, reassuring her. “And it’s okay to enjoy this. It’s all you can do for now. Just let go, and I’ll take care of you.”

  She exhaled, trembling inside and out. “Okay.”

  His fingers lightly, carefully, teased her again. “Put your hand around my neck.”

  She obliged, the embers of arousal rekindling.

  “Close your eyes.”

  Hesitating, she did. The rhythm of his fingers pushing in, sliding out again, became faster, demanding, and the tension inside her surged again. Desire sparked, hot and consuming. She clutched at his neck, held on tight, her hips moving against his hand, riding him.

  “That’s it.” His deep voice in her ear, breath brushing her skin. “Go with it.”

  Little moans left her lips, her breathing turned to pants, and then, she let go. Her climax came with a vengeance. She writhed against him in a frenzy of overwhelming pleasure and sweet, sweet relief, as he brought her down with slowing strokes and murmured words of intimacy. His hot breath came in fast, shallow pants, sawing past his elongated fangs—evidence of his own arousal.

  For a long moment, neither of them moved. His palm remained on her pulsing core, her fingers tangled in his hair. Eventually, he withdrew his hand with a last gentle teasing that had her shuddering against him.

  She opened her eyes, coming to her senses again, and let go of his neck as if burned. Heat shot up to her face and realization sucker-punched her in the guts, closely followed by embarrassment of the finest sort.

  His grin scorched the last of her pride. “A little late to be bashful, don’t you think?”

  “Get off.”

  “Is that an offer?”

  By way of an answer, she shoved at his shoulders, to no visible effect whatsoever. It was like trying to move a stubborn block of concrete.

  Anger, mixed with shame, had her breathing faster with flashes of heat. “You got what you wanted, now move!”

  He chuckled, a low, masculine sound that was as arrogant as it was sexy—and annoyed her to no end. Even worse, he had the unbelievable nerve to kiss her on her nose before rising to his feet. Holding out a hand to help her up, he said, “Come on now, little witch, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay to admit I gave you a mind-blowing orgasm which you most thoroughly enjoyed.”

  She scrambled to a stand without deigning to accept his outstretched hand, and readjusted her clothes with shaky fingers. “Oh, don’t get all cocky. You didn’t make me moan your name, did you?”

  The smile he gave her was all sensual promise. “Next time, then.”

  And at that, equal parts of panic and anticipation gripped her tight. She had to get rid of him again, the faster the better. Already, she could feel a difference of power between them—he’d taken more from her than just blood and pleasure. The energy leashing him to her had shifted by a minuscule fraction, and she had a sinking feeling if she wasn’t careful, she might find herself on the wrong end of that leash.

  “Come on,” Rhun said, watching her with all-too-perceptive eyes, “let’s find your sister.”

  She nodded. “Yes, let’s go.”

  Time was running out, and not just for Maeve.

  Chapter 4

  Rhun watched Merle stalk away from him toward the kitchen, the scent of her anger mingling with the aroma of her arousal that still suffused the air. Such an intoxicating combination, wrapping around Rhun’s senses and challenging his self-control. It was all he could do not to tackle her again and keep his promise to make her moan his name.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath—which only intensified the effect of her alluring scent. Bad idea. Really bad idea.

  Sure, he’d fulfilled his need for nourishment, but it had done nothing to slake the bone-deep hunger for pleasure within him. His own desire remained painfully unfulfilled, his hard cock straining against the fly of his jeans being evidence of that. It had taken an amount of self-restraint he’d never known he was capable of not to rip Merle’s clothes off on the staircase and drive more than just his fingers inside her.

  His hands clenched to fists and he opened his eyes, his gaze inexorably drawn to the swaying movements of Merle’s hips as she walked away and disappeared behind the kitchen door. He had to get a grip on himself. No matter how luscious and tempting she was, no matter how much he wanted her pinned naked underneath him, her legs wrapped around his hips while he thrust inside her until she saw stars and—wrong train of thought.

  Breathe.

  Jumping her like some uncivilized incubus would be counterproductive. The line he was walking was thin, and he could only push her so far toward his ultimate goal before she’d throw him back into the Shadows. Proposing to have hot monkey sex would probably be a bit too much—for now, anyway.

  So instead of giving chase after her like his predatory instinct urged him to do, he stood and waited, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, his eyes trained on the kitchen door. How long u
ntil she’d notice?

  The door swung open and Merle walked back in, her face a study in forced nonchalance.

  Ah, a minute, he thought, pursing his lips.

  “So,” she said, clearing her throat, “how do we go about this?”

  “And here I thought you had it all figured out—what with the impressively confident way you stormed out of here.” Rhun shook his head. “Alas, I stand corrected.”

  The fire in her eyes made him smile—he liked her a bit angry. It brought out an uncontrollable, passionate part of her that he itched to tangle with. She was beautiful and attractive, yes, but her mouthwatering looks notwithstanding, it was during outbursts of anger or lust—as he’d just witnessed on the stairs—that she became a truly powerful, sensual female who stirred his own passion. Even though it went contrary to his intention of charming her pants off, he was tempted to lure that side to the surface, to annoy her just enough to stoke the fire inside and watch anger erupt. Witch volcano, indeed.

  “Well?” she prompted, looking daggers at him. “What’s the plan?”

  “First of all,” he said, “you need to change your sweater and bra. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the visual—a lot—but it will chip away at my concentration if you flaunt those goodies in front of me like that.” And with a wave of his hand, he indicated the wet spots on her chest where he’d lavished his attention on her breasts. He was only half-joking—the sight of the wet fabric clinging to her hard nipples almost had him pouncing on her again.

  Merle glanced down at her compromised clothing and uttered a feminine sound of dismay. Fucking adorable. She then peered up at him again, her face flushed beet red, much to Rhun’s enjoyment. She looked yummy when she blushed—a reaction he intended to elicit a lot more. Preferably when she was splayed out before him. Naked.

  “I’ll be right back,” she muttered and started for the staircase behind him, then apparently realized she’d have to brush past him to get there. Her face took on a panicky expression, which only intensified as he gave her a salacious smile and wiggled his brows. She whirled around and vanished into the kitchen again, presumably to take the other stairs. “And don’t you dare follow me!” she yelled.