by Deanna Chase
Everything pulsed, and I scraped my nails over his shoulders, urging him on, silently demanding more.
He moved lower, kissing his way down my stomach to my hip, and finally sliding my panties down, leaving me completely naked, with him still clad in his jeans.
“Not fair,” I said softly as he made his way back up the bed, his hands sliding along my inner thighs as he parted them.
“Which part?” he asked and planted a soft kiss just above my mound.
I sucked in a breath, wanting more, so much more. “The part where I’m naked and you’re not.”
“I will be soon enough, gorgeous girl. Don’t you worry about that.” Then he lowered his head, and his lips found the gentle skin of my inner thighs.
“Oh God,” I said, throwing my head back in anticipation.
I felt his soft laughter against my skin, and then all thoughts flew from my head when his mouth found my most sensitive spot. I was overwhelmed with pure sensation as he expertly licked and played and sucked.
The tension built quickly, and suddenly an intense wave of pleasure rolled through me as the orgasm hit and rippled through my limbs like an electric shock. I cried out, my entire body shaking with my release.
Dax stayed with me, letting me ride out the wave. When I relaxed beneath him, he stood, divested himself of the rest of his clothes, and then crawled back over me, his hot, hard body hovering over mine.
I stared up at him and gave him a satisfied smile. “Thank you.”
He brushed a long strand of my dark-brown hair out of my eyes. “You’re more than welcome.”
There was heat there in his eyes, but it was tender and intimate. The kind that touched a person’s soul if they let it. I had the feeling he knew me, all of me, and I wanted to feel the same about him.
Pressing my palm to his shoulder, I pushed gently, forcing him to roll over so he was lying flat on the bed and I was hovering over him.
The moment I pressed my palm to his chest and scraped my nails over his pecs, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of pleasure. There was nothing more intoxicating than experiencing the raw power of seduction of an alpha male. It filled me up and urged me on, making me want to hear that sound over and over and over again.
I leaned down, pressing my lips to his, devouring his heat and lust as he gathered me in his arms and pulled me tight against him, my bare nipples pressing into his hard chest.
“Yes,” he said, running his fingers down my spine.
It would have been easy to once again get lost in his touch, to let him play me until I was writhing beneath him. But not yet. I wanted to taste every inch of him, make him moan, and drive him half-insane.
I pulled back, breaking the kiss. Then I slipped my hand around his hard shaft and whispered in his ear, “I can’t wait until I can wrap my lips around you.”
“Oh, fuck,” he breathed as his eyes closed in pure ecstasy.
“That too,” I said and stroked him, taking pleasure in the velvety feel of him.
“If you don’t make good on your promise, that’s going to be sooner rather than later,” he forced out, clearly straining to maintain control.
I let out a soft laugh, gave him a slow lingering kiss, then inched my way down his body, exploring every cut and angle of his eight-pack abs. When I reached his hips, I glanced up to see him watching me. I hesitated for just a moment, keeping my eyes trained on his.
Lust and pure need rippled between us as I slowly lowered my head and ran my tongue along the length of him. He tensed, his body going completely still.
“More?” I asked.
He nodded, his eyes still locked on mine.
Keeping my hand at the base of his cock, I repeated the motion and then took all of him in my mouth and started to move.
He let out a satisfied groan and finally closed his eyes as he reveled in his pleasure. It wasn’t long before his breath quickened and his hips started to rock slightly with my motion. He was on the verge of losing his control, and that knowledge spurred my own desire, knowing I was the one pushing him to the brink of his breaking point.
He was so hard, so hot, so full of lust that my body burned for him. I was almost more turned on giving him pleasure than I’d been when he’d had his mouth on me.
Intent on bringing him to orgasm, I increased my pace, taking him in long, deep strokes. His body tightened and froze beneath me. In the next instant, his hands came around my shoulders, and he lifted me off him and spun, so I was once again beneath him as he hovered over me. His eyes had turned pure black with need.
“Take me. Now,” I ordered.
He let out a low growl, reached for a small foil packet he’d discreetly left on the nightstand, and after protecting both of us, he settled between my thighs. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to fuck anyone as much as I want to fuck you right now.”
I wrapped my legs around his hips and pressed my hips against his, feeling his rock-hard dick against my sensitive flesh. “Then what are you waiting for?”
“Nothing. Not anymore.” And then he claimed my lips in a crushing kiss as he plunged into me, hard and fast until he’d buried himself completely.
I let out a sharp gasp, my head spinning from pleasure and pain.
He held himself still, waiting for me to adjust to his intrusion. “Are you all right?” he asked softly.
“God, yes,” I said with a groan and started to move.
“Thank Jesus,” he answered, matching me thrust for thrust.
Our bodies moved in perfect unison, both of us greedy for each other. I almost felt as if I couldn’t get enough of him, couldn’t take him deep enough. I wanted more, all of him, and wanted to give all of myself.
It was overwhelming and glorious at the same time. Just me and Dax in the darkness, giving everything we had to one another. I wanted it to never end, for us to stay locked together forever, lust and passion overwhelming us.
But then he moved higher in me, and suddenly, my body tensed. All the tension that had built up around us exploded as the orgasm hit me hard, taking me, and finally him, right over the edge of sanity.
Chapter Eight
I woke to someone… or something licking my face.
“Link?” I said, rubbing my bleary eyes. “What are you doing in here?”
The shih tzu climbed onto my stomach and rested his head on my chest, his puppy-dog eyes staring longingly into mine.
“You’re pathetic, you know that?” I said, my voice raspy from lack of sleep as I patted his head and glanced around my room. The door was open a crack. That explained how Link had got in. But there was no sign of the man I’d taken to bed with me just a few hours before. His clothes were gone, and if it hadn’t been for the echo of his touch still on my skin, one would never know he’d been there.
“He’s not upstairs making us breakfast is he?” I asked Link.
The dog didn’t even blink.
“I’ll take that as a no.” Considering how Link had taken to Dax the night before, I had trouble believing the dog would be in here with me if the shifter was still roaming around my house.
Normally, I’d be relieved the strange man I’d picked up the night before had decided to leave before the sun rose, but this morning, a wave of disappointment settled over me. And not just because I’d have been more than happy for another round of sexy times before I had to be at work. The fact that he’d left without saying a word was a serious blow to my ego.
I sighed. “Come on, Link. Let’s get breakfast.”
At the word “breakfast,” the dog leaped to the floor and ran to the door, waiting for me to haul my ass out of bed. I shook my head at him. “Isn’t Willow up? Didn’t she already feed you?”
Again, Link didn’t even blink.
“Con artist,” I said, wrapping myself in a short cotton robe as I strode toward the door. “Come on. I think it’s definitely a pancakes-and-bacon morning.”
Link shot out the door, and a second later, I heard his paws clomping u
p the stairs to the kitchen. I laughed, shaking my head. If only all men were so simple.
I followed, but the minute I stepped out of my room, I paused, staring at the credenza that sat right next to my bedroom door. Or more specifically, I stared at the piece of paper with my name scrawled across the top and the tracking coin I’d slipped into Dax’s pocket the night before sitting beside it.
“What the hell?” I moved toward it, dread coiling in the pit of my stomach. Then I stopped and stared down at the note.
Phoebe,
Thanks for a fun evening. Sorry I had to run. Duty calls. Thought you might like your coin back. It came in handy last night, but I think its usefulness has run out. Take care,
Dax.
Fun evening? Take care? Was he fucking kidding me? I pressed two fingers to the coin, instantly sensing the magic that had turned it into the perfect tracking device.
He’d known the entire time. But that’s not all he’d known. My eyes honed in on my name.
Phoebe.
I’d told him my name was Lexi. And now that I thought about it, he hadn’t called me by any name once we’d made it back to my house. Not Lexi. Not Phoebe. Just beautiful or gorgeous girl.
He’d known. Known I’d follow him. And had known my name the entire time. And yet, he’d let me think he hadn’t. Jesus effing Christ on a cracker.
I’d been played.
The only question was, why?
I was still fuming when I strode through the door of the nondescript brick building in the heart of the Irish Channel. The Void branch of the Arcane—the government-sanctioned supernatural authority—didn’t have any signage, no building numbers, nothing to indicate it was anything other than just another old building that no one cared about.
And that’s exactly how I felt after being discarded after a night of incredible sex. Like I was just another individual no one really cared about.
Well, no one but my best friend, Willow, and her husband, Talisen. Tal had come through just like I’d known he would. He’d produced a salve that had healed a particularly nasty bruise. I’d also used it on a couple of wolfish love bites that had shown up on my neck. I’d be damned if I’d tolerate any marks from the shifter, especially after he’d cut and run while I was still sleeping.
Fuck that, I thought, mentally shaking myself as I stepped through the security scanners and trotted up the stairs to the director’s office. There was no time to feel sorry for myself. I had a report to deliver and a job to do. Even though I’d been at the club as a favor to Allcot the night before, I still needed to inform the director about what had happened. If there was going to be a vampire-shifter war, the Void needed to be prepared.
I pressed my hands down on the director’s assistant’s desk. “Is she ready for me?”
The assistant nodded. “Go on in.”
“Thanks.” I strode through the door, already feeling like myself again. The Void and my job as a vampire hunter was my comfort zone. I was damned good at my job. And no matter what my next assignment turned out to be, I was damned sure I could handle it.
“Kilsen,” Director Halston said, getting to her feet. “Right on time I see.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Aren’t I always?”
Her lips curved into the barest hint of a smile. She wasn’t the warmest person around, but that was to be expected from a hard-ass Void director. The fact that she showed any emotion at all was an indication she approved of my dedication. “Yes, you are. Have a seat.”
I perched on the edge of the chair, leaning forward. “Would you like a verbal rundown of my evening or just a written report?” I asked.
She waved a dismissive hand. “Just a written report. I’ve already been briefed.”
I frowned. “Briefed? But—”
“Oh, there you are, Marrok. Right on time,” the director said, a rare full smile on her face.
I turned and glanced over my shoulder then did a double take, almost falling right off the chair. “Dax?” I squeaked out and instantly hated myself for it. “What are you doing here?”
“Kilsen. Good to see you again,” he said with a nod as he took the seat beside me.
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open.
“Good, you two’ve met,” Halston said, apparently oblivious to my utter and complete shock. She glanced over at me, still distracted as she searched for something in her desk. “That’ll make the transition easier.”
“What transition?” I asked her.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” She waved a hand at the shifter. “You’ve been assigned a new partner.”
It was as if all the air had evaporated out of the room. “New partner?”
“Sure. You didn’t think we were going to leave you on your own now that Rhoswen has left the organization, did you?”
“No, but I…” Shit, what could I say? Willow had been my partner for over five years. But now that she was married, she was focused on starting a family and had left the Void a few months ago. I’d been waiting to see who they’d pair me up with, but I hadn’t expected to end up with one of my one-night stands. I shook my head. “Sorry, I was just surprised is all.”
Dax turned to me and held out his hand. “Daxon Marrok. Nice to meet you, Phoebe.”
I stared into his dark eyes, noting the mischief shining back at me. Bastard. Not only had he omitted vital information the night before, now he was laughing at me. “The name’s Kilsen.”
“Right. Kilsen.” He winked, and although I hadn’t offered him my hand, he grabbed it and squeezed briefly before turning back to the director. “I understand you have an assignment for us?”
“Yes.” She handed me a folder. “This should get you caught up.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She jerked her head toward Dax. “Marrok has been working deep undercover for us for a few years now. He’s infiltrated the Crimson Valley Wolf Pack, the same pack we now know has been picking off vampires in the city. With your connections to Cryrique and his to the Crimson Valley wolves, you’ll be in the perfect position to defuse the current tensions before they start a war and tear the city apart.”
“Two years?” I asked, my eyebrows raised as I flipped through the file. “That’s a long time. They didn’t even show up here until a few months ago. What were you investigating?” I asked him. “What exactly are we dealing with here?”
“Money laundering,” Dax said. “One of their Alphas has already been incarcerated. Another is awaiting trial. Unfortunately, they think the vampires are responsible for feeding the Arcane information. That’s why they are picking them off one by one. So now the mission has changed.”
“And we’re tracking down murderers?” I asked.
He eyed me, his expression unreadable. “Is that a problem?”
“Hell no. I hunt down vampires by trade. Tracking down a few rogue shifters seems like a piece of cake in comparison.”
He snorted. “Piece of cake, right.”
“Listen, Marrok,” I said, not bothering to hide my irritation. “I’m going to cut you a little slack here because you don’t know me, but—”
“I think I know you,” he cut in. “Considering what happened last night—”
“Nothing happened last night,” I shot back, jumping to my feet. The image of him sliding down my body flashed in my mind, making my blood boil. “Nothing at all.”
“Nothing?” he said hotly, “Not even when I—”
“That’s enough,” Halston said, her voice sharp and clear. “Kilsen, what is wrong with you? Is this pairing going to be a problem?”
I turned to face her and cleared my throat, my face heated with embarrassment. My behavior was unacceptable. “No, ma’am.”
“Marrok?” she asked. “Is there an issue?”
“Not on my end,” he said coolly.
“Good. Then work out your issues on your own time. I have work to do.” She waved a hand, indicating we were dismissed.
Clutching the file f
older to my chest, I thanked the director then strode out of her office. Dax followed, and neither of us said a word until we were outside on the sidewalk.
“I just have one question,” I said to him.
“Okay. Shoot,” he said, squinting at me in the morning sunlight.
“Did you know who I was the entire time, and did you know we were going to be partners?”
“That’s two questions,” he said with a hint of a smile.
I gave him a flat stare. “Yes or no.”
He let out a small sigh. “Yes and yes.”
I stood there for just a moment, and then I decked him. He fell with a thud onto the sidewalk, staring up at me in surprise. “That’s for leaving this morning without saying anything,” I said.
“Not because I wasn’t straight with you?” he asked, rubbing his jaw.
I extended my hand and helped him up. “I’m not going to lie. That irritates the shit out of me, but I spend a fair amount of time undercover myself. I can get over that. But next time I invite you into my bed, don’t sneak off like you regret you got naked. Got it?”
His lips twisted into a wry smile. “There’s going to be a next time?”
I swept my gaze over his long, hard body. Then I met his amused eyes and said, “If you’re lucky.”
His grin widened. “I like those odds.”
“I just bet you do.” Then I turned and sashayed down the sidewalk to my car. When I reached the driver’s side door, I glanced back at him. “You coming?”
“You bet, Lexi,” he said.
I grimaced. “Call me Kilsen.”
“Nope. You’ll always be Lexi to me. That girl is one hell of a damned good lay.” He winked and climbed in.
I rolled my eyes as I settled into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine.
“Where to, boss?” he asked.
“My place. We have some unfinished business.”
“Oh?” he asked, interest sparking in his dark gaze. “And what’s that?”
“Breakfast in bed,” I said. “And I’m the only thing on the menu.”