But when she leaned forward like she was going to repeat her finger’s journey with her tongue, he had to stop her. There was no way in hell he could endure that. Reaching out, he put his hands over hers, shaking his head when her eyes raced to meet his.
“I want to keep feeling your hands on me so badly. Want to feel your mouth on me. I want to let you explore to your heart’s content. The only thing more amazing than feeling your hands on me is being inside you. But we’ll never get there tonight if you keep that up. I’m too close to my breaking point.”
She pulled away like she’d been burned, a breathless laugh on her lips. “One day, I want to finish that. I want to explore until I’m ready to stop. I want to push you past your breaking point and watch the aftermath. But not tonight. I want us to claim each other, so that can’t happen. But one day… one day, I’ll make sure it does.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, baby. Count on it.”
His voice was strained and gravelly, and he knew he was about to lose it, even if she kept her hands away from him. He pulled her up, careful to only touch her hand, and pecked her on the lips—maybe the fastest kiss in history.
Turning, he sat down, taking her place. “I want you to straddle me.”
Her eyes widened as she ran her heated gaze over him. “Straddle you?”
Nodding, he took her hand and guided her, helping her keep her balance as she placed her knees on either side of his thighs. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her to him as he scooted back on the bed a bit more. Once he was settled, he kissed her, long and slow.
She relaxed into the kiss, and as her body eased down, she jerked back up for a moment, breaking the kiss to stare at him with wide eyes. “Oh. Oh, my. I get it now.”
“Oh my is right,” he growled, uncapable of speaking normally.
Reaching between them, he took his dick in hand and rubbed it through her folds before positioning himself at her entrance. He didn’t have to say a word, or guide her in any way—she took over, slowly easing herself down until he was fully seated inside her.
“Luke,” she breathed, her eyes tightly shut.
The feel of her tight walls squeezing him was almost more than he could bear, but he forced himself to speak. “Trust me, I know. You feel amazing, Tarun. But I don’t think I’m gonna last long.”
She laughed breathlessly, and he felt it as she contracted around his dick. Fuck, he was seeing stars. No, he wasn’t going to last long at all.
“That’s okay. I’m pretty sure I won’t, either.”
Propping her hands on his shoulders for leverage, she began moving with no prompting from him. She was a little awkward at first as she got used to it, but she quickly found her rhythm, and he cursed silently as his hands tightened reflexively on her waist.
He had a feeling not lasting long was going to be the understatement of the century. He was already on the verge of coming, and it was all he could do to wait on her. But he had to. He couldn’t come without her.
She eased up and down, gaining speed, and then changed it up. When he was fully inside her, she began rotating her hips, grinding against him. His fingers flexed and he tried not to grip her too tightly, but it was either that or come before he was ready to.
“Shit, Luke. This angle is amazing,” she breathed, burying her face in his neck.
He could feel her rippling around him and knew it wasn’t going to take long for her to come, but he was still surprised when she let go barely a moment later. Her walls were spasming, sucking him even further in, and she moaned loudly in his ear as she gave herself over to the pleasure.
Her hips were still undulating around him, her walls still squeezing him tightly, when she reared back and sank her teeth into his shoulder. Pain exploded from the contact, but it was eclipsed by pleasure as he felt the bond between them begin firming.
And that was when he finally let go, bucking his hips up into hers, feeling his dick pulse as he came. Her teeth let go of his skin as she gasped, and the second she eased away, her head falling back, his pressed his teeth to her shoulder and bit down.
His lion roared inside him, and the pleasure Luke felt increased a hundredfold. The bond between him and Tarun locked into place, amplifying the ecstasy further, and for a moment, he was sure he was going to pass out.
He eased his teeth away, kissing her torn skin tenderly, his body still jerking from the aftershocks. That was the only time he’d ever be okay with causing her pain—the reward was so amazing that it made the pain just a tiny blip on the radar for him, and he was pretty sure it was the same for her.
“I never knew pain could feel so good,” she whispered shakily, echoing his thoughts.
Nodding, he rubbed her back as she slumped down into him. “I know exactly what you mean.”
They were both quiet, and once they stopped trembling, he reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a tissue. Gently dabbing at her bite mark, he cleaned up the blood that hadn’t dried and then did the same to himself before easing them down to the mattress.
Tarun snuggled up to him, laying her head on the shoulder that was unmarked, sighing as she traced invisible swirls on his chest. “I didn’t think it could get any better than the first time we had sex, but that was on a whole other level. Too bad we can’t claim each other every time.”
He chuckled, pulling her in closer. “That was pretty mind blowing, wasn’t it?”
“It definitely was. Today was a good day. You conquered your gift and we claimed each other. Both are celebration worthy.”
He’d been rubbing his hand along her back, but it slowly trailed to a stop. “I don’t know if conquered is the right word.”
Lifting up, she looked into his eyes as she frowned. “What do you mean? Of course it is. You did amazing today.”
“I did decent, but it was with three shifters. I think I know the right amount of power to use without hurting someone, but I still don’t know how I’ll react in the moment, when I’m not practicing with people I know.”
“That’s crazy, Luke. You made them shift to animal form and then back to human, and it worked perfectly. There was enough power to ensure they shifted, but not enough to hurt them. And I’ve never met anyone with as much control as you have. Now that you know the right formula, you’ll use it every time. I know you will.”
“I appreciate your faith in me, Tarun. I can’t tell you how much. I wish I’d thought of practicing before, but it never occurred to me. I didn’t want to let on that I was having problems. I’m pretty sure the other Enforcers knew, though.” He paused for a moment, brow furrowing as he thought. “I guess it’s just hard for me to believe gaining control was that easy.”
“Well, it was. So stop questioning it and stop doubting. Have some faith in yourself.”
Smiling, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’d be a fool if I didn’t take your advice. You’re right about one thing, though. Claiming you, and being claimed by you, was the most amazing experience of my life. I love you, Tarun.”
Her eyes softened and she leaned in to return his kiss. “I love you too, Luke.”
She eased back down and cuddled into him as he resumed trailing his fingers over her back. He wasn’t as sure as she was that he had his gift under control, but he had to admit, he felt a lot more confident about using it after the practice session earlier. Maybe he could keep being an Enforcer.
If his mate was okay with it, that was. Being an Enforcer had been his identity for so long—it was who he was, which was why trying to make the decision to quit had been so hard, and a bitter pill to swallow.
But it wasn’t the most important thing to him any longer. That was Tarun, and she meant far more to him than any career ever could. If she wanted him to leave the Enforcers, he’d do it in a heartbeat, and never look back.
Either way, he had everything he ever wanted, and more than he’d known he could have, lying in his arms. And nothing else mattered more than she did.
Tarun fr
owned as she pushed her dinner around on her plate. Something wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. And it was driving her nuts.
Since she and Luke claimed each other, her protective instincts for him had gone haywire. It made her wonder whether the stuff she felt tonight was just the threat she knew he, and the other Enforcers, was under was hitting her hard, all over again—or if it was something new.
She was glad Luke was busy with Blake, though. She wasn’t hiding her worry very well, and she knew it would freak him out—not for himself, but he only wanted her to feel nothing except happiness. She understood that. She wanted the same for him. But Luke was more apt to take it personally if he couldn’t turn her mood around.
“Your spidey senses are tingling, aren’t they?”
Lips quirking, she looked over at Noah on the stool next to her. “Spidey senses?”
“Seemed as good a name as any for your gift.”
“I guess so. I don’t think it’s telling me anything that I didn’t already know, though.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
Brow twitching, she glanced at him in surprise. “What? How would you know?”
“It’s my gift. Sensing other shifter’s gifts and using them. I’ve borrowed yours off and on since you got here. It feels like the sense you have right now is different. Same basic threat, but more imminent.”
“That’s not intrusive or anything,” she replied with a frown. He just shrugged unapologetically, and she sighed as the thought was rapidly taken over by the worry she felt amplifying. “Should I warn everyone? What should I do? I feel out of my element here.”
“I don’t think warning anyone will do much more than make Luke a nervous wreck. He’s already nervous about you being here while there’s a threat floating around. Letting him know something’s going to happen soon will only make it worse, especially since you don’t know what’s going to happen—just that something will.”
“That feels deceptive to me. Besides, shouldn’t everyone know so they can be prepared? If they were hurt because they weren’t ready, I’d never forgive myself.”
“We’re Enforcers, Tarun. We’re always prepared for a threat. Always. And look around. We’re even more ready to face one now than usual, because, thanks to you, we know for sure one’s coming. There’s absolutely nothing we can do to be more on guard, so the only thing bringing it up would accomplish is worrying everyone. Especially Luke.”
Pushing her plate away, she took a sip of her drink, thinking over what Noah said. He made a lot of sense. It just didn’t sit well with her. For a long time, deception had been an expected way of life for the War Cats. She’d always despised it and never participated in it.
And not speaking up right then felt like she was taking part in it.
Movement caught her eye and she glanced over to see Luke walking back in the room. He strode over to the jukebox, pressed some buttons, and then turned, smiling at her as he walked her way.
Her breath caught and she and her tiger both felt stunned as she watched him. His tall, powerful form was full of intent, and his light blue eyes were full of heat, longing, adoration, and love.
He was everything she’d ever wanted but never thought she’d find.
Every thought fled her mind as he finally reached her, holding his hand out to her. “Want to dance?”
Her eyebrows rose, one side of her mouth lifting. She put her hand in his, but resisted as he tried to pull her up. “Dance? I’m not much of a dancer. In fact, I’ve never danced. Not since I was kid and standing on Jameson’s feet.”
“Never danced? Well, I think it’s time we remedy that. Come on.”
She let him pull her up, and he kept her hand in his as he led them to a small area where there was no furniture. A slow song started playing as he turned and took her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close.
Warmth washed over her as she wound her arms around his neck, resting her cheek on his chest. They swayed back and forth to the music, slow and easy, and she wondered absently why she’d never danced before. There was nothing hard about what they were doing, and she felt amazing—cherished, loved, and desired.
But then, she’d never had Luke to dance with before, and she knew it wouldn’t have felt like that with anyone except him.
They didn’t speak at all for most of the song, and then he finally broke the silence. “I can tell something’s bothering you.”
Guilt swamped her and she hesitated, trying to decide what the right thing—the best thing—to do was. “Luke—”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. I respect your decision either way. I just wanted to let you know that I realize it, but I won’t be upset if you want to keep quiet.”
She didn’t want to worry him more, she really didn’t, but she couldn’t keep it to herself. Even if he hadn’t said he realized something was weighing on her mind, she probably still would have come clean by the time the night was over. But she wasn’t going to wait. He deserved to know, and she wouldn’t want him keeping stuff from her, either.
Opening her mouth, she started to tell him what she was sensing, but a commotion by the front door caught her attention before she could say anything. She could feel her eyes widening with horror as she watched while the door was kicked in and three men ran inside, almost immediately shifting.
“Fuck! Get upstairs, Tarun, now!” Luke shoved her toward the archway roughly. “Get Georgie and go to our room. Hide in the closet if you have to and don’t come out until I come for you. Now go!”
Trusting she’d do as he asked, Luke immediately shifted, his lion on the move before he was even on all four paws. She should do what he asked. She knew she should. But she was totally incapable of leaving him in danger while she could shift and help.
The other Enforcers—minus Dmitri and Damara, who weren’t there—were holding the outsiders at bay, and she did what she did best—she studied them. There were two gorillas and a grizzly. She watched closely, analyzing how they fought, the moves they made, what they relied on when they were backed into a corner.
They were taking on any Enforcer who came at them, their aim to kill, not just maim. But time and again, their eyes turned toward Luke, and it was clear he was their target. They were outnumbered, and she would have thought she wasn’t needed, but they were almost unstoppable.
If they were humans, she’d swear they were hopped up on an illegal substance. But shifters didn’t get high like humans did—their animals went into overdrive to burn the foreign substances out of their bodies.
Unless they were on something made specifically for shifters. She knew there was stuff out there formulated for their kind, but she knew precious little about it, or if something that could do what she was seeing even existed.
Still, the Enforcers were more than holding their own, and she started to back toward the archway. Georgie was a human who couldn’t hope to win against a shifter, so she needed to make sure she was protected.
But then one of the gorillas took on two of the Enforcers at once, and the other gorilla and the grizzly were heading straight toward Luke. And they were far too close. She didn’t think the other Enforcers could get there in time. Tarun’s heart leapt into her throat, and with a curse, her tiger exploded out of her.
It was a relief to shift. The moment the outsiders burst in, she’d been fighting to keep her human skin, her cat desperate to get out, and despite the worry and panic nearly crippling her, it felt amazing to let her out.
Her bones broke and reformed with a blinding flash of pain, and then she was charging toward the shifters after her mate. Her gaze switched rapidly between the two, trying to decide which one to take on. She’d watched the War Cat warriors train nearly every day her whole life, and her brother was head trainer. He’d taught her a few things since she’d grown up.
But Luke was right. Watching people train wasn’t the same as physically training. Sh
e should take on the one she had the best bet of beating.
The grizzly was far larger than her tiger, but the gorilla was probably more powerful.
Shit. They seemed like an equal level of dangerous for her. But no way in hell was she leaving Luke to fend for himself.
Her thoughts had sped rapid fire through her mind as she crossed the room, and then she was upon them. In the end, her decision ended up being the one closest to her—the grizzly.
With a snarl, she launched herself through the air, latching her teeth into the hump on his back. With an anguished roar, he twisted, bucking her off. She slid, slamming into the corner of the bar with a thud, but she didn’t let it slow her down.
The grizzly was already turning back for Luke when she attacked again, dodging a deadly swipe of his razor-sharp claws. She got in a hit of her own and then hissed, pain exploding through her as his next attack hit home, his claws slicing into her shoulder.
It was agony, and she stumbled, desperately trying to clear her mind as he came at her again.
She would not let him win. If he defeated her, he’d go after Luke next, and that was not happening.
With a roar, she got up, looked him right in his cold, beady eyes and went on the attack.
Luke paced through the wreckage of the bar, anger and agony warring for domination within him. Anger because those fuckers had dared to come into his house and attack. Anguish because Tarun… she…
A pained inhalation came from his left and he stopped pacing long enough to glare at his mate. Catching his look, she rolled her eyes. “I’m fine and you need to get over it.”
“You’re clearly not fine,” he bit out between clenched teeth. “If you were fine, Damara wouldn’t be cleaning the claw marks slashed into your shoulder. Your fucking bone was exposed, Tarun.”
Control (Blood & Bone Enforcers MC Book 1) Page 14