“You’re back,” she said softly. “Irene said you might be gone all night.”
He looked up at her and then in the space of a single breath, he transformed back into a man—a huge naked man.
“Couldn’t stay away,” he growled. His voice was barely intelligible and his eyes were still solid gold. Her heart started thumping against her ribs.
“I didn’t want you to stay away.”
Their eyes locked for a long moment, and then he leapt. He caught the edge of the railing and swung himself over with a grace that defied physics.
Her breath hitched. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body, smell pine and earth and his wild, masculine scent. He took a step towards her, and another, and then he was standing directly before her, a solid wall of muscle and power that blocked out everything else.
She stared up at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. This was it—the point of no return. The moment where she had to decide whether to trust him, to trust this wild, impossible connection between them, or to retreat back into the safety of her solitary life.
But there was no safety in retreat. Not anymore. The thought of spending the rest of her life without him—without this terrifying,exhilarating intensity—was more frightening than any risk he posed.
Slowly, deliberately, she reached out and laid her hands on the powerful muscle of his chest, just as she had the very first time. He froze at her touch, a low rumble building in his chest.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she whispered, meeting his golden eyes without flinching. “Make me yours, Adrian.”
Chapter Seventeen
Mine. Mine. Mine.
The word repeated over and over in Adrian’s head, his wolf’s claim but also his. He leaned down, burying his face in the curve of her neck, inhaling her sweet, clean scent. A growl rumbled through him and he could feel her slight body tremble. Her hands moved, sliding around his back, her fingers digging into the hard muscles of his shoulders.
“Please, Adrian,” she whispered.
Her submission, her trust, was the most powerful aphrodisiac he’d ever known. All the days of tension, of denial, of fighting an attraction more powerful than any he had ever experienced, vanished. He lifted her easily, her legs wrapping around his waist, and strode into the room. He barely registered the click of the balcony door as he kicked it closed. The only thought in his head was the overwhelming need to be inside her.
He lowered her onto the bed, following her down, covering her small body with his own. His wolf howled its approval as she arched up against him, her hands clutching at his shoulders. He lowered his head, his tongue tracing the seam of her lipsand she opened for him immediately. Her response was every bit as desperate as his. He plundered her mouth, their tongues tangling, the kiss deepening until she was writhing beneath him, her soft moans driving him insane with need.
His claws caught the neckline of her shirt, ripping it away to expose the small curves of her breasts, perfect in the brilliant moonlight. His mouth watered, the primal need to taste her overwhelming him. He lowered his head, closing his lips around one tight peak, and she cried out, a desperate, needy sound that made his cock throb. He laved the sensitive bud, the taste of her skin adding to the fire building inside him. She arched into him, her fingers tangling in his hair, holding him to her as if she never wanted to let him go. He switched to the other breast, giving it the same attention as he slid a hand down her body, over the soft curve of her belly, and into her panties.
He growled against her skin as his fingers found her slick, wet heat. He circled her clit with the pad of his thumb, and she bucked against him, her breath coming in ragged gasps. He stroked her slowly, deliberately, learning her responses, memorizing the little sounds she made, the way her body trembled beneath his touch. He slid one finger inside her, and her tight little channel clenched around him, a slick, hot welcome that nearly shattered his control.
“Adrian,” she gasped, her hips moving in a frantic rhythm, seeking more. “Please.”
She tensed when he added a second finger, giving a soft cry, and some distant part of his brain tried to warn him. She was so tiny, so perfect. But that thought was lost in the haze of need, in the scent of her arousal, in the primal instinct to claim, to mate, to bind her to him so completely that she would never be able to leave.
Need to claim. Need to mark. Need to make her ours.
He withdrew his fingers and positioned himself between her legs. Her eyes fluttered open, hazy with desire, her swollen lips parted as she fought for breath. Her gaze dropped to his heavy cock, and she licked her lips. A jolt of pure, primal triumph shot through him. She wanted this. She wanted him.
She reached down and guided him to her entrance, her small hand wrapping around him in a hesitant grip that sent fire racing through his veins. The first touch of her wet heat against the head of his cock almost made him come right then and there. He bit back a groan, fighting for control, fighting to make this last.
“Adrian,” she whispered again, her eyes searching his. “Now.”
He pushed into her, and the world shattered.
She was so tight, so impossibly hot, a perfect, glove-like clasp that made his vision blur with pleasure. A shocked cry escaped her lips, penetrating the need consuming him, and he froze, buried halfway inside her.
“Kitten?” His voice was rough, barely recognizable. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes were huge, luminous in the moonlight. She gave a shaky nod. “Just… give me a second.”
She was braced for another thrust, but he held himself perfectly still, his entire being focused on the feel of her. He could feel her channel pulsing, a frantic, fluttering rhythm against the hard length of him. He could see the vulnerability in her eyes, the trust she was placing in him, and the sheer magnitude of that giftthreatened to overwhelm him. He lowered his head, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Take all the time you need.”
