I keep my hands flat where she can see them. I make the choice to stay still. My heart beats so hard against my rib cage that it hurts, and my blood rushes through my ears, drowning out the sound of the alarm bells going through my head.
Do I want to kiss her? No, I don’t. I want to claim her. I want to feast on her body like a starving man. I want to feel her come all over my cock and scream my name.
That’s not what I say, though.
“I do, but I don’t think we should.”
“Good.” Her mouth tilts in that sexy, wicked grin I’m beginning to realize has been my downfall since the first day. “The best things in life are usually bad ideas.”
She leans in, one warm hand bracing lightly at my jaw. Her big blue eyes never deviate as she holds my gaze while she gets close enough that her breath fans my face. I feel the world narrow down to just her and me, like we’re the center of the entire universe.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” she whispers.
I wish I had something clever to say. I wish I could move, but I can’t. I’m paralyzed like a deer in headlights.
“Okay,” is the only word I can push out.
Then Rona’s lips touch mine, and the world as I know it ceases to exist.
Chapter Nine
Rona
Mylipstouchhisand the world shifts beneath my feet like during an earthquake.
This kiss is different from the desperate collision of the last time. This time, it isn’t about losing control. This time, I can savor the way his breath catches, the way his entire massive frame goes rigid beneath my touch. The way he lets me set the pace even though I can feel the barely leashed powerthrumming through him. His tusks press on each side of my mouth, my lips fitting perfectly between them.
I part my lips and let my tongue trace along his bottom lip, then dare to explore the smooth surface of his tusks. He shudders beneath my touch, a low rumble vibrating through his chest as I gently nip his bottom lip between my teeth. His lips are warm and surprisingly soft beneath mine, and when I press closer, deepening the kiss with gentle pressure, something inside him breaks.
The change is instant and electric. His control crumbles like a dam bursting, and suddenly his hands are in my hair, fingers tangling in the loose strands that have escaped my braid. He kisses me back with a hunger that steals my breath, his mouth moving against mine with growing desperation.
I make a soft sound of encouragement against his lips, and the rumble that vibrates through his chest in response is pure animal satisfaction. The kiss becomes hungrier, more demanding. His tongue traces the seam of my lips and I open for him eagerly, gasping as he claims my mouth with a thoroughness that makes my knees weak. When our tongues meet, the taste of him floods my senses, making me dizzy with want. His hands slide from my hair to my waist, fingers spanning wide as he pulls me closer, closer, until I'm pressed against the solid wall of his chest.
Without breaking the kiss, Darhg stands from his chair in one fluid motion, lifting me effortlessly as he rises. My feet leave the ground, and I wrap my legs around his waist instinctively, feelingthe impressive evidence of his arousal pressed hard against my core. The sensation sends heat flooding through me, pooling low in my belly with delicious intensity.
He carries me away from the kitchen like I weigh nothing at all, moving through the small space like he could navigate it blindfolded. When he sets me down gently beside the leather sofa, we're both breathing hard, the air between us crackling with electricity.
His eyes blaze red in the low light, more vivid than I've ever seen them, and for a moment he just stares at me like he's memorizing every detail of my face.
"Are you certain this is what you want?" His voice is rough, strained with the effort of maintaining control. "Because if we go any further, I won't be able to stop."
The question hangs between us, weighted with promise and warning in equal measure. I can see the war being waged behind those blazing eyes, the desire battling with restraint, hunger fighting against his control.
I answer by reaching for the hem of his t-shirt, my fingers running underneath against his heated skin as my hand moves up the hard plane of his stomach.
"I'm certain," I whisper, holding his gaze. "I want this. I want you."
The sound that escapes him is half growl, half groan, and then his mouth is on mine again, more purposeful this time. His hands roam freely now, one sliding up my back to tangle inmy hair while the other maps the curve of my waist, then lower to cup my ass through my jeans.
I arch against him, my own hands exploring the hard planes of his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my palms. When I push his t-shirt up higher, he breaks the kiss long enough to let me pull it over his head and toss it aside.
My gasp of appreciation is involuntary and completely honest. His chest is magnificent, broad and powerful, with defined muscles underneath all that dark mustard-colored skin. There’s a light dusting of dark hair covering his pecs, and a trail goes down from his sternum to his navel, disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans in a path I desperately want to follow with my tongue.
"My turn," he rumbles, his voice dark with promise, and I feel heat pool between my thighs at the commanding tone. “Lift your arms.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” I taunt and I’m rewarded with a dark, hungry flare in his already burning gaze.
I lift my arms obediently, letting him peel my pink sweater over my head. He’s surprisingly gentle, moving slowly and carefully, then he throws the garment to the ground. When he sees what's underneath, he runs his tongue over his bottom lip and he swallows, hard. I could say the lacy pink bra I'd chosen this morning was an innocent choice, but I’d be lying. I’ve been hoping Darhg would rip myclothes off for days now. I’m rewarded for my efforts when his chest rumbles with a deep male growl that makes my clit pulse with need.
