She hadn’t been sure what had actually caused her to wake. Perhaps it was the fact that she knew this injured man needed her—or that Cordell did. Either way, Aislynn could not stay in bed and allow this niggling sensation to keep gnawing at her. She had to investigate the source of her disruption. And she was glad she had. She could not stand to see anyone suffering and it was obvious that the patient required her calm assurance.
However, it was the intensity, the raw hunger that she saw in Cordell’s gaze that nearly made her flee from the room and back to the sanctity of her chamber.
She had dealt with admiration from her public, of course, but she had never experienced something that demanding before. If she had passed him on the street, she would have been inclined to run in the other direction. But since this was Cordell, that intensity made her want to run straight into his arms instead.
She was thankful when the surgery was over because she could escape the tension that continued to swirl between them in the room. She did not know if it was as palpable to the rest of the men present. She prayed it was not.
When Aislynn felt it was safe to depart, she attempted to slip out of the room with as little regard as possible. She was halfway down the hall when Cordell called her name. She reluctantly turned and saw him striding toward her. Again, her breath caught at the sight of his impressive appearance. While he had to be weary from another long night, he appeared as hale and hearty as ever, although his dark hair had fallen over his brow, giving him an entirely rakish appearance. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the loose-fitting shirt showed off the upper area of his chest with utter deliciousness, a smattering of dark hair peeking out between the V.
She attempted to tear her gaze away from the sight but she could not seem to lift her eyes from the temptation that he set off inside of her. She felt as though her blood was running hot in her veins. She clenched her fists, attempting to stop the madness before it completely consumed her.
“I wanted to thank you for your assistance again this evening.”
His dark eyes seemed to drag her into their depths, urging her to submit. She needed to resist, to stay strong, but she was finding herself weakening more and more around him. She wanted to blame it on a lack of proper sleep but she knew that wasn’t the reason. She had noted the attraction between them from the beginning.
“I am glad to help ease anyone’s suffering.” She turned around, desperate to put some distance between them. “I should go?—”
“Aislynn…” He reached out and touched her arm.
She would have been able to resist without physical contact but that touch sent her spiraling over the edge. She froze in place, her lungs tight from the desire to have his arms around her.
Slowly, she allowed her focus to settle back on him.
His nostrils flared, whether it was the primal instinct bred in all of humanity or something else, he urged her further down the hall and into her room. Before the door shut fully behind them, they were caught in each other’s arms. The urgency in which their mouths came together seemed as essential as their next breath.
Aislynn gasped when Cordell’s hand began to roam at will, everywhere he touched her coming to life as if every nerve ending she possessed had lain dormant until then. How was it that after such a brief association that she should act so wanton with this man in particular? What made him different from the rest? It was true that she felt a connection to him through their mutual pain of the past but that should not shape the present.
Whatever the reasons, Aislynn burned for him like no other. She wanted to tear off their clothes and tumble into the bed behind them, losing themselves in a tangle of flesh and limbs. Reality threatened to intrude, to remind her of the dangers she would face if she gave in to the lure of seduction but she didn’t want to listen. It didn’t matter that there was a group of people just down the hall.
Nothing mattered but this man—and this moment.
She grabbed the edges of his shirt and pulled him down to her. “Kiss me,” she ordered, her voice husky and breathless.
He didn’t hesitate or ask any questions, for which she was grateful. She just wanted the feel of his mouth on hers, to lose herself in his wicked embrace. When his hand slid between the opening of her robe and began to caress her breasts through the thin material of her shift, she did not think to stop him. She wanted more.
Mimicking his actions, she slid her hands beneath the opening of his shirt. The instant her palms came into contact with his warm, masculine skin, she curled her fingers and dug them into his flesh. He hissed and pulled back from her long enough to murmur, “The kitten has claws.”
She lifted a brow and pressed herself against him as she lifted her arms and dragged her nails across his upper neck and delved into his hair. “You have no idea,” she whispered back.
Her reply was a low, savage purr that made her toes curl in her slippers. He reached down and swung her into his grasp, carrying her to the bed where he laid her down. Her robe was moved aside and he pulled down a section of her shift until she was bared to his hungry view. He looked as though he might lick his lips in anticipation as he lowered his head. When he set his hot mouth over her pert nipples, she groaned and arched her back. Had anything ever felt so exquisite in her life?
He paused to knead the sensitive flesh, his breath caressing her neck as he trailed a path of fiery kisses to her ear. “You drive me mad with desire, Aislynn.”
Her hips ground against him of their own accord, his words sparking something dangerous and forbidden within her. “Do I? Let’s test that theory.”
He looked at her curiously. “What do you?—”
She didn’t give him a chance to question her motives. She sat up on her knees and reached for the flap of his trousers and began to unfasten them. He watched her with a mixture of shock and gratitude and when she freed his impressive cock, she lifted her gaze long enough to give him a slow smile. “I’ve always wanted to try this.”
With that, she opened her mouth and set her lips around him.
Cordell was too stunned to do anything but stare in helpless abandon as Aislynn’s enticing lips parted and she actually started to suck his cock. He assumed she was innocent but the expertise in which her hand gently stroked him while moving her head up and down his shaft certainly was not. He told himself he would not allow this torture to continue for long, that he had intended this night to be dedicated to Aislynn’s pleasure but his body was already tightening for the explosive release to come.
“Aislynn. You have to stop.” His breath was escaping in hard pants and he knew he couldn’t last much longer. The sight of her surrounding him was too much for his lust to comprehend. He’d dreamt of just this moment ever since she had told “The Wolf” her intentions the night before. He had tried to keep his focus on the murderer but the image of her pleasuring him would not leave his thoughts. He would have imagined this was nothing more than an illusion except for the fact he could tell he was about to come.
“Aislynn… stop… I cannot hold back… much longer…”
In reply, she made things infinitely worse by using her other hand to clutch his buttocks. The slight addition of pain, of her dominance over him, sent him hurling over the edge. He held on to the back of her head as he thrust his hips forward and lost himself. He was dizzy, his head spinning as he ejaculated into her delicious mouth. The hot jets continued to pour out of him until there was nothing left. His entire body sagged as she slowly allowed him to pop out of her mouth.
