He growled, and her lungs seized. She fucking loved that sexy sound.
She smiled.
He moved then, sailing over the sofa in a graceful leap. She gasped and hesitated one millisecond too late. His arm wrapped around her waist, and he took her down.
Chapter 10
Talen’s fangs dropped low as his woman bucked against him, fighting with every dirty move he’d taught her through the years as he dropped to his knees. Her elbow jammed him in the gut, stealing his breath, and he fought the urge to laugh out loud.
This was what he’d been missing all these years as she’d fought the illness.
She’d been correct that he was still treating her like fragile glass, but even now, the thought of any harm coming to her ripped his heart into shreds. Vampires loved once and once only, and she owned him, body and soul. Nothing could harm her. Period.
Even so, she didn’t need kid gloves from him. Especially if that gave her license to put her life in danger.
What she did need, she might not like so much. His body thrummed in time with hers. He could smell her desire, her lust, and the familiar scent threatened to snap the small amount of control he had left. She was wild and sweet, a promise of everything good and pure in his life.
She broke his hold, partially turning.
A fierce wave of excitement surged through his veins. Her hiss of triumph rocked through him, igniting lust. He grasped her arms and flipped her onto her knees, facing away from him.
She swept her leg out, faster than he would’ve imagined, and knocked his knees to the side. Scrambling quickly, she made it up and around the couch.
He laughed out loud, absurdly pleased with her. With a roar only a vampire could make, he turned and cleared the sofa in one smooth motion, launching himself at his mate.
She let out a startledeekand flew back into the door, her hands instinctively rising.
His hands slapped the wall on either side of her head, and he inhaled her spicy scent, his nostrils flaring.
Her eyes widened. “Um—”
“Oh, baby.” He leaned in, satisfied by her sharp intake of breath. “It’s too late forum.” He grasped her shirt at the neck and ripped it in two. The useless material fell away from her body.
Her eyes darkened to the color of a fathomless ocean.
“Bra,” he said, lowering his face to hers, giving her a chance to save the lacy lingerie.
The quirk of her lip, the hint of defiance, was all it took.
He shredded the bra, revealing her pretty pink nipples.
Her chest heaved. “Talen—”
A quick dip, and his mouth enclosed a nipple. She gasped and grabbed his shoulders. He slid one arm around her waist to keep her upright and flicked her, allowing the scrape of his fangs along the side of her breast.
She trembled against him, need pouring off her.
He licked up her chest and over his bite mark on her neck, the one that had never completely healed. She shuddered and let out a soft moan.
“Before tonight is over, I’m biting you again, Cara. All the way to bone.” He nipped at her earlobe and drew back.
Her eyes widened even more.
Oh, it was time to claim his woman once more. Sure, he’d mated her again when she’d healed, but apparently it hadn’t been enough. He’d make damn sure tonight was enough to fully convince her of his loyalty and of anything else she needed convincing about.
His knee slid between her legs, and the feeling of her hot sex nearly pushed him over the edge.
Pink wound beneath her skin from her neck to her full cheekbones, adding to the glitter in her eyes. His mouth crashed down on hers, and her unique taste of honey and sunshine filled his mouth. God, she was fucking perfect.
