“Fine,” he lied.
“You seem tense.”
Turning toward her, he stared into herquestioning eyes. She was so close, and yet so far beyond hisgrasp. “Feeling a little caged right now.”
Ian restlessly paced the floor over to thedoor. He had to get out of this cabin, spend a few hours somewhere,anywhere other than this place. Had to find a way to ease some ofthe pressure building within him. The last thing he wanted was tofind another female, not with Paige here, but if he didn’t dosomething he was going to tear his skin off. He’d tried jerkingoff, multiple times. It helped to take the edge off about as muchas bashing his head into the wall did, which might be an option ifhe didn’t do something soon.
Pulling at his stubble lined cheeks, he ranhis hands over his chin before dropping them down to his sides. Anowl hooted somewhere in the night, its lonely call mirroring theway his soul felt. Stepping outside, he strode across the porch,down the stairs and out into the driveway. He stood there for aminute, torn on what to do. Something inside of him was missing,something only one woman could ever ease in him, but she refused tolet him into her life.
Turning back around, he jogged up the porchsteps and into the cabin. Paige glanced up from where she sat onthe couch. His eyes fastened on her breasts. In the loose top henever would have been able to tell she wasn’t wearing a bra, buther wet hair had dampened her shirt. His dick jumped at the sightof her partially erect nipples beneath the fabric.
Paige’s eyes widened on Ian, a savage airsurrounded him, his body radiated tension. And then his eyeslatched on her breasts. The look that came over his face made herpulse quicken. He stared at her like a lion watched a gazelle, onlyhe didn’t want to eat her. At least he didn’t want to eat herblood. He may enjoy feasting on something else as his eyes remainedlocked on her breasts.
The only problem was, she didn’t think shewould mind being feasted on.
Shaking her head to clear it of the insanenotion, she folded her arms over her chest to distract him. Hiseyes shot up to hers, his pupils dilated; the color of them haddeepened to a nearly navy color. “I’m going into town,” heannounced abruptly.
“What? Why?” she sputtered in confusion. Sherose to her feet, thinking perhaps something had happened.
His eyes were like daggers stopping hermovement toward him as they pinned her to the spot. “Because.”
Her mouth parted as realization settled overher. “You’re looking to get laid.”
His nostrils flared, a muscle began to jumpin his cheek. “Who are you to judge me, Paige?” The gravelly toneof his voice sent a shiver down her spine.
“I’m not judging you.”
“It’s all you’ve done since the second youfound out what I was. You’ve believed the worst of me in everypossible way, and I’ve taken it. I’ve accepted it because I toldmyself you’ve had multiple bad experiences with our kind. I’vetaken care of you, I saved your life, but I am not a human. I am aman though, I have needs that animal blood won’t take care of.You’ve told me over and over again you won’t be the one to easethem.”
“You sound like a teenager.” The surly toneof her voice sounded like a teenager too; she just hadn’t been ableto stop herself. She didn’t know why she was baiting him, but theidea of him walking out that door, and going to find another woman,made her want to scream and kick him in the crotch. “Any port in astorm, right?”
She never saw him move, but he was suddenlyright in front of her. The abruptness of the motion, and his size,caused her to take a step back. Her heel connected with the wall,stopping her. She took a deep breath; her palms flattened againstthe wall as he loomed over the top of her.Gorgeous, therealization flitted across her mind as her vision filled withhim.
“Oh no, Paige. Believe me, there’s only oneport I want to be in right now. And even if I do find anotherwoman, I’m going to be picturingyouthe whole time I’m withher.”
He grabbed hold of her hand, and before shecould stop him, he placed it against the front of his jeans.Beneath the material, she could feel the rigid evidence of hisarousal. Despite her every intention to jerk her hand away, slaphim in the face, kick him in the nuts, and storm out of here withher dignity intact, her hand tightened around him and slid over hisbulge.
A low groan escaped him, a groan that causedheat to pool through her as realization sank in. This man wasn’tone to be played with and led on, no matter how much she burned totouch him, she couldn’t handle what he wanted from her. It was morethan his vast experience, if this continued she was certain hewould take a piece of her with him. Not a piece of her heart, buther verysoul. Snatching her hand away before thingsspiraled out of control, she pressed herself flat against the wallagain.
“Is that supposed to be flattering?” shedemanded as a way to distract herself from the urges clamoringthrough her body.
He studied her from under hooded eyes. “Idon’t believe in flattery, only the truth.”
“That’s not something… You shouldn’t saythat!” she cried.
“And why not?” She felt cornered by him,trapped by the heat of his body. It didn’t help when he took a stepcloser to her. He rested his hand on the wall beside her head. Shelooked to the open front door, but she would never make it there,and truth be told, she didn’t want to. “Why not, Paige?”
Before she could answer, he moved his handfrom the wall to rest it against her cheek. She started, but hedidn’t stop there. His hand trailed down her cheek, over her chinand to her collarbone. Her breath froze in her lungs. She couldn’ttear her gaze away from him as his eyes burned into hers. Airrushed back into her when he clasped hold of her breast and cuppedit within his hand. Her knees trembled as his thumb rubbed over hernipple, caressing it into a hardened nub.
She had to stop this, but what her brainthought, and what her body craved were two completely differentthings. She bit back a mewl of displeasure when his hand slid awayfrom her breast, down over her ribcage, and across her hip. Beforeshe knew what he intended, his hand dipped between her legs. Hispalm stroked over her, causing her hips to press instinctively intohis touch.
Bending closer, his lips brushed against herear as his hand slid over her again. The delicious sensation thefriction of the movement caused almost made her scream out loud.His fingers pressed against her jeans, teasing against her asliquid heat pooled between her legs. She bit into her lip as herbody betrayed her again by pushing into him once more, seekingmore. He could ease this growing pressure building in her.
“Do you really want me to go?” hemurmured.
She had no idea what she wanted right now.She most definitely didn’t want him to stop, but this man wasdangerous. Her mind spun as his hand continued to stroke her tohigher heights. “No,” she panted. “I meanyes.”
Ian stopped moving his hand immediately. Hecould smell her heightened arousal and feel the heat of her againstthe palm of his hand. Her eyes were smoky when they met his, herbreath coming in rapid pants. Her fingers curled into his forearm;the nails digging into his flesh were nowhere near as uncomfortableas the force of the erection pressing against his jeans.
