“Acadia?” His throat went dry as he stared at her. Tonight she wore an exquisite purple gown that hugged her every curve. The triangle opening at her chest gave him the slightest glimpse of her ivory skin, the delicate swell of her breasts.
She’d come to him, he realized. Though he’d thought about summoning her, knowing she would ease him because she felt it her duty, Kaj had refrained. He’d told her he would wait for her and he’d meant it. Even if he suffered nightly in his quest to show her he was the male for her.
“I need you,” she whispered.
He sensed the heat in her veins, saw the glitter in her amethyst eyes.
“I’m here,balisra. Whatever you need.”
Even from across the room, Kaj could smell her arousal, see the hunger in her eyes, but her hesitation was the most telling.
“What do you want, Acadia?”
The long, smooth column of her neck flexed as she swallowed.
“Tell me.” Kaj leaned over the arm of the couch, set the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the floor.
“You,” Acadia said, the word so low he wasn’t even sure she’d spoken it aloud.
“Come to me,balisra.”
She stumbled once on her way over, but Acadia finally came to him. She even held out her hand when he reached for her.
His heart ached for her, and though these were the only moments he had with her, when the mating heat was unbearable for all within the walls of the mansion, Kaj considered it a blessing to some degree. Despite the fact she was holding herself back from him, he would never refuse her. For as long as she would have him, he would be there.
“You are weak,” she said.
Some males might’ve taken that as an insult, but he knew she was referring to his strength. He hadn’t fed in some time and it was beginning to weigh him down. However, now that he was residing in the same house as she, he refused to feed from any female who was not Acadia. Unfortunately, his pride kept him from seeking her out.
A softness overcame her face, as though she worried for him. He knew deep down she did, but it would take time before she trusted him the way she had before.
“How do you want me?” he offered, leaving the next move to her.
That seemed to trip her up, because her eyes fluttered, disappointment replacing her concern. It pained him to put that expression on her face, but again, pride was a powerful emotion and Kaj refused to grovel.
“Tell me,” he insisted, his voice deeper than before, his need building to astronomical proportions. The mating heat wasn’t the only thing fueling him, though. There was a desperate hunger he harbored only for her, and it had been growing stronger with every passing second since the last time he’d had her.
“I want you to take me,” she said on a soft moan.
“Gladly,balisra.”
Without another second of hesitation, Kaj drew her to him, meeting her halfway as he got to his feet. He crushed his mouth to hers even as he began tugging at that beautiful dress that covered her even more beautiful body. It occurred to him that they weren’t in a private space, but he didn’t care. His need for her overwhelmed his common sense.
The dance ensued as clothes began falling to the floor. Her dress, his shirt. It helped that she wore nothing beneath that glittery fabric, and the instant she was naked, he could no longer hold back. With his arm curled around her back, he eased her onto the leather sofa, his knee settling between her thighs.
He ripped at his leather pants, shoving them down his hips even as he feasted on her mouth, inhaling her soft moans as her fingers ran over his flesh. She was coming apart beneath him and he hadn’t even penetrated her yet.
“I need you,” he warned. “More than is safe right now.”
“Take me, Kaj.”
God, she didn’t realize what she was offering, but damn it if he wasn’t going to take everything she was willing to give.
Confined by the leather on his thighs, Kaj positioned himself over her, relied on her to guide him home. He inhaled sharply, pulling his head back as his cock slid into the tight sheath of her body. A deep growl barreled through his chest, her sex milking him as her hands drew him closer. She was all he could see, all he could feel. Everything about this female overloaded his circuits, sharpened his hunger.
Kaj met her eyes as his fangs shot down from his jaw. “I fear I’ll hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
