Page 39 of Antonio Miles

“Tessa,” I said, “you’re driving me fucking insane.”

She bared her teeth. “Good.”

I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in, not gentle. She didn’t resist, curling her fingers in my shirt, her fists tight. For a second I thought she’d take a swing at me. I wouldn’t have blamed her.

Instead, she yanked me down by the collar and bit my lower lip. I kissed her back just as hard, growling into her mouth as I flicked my tongue. All the while, she tried her best to get my shirt off.

With a screech, Tessa yanked my shirt open. Buttons went flying but she breathed a sigh of relief. Like getting my shirt off had been the most important task of her life. My racing heart gave an excited thump and I followed where she led. If this was what she needed, I’d provide. Then I’d reassure her and give her anything and everything she needed. Even if I had to burn the fucking world down to do it.

I pressed her against the wall and caged her there, both hands gripping her hips. She twisted, fighting to get closer, but I held her in place and took her mouth again, my tongue bruising hers in an erotic slide. She tasted of mint and anger. She bit my lip, and I grinned into it.

She shoved me backward, moving herself away from the wall, then stalked after, grabbing my face with both hands. The kiss was brutal and I let her have it. When I gripped her hips and pulled her closer to me, she scissored my thigh and rubbed her pussy over my leg to get the friction she needed. I grasped the curve of her ass, squeezing until she hissed.

“You want it rough?” I said, breath hot against her jaw.

She snorted. “I want you to stop acting like I’ll break.”

I picked her up. She locked her legs around my waist and buried her face in my neck, inhaling deep before fastening her mouth on the skin and sucking. Hard. I moved us to the bed, but she twisted out of my grip at the last second, landing on her feet. Her shirt was off before I could touch her again and she stripped off her bra, throwing it at my head, and grinned. The relief on her face nearly brought me to my knees. If she needed rough sex to make her feel better, by God I would give it to her.

“Move it, Miles. Or are you getting old?”

I yanked off my own shirt and stalked toward her, pushing her backward onto the mattress. I still had on my pants but it was only a matter of time. Besides, the second my dick touched her -- anywhere -- I knew I’d go off like a bottle rocket.

She laughed, a wild, sharp sound. As she stripped her pants and panties in one go, I took time to study her face. Yeah, she looked wild, and I knew she’d break down at some point -- and that was good, but I’d seen that look in my own eyes after an especially intense kill. She needed a way to rid her body of the excess negative adrenaline.

Her skin seemed to glow in the cold light. She reached for me, impatient, but I caught her wrists and pinned them to the mattress, covering her smaller body with my much bigger one.

She bucked, trying to throw me. I pressed down harder. She grinned up at me, daring me to keep her there. I slid my knee between hers and forced her legs apart. She growled, arching up, trying to get my cock against her, but I made her wait.

“You gonna keep me here all night?” she said, breathless, hips rocking upward, a mate looking to attract.

“Maybe.” I let go of her wrists. “Grip the bars at the head of the bed.” Surprisingly, she obeyed. The headboard was carved and ornate with thick polished, sturdy wood. I kissed between her breasts, stopping to take one nipple into my mouth and suck. She smelled like honeysuckle and clean sweat, and it went straight to my cock like a fucking freight train.

“Tonio --”

“Quiet.” I gripped her thighs and pushed them wide, holding her open. She didn’t fight me on that. In fact, she gripped the backs of her knees, holding herself open for me as she watched with those wrecked copper eyes, chest heaving, and I let myself look my fill before I put my mouth on her sweet pussy.

I licked her slow, from cunt to clit, relishing at her cries. Her hips jerked against my hold. But I swatted the back of her thigh before diving back in again, snarling against her wet flesh.

“Let it out, Tessa,” I said against her pussy. “Whatever’s left in you tonight, you’re going to give it to me.”

I didn’t wait for her answer. I pressed her thighs wide and covered her pussy with my mouth again. Tessa screamed, sharp and raw. Immediately, she let go of her thighs to tunnel her fingers through my hair and grip hard enough to sting. Good. I wanted her rough with me.

I groaned against her, the sting in my scalp only fueling me on. This woman had been mine the second I laid eyes on her in that cell. It might have taken me a bit to work it out for myself, but there was no way I would ever give her up. Tessa Garrison was mine. My woman. And I would make her my wife. Seth would just have to live with it.

I flattened my tongue and dragged it slowly over her clit, circling several times as her thighs trembled and her pussy quivered.

“Tonio --” Her voice cracked, high and desperate. “Don’t stop. Don’t you dare stop.”

As if. I continued to play with her clit, sucking and flicking it in turn. I wanted her mindless. I wanted every ounce of tonight -- Éclipse, the blood, the man she’d put down to save my life -- burned out of her by pleasure so intense she couldn’t think of anything else.

She rocked against my mouth, hips grinding hard, her thighs shaking against my hands. I held her open, relentless, chasing the sounds she made and doing my best to wring more from her. Her fingers tightened in my hair as she dragged me closer to her pussy so she could grind against me. Whatever pain she needed to work loose, I’d take it. All of it.

“That’s it,” I said against her, voice rough. “Give it all to me.”

She came on a shattered cry that made my chest swell in both pride and relief. Her back bowed off the mattress, thighs clamping around my head. I didn’t let up until the tremors rolling through her slowed, until her grip in my hair went slack and Tessa went boneless against the sheets.

I kissed my way up her body, over her stomach, between her breasts, along her throat, until I reached her mouth. She kissed me over and over, hungrily but also with affection and thanks. If there were tears on her cheeks, I wasn’t going to mention them. I wasn’t stupid.