Savage Betrayal: Savage, Book 2 (17 page)

“Jesus, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. That’s just horrific.”

“Yes.” It was the only response she could muster.

“So who raised you and Aubree?”

“Our uncle and aunt,” she replied in a flat tone that garnered her another sharp look.

“You don’t sound too happy about that. Were they not very nice? Did you have an awful childhood?”

“It wasn’t all sunshine and roses,” she replied honestly and sighed. “But they never intended to be parents and had two kids sprung on them. Aubree and I were happy, and have always been incredibly close. Aubree doesn’t remember our parents—our aunt and uncle were all she ever knew, and even then our uncle passed away five years ago.”

“I’m sorry. You guys sound like you had it pretty rough.” Darrius pulled his truck onto the dirt road that led to her house.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“For?”

“For volunteering to stay with me.”

“Yeah, well I’d like to say my motives were completely altruistic, but I’d be lying.” He parked his truck next to her Eclipse and turned off the engine. The laugh he gave was husky and pure sensuality. “I want you. And the more opportunities I have to seduce you, the better.”

Her mouth dried out at his blatant statement. With just the darkness between them, her heart quickened and heat sizzled through her body.

“Darrius, has anyone ever told you you’re overly aggressive?” She attempted lightness, but his words had brought her body to life.

Just imagining the context of what he’d said had her nipples tightening and an ache blooming between her legs.

She wanted him. As much as she wanted to keep denying it to herself and to him, she knew it was pointless because he sure wasn’t buying it.

“Well, that’s just it. I think you like my aggressiveness, sugar.”

Actually, she did. Which was odd, because with any other guy she would’ve told him to shove his hyped-up swagger where the sun didn’t shine.

Turning in her seat, she stared at his dark profile. What would it feel like to finally give in? To have those full lips moving over her breasts and lie beneath the weight of his muscled body as he moved inside of her?

The ache between her legs became a full-out throb, and with sudden clarity she realized she didn’t want to say no anymore. She wanted to think about something besides the awful attack tonight, and sex with Darrius might just be a damn good distraction.

“I do like your aggressiveness,” she admitted softly. She inched her hand over the space between them and caught his hand, lacing her fingers through his. “But will you like mine?”

Taking over the role as aggressor, Grace tugged his hand over to her and placed it on her breast.

“Oh, damn,” he rasped, shock and pleasure in his tone. Yet he still curled his hand to mold her flesh against his palm. “I was not expecting that.”

“I like keeping you on your toes,” she confessed with a breathy laugh.

He flicked his thumb over her nipple and she couldn’t stop the small gasp that escaped.

“Grace, are you sure about this?”

She leaned over her seat toward him, her body ablaze as his fingers pinched the sensitive peak of her breast.

Positioning her mouth just above his, she murmured, “Put it this way. When we get inside the house you don’t need to take the spare room. I want you in my bed.”

Darrius groaned before his mouth crushed down on hers. He plunged his tongue deep, while his skilled fingers teased her nipple into full alertness.

Head spinning and her body on fire, Grace slid fully into his lap. She answered his demanding kiss by rasping her tongue against his, tasting him and exploring the hidden contours of his mouth.

She lifted her head and dragged in a ragged breath. “If we don’t get inside, you may end up taking me here in your truck.”

“I’m trying to think of an argument on why that would be bad.” He unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt.

“Me too.” Oh he couldn’t stop now.

She cried out when he slipped a hand inside her shirt and beneath her bra to discover bare flesh.

So good. It felt so good to finally have him touching her like this.

“I mean, there’s a bed with a mattress inside,” he pointed out, before lowering his head to brush his lips over the swell of her breast.

“Oh wow… Mattresses are good, but a little overrated.” She helped unbutton the rest of her shirt and quickly removed her bra. “I could also just as easily ride you in the front seat of your truck.”

Darrius groaned and she felt the immediate rise of his cock against her thigh. He cupped her breast again, stroking his thumb over her taut nipple.

“Damn, you are going to make me lose control and fast.”

“That’s kind of my goal. I’m tired of waiting and even two hundred feet to my bedroom seems too far right now.”

“In that case…” He lifted her easily, so high that her knees fell open over his hips and her breasts were level with his mouth.

When his lips closed around her nipple she moaned her pleasure and slid her hands over his shaved head.

“Darrius,” she whispered. “Oh, please don’t stop.”

“Not a chance. Not now that I’ve tasted you.” He caught her nipple between his teeth, tugging lightly until she whimpered with need.

She was barely aware of anything but his mouth, until the brush of his fingers between her legs rocketed her into orbit. When had he unzipped her pants? Moved his hand inside and beneath her panties?

“You’re so wet.” He slid a finger into her.

Grace jerked against him, her nails digging into his shoulders now.

“So tight.” He added a second finger and groaned. “If we were inside, I’d have my tongue inside you by now. I want to taste this sweetness so bad it hurts.”

The imagery had her whimpering and clenching her muscles around his fingers.

“Later,” she whispered. “You can make good on that promise later.”

With the need inside her flaring to incinerating levels, she reached beneath her to free him from his jeans and underwear.

He was thick, hot and hard in her hands, and the drop of moisture against her thumb made her want to catch it on her tongue. But just as she’d promised him, that could wait until later.

“There’s still too many clothes in the way.” She moved off of him to slide out of her pants and underwear.

Darrius watched her through hooded eyes as he stroked himself.

Wow, he was big, almost in an intimidating way. But where there was the small shiver of nervousness, there was also the thrill of anticipation.

Even though she was completely naked, he was nearly fully dressed, with just his erection free from his jeans. Free and standing at attention.

“I can’t do this.”

Disappointment ripped through her, and her gaze jerked back to his. “But I thought—”

“You look so damn beautiful. Like candy laid out just for me. And I’m not taking you without tasting that sweetness first. I want to make you come with my mouth.” He reached beneath the seat and pulled the lever that had his seat pushing back.

How in the hell was he going to accomplish that? Not that she was complaining, because the idea of him going down on her had her body weeping with excitement.

Darrius caught her around the waist and maneuvered her so her legs fell over his shoulders and her upper back and head fell against the steering wheel.

Comfort was the last thing on her mind as his hot breath feathered across her sex.

“Love that you shave smooth, sugar. You’re my own damn candy shop. Right here.”

She was so open, so exposed, and her body trembled with anticipation. He made a small grunt of pleasure before burying his mouth between her legs.

Grace gave a sharp cry, her eyes nearly crossing with ecstasy as his tongue delved deep into her. His words had been the kindling to her fire, but his mouth was the accelerant that set her ablaze.

She traced trembling fingers over his shoulders, entranced by the sight of his dark head against her pale thighs. He took his time, almost seeming to taste and savor her like the candy he’d compared her to. His tongue slid in and out of her channel and then homed in to tease her clit. Paying special attention to the tiny bud in a way that guaranteed he was going to make her come fast.

“Oh my God, Darrius.” Her thighs clenched around his head. “You’re way too good at this.”

He gave a husky laugh and his mouth slid over to her inner thigh to bite lightly. Not hard, but just enough that she knew it would be pink if she could see it.

“Trust me, you’re not the only one getting pleasure. I want you to come.”

He didn’t seem to expect a reply, because he went back to tasting her and driving her wonderfully close to that edge of pleasure.

Cupping her ass in his large hands, he dragged her closer, sealing his mouth tighter to her sex. And when his tongue took the path back to her clit, she was a goner.

Grace gripped anything she could find to hold on to. The gearshift, the door handle, his thighs, it was all a blur as pleasure slammed into her body again and again.

There was a woman screaming. It had to be her, right? But the shudders of ecstasy that continued to rack her body made it hard to think straight.

Finally she became aware that he’d lowered her back onto his lap. Grace dragged in much-needed oxygen, burying her face against his shoulder as she gripped his shirt.

He moved slightly and she realized he was reaching past her to pop open the glove compartment.

A condom, she realized, he was putting one on. At least someone had the sense to remember protection.

“Amazing,” he muttered and slid his hands into her hair, dragging her head down to his so he could kiss her.

His tongue plunged deep, making her taste herself, and the realization shot her arousal level right back up to scalding level.

The nudge of his cock at her entrance brought her back to reality a bit, a shiver of anticipation rushed through her.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Her cheeks flushed with pleasure, and more than anything she wanted him to just push up and into her.

“I can’t wait to be inside you.” He kissed her again, lifting his hips to enter her just a tiny bit.

“Yes. Please.” She tried to ease down onto him, confused at why he was even hesitating.

“I want you so damn much. But before we go any further I need you to understand that this can never be more than sex.”

It was almost like he’d injected ice into her heated blood. Her mind struggled to comprehend what he was saying, or more so why he’d be saying it.

“I—wait, what?”

He kissed her again, as if trying to keep her distracted. It almost worked, until he lifted his head again.

“If you’re looking for a mate, then I’m sorry but I can’t offer that.”

Was she looking for a mate? Had she given off the impression she was looking for something serious? Where was this coming from?

The fog in her mind lifted enough to think clearly. He’d rattled off those words almost in monotone, like he’d gone into autopilot. They’d barely registered in her fevered brain, like a disclaimer at the end of some prescription drug commercial.

Which is probably just what he’d intended.

Her blood began to heat, but for a different reason now.

“Son of a bitch. You’re
reciting
this, Darrius,” she growled. “It’s a line you use on every girl you go to bed with, isn’t it?”

Shock swept across his face, and then the tiniest flicker of guilt that meant she’d nailed it.

“I’m
not
one of your usual shifter groupies. You can’t just flash me that charming smile of yours and expect me to fall into bed with you.”

Wariness flickered across his face now. “Grace, it’s not like that…”

“Oh really? So how does it work,
Hilliard
? Do you get a girl so hot and bothered that you know they’ll agree to anything when you spring this on them?”

When he didn’t immediately answer she climbed off him, knowing his silence was the confirmation she didn’t want to hear. “You know what? Fuck you. Or wait, let me take that back, maybe five minutes ago I would’ve. But now, you can just go to hell.”

She pulled on her clothes, wishing her hands weren’t trembling so hard from fury. “And I take back my offer to share my bed tonight. You can have the spare room.”

Chapter Thirteen

Shit.
Shit he’d messed up and royally.

Darrius struggled for the words that would stop her from getting out of the truck. That would convince her he wasn’t a complete bastard.

But he lacked any because he was one, and he’d just shown his cards to the one girl he really did care about.

The realization jarred him a bit, until he clarified the thought in his mind. Of course he cared about her, they were friends—he’d held her when she was on the verge of death—only someone without a heart wouldn’t get attached a bit.

Wincing, he tucked his erection back into his jeans. With a sigh, he tried again. “Grace, we need to talk. I just want you to understand—”