Colorblind (Moonlight) (27 page)

A little smile titled her lips upward before the ugliness of the situation reared its head. While she hoped to feel treasured and special, as Armand’s touch allowed, Julia also knew he was one in thousands, perhaps more. A white man who showed respect to all, regardless of race. If he failed to get her to safety, more than likely, she’d end up in the hands of a man who would treat her much like the Thorn men had, as an object to slake unnatural desires.

An involuntary shudder racked her body as images flashed across her mind, but she resolutely pushed them away, far into hidden recesses she wished never to find again. She began walking once more, moving silently up the staircase and down the hallway. Halting before his door, she waited.

Her fears reared up at once, urging her to return to her sleeping quarters but she squared her shoulders, shook her head, and ignored them. With a determined step forward, she knocked once.

***

Armand hadn’t expected her to knock.

He’d expected her to come as far as his door and retreat. After their kiss, she’d avoided him, which was probably best because he’d needed time to get her out of his head. Today, however, she’d made no moves to avoid his presence. She brought his breakfast, lunch and dinner, whereas before she’d send some of the meals with one of the other women. Carefully, he pulled the door inward. “Yes?” The question was asked evenly, betraying the rush of blood pounding through his body at the feminine scent of hers. She was ovulating, which meant he wouldn’t touch her. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. And not until she stopped.

It was rare for a
were
and a human to create children, but Armand had encountered enough hybrids in his lifetime to know rare did not equal impossible. Especially with a
were
male and a human female.

She stared up at him nervously, her tongue snaking out to wet her lips. Armand watched, waited.

“I-I-I….” Her voice trailed off and she squeezed her eyes shut. With a quick shake of her head, she rushed out, “I sorry, Massa.” She took a step back, hands bunching in the cotton nightgown and old shawl she’d thrown over it. “I go. Sorr—”

He caught her arm before he could think it through, gently pulling her back to him.

“Massa…?” Her voice trembled.

“Armand.” His voice was harsher than he’d intended but he realized he didn’t want to hear that title from her lips ever again. He wanted her to say his name. Scream it. Whimper it.

She blinked and hesitantly amended, “Armand?”

He nodded, forcefully resisting the urge to crush her to him. Instead, he simply brought her closer. Armand wasn’t sure when he’d closed the door, but they were no longer in the hallway. Lifting the hand he held to his lips, he placed a kiss to the back. She gasped, but the fearful air around her dissipated some. Flipping her hand over, he kissed her palm.

She sighed and pressed her weight into him. As he stared down at her uncovered mass of hair, his nose picked up another scent. Jasmine? He lowered his face to her hair, smiling as he realized she’d washed her hair with the scented soaps he’d provided to both her and Maud.

She suddenly braced her free hand against his chest and looked directly into his eyes. As her gaze searched his, he penetrated her mind.

Fear. Want. Need. Uncertainty.

Armand kissed her. The first kiss he’d given her had been gentle. He’d restrained himself. This kiss was different. While far from savage, it could not be called gentle. Julia drew in a quick breath, giving him the opening he needed. He dipped his tongue into her mouth. She froze, but soon, her tongue became an active participant, eagerly touching his as her body pushing closer to his. A guttural sound left her lips. It went directly to his shaft, which was already hard, and made it steel.

Slowly,
he reminded himself, fighting the urge to give over to the beast housed inside.

Armand made quick work of the shawl before slowly running his hands down her sides. She stilled momentarily before her tongue rejoined his in its erotic dance. He spent long moments thoroughly exploring the sweet cavern of her mouth, and when she began to kiss him with the same fervor that drove him, he was satisfied. Well, partially. Moving his arms to her back, he caressed the graceful column, before sliding them downwards, over her shapely buttocks.

Julia jumped, pulled away from the kiss, and shot him a wide-eyed look. He traced his lips along her cheek before moving them to her ear. I only want to give you pleasure.” He licked her earlobe, grinning at her gasp and soft moan. “Will you let me?”

Her felt her nod against him.

“Will you trust me?” he continued, hands poised along the sexy dip at her lower back.

She tensed again, and didn’t respond for long moments. Armand was about to give her an out when she said, “I try. I try trust you.”

“Good.” He pulled back to stare into uncertain gray eyes. “I will never hurt you.” She didn’t seem convinced. “I only want to show you pleasure between a man and woman.”

Before she could respond, he undid the buttons of her nightgown, baring her small but rounded breasts, woman’s breasts, to his gaze. Her nipples were a dark pink, and already budded in lust. Instinct, or some form of modesty, made her try to cover herself but Armand’s hand was already there, caressing.

***

Julia bit her lip to keep from screaming when his finger flicked over her nipple. It had been so achy of late, and Armand flicking it was only making it more so.

“Armand….”

His head lowered and she cried out when his mouth settled over her breast. Shock, followed by an involuntary clenching in the pit of her belly, made her gasp. She’d only seen babies suckle their mothers and hadn’t dreamed—

A cool chill touched her backside and she realized her gown was now pooled at her feet. She was naked before him now, completely bared and at his mercy. He released her nipple and led her to the bed. She expected him to push her down first, to arrange her the way he wanted, but he surprised her.

Instead, he went down first, and pulled her onto him. Seated atop him, Julia was confused. Before she could ask what he was doing, his hand slid into her hair and his tongue was licking at hers again. Julia moaned. She enjoyed this. Kissing. Very much.

When he broke away, she whined, but sighed happily when his mouth moved to her breasts once more. Unconsciously, she began to saw her hips slowly against him. She wasn’t sure why, but the friction gave her pleasure.

“Julia.” He sounded closer to pain. She stopped, but he gently pushed at her hips, encouraging her. When she began moving them once more, his hand moved down to her body, and palmed her bottom. He squeezed, dragging a gasp from her, before releasing her briefly, only to repeat the motion over and over again.

Something was building inside, something hot, like an internal fire, and she didn’t quite know what to do with it. She stopped once more, unsure, but this time, he rolled her under him.

“Let it happen,” he said in his gravelly voice. His eyes seemed to glow, but Julia dismissed it as a trick of light. It was dark and moonlight was streaming through the window. “I need to taste you.”

She blinked in confusion. Hadn’t he already tasted her? As he slid down her body, she didn’t understand. Moments later, as he parted her thighs and began a torturously slow kiss of her center, she did.

At first she tried to push him away. What was he doing? No one had ever touched her this way. But as he relentlessly tongued her, she fell back against the soft mattress, and just felt. Her fingers found their way into in his hair and she held on tight. As his tongue began to circle, she whimpered. When the heat began to build once more, she did as he suggested and let it. Something inside her peaked, and as if knowing, Armand eased a finger into her.

That was the catalyst that sent her moaning and whimpering into another dimension.

Chapter Seventeen

Leon was noticeably agitated. It had been five days since he’d last seen his mate and his brother, and with the exception of a hysterical girl and Patrick Ryder’s scent, he was unsure of exactly what had happened. From the moment Étienne had projected to him, he’d been on the move. Darkness hadn’t lifted yet, and he’d already been outside. He’d headed for them in human form, knowing if hunters were around, they would be looking for an animal. On his way there, a screaming Jolie had rushed past him. He’d learned little from her. She’d been crying too much and he hadn’t the time to calm her.

When he’d finally arrived on the scene, they were both gone. Taken.

Two men were dead, and from the damage, and Étienne’s scent over them, he’d known the kills were his brother’s. He’d made his way around the area, noting the collapsed grass and blood marking them. Étienne’s. Farther away, he’d found the spot where his mate had lain.

Once he’d done a quick scan, Leon had made his way to Patrick Ryder’s plantation. It had been early, just short of the crack of dawn, but he’d stalked to the man’s front door, and knocked until it was opened. He’d been told by a terrified slave that Patrick Ryder was not in, and no one else was up. Ryder’s faded scent and the lack of Étienne’s and Penny’s had confirmed it.

So he’d gone back to the scene, and picked up on things he hadn’t seen in his rage. Wheel tracks heading down the main road. The fading scent of Étienne’s blood.

He’d returned home, grabbed a horse, and followed those tracks.

It was for that reason he was presently seated on a train to Georgia.

Ryder’s tracks had led to the station. He’d also learned the man owned property there. He would have left at that exact moment, but the next train hadn’t been until evening. He’d left Hollis in charge of the plantation, barely remembering to do so as his main concerns were Penny and his brother.

He had to get there in time. Standing in the secluded compartment, he paced the small space. The seat before him was unoccupied, as he’d paid for an entire car. With his rage and concern so overwhelming, he couldn’t chance other persons in such a close space.

Ryder would have full access to his mate for at least a day before he arrived. The thought nearly made him sick. Drugged, Étienne had said. In such a state, she could not fight.

He rammed his fist into the closest thing—the wall—and ignored the gasps from the compartment in front of him.

Patrick Ryder was dead. His canines punched into his mouth upon that silent proclamation. Taking his mate, who could be pregnant, and injuring his brother, warranted death. But his suffering before death would depend on what he did in those hours before Leon reached him.

If he so much as touched Penny beyond moving her, Leon would make sure his death was a long, drawn-out process. Days. Perhaps a week. There were ways.

***

Armand moved from the bed the moment Julia went limp in his arms. With her scent in his nose and her sweet taste in his mouth, he was unpredictable. While she smelled of jasmine, she tasted of a heady mixture of aged red wine. He should have turned her away. He’d only wanted a taste, but now that he’d satisfied that hunger, he wanted it all. He wanted to bury himself in her body, ingrain himself in her mind, and bind himself to her soul. He would do none of these.

He turned from her, trying and failing to wipe the image of her spread out on his bed. Her skin was perfect, creamy and unblemished. For her past, he found it odd, but could not say that he was not thankful. Had he undressed her and found scars, he might have lost it, and he’d depended on his control tonight. It was the only reason he was standing away from her and not buried in her delicious body.

“Armand.” Her voice was soft and breathy.

The bed shifted, and he unconsciously sought her mind. She was still asleep, but caught in a dream. She was dreaming of him. He was kissing her, or rather, she was kissing him. In the dream, he was dressed the same way: without shirt but wearing trousers. She was naked and seated atop him. As he watched, feeling every inch a voyeur and not caring, she pulled away from him and moved her hands down his chest, until they tugged at the waistband of trousers.

“Armand.” Her voice was more urgent now.

He slipped from her mind, and shook his head.
Leave.

The door suddenly seemed too far.

Armand turned back to her, undoing the buttons of his trousers. He stepped out of them even as he lambasted himself.

Only tonight
, he promised.
Just this once.

Liar,
his conscience snarled.

His trousers fell to the floor and he stepped from them, making his way back to the bed. He was kissing her before he could think further on it. As responsive as she was, it took seconds for her to come awake, to kiss him back. He flipped her into the position he’d seen in the dream. For understandable reasons, she was more comfortable being atop him.

Her wet entrance dragged over his engorged shaft and he closed his eyes and bit into his lip. She gasped and went still above him, though not for long. Her hips shifted again, and another slow drag pulled her over him once more.

“Feels”—she broke off to moan—“good.”

He nodded jerkily. Her mouth was suddenly on his again, hips working furiously as she pushed herself to completion.

Grabbing hold of his will, Armand caught her hips and held her steady. She tried to move but his hands refused it. An unhappy whine left her and he would have been amused at any other time.

“I want to come into your body.” Luna, was that his voice? Hoarse and strained? He cleared his throat. “Will you let me in?”

“Yes,” she murmured, gasping when he lifted her and the head of his cock immediately brushed her tight opening. Armand groaned. Gods! He opened his eyes then, hoping they were green and not yellow. Julia was looking down at him, her mouth curved in a small O.

Armand slowly began to lower her, working a few inches in before giving her relief by lifting her away.

It became an erotic dance and Julia began to move of her own accord, sliding down his shaft until she felt full and then lifting herself away, only to repeat it again and again. When she was halfway seated, Armand used his free hand to pet her, circling his finger over her engorged nub.