Savage Nature (33 page)

Each stab of his tongue, the gentle scrape of his teeth, the hard strokes and gentle licks sent flames racing through her body. The fire only leapt higher and higher, raging out of control, building and building with no let up. Her head thrashed wildly and if he hadn’t been holding her hips in a ruthless grip, she might have flown off the bed. He didn’t stop that slow, sensual torment or the flat broad strokes of his tongue. She heard her own keening cry, begging him for something . . . What, she wasn’t certain. Then she was fragmenting, coming apart in a rolling explosion that sent waves rippling through her body.

He rose over her, shifting her legs back even farther, using his arms as he positioned himself at her entrance. She felt his heavy erection stroke across her entrance and she shuddered with need. He pushed gently into her, just a scant inch, but he was large and the stretching, burning feeling was instantly intense. She stiffened and caught at his shoulders, her nails digging deep.

“Relax. Just relax. You’re ready for me, honey. I’ll go slow.”

She swallowed hard. She wanted this, wanted him deep inside of her, filling her, but maybe it was happening far too soon. She felt trapped beneath him, out of control, a fire raging inside of her that was already building again, hot and powerful. More than Drake, she was afraid of herself, of the strong connection to him. She had never dreamt she would have such a physical response to anyone. She stilled as he pushed deeper, stretching her further.

It felt—good—scary—shocking and oh so right. Streaks of fire raced from between her thighs to her belly, even up to her breasts as he invaded, sliding deeper and deeper until he met resistance. She gasped, arching her hips, needing to ease the burning feeling, yet wanting more.

“Easy, baby, this might hurt for a moment. Let me do this. Just stay relaxed.” His voice was husky, edgy, barely controlled.

Saria’s gaze locked with his. Her body was no longer hers, but belonged entirely to Drake. She was on fire with such need she could only nod her head, begging and pleading with her eyes for him to fill her. Oh, God, he was so thick, so hard, like a steel spike, hot and searing. She could feel the pulse of his heart along the thick veins. It seemed impossible for her body to be able to accept any more of the long length. He was very still, holding himself pressed tight against her barrier, so that same pulse beat inside of her.

The world seemed to stand still while she drowned in sensation. The heat. The fire. The desperate need. She wanted to push herself onto him, yet at the same time she wanted to fling herself off the bed. Because once he did this, she would want him always. He would be a craving that never stopped. Already her body betrayed her, giving him everything he wanted, demanding he give the same to her.

She made a single sound. Protest? Or assent? She didn’t know. Her heart stuttered as she saw the gold in his eyes flame with tenderness—with something close to love even while his mouth curved into pure lust. The look on his face was wildly exciting, only adding to the arousal spiraling out of control in her body.

He opened his hands and she instinctively threaded her fingers through his. He slammed her hands to the mattress, surging forward over the top of her. A searing pain burned through her body, but he went still again and she lay with her heart pounding and her fingers wound tightly in his, breathing long shuddering breaths.

“You’re so tight, Saria. So damned tight.” His voice sounded ragged and harsh.

Saria loved his voice, almost desperate for her. There was a dark hunger in his eyes, an implacable resolve she found thrilling. Her body needed more and she moved, a little experiment, lifting her hips against him. His breath hissed out and his eyes glittered dangerously.

“I want you in me, Drake. Every inch of you filling me,” she whispered.

Saria’s erotic demand sent a fireball careening through Drake’s body. He surged a little deeper and the scorching constriction of her sheath added to the firestorm racing througim. He could count her heartbeats right through the tight walls of her velvet channel. He took a breath, willing his body to go slow, to be gentle. He eased a little further into her and felt her muscles grip and milk.

“Baby, be still, you can’t do that.”

Saria’s eyes were glazed and hot, her body thrashing beneath him, hips bucking, trying to force him deeper. He leaned close to nuzzle her shoulder, teeth biting down to hold her still. He could feel her leopard rising, and his leaping to meet her.

“Fight her off, Saria. You’re not ready for that kind of rough sex,” he pleaded.

Her gaze met his and she took a breath, her fingers tightening around his. He surged forward, burying himself deep. She writhed under him, her hips rising to meet that deep thrust. Liquid heat surrounded him, and her muscles clamped down. He withdrew and plunged deep again, watching her face for signs of discomfort. The searing heat was consuming him and soon he wouldn’t be able to hold back. He’d never been out of control with a woman before, but he could feel his control slipping fast.

Whether it was her leopard so close, or Saria’s natural sensuality, she couldn’t—or wouldn’t listen to him, her body tightening rhythmically around his until he thought he’d go insane with pleasure. He heard his own groan, his surrender to the inevitable as he gathered her closer, the stroking caress of his cock causing her to cry out, her tone desperate.

He pulled back slowly in preparation, waited a heartbeat and then plunged deep and hard, setting a ferocious, almost brutal pace. He could hear his blood roaring in his ears. Her moans and pleas added to the frenzy of need driving him into her again and again, impaling her with a hard, frantic rhythm, every cell in his body alive with a growing ferocity, his cock a steel spike impaling her again and again.

Her head tossed on the pillow and her breath came in sobbing, gasping pleas. Her body coiled tighter and tighter around his, a strangling, scorching heat that sent streaks of pleasure racing through him as the tension built and he pushed her higher and higher. Her hips rose to meet his thrusts, even as she fought him a little, trying to writhe out from under him, the winding tension building too fast, too hot.

He could feel her body pulse around his, tightening until she felt like a scorching vise clamped around him, drawing his essence from his body. He jerked her legs over his shoulders, knowing he couldn’t hold on, determined that she would soar with him. He thrust hard, over and over, long, hard, deep strokes, driving her into a frenzy of lust and need. He could feel the sensations increasing in strength through the tight walls of her sheath, see the intensity of need threading through the passion in her eyes.

“When I say, baby, just let go. Don’t fight me. Just let go, but wait, honey, it will be worth it. Just wait.” He licked along her shoulder once in a small caress even as he repeatedly slammed his cock deep into her, filling and stretching her, creating a friction over the sensitive bundle of nerves.

He waited until he could feel the raging flames threaten to consume her before he jerked her legs higher, positioning his body to apply pressure to her most erotic, responsive spot. “Now, baby. Let go now.” He bit out the command through clenched teeth, and felt her instant response.

She didn’t hesitate, but let herself go, her gaze lng with him. There was fear and trust mixed in the depths of her enormous eyes. Saria’s body clamped down on his like a strangling vise. He stroked over the spot one more time and she gasped, her gaze going glittering gold as her body exploded in powerful waves that milked his own release. Her cries echoed his hoarse shout and he collapsed over the top of her, while his cock jerked and pulsed in her scorching hot sheath.

He fought to regain the ability to breathe, his hair damp and his body covered in a fine sheen. Moonlight from the open doors spilled across her face. Her hair was damp as well and she looked dazed, even a little frightened. He kept his fingers tight in hers, allowing his body to slowly come down from such an amazing high. Her muscles continued to rock them both, little aftershocks that kept sending electrical currents rushing through him. Her soft breasts felt perfect against his chest, his body still entwined tightly with hers.

Nuzzling her neck, he kissed his way up to her mouth, easing his weight just a little from her, although he kept his hips tight against the cradle of hers. Kissing her was a forever pastime. It was easy to lose himself in the heated velvet of her mouth, that dark, enticing erotic taste that was Saria. He levered himself up onto his elbows and framed her face with his hands, kissing her over and over. He loved kissing her. She gave herself to him, as she had when he made love to her. Totally. Holding nothing back.

“I can’t live without you, Saria,” he admitted softly, searching her eyes for an answering sign that she might feel the same way. “I’ve been alone too damned long. No one will ever need you or want you the way I do. Don’t run from me.”

She moistened her lips. “I’m scared.”

The admission turned his heart over. “I know you are, baby. I swear I don’t want to take over your life. I want to be a part of it. Say yes. I don’t want to make love to you once or twice and then have you disappear out of my life.”

“It’s a big commitment. I’m not easy, Drake. Nothin’ about me is easy. Ask my brothers. Ask Pauline. I don’ know if it’s my leopard, but since I was a child, I’ve gone my own way and I don’ know any other way.”

“Has it occurred to you that your independence is one of the things that attracts me most? I don’t want to change you. I like you a little wild, honey.”

“I don’ want you to tell me it was all a terrible mistake a few weeks from now, Drake. I think it’s your leopard and my leopard makin’ you so crazy about me. You belong with someone like Charisse or Danae. You told me yourself every leopard for miles would be crazy for me. Look what happened the other night.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Is that what you think? That I don’t know the difference between a woman I want and one my leopard wants? We’re shifters, Saria, not separate entities. I am my leopard, just as you are yours. We
both
are the same and we
both
choose you. Your leopard would never allow you to choose anyone incompatible. Mates can repeat for many life cycles. You’re the one I want. Just as you are.”

She blinked, but held his gaze. “I know I want to be with you, Drake. I’m not afraid of commitment, just of myself. I know how I am. I don’ want to disappoint you. What if you want to live somewhere else and I go with you and can’t stay? That could happen. When I was away at school, I couldn’t breathe.”

“Then we’ll come back.”

“But you’d resent me.”

He laughed softly and leaned down to kiss her again. He did it thoroughly, until he almost lost track of what had been said. “Silly woman. I don’t give a damn where we live. Besides, someone has to clean up this lair. And you’d probably run up thousands of dollars in phone bills calling Pauline.”

A slow smile started at the curve of her mouth and warmed her eyes. She raised her head to capture his mouth with hers, her kiss not quite so tentative this time.

“So the answer is yes.” He made it a statement.

“Yes.”

“So are you Catholic? Do we get married in a church?”

She blinked at him again. He nearly laughed at the shock on her face. “Love. Commitment. Marriage. Babies. That’s what that yes was all about, Saria. You said it and I know a woman like you won’t go back on your word.”

“Commitment. I was agreeing to commitment. I thought I was findin’ my way to lovin’ you until you mentioned that baby part. I wouldn’t know what to do with a baby. Sheesh, Donovan. You don’ want much do you?”

“No, just everything.”

She shook her head, but her eyes told him she was already his. He kissed her again before she could form any more protests. This time when he lifted his head he laughed softly. “Fine, we’ll put the baby idea on hold for a little while, but not too long. Miss Pauline wants grandchildren.”

“That’s such a low blow.”

“Because you’d do anything for Pauline,” he said.

Drake eased his body off of hers and rolled onto his side, taking his weight from her. Saria’s gaze drifted over his face.

“It’s hard to let go of that physical connection with you. I feel a little empty.” She took his hand and put it over her heart. “Do you feel my heart pounding? I swear there’s buzzin’ in my head instead of brains. I think you managed to short-circuit something.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his body, not wanting to let go of the physical connection between them either. “I think this is the only way I’ll be able to keep you, Saria—a little dazed and bemused from sex. When it wears off, let me know and we’ll start again. That way, you won’t see the marriage and baby part sneaking up on you.”

Saria yawned. “I’m watchin’ you.”

“You’re trying to go to sleep. Not yet, baby. Let me run a quick bath for you. You’ll be sore tomorrow and I’ve got more plans when we wake up.” He dropped another kiss on her temple and slid from the bed.

Saria made a halfhearted attempt to catch his hand, then turned away to snuggle back under the comforter. Drake laughed again and padded barefoot to his bathroom. The clawfoot tub was old-fashioned, deep and inviting. He’d soaked away the bruises and painful aches and he was determined that Saria do the same. He wanted her experience to be only pleasurable. When the tub was nearly filled, he went back to the bedroom to get her.

She lay on her side, her thick, wild hair partially covering her face. The ragged ends on top were a little spiky and he found himself smiling as he watched her. Her lashes lay like two thick crescents on her cheeks, she breathed lightly and softly, drawing his attention to her curved mouth. She looked young in her sleep, soft and beautiful and way out of his league. His heart did that strange little stutter that had warned him from their first meeting that he was in trouble.

How had his life become so intertwined with hers so fast? How did one fall for a woman and know he couldn’t live without her in a matter of days? For him, their time together was forever—he was that certain. He knew Saria was meant for him and that no matter what happened in the future, it would be Saria he always wanted.