Tales of Chills and Thrills: The Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Novels) (22 page)

“You heard me, Darlin’. Turn around. Bend over and take off those outrageous shoes. But before you do, baby, let down your hair.”

She forced a smile determined to look confident, worldly, but couldn’t help biting her trembling lip, as she took the clip from her hair. She shook her long curly hair, letting it fall over her shoulders and down her back. She threw him a saucy smile.

His eyes narrowed at her brazen response. “Oh yeah, that’s my sassy girl. Now. Last time, Princess. Those shoes. Off. Now.”

Nicki swallowed, wondering where all her spit had gone. She turned in a graceful circle, then bent over, feeling the stretch of the garters against the tender flesh of her thighs. She knew that nothing stood between the sight of her curvy ass and his probing eyes except the satin string of her thong. At his soft male groan, her courage flared. Rather than being frightened or embarrassed by the revealing pose, she was emboldened. Her legs were strong, flexible from hours of training. Her fingertips easily touched the floor. When she bent over her breasts swayed gently. She tossed her head and her hair fell in a shiny curtain of fiery fragrant gold. It shadowed her face and brushed against her nipples causing them to tighten in response. His harsh intake of air behind her thrilled her, encouraged her. She slowly undid the buckles on her shoes and slipped them off.

Turning to face him, she reveled in his heated gaze. Without being told, she unsnapped each of the garters holding her stockings, unrolled one sheer stocking, then the other, and slipped them off. She didn’t know where she got her courage, but delighted in his low guttural chuckle when she tossed the stockings to him. He caught them in one hand then held them up to his nose, breathing deeply, nodding in appreciation at the fragrance. He tucked them in his pocket then motioned to her garter belt. Twisting around, she found the tiny hooks and slowly unfastened the frothy garment, letting it drop to the floor.

With only the scrap of satin covering her mound, she suddenly felt naked, vulnerable. She closed her eyes at the lust in his expression, and put both hands over her mound, trying to shield herself from the intensity of his gaze.

“Uh uh, no, no, Princess. Don’t hide from me. Ever. I want to look at you, to see all of you. Put your hands at your sides, Nicki, or better yet, lift your beautiful breasts and present them to me.”

Nicki was stunned, as much by her response as his command. Swallowing hard at the clamoring sensations bombarding her, she lifted her breasts and held them out to him, loving the weight of them in her small hands.

His eyes widened in appreciation, his voice was low, husky.

“Mm hmm. Yes, like that. God, baby, look at you. Your breasts overflow your hands; it will take my much larger hands to capture those luscious globes. Pinch your nipples, Nicki.”

She gasped.

“What? I….”

“Ah, yes, baby, you liked it when I did that to you, didn’t you? When I pinched them and sucked on them, made them hard. Tell me. Tell me if you liked what I did to you?”

She whimpered, not able to suppress a low shivery moan.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Touch them, Nicki. Feel those soft pink tips harden, tighten. Do you like that, baby? Like the way that feels?”

“Yes, God, yes! Rafe. But please, Rafe, I need you. I need you to touch me, to hold me.”

“And Darlin’, I need you. So goddamned much. And I will hold you. But, first. One more thing. Are you wet, Nicki?”

She started, then closed her eyes and moaned.

“Yes, I…I think I am. No, I’m sure I am.”

“Touch yourself, baby.”

When she gasped, he nodded, motioning to the throbbing apex between her legs. She tentatively slipped her fingers under the satin triangle. She hesitated for a moment, then murmured, “Yes, Rafe. I’m wet.”

He gave her a knowing nod, then inched toward her, lean and hungry as a panther.

“How do you taste?”

She jerked back in surprise. He couldn’t mean…. “Dear God, Rafe!”

His voice was soft, firm, implacable.

“Lick your fingers, Nicki. Tell me, do you like the way you taste?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. His gaze was overpowering but rather than being horrified at his intimate command, her body trilled in response. She would never have thought that such a thing would excite her. But his searing intensity, his bold coiled strength, sent shivers of desire whipping through her. She licked her fingers, surprised at the earthy taste. It was sweet, salty, exciting.

She opened her eyes and met his heated gaze. She whispered, “I…I like it.”

His eyes flashed, darkened. In two quick steps, he closed the distance between them. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her fingers up to his mouth and sucked on them. He groaned.

“Oh, yeah, Nicki. I like it too.”

“Rafe?”

“Yes, Nicki.”

“Please, don’t stop.”

Remembering the times he had pushed her away, her plea touched him, shamed him. Hell, how could he have thought he could resist her? Fight his carnal urges? But he knew it was more than that. What he felt for her was not a fleeting desire, a mere physical response to a beautiful woman.

No, what he felt for Nicki was a deep compelling hunger, a need he’d never felt before. All of his hesitation, his fear of what would happen if he gave in to his raging desire evaporated. Looking into her trusting eyes begging him not to shut her out, he knew that he could not, would not turn away.

Closing the distance between them, he scooped her up in his arms. She felt soft, fragile. He had an overarching desire to hold her, protect her, never let anyone hurt her. But, for the moment, more than anything, he wanted to be inside of her. To bury his fears, his hesitation in the sweetness of her body.

He laid her down on the bed and crawled up beside her. He was shaking with need but determined to be gentle, not give in to his dark dominant side. No, he promised himself. He wouldn’t do that, not with Nicki. She was innocent, untouched. He could hold back. He was certain he could…reasonably certain. Then he smelled her. Her fragrance overwhelmed him. It was sweet, spicy, the musky scent of an aroused woman. But it was more than that. It was
her
scent. The one he’d been seeking, seemingly all of his life. He breathed in deep and with a groan gave into his raw need.

He zeroed in on the susceptible curve between her neck and shoulder. He licked the sensitive skin, then bit down, delighting in her soft whimpering cry. He understood. At a primal level he knew what all animals knew. This was her most vulnerable place. He pressed forward, unable to hold back. Tightening his fist in her hair, he pulled her head back and kissed her, possessing her mouth fully. He tried to be gentle, reassuring, but his need was too great, too demanding. He pressed her lips apart, and thrust his tongue deep into her mouth. Her response was as fierce. A shuddering moan escaped her lips. She wove her fingers in his hair, tugging at his scalp, pulling him closer. Their tongues tangled, their teeth clashed.

He groaned, a deep male sound.

“Jesus, Nicki. God, baby. I want you. I need you.”

Her breath was shallow, tight. Rafe heard her heart thudding against her chest. He licked the sweaty valley between her breasts, consuming her scent, her taste. He grasped one soft nipple between his fingers and thumb, and pinched it the way he’d told her to do. She cried out and pressed her other breast against his mouth.

“Damn, Nicki. I…want to be gentle, easy, but…baby, I want you, need you too much.”

He suckled her, licked her, then bit down hard against the throbbing nub.

She cried out, clutching his shoulders, holding him tight against her. Her voice was harsh with desire.

“No, no. Rafe. Please don’t stop. Something is happening to me… Oh God. I.…”

He felt her rising need, her deep hard shudder. He marveled at her responsiveness knowing that her orgasm was about to crash over her.

“Christ, Nicki. You’re coming just from my mouth on your breasts. No. No, baby, don’t stop.”

He pulled her closer, reveling in her soft wail as she thrashed wildly in his arms.

“God, woman, you are amazing.”

He held her tightly as wave after wave churned over her, delighting in Nicki’s wild response. It inflamed him. He knew he couldn’t stop. He had to have her.

Gently, softly, trying not to frighten her, he moved down the length of her body, nipping at her tender skin. He marveled at the firm, taut muscles beneath her soft womanly curves. He licked the ridge around her belly button then tugged on the jeweled ring decorating the soft indentation. He reveled in her whimper and dug his tongue deeper into the sensitive groove.

His breath hitched at the heady fragrance rising from between her thighs. He couldn’t wait any longer. He had been dreaming of this moment from the first time he saw her. Knowing what lay beneath her one remaining scrap of clothing only ratcheted his desire to impossible heights. He slipped off the bed and knelt before her. Dragging her hips to the edge, he wedged her legs apart with his broad shoulders.

Hearing her gasp and feeling her instinctive resistance, he murmured, “Uh uh, Nicki. It’s okay, Princess. I need you to open to me, sweet woman.”

“Rafe. Oh, God…Ahhh.”

“That’s right, Darlin’. Spread your legs, just like that. I need to get acquainted with this fucking tattoo you put on your hot body, the one that scared the hell out of me the other night.”

At her soft moan, he snapped the fragile strings of her thong and gazed in wonder at the sight below. It was even more erotic than he remembered. With trembling fingers, he traced the curve of the sinuous snake, stopping to press on the point of its wicked tongue. Her shuddering cry confirmed that the snake’s tongue pointed the way to Nirvana, a path he fully intended to explore.

Damn. How could an innocent young woman be so fucking knowledgeable? To decorate her most intimate area with this shockingly flagrant invitation? Yet he knew that it was this mix of innocence and wantonness that made Nicki so irresistible… made him intent on spending his life tapping into her passionate sensuality, discovering and meeting her driving needs that he realized with a start were as great as his.

Nicki couldn’t believe what Rafe was doing to her—with his hands, his mouth and, oh God, his tongue. He was all over her. It was as though he had a roadmap of all the pleasure zones on her body and was determined to find each and every erotic corner. She squirmed and wriggled, eager to meet his overtures. A wave of intoxicating pleasure swept over her when he moved between her legs, his shoulders wedging her thighs apart. She shivered at the rush of air against her heated flesh. His gasp and low rumble confirmed he had found her snake. His fingers trailed over the sensuous coils she knew so well then he pressed against the exquisitely sensitive nub hidden beneath the wicked tongue of the snake. She cried out, agonized, needy.

The sensations were so intense that she was afraid. She understood for the first time true physical need. It was as though her body had waited a lifetime for this man and she wanted him now. But she was frightened. He was experienced, skilled, knowing and she was…naïve. What if she disappointed him, if she did something wrong, something to push him away? She’d heard stories, listened to other women. They all seemed so knowledgeable. Oh God, she should have asked Katya.

At that moment, his fingers spread her open and her fear overwhelmed her. Her voice was shaky, contorted by need and fear.

“Rafe, I want you to touch me, not stop. But, I…I’m a little scared. I don’t know what you want me to do…what I am supposed to do.…”

Immediately he was beside her, his hard body stretched against hers. She breathed in his unique odor. She smelled the intoxicating alcohol on his tongue, the smoky fragrance of his imported cigarettes, the powerful mix of leather, soap and strong man.

His big hand cupped her chin. He lifted her face toward his, refusing to let her avoid his perceptive gaze. When she tried to close her eyes against his intensity, Rafe murmured, “No, no, Nicki. Look at me, Darlin’ and listen to me. You need to hear me. I have never wanted a woman the way that I want you. If I could I would devour you, that is how much I need to touch you, kiss you, feel you. Most of all, I need to be inside of you.”

He lifted her chin, forcing her to hold his gaze. His eyes were wide, dark. A deep furrow between his brows telegraphed the strain he was feeling.

“I’m scared too, Nicki. I want you bad, baby. I don’t want to hold back. But I don’t want to frighten you. I don’t want to hurt you. I…. Can you do something for me, Princess?”

Hovering over her, his tone was deceptively mild, belying his rigid jawline, his corded neck muscles and rock hard biceps.

“Will you, Darlin? Will you do what I ask?”

She swallowed and gave him a tentative nod.

“Don’t think, Nicki. Just feel. Let your glorious body feel all the passion buried inside of you. Let me touch you and taste you? And finally let me come inside of you and love you the way I have wanted to since the first day I saw you. Will you do that, Princess?”

Nicki was stunned at Rafe’s confession. Had he really wanted her all this time, the way she wanted him? She felt a gush of moisture between her legs at the thought of him truly making love to her. Rather than being embarrassed she was grateful that her body knew what it wanted, what she needed, what she had to have.

Surprising herself with her intensity, she grasped his face between her hands and pinned him with a fierce stare. Her voice was strained, tight with need—shaky but firm.

“Rafe?”

“Yes, Nicki.”

“Will you promise me something?”

He frowned. “I already told you I won’t stop, Darlin’. I promise I won’t do what I did before.”

“No—not that. I know you won’t. No, Rafe, I need you to promise me something else.”

He nodded.

“Anything, Princess.”

“Promise me that you won’t hold back? That you will take me the way you want to. As hard as you can? We can do it soft later. Rafe, right now I am on fire. I need you so much. Please, Rafe! Please don’t hold back.”

“Jesus, Nicki. You don’t know what you are saying. I’m a hard man, Nicki. A controlling man. A rough demanding lover. I make love the way I fight. You don’t know the way I want to take you. The things I want to do to you, to your body. The things I want you to feel.”