The Man Within (7 page)

“Hello, Roni.” Merinus’ smile was gentle as her gaze flickered between them. “I’m sorry we had to meet under such circumstances.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Roni’s voice was soft, husky with tension as she smoothed her hands over her arms. “I’m sorry, too…”

“Please, don’t be.” Merinus shook her head, a small smile tilting her lips. “These men tend to shake up a woman’s life more than should be allowable. But in the end…” She glanced at her husband’s faux-mocking expression. “They can be worth it.”

“I think I’ll wait to comment on that one.” Roni breathed in harshly. “If you don’t mind.”

Merinus’ concerned gaze was filled with knowledge as she glanced at Taber. She, more than anyone else, was well aware of the need pulsing through Roni and the stress she was under.

“I understand completely, Roni. If you need anything, be sure to let any of us know. We want you to feel at home here.”

Roni nodded, murmuring her thanks, but Taber could see the fine film of sweat on her brow, the flush in her cheeks.

“Please, come in. Taber can show you up to your room and you can rest before dinner. We can talk later.” Merinus frowned at Taber, a dark, disapproving look that he met head on.

They entered the marbled foyer as Taber gripped Roni’s upper arm and led her to the wide, circular staircase at the right of the large entrance. His suite of rooms was on the second floor, but all that concerned him was getting Roni to the large, well-built bed that occupied them. There he would do more than mark her. There he would claim all that had been his, all she had sought to deny them both over the last lonely, hunger-filled months. There she would pay.

Chapter Seven

What was wrong with her? Roni felt feverish, uncertain, almost dazed with the sexual needs that threatened to bring her to her knees with their intensity. As Taber led her up the stairs she fought the nearly debilitating weakness that made her grateful for the steadying hand that gripped her arm. His body was large, so hard and warm beside her that she could feel the heat radiating from him.

His hand steadied her, but all she could think of was having it run over her body, stroking her, soothing the fires burning in the very depths of her womb. She had never been so crazed with arousal. No, this wasn’t arousal. It went even beyond lust. It was a compulsion, a hunger that tore through her, making its demands nearly irresistible.

“What did you do to me?” She tried to jerk away from him, to get away from the insidious pleasure that heated her body at his touch, but he wasn’t letting go of her. “This isn’t funny anymore, Taber. I’m sick of the silent, he-man treatment.”

They entered a large sitting room. A cherry desk, complete with computer, printer and fax, were at one end of the room. He drew her past a relaxed sitting area with an entertainment complex that would have impressed her if she had time to care about anything other than the fire raging in her pussy.

He led her through another opened door, into the bedroom. The room was dimly lit, with dark, cherry furniture and thick curtains shading it from the lowering sun, giving it an intimate, sexy feeling.

At the far end of the room was a large sleigh bed, the mattress and box springs so thick she would have to jump onto it to sit on it. A dark burgundy comforter was turned back, thick pillows plumped and placed against the headboard.

She shivered as she imagined herself on it with Taber, his body covering hers, his hands stroking her. She bit her lip, fighting the whimper that threatened to escape her throat.

“Answer me, damn you.” Roni turned on him angrily as he moved away from her, closing the door behind them.

She stared into his eyes…those deep, brilliant eyes. A predator’s eyes. She could see the evidence of his unique DNA now. In the high cheekbones, the narrowed gaze.

“You’re coming into heat,” he answered her, his fingers going to the buttons of his white shirt as she watched him loosen it slowly.

Her knees weakened as each fastening came loose, exposing more of his tanned, sleek skin. She shook her head, wanting to close her eyes, to escape the power he suddenly held over her. She wanted his shirt off. She wanted to run her fingers over the bulging muscles of his body, feel his hard heat, touch him, taste him as she had dreamed of months before.

Then his words hit her.
Coming into heat.
She felt her heart begin to race in fear. She blinked over at him. Each breath shuddering through her chest felt labored, painful.

“What do you mean?” She swallowed tightly, fighting her shock.

Taber shrugged the shirt from his shoulders, the hard, well-defined muscles of his chest and arms flexing with power and strength.

“Exactly what I said.” His voice was hard, but his gaze had hot, liquid lust glittering in the jade depths. “You’re in heat, Roni. Your body’s preparing itself, assuring that neither of us can refuse what nature demands.”

He dropped the shirt carelessly to his feet as he moved to the padded chest. His eyes never left her; they raked over her, darkening, heating, as he watched her breasts heave with her fight for oxygen.

God, she wanted to taste him. His stomach was flat, hard, the well-developed abs flexing as he removed his boots.

“How?” She couldn’t make sense of anything except the hunger flaying her body. “It’s never been like this. Even after you bit me. Why now?”

He came to his feet, towering over her, walking to her slowly, his gaze never leaving hers.

“I hadn’t kissed you, Roni,” he said softly, as he came within touching distance.

The scent of his body infused her senses. It was male, hot and dark, captivating, as she trembled before him.

“What…” She shook her head, fighting the compulsion to touch him, to taste him. “What did the kiss have to do with anything? Dammit, Taber.” Her fists clenched as she forced herself to back away from him, to fight the driving hunger thundering through her body.

“The kiss allowed a special hormone to release from my body to yours.” He followed her, stalking her as she continued to retreat. “A hormone that is only present when I touch my mate. When I touch you. It allowed me to mark you, physical proof to any other that you belong to me. But it wasn’t enough to heighten your senses or your arousal to this state. Only my kiss can do that, Roni. My kiss marked you in a way nature will not let you deny.”

His voice was rough, deep, almost rumbling as Roni backed into the wall, staring back at him in horror, in fury.

“My God. You knew.” She almost winced at the grating sound of her voice. She sounded as shocked, as frightened, as she knew she was. “When you kissed me, you knew you would do this to me. You knew what would happen.”

His hands slapped the wall beside her, his expression turning savage, almost feral, as he bared his teeth in a warning growl. She flinched, her eyes widening, her pussy clenching at the sound.

“You will not deny me this time, Roni.” His voice rumbled with power, with determination. “This time, you will not escape me.”

She would have fought him, she assured herself. She would have moved from him, would have shoved his balls to his throat with her knee if he hadn’t swooped in, his tongue piercing her mouth as his lips covered hers. The moment he did, every cell in her body sang out in relief, and the fury coursing through her whipped into lightning-hot desire.

Sweet, dark honey filled her senses once again. She whimpered beneath the onslaught, her hands rising to grip his waist, her nails biting into his flesh as the feel of his skin seemed to sink into her cells. She moaned, her tongue tangling with his as an inner voice screamed out in warning. Danger. Temptation. Run!

He didn’t touch her other than with his lips, with his tongue, and they were voracious in their demand. His strong teeth nipped at the curves. His tongue soothed the slight sting then thrust back demandingly until she closed her lips on it, desperate to hold it still as she fought to make sense of his taste, his power over her.

He growled. A feline rumble of hunger as she tightened on his tongue, drawing on it, moaning at the faint taste of honey, suddenly needing more. His hands gripped her head as his lips slanted over hers, driving her insane with the hot, sensual provocation of the ever deepening caress.

Second by second she could feel her body burning brighter, hotter. Her breasts ached, the nipples hard little points begging for his attention as his chest settled closer.

“God, you taste good.” His roughened voice caused her to shiver with pleasure as he pulled back, staring down at her, his eyes narrowed, intense. “I wonder how much better the rest of you tastes.”

His knee slid between her legs, pressing against the sensitive mound between her thighs.

“Don’t do this to me, Taber,” she whispered desperately, her hands tightening on his waist as she shuddered with an exquisite pain that rode much too close to heated pleasure.

His hard thigh rocked against her cunt and she wondered desperately if he could feel the moisture seeping from her body. She wanted to tear herself away from him; she wanted to jerk him closer. The conflicting needs warred within her, fighting an insane battle for supremacy.

“Do what? Make you mine?” he growled. “It’s already been done, Roni. I can’t take that back. And I sure as hell won’t regret it.”

His lips moved to her ear, his tongue swirling around it sensually as she fought for breath.

“I can’t do this,” she cried out, yet her body writhed against his, needing to touch him, to feel the heat and hardness he offered her.

Her head fell back against the wall as his lips trailed down her neck. His fingers pulled at the buttons of her blouse, releasing the torn fabric as the air around them heated with blistering need.

“Shush, baby,” Taber whispered as his lips stroked over her collarbone. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

He pushed her shirt over her shoulders, smoothing it down her arms as he lifted first one of her hands from his waist, then the other to allow the material to fall to the floor. It was the most sensual sensation she had known in her life, his hands, calloused and warm, sliding over her flesh, removing the cloth between his touch and her skin.

“How pretty,” he whispered as his gaze centered on her breasts. “So full and swollen. I can’t wait to take one of those hard little nipples in my mouth, Roni.”

She whimpered at his words, standing before him, her breasts straining against her lacy bra. His head raised, his eyes going over the full curves that rose and fell so swiftly. She wanted to close her eyes to escape the intensity of the feelings bombarding her. At the same time, she wanted to be certain she didn’t miss a second of either seeing or feeling the power behind his sudden hunger for her.

“I’m scared.” Roni shuddered harshly, fighting the overpowering lust with every beat of her heart. It wasn’t natural, this need. She had always wanted him, always dreamed of his kiss and his touch, but not like this. Not this drugged, overriding demand she couldn’t control. “Taber. Make it stop. Make it stop now, dammit.”

Her pussy clenched with such resounding demand that it took her breath. She gasped, almost crying out as his lips stroked over the smooth flesh rising from the cup of her bra.

“It will ease soon, Roni,” he promised her, his voice so rough, so harsh, it caused her to shiver in pleasure as his fingers released the front clasp of her bra. “Just as soon as I get you in that bed and slide between those pretty thighs, it will be all better.”

Chapter Eight

Roni blinked in shock as Taber’s words whispered around her. It will all be better? As soon as he does what?

She pushed at his shoulders, ignoring the cramps in her womb, the moisture sliding from her tormented pussy.

“I don’t think so.” She shuddered with need. “Taber, wait. We have to talk about this.”

Oh, this wasn’t good at all. Her body was overruling her mind and she couldn’t seem to rein it in long enough to get a grip on the situation.

His tongue was running over the tops of her breasts. Sweet lord, it wasn’t smooth and soft like any normal person’s would be. It was slightly rough, hot, rasping deliciously against her skin. What would it feel like on her nipples?

“You taste so good, Roni.” His shoulders tightened as he dipped his head further, following the inside curve of her breast, tracing the border of lace that still covered the swollen mound. “So hot and sweet.”

His hands moved from the wall, stroking down her back until they clasped her hips, rocking her against the hard thigh insinuated between hers.

“Taber.” She had to make him stop. Didn’t she?

She pushed against his shoulders again, her head falling back against the wall as she fought the weakening lust surging through her blood.

“Roni, I don’t know if I can stop,” he whispered as his lips nudged under the lacy bra, coming dangerously close to the hard peak of her breast.

She could feel his breath on the tormented tip, every cell tightening in exquisite longing as his teeth then tugged at the material, drawing it away from the swollen curve.

“Taber. I can’t… Oh God!” She arched in his arms as his tongue swiped across the hard bud of her nipple. Electricity shot from the little nub straight to her womb, taking her breath as it spasmed in pleasure. Okay, so she wasn’t going to be able to say no, evidently, she thought distantly. It didn’t mean she had to let him live after he was done, though.

His mouth covered her nipple, suckling at her desperately, his cheeks flexing, his tongue rasping as she began to writhe on his hard thigh. The pressure against her clit was destructive, drowning her in pleasure, in desperation.

She was only dimly aware of his hands loosening her jeans, then sliding beneath the material until he could cup the smooth globes of her ass. His hands covered the naked skin, flexing, gripping and parting her rounded cheeks as he moved her against him.

“I can’t wait for the bed,” he growled against her breast as his thigh moved back from the tormented mound between her thighs. “Now. Like this, Roni.”

He shoved her pants down with one hand, the other loosening his jeans, freeing the thick length of his cock from confinement. He didn’t take time to help her kick free of her shoes. He gave her no time to deny him. Before she could voice her shock he pushed her to her knees, following her down as he came behind her.