“But none of those situations was your fault. You couldn’t have known what would happen.”
“No, but that doesn’t change the fact that I put you in harm’s way. That’s on me, whichever way you look at it. You could have been killed. You did get hurt.”
“Yes, but…”
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“But nothing, Alana.” Using his thumb, he traced the skin under my right eye, right where the swelling had been. “If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”
I opened my mouth to reply, just as one of the council operatives called my name.
“Be right there,” I answered, but when I turned to Ty again, he had his back to me and he was already walking away.
Ty and I spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon at the church. Each time we tried to leave, more operatives and hunters showed up and we had to impart the story all over again. It spoke volumes that the council had dispatched so many hunters to one city. Our next stop was supposed to have been the agent’s place of work so that we could question him about the grimoire, but I was in no fit state to walk around the streets of LA. It seemed Malaki had mended the hole in my stomach, but not the hole in my favorite T-shirt, which also happened to be covered in blood. I might have good-naturedly called him out on it, but he’d failed to show up again after his spectacular disappearance.
When we were finally able to get out of the church, Ty found his Stetson, crumpled but otherwise unharmed, sitting in the parking lot near a wheel of the truck we’d been hiding behind. He dusted off the hat then slipped it onto his head before we made our way back to my motel, making an impromptu stop-off at the place Ty had temporarily chosen to call home.
Despite my reservations that it wasn’t necessary, Ty reasoned it would be better if we both stayed at the same motel. It would save time going from one place to the other. I couldn’t disagree with that, but I wondered if his motives were really that straightforward.
While Ty checked in, I took a shower to wash off the blood and grime that covered my clothes and skin. We didn’t have a lot of time to waste, but I stayed under the spray for longer than usual, letting the warm water soothe my tired, aching limbs.
My trip to LA had gone spectacularly poorly so far and I couldn’t help but wonder what else was in store for me. I hated feeling so out of control. I hated that I couldn’t take anything for granted anymore. Although the control I’d thought I possessed might have been an illusion all along—a carefully constructed illusion, but an illusion nonetheless.
Just a week earlier, I would have laughed in the face of anyone who told me I’d have run from any sort of danger, yet run I had. I’d been grateful for Ty’s presence, but it wasn’t as if I hadn’t worked on my own before I met him. Caleb had been out of action on too many www.totallybound.com
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occasions to count, and while he’d recuperated in various hospitals, I’d plodded on without him—ever the good little hunter trying to make her mother proud.
I’d just combed out my wet hair and wrapped a white, fluffy towel around me when there was a light rap on the motel room door.
“Alana, it’s me.”
Ty’s handsome face greeted me when I opened the door.
“I won’t be long,” I told him. “I was just about to get…”
My words faltered when Ty pushed past me and strode into the room.
“There’s no rush.” His grin widened. “Take all the time you need.”
He took off his Stetson then tossed it on the bed. I attempted to count to ten as I closed the door, but I only made it to three. I spun around.
“Ty!” I chastised. “Do you mind? I’m wearing a towel and I need to get dressed.”
A slow, sensual smile tugged at his lips, and his appraising gaze roamed over me. His eyes lifted to meet mine, and a familiar shiver of attraction rippled through me. Even though the towel covered my modesty, I’d never felt so naked—or so attractive. I was amazed that he could make me feel like that with nothing but a look and a flicker of his eyes up and down the length of me.
“Don’t get dressed on my account, sugar,” he drawled playfully. “It would be a crime to cover up those legs.”
I rolled my eyes. “Cool it, Romeo. We have a job to do, remember?”
Holding my gaze, Ty moved closer then put his hand on my arm. His touch was soft, barely there, hesitant even, but I felt it in every part of my being.
“I think we’ve earned ourselves a break, Alana. Don’t you?”
“I…”
My reaction to the way he said my name was swift. My heart pounded erratically and I tried to hide my shudder. As his fingers lingered on my arm, my stomach lurched with excitement. His beautiful hazel eyes locked onto mine. Ty waited for my reply, but if I told him yes, I suspected I’d be agreeing to more than a simple statement about downtime.
I pulled away, pretending that his nearness and touch hadn’t affected me in such a strong way, then I reached out to snatch my clothes from the bed to take them into the bathroom. “I’ll get dressed in―”
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I gasped when Ty grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop.
“Look at me, Alana.”
Slowly, I lifted my gaze. Before I could object, he gripped my hips, crushing me to him, then his lips were on mine, hard and demanding. I wanted to push him away every bit as much as I wanted to pull him closer, wrap my arms around him and never let him go. It felt like his hands were everywhere at once, cupping the cheeks of my ass, sliding up my back, skimming over the towel before touching the bare skin at my shoulders. I shivered as he slid his hands into my hair and gripped it, tugging my head to the side. Despite the sharp, stinging sensation, a desperate moan left my lips, answered instantly with a ragged growl from Ty.
Just what did I think I was doing? Sure, I found Ty attractive. Who wouldn’t? I was woman enough to admit I wanted to sleep with him—to myself, if not to him—and I was flattered that this strong, powerful, attractive man thought I was worthy of his attentions. That wasn’t the point. The point was… I liked him. I really liked him, and if we slept together, I’d be sure to like him a whole lot more, then I’d be in serious trouble. Ty and I had a job to do and as soon as it was over, we’d be going our separate ways. Caleb would be out of hospital in a few days and when he was, it would be game over for Ty and me. While all these thoughts were flitting through my mind, Ty kissed me as no man had kissed me before.
He pulled away a little to look into my eyes. “I can feel you holding back. Relax. Let yourself go.”
The small amount of distance he’d put between us was enough to give me a renewed sense of clarity. I took a step back, putting yet more space between us.
“I can’t,” I told him.
I kept my eyes trained on the floor. I was afraid to meet Ty’s gaze, afraid that I’d take one look into those spellbinding hazel eyes and melt at his feet in a pathetic puddle of female hormones.
Ty wasn’t about to settle for avoidance.
Using his forefinger and thumb on my chin, he tilted my head up, sweeping his thumb against my bottom lip. I shivered.
“Why not, sugar?” he asked, his voice a deep rasp. “What are you so afraid of?”
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other for a couple of days. He was hardly going to declare his undying love for me. It was too soon to determine if I even wanted a relationship with him, serious or otherwise. God, I was being silly. My verbose and muddled thoughts brought even greater clarity. It was just sex.
That was all. Just a little harmless fun. It might
even have been really good sex.
What was so wrong with that?
It didn’t need to be a forever type of thing—just two people enjoying each other’s company. Ty’s earlier words came back to me and I had to admit, they sounded pretty darn good. I ignored the treacherous part of my mind that suggested I might have wanted more from him and more for myself. Life wasn’t always hearts and flowers. Sometimes you just had to take the good times when they were handed to you in the form of a sexy, Southern cowboy who called you sugar.
Ty sighed then grabbed his Stetson off the bed. “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain anything to me. Perhaps I got it wrong.” He shrugged. “I’ll wait for you in the car. Take your time getting ready.”
He turned to leave, making me acutely aware of one resounding fact. I didn’t want him to go, but he’d made his play and I’d pushed him away. If I wanted him now—which I most definitely did—it was up to me to make the next move.
“Ty,” I called, surprised by the strong certainty in my voice. “Kiss me again?”
His eyes widened momentarily, then his surprise gave way to desire, and the burning fire in his eyes further ignited my craving for him. He pulled me against the hard lines of his body. When his lips descended on mine, his arms encircling me, he kissed me with so much warmth, so much passion, that I knew I’d made the right decision. I moaned against his mouth just as he drew me in tighter—so tight I felt every inch of his powerful, muscular body. His burgeoning erection pushed against my hip and as soon as I felt it, I wanted it.
Ty pushed his tongue at the seam of my lips, and I opened for it, coaxing it into my mouth. His kisses were hungry, ravishing—drugging. I reveled in them and in him. He broke the kiss only to nuzzle under my chin before running his nose along my neck. With his tongue, he blazed a hot, wet trail along my shoulder blades, his teeth scraping against the skin on the way. I wasn’t even aware I’d made a sound until Ty informed me of it.
“Jesus, Alana, the sounds you make—those whimpers—those moans. I could get used to hearing those.”
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I opened my eyes and looked into his, but any reply I’d have given him became stuck in the back of my throat. Besides, I was too afraid to break the spell. I was lost in him and my mind was on fire as what he’d said registered. I could sure as hell get used to making those sounds for him.
“I never wanted anyone as much as I want you,” he said, his words causing an ache in places I hadn’t known could ache like that. “Want you so damn much.”
When his mouth returned to mine, the kiss he delivered was even more frenzied than before. He devoured me, his lips, teeth and tongue working in unison to drive me insane with need. The ache shifted, morphing into a searing heat—into flames—a burning desire so strong that I was on the verge of climaxing without as much as a single touch against my overly sensitized clit. Was that possible? It certainly felt like it. He moved me backward and before I could think about what was happening, my back slammed up against the bathroom door. I didn’t have the time to catch my breath because his mouth was on mine again, and he was kissing me as if starved for me. It was a heady feeling to have such an effect on him and one I didn’t take lightly.
Ty tugged the towel off my body then threw it somewhere behind him. I didn’t see where it landed and I didn’t care, because his mouth was doing things to my body that should have been illegal they were so hot. His hands seared my naked flesh.
“You’re so beautiful, baby,” he praised. “So damn perfect.”
I flushed. He certainly knew how to make a woman feel beautiful. He slid his hands around my waist, his fingers biting into my hips and, as he pressed his lips against my neck, sucking the sensitive skin there into his mouth, I moaned and bucked against him.
“You have too many clothes on,” I informed him between kisses.
He looked down at himself, a sexy grin tugging at his lips. “So I do. You care to help me rectify that situation?”
Returning his grin, I tugged the shirt out of his jeans. “Happy to oblige.”
I quickly divested Ty of his clothing and when he was as naked as I was, he pulled me back into the cradle of his arms. The feel of his strong body against mine drove me wild with need. His uncovered erection rested against my hip, the heat of it feeling like a brand against my flushed skin. I ran my hands over his shoulders then trailed them down his back before bringing them around to his stomach. Ty’s warm breath seared me as he flicked his tongue www.totallybound.com
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against my skin, tasting every inch of me. With each touch of my hand or gentle sweep of my fingers, his erection seemed to harden further, its length twitching, ratcheting up my desire.
Ty pulled me toward the bed and I went willingly, stopping only to press more kisses against his delectable mouth.
“I need you, sugar,” he moaned. “I need you so damn much. I can’t wait to be buried inside you—to feel your wet cunt gripping me—fucking me. Want to hear you screaming out my name when you fly apart.”
I groaned and gripped his hips as a flood of wet heat dampened the tops of my thighs. I wasn’t used to such talk and I’d always hated the ‘C’ word, but Ty made it sound unbelievably hot. Although I was fairly certain he could make anything sound sexy, partly owing to his slow Southern drawl, mostly it was just him. Sex appeal oozed out of his every pore.
“Ty,” I whispered, urging him with my body and breathy response. “Please.”
I didn’t have the words to express what I wanted and probably couldn’t have said them aloud even if my mind had been firing on all cylinders. Fortunately, I didn’t need to.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’ve got you. I’m gonna make you feel good, Alana. Gonna give you what you need—what we both need. Won’t stop until you’re mine in every way.”
The last sentence, rasped out, stirred something deep inside me. It awoke a need that had been lying dormant for so long—a need to be protected, cherished—a need to be loved. I was tired, so tired of trying to be strong, of trying to be the best hunter I could be so that I lived up to people’s expectations. I’d been doing that for as long as I could remember, so much so that I’d lost sight of my own needs, my own desires.
I’d always wondered how it would feel to have a deep connection with someone, a meeting, not just of bodies, but of souls. As Ty stared down at me, a reverent look on his face, that was exactly how he made me feel. I wasn’t sure if he was offering me more than a brief encounter or if he’d merely gotten caught up in the intimacy of the moment, but I hoped our tryst would lead to more.
I hoped for it with all my heart.
Ty turned us, his mouth still fused to mine, then he came down on top of me. He was a tall, muscular man, but I welcomed his weight and his heat. He slid his fingers through my hair then grasped the back of my head, using it for leverage to pull me up to a mouth that www.totallybound.com
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always seemed hungry for more of my kisses. He slid his tongue against mine, then his mouth was gone and his lips hit my neck in the sensitive juncture right below my ear. I shuddered.
A needy moan escaped my lips.
“That’s it, babe,” he whispered. “Let yourself go.”
I wanted to in many different ways, but I couldn’t count on him being there to catch me if I fell. I tried not to let thoughts of the future distract me, however, because I wanted to be present, to fully appreciate how good he made me feel in that moment in time. Everything else was as unimportant as white noise.
When Ty kissed his way down my chest, I gripped the sheets and my breath left my lungs in a whoosh as his mouth covered one of my nipples, teasing the firm bud with his tongue.
The scrape of his teeth sent more wet heat flooding my core. He sucked my nipple gently, and I arched my back, my torso lifting off the bed. I couldn’t
remember being so aroused and so ready to be taken.
“Jesus,” Ty breathed. “You’re so damn sexy. I can’t get enough of you.”
I felt his cock twitch against my leg and I wanted it inside me with a need that bordered on desperation. It was good to know that he was as affected by me as I was by him. I was about to beg him to take me, but then Ty lifted his mouth off my nipple and began to trail his tongue down my belly until there was something I wanted even more than I wanted him to fuck me.
My legs opened as if by their own accord.
Ty slid his hands underneath my ass and lifted me up to meet his mouth then, without preamble, he put his lips over my clit and took it between his teeth, raking his tongue over the little nub.
“Yes!” I shouted, trying to raise my hips higher, wanting more.
The deep, rumbling groan that left his lips as he tasted and teased, vibrated against me, ratcheting up my desire until I thought I might combust. Ty licked lower, dragging his tongue between the swollen folds of my sex, then he pushed it inside me with a loud groan. He fucked me like that, in and out, on and on until an animalistic growl left his throat.
“You taste so damn good.” His voice was even huskier than usual and the sound of it washed over me like the welcome spray of a tropical storm on a hot summer’s day.
I moaned in reply and closed my eyes, lost in what he was doing to me, but Ty nipped one of my thighs.
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“Open your eyes, honey,” he ordered. “Watch me pleasure you.”
I shook—the effect of his words and the way he uttered endearments with such ease mirrored the effect of his tongue on my clit, moving in a slow, steady stroke—firm and insistent. Each drove me higher and higher until I wasn’t able to hold back any longer. I slammed my head back against the pillow and let it go.
The orgasm ripped through me with tremendous force, and I cried out as it ravaged my body. Throughout it all, Ty kept his mouth on me, kept the pressure on my clit strong and sure.
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