He reared back, practically pulling all the way out. Only her grip on his thighs prevented it. “What the hell?”
Crap, she should have told him. Now something wonderful was going to be ruined. She ignored the tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
As Alexei swore in both English and Russian, one of those ridiculous tears slipped away and rolled down her temple. He groaned, leaned in, and licked the salty drop away. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I would have gone slower, been more careful if I’d known.”
“I knew what to expect.”
He shook his head in obvious confusion. “How is it you’ve never done this before?”
For the first time, she was self-conscious about her current position. She tried to move away, but he wasn’t having it. He slid part of the way in. She tensed in anticipation of more pain, but it wasn’t so bad this time.
“Cassie?”
Oh right, he’d asked about her sex life, or lack thereof. “We don’t have sex.”
By the shocked expression on his face, she’d obviously taken him aback. “Never?”
“Nope.” Since things were better this time, she wiggled a bit, taking more of him.
He grunted but wasn’t fully distracted. “What about since you defected from your job?”
How could she explain it? Hey, I feared I might drain a partner’s energy, maybe accidentally kill them, so I abstained, learning about my body all on my own as my curiosity grew. But I didn’t worry about that with you. Yeah, that would kill the mood.
She shrugged. “Wasn’t something I thought much about, until I met you,” she tacked on at the end.
His blue eyes seemed to grow darker. “I wish you’d told me.”
“Mmm,” she hummed slightly as she tilted her hips upward, taking more of him. “It’s okay. Feels good now.” If anything, she was frustrated. Had an ache she couldn’t quite ease.
Alexei laughed, his big body shaking. She slapped her hand against one of his massive biceps, making her fingers sting. Not an ounce of fat on the man. It was all pure solid muscle. “Not funny.”
“It’s a little funny.”
She squirmed again, this time in the opposite direction. He clutched her hips, holding her in place. “I can make it better,” he promised. She stilled and then nodded. If he left her hanging, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. Wasn’t like she’d packed her vibrator when she’d run, the one she’d bought online and had shipped up north at great expense. Not like she could run back to her apartment and get it.
When she finally nodded, he released a huge sigh. Was it relief? Probably, the poor guy had to be really uncomfortable. He was still thick and hard.
When he thrust, she braced, just in case. But her inner muscles rippled, accepting him. A light sheen of sweat covered his torso. His amazingly wide torso. The man was a delight to look at. It was time she took advantage of the situation.
She danced her fingers over his pecs and down his muscled abs. When he rocked forward again, there was no discomfort, just an unfamiliar sensation of being stretched and filled.
They were connected in the most basic and intimate of ways. It was…different. She squirmed slightly, trying to adjust to having him inside her.
Holding her head between his big palms, he pressed his lips to hers. She loved his kisses. He was better than cheese and chocolate, her two favorite foods. Until she’d suppressed her abilities, she’d never had to worry about being hungry or getting cold.
While she could do without some of what she’d experienced, it was all worth it for this moment.
With their lips melded and their tongues tangled, he pumped his hips. She was wet from her orgasm, so he slid fairly easily. The friction made every cell in her body sit up and take notice.
He nibbled on her jaw and then buried his face against her neck, using his lips and teeth to drive her passion up a notch. Suddenly, he wasn’t moving fast enough, wasn’t plunging deep enough.
Her slick channel rippled around him. Every nerve ending in her slick passage was electrified.
“More.”
He moved faster, flexing his hips harder. This was what she needed. She clung to him, finding the right rhythm.
“Harder,” she demanded.
He chuffed, his breath hot against her skin as he powered in and out. The sheer force of it slid her up the bed, so he tucked his hands under her and cupped her shoulders to keep her in place.
She teetered on the edge of another orgasm. Then he bit her. Not hard, but enough to send her flying. Her body spasmed, her pussy squeezed his dick.
Dimly she heard a strangled growling roar, followed by the hot flood of his release as he came.
…
He’d almost blown it. Collapsed on top of Cassie, Alexei tried to get his breath back. Afraid he was crushing her, he used the last of his strength to roll onto his back, taking her with him. He was still buried deep in her softness and planned to stay there as long as she’d let him.
With her in his arms, resting against his body, everything was perfect.
She’d been a virgin, and he’d taken her like a marauding bear. But he’d made up for it. At least he hoped he had. If not, he’d make her come over and over until she was willing to let him make love to her again. Because once was not going to be enough.
They’d come together in a way he’d never experienced. Every one of his senses had been heightened, every thrust intense. And he’d never orgasmed so hard.
Holding her securely, he rolled from one side to the other. He was just so darn content.
She raised her head from his chest and smiled. “I take it you’re satisfied?”
He brushed a lock of her silky black hair from her forehead before tucking a slightly longer strand behind her ear. Then he touched her earring, making the dangle swing. It was pretty. Unable to resist, he surged up and rubbed his nose against hers, making her laugh.
“Yes.” That was it. There was a wealth of emotion in that one word. When she lowered her head and snuggled, he curled his toes, pleased with the world. They still had a wealth of problems to deal with, but he’d learned to take joy where he found it. It was rare and meant to be treasured.
“I liked it too,” she confided.
He brushed his lips over the top of her head, content to simply hold her. They were there a long while before she shivered. He managed to tug the comforter out from under them and pull it over her. As they lay there, he replayed every moment of their lovemaking.
He suddenly tensed. Shit, he’d bitten her. Had he broken the skin?
“Everything okay?” She sat up, dislodging his semi-erect cock. He grunted, not liking the loss. Reason kicked in, too. He didn’t smell blood. He hadn’t bitten her because of bloodlust. He’d nipped her in the throes of passion, but that was natural.
Control hadn’t been a problem before, not with either of his sides.
Ignoring her question, he asked, “You hungry?” He was starving, but then again, he needed a lot of food. Probably not the most romantic thing he could have said. Most women would have pouted or gotten tearful, accused him of being insensitive, but Cassie smiled.
“I could eat,” she told him.
He pulled her into his arms for a hug, loving the way she clung to him. She’d shed a tear, but only when she’d thought she’d ruined everything, which made his heart ache. He was the one who’d rushed things, who’d assumed she had experience.
She’d been a virgin. He’d been her only lover.
The idea appealed to him more than it should. Maybe it was a throwback to the time in which he’d been raised. But he couldn’t really blame that. Females of his species slept with whomever they pleased. And any male who suggested there might be something wrong with that quickly found his opinion corrected.
You didn’t mess around with a female shifter and tell her what to
do. Not if you wanted to keep all your limbs intact.
Cassie had that kind of toughness. While she’d been on unfamiliar ground when it came to sex, now that she’d done it, he’d bet good money she’d be as confident as any polar female.
“Can I use your shower?” she asked, breaking him out of his reverie.
“Sure.” He rolled off the bed, strode to the closet, and pulled out one of his shirts. “You can use this as a robe. If you’d like,” he added. It was way too big and would fall all the way to her knees, but the idea of her wearing something that belonged to him pleased him.
“Thanks.” She bounded out of bed, filled with energy. He was hungry, but otherwise doing great. A quick peek at his dick confirmed it was standing at attention again. Yup, he was doing just fine.
“You know,” he began. “It would be environmentally friendly to conserve water.”
She eyed his erection before reaching out and dragging the tip of her finger down to the base and back up again. “It would be the right thing to do, wouldn’t it?”
Alexei could only nod. When she headed to the bathroom, he was right behind her.
He should be cautious, was opening himself up too fast and inviting in a world of heartache. For the first time in his life, he didn’t care. Come what may, he’d never regret this.
A shiver ran down his spine. He paused, a sense of foreboding filling him.
“You coming?” She peered around the edge of the door.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” In more ways than one.
Chapter Ten
Alexei was mellow. He’d taken her again in the shower. He’d intended for it to be slow and easy, but things had heated up fast, leading to frantic shower sex. Now that they’d eaten, he planned to coax her back to bed. But there was something he needed to do first.
“I need to call Maccus.”
Cassie shoved her empty plate aside. Unlike most women who tended to pick at their food, she’d devoured two burgers, fully loaded. He’d eaten an even dozen himself, along with a platter of fries. They were frozen ones, but they’d still tasted pretty good.
“Didn’t you already email? Why do you need to call him?” She drummed her fingers on the table before curling them into a fist. “What if he tells someone? What if he decides to come here to check things out himself?”
Now he understood. While the leader of the Brotherhood was a formidable opponent and the most dangerous man he knew, they lived and died by a code. This was his contract and none of the others would interfere while he was working it. “He won’t.” Of course, there would be more like Damian who would try their luck, but he’d handle them.
Staring out the window, wearing nothing but his shirt, she appeared almost fragile. It was way too big and slipped over one shoulder, exposing the long column of her neck. He licked his lips, the blood hunger still very alive inside him. He gripped it with his iron will, refusing to allow it to gain traction.
“I’m trusting you.” She swiveled her head around and stared at him, her beautiful eyes silently pleading with him not to betray her. Her words seared themselves into his psyche. She’d never regret placing her trust in him. He’d make sure of that.
He retrieved his phone and brought it back to the table so she could hear everything. “I’ll put it on speaker.” She nodded and started to stack the dishes, but he snagged her hand. “After.”
Setting down the plate in her hand, she huffed out a breath and nodded. “Let’s get this done.”
He punched in the numbers, having no idea if he’d get an answer. The powerful immortal wasn’t a big fan of talking, or people, for that matter. It rang seven times. He was about to give up when it was answered. But it was a female voice, not a male one, that spoke.
“Yes?”
At the same time, in the background, he heard a male yell, “Damn it, Morrigan, I told you not to answer that.”
“Yes, you did,” she cheerfully answered. “Who is this?”
Wow, he was impressed with her courage and audacity. Not many—no one in fact—went against Maccus’s dictates. Not unless they were prepared to die, but he was very sure Morrigan was in no danger of that.
“Ah, it’s Alexei. Alexei Medvedev. I need to speak with Maccus.” Cassie leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, seemingly fascinated by the unique conversation.
“What?”
He did not sound happy, so Alexei got straight to the point. “What do you know about reapers?”
“The job is for a reaper?”
“I sent you an email.” Of course, he probably hadn’t checked his email in days, maybe weeks.
“I told you to check them.” Morrigan’s voice was loud enough to be heard in the background. “Here it is. He did email you.”
“The contract is for a reaper,” he explained. “Thing is, whoever took it out omitted that little detail. I was supposed to track her and then be bait, so when she killed me to protect herself, her people could find her.”
A deadly silence fell between them. They’d only crossed paths in person when he’d first joined the Brotherhood. He’d thought he was such a badass until he’d met the much older male. It was Maccus who’d sent him to various teachers to train, making him hone his skills for a hundred years before pronouncing him ready.
“The Forgotten are not bait. Not for Heaven or Hell, and certainly not for fucking reapers. I’ll look into it. They’re a law unto themselves and don’t mingle with the rest of us.”
That matched what Cassie had told him.
“Morrigan wants to know if you need assistance.”
Oh, it had to pain him to ask. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
Maccus grunted and ended the call, but not before he heard Morrigan ask, “Can I meet him? Where is he?”
He put his phone on the table. Cassie seemed amused. “So that was the Hunter?”
“Yes. Make no mistake, anyone else questioning him in such a manner would be dead. Morrigan is the only being in the universe that can get away with it. Not even Lucifer himself would risk it.” While he might not know the true story, he’d heard rumors about the leader of the Brotherhood.
“Got it. If I ever meet him, I’ll keep my head down and my mouth shut.”
He shook his head. “No, if you ever see him, run like hell, because he’s there to kill you.” He hated to scare her but better she be prepared.
“You said he wouldn’t interfere?”
“We don’t get in each other’s way. But if someone were to take out a contract on both of us, convince him I’d been compromised…”
While he’d put up one hell of a fight, he couldn’t defeat the fallen angel. Word was Lucifer and an archangel had both tried. And Maccus was still standing.
Alexei tended to believe it wasn’t an exaggeration.
“Will he call back with information?”
“Maybe, if he finds anything he thinks will be useful. He’ll likely just email.” He rose from the table and stopped by her chair long enough to scoop her up.
“What are you doing?” She looped her arms around his neck, more bemused than upset at his high-handedness.
“Taking you back to bed.” If they had to wait around, they might as well enjoy themselves.
“Now?”
“What’s wrong with now? Are you tired?”
“No, I’m not tired.” She sounded exasperated. He wondered why. He wasn’t always so good when it came to relationship stuff, but he was more than willing to learn, for her.
“Okay then.”
“What about the dishes? What about the potential killers on my trail? Oh, and let’s not forget Maccus Fury. I can unlock my abilities and disappear to the other side of the world, but that would leave you to face him alone.”
She was worried about him. His chest expanded, and he felt as though he grew a couple more inches
. “I’ll be fine.” And if he wasn’t, he wasn’t. As long as Cassie was safe, nothing else mattered.
“You’re crazy. You know that?” He sat on the side of the bed with her in his arms. “You’re lucky I find crazy sexy,” she grumbled.
…
This was not the sensible thing to do. It seemed as though half the world was after her. Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but some of the most dangerous creatures alive were on her trail.
She’d glimpsed Maccus from afar on a couple occasions, but not in the past few hundred years. Her people tended to steer clear of the immortal. There was something about him, according to those who’d risked being in his proximity, that made a person run in the other direction.
Alexei might not be as dangerous as his leader, but he was very deadly in his own right. It would be smart to steer clear of him, but she’d much rather run toward him. So, kissing him made perfect sense, even though they were being hunted.
His lips were warm and salty, just like the French fries he’d eaten. Yum. His chest was conveniently bare, since he’d only pulled on a pair of jeans after their shower. He was the sexiest man she’d ever seen—and she’d been around long enough to be an authority—with his long hair and his full beard covering the lower portion of his face. Not to mention his huge biceps and abs of steel.
He fell back suddenly, taking her with him. She laughed, clutching his arm for support. It was like holding on to a massive tree trunk. He was so strong, so courageous, but not even he could save her.
Fate would eventually catch up with her. It was only a matter of time. Running forever wasn’t an option. But she wouldn’t regret her actions because they’d led her right to this moment.
“You’re thinking,” he complained, more growled, really. The deep rumble vibrated through her.
“Sorry.” She turned until she was lying flat on top of him, peering down at his amazingly vivid blue eyes. With his white and brown hair and his thick beard, he could have walked off the set of a Viking television show. Minus the tattoos. He didn’t have any.
He eased his big fingers into her hair, stroking the short strands. “It’s okay.”
Arctic Bite Page 11
