by Thorne, Elle
Rafe pulled away the slightest bit, barely separating their lips. “I want you.” He let the words fall on the warm summer breeze.
“I want you, too,” she whispered, confusion coloring her words. She trembled in his arms.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me,” he murmured into her hair.
“I’m not.”
The idea that desire had created her trembling almost threw him over the edge. He’d better pull away, or he’d behave like a caveman and take her somewhere to sample every taste and scent and touch of her. He fought with all his might to keep his tiger restrained.
“I could make you mine.” He held her tight against him, his large hands cupping her face, his thumbs resting on her beautiful cheeks.
“You think it’s that easy?” Her words issued a challenge, but her tone said the opposite.
“Nothing’s easy with you.” He touched his lips to hers then lifted them. “And it’s exactly how I’d want it to be.”
A soft sigh escaped her, warming his neck, filling his heart.
“Tell me about you.”
“I’d rather hear about you,” she countered.
“Nothing to tell. Youngest son of Giovanni Tiero. Brother to a whole lot of sisters.” He shrugged. He didn’t really want to talk about himself.
“So, you’re the youngest son? How many other brothers?”
“Just my half-brother Vax. He’s got a sister, Veila. Then their mother died and Gio married mine. And I’ve got two sisters, Lila and Sophie.”
“You call your dad by his first name?”
“He prefers that. Not so odd, though. Your father prefers to be called by his rank only. Even his wife calls him that.”
“Our fathers are fucked up.” She laughed.
“Potty mouth.” He sat and pulled her onto his lap.
She frowned and gave him a dirty look. “Complaining already? I don’t think you’ll make it through the weekend at this rate.” Her full lips curved into a slow smile.
“Not complaining. I like your potty mouth.”
“It’s probably not a good idea for our fathers to ever meet. That could get ugly.”
He laughed heartily, his arm looped over her thighs so she didn’t fall out of his lap.
“Or maybe they should meet,” he offered. “Maybe seeing each other’s peculiarities would be an eye-opener.”
She rolled her eyes and stretched, yawning. His eyes feasted on the way her body arched when she stretched, the way her full breasts popped out, teasing him, making him want to touch, taste, and lick.
She covered her mouth with a muffled, “Sorry. Long night.”
He knew about her long night. He’d been there for most of it.
When had things gotten so intense between them? The undercurrent had always been there, but this fervor to have her had built so quickly.
His tiger snarled at his naiveté.
“Your turn,” he told her. He wanted to know more about her.
“Will you show me your place first?”
He looked at the three-story structure nestled in the pines behind the villa. He couldn’t imagine anything more boring compared to spending time with her.
Then it hit him. “You’re stalling.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ugh.
Jax was stalling. The truth was, she couldn’t care less whether he lived in a villa or a hovel.
He pushed her off his lap gently.
“Hey, what’s that about?” she asked.
“Come on, we’re going to a private place. To talk privately.”
“Oh, that sounds mysterious.”
“Just follow me.” He led the way into the trees, away from the pool and the grandiose house. “This property has been in my family for generations. We haven’t sold it. It was a stronghold, then the fortress we had was torn down and the villa was put up.”
“Your family has been in this area a long time.”
“On my father’s side.”
She stumbled. “Sorry. Sandals aren’t the best for this sort of hike.”
“Damn. I’m sorry.” He stopped and put his hands on his knees, squatting. “Hop on. I’ll take you there.”
“What? No. I’m not—”
“Come on. Now.”
Oh, the hell with it. She hopped onto his back, her hands sprawled across his chest, fingers wide, holding on for dear life, though she knew he wasn’t going to drop her. “Where are we going?”
“The only place I felt like I could be me when I was young.”
She felt his chest expand under her hands, the muscles like bands of irons beneath her fingertips. Her breath hitched at the sheer sexiness of being on this devastatingly sensual man’s back, her body so close to his it was as if they were melded.
“Why did you have such a hard time?”
“It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
He didn’t have to say. She’d already picked it up. It was his father.
The forest had become denser, the bed of pine needles thick and crunching beneath his shoes.
“No, it doesn’t matter now.” She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and hips and held on tightly. “How much farther?” He must be tired.
“A few yards.”
True to his words, several paces later he paused and straightened, arching back a bit so she could slide off.
Jax slid down slowly, loath to part with the feel of his body against hers.
The forest had opened up to a tiny grove, and, at the far end, a cave lay in a little hill. He took her hand and they walked slowly through the orchard.
“My haven until I was sent to boarding school.”
“You went to boarding school?”
“One after another. I had a bit of a behavioral issue when I was young.”
The idea of being sent away from your parents was foreign to her. Jax wondered if she’d have wanted that. As bad as her relationship had been with her parents, they’d never done anything like that. They’d never abandoned her to a boarding school.
“Why didn’t your dad keep you at home?”
“He just didn’t.” Rafe shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”
It’s a big deal to me. “I hope you won’t feel that way about your own children.” She felt sad he might perpetuate the pattern.
“Hell, no. I’ll want my kids.”
Relief coursed through her, though she knew she had no cause to feel relief. It wasn’t like they’d have children together.
“Going in with me?”
“Rafe. It’s dark in there.”
“I have great vision.”
This time she did roll her eyes.
“Come on.” He dug his phone out of his pocket and flicked the light on, shining it into the cave.
She followed him in, both of them ducking to get through the low entrance.
“I guess it was easier to get into when you were young.”
He didn’t answer as he brushed leaves and debris aside with his shoe and pulled a large rock away from the wall.
“Have a seat. I want to show you something.” His voice held an eerie note. “But first, a question.” He propped the phone up on a ledge on the wall.
“You can turn it off,” she said. “It’s not that dark once you get accustomed to it. What’s your question?” She sat on the rock and scooched over so he could join her.
“Why did you come to Italy?”
“To study. I attend the university.”
“Yeah, but why here? Why Rome? Why Italy?”
“I…” She rubbed her palms on her pants. Why were her hands sweating like this? “I can’t answer that. I just had to.”
“Will you tell me about the tattoo? And the dreams?”
She chewed on her lip, could feel it becoming raw. “I’m tired of being laughed at and made fun of about it.”
“I swear I won’t make fun of you.” He swiveled the light. “Look.” He shone the light on the wall.
Jax gasped.
&nbs
p; On the wall was an image that was an exact replica of the white tiger tattoo on her neck.
She tried to breathe but nothing would go into her lungs. “That can’t be.”
“But it is.” Rafe took her hand.
“No. You just put this here. You just drew it. Today. Or yesterday.” She shook her head, over and over.
“When would I have had the time to do that since I saw your tattoo? How would I have made it look so old? You know that’s not true.”
The tattoo on the back of her neck warmed. “How long has this been here?”
Jax’s question bounced off the cave walls. Although it had been spoken softly, it had a reverent tone to it, almost as if they were in a holy place.
For him, it was holy. Rafe wondered if she understood how this could impact him, even if she didn’t know about his tiger. He’d created the artwork years ago. After shifting into his tiger, he’d studied the tiger in the mirror and memorized his features, then he’d come out to his cave.
First Rafe had etched the image in painstakingly tiny movements, carefully carving the effigy of the tiger into the cave’s most inner wall. When he was happy he’d gotten it as accurate as he could, he’d gone out and bought paints, then filled in the color.
The color had faded, but it still resembled the tiger he’d created so long ago, and it was a mirror image of the one on her neck.
“I did it one winter when I came home for the holidays.”
“How long ago?” she asked again.
“Twelve years ago. I was fifteen.”
She gasped. Her face paled.
“What?” Rafe studied her expression, trying to figure out what was wrong.
“That’s when my dreams started.” She plucked at her pants, over and over. “How can this be?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
How could she possibly believe the way these things worked? He hadn’t even been sure until he met her. Jax made anything he’d ever thought or felt for another woman seem like it was a bad imitation.
“You mean…you know? You know what this is about?”
“It’s about us.”
“Us? What us? In what way?”
“In every way, Jax.” He took her hand, laid it flat on his chest, and covered it with his own. “My hearts, they beat for you.”
“Hearts?” Her brown eyes were coffee-colored pools open wide with wonder.
He didn’t answer her. He wasn’t sure he could yet. Then he said, “Do you believe in destiny?”
“God, yes. Of course. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be who I am.”
“We’re destined for each other. There’s no other way to explain it. But my secret… I can’t keep it from you if we’re together.”
“And you want to know about my dreams? So, we’d trade secrets? No judgment?” She asked him this as if everything depended on it.
“I would ask the same of you when I tell you mine. No judgment?”
“Oh, Rafe. Never. I…” She cleared her throat. “This isn’t a weekend thing, is it?”
“It never was.”
Chapter Fifteen
Rafe leaned toward her, his breath warm on her neck. A shiver-of the good kind—washed over Jax. Her body seared with a fire for him, she ached for his touch, and a yearning pooled between her legs.
Any questioning doubts she’d had lost the battle with desire and a need for Rafe that trumped reluctance, though she felt nothing close to reluctant. Rafe awoke a part of her that needed to be taken and possessed by him. She could no sooner deny herself the pleasure of Rafe than she could her requirement for air.
Rafe wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. His lips swooped in and took hers, conquering, owning. She pressed her curvy form against the muscled length of his body. His desire for her pressed between them, a demanding, pulsing reminder.
Jax put her arms around his neck, more than for a kiss—she needed to hold on to him. Her knees went weak, and her thighs quivered.
He slipped one hand under her top, his fingers hot on her flesh, searing into the skin on her back. As they trailed to her stomach, she sucked it in for a moment, that old feeling of insecurity biting at her. She pushed it away and brought her hands down, over his neck, scoring his skin with her nails, tugging on his shirt with fervor.
She popped two of the top buttons on his shirt then slowed down before she destroyed it. His passion matched hers as his other hand snapped her bra loose and slipped under the constraining fabric.
Her nipples were tight with hunger for his touch. When his fingers brushed over the hard peaks, Jax gasped and closed her eyes. He pulled her top over her head and then removed her bra.
She stood topless, trembling with desire, her heavy breasts with taut nipples eager for him. He struck quickly, taking a nipple in his mouth, sucking it in.
The sensation sent her to a place where stars flashed behind her closed eyes. She couldn’t keep the moan from coming out. With a hand on one breast and his mouth on the other, he tormented her, making her muscles contract and moisture drip into her panties.
Head thrown back, body arched, Jax held on to his shoulders while his free hand drifted ever lower, hot fingers scorching her stomach, pausing at the barrier created by the waistband of her pants.
Jax’s breaths came out in huffs and spurts while he slid her pants and underwear down her thighs.
Jax stood before Rafe, a goddess with a lush body and a desire that matched his own. He slid a hand down her body and cupped her mound, breathing the sex of her in deeply, letting the aroma sit in his lungs while his cock strained with a pulsing hunger.
He flicked her nipple with his tongue, back and forth, over and over, and she groaned. Rafe’s fingers slid between her slick folds, putting pressure on her already swollen center, rubbing in quick, circular motions while his mouth kept a matching rhythm.
She squirmed and wriggled in his arms, her nails digging into his shoulders, scoring the flesh, fueling his passion.
His fingers had a life of their own, rubbing her faster and faster while she moved, pulling him closer with her grip on his shoulders.
She began to moan, a low, sensual sound that began to build toward a crescendo, bouncing off the walls, echoing in his ears and heart.
When she screamed and hung on to him, her body giving in to the orgasm fully, he told her, “Give it to me, all of it.”
As if her body belonged to him, with one final burst, she screamed. “Rafe!” His name was one long moan as it left her lips as she released a gush of sweet-smelling fluid from her pussy.
He swooped down, claiming her mouth, his tongue dancing over hers, then conquering, in the same way he wanted to conquer her heart, mind, soul, and body.
Her legs shook against his. Rafe removed his pants with one hand and sat on the rock, bringing her onto his lap with her back against her chest.
Like a homing missile true to its target, his cock found her moist entrance. Without control, with no ability to stop the storm raging within him, Rafe pulled her down, his length filling her, stretching her, but not all the way in.
A small gasp escaped her, a testament to his thickness, then she slammed down on him, taking him in all the way.
He felt the muscles still spasming from her orgasm as her red velvet sheathed him.
As if they’d done this forever, he moved his hips and she ground down on him, his cock so deep in her, he felt her back walls caressing his mushroom head.
His chest compressed with the power of their desire. Lava coursed through his veins, electricity through his nerve endings.
A groan ripped from his throat when she rocked forward then leaned all the way back. He fought the urge to give in to the blaze, tried to temper his desire.
One second was all he had before she slammed onto his hardness again. She took him in deep, her moans pouring over him. While she was all the way back, he wrapped his arms around her, cupping her breasts, pinching her nipples mercilessly between his fingers,
rolling them into stiffer pebbles.
He wanted her. All of her. Nothing but her. And most of all, he wanted her to understand the passion that drove him. He may have contained it beneath a veneer that obeyed society’s guidelines, but his tiger didn’t feel the same compulsion.
His tiger roared, the sound escaping from Rafe’s throat, ancient and primal, unforeseen and overwhelming.
Rafe pushed her forward, not gently, but not so roughly as to hurt her. With hands and knees on the cave’s dirt floor, he stayed as one with her, and pushed her down farther, until her ass was fully in the air.
Rafe pulled out of her and admired her dark-red, glistening pussy, his tiger’s vision allowing him to see every drop, every beautiful, moisture-shimmering fold. He spread her open with his fingers, his mouth watering at the way her entrance winked at him, her muscles tensing with anticipation and desire. Leaning down, he allowed himself one long swipe of his tongue from her clit to her ass.
Her flavor made his cock swell to the breaking point.
Roaring again, he slid his hard cock into her with a powerful thrust.
Her scream of passion matched his roar. Her hair fell forward, and her tattoo glowed. He glanced at the tiger he’d created on the wall. The markings of both matched perfectly. The tiger’s eyes on her tattoo glowed a vibrant deep blue.
His tiger paced within him, wanting to couple bond, wanting to claim her forever. His teeth ached with a need to make her his. But Rafe held the tiger back. It had to come from her. And it had to be clear.
The tiger relented, pushing him closer to coming undone.
When another of her moans filled the air, matching the one when she’d climaxed earlier, Rafe picked up speed, sliding into her over and over, pounding against her body, skin slapping, juices making delicious sounds. She wriggled and her muscles began a foretelling grip on his cock. He thrust harder and harder.
“Jax!” His lungs burned, his cock gripped tight between her muscles. With a surge that reminded him of nothing he’d ever experienced before, he rode a wave of release.
