Chosen Prey

by Cheyenne McCray

  Dare raised his head and dragged in a deep breath. Her lips were moist, and her face felt warm where his stubble had chafed her. Her breathing had quickened, and her heart was pounding.

  He rubbed his mouth over her lips again. “Are you sure?”

  Lyra smiled and brought her hands from his hair to cup his stubbled cheeks. She reached up and gave him a light kiss. “Nothing could change my mind. I want you, Dare.”

  The expression on his face was almost tortured, like he couldn’t wait any longer. It made her want to smile inside, to know that he wanted her so badly he could barely control himself.

  “Let’s get downstairs.” He parted from her, took her hand in his, and drew her to the stairs. “I’d rather not have any interruptions.”

  She couldn’t help a small laugh. “Nick said he didn’t think we’d be needing two rooms tonight.”

  Dare grinned and kissed the top of her head. “When it comes to you, I think I’m an open book.”

  They started down the stairs and she squeezed his fingers as she looked up at him. “Me, too.”

  When they were in his room, he firmly shut the door and locked it behind him. “Nothing short of an explosion is going to interrupt us,” he said with a sexy grin that made her melt. “Even then, I’m not so sure.”

  He led her to the bed and guided her so that she sat on the edge, looking up at him. The quilt felt soft beneath her thighs, and the floor was cool under her bare feet. For a guest room it was large, with big, bold furnishings and a bed that was perfect for lovemaking. The lighting wasn’t too bright, but he turned on the bedside lamps and then flipped off the switch for the overhead lights and it was far more romantic.

  Lyra swallowed down a burst of nerves that caused her to tremble. She wanted him to come to her, to touch her. Yet at the same time something tight gripped her belly. This would be it. This would be the man she’d lose her virginity to.

  She trusted him enough to give it to him.

  Dare was incredibly slow and deliberate in his movements. He went to his leather duffel, where it perched on one of the cushioned chairs. The sound of the zipper was loud in the quiet room. He reached in, felt around, and pulled out a box. For some reason her cheeks heated when she saw that it was a box of condoms.

  “Prepared?” she said.

  “For you.” He moved to the nightstand, opened the box, and let the packets spill onto its surface.

  “Um, wow.” Her gaze met his as he came back to stand over her. “You have that much stamina?”

  He grinned that sexy grin again and placed his hands to either side of her hips, bringing his face close to hers. “For you,” he repeated.

  “Then be with me,” she whispered against his lips, and he kissed her softly, gently. He brought his hands to the hem of her T-shirt and tugged it upward, exposing her sturdy plain white bra. One day silk and satin, she promised herself.

  He didn’t seem to care what she was wearing when he pulled her T-shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. She took a deep breath as he kneeled and lowered his mouth and licked her through the cotton of her bra. Lyra moaned as he sucked each nipple so that the material was wet and cool when he removed his mouth. He moved his hands smoothly beneath her arms to her back, where he easily unfastened her bra. He slipped it off her, and when he tossed it aside the bra landed on one of the lampshades.

  “Nick wouldn’t approve of you throwing things around the room,” she said with a grin.

  He gave a low laugh. “That makes it even more fun.”

  Lyra didn’t have time and definitely didn’t have the presence of mind to respond, because he began licking one of her nipples with his warm tongue, then sucked her nipple into his mouth. She slipped her hands into his hair and tilted her head back. Soft moans came from her throat with every suck and nip of his teeth.

  He moved to her other nipple, and the one he’d just licked and sucked felt cool without his mouth on it. She sighed with pleasure as he brought one of his hands up and began rolling the nipple between his fingers.

  When he moved his mouth from her breast to her belly, she sighed with disappointment at him leaving her nipples, yet excitement that his mouth was traveling toward her mound. He rubbed his nose against her cloth-covered sex, and she heard his deep inhale.

  “I love your scent,” he said as he raised his head and gripped the elastic waistband of her cotton panties. “And I already know how good you taste.”

  A rush of heat whooshed over Lyra. He drew back so that he could ease her panties down, over her hips and legs to her feet. When he reached her feet, he lightly massaged them before pulling the panties over her toes and flinging them so that they hooked over the bedpost.

  She couldn’t help a small giggle, but it quickly turned into a gasp as he scooted her up the bed so that she was lying on her back with her head on the pillows. Dare had his denim-clad knees to either side of her thighs and his hands braced beside her head. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her, and his shirt felt rough and erotic against her nipples.

  Lyra had to touch him. She reached down and cupped his erection through his jeans. He felt so hard and long beneath her hand. So much had happened in the last three days that her head spun with it. But she knew this was right. Everything about Dare was right.

  “Get naked.” She pulled away from his kiss, and she was so turned on she could barely speak. “I want to see you with nothing on.”

  Dare didn’t stop looking at her as he eased off the bed. He unsnapped his Western shirt and flung it onto the floor, and she sighed. His smooth chest was marred only by the large scar on the front of his right shoulder, and she wondered how he’d gotten it.

  She smiled and watched him toe off his boots, then take his socks off. “You know you’re taking too long.”

  The look in his eyes darkened. She bit her lower lip as he shimmied out of his jeans. His erection was a hard outline against his boxer briefs. The moment he pulled them down, his cock sprang out, long and hard.

  When he was completely naked, she took a moment to study him. He was so large and powerful she felt small in comparison, and she’d never felt small before.

  His movements were smooth as he eased onto the bed beside her so that they were facing each other. “You’re beautiful,” he said as he trailed his fingertips along her waist to her hip. “The moment I saw you walking up your stairs carrying those groceries, something twisted in my gut.”

  She couldn’t help but tease him. “Then you got a face-full of pepper spray.”

  Dare grinned, but it vanished as he clamped his hand on her ass and pressed himself so tightly against her that his erection dug into her belly, and her breasts were smashed against his chest. A frisson of fear mixed with excitement caused her to shiver. How bad would it hurt?

  “You smell so good.” He nuzzled her neck and her hair. “Always like sunshine and roses. And woman.”

  Lyra’s body was so sexually charged that every word he said sent more vibrations through her.

  He moved his hand between them and stroked her. Tingles prickled her skin. Whether from embarrassment, fear, desire, or the feel of him stroking her, she wasn’t sure. Probably all of it.

  She wrapped her palm around his erection and lightly squeezed. Everything about this moment, about this man, was beautiful, and all the horrors of her past evaporated like mist beneath the rising sun.

  Dare held her gaze. “Don’t think I’ll last much longer at this rate,” he said in a voice so rough it was almost harsh. “It’s all I can do to keep from making love to you so hard you’ll see stars.”

  More warmth swept through Lyra. “I want to see the stars with you.” And she did. Oh, how she did.

  Dare kissed her long and hard as he grabbed her ass and pulled her tight against him. The feeling of butterflies going berserk in her belly became stronger as he rolled her onto her back.

  This is it. This is it.

  Dare took a deep breath and sat back on his haunches, just looking at
her for a moment. He reached over to the nightstand, grabbed a packet, got the condom out, then threw the package on the floor. While she watched, she bit her lower lip as he slowly rolled the condom on. Her heart beat faster to know he was going to be inside her, all of him, in just moments.

  His expression was so serious when he looked at her again. “Are you a virgin, honey? I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks as she nodded. “I—I just need you. I’ll be okay.”

  “I want you to remember this,” he said. “I don’t want you to ever forget our first time.”

  “How could I?” she whispered as she slid her hands down his back. “I’m with the one man who’s rocking my world.”

  Dare’s jaw tightened and he slowly pushed inside of her.

  “Ohmygod, ohmygod.” Pain seared her as her gaze met his. “Stop. Just a moment. Please stop.”

  He held completely still, his expression filled with concern. “I’m sorry. Do you want to change your mind?”

  Lyra shook her head. “No. I’ll be okay. I’m ready for more.”

  Her eyes watered and she bit her lower lip as he inched deeper inside her. It hurt so bad she couldn’t help a couple of tears from slipping down the sides of her eyes.

  When he was fully buried within her, he held still and kissed away her tears. While he moved his lips to hers and gave her a gentle, sweet kiss, her body had time to adjust to his length and girth.

  After a few moments he drew away and she smiled. It was starting to feel good with him inside her. “Do it now. I want it.”

  He began a slow, even stride, moving her body with every thrust, rocking her world, just like she’d said. It hurt at first, but the beginning sensations of pain became such extreme pleasure that she lost herself to it.

  She slipped into a trance. A trance of pleasure, of feeling, of being.

  “Look at me.” The gruff voice came from above her and she pulled herself back from the Otherworld she’d found herself in for those few moments. “I want to see your eyes while I take you for the first time.”

  Lyra’s whole body was on fire as her gaze locked with Dare’s. She squirmed beneath him, then wrapped her legs around him and crossed her legs at her ankles. She wanted him, wanted to keep him close.

  Dare grunted as his thrusts became harder and faster and it felt impossibly better and better. He surprised her by raising her legs up and putting them over his shoulders. To her shock and pleasure, she felt him even deeper. It felt so good.

  Stars started to spark inside her mind, and she found it harder and harder to maintain her focus on Dare’s eyes. Her whole body vibrated like it was going to explode. His jaw was tight and he looked like he was gritting his teeth. Sweat rolled down the side of his face and fell onto her breast, and she knew she was going to lose it.

  “I’m going to come.” His strokes were long, deep, fast, his voice hoarse and tight as her legs clamped him over his shoulders. He brought one of his hands between their bodies and stroked her clit in time with his thrusts. “Come with me.”

  Tingles erupted where he fingered her into sparks all over her skin, and those stars in her mind became brighter and brighter. She lost focus and couldn’t see Dare’s eyes any longer. She tilted her head back. Her orgasm coiled so tightly in her belly that it was only going to take a few more strokes of his cock and his fingers, and she’d be gone.

  Dare brought his lips to hers and kissed her so hard she felt his teeth against hers. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and fingered her clit harder. His kiss and touch shoved her over the peak, past reason, past thinking. She cried out against his mouth, and when he raised his head she was still crying from the exquisite sensations.

  “That’s it.” He thrust three, four, five more times. “That’s it,” he barely managed to get out before he shouted, his voice filled with triumph and power.

  The sound of his cry made her body throb even more. She didn’t want it to end, yet she didn’t know if she could take any more.

  With one last groan, he lowered her legs from his shoulders and rolled onto his side. He brought her close to him, his thigh hooked over her hip, and her face resting against his chest. His breathing was hard and ragged, and his heart pounded beneath her ear. Her own heart thrummed just as hard and she was having a hard time catching her breath, too. She sucked in the scent of sex, sweat, and testosterone. His body felt slick and warm against hers, and for some reason that made her hot for him again.

  Dare squeezed her tight before relaxing his hold, and he seemed almost reluctant to do so. He nuzzled her hair, his chest moving with the breath he took, and he released a deep sigh.

  “I’ve never trusted a man.” She swallowed, finding the words hard to speak. “Until you.”

  He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Thank you for this, for trusting me.”

  “Thank you for making my first time so special.” She smiled. “I feel wonderful inside and out.”

  Dare cuddled her close to him. “You wore me out, woman. I’m so tired I don’t think I could move if I tried.”

  She gave him a wicked grin as she ran her fingernails down his chest, and her eyes met his. “What about all the other condoms?”

  Dare’s mouth curved into a smile at Lyra’s words. Despite the fact that he felt like every bone in his body had melted, he was growing hard. So that was what mind-blowing sex was like.

  Lyra ran her finger down his chest and reached up to kiss him lightly. “Hmmmm?”

  He responded by rolling onto his back and bringing her with him. She giggled as he brought her on top of him, so that she was straddling him. “I can handle all you can dish out.” He hoped he could. What she did to him was incredible. It wasn’t just the sex, it was something deeper, more primal, something gut-level.

  With a quick movement, he slipped off the condom and disposed of it in the wastebasket between the nightstand and bed.

  Lyra pushed herself up by bracing her hands on his chest, then rose up with her palms on her thighs. “What am I going to do with you?” she said as she rocked. She looked so beautiful, her short red hair tousled, her lips swollen, and her skin pink and moist from perspiration.

  “I’m going to take you again,” he said as he braced his hands on her hips.

  She shook her head and grinned. “Not yet, cowboy. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to ride.”

  “Oh yeah?” He slid his hands up to her breasts and cupped them in his palms. He liked how they were large and overflowing. “Maybe this cowboy is ready for a ride now.”

  Lyra tipped her head back and moaned at the feel of his hands on her breasts. When he pinched both of her nipples, she gave a little cry. She had to take control of the situation.

  She leaned forward and met his gaze as she brought her hands up and placed her palms over his strong fingers. “Stop distracting me.”

  He slid his hands from her breasts and settled them at her waist. “From what?”

  “From this.” She reached up and brushed his hair from his forehead. “I want to touch you.”

  Dare’s grip on her waist tightened as she trailed her fingers down the side of his face, over his coarse stubble, and to his firm lips. He took one of her fingers into his mouth and sucked, causing her to gasp in surprise and pleasure. She pulled her finger from his mouth and trailed it down his jaw, the wetness of it mixing with the sweat of his skin.

  She leaned forward and her nipples rubbed against his chest. Inhaling his incredible scent, she moved closer yet and pressed her lips to his face and began flicking her tongue along the same trail her fingers had taken. His skin was salty and she said, “Mmmmmm, I love how you taste.”

  Dare grabbed her ass cheeks and squeezed as her lips met his. She was glad he let her take the lead as she nipped at his lower lip, then slid her tongue into his mouth. She lightly sucked on his tongue, and he squeezed her ass tighter, as if restraining himself. He moved his mouth in time with hers, a gentle kiss that she felt ripple throughout her bod
y. It made her want to have him inside her again, but she wanted to play, first. She was a little sore, yes, but the pleasure far outweighed what small amount of pain she had felt.

  She moved her lips from his and kissed his skin along his jaw to the curve of his neck and down to the scar on his shoulder. She pressed her lips softly against it and raised her head to look at him. “Another macho wound?”

  Dare’s features darkened and she knew at once she’d hit on a sore subject. “From my days on the police force,” he said, and she sensed he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

  Lyra reached up to kiss him again, wanting to wash away the memory of whatever painful experience had caused that wound.

  She reached over to the nightstand and took one of the foil packets in her hand. As she lightly trailed one corner of the packet down his chest to his abs, she gave him what she hoped was a sexy grin. “Ready for a ride, cowboy?”

  The rumble in his chest vibrated through her fingers. She brought the condom packet to her mouth and caught the edge with her teeth. With her eyes focused on his, she slowly ripped opened the package, taking her time, making him wait.

  He narrowed his eyes, and his fingers dug into her ass cheeks. “Hurry up, woman.”

  Lyra cocked a brow. “Woman?”

  Dare growled and she grinned, but she slipped the soft condom out of the package and tossed the foil onto the floor. She scooted back so that she straddled his thighs and she had access to him. He had to release her ass but stroked her thighs with his fingertips.

  Intent on teasing him as much as she could, Lyra placed the condom on the head of his erection and rolled it down as slowly as possible.

  He groaned and grabbed handfuls of her hair. “If you don’t stop teasing me, I’m going to buck you off and fuck you my way.”

  The thought of him taking her like that, and the way he said fuck sent a thrill through her belly. “Later, cowboy,” she said.

  Dare released his grip on her hair as she rose up and positioned herself just over the head of his cock. Her eyes locked with his as she slowly eased down his length and took him deep inside her.