He hummed against my throat and his eyes opened slowly. The black was gone, leaving them their usual brightness, and they twinkled with amusement. “Yes?”
“Are you all right?”
And just like that, he laughed. It was a deep, scratchy thing that tickled my own throat and made me want to laugh along with him. He kissed my cheek and nuzzled deeper into my neck before he answered.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Sometimes during the mating seasons, shifters have… urges.” I raised an eyebrow. This was reminding me far too much of my health classes in high school. “And I often have a hard time controlling them.” He pressed another kiss to my throat, and I winced. He’d found one of the bruises he’d left. “Are you all right?” he echoed.
“Oh…” I said, rolling closer to him. I grinned. “… I am fantastic.” He snorted at my exuberant grin, and we both snickered. Our laughter shook us gently, and for a few minutes we did nothing but chuckle quietly into each other.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I shook my head at his question. “Good.” A pause. With a shy smile, he said, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For letting me find my release. I was growing irritable, and I worried I was forcing myself on you. But now I’m feeling much, much better.” I nodded and wriggled myself out of his arms. Standing, I set about looking for our clothes, which had gone missing throughout our activities. As I bent to pick up my jeans, I felt his eyes on me.
“What?” I asked over my shoulder.
“You’re beautiful,” he replied. I turned and found that he was sitting up, his legs crossed and one elbow propped up on his knee. He rested his chin in his hand, and his gaze followed me as I walked. A small smile rested on his face, quiet and content in its presence.
“Yeah?” My voice cracked a bit as I spoke. I wasn’t used to all this attention, and while I liked it, it was a little disconcerting at times.
“Yeah,” said Leon. “Your body is filled with dips and curves that are perfect for my hands. You hold warmth and beauty in the pale expanse of your skin. You are beautiful, fantastic.” He actually sighed. “I have never met a human woman who strikes me the way you do.”
I flushed red and felt the flush carry down most of my body. My shoulders, freckled as they were, went pink, and my ears turned bright red. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and wiggled into my panties. They were torn a bit at the side, but I didn’t care. “Um. T-thank you.” I cringed at my stuttering. That wasn’t like me. “So,” I said, changing the subject. Leon looked amused. “This mating thing, does it happen often?”
Leon stretched toward the sky and yawned, his sharp teeth flashing in the diluted light. The leaves ruffled around his thick hair as the breeze blew in. For a moment, he looked more lion than human, with a luxurious and voluminous mane and teeth capable of tearing through the thickest of hides. I leaned back against a nearby tree, watching him as he watched me.
“Yes,” he said. “Two or three times a year, usually.” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck and standing up. “Actually, once I find a lioness that I prefer, we can mate up to forty times a day.” He shook his head, hair flying everywhere. “It’s quite exhausting, I tell you, but very, very worth it.”
My eyes went wide at the thought. Forty times a day? I didn’t know if I was capable of having sex that many times a day. I didn’t know if any human being was capable of having sex that many times a day. Being a shifter must have changed a person enough to allow them to do something like that. I felt a tight coil of heat curl in my stomach. The thought of being with him again and again, of finding heat and pleasure in his body over and over again, of pressing myself against his body until I couldn’t feel my legs… I suppressed a shudder, but felt myself flush once again. It sounded too good to be true. I wanted more of him. I wanted to taste him, to touch him, to map every inch of his body. And I wanted him to do the same to me.
“We should get going,” I said. My voice was hoarse, and it shook as I spoke. Leon raised an eyebrow at me and smirked. Though I was fairly certain he couldn’t read minds, I knew he could trace scents. I wondered what kind of scent I was giving off right now. By the looks of Leon, it was something good.
“Yes,” he said finally. “We should.” He stood, stretching luxuriously, and set about collecting his clothes. I knew I should have collected the rest of mine, but I couldn’t help but stop and stare at the man who stood before me. He moved with a grace that wasn’t human – and I knew it wasn’t, but that didn’t stop how incredible it was. His long body moved in perfect rhythm with itself. His muscles flexed at the slightest provocation. The golden expanse of his skin rippling as he bent to collect his clothes.
I stared. I stared and felt my body grow hot all over again. Ghostly touches of his hands haunted me as he moved. I remembered the way his hands had skimmed my body, the way his fingers had danced across my hips, the way his mouth and his lips had traced every inch of me before he’d finally thrust inside.
Leon looked back at me with hooded eyes, and I flushed more deeply. He slipped on his pants and tugged his shirt back on, but I noticed he only draped his jacket around his shoulders. Realizing I was still half naked, I quickly scrambled to find my shirt and bra. By the time I’d gotten those on, Leon had his shoes on and was holding mine out to me. I had to sit down on a nearby stump to put them on, and I could feel the heat of Leon’s gaze the entire time. I was tempted to ask him what he wanted, but I had a feeling I knew the answer. While it brought heat to my cheeks, I didn’t want to force him into something he didn’t want to do.
So we started walking again. We walked through the thick trees and underbrush of the forest. Trees so tall I couldn’t see the tops canopied our movements, and flashes of sunlight through the thick foliage brought forth the colors of the forest floor. Hundreds of flowers and bushes caught my eye as we walked along in silence. Large, yellow flowers with white centers, blue hanging flowers that shook like bells, bright pink flowers shaped like little pairs of lips, and dozens more. I ran my fingers across the tops of the bushes as we walked.
Leon was silent, but the entire time I could feel his gaze on my back. Every time I turned to touch a leaf or tree, every time I bent to sniff a flower, he was there. And the heat of his gaze was slowing driving me mad. I wanted to whip around and kiss him. I wanted to shove him to a tree as he had me, but I didn’t. I didn’t know how he’d react, or even if he was in full control of himself.
“Do you come out here often?” Leon’s voice jarred me from my pondering. His voice was lower than I was used to, but I remembered it from our earlier coupling. I bit my lip to control myself before I responded.
“Yes,” I said. “I like to draw here.” I gestured to the flowers and kept my gaze off Leon, just in case he decided to give me a look with his hooded gaze again. I wasn’t sure how long I could resist, especially with the heat pooling in my belly. “The trees and flowers, coupled with the differences in sunlight…” I trailed off and shrugged. “It’s beautiful, that’s pretty much it. And no matter where you go in the forest, it’s always difference. No tree, no flower, no river is the exact same.” As if to emphasize my point, I heard a river in the background as we turned to a slightly worn portion of the forest.
Leon and I were working together to make sure I wasn’t trekking through the thicker parts of the forest, and it paid off. We were back on a path I recognized now. We were still deep inside the forest, and the underbrush rose up around us on all sides, but our footpath was largely clear. I stepped over a few raised roots and traced my steps toward the river.
“Sounds like your sketchbook would be beautiful,” said Leon. I gasped. My sketchbook and bag! I’d left them back in the forest.
As if to answer my panic, Leon swung a bag from behind him and held it up. In my effort to not stare into his dark eyes, I had completely missed that he had my bag. Quickly, I grabbed it and checked that everything was inside. My entire body relaxed.
“Thank you,
” I said, smiling at Leon. He smiled back. Then his smile curved into something darker. Want filled every inch of his face. Dark, hooded eyes stared back at me, pursed lips twitched.
He pounced. This time I was ready for him. My fingers twined in his hair even as he pressed himself to me. My bag touched down on the ground as gently as I could manage before we stumbled back from one another. He laughed against my mouth and pressed hotter kisses to me. His body was more relaxed this time, and I was grateful for that.
We tumbled to the ground, and Leon leaned back on his knees to rack over my appearance with his eyes. He smirked and I propped myself up on my elbows. I raised my eyebrows at him in question, beckoning. Without a word, Leon leaned forward and pressed his lips to my again. Our mouths met in a hot kiss. His teeth tugged at my lower lip. I parted my lips and his tongue met my. Our kissing grew faster, scorching and erratic. His hands slid up my shirt. His fingers tugged at the bottom and pulled it up. I lifted my arms and we pulled back just long enough to pull it off my head.
I grinned and drew him back down. His hands slid over my body, taking in every curve and dip once more. I wondered if he was mapping my body for future reference, or if he simply couldn’t resist touching every inch of me. Instead of thinking up an answer, I decided to rip his shirt off as well. It came off easily, and his jacket had already dropped off. Once his chest was bare, I wasted no time in running my hands all over it. My eyes roamed across the golden expanse of his skin and flicked back up to his face. His wild hair hung everywhere, and he grinned at me, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Are you going to stare, or are you going to do something?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow and flashing a sharp, hungry grin at him. He growled, low and feral in his throat, and lunged at me. He mouth found my throat and pressed deep. His mouth skimmed my collarbone, plucked at my throat, tugged downward. His plucked my bra off like it was nothing, and dove for a nipple. His tongue swirled around the hardening nub.
With a smirk, I dug my fingers deep into his air and purred. Heat started spreading through my body. It shook and the shaking vibrated through my entire body. I moaned. It was a quiet moan, but it raced through me and left me shaking with the want to moan more. Leon hummed against my nipple and tweaked the other one with his fingers. His calloused hands rubbed the sensitive spot and set sparks of lightning through my veins. I sighed, not even bothering to hide my want and pleasure, and spread my legs a little farther.
Leon’s hands slid lower and lower, dancing on my hips. He popped the button on my jeans and pulled them down, chuckling against my throat all the while. Then my jeans were gone, snagged alongside my shoes and sent tumbling into the grass. My socks were tugged off by his teeth, and he dragged them slowly off. His teeth grazed my toes and he nibbled at them, his eyes watching my reaction. I groaned, flexing my feet at the unfamiliar sensation. It was good. Good enough that it sent little sparks up my feet and legs, trailing to my insides and leaving me jittery and warm.
I tugged Leon back up to me and kissed him hard. My hands worked with his to shove off his pants, and then we were yanking off our underclothes as well. Leon mouthed my throat a few times, his teeth grazing my skin. We scrambled against one another, our earlier patience forgotten.
He pushed one finger, then another, inside me. Instants later, they were gone and he was lining himself up. He pushed forward, pressed himself in as deep as he could, and then started thrusting. I threw back my head and moaned, moving to buck my hips toward his in an effort to find more friction, more heat. And just more. Lightning lit up my veins until I was sure I was glowing. Heat poured off Leon and left me sweating and sticking to the leaves below us. He thrust, deeper and faster with every push. His hand found my front and pressed the spot just above my entrance. He rocked into it as he thrust. Fire burst into my belly. Pleasure coursed through me so thickly and suddenly I lost my sight for a few seconds. I howled, almost animalistic, and threw my arms around him.
We pushed hard against one another, bodies aching in heat and want. My release built up inside me, a fire pooled in my lower belly. It poured through my body, shot to my fingertips and then exploded inside me. Pleasure ripped through my womanhood and stomach. Heat curled my toes. My vision blurred, I felt a second shot of heat around my thighs. And a set of teeth buried themselves in my neck. I screamed and tossed back my head. I smelled blood. And then we settled together on the forest floor.
CHAPTER SIX
For a little while we laid together on the ground. I felt the leaves and sticks start to dig between my shoulder blades. Eventually though, Leon climbed back to his feet, and I saw the exact moment he realized he’d bitten me. His eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, and his entire body went rigid.
“I didn’t mean to.” His eyes were locked on my throat. “I swear to you, I didn’t-“ He cut himself off and shook his head. I clambered to my own feet and pressed a hand to his bicep. The heat coming off it made my hand sweat.
“It’s fine,” I told him, hoping it would calm him. “Besides,” I added, flushing. “I liked it.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Really?” I nodded. “You are beginning to sound more and more like a lioness,” he said.
I blinked. “Really?”
He nodded. “Yes, you are, it’s very interesting, actually.”
I hummed and nodded, smiling to myself. That led me to wonder how often lionesses were bitten during mating season, and if they did any biting back. The thought of biting Leon made me incredibly pleased, and I smiled to myself.
“We should get going,” said Leon. I agreed with him. Together we gathered up our clothes and pulled them back on. My clothes were a little worse for wear, but I still looked decent enough. If anyone asked me what had happened, I’d claim I tumbled down a hill on my walk. As I finished dressing, I was sure to grab my bag so that I wouldn’t panic again. Besides, as much as I liked Leon carrying things for me, I wasn’t prepared for him to see all my sketches. A few? Sure. But there were some in this book that were private. Like the picture of my best friend at her wedding, with the veil pulled away from her face. Or the picture of my mother cradling my sister’s first child in the hospital. Private moments that I had memorized to immortalize later. Moments I didn’t want to share with anyone else.
We headed back onto the road. My footsteps were clunky next to Leon’s gliding movements, but, as we walked, I noticed my steps were becoming lighter. I was growing accustomed to moving through the forest, and accustomed to the way Leon moved. It let me walk more lightly. I enjoyed it, slowly figuring out how to walk silently. It made me feel like a cat on the prowl. My gaze flickered to Leon at the thought. Of course, he would know. It was part of his lifestyle to walk through the forests on silent feet, and sometimes on silent paws. I smiled at the thought. My mind filled in what he had looked like as a lion. The powerful arc of his back, the flash of teeth and claws before he lunged. I could pick out most of the details and a few extras that I knew my mind had filled in. I couldn’t wait to get home so I could sketch it out and fill in the details. It was going to be glorious.
“What are you smiling about?” I pinked and looked away from his lingering gaze, realizing it might be taken as insulting to stare so openly. But, then I remembered what he had been doing for the last few hours and I felt much better about my imaginings.
“You,” I replied honestly. “I was imagining drawing you.”
“Anything specific?” asked Leon.
I stepped over a fallen log with as much grace as I could manage before I turned back toward him. “Yes. I think drawing you in mid-shift, or while you were running – either lion or human – would be absolutely stunning. Capturing the grace of such a large creature would be difficult, but I think I could manage.”
“You find me graceful?” asked Leon, with more than a touch of amusement in his voice. I nodded, a small smile spreading across my face. I did find him graceful. Every movement – from the longest of strides to the smallest of blinks – looked practiced on Leon. T
he slow stride of his steps as they kept pace with me were silent, no matter what the forest floor looked like. He never faltered, never second-guessed himself. More and more I was wishing I held that kind of grace, if only because I knew it would make dancing so much easier.
“Of course, you are part cat, after all,” I replied. Leon tilted his head to one side, looking thoughtful.
“True enough,” he agreed after a moment. We walked in silence for a few minutes after that, and I took the moment to imagine myself dancing with the grace Leon had in his every breath - twirling across dance floors, sashaying in beautiful dresses, and rocking from foot to foot as I was led across the dance floor. It all sounded magical and unreal. My gaze darted to Leon again. What I would not give to be part of such a world, where beauty and grace were exuded at every moment, where power and seduction lingered in every touch and gaze, and where you would never be cold again.
Leon stumbled, driving me out of my thoughts. He pressed his hand to his head and winced. The look held longer than I expected it to.
“Are you all right?” I asked, reaching out for him. He flinched back and shook his head, looking away from me.
Seduced By The Lion Alpha Page 5
