by DB Reynolds
He wanted more. He wanted to feel the satin skin of her breasts against his bare chest, the scrape of her nipples like precious pearls of sensation.
“Kato,” she whispered as he reached for the edge of her T-shirt and lifted it over her head, exposing the feminine beauty of her torso, the pale skin of her naked breasts, the pink blush of her areolas, the darker rose of her swollen nipples in the moonlight through the big windows. He moved his kisses from her mouth to the elegant column of her neck, sucking at the delicate skin hard enough to leave a mark. He wanted to brand her, wanted every other man to know she was taken.
She sucked in a breath when he scraped his teeth on her neck. A gentle bite, enough to be felt, but not enough to hurt. He soothed the small wound anyway, licking the bite mark, and continuing downward, over the delicate bones of her clavicle and down to her breasts. She cried out when he closed his lips over her breast, her cries rising with pleasure when he sucked hard, taking even more into his mouth, his tongue working the swollen tip, until her nipple was plump and stiff, her back arched as she offered herself, begging for more.
Kato growled as his gaze raked her gorgeous body, her eyes closed as she rippled in wanton pleasure, her mouth puffy and her breasts wet with his kisses. Her fingers were digging into his arms, as if afraid he’d leave her like that, slick and swollen with need. His eyes fell on the tiny triangle of white lace between her thighs. He licked his lips. She’d be slick and swollen there, too, dripping with arousal.
He trailed his fingers over her flat belly, sliding them over the virginal lace until he could feel the heat of her plump lower lips, the moisture of her sex soaking the thin panties.
“What do you want, Grace?” he asked, forcing his brain to come up with the words, when all he wanted was to take.
“You,” she whispered. Her pale eyes flashed open and fell on his face. “I want you, Kato,” she said clearly.
He bared his teeth, his breath a hiss of victory as he lowered his head and took her mouth in a hard, claiming kiss. Her lip tore beneath his and he licked up the sweet nectar of her blood, as his fingers slipped beneath her tiny panties and into the heaven between her thighs.
He groaned at the hot, slick feel of her swollen outer lips parting beneath the pressure of his fingers as he glided on the juice of arousal. She was so fucking wet. He ripped the delicate panties away, and the scent of her made him swell, harden with need. It was everything he could do not to shove himself as deep as he could get. But she was as tight as she was hot, so he used his fingers first, fucking her with one finger, and then two, plunging in and out until her legs were spread, and she was writhing against his hand.
He slid down the length of her body, his hands holding her thighs wide as he lowered his mouth to her sex and took one long lick. She cried out, and he hummed with pleasure at the delicious taste of her. He’d known she’d be sweet. He lowered his head again, his mouth closing over the hard nub of her clitoris. She sucked in a breath and held it, her short nails scraping through his hair, twisting in the long strands, as her breath turned to short gasps of anticipation.
Kato smiled his satisfaction, loving everything about this moment—the heat of her body, the scent of her arousal, the silky slick juices between her thighs, and the soft, needy sounds she made as she rippled beneath his hands. He closed his mouth over her clitoris, circling his tongue once, and again, before sucking the swollen bundle of nerves between his teeth and biting down.
Grace’s cries of pleasure became a scream as the climax hit her, and her hips came off the bed to thrust her pussy against his mouth hard enough to split his lip in turn, her renewed cries echoing the pulsing of her blood against his tongue as her clit thrummed its arousal. He waited until her cries grew softer, until her breath was sobbing gasps in and out. And then he shoved himself up and pushed his hips between her thighs. His swollen cock brushed the heat and wet of her sex, as he stared down at her.
“Grace,” he said firmly, drawing her lust-fogged gaze to his face. “Tell me you want this.”
Her pink tongue came out to lick her plump lips. “Kato,” she murmured, as if recognizing him for the first time. And he thought for a moment, she’d refuse him. But then she smiled, sweet and welcoming. “Fuck me, baby.”
He grinned back at her and, unable to stop himself, leaned over and kissed her. “Hold on tight, amata,” he whispered against her lips.
He reached down and took hold of his cock, positioning it at the opening to her pussy, and then slammed himself deep inside her with a single, hard stroke. Her body was still tight, throbbing as it welcomed him, stretching and adjusting, her silky heat surrounding him as her sheath shivered over his skin. Kato paused. He had to close his eyes, overwhelmed by sheer, delicious sensation. His pulse was pounding in time with hers, their breaths panting in rhythm.
He opened his eyes to see her still gazing up at him, her hands circling his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. “Fuck me, baby,” she repeated, and he could feel her lips grinning against his.
He growled his response into her sweet mouth, then braced his arms and lifted himself above her, flexing his hips to pull his cock out before slamming even deeper, driving in and out until he touched her soft inner flesh with every thrust. She cried out in surprise, her entire body rippling with pleasure. Kato grinned and gave her what she wanted, his hips thrusting steadily, driving his cock balls-deep before sliding out of her slick heat, and shoving back into her delicious sex. He grunted with the effort, his eyes closed, wanting to feel nothing but the silky welcome of her body, to hear only her soft, hungry cries growing ever more urgent with need as he fucked faster.
His eyes flashed open at the first contraction of her sheath, holding her gaze as the orgasm took hold of her and her body was no longer hers to control. She thrashed wildly, her hips locked to his, her fingers gripping his forearms so hard that he knew he’d bear bruises. The thought made him grin and fuck her harder, until he felt the slow build-up of heat in his own body, his balls tightening, as his climax demanded release.
He howled as the heat became a searing flood, roaring down his cock to spill into the welcoming glove of Grace’s body, the two of them slamming against each other in uncontrolled passion, until she finally gave a sobbing cry that was half relief and half exhaustion and fell back to the bed.
Kato collapsed on top of her, the combined warmth of their bodies so intense that he thought they’d burn up, before he rolled to one side and pulled her close, her head on his shoulder, her hips tucked close. She slid one leg over his thigh, and he could feel her slick center still pulsing with her orgasm as it soothed them both into sleep.
GRACE WOKE TO a sensation of heat. Hot heat. Not hot like in temperature, but hot as in there was a beautiful man in her bed and he was fucking hot! She froze as it all came back to her, and she sighed.
This wasn’t her bed, and she hadn’t meant for this to happen. But she couldn’t regret it either. If anything, she felt a little guilty, because she’d seduced—some would say taken advantage of—Kato when he was vulnerable.
“You are such a ho,” she whispered quietly to herself.
“What’s a ‘ho’?”
Kato’s deep voice startled her. She pushed herself up, reluctant to meet his gaze, because she wasn’t sure what she’d find. She half-expected accusation, but if it was something else, if he apologized . . . she might shoot him. Because this was her doing.
She finally geared up her courage and met his eyes. She smiled in relief. No accusation, no regrets. Just a very satisfied-looking male.
“You were having a nightmare,” she said, avoiding the whole ho issue.
He frowned. And there came the regret. “Did I hurt you?”
“No!” she said immediately. “I’m the one who should be apologizing, I seduced you.”
Wicked understanding replaced the concern in his eyes, and he grinned. “Did you? I’ll need to reclaim myself, then. To assert my natural dominance.”
That quick
ly, he tucked her beneath him, rolling completely so that he was on top, his narrow hips between her thighs, his long, thick cock—oh, yes, she remembered that part—teasingly dragging against her swollen pussy lips.
Her heart was beating so fast and hard that she thought it might break a rib or two. And when she looked up at him, so beautiful, so perfectly male, she knew her feelings for him went beyond simple lust. She didn’t want to think about what that meant, or how stupid it made her. For once, she was going to live in the moment. And this moment, there was a gorgeous man with a gorgeous cock between her legs, and she was wet and ready. So fucking wet . . . from his cum and her arousal, and from the climaxes he’d given her over and over again. She wouldn’t have thought it was possible to get any wetter. But she was, her pussy throbbing with renewed desire.
She slipped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his hips, crossing them over his ass, holding him against her.
“Can I help you with that whole dominance thing?” It was supposed to be playful, but it came out as more of a moan. Because Kato had his mouth on her neck, his tongue licking a path over her jaw to her ear, its wet tip exploring the curving shell before his teeth closed on the soft lobe. He sucked lightly, and she almost came right then. Her left ear, the one he was currently caressing with his tongue, was an erogenous zone. He couldn’t know that, but he couldn’t miss her reaction. Nor the sudden gush of warmth between her thighs.
Kato growled and lifted his hips just enough to slide his cock through the slick outer wetness of her pussy and then deep into her body.
Grace moaned, her eyes closed as she arched her back, meeting his thrusts as he went deeper with every flex of his hips.
“Kato,” she whispered, wanting to say more, but not knowing the right words. Or if he’d even want to hear them.
“Amata.” His murmured response brought an immediate reaction from her pussy, a strong pulse of desire that tightened around his cock, and shot straight to her clit.
She cried out in surprise as her climax was suddenly upon her, crashing into her thoughts, tossing her into a maelstrom of feelings and sensation. Every touch of his hand heightened the pleasure, every stroke of his cock sent a flood of overwhelming desire rushing from her pussy to her womb and out to every nerve, every muscle. She thought she’d drown in the devastating wantonness of it, the pure, carnal delight.
The sharp pain of Kato’s teeth on her neck, his growl against her skin, brought her back to him. Her eyes flashed open to see him gazing down at her, his stare demanding she stay with him, be with him, as they screamed over the edge into ecstasy.
GRACE WAS LIMP in Kato’s arms, her heart pounding against his chest, meeting his own beat for beat. There’d been no need to reassert his dominance. That had never been in question. He was always dominant in bed, and mostly out of it, too. But he’d just wanted another chance to dip into the heat of her sweet body, to hear her soft, helpless cries as she climaxed in his arms. He bent his head and licked the salty sweat from her neck, dipping his tongue into her ear. Her shivered reaction made him smile. He loved exploring a woman’s body, discovering the hidden spots that brought her pleasure.
She snuggled closer into his embrace, her breath warm across his chest. He would have liked to stay like this for the day, maybe two. Waking just enough to make love one more time before slipping into exhausted sleep, and then doing it all over again. Until their bodies were slick with sweat, and the smallest touch could bring a fresh climax.
Maybe when this was all over. If Grace would still have him. He knew better than most how terrible times could make strangers lust after one another, a desire for life to ward off the possibility of death. And how that lust could die with the crisis.
He and Grace were strangers of a sort, though her act in freeing him from his curse would bind them together for the rest of their lives, whether they lived in the same city, or across the world from each other. But he didn’t want her feelings for him to be driven by that.
When he examined his own feelings, he knew they were more than simply strangers thrown together by a magical coincidence. He didn’t know exactly what he felt for her yet, but he knew he didn’t want it to end. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Grace mumbled something incoherent, her words lost against his chest. Threading his fingers through her hair, he tugged her head back. “What was that?”
She licked her lips, and then swallowed. “This is all your fault.”
He grinned, figuring she was thinking the same thoughts he had earlier, wanting to stay in bed and listen to the ocean crash below, while he played her sweet body like a fine instrument. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, trying and failing to keep the laughter from his voice.
“No, you’re not.” She tried to glare at him, but the blue of her eyes was all but hidden behind her half-closed eyelids.
He laughed. “No, I’m not,” he agreed and slapped her lovely ass, laughing again at her gasp of outrage. “I’d much rather stay here with you, but—” his tone changed, becoming serious as befit his next words, “—we have to recover the copy of that third scroll before it’s too late.”
She drew a deep breath and let it out, frowning. “You’re right.” She pushed herself upright, letting the blankets drop. “We should shower, and I’ll try again to call Ryan. I can try the department, too; see if they know where he is.”
Kato forced his gaze away from her delectably bare breasts, then tightened his arms around her and flexed, bringing them both to a standing position at the side of the bed. Grace clutched his waist in surprise, her fingers digging into his back for support.
“You need to warn me before you do that shit!”
He smiled down at her, taking pleasure and pride in her utterly disheveled and well-fucked appearance. “We’re going to stand now, Grace.”
She started to slap his ass, but patted it instead with a happy croon. “You have the best butt,” she breathed.
“Would you like to join me and my butt in the shower?” he asked, fighting the urge to throw her back onto the bed.
“If we do that, you know what’s going to happen.”
He shrugged, not seeing the problem. They wanted to fuck, and they needed to shower. Two for two.
“We’re supposed to be in a hurry.”
“Well, then, it’s more efficient for us to shower at the same time,” he said, pretending ignorance.
“Oh, please,” she mocked, fighting a smile. “Like I’m going to fall for that.”
He cupped her breast in his hand, rolling his thumb over her nipple until it hardened eagerly.
“On the other hand, we are supposed to conserve water.” She took his hand and pulled him into the bathroom.
GRACE GAVE UP trying to contact Ryan after her third try didn’t even go to voicemail. If his mailbox was full, that wasn’t a good sign, and her concern spiked. Up until now, she’d been going on the assumption that he hadn’t received her package yet. Or if he had, he hadn’t opened it, because she’d included a note for him to call her so she could explain what she knew of the scroll’s history and the steps she’d already taken to translate it. And having witnessed the rather spectacular events that resulted from the first two scrolls being activated—the demon in her office, and the murders in her condo building—she’d been even more convinced that her letter to Ryan was sitting in his in-box somewhere. Because if something that sensational was happening at his university, it would be all over the news.
But now, her imagination was coming up with all kinds of scenarios, and none of them were good.
Frowning, she dialed the university’s number again, but this time she hit zero, which switched her to the campus operator.
“Shouldn’t you be watching the road?” Kato asked mildly.
She looked up and hit the brakes with maybe two seconds to spare before she crashed into the car in front of her. The idiot had stopped in the middle of traffic to wait for another guy to surrender his parking spot.
“Asshole,” she muttered, with a sideways glance at Kato who seemed totally unconcerned by their near miss. If their positions had been reversed, she probably would have been screaming at him. Just another example of his Zen attitude toward life in general. He didn’t seem to fear anything. Must be nice. But then she remembered his nightmare. Wasn’t that the definition of courage? Forging ahead despite your fears?
“Operator.”
Grace jolted at the sudden intrusion of the woman’s voice. She was awfully twitchy this morning. First, she’d almost rear-ended the asshole in the car in front of her, and now she was jumping like a nervous nelly.
“Mathematics department, please,” she said, placing both hands on the wheel as traffic cleared enough for her to swing around the asshole, who was still waiting for his parking space.
There was a moment of dead space and then the math department came on line with a young woman’s distracted voice. “Mathematics.”
“Hi. I’m trying to contact Professor Walker, Ryan Walker? His voicemail isn’t working.”
“Yeah, I know. You’re the fourth person to call this morning. He hasn’t been in the departmental office, and no one here knows where he is. He’s not teaching this semester, so he’s not keeping a regular schedule. He could be at a conference or something, but he didn’t tell anyone. Math geeks are the worst,” she muttered, then seemed to consider that maybe Grace was a math geek, too, and said cheerfully. “You might try his home if you have that number. I can’t give it to you if you don’t.”
“I have it,” Grace said, but her gut clenched. She didn’t believe Ryan was at home. Or at a conference. She didn’t want to think about where he might be, or what could have happened to him. “Thanks,” she said and disconnected.
“If he’s been out of town this whole time, then the package I sent him is probably sitting on his desk. But I’m worried,” she said bluntly. She didn’t look at Kato, but she could see his nod of agreement. She’d had her phone on the car’s speaker, so he’d heard the entire conversation. “We’ll go to his office,” she said, as she turned onto the campus and pulled into the parking lot closest to the math building. “His lab is right next door. If he was working on the scroll, that’s where he’ll be.”
