In that second, he’d broken through the wall she’d built around her heart.
And it terrified her.
Chapter Seven
“This is going to kill me.” Raegan met his gaze, catching a glimmer of his grin as he crawled up her body. In easy seconds, she found herself flipped beneath him, his cock driving hard into her.
“What?” he whispered, nipping at her shoulder. “This?” He showered a trail of kisses back to the proud bite on her throat, then sucked hard on his mark of ownership. “Or this?” He slid his hands under her thighs, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and slammed her with thrusts seemingly hard enough to send the mattress crashing through the floors beneath them.
“Oh yes! Zeth!”
The words sounded strange colored in her own voice, but she didn’t know what else to say. Moreover, she couldn’t help herself. Every time his cock drove inside her, a slew of monosyllabic nothings sputtered through her lips.
“Just…want…to know…” He lifted his head to smile at her, and the sight made her heart clench. “Stretch your arms above you, baby.”
“Huh?”
Zeth mock-bit at her throat before pulling back to meet her gaze, raising his eyebrows seductively and nodding at the head of the mattress. “Trust me.”
Trust him? Did she even have the wiring for that?
He brushed his lips against hers in a sweet, almost-loving kiss, and her world melted. God, she had that wiring plus some. Raegan shuddered and obeyed.
Zeth grinned and kissed her again. “Good girl,” he murmured. “My sweet, hot, tight Raegan.”
“I don’t…” Raegan’s teeth clenched, her grip tightening as his thrusts grew harder. Her body still trembled from the last orgasm he’d given her, and the sensation of him sliding in and out of her rubbed her nerves raw. Her skin felt tender. Her body ached, but the burn was so good that she couldn’t object. If he left her now, she was certain she would wake the dead with her wail of protest. “I don’t… I can’t…”
“You can’t what, baby? Come again?” The leer stretching his lips sent shivers across her skin. “I beg to differ.” His thrusts grew sharper with every drive, his cock striking places within her increasingly sore body that she didn’t know existed. And even as pleasure danced closer to that shady area of pain, it felt too sweet to relinquish. She held him to her, her hips battling his, wrestling to bruise him just as much as he bruised her. She wanted him cross-eyed with pleasure. She wanted him so thoroughly covered with her that he wanted nothing else. She wanted him so addicted to her that he’d start convulsing if he ever withdrew his touch.
“Uhhh… I—”
“I love the way you feel around me. Squeezing me into oblivion. I love feeling you come. You’re so wet and tight. Christ, you’re amazing.” He brushed his lips along her jawline. “How’s it that I went so many years without this? Without you around me? Without your warmth?”
A note that she’d never heard before sounded in his voice, something naked and vulnerable, something startlingly pure. And the emotion swirling in his eyes seemed enough to move continents.
“Is that…a question? Expect…answer?”
Zeth chuckled. “Forgot…your…pronouns there.”
She absolutely adored the way he only became breathless when she did. The way his expression grew glossy. The way he swallowed her with wonder. The longer they stayed together, the longer the spell lasted, the more attached she grew to the man who had her in his bed. The man behind the mask Zeth wore to guard himself, the man who had been peeking through the monster all night, the man who had only truly emerged when she’d reached for him.
She’d reached for him, and something had changed. And Raegan didn’t want it to go back to the way it had been, not for anything in the world. Not now. Not after she’d experienced this.
Not after she’d experienced Zeth.
Things had changed so quickly she could barely keep up, and though Raegan now rode euphoric highs that seemed to blink out the looming pain of the past. As though none of what had happened to her, none of what she’d seen, not even the agony of losing Natalie, could compare to the contrasting emotions Zeth fed her with every sensuous grin. Every soft kiss. Every needy jerk of his body.
Her earlier protestations seemed the construct of someone else’s experience. The fear she hid behind, the protective blanket of distrust she kept wrapped around her shoulders, seemed foolish and useless. Whatever else, Zeth wasn’t Razor and Raegan wasn’t Natalie. Their story didn’t have to have the same ending.
The promise of tomorrow felt so sweet right now, like a dream from which she never wanted to awaken.
“You’re so warm,” he whispered again, his thrusts slowing in ferocity. He smiled and nipped at her mouth, running his hands up the tender undersides of her arms until his fingers curled around each wrist. “Gimme.”
It sounded like a demand. A soft demand, maybe, but a demand nonetheless.
“You wanted my hands here,” she countered, sliding her left foot down his leg. “I was just doing what you asked.”
“And I appreciate it, but I want your arms around my neck now.” His lips fell over hers in a movingly soft kiss, and what little remained of her resistance completely vanished. No way would she walk out of this room unscathed. No way would she survive this with her heart intact.
And the more time she spent with Zeth, the more determined she became to keep her memories. This time—right now—this belonged to her. And no one could ever take it away from her.
“Ahhh,” Zeth purred, rolling them over again so that they were on their sides, facing each other. “I never want to leave here.”
Never might seem like a long time, but somehow, she thought she could deal. “Uhhh…”
He smiled, his lips finding hers again, hooking a hand under her knee and lifting her leg over his thigh. “Never wanna leave you,” he whispered. “Once O’Brien’s spell blows over, this ends, doesn’t it? You’ll leave, and you’ll never wanna see me again.”
“No,” she argued, even as some minor part of her protested. Maybe Zeth had her under his own spell. She didn’t know anymore.
“So no killing me after this? When did that happen?”
“I dunno,” she replied honestly. “That was…that was before…”
Zeth pressed his brow to hers, panting hard. “Before what, baby?” His eyes fluttered shut, his cock pumping sweetly into her body.
“I don’t… I don’t know.” Raegan whimpered and caught her lower lip between her teeth. The wet slide of his cock from her pussy drove her mad, and she couldn’t imagine a sweeter descent. “I don’t… I just… I need…I need…I need you.”
Zeth gasped and jerked to a stop, his widening gaze swallowing her whole. It wasn’t the first time she’d said it, but things had changed now. Her anger had dissipated. Only Zeth remained, and she needed him.
“You need me? You…”
“Zeth…”
“You’re not gonna leave once this…” He rolled her over again, and his mouth engulfed one of her breasts. The sudden movement plunged his cock deeper within her, and she tossed her head back with a loud yelp. Zeth just purred and smiled around her flesh. “You’re not gonna leave,” he whispered again, brushing a kiss against her nipple and raising his head to meet her gaze, “once this is over?”
She couldn’t see herself going anywhere but right back to his arms. “No.”
“No?”
“I… You… You claimed…me.”
Zeth glanced up sharply, freezing, his hand falling to clutch her thigh as though to prevent himself from falling out of her in astonishment. The fact that he needed balance when he was the one in control made her shiver. And realize how little control he truly had. “Is that why?” he demanded, his voice urgent and hoarse. “Is that why you’re… Why you need me? Because I claimed you?”
“No.” The word rolled off her lips before she could consider the implications, but damn, she didn’t care anymore
. She could easily blame everything on the claim. On the fact that his overly zealous fangs had sliced into her skin, on the fact that he’d whispered words that linked them together forever. She could blame it on that. She could do it so easily.
But her feelings could not be attributed to the claim, no matter how much she wished it otherwise. At the least, she hadn’t spawned new feelings based on what he’d done. Her reading on claims, however limited, promised her as much. Her emotions remained her own, perhaps clouded with things she’d suppressed. Hell, things she’d denied since the moment she realized what he was.
She wouldn’t leave. Not when Zeth’s gentle touch had done more to make her feel like a woman than any man before him.
“No,” Raegan said again, her voice stronger. She inhaled sharply and raised her hand to his astonished face, smiling softly as his cheek fell into her waiting palm. He seemed too gorgeous for an evil thing. For something that would kill her just as soon as look at her. And while his bedside manner could definitely be categorized as evil—especially knowing what his wicked tongue and even more wicked body were capable of—the whole of him felt surprisingly gentle. She knew that now. She knew that just from the way he looked at her. The way he talked to her. The way his hands stroked her body.
“No?” Zeth whispered, rolling his hips. “It’s not because of the claim?”
“No.” She smiled softly and raised her lips to his. It felt difficult fighting back a moan at his taste. All night she’d not truly allowed herself to revel in the sensual flavor of his mouth. The way his tongue caressed her lips before becoming entangled in hers. The way he whimpered against her skin. The way his kiss made her melt.
“Do you like me, Raegan?” he asked once their lips parted and smirked at the shattered moan that ripped through her body. He rocked against her again with renewed fervor. “You like what I do to you?”
“Oh God, yes,” she agreed breathlessly, moving frantically beneath him, desperate to recapture his cock every time he slid away from her pussy. She needed him inside her. Every time his hard length drove into her, he subdued the heat splitting her apart but similarly provided more warmth than she’d ever known. Soft warmth. Warmth that didn’t burn. Warmth that cushioned the inevitable fall.
Zeth grinned. “You like the way I feel, baby? You like the feel of me driving inside that hot, tight little cunt of yours?”
“Oh God!”
He grunted ineloquently, his thrusts accelerating. “That’s not an answer.”
“Oh!” She blinked hard, her nails digging into his skin. “Yes. Yes!”
The eager smile that stretched his lips infuriated her as much as it turned her on. She wanted to kiss it right off his sinful mouth. “You just love this, don’t you?” he snarled. He slammed into her, harsh breaths bouncing off her flesh as his body strained closer to orgasm. “Wanna feel you come around me again. Give that to me.”
“Zeth—”
“Come for me, Raegan.”
The scream that ripped from her throat could have shattered glass. She trembled hard around him, her muscles clenching and the whole of her spasming; her vision failed, and she felt conquered by the brightest darkness she’d ever known. Zeth growled and mauled her into the mattress, his fangs bursting through his gums and quickly finding the soft roundness of her breast.
The sensual, dangerous thrill of his bite sent her spiraling.
“Mine!”
She loved that word. Maybe she’d get it tattooed somewhere.
“Yes. Yours.” Her fingers wove through Zeth’s hair, and she shook when he shook. Her muscles were milking him for everything he was worth. She absolutely loved the feel of him spilling inside her, and she wanted to bask in the sensation as long as possible. “Yours, Zeth.”
Zeth glanced up dazedly, his mouth smeared with her blood for the second time that night. “Raegan?”
She offered a smile, her vision blurring. Just another erratic emotion to catalog in this increasingly bizarre night. She’d gone from loathing his touch to crying when he came inside her, all in a matter of hours. It felt a bit much to digest.
“Yours,” she whispered again, kissing his lips. “Yours.”
A strange emotion overtook his eyes. For a fleeting instant, she thought he might cry. Instead he gasped and kissed her fervently, then buried his face in her throat and lost himself in her embrace. “Raegan,” he whimpered. “Oh, Raegan.”
She trembled, curling an arm under his shoulder, her other hand remaining woven in his dark hair. He just whispered her name and worshipped her skin with soft, reverent kisses.
She’d shaken him. Somehow she’d touched him where no one ever had.
That knowledge left her completely lost, but somehow, she didn’t mind.
Chapter Eight
Hours could have passed. Days, weeks, months, and Zeth didn’t care. He didn’t care about the paperwork awaiting him on his desk, the pile of cases still demanding attention, or the phone calls he was certain he’d missed. Zeth didn’t care—didn’t give a righteous shit—for Raegan had given him something singular, something strong and important, even if she didn’t realize the implications. Spoken once, her acceptance of his claim could be construed as the heat of the moment…but nothing had provoked her to do it again.
She was his, and it didn’t even scare him. A world of possibilities had opened before him—a future he hadn’t even realized he wanted, and a life to spend getting to know the vibrant, beautiful woman who was currently trapped beneath him. But until then, they had the present. It was hard to focus on anything more than hope and excitement when his brain was close to short-circuiting with pleasure. Just when he thought Jezebel’s spell might be running out of batteries, he’d feel the need to pounce on her again, flip her under him, set her astride his lap, or enter her from behind. It didn’t matter how long they remained entwined. Not now. Not when he knew something awaited him outside the room.
Until then, his body buzzed with need, a never-ending thirst too large to be quenched, and Raegan provided. Over and over and over again.
At the present, they were on their sides. Zeth had Raegan pulled against him, her back flat against his chest. He peppered kisses down her neck, doing his best not to growl every time his lips grazed the possession mark.
“Zeth…”
He wasn’t one for feline responses, but he couldn’t keep himself from purring at the way she made love to his name. “What can I do for you, baby?”
Raegan ran her hand down his arm until her fingers were laced through his. “More,” she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as he angled his thrusts to strike deeper within her. “Oh… Yes. Like that.”
“Like what? This?” He dropped his mouth to her shoulder, tightening his grip around her middle and pulling her back flush against his chest. “Your skin tastes so sweet.”
“Uhhh… Zeth, more.”
He grinned against her shoulder. “You’re close again, aren’t you? How many times is that, now?”
“I…”
“I wish I could see your eyes,” he murmured. “I love watching your eyes while you come.”
She trembled, squeezing his hand. “I…love…wha…you too.”
Zeth froze in astonishment, his harsh breaths crashing against her. “What?” he demanded, his mouth at her ear. “What did you—”
“Watching,” she managed to say. The significance of her near confession rolled off her, seemingly unnoticed. “Watching you…your…your eyes. You… Zeth, please!”
“What?” he demanded, belatedly realizing he’d stopped moving. “Oh. Right.”
Raegan whimpered and clenched her muscles around him. “Touch me,” she begged. “I need… Oh, please—”
Zeth tightened his arm around her middle. “Where do you need me?” he asked, resuming a steady rhythm. “Your clit? You need me to rub you there, baby?”
She choked a pleasured sob and nodded furiously. “Yes,” she gasped. “Yes. Please!”
Zeth hissed an
d slipped his hand from hers to trail down her sweat-soaked body. Her pussy tightened around his cock, her ass thrusting back against him and her thighs stretching farther apart as his fingers slid over her slippery flesh. He massaged her softly, his thumb and index finger capturing her clit and stroking her into a heated frenzy.
“Oh God!”
“There’s my girl,” Zeth murmured, his thrusts becoming hard and fast in a matter of seconds. He peppered her skin with kisses, rumbling sharp, hoarse grunts as the mattress vibrated and his balls slapped noisily against her wet flesh. “Fuck, you’re so gorgeous. You feel so good.”
“Zeth!”
“Scream it,” he snarled. “Scream it. Scream for the whole church to hear. I wanna hear you scream my name like you mean it.” Then, growling softly, he sank his teeth into her shoulder.
Raegan exploded in his arms, his name roaring through her throat in a tremulous, symphonic release. Stars veiled over her again, and for an eternity, the world blinked into blackness.
Zeth nuzzled her back. “You still with me?” he asked, stroking her stomach lazily. “Not getting tired, are you?”
She shook a bit with what he suspected was laughter. “Tired? What’s tired? I don’t think Jezebel knows the meaning of the word.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t.”
“No, but my body doesn’t really care at the moment about things like sleep or sore thighs or anything not related to being thoroughly sexed up.”
Zeth smiled. “I like sexing you up.”
“Oh really?” she teased. “Couldn’t tell.” She twisted in his arms. “It’s strange, the spell. I thought it’d be like a foreign presence or something, you know? Like being taken over and forced to…do stuff. But it feels…natural.”
“You were forced to do stuff earlier.” An earlier Zeth didn’t want to consider, but there was no sense not being honest with her. The first bit of being trapped with her here had felt like a nightmare—having something he wanted but second guessing every moment while regretting most.
InsatiableNeed Page 7
