Constant Craving [Rapture Island 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Leah Brooke

  Brushing his lips over her forehead, he lowered his voice to a seductive whisper. “Days and nights of pleasuring and learning each other. I want you to give yourself to me in slow increments—one part at a time. Come on, Kelsey. You know you’re dying to see what it’s like to be with a man you can’t control—a man who wants you more than he’s ever wanted anything.”

  With a sense of inevitability and premonition that the next few days would change her life forever, she fisted her hands at her sides, fighting the urge to reach out and touch him.

  Her stomach quivered, but she forced a smile through her nervousness, struggling to appear as sophisticated as she imagined the women he’d been with were. “You’d better be good, Gabriel.”

  Gabriel smiled then, a beautiful smile that reached his eyes. “We’ll be good together.”

  Gulping, Kelsey fingered the silver bracelet. “How long are we supposed to do this?”

  Pursing his sensuous lips, he eyed her thoughtfully. “Do you need a time limit?”

  Kelsey shrugged, her nipples throbbing under his stare. “I like to know what to expect.”

  Gabriel’s expression altered, not something she could pinpoint, but it changed in a way that made her stiffen, her breath catching as an increased sense of awareness washed over her. “You’ll always know what’s expected of you, but you won’t always know what to expect.” Circling behind her, he ran a finger over her shoulder, the sensation even more potent than before. “You’re going to have to trust me.”

  Thoughts of sweaty sex and tangled sheets raced through her mind, but she knew Gabriel would expect something different. Feeling out of her depth, she blew out a breath. “Shit. Gabriel, I have no idea what to do. I’m just going to make a mess of this.” The warmth of his body burned the back of hers, and disconcerted that she could no longer see him, she looked up at him over her shoulder.

  He ran his fingers over her hair, his eyes filled with anticipation. “No you won’t. Everything will be fine, at least as long as you’re honest with yourself, and with me.” His voice, like a purr next to her ear, created a delicious rush of warmth to layer over the other sensations. “Slow and easy. Your trust is the most important thing in the world to me right now. I won’t do anything to betray that.”

  His hands slid to hers, lacing their fingers together. “For now, I want your hands.”

  Surprised at his unexpected demand, she gasped at the gentleness of his strong hands sliding over hers.

  Closing her hands on his much larger ones, she delighted in the intimacy of his hands wrapped around hers.

  As aroused as she’d been all day, it seemed such a silly thing, but suddenly she felt closer to him. “My hands?”

  His lips touched her ear, his low, rumbling whisper sending vibrations of delight to her nipples. “Yes. Will you give them to me?”

  She tried to lean into him, but he straightened his arms, using his hold on her hands to keep their bodies from touching. Fascinated by the warm wave of desire that flowed over her, she had to swallow heavily before answering. “Yes.”

  He’d barely touched her and already she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted another man.

  Sex wouldn’t be enough. She wanted to feel him all around her.

  She wanted to absorb the heat and sensuality that surrounded him.

  Lifting her hands above her head, he released them, trailing his fingers down her arm, a slow caress that sent sharp arrows of tingling heat to her nipples. “And your arms. Will you give your silky arms to me?”

  Kelsey turned her head to look at him, her breath catching in her throat when his lips touched her shoulder. “My arms? Why do you want m–my arms? Gabriel, God that feels good.” It felt amazing to be touched this way, as Gabriel drew out every sensation until she thought she would die of it.

  His hands tightened on her upper arms, holding them high above her head. “I want your arms because I want them. Isn’t that enough for you?”

  The edge of steel wrapped around his velvety tone suited her mood, raising the sexual tension between them. With her arms held high, Kelsey trembled with anticipation, acutely aware of how her position lifted her breasts in a way that made losing her brief top a very real possibility. Instead of being as alarmed as she would have imagined, she felt sexy and desirable, and almost wished her top would fall and bare her breasts to his gaze.

  The pleasure amazed her. Slow. Decadent. The anticipation continued to build until she thought she would die of frustration.

  “Are you willing to give them to me?” His voice, like a silky caress over her nipples, had deepened and lowered even more.

  Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back. “Yes. Gabriel, I don’t see—ooooh.” Shivering as he nuzzled a particular sensitive spot between her neck and her shoulder, she dropped her head forward to give him better access. “Jesus, you’re good at that.”

  She tingled everywhere, every inch of her body trembling with awareness.

  His warm lips brushed her neck with a slow deliberation that sent her senses reeling. “And your neck. I want to nibble here, but I won’t unless it’s mine.” Catching her hair, he fisted his hand around it and moved it aside, scraping his teeth over her neck as he did. “And your hair. Say yes. I’ve had so many fantasies about this hair. Fisting it in my hands. Spreading it on my pillow.”

  Allowing herself to be drawn into his web of seduction, she thrilled at the riot of sensations raging through her.

  “Gabriel. Mmm, yes.” His name came out on a breathless whimper, a sound she could never remember making before. With a start, she realized that he held both of her wrists in one hand, a move she hadn’t even felt, but one that sent another thrill through her.

  Using the hand in her hair to tilt her head to the other side, Gabriel continued to kiss her neck. “I love your hair. I love seeing it down this way.” He tugged slightly, sending a shiver of apprehension through her. “Even when you wear it in that ponytail, it drives me crazy. It’s so soft. I want to feel it on my arms, my chest, my thighs.”

  He nibbled on her ear, his voice dropping lower. “I see you walk across your café, shaking that tight bottom at me, and it makes my blood boil.” Releasing her hair, he brought her hands down and held them behind her back. “It inspires fantasies of changing that look of curiosity and trepidation into one of surrender.”

  Tugging sharply, he scraped his teeth over her shoulder. “Securing that ponytail to a hook in your ass would keep your head back, so you couldn’t hide a thing from me.”

  The shift from sensual to sexual tripped her pulse and made her heart pound furiously.

  Her eyes popped open, her bottom clenching in reaction. Her heart pounded furiously as a mental image of what he’d described formed and sharpened.

  The level of Gabriel’s wickedness stunned her, sending a flare of heat through her that seemed to ignite every erogenous zone.

  Off balance, she tried to ignore the awareness that made her puckered opening tingle, and had to fight to keep her voice as steady as she could manage. “Gabriel, if you try to stick anything up my ass, I’m going to kick yours.” Frowning that her threat came out breathless and needy, she shifted slightly, rubbing her damp thighs together in frustration.

  His chuckle sent a shiver up her spine. “Darling, when I breach your ass, it’s going to send you into a world of pleasure you’ve never imagined.”

  Circling around to stand in front of her, he released her hands, lifting his to her face. A dark brow went up, his handsome features so close to hers. “But, you’re getting ahead of yourself, Kelsey. One step at a time.”

  He bent lower, his eyes dark and sharp on hers. “I also want this face. These cheeks.”

  Kelsey’s eyes fluttered closed at the feel of his lips, warm and soft against her cheek. Her short, shallow breaths made it difficult to speak. “What should I do? What do the other women do?”

  Gabriel ran his lips over her other cheek before brushing them over h
ers. Nibbling at her bottom lip, he closed his hands over her shoulders and drew her closer.

  “There are no other women. There’s only you. I want your lips. I want to be able to touch them, kiss them, nibble them whenever I want.”

  Shivering at his touch, she opened her eyes again, not even remembering when she’d closed them. “You know what I mean, Gabriel.”

  “Yes or no.”

  The slide of his lips over hers had her bottom lip tingling, and she had to make a conscious effort not to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him closer.

  His tongue ran over her bottom lip, startling her into pulling back. Lifting his head, he stared down at her, the challenge in his eyes unmistakable. “Is this mouth mine or not?”

  She’d never been able to resist a challenge. “You’re not always going to be in charge, you know. If we spend the week together, I’m going to do my best to seduce you.”

  Gabriel’s slow grin held a confidence that unnerved her. “If you have your way, I’ll be putty in your hands, right?” His hands tightened on her wrists. “You don’t seem to realize that a submissive has all the power.” His eyes held hers. “It’s not rape, Kelsey. As my submissive, you would have the power to end it any time you wanted to.”

  Kelsey couldn’t help but smile at that, amused at the thought of any man being able to stop. “Even if we’re in the middle of something?”

  Gabriel inclined his head, his eyes narrowing. “Even then. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but I’d stop whatever I was doing. I take this very seriously, Kelsey. It’s not for the faint of heart. It takes a strong woman to see it through, not some little girl out to play games. Now, are you going to give me your mouth?”

  Her hands, arms, shoulders, and neck still tingled from his attention, each part of her body that he’d already claimed humming with an awareness that felt incredible.

  Clearing her throat, she stiffened and pulled back, reaching deep for the brashness she’d used as a shield. “No kissing.” If she kissed him, she wouldn’t have any defenses left, and he would know just how much he meant to her. .

  Gabriel froze, lifting his head slightly, his eyes gentling with understanding. “Kissing is too intimate for you, isn’t it, Kelsey?” Running his hand over her hair, he held her gaze, smiling slightly. “Thank you for what you’ve given me. I won’t ask for anything else for now.”

  Kelsey didn’t know what she’d expected, but his attitude surprised her. Eyeing him warily, she shifted restlessly.

  “What game are you playing? You’re not mad?”

  Gabriel straightened to his full height, running his hands down her arms, the possessiveness in his eyes slightly alarming, and very thrilling.

  “Of course I’m not mad. You trusted me enough to give me parts of yourself. I told you we’ll go slowly.” Taking her hands in his, he pressed them to his chest. “I don’t want anything from you that you don’t give freely, and I’m not about to rush you.”

  He touched his lips to her cheek and chuckled softly. “I do, however, want to take advantage of the time we have together this week. We’re alone, and we can talk all you want to. You can ask me anything.”

  “Anything?”

  “Almost anything. I won’t discuss other women with you, but you can ask me anything within reason.” Straightening, he rubbed her shoulder. “I have a lot of questions for you, too.”

  Turning away, she rubbed her arms, sucking in a breath when he moved in behind her. Nuzzling her neck, he pulled her arms back in a way that forced her breasts out. Her stomach muscles tightened as desire, hot and fluid, flowed through her. Forcing a hard edge to her tone, she glanced over her shoulder, not meeting his eyes.

  “So, I guess it begins now.”

  Gabriel’s hands slid up her arms to her shoulders. “It’s already begun, darling. It’s already begun.” Scraping his teeth over her neck, he massaged her shoulders. “You won’t regret it. I take very good care of my possessions.”

  Chapter Five

  Curled into the corner of the sofa, Kelsey eyed Gabriel, trying to figure out if his intention had been to piss her off. Unable to read the look in his eyes, she couldn’t tell. Not about to let him see how he’d shaken her, she kept her tone cool. “I don’t like being thought of as a possession.”

  Even as she said it, she realized that belonging to Gabriel would be the epitome of paradise. Her nipples tightened painfully under his stare, her stomach muscles clenching as the awareness in her pussy and clit became unbearable.

  He looked every inch what she imagined a Dom would look like, the possessiveness and glittering hunger in his eyes mesmerizing her.

  From his black, shoulder-length hair, to his dark, bare feet, he was the epitome of sex and power.

  His voice and expression never changed, making it even more difficult to read his thoughts. “Nevertheless, a submissive turns herself over to her Master, and therefore belongs to him. It’ll take some getting used to, but it’s a responsibility to me, too. You’ll see.”

  Irritated at her inability to judge his mood, she lost her hold on her temper. “So, what do we do now, hotshot?”

  Gabriel smiled, a slow devious smile of satisfaction. “Taming you is going to be very rewarding—and a lot of fun.”

  Gritting her teeth, she jumped to her feet, unable to sit still. “Tame me? You’re in for a big disappointment if you think you’re going to turn me into one of those meek women who kneel at your feet.”

  Her fear of not being able to do the things he would expect threatened to choke her. Cursing her own inability to resist him, she tried to shore up her defenses, but one look from him had them crashing to her feet again.

  His soft chuckle made her want to hit something. “Darling, you’ll be purring and kneeling at my feet in no time, but you’ll never be meek or boring.” He sighed, shaking his head. “This is about more than sex, Kelsey. I don’t want a woman who rolls over and plays dead. I want a woman who isn’t afraid of her passion. I’ve already told you that submissives have to be strong. They hold quite a bit of power.”

  Kelsey snorted inelegantly, irritated that he considered her so gullible. “Please. I don’t believe that for a minute.”

  Something flashed in his eyes, a combination of frustration and need, the brief glimpse of his thoughts making her feel better. “Didn’t you just give me parts of yourself and deny me others?”

  Kelsey lifted her chin and grinned in an attempt to hide the fear of making a fool of herself. “Yes, but you’re only allowing that because you want to get into my pants.”

  “You’re not wearing pants, darling.”

  Trembling under his scorching gaze, she pulled the ends of her sarong together. “Very funny. You know what I mean. Let me ask you something. If I didn’t put a stop to giving you parts of myself, would we be talking now?”

  Gabriel inclined his head. “Probably. You’re still a little nervous. It’s my responsibility to handle that, remember?” His eyes narrowed. “You’re curious, though. You’re intrigued by the possibility of experiencing what it’s like to be with a man strong enough to handle that passion inside you.”

  Shaken that Gabriel seemed to read her so easily, she rubbed her hands over her arms at the chill that went through her. “You know nothing about me.”

  Leaning forward, he glanced up as he refilled his glass, his eyes twinkling. “Defensive, too, especially when you get rattled. I know more about you than you think. What do you think I’ve been doing these past several months?”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Kelsey turned toward him, wishing he would just grab her and take her instead of building her arousal until she thought she would die of it. Moisture trickled down her thighs, the erotic torment of the last few minutes so intense that she knew one touch from him would send her over. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

  Sitting back, he smiled again, his eyes even more possessive than ever as they moved over her. His sharp gaze lingered on the arms she’d crossed over her chest. “I
’ve been observing. I’ve been paying close attention to you. Put your arms at your sides. They’re mine now, and I don’t want them used to hide your breasts from me.”

  Kelsey whirled to face him fully, not grabbing the edge of her skirt in time to keep from showing herself. She lowered her arms to her sides without thinking, and started to put them back across her chest, stopping when she saw the look of challenge in his eyes. Lifting her chin, she kept her arms where they were, not about to show any weakness by covering herself. “I noticed. You always stared at me.”

  She hadn’t thought anything of giving her arms to him, thinking that when he released her, it would be the end of it.

  Evidently, Gabriel took it seriously, and placed her in a position where she would have felt ridiculous not honoring her agreement.

  She began pacing, careful to keep her steps small, the threat of moving wrong and flashing more skin than she wanted to keeping her on edge. “You know, you really didn’t have to glare at every man who spoke to me. A few of them have never come back into the coffee shop again. Don’t think I didn’t realize you did it on purpose.”

  His gaze lifted to hers again, a dark brow going up. “Of course I did it on purpose. I want you, Kelsey. We’ve already established that I’m a man who goes after what he wants. I wasn’t about to let you pretend interest in one of them to discourage me.”

  “What makes you think I wasn’t interested in any of them?”

  “You used to wince every time the blond grinned at you. The tall, skinny guy annoyed you because he kept interrupting you and spent most of his time talking about himself. The guy with the long hair creeped you out, and the muscular one hardly ever talked, and when he did, it was only to say something incredibly stupid.”

  Surprised, and somehow touched that he’d paid so much attention, Kelsey faced him squarely. “Okay. Why me?”

  “Ah.” Getting to his feet, Gabriel strolled toward her. “I wondered when you’d ask me that. I’ve already told you several reasons that I’m attracted to you, but attraction isn’t enough to justify all of this, is it?” Moving in behind her, he ran his fingertips up her arms, creating delicious ribbons of sensation. “You and I are a lot more alike than you think. I don’t want a woman who only wants what I can make her feel. I want a woman who wants me. Not many people bother getting to know either one of us, do they? There’s a restlessness inside us, a need for something more challenging and satisfying than what we’ve had so far.”