Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Margo Bond Collins

  His gaze burned her, all the way through. A need so fierce it stole her breath left her heart thumping in her chest. And something else... Wariness. As if he was simply waiting for the rejection.

  Fingertips brushed against the edge of her bra, as if asking permission. Riley tore her gaze back to the cavern wall in front of her, deafened by the roar in her ears. She had the horrible suspicion that she was going to do something reckless.

  Her silence gave him the permission he needed. His touch grew bolder, stronger. Breath hot against her nape and then a kiss, just the lightest of caresses, against the sensitive skin there. Riley shuddered.

  “Take it off,” he whispered.

  She panicked, flat-out panicked. And yet she couldn’t tear herself away. “I don’t think so.”

  Fingertips traced teasing circles on her skin. “All you have to do is say no.”

  Riley hesitated.

  His lips trailed over her shoulder, his body pressing against hers. She could feel him through the thin cotton of her panties, huge and hard, desperate to claim her. And she suddenly realized that the answer might be yes. That she wanted it too.

  Trying not to think too much, she wiggled her shoulders, let the bra slip off into the water. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, making her breath short. She tossed the bra toward the sand before she could change her mind.

  “Didn’t think you’d do it.”

  His voice was raw, harsh. For a moment, Wade's hands lightened, as if he himself were reconsidering this. As if it scared him too.

  Cupping her arms over her breasts, Riley sank beneath the water again. Idiot. What am I doing? But something about the whole situation tempted her. This man didn't want anything else from her but this. Just the once, said a tempting little whisper in her mind. Both of them could take what they wanted, just the once, then walk away.

  She was still undecided.

  “Just so you know, the answer’s ‘no,’” Riley murmured over her shoulder, wondering if she was trying to prove it to herself. “But you can wash my back.”

  Wade reached around her for the soap in her hands, the hairs on his chest tickling her back. The faint brush of his erection stirred against her bottom, and he lathered his hands slowly, until she was barely breathing.

  “You’re too kind,” he muttered.

  The soapy glide of his hands made her arch her back. A wordless murmur died in her throat as he slid his hands over her hips and up. There was no hesitation in him now, no patient steady touch. His fingers curved under her breasts, cupping them teasingly, before darting away.

  Riley sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s not my back.”

  “No. It’s not.” His hands trailed over her stomach, then higher, pushing her arms out of the way.

  Give the man an inch... She ground her teeth together, prepared to shove away from him, when he cupped her breasts, slippery fingers dancing over her nipples.

  “You looked dirty,” he whispered, laughter warming his voice. Brushing his lips against the curve of her neck, he kissed the sensitive skin there again.

  A shiver went right through her. Riley tensed. She should say no. Tell him to get his hands, and mouth, off her. But it felt so good, his fingers lazily circling her nipples as he waited for her to make her decision.

  Don’t be a fool.

  Out here, a woman made her choices quick. Death was a constant in all their lives. It could have happened to her the night before, by revenant or reiver. She had to take her chances when they came, and a sudden yearning – not just for sex, but for Wade – came over her. Dangerous men, and all that temptation....

  She forced herself to relax, ignoring the quiver in her stomach, then leaned back against his chest, her breasts rising out of the water. Soap gleamed over her pale skin, his tanned hands a dark comparison as they stilled on her skin.

  Wade sucked in a breath. “Christ Jesus.” He cupped her, pinching her nipple between soapy-slick fingers. “You’re beautiful.”

  Riley stirred, trying to bite back a gasp. Pressed against him like this, she could feel every hot, hard inch, including the press of his cock, rigid against her bottom. The chill of the water between her thighs melded with the molten wetness of her own body. She couldn’t help herself; her hips thrust back, rubbing against him, the thickened head of his cock dipping between her thighs for one tantalizing moment.

  Did she dare? The thought was terrifying, yet arousing. She knew what her body wanted. She could feel it, all hot and shivery, her breath coming in short little gasps. His hard body caged her, a delicious tease, the hair on his chest brushing against her bare back.

  Wade kissed her shoulder, the rasp of his teeth bringing another gasp to her lips. “Don’t,” he ground out. “Don’t do this if you don’t mean it.”

  Some nameless emotion quivered in his voice. Riley wet her lips. If she hadn’t heard that hesitation, hadn’t realized how much this meant to him, how much he wanted it too, then she might have come to her senses. Instead, her hand slid over his. “Lower,” she whispered, giving in to the temptation.

  There was a moment of stillness as he absorbed her words. His own chest heaved against her, harsh breath exploding out of his lungs. “Where?”

  Determined to make her complicit, to make her give her consent.

  She didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to know that it was Wade. She just wanted to pretend that he was some faceless, nameless man. But he wouldn’t let her. For a moment, uncertainty twisted her stomach, but the warm heat at her back, the hard muscle, drove her mind to other places.

  Riley squeezed her eyes shut and dragged his hand lower, beneath the edge of her cotton panties. His soapy fingers slid against her wet slit, palm pressing against the tangle of blonde hair there. He held himself motionless.

  “How?” Another hot whisper in her ear. Daring her.

  Riley pressed his hand hard against her, writhing against his touch. The first trace of his fingers made her gasp, throwing her head back.

  “Here?” He suckled the skin of her throat, his fingers drawing lazy circles.

  There. She nearly died and went to Heaven. So long since the touch hadn’t been hers. “Faster,” she whispered, sliding her hand up, behind his neck. “Please.”

  The slow glide of his fingers drove her mad.

  “Faster.”

  “No. No rush, darlin’.” He kissed her again, an open-mouthed wet kiss against the back of her neck that tightened everything in her body. “I ain’t rushing this.” Turning, he drew her into his arms, wrapping them around her bottom before pressing his lips to her navel as he forced her to stand.

  Riley whimpered at the loss of his fingers. Wade watched her face respond to the rasp of his stubble against her tender breasts as he brushed his lips over her nipple.

  “This is crazy,” she whispered. She couldn’t look away from him.

  “Yes.”

  His hot mouth clamped over her.

  “Oh, God,” she moaned, wilting in his touch. His tongue darted over her sensitive flesh as if he knew exactly where she wanted to be touched. One finger slid inside her, and her whole body locked hard around it.

  "Fuck," he groaned. Heat flared to life in his eyes.

  Cupping her hips, he wiggled her panties down. The sensation made her eyes open wide, a hint of nervousness prickling her skin.

  “It’s okay,” he whispered, kissing his way lower. “All you have to do is tell me to stop if you don't want to.”

  His mouth nuzzled into the soft blonde curls at the base of her thighs as he encouraged her out of the water, her back pressed hard against the rock walls of the cavern. Riley couldn’t have denied him – or herself – if she’d wanted to.

  A breathy cry died in her throat as his tongue darted into the slit between her thighs. Fingers clenching in his hair, she tried not to shudder, to lose her balance, as his hot tongue swept over her sensitive flesh. Giving a little wriggle, she felt her panties drop to her ankles, and then Wade was cupping he
r bottom, titling her pelvis toward his mouth as he sucked hard.

  Riley nearly screamed. “God,” she whispered, looking guiltily toward the mouth of the cavern. If Jimmy heard her....

  Wade suckled her clit, his tongue diving deep inside her. Slipping first one shoulder beneath her thigh then the other, he forced her legs wider, both thumbs sliding up to bare her to his touch, in a way that made her feel utterly vulnerable, completely exposed. And then he kissed her. Really kissed her, as if he were trying to lay waste to her. Riley's fingers curled in his hair, as if she could control it, even in some small way, but it was just a conceit. He controlled her. He gave her what she wanted. She was used to the type of men who took, but this was entirely outside her realm of experience, and it was getting her off in a major way. She was so close, every muscle in her body tensing, her toes curling a little. Just a little more....

  The sensation of his stubble against her sensitive flesh undid her. Riley shoved her fist against her lips, trying to force back a scream. Wade took advantage, tonguing her deep, tearing her apart. Her eyes went wide as sensation streamed through her. All she could see were his blue eyes as he watched her, his mouth buried between her legs. The thought tore another orgasm through her until she was shuddering, her knees going out from under her. The world narrowed and she collapsed in his arms, whimpering gently as her body flinched at the invasion of cool water between her hot thighs.

  Long moments of bliss. No thought. No pressure. Just sensation. The feel of a man’s arms cradling her, her head resting against his shoulder.

  Wade cradled her from behind, breathing deep into her wet hair. His hips flexed, an earthy reminder that this was not done. The tip of his cock breached her clenched thighs, rode over the shivering flesh. Riley stilled. Another choice. Another moment that would change her life forever.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, his hand tracing her breast. “So strong. So wild. I want to tame you.”

  “Do you think you can?”

  "Maybe that's the fascination. Knowing what I want to do to you, and knowing that you can never be tamed." Their eyes met as she turned her head. He kissed her lips, let her taste the musk of her own body, then bit her lower lip, rubbing it between his teeth gently. There was a slight hesitation in him. A tension within the hard steel of his arms. “You don’t have to do this,” he told her bluntly, letting go of her lip.

  A complex man. One who had given her every choice to turn away from him, as if he expected it. As if he was already steeling himself against it.

  And she knew then what her choice was going to be.

  Her hand slid between them, down the wet glide of his abdomen. Wade sucked in a harsh breath as her fingers wrapped around the silken head of his cock, then squeezed lightly.

  “I know,” she replied.

  The tension in his body changed. Fierce desire radiated in his voice. “So be it. Remember, this was your choice, and yours alone.” He bit her throat, her neck, then thrust his cock against her bottom.

  Riley groaned, her hand fisting around the smooth skin. Wade shuddered, his teeth grazing her jaw. She loved that she could do this to him. Make him so vulnerable. Humanize him.

  But he didn’t want to be humanized. He grabbed her hips, jerked her back against him. “I’m going to fuck you hard,” he whispered in her ear, biting the fleshy lobe. “I want you to know that. This is not about saving the boy, about what you owe me... This is just what you want. What I want. You want this, don’t you?” His hand tightened in her hair, creating a fist. “You want me?”

  Desperate, harshly whispered words.

  “Say it,” he hissed. His cock ground against her hips, the hair on his thighs tickling against her bare legs.

  Riley’s nipples tightened. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Some madness had taken over her mind, her flesh. She felt herself rubbing against him, his cock brushing between her thighs. Wade sucked in a sharp breath.

  “No. Not like this.” He turned her around, forcing her to look at him. His blue eyes burned with need. “Look at me,” he snarled. “You look at me. You see me. Know that it’s me. Inside you.”

  Riley’s back hit the rock, his fingers intertwining with hers. Water rushed down his body as he half-rose out of the water, his cock sliding between them, her legs parting around his hips. He pressed against her, the blunt head of his erection slipping inside her wet opening.

  She’d almost expected him to thrust home, to shove himself inside her roughly. But he paused, a strange expression crossing his face. Hands clasping hers, he lowered his head slowly, their eyes meeting.

  And then he kissed her.

  Softly. Slowly. His mouth dancing over hers so lightly. Riley sucked in a sharp breath, trying to stifle a moan. The man knew how to kiss. She wanted to sink her hands into the thick mat of his black hair and draw him against her, but she was pinned to the rock, his own callused hands clenched in hers. All she could do was surrender.

  Wade’s tongue darted inside her mouth. Tasting her. Tempting her. Riley kissed him back, their tongues dueling for one precarious second. He still wouldn’t kiss her hard enough, as if he wasn’t sure how much of himself he could give. How much she would let him take.

  “More,” she whispered, the word a caress against his wet mouth.

  His hips rocked, another inch of his cock spreading her. Riley gasped, her fingers clenching around his at the shock of the invasion. He was a big man, and it had been a long time, but she bit his lip, rocked her hips. Anything for more. She needed him to take her. To give her everything he could.

  “More.”

  Another inch. His hips thrusting lightly against hers. So in control. Riley threw her head back. “Please,” she whispered.

  His lips slid down her throat, teeth grazing along her windpipe. “God, you’re so fucking tight.” A shiver ran over his skin and his elbows bent, his chest pressing against hers. He pinned her to the wall, brushing his lips against her throat. Tasting her. The rasp of his stubble sending shivers through her. “Damn you.”

  He thrust deep, filling her to the core. Riley gasped, her voice echoing in the cavern. Their bodies fused, his branding hers within, and she shuddered, the tremble running all the way through her. She was so close. Just the thought of what he was doing pushed her to the edge.

  His mouth found hers, taking it roughly. Riley met it with a hunger she couldn’t hide. She felt like she was chasing something she'd never known before. Oh, she'd fucked herself to orgasm with her own fingers, but this was more. This was... being consumed. Being eaten alive by a force she couldn't control. And wanting more. Always more. Another long, slow slide as he withdrew, then thrust hard, driving her back against the wall.

  “Yes,” she whispered, clinging to him.

  He took her mouth, a punishing kiss that owned her. Each slow thrust of his hips was punctuated by the dart of his tongue. Wade kissed as if he made love to her entire body, as if the thrust of his hips were but one part of it, as if he couldn’t get enough. And she burned, writhing beneath his body, pinned to the wall with his exquisite strength.

  Her teeth left white crescent-moon imprints on his shoulder as the heat inside her started to tighten, to push her closer to an edge she wanted to throw herself off. It was like rappelling, only this time, there were no ropes to break her fall, and the terror of that unknown leap only heightened all of the sensation.

  Wade drank of her mouth, his hips thrusting urgently, as if he could sense it. His cock rode over something sensitive deep inside, and Riley shuddered.

  It spiraled through her, as hot and sudden as an electrical storm, lightning strikes shattering across her nerves. She cried out, dug her teeth against the carved column of his throat, her fingers clenching in his. His hard body anchored hers, driving her against the cavern wall, forcing the storm to build within her until she was shuddering with an override of pleasure as she came. She could feel the tension in his arms, the way his body shook. Knew he was close.

 
; Each thrust became hard, violent. His face buried against her throat, Wade came with a harsh exhalation, a soft cry. His hips flexed as if he sought to drag out the pleasure, his breath rasping over the sensitive skin of her throat.

  The world stilled. All she could feel was the burning brand between her thighs where Wade’s hips were nestled, and the love-bruises on her skin. The silence of the cavern was punctuated by harsh gasps, and the steady drip of water from her hair.

  Wade let her hands go, his own sliding under her ass. “Christ...” he whispered hoarsely. “Christ.”

  Bit by bit, the world started to intrude. And with it, guilt.

  As if he sensed it, could feel her body withdrawing from his, he looked up through passion-glazed eyes. “Just let me,” he murmured. “Just let me hold you for a minute.”

  Then he curled his strong arms around her, sinking down into the water. The cold bit at her in places and Riley wilted in his arms, her wet hair strewn across his shoulder as she hesitantly rested her cheek on it. Her heart was pounding. Bad enough admitting that she was attracted to him – but a fuck was a fuck. This... It left her feeling extremely uncomfortable, as if she was letting in something that she hadn't agreed to.

  Or maybe even wanting a little of it herself.

  It was easier if Riley told herself just to enjoy the sensation, the aftermath of being deliciously taken. Slowly, she trailed her fingers down his arm, tracing a water droplet and marveling at the powerful strength of his body.

  A body that held her with exquisite gentleness, his own hands stroking her lower back and spine. For a moment, she could almost forget who held her in his arms. A part of her yearned to stay there, to let him hold her like that forever. Someone who admired her strength, who not only let her help him but expected her to pick up a gun and watch his back. It was only there, in his arms, that he asked for softness, asked her to be his lover.

  And she liked that feeling.

  Riley stared at the water patterns, lulled into a hypnotic bliss by the stroke of his hands. They chased away the guilt, the doubts, and left in their wake one burning question.

  Why did it have to be Wade?