Aurora's Triangle
Page 8
He bared his fangs. This close, Lex saw just how lethal they were. Yet every time he kissed her, never once had he hurt her with them. His control astounded her.
But then, everything about Constantine was tightly controlled rage and power. His body was a work of art, from his tattoos to his scars. They were marks of his life—and his death. The thick cords of muscle that moved under his pale flesh were a testimony to his discipline as a warrior. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it had taken to hone his body into the fine weapon it was.
“I can’t be around you without wanting to bury myself in you.”
That healthy does of honesty ignited a fire in Lex that burned its way through her entire being. “Then stop denying us both. I can’t make it any clearer, or easier on you than that.”
Pride be damned, Lex laid herself out for his taking. Now—she just hoped he'd take it and stop torturing them both.
“You’ve no bloody idea what you’ll be inviting into your body.”
That statement spoke volumes to Lex and it broke her heart. How could Constantine think so lowly of himself? No matter what’d done in his life, or what he’d done after, God loved him enough to give him a second chance. Didn’t that mean anything to him? Didn’t it mean anything that she loved him?
And, oh God, how she loved him.
Lex placed her hands on his cheeks. “Don’t I?” She dropped her hands and placed them on his chest. It was high time she gave him back that same raw honesty. “I think it’s you who doesn’t know me. I’m not the delicate flower you all treat me as. I’m a woman, Constantine, and I know what I want. And what I want is you.”
The expression of shock Constantine had worn before was replaced by a beautiful play of emotions as he fought a battle with himself to either leave or take what she so blatantly offered him.
For a moment Lex expected Constantine to leave and a stab of disappointment pierced her. She knew that if he left her, he wouldn’t just be leaving her chamber. He’d be leaving her.
When his mouth came down on hers, there wasn’t a shred of tenderness in his kiss. Instead, it was a brutal, almost punishing, joining of their mouths as he showed her exactly what manner of man he was. Not that Lex needed the reminder. She knew Constantine wasn’t a gentle man. She expected things to be a bit—rough—with him. Given who he was, she didn’t think otherwise.
Stepping up on her tiptoes, Lex pressed her body against Constantine’s as her hands ran over his back. His lips were unyielding, demanding, and when she sighed into his mouth she felt him inhale it. There was something extremely erotic about that. His tongue moved over hers hesitantly and Lex realized he was struggling to be careful with his fangs. When he brought them into play, they added a certain amount of danger to his kiss.
Hoping Constantine wasn’t going to bring this to an abrupt end, Lex melted into him. She wanted to touch all of him, know every inch of his body, but there was so much of him she didn’t know where to start. His size scared her just a little and she prayed he couldn’t sense it since she knew he’d probably stop if he did.
When she trailed her hands down his back and came to settle on his ass, he hissed. She squeezed and he growled. She pulled him closer and he tore his mouth away. That was definitely not the reaction Lex was expecting.
“I shouldn’t have come here.”
Was he joking? He wasn’t going to start that again. He wanted to be here. She wanted him here and she was going to fight to make him realize he was being foolish in resisting what was between them.
He set her aside and went to leave. By a will of its own, her hand settled on his arm. He stopped dead, his gaze fixed on the door. “You can’t keep doing this to me, Constantine. You can’t keep playing me like this. One second you want me, the next you can’t wait to be rid of me. I mean, my God, my pride can only take so much.”
Cursing, Constantine turned and pinned her with a glare. “You’ve no idea of the things I want to do to you.”
“No, I don’t.” She ran her hand through his hair, not an easy task given their height differences. “But I can’t make it any clearer that I’m not afraid to find out.” Something warned her he still might flee, which was why Lex decided to play dirty. “Besides, they can’t be half as nasty as the things I imagine you doing to me.”
Right then Lex knew she had him.
The look that darkened Constantine’s eyes caused her heart to race. Liquid heat poured through her when he brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered the most wicked things. Heat settled between her legs. In the wake of the warmth came wetness, which brought the ache of emptiness.
“I won’t give you a gentle ride.”
God, she hoped not. “If I wanted gentle I wouldn’t be here with you.”
The intensity in the silvery depths of his eyes cut Lex right to her core. “If I stay I’m taking this to the end.”
She smiled at the thought of him being the one to show her the wonders of her body. “You’d better.”
“You’re mine, Lexine” he gritted out between his fangs. “No other man will ever put his hands on you but me.” He fisted his hand in her hair and pulled it so she was forced to arch her neck. “Say it. Tell me you’re mine.”