Rush of Darkness

by Rhyannon Byrd

  “Well, at least you didn’t do anything crazy, like tattoo her name across your backside,” she murmured, relieved when his shoulders shook with silent laughter. Raine knew he would turn around soon…hopefully picking up where they’d just left off, so she quickly turned the lights out, sinking the room into shadows as muted shafts of fading sunshine slipped through the shutters. She needed those shadows to cover the evidence of her own physical scars, desperate to do whatever she could to keep the past from intruding on this moment.

  With her heart hammering from excitement, Raine bent down to take off her shoes. When she straightened, Seth was pulling off his shirt as he came toward her, and she damn near drooled as she stared at his broad chest. He was no longer wearing any bandages, and even the angry, healing welts that she’d made with her talons seemed incredibly sexy, though she hated the fact that she’d caused him pain.

  While his expression was nothing short of severe, all hard lines and rugged angles, it was pure lust that burned in his eyes as he reached for her and crushed her against him, his mouth taking hers in a raw, dominating kiss. He made a thick sound in the back of his throat, the kiss turning explosive as his big hands roamed her figure, stroking roughly over her back and hips, before curving around her ass.

  “Need you,” he snarled in a low, gravelly rumble, hoisting her against the front of his body as he took her down to that massive, four-poster bed. He didn’t give her any time to panic, ravaging her mouth with those deep, drugging kisses as he came down over her, grasping the hem of her fitted black T-shirt and shoving it above her breasts. As he ripped the shirt over her head, he took a swollen, silk-covered nipple between his teeth, his breath choppy and rough as the dusky shadows deepened, church bells ringing out crisply somewhere in the distance, while the thunder still bellowed and rolled. Her bra quickly followed her T-shirt, his hot mouth closing hungrily over a hard peak and suckling strong enough that it arched her back. A sharp cry spilled from her lips as Raine gripped his powerful shoulders, his skin warm beneath her palms as he growled and moved to her other breast. His talented lips and tongue created a hot, exquisite suction that had her gasping, her nails digging into his firm flesh, her body eager to feel his rippling muscles pressed against her.

  Just live in the moment, she thought, her hips lifting…begging…seeking. Just live in the now.

  “I want you naked.” Her voice was shaky and hoarse, her pulse rushing so hard it was a chaotic roar in her ears. He fed another visceral growl into her mouth as they rolled across the mattress, ripping at each other’s buttons and zippers, desperate to reach hot, bare skin. Raine made guttural sounds that she’d never heard herself make before, driven by a primal, violent desperation to get him inside her—to feel his hard, thick body filling her up and possessing her.

  The storm raged, lightning crashing outside, shaking the shutters as he braced himself above her on his elbows, his hips wedged tight between her spread thighs. He rolled his hips, rubbing his cock against her slippery flesh, and her belly hollowed out with a sharp breath, her muscles trembling. But she wasn’t afraid. She was on fire, needing him so badly she wanted to scream.

  “I won’t go inside you yet.” His voice was husky and dark, his body shuddering as he struggled for control. “I just want to feel you.”

  “It’s wonderful,” she whispered, the care he was taking bringing tears to her eyes. The guy was too freaking good to be true—but damn it, she didn’t want careful. Not now, when his acceptance of her darkest, most shameful secrets had burned its way through her worries and fears, turning them to ash. All she wanted was for Seth McConnell to lose his control. To see this magnificent male reduced to the same gnawing desperation that was pumping through her veins, driving her insane.

  Reaching between them, Raine wrapped her hand around his shaft, startled again by how big he was. But she wanted him too much to worry.

  “Is it okay if I touch you like this?” she asked, suddenly realizing that he’d gone completely still, not even breathing, his face turned away so that she couldn’t see his expression.

  “Anything,” he growled, and his hips punched forward, forcing her hand to slide down the length of that hot, thick staff. “Just…just not your mouth.”

  Oh… Though she’d never really gone for the whole oral sex thing, at that moment Raine wanted so badly to go down on him. She wanted to give him pleasure and feel that warm, silken skin against her lips. Wanted that taut, slick head pushing against her tongue. But she didn’t want to do anything that was going to bring back his own horrific memories, so she satisfied herself with touching him instead. The thick ridges of scar tissue pressed against her palm, her heart breaking as she thought of how much it must have hurt when the rogue vampires had tortured him with their bites. God, no wonder he equated feeding with pain—and she could no longer blame him for his reaction when he’d seen her fangs. His memories still haunted him, and she’d have been lying if she said she didn’t understand.

  “Damn it, Raine. I can’t wait.” He swiftly pulled out of her hold, his voice raspier than she’d ever heard it. “Have to get inside you. Now.”

  “Then roll over so I can be on top.” Though she wasn’t afraid, she didn’t want to take any chances. If she could be on top, she’d be in control….

  As he reached down and pushed two long fingers inside her, preparing her for his body, he rubbed his lips across her flushed cheek, nuzzling the warmth of her skin. “You’re not going to freak.”

  “You sound awfully sure of that.”

  “I am sure of it.” He put his face above hers, so that he could watch her eyes as he did something wicked with his fingers that made her shiver and gasp. “I plan to keep you so busy coming, you won’t be able to think about anything but how good it feels.”

  Her chest shook with a soft laugh as she ran her palms down his back, then over his tight ass. “You are so cocky, McConnell.”

  His eyes crinkled sexily at the corners as he stared down at her. “Only some parts of me.”

  “Well, I like all parts of you,” she told him, smoothing her hands up his sides, his muscles sharply defined and packed with strength.

  There was no panic or fear. The only thoughts in her mind were how much she wanted him…how much she needed him.

  “And if it means I get to be with you,” he growled, already rolling to his back and pulling her over his chest, her thighs straddling his waist, “I’ll stand on my head and sing opera. You name it. I don’t care. I’ll do it.”

  He sounded so desperate, so eager, that Raine couldn’t help but grin down at him, a youthful excitement coursing through her veins that reminded her of the sharp-edged, heart-pounding anticipation she’d felt as a child whenever she’d known something wonderful was about to happen.

  She scooted back a little, so that she was poised above him, and let her head fall back as she closed her eyes, giving herself over to the devastating sensations that were surging inside her. There was so much warmth and happiness. Something was burning within her—an emotion more powerful than anything she’d ever known, and she clung to it as she felt him reach down and grasp that thick shaft, angling it upward, so that the blunt tip was pressing a hot, slick kiss against the opening of her body.

  The moment was simply…perfect. Thunder rumbled and crashed beyond the windows, the room steamy and richly scented with the wild, cleansing scents of rain and flowers and Seth—an intimate cocoon removed from the harsh realities of the war and their future. She knew this stolen moment would be ripped away from her before she was ready, and so Raine clung to the perfection of it, lost to its provocative beauty, determined to fight for it for as long as she could.

  “You ready?” he rasped, the brutal edge of need in his rough voice making her melt for him, her body a soft, molten glow, eager for everything he could give her. He shuddered beneath her, a visceral bite to his words as he demanded, “Damn it, Raine, are you ready for me?”

  SETH STARED UP at her as she slowly lowered h
er head and opened her eyes, the gray striations flashing like lightning against a sky of dark Alacea blue—and then she whispered, “Oh, yeah.”

  The instant the words left her lips, he started pushing into her, using both hands to grasp her hips. He lowered his gaze, his jaw clenched as he watched the broad crown penetrate that delicate opening, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head at how perfectly she gripped him. Hot. Slick. Tighter than anything I’ve ever had.

  Christ, she was so narrow inside. So small. It made him ill to think of how badly the Casus must have hurt her.

  Maybe he was a bastard for pushing her to do this, but damn it, he wanted to make her feel good. Wanted to show her that she didn’t have to let those sadistic monsters win. That her life could be hers again.

  And yeah, he wanted to fuck her more than he’d wanted anything in…well, in forever.

  But he was going to take this slow, even if it killed him. If it took an hour for her tender little sex to take him, then he’d grit his teeth and enjoy every goddamn second of it.

  Still keeping one hand on her hip, he reached up just as she’d taken the engorged head completely inside her, careful not to touch that long, golden hair as he grasped the back of her neck and pulled her down to him. Her tight nipples pressed against his chest, pulling a raw sound from his throat as he took her mouth, her lips soft and sweet and deliciously full. Flicking his tongue across that sexy crease in her bottom lip, he shuddered as he thought of how it would feel to have her plush mouth wrapped around him—hating that it was something he’d never be able to enjoy. But he was enjoying this, the throaty sounds she made as her spine curved in perfect grace and her body took him a little deeper, nearly doing him in. Determined not to embarrass himself, Seth sucked in a deep breath and fought to keep it together. But it was damn near impossible. He’d been on the edge for too long, craving this woman for months.

  Just don’t lose it, he silently snarled. But, damn it, she was killing him, her body melting around him in a tight, slick hold that felt better than anything he’d ever imagined. He was shaking, fighting to keep control…determined to make it good for her. Then he lifted his gaze from the place where they were joined to find her watching him with those beautiful, soul-deep eyes…the smallest shadow of a smile on her lush mouth…and he nearly died. No one had ever looked at him like that…as if she could see right inside him. As if she knew him, inside and out.

  “Seth,” she panted, a gasp spilling from her lips as he tightened his grip on her hips and sat up, rubbing his tongue across one of those ripe, pink nipples. With her arms wrapped around his head, holding him to her, she whispered, “You know what I said the other night about not being able to handle your aggressive side?”

  “Yeah?” He moved to her other breast, loving how she tasted…how she felt against his lips and tongue.

  “I was wrong. I need more,” she said on a breathless moan, suddenly jamming her hips down, and despite the grip he had on her, she managed to take in another thick inch. “Stop holding back.”

  “Damn it, Raine.” He lifted his head, giving her a hot look of warning. “Don’t do that again. I’m going to be gentle with you even if it kills me.”

  “Well, it’s killing me,” she snapped, struggling against his hold.

  “You’ll survive,” he barked, trying to keep a grip on her slick skin as she bounced on him, forcing another inch inside her…then another. “Goddamn it, stop that!”

  “No.” She leaned forward, biting down hard on the cord between his neck and shoulder, exacting just enough pressure to make him feel the burn without breaking the skin…and got exactly what she’d demanded. Undone by that primal act of aggression, Seth cursed as he swiftly rolled over, reversing the position of their bodies, her eyes glowing with triumph as she found herself pinned beneath him. The little crossbreed was playing with fire, pushing him, and he only prayed she wasn’t going to get burned.

  “Spread your legs wider,” he said. The instant she did, he gave a rough, guttural roar as his hips instinctively punched forward, shoving over half his length inside her. And as a sharp tingle began running along the length of his cock, like a warm electric vibration, he understood what Seton had been talking about. It must have been an Alacea thing, because he’d never heard of this happening with the Deschanel—and it was going to completely break him.

  “Goddamn it,” he snarled, his body burning as he stretched her arms over her head. He couldn’t stop himself as he pulled back his hips, then slammed back inside, going all the way to the hilt, the heavy penetration jerking a sharp cry from her throat. “I was trying to be gentle with you!”

  “I don’t need gentle,” she gasped, writhing beneath him, her storm-dark eyes burning with satisfaction. “I need this. I need you to let go!”

  “Shit,” he growled, completely losing it. He pressed her hands into the pillow as he began riding her with deep, jarring thrusts, grinding against her at the end of each hammering downstroke, desperate to feel her hot, slick flesh clasping every throbbing inch of him. “It’s insane.”

  “What is?”

  “You. This.” He struggled to say something that made sense, but his friggin’ brain was fried.

  Not that sex didn’t normally feel good. The whole point of it, after all, was pleasure. But this…being inside Raine, it was surreal. So damn intense he didn’t want it to end, and he found himself slowing his pace, determined to make it last. But even though he’d eased off the speed, he was still riding her with heavy lunges. The slick, wet sounds of their bodies coming together filled the air, while the heady scent of her skin filled his head, those damn little electric vibrations nearly stopping his heart. He placed a kiss on her shoulder, then the side of her throat, letting his tongue rest against the heavy beat of her pulse. If he’d had fangs, Seth knew in that moment that he would have wanted them to pierce that pale skin and lay claim to the rich blood pumping within. A bizarre thought for a guy like him, but one he couldn’t deny.

  “You okay?” he asked, releasing her hands so that he could brace his weight on one arm, his other hand sliding down her side.

  “I’M BRILLIANT,” RAINE told him, loving the way his hard muscles bunched beneath his skin as he moved over her, inside her. She wanted to bite him so badly she was drooling. Wanted to lick him. Everywhere. “Honestly, Seth, I’m great. Stop worrying.”

  He touched his mouth to her shoulder again. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

  She loved how his phrases were becoming shorter, gruffer, as if he had to concentrate to get the words out. He was getting close—but he was holding himself back…waiting for her, and she knew she had to be honest with him.

  “Just so you know,” she gasped, “I don’t ever come during sex.”

  He drove himself deep and held, pulsing inside her, his green eyes narrowed…dark with determination. “You will with me.”

  “But it’s… There could be a problem.”

  “What kind of problem?” he asked, brushing the pad of his thumb over her nipple, his body buried so deep in hers she could feel the throbbing rhythm of his heartbeat.

  “Um, I don’t really want to…”

  “It’s okay, Raine. You can tell me anything.” He pushed deeper, wedging himself inside her until his slick hips were pressed tight against her inner thighs. “Gideon told me that it’s not always easy for female Deschanel to orgasm without first taking a man’s vein. Is that why?”

  “Not really. I mean…that didn’t seem to be a problem the last time we were…intimate.” She chewed on her lower lip, then said, “But something will happen if I come when you’re inside me. Something I’ve heard can be unsettling for some males.”

  His head tilted a bit to the side, curiosity mixing with the lust on his gorgeous face as the last streams of sunlight began to fade, the rain falling softly against the tiled roof and splattering against the shutters. “What kind of something?”

  “It’s an Alacea thing. When our powers reach a certain level of maturit
y, we, um, kinda become…sexually charged.”

  “I know.” His eyes burned. “I can already feel that charge just from being inside you.”

  “But if I orgasm, that sensation is going to be even more…intense.”

  “Then go for it, sweetheart.” A sexy, lopsided grin touched his mouth. “There’s not a damn thing you could do to scare me away.”

  He curled his hand around the back of her knee, pressing it toward her chest so that he could grind into her body at a deeper angle…and her eyes nearly rolled back in her head.

  “YOU LIKE THAT, Raine?” As Seth stared down at her, gauging her reaction, her head shot back and her fangs dropped, glinting beneath the sensual curve of her upper lip. “I guess you do,” he growled, more than a little surprised with himself, since he was finding it incredibly sexy that he’d just made those sharp little fangs release.

  “I’m sorry!” She turned her face to the side, her body stiffening beneath him.

  “Don’t be sorry.” He kissed her temple, then the corner of a closed eye, unable to get enough of how her tender sex clung to his shaft, trying to hold him inside. “You have no idea how much I hated seeing you feed from Granger,” he confessed, touching his mouth to the sensitive skin beneath her ear, her breath quickening as he shifted his body a little higher over hers, increasing the pressure on her clit. “Not because you needed the blood, but because he was giving you something that I can’t. But I can give you other things, Raine. I can make you feel good, if you’ll let me.”

  “I don’t know how,” she told him, her voice trembling and soft.

  “Just stop fighting it. Let yourself go, and let your body have what it wants.”

  She blinked up at him, looking drunk on lust, her face glowing and flushed and beautiful. “But my body just wants you.”

  “Then we’re good here,” he managed to get out between his ragged breaths, satisfaction surging thickly through his veins as he started moving inside her again. “Because, honey, you’ve got me.”