by Dahlia Rose
The only redeeming quality of late was spending time with Stavros. At first it was to take care of him and save his life. Now it was for the pure pleasure of it. The man was handsome and enigmatic. She had the flaw of falling for bad boys, but this time she didn’t think that was the case. Stavros had a caring, generous nature―that along with a tiger sharing his body.
The first time he showed her his second nature she thought a switch from reality flipped in her head, and she only got a buzzing sound in her ears. After all, who ever thought that she would see a man turn from a human to a tiger? But when sanity won out, all that was left was pure amazement. Instead of being afraid, she wanted to know more about him, how be became what he was. All the while, she felt herself falling for the soldier who lived in seclusion. But he had his own stuff to deal with and she didn’t want to bring her load of crap to his door.
She could have waited for him inside while he got dressed, but Amari wanted to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. Spring had been a long time coming in Alaska, and the blanket of snow made her want to scream after awhile. She planned to take advantage of every warm day of the warm season she could, because in this area of the United States there were always more cold months than warm ones.
Stavros was estranged from the only family he knew, and the men he called brothers. It was by choice, but because he didn’t feel worthy. It didn’t take a therapist to see the man felt as if his injuries would make him a burden. She doubted very much that his friends would feel that way, but of course she had no real idea. She, on the other hand, made the choice to run away. To leave all she knew for safety, for necessity and to get out of the public eye. Don’t we make a pair, she thought ruefully. She heard his heavy footsteps coming back to the door.
She looked up and smiled. “You look like a lumberjack.”
Stavros raised his brow. ‘What, don’t you like my chic Alaskan outfit? I’ll have you know these are the rage in Paris and are the in thing for 2012.”
Laughter bubbled out of Amari. “Really, I didn’t know the fashions made it all the way up here in Hiko.”
He nodded solemnly. ‘Trust me, plaid is in.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” she replied.
Stavros shrugged. “Okay, but don’t be mad at me when you’re left behind in this new fashion craze.”
“I’ll remember that,” she said dryly.
He reached out his hand and she took it. He lifted her to her feet easily, as if she weighed nothing. She stepped the wrong way and fell against his chest. Instantly, he wrapped his arms around her to hold her in place. To protect her. She met that green stare of his and any thought in her head was lost. Stavros was stronger then he thought, and that one move made her breathless.
“You okay?” He murmured, looking down at her face.
“I’m fine.” Damn, why does my voice shaking like that. Amari extracted herself from his arms even though she would rather have stayed. “Ready to go?”
Stavros nodded. “I’m kinda missing the snow.”
Amari laughed and threw him the truck keys she pulled from her pocket. “That’s because you can blend with the snow, Tiger. You drive, I’ll direct.”
He’d caught the key easily and slid behind the wheel. She could still see the stiffness in his left side. He might like the snow, but the warmer weather would help him heal and loosen up his body more.
“I can’t imagine you know a place for a picnic in this place,” he said as he reversed down the rocky driveway.
“Know your environment is my motto,’ Amari explained. “If I had to live here I was going to make damn sure I could get around and know exactly where I can and cannot go.”
“Why do you have to live here?’ Stavros asked the question she knew would come eventually. “You don’t strike me as a woman who would move to the ass crack of the United States.”
“Hey now, don’t go messing with Hiko,” Amari teased. “It is the fashion capital remember.”
“Nice deflection,” Stavros countered.
“I know.”
“Trust me when I say that won’t happen for too long.”
“I know that, too, but unless you’re ready to face that call you’ve been avoiding for all these months, you won’t give me any grief,” Amari replied, then pointed. “Turn left up here and then keep going until you see the fork in the road.”
“This is what you call a road?” he asked as the truck jostled along.
“You’ve been in Hiko for a year, you know this is as good as it gets,” she replied.
“Uh-huh.”
They drove along in silence for a while with the scents of spring coming into the truck from the open windows. There had been snow for Easter, and in Alaska it wasn’t a few inches but a few feet. The drive was slow enough that she could hear the water from the winter thaw making the streams bigger in size as the water rushed through. The air had a hint of a chill as they drove.
They got to the clearing and it was just as she recalled it from last winter. Flowers bloomed in all different colors, and the purple irises were always her favorite against the vivid green grass. You could say a lot about Alaska, but when spring took hold it was amazing to see. Blues, reds, yellows and even orange flowers made the meadow look like a carpet of color come to life, and as before it made catch her breath. Stavros parked the truck on the outskirts of where the flowers began. She was glad he didn’t barrel through and crush them.
He got out and stretched. “Now I have to admit, this is beautiful. The tiger in me wants to go out there and just lay with the sun on my back.”
“You should after we eat,” Amari said and winked. “Don’t worry, I won’t peek while you get naked.”
“I wish you would,” Stavros tone was serious when he said the words. He looked away quickly. “I’m sorry, I have no damn right to be flirting with you.”
He didn’t understand the heat that infused her body by his words alone. Amari walked around the truck and wrapped her hands around his waist.
“You have every right to be flirting with me, Stavros. I like it,” she said, looking up at him.
He shook his head and his lips tightened. “It’s all well and good that we’re friends. Amari, look at me. You seen the scars on my body, and the ones on my face won’t ever go away. I don’t know if I’ll ever be whole again.”
She reached up and ran her fingers along the line of scars on his face. He tried to pull away from her touch, but she wouldn’t let him. He sighed as if in defeat and turned his face to her caress.
“These don’t make you any less handsome,” she murmured. “You’ve gone through so much and come out on top, and your scars more than tell a story of your heroism. You’re not broken either, Stavros. You’re so damn strong and stubborn. And do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me?”
“Just throwing that in at the end there, huh?” he said huskily.
“No, you better kiss me or I’m going to go crazy on you,” she said and gave a small laugh.
“While I’d love to see that, I opt for the first choice.” He cupped the back of her neck and she gasped at his touch. “I’ve dreamed of kiss you for so long now.”
“Do it, before I die from wanting to taste you,” she whispered.
With a groan, he swooped in and took her mouth in a kiss that blew her socks off. His tongue licked at her lips, begging for entrance into the recesses of her mouth, and she let him in. She moaned and pressed herself more fully against his body, and his hands travelled down to her hips.
With a swift move he pressed her against the truck, and she could feel his erection between them. If he felt so big with his pants on, she wondered how it would feel with him naked and ready to press into her. His hard thighs would probably spread her apart and the thickness of his length stretch the walls of her pussy. The erotic thought made her jerk in response and she almost came. She’d never wanted a man as much as she wanted Stavros at that very moment. They’d know each other for a year, an
d being with him felt so very right.
He lifted his head. “I should stop before I lose control. You taste so good, Amari. I could drown myself in you right now.”
“Remember when I said I wouldn’t peek if you got naked to shift into your tiger?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Yeah I remember.”
“I’d like to amend that statement to please get naked so I can see that body of yours,” Amari said. “I want to be under you, have you inside me, hard and deep.”
“You don’t want that,” he said.
“Yes I do. And maybe after we’re done you can lie out in the sun and I’ll stroke your fur,” she replied simply. “I’m no blushing innocent girl, I know what I want and it’s you. So stop trying to find ways why we shouldn’t and think about how good it will feel if we do.”
“We’re out in the open…” he began
“In the middle of Alaska and in the wilderness. Someone coming across us is not really a big possibility, and if they do they can take notes.” Amari raised an eyebrow in his direction. “What else you got?”
A bark of laughter escaped him. “Obviously nothing against your debating skills. Who am I to say no when my body is screaming to take you?”
She reached up and pressed her lips on his. “Listen to your body and take mine.”
“Hell yeah,” he said against her lips, and then seared her with his kiss.
She didn’t know how long they stood by the truck kissing. He lost all track of time while immersing himself in her taste. He left her lips to trail kisses down her neck, and his groan sent shivers through her.
“Let get the blanket spread and get comfortable,” she purred.
He took her hand and they walked across the field of wildflowers. She carried the basket and he spread the blanket while she stood waiting. His eyes met hers and she could see the desire in his gaze.
“Can I undress you?” Stavros asked with a husky voice.
“Yes.” She licked her lips in anticipation.
Their lips met in a gentle kiss, and the tender friction made her feel cherished. She felt his warm hands slip under the thin long-sleeved shirt she wore and caress the skin of her sides and back. He lifted the hem of her shirt and drew it over her head. He threw it aside and it landed on the soft grass while he worked at the snap of his jeans. Amari rubbed the bulge of his cock through the rough material of his pants. Stavros groaned in response, and he flexed his hips and pressed himself into her hands.
“Your turn,” Amari whispered against his lips. They parted just long enough for him to drag his shirt off roughly and toss it aside. He kicked off his boots and she used her toes to slip her soft sneakers from her feet. Stavros got on his knees, and she felt his warm breath against the skin of her stomach. He pulled her jeans down and took her panties with it. She felt him place an open mouth kiss just over her pussy, and Amari gasped in delight.
“Your scent is amazing. I wanted to sink my tongue inside you,” Stavros said.
His words made her shiver even though the rays of the sun warmed her naked skin.
“You’re going to make me crazy with wanting you if you keep saying things like that.”
“I want you that way. Hot, wet and wild for my touch,” Stavros replied. “Your body is already trembling and I love knowing it’s because of me.”
“I want to see the rest of you. Take the rest of your clothes off,” Amari demanded.
He stood and slipped his jeans down his hard muscled thighs. He had scars down his leg but Amari didn’t care. He was still a prime specimen of manliness. The scars made him seem more dangerous, but she knew the strength in him, and the gentleness. Amari was not afraid of him in the least. For the last few months he’d become more than just a friend. It was time to take what they had to a whole new level.
He stood before her, proud and naked, his cock jutting from between his thighs. Amari stepped closer and held his gaze with her own while she wrapped her fingers around his thick shaft. His breath hissed out of his body between his teeth as she stroked him slowly.
“You’re so big. I want you inside me,” she said brazenly while she touched him.
Stavros went down to his knees on the blanket and caught her hand in his. He gave her a tug, pulling her down with him until she was sprawled across his chest. Amari felt breathless as she was pressed against his hard body. She could feel every contour of him, and his chest muscles moved beneath her hand. He had a hard, sculpted body that army training had created. While he was healing she saw him lose weight, but since then he gained it all back and it was pure muscle. She knew he pushed himself when he was outside and she wasn’t around. He trained, trying to get back his full strength and it showed in every cut muscle she touched.
He pulled her head down to his for a long kiss. Amari opened her mouth willingly to accept his tongue and his taste. He hands roamed against her back, massaging her body as if memorizing the feel of her. She couldn’t help the little sound of pleasure she made as his hands moved to cup her breasts, slowly massaging the firm round globes. Her nipples hardened against his palms, and she absorbed his groan into her mouth. Their tongues dueled and danced together. She pressed her body more intimately against him, trying to feel more of him.
His kiss became hungry and seeking. Amari closed her eyes in pleasure from the sensations coursing through her.
He pulled back and whispered, “I want you so badly, Amari.
“You have me,” Amari responded, and she lifted her lips to his for him to claim.
He kissed her as he swept her off her feet and lay her down on the soft blanket. It felt so right being with him, and she knew her choice was correct. He was meant to be hers.
Boldly, she trailed her lips down his hot skin and she felt his body go tense with anticipation. She kissed the tip of his cock and took his length in her mouth, inch by slow, torturous inch. Stavros said her name through clenched teeth while she pleasured him with her tongue. He combed his fingers through and buried them in her hair, holding her head to him as he thrust his cock deeper into her mouth. Each sound he made in pleasure fueled her need.
“Oh damn, you have to stop before I come in your mouth.” His voice was raw with need.
“I would love to taste your come on my tongue,” Amari said openly.
Stavros pulled away from her and kissed her hungrily, pressing her body back onto the blanket and covering her with his massive frame. She gasped his name as he kissed his way down to her breasts and sucked the hard nipples in his mouth.
“Oh God!” She cried out and arched against him.
He tasted her hungrily, moved from one breast to the next. His guttural groans made her stomach clench and her pussy become moist in anticipation. Amari whimpered and tried to press her body closer to his. He was making her crazy with need, but Stavros took his time to savor her in every possible way. He moved his hands down her stomach to the juncture of her thighs. She felt his large hand cup her sex and she spread her legs farther apart in invitation. He slipped his finger between the moist folds of her vulva and rubbed her clit. Amari couldn’t smother the cries of pleasure that escaped her lips.
“Yes baby,” Stavros growled against her ear. “I want to her you come for me.”
Amari closed her eyes and immerse herself in the sensations as he slipped his fingers inside her. He pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing gently and with urgent thrusts of his digits deep inside her, he made her come hard. She clutched the blanket beneath her and she called out his name. Her body shook as her release rocketed through her. Her juices gushed all over his fingers, and while she tried to catch her breath he swooped in for a hungry kiss. While their mouths mated, he connected their bodies with one smooth thrust of his thick cock.
“Stavros.”
She said his name almost reverently. Amari wished she could find the words to explain how right their connection felt at that very moment. The feeling of completion that filled her heart and her entire being. She met his gaze and time seeme
d to stop. No words were needed, it was in his eyes, because Stavros felt the exact same way. His eyes had turned to a dark emerald-green when he started to move inside her and desire took over. The curl of his body with each thrust sent him deeper into her core. She wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted her hips to take more of him. He slid his hand to her hips and pulled her hard against his body to maximize his thrusts.
His breath was harsh against her ear and his words heightened her pleasure. “I want to hear you come for me, scream my name when I take you there.”
“Stavros, I’m going to come…please don’t stop, I want more,” she pleaded.
“Take all of me, ah yes!” His voice was so harsh and filled with a sexual frenzy. “Dear God, I’ve never felt like this. I can’t hold back.”
“Come with me. I want to feel you fall with me.” Amari gasped and clutched his shoulder as the band of pleasure inside her tightened until it felt unbearable. Yet she wanted to feel more.
She felt his body tense and shudder against her as he pumped inside her. The sound of her slippery, wet body filled the hair.
He sank his hand into her hair and made a fist, tilting her head up to his and devouring her lips before speaking. “Look at me, Amari. I want to see you come, tell me it’s me that’s making you feel this way. Say my name now.”
“Stavros.”
His name fell from her lips, and she opened her eyes as her body shattered and spiraled her into a mind-blowing orgasm. She watched his face and his body become taut, and every muscle strained. His neck arched and a guttural groan escaped his lips. Her pussy clenched around his cock, milking his length as he spilled himself inside her. With his head against her, they waited for their bodies to stop shaking. My heart feels like it’s ready to break out of my chest, she thought with a satisfied smiled. She ran her hands down his body, loving the feel of his damp skin and tracing idle patterns on his shoulders.
