She worried her bottom lip. “But you’re not from the area. You’re here on business and—”
“Business that won’t be completed anytime soon.” He swallowed hard. “I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you. And that’s not a line, Jasmine. I feel as if I might die if I don’t get inside you.”
And it was the truth. He didn’t understand it, didn’t want to question it more. If he did, he’d run in the opposite direction—but he couldn’t walk away. He slipped his hand from her chin down the length of her neck to rest over the swell of her breasts. The soft skin under his palm teased him. He wanted to feel her body against his. The yearning to roll around naked with her so his scent clung to every inch grew with each passing moment. It was a very possessive thought, but not one he could deny.
“Give us tonight. I want to finish what we started yesterday.” He nibbled her earlobe. “I need you. Don’t deny me.”
“I shouldn’t, Rafe. My boys—”
“Are with your neighbor. They’re safe. I’ll even send my twin, Kade, over to watch their house so you won’t have to worry about them. He’s here working a case with me. He’ll sit in the woods. They won’t know.”
She frowned. Her brows scrunched. “Why would he do that?”
Shit. Jasmine was overly cautious, probably the reason her kids had remained safe so long without drawing the attention of the shifter community. He’d made a mistake, but he couldn’t take it back now. He thought of something believable to say and settled on the truth.
“Because my brother loves me and would do anything for me. I haven’t stopped talking about you and that’s not like me.” He blew out a rough breath. “Surveillance is what we do. It’ll be a typical job. I’ll even pay him if he doesn’t want to do it.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “That’s sweet but—”
He kissed his way across her cheek to her mouth. With the tip of his tongue, he teased the seam. She opened to him on a sigh. He kissed her with unhurried, confident strokes until he felt her body go lax, accepting him. He pulled back and cupped her face between his palms. “I want your focus on me. Only me. Not your responsibilities, not tomorrow. Me. Us. What we can do to each other.”
Her breaths quickened and the scent of her arousal drifted to him. “I want to but—”
He yanked her close and kissed her hard. His gums ached, his fangs pushing to be released. He fought their emergence, didn’t want to frighten Jasmine with them, but the thought of this female walking away from him brought out his possessive instincts. The more she denied him, the stronger his urge to tie her to him became. It was his nature. Once instincts kicked in, a male was often lost. They didn’t always think through their choices. It became imperative they claim their mate and would use any damn means they could to do so. Even seduce her until she agreed to anything.
He broke their kiss, brushed his thumb over her swollen lips. “So what’s it going to be, Jasmine? Are you going give us this? Take a chance on me?” Remembering what human females liked to hear, even if it wasn’t a concern for them, he said, “You’re safe with me. Do you understand?”
She stared at him as if she didn’t but finally nodded. “I’m safe too.” She blew out a breath. “Okay, Rafe. Let’s go get a room.”
He skimmed his hand over her chest, teased the points of her nipples, then slid it lower to rest over her belly. “No, I’ll take you home. Love you in your bed, every damn room in your house.”
Panic flared in her wide-eyed glare. She shook her head. “No. Not my house. If we’re doing this, it’ll be in a hotel.”
He didn’t want to have sex with her in a generic hotel. He wanted the memory of their lovemaking to be in her bed so she’d think of him every damn time she went to sleep, but he wouldn’t argue and risk having her change her mind.
Rafe kissed her once more, a soft brush of lips, and eased back. “You won’t regret this, angel.”
Chapter Eight
The closest hotel was a fifteen-minute drive from town. Jazz had called Mr. Wilkins to check on the boys and let him know about the bodyguard he had. She smiled at the thought of Rafe’s twin sitting in the woods all night. It wasn’t necessary. After she’d heard about the police’s progress on the case, she no longer worried about Tony’s killer being anything other than human, but she did feel better knowing there was a professional there. And Rafe gave her that, took the worry she always lived with away for tonight.
She could almost pretend Rafe was more than a lover. It was a dangerous dream to let grow but he anticipated her needs, both physically and emotionally. He might just be the world’s most perfect man and she’d snagged him, at least for tonight. She peeked at Rafe’s profile. Gorgeous. Not in a pretty-boy way. He was strong, charismatic and being with him felt…right, as if he’d always been a part of her life.
Rafe parked the car and got out. She watched as he walked around the hood of the vehicle. Taking her eyes off him was proving impossible.
He opened her door and held a hand out. She stared at it but couldn’t move. Her legs felt shaky.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. This was what she wanted but her nerves were kicking in. She hadn’t had sex in so long. What if she didn’t please him?
“I can’t wait to be with you, Jasmine. No female has ever excited me the way you do.” He dropped his hands to her thighs and slowly inched them up her legs, leaving a burning path of skin in their wake. “You just might be the one I never knew I was looking for.”
With that cryptic comment, he lifted her out of the vehicle. His hands lingered on her waist a moment before he led her across the lot.
He slid his gaze to her as they walked. Her stomach did a little flip. She couldn’t believe she was going to do this, have sex with a near stranger. But god help her, she needed this man inside her. She focused on the lust, the way he made her feel, and pushed the anxiety away. She’d please him. Whenever he touched her, she went wild.
His thumb brushed over her wrist. “Keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it to our room.”
She let out a shaky breath. “I can’t help it. You make me hot, Rafe.”
He pulled her in for another kiss that left her panting and more aroused than she’d been a few minutes ago. He eased back and the pleased smile he gave her made the butterflies take flight again. Confidence shone in his eyes. It was the look a man got when he knew exactly how aroused he made a woman.
He tugged her hand and ushered her into the hotel lobby. The cool air and the sound of voices pulled her out of the trance. She forced herself to stop staring at him and glanced around the generic space while she waited for him to get them a room. A giggling laugh yanked her attention back to Rafe.
The young, pretty girl at the desk watched him with desire stamped on her face. She leaned over the counter, offering a good view of her cleavage, and let her hand linger on his when she handed him a pen to sign the slip. Jazz took it all in and felt the first stirrings of jealousy come over her. Anger came next. The nerve of the woman, to flirt with Rafe while she stood only a few feet away. It was obvious they were together, getting a room for the night.
She narrowed her eyes and glared at her. The girl didn’t notice. Or care. The woman scribbled on a piece of paper and slipped it to Rafe along with the room key. She was giving him her number? In front of the woman he was here with? Jazz ground her teeth and stepped next to Rafe. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He dropped the key, turned her into his embrace and kissed her.
He ran his hands over her back and around her hips before skimming them up her sides to the edge of her breasts. She arched into him, pressing the achy tips to his chest. He inched his fingers closer to the points but dropped his hands and stepped away from her without touching them. Heated eyes met hers. A smile spread over his face. He grabbed her hand, picked up the key, ignoring the folded piece of paper, and yanked her toward the elevator.
The doors swooshed closed. He crowded her against the wall.
“Were you jealous, my sweet Jasmine?”
She shrugged. “No but—”
His mouth pressed to hers but he didn’t kiss her. “Don’t lie, angel.”
The butterfly brush of his lips to hers made her shiver. “She was being rude. Didn’t even try to hide the fact that she wanted you.”
“Yes, but you are the female I want, the one who will sleep in my arms tonight.”
The confident way he spoke both excited her and made her wary. If she wasn’t careful, she wouldn’t keep the sex and her emotions separate. She needed to focus on the physical, not the sentimental feelings that cuddling with a man would bring.
“We came here for sex, Rafe. I never said I would sleep with you. That’s an intimacy I’m not sure I want to share.”
“Really?” He chuckled and the rumbly sound quickened her breath. “Where will you sleep? Our room only has a king-sized bed.” She felt the lift of his lips against her mouth. “Did you think I’d sleep on the floor?”
She tugged the front of his shirt free and slid a hand under it, needing to touch him. “Maybe I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Only if you use my body as your pillow.”
She swallowed hard and inched her fingers up over the ridges of his stomach. “I don’t know how comfortable that would be.”
Rafe turned his head, punched a button and faced her. Half-lidded eyes met hers. “I think you’ll find my body…satisfactory.”
She didn’t know what to say to that but didn’t have time to come up with anything. The elevator opened and he hurried her down the hall. He swiped the card, flung the door open and tugged her inside. It slammed behind them. She heard the lock click and watched Rafe walk across the room without turning on the lamp. He drew the curtains, plunging the room into darkness. She scrambled for the light switch but Rafe’s hand covered hers. He used it to guide her farther into the room.
The red numbers of the alarm clock cast a faint glow over the bed. Rafe swept his arm out and knocked it off the side. She tensed, but his warm breath and the scent of cinnamon drifted to her. His presence chased away the unease being in the pitch black brought. She felt safe in his arms but when he moved away, she panicked. She reached out, met air.
“Rafe?”
She turned, bumped into the bed and nearly tripped but a muscled arm wrapped around her waist. He yanked her back against his chest. The hard line of his arousal pressed into her bottom. She reached back. His denim-covered thigh met her touch, the muscles flexing as he rubbed the ridge of his erection against her. She trembled. Soon he’d be inside her, pleasuring her. Her breathing quickened.
A tiny part of her conscience warned her that this was happening too fast. She ignored the annoying voice and focused on how needy her body was for him. Her breasts tingled and her clit pulsed, eager for the counterpressure of Rafe’s thumb or his tongue. No, she didn’t want to ease into the act or play more foreplay games. Those might open her up to the feelings she was trying to avoid.
Sex. That’s what they’d come here for. She wanted him to fuck her all damn night, make her come over and over until she couldn’t move. No more waiting.
She lifted his hands to the erect buds. “Touch me.”
A growl rumbled his chest. The primal sound made the ache in her womb grow. He molded the weight of her breast, massaging the achy flesh while he kissed his way down the column of her throat. At the dip where shoulder met neck, he nibbled. Each nip sent a jolt of desire down her spine. The tiny pinch of pain appealed to her. As if he sensed it, he latched his mouth over the spot and bit until the pleasure bordered on pain before easing back.
He grabbed the hem of her top and tugged it over her head. The bra came off next. Cool air hit the sensitive tips of her breasts. She shivered but his palms covered them in the next breath. The warmth of his touch seeped into her. He slowly massaged her breasts and the gentle kneading left her squirming in his arms. Perfect. She focused on the sensations and ignored the way his tender attentions made her heart flip over.
He flicked the peaks. Sparks ignited, centered in the tips. He did it again and the electric pulse skipped across her skin. She waited, her pants filling her ears, for what he would do next. With the blunt edge of a nail, he circled the areola. She moaned and he stilled with the rough edges of his fingers clamped around the bud. He kissed her neck, licked the spot he’d teased a moment ago, but didn’t move his fingers. She arched into his embrace, silently begging him to tug on the erect nipples, roll them, flick them, do something. But he only held them clamped between his calloused fingertips.
“Rafe, please,” she groaned.
Instead of meeting her unspoken demand, he let the hard points go and molded her breast. She covered his hands with hers and pushed her chest forward, rubbing the points into his palms. He pulled them back, denying her the relief she craved.
“What do you want from me?”
She couldn’t voice her need so she turned in his arms, reached up and grabbed a fistful of hair. With the handful of strands, she tugged and dragged him to her heavy flesh.
“Mmmm, yes, you have beautiful breasts. Full, lush mounds meant to be suckled.” He brushed his lips over the tips and she moaned. “Are they sensitive?”
“Very. They ache.”
He pulled back. “I bet.”
He was teasing her? Oh no. She was too aroused for games. Desperate for relief, she cupped the weight of one breast and lifted it to his mouth, offering herself.
“Do you want my mouth here?” Rafe asked with a small tap of his finger to the hard point.
She heard the amusement in his tone but was beyond caring. “Yes, please. Lick me.”
He swept over the peak with his flattened tongue. She sucked in a breath, held it, but he didn’t repeat the teasing lick. She whimpered. Damn the man. Couldn’t he see how aroused she was? She needed him. She tightened her grip on his hair and brushed the bud over his lips, tempting him while torturing herself.
“Demanding woman,” he muttered but he closed his mouth over the tip.
He flicked her nipple with his tongue. She shuddered. Another flick and she arched into him, bending backward. He steadied her, a hand at her lower back, and took her offering. He circled the hardened bud then latched on, pulling her flesh in. Without the lights, the wet, warm grip of his mouth became her entire focus. Each time he sucked, there was an equal pull on her clit. Tingles skipped to her womb.
He pushed his knee between her legs. She clamped her thighs over it and rubbed against him. So good. Rafe sucked harder and teeth dented the flesh of her breast. Pain and pleasure mingled. She jerked under the assault, but he pushed his knee against her clit, forcing her to ride the edge.
The sensation of his mouth working on her breast was too much and not quite enough—she couldn’t decide if she wanted him to release it or suck more. He didn’t give her the chance to decide. The pull eased and he laved the flesh, took her down from the peak and left her quivering.
He moved to her other needy breast but didn’t assault it with the same fervor he gave to the first. This one he toyed with, swiping his tongue around the nipple but never touching the tip. He nudged the flesh with his nose and licked the underside then around the mound to tease the areola. It was nice and if he’d started off with the lazy exploration, she would’ve been content to enjoy the subtle seduction, but he’d shown her a glimpse of ecstasy. Now she hungered.
Wanting to ride the edge again, she tweaked the sensitive nipple he’d abandoned in time with the gentle flicks of his tongue. He covered her hand, lifted it away and grasped the nipple between his fingers. He rolled the tip as she had done, pinching and pulling in tandem to the teasing his mouth delivered to the other erect bud. The double stimulation was just what she needed. She closed her eyes, focused on the sensations he created and let lust take over.
He made a hungry sound, a low groan that was muffled by the flesh in his mouth. She dug her fingers into his hair, pulling another moan from him.
“More, Rafe. Need more,” she begged.
And he gave it to her. He captured the peak between his teeth and slowly bit. A sharp whip ran down her spine and settled in her lower belly. Each time he tugged on the sensitive flesh, her muscles tensed and the ache in her womb grew. She held her breath, anticipating the orgasm. His talented mouth pushed her closer, but he released her breast before she could fall.
She swayed and reached for him, but he dropped to his knees. Needing an anchor, she gripped his shoulders while he kissed his way across her belly. He dipped the tip of his tongue into her navel before moving lower. The sound of a zipper warned her they were reaching the point of no return. Once he licked her sex, parted the swollen lips and sucked, she wouldn’t want to stop.
He slid her shorts and panties off. The material fell, pooling at her feet. He blew warm air over her clit. She shivered and closed her eyes, savoring the sensation. No, she didn’t want this feeling to end. She wanted it to last all night. He tugged her shoes off—first one foot then the other—and wrapped a hand around her ankle. He used the hold to urge her legs apart. She widened her stance and he rewarded her by capturing her clit between his teeth.
Carefully he bit then eased the pressure the same way he had to her nipple just moments ago. He was arousing her, making her anticipate his next move and yearn for it. And she did. She held still, panting, waiting. Flat teeth clamped around her bundle of nerves. He gave it a small tug and she cried out. He laved the sting away, swiping his tongue over the bud. She’d always loved a little biting during sex and Rafe knew exactly how far to take the teasing. He made her crave his touch. She pushed her mound more firmly against him, silently begging him for more.
He groaned and brushed his lips over her sex. With his nose buried in her curls, she felt each breath he took. The heated wash of air fed the lust. Everything Rafe did—the way he rubbed circles into her calf with a thumb, the murmurs of his enjoyment—added to the act. Lost to him, she jumped when he slid a finger down her slick cleft and dipped it into her core.
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