by Lauren Wood
With a growl, he leaned in and captured her lips. Soft. Sweet. He was instantly drunk on her, and when he released her wrists, her arms circled him and drew him closer. “Tara,” he moaned. “Why can’t I stay away from you?”
“I don’t want you too,” she cried out. “God, I’ve needed you ever since I laid eyes on you. Please, don’t make me wait anymore.”
And then there were no coherent thoughts left in his head. She wanted him. He wanted her. That’s all he could focus on. The investigation, the danger, everything paled in comparison to the need that drove him to her.
***
Her hands were all over him. As soon as she knew that this was it, she had to touch him. Tara immediately placed a palm over his exposed chest reveled in the heat and muscles. His skin was taut and smooth, and she loved every single inch that she felt. His body responded to her, trembled under her, and she couldn’t believe the power that she wielded over him.
It wasn’t enough. As he continued to assault her mouth, drawing her into a dizzying dance of nips and licks, she unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Half naked, he was everything she imagined and more, and she couldn’t get enough of him.
His own hands were busy as they pulled at her t-shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra underneath, and he rubbed his thumb over her distended nipped over the fabric. She gasped as pleasure seared through her. Sex had never been like this befor. Her whole body was aflame with need.
He broke the kiss long enough to pull the shirt over her head. She immediately went to cover herself with her hands. Why were the lights still on? But he grabbed her hands and forced them apart. Before she could react, he snagged her pants and pushed them down. She shivered as his eyes raked over her nearly naked body. She was sometimes ashamed of her curves, but there was only unabashed male appreciation in his eyes. “Beautiful,” he muttered. “Absolutely beautiful.”
As if he were afraid that his words weren’t enough, he captured her mouth again and proceeded to show her just how much he liked her body.
His lips were everywhere, and she struggled to keep up. As he licked his way down the column of her neck, she moaned and tangled her fingers through his hair. Sparks tickled her skin everywhere that he touched her. Never had her body had such a reaction to a man before.
He moved down her to her collarbone and finally at the base of her throat. Slowly, his fingers stroked her sensitive skin, and she pressed her body against him. Through his pants, his erection pressed against her stomach, but then his body slid down hers as he bent down to take a nipple in his mouth.
“Fuck,” she whispered as he slid his warm tongue over her.
“You like having your nipples played with?” he whispered as he paused.
She gazed down at him. There was something erotic about looking down on a man when he pleasured her. When Brent pleasured her. “I like it when you play with my nipples,” she said with a soft smile.
“I’ve wanted to touch them since the first day I met you. When you leaned over the counter, I could see straight down your shirt, and all I did was imagine them filling the palms of my hands. Jesus, Tara, you have no idea the affect you have on me. The things I’ve dreamed of doing to you.”
“Do them now,” she begged. “Do anything you want, just don’t stop.”
He reached up and pinched her nipples, and she cried out. She’d never really enjoyed the combination of pleasure and pain, but everything he did to her was pure magic. When he finally released her nipples, he moved back up to press his mouth against hers again. He reached down and clutched at her ass as he pulled her up against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed herself on him as he carried her into the bedroom.
“Damn it,” he swore. “We’ll never make it if you keep doing that.”
“God, I don’t care,” she moaned. “Take me on the floor if you have to.”
He hissed but kept going. Finally they both tumbled on the bed. As soon as her hands were free, she reached down to undo his belt. “Too many clothes. Why are you still wearing so many clothes?” she demanded.
Brent lifted his hips, and she grasped the zipped and pulled it down. She didn’t even bother pushing the pants off his waist. She simply reached in and wrapped her hands around his cock. It was warm and pulsed in her hand as she squeezed him gently.
“Big,” she muttered in delight. “I want it.”
He groaned. “Baby, you’re not going to have it if you keep doing that.” She whimpered when he pushed her hand away. She wanted more. She needed more. But he wasn’t cutting her off completely. He shimmied down her body as he pushed the rest of his pants off. She lifted her head to see him, but as soon as she caught a glimpse of his naked body, he’d pressed his lips to her covered mound. Through the thin scrap of fabric that dared to call themselves panties, she could feel the pressure and moisture of his tongue.
Crying out, she immediately widened her legs to give him access. He didn’t disappoint. Pulling the panties to the side, he slipped one finger deep inside her as he slid his tongue over her clit.
All that tension between them. All the adrenaline that was running through her body. All those dreams she’d had of him wrapped her body. It was too much. He’d barely just stared, but she was already falling apart around him.
He stroked her through the orgasm. She didn’t even have time to fall back to earth before he was building her back up again. “Wait,” she cried. “Brent.”
He stopped and lifted his head to stare at her. “Problem?”
“I’ve never…” she took a deep breath and blushed. “I’ve never had more than one at a time. I’m not sure I can.”
“Hey.” He immediately slid back up her body and positioned himself next to her. She shivered against him, and he curved a finger under her chin and forced her head up gently. “Don’t be scared,” he whispered.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” she admitted. “Maybe I could just suck you off?”
He let out a breath at her words. “That’s tempting. I’m sure your mouth would be amazing. But if you’re worried about me getting off, don’t.”
She stared at him. Never in her life had a man said that to her. “What do you mean? Don’t you want to finish?”
“I do,” he said in a neutral voice. “Trust me, I do. But if you’re scared and want to stop, we’ll stop.”
Did she want to stop? She didn’t. The feelings that she had for Brent were foreign and intense, but she had a desperate desire to see them through. Her hands shook as she reached up and stroked his face. “I don’t want to stop.”
He snagged her hand and slipped a finger inside his mouth. She felt herself growing wet as his tongue curled around her finger. “Okay. But I intend to make sure you have another orgasm before we’re done. I don’t finish until you do.”
She bit her lip. “I’ve already finished,” she pointed out.
“Oh Tara,” he moaned. “We’ve barely gotten started.”
***
Those big eyes were almost too much for him. He rolled his body over to cover hers, and his knees nudged her legs apart. He was so hard he was aching, but while he could tell that she was ready for him, he’d felt just how tight she was. It would take a bit more work before he could slide inside her.
Her hands worked their way down the muscles of his back, and he relished the sensations. Her fingers were like magic. Every time she touched him, he burned for more.
He’d had women. He’d had more women than he could count, but it was nothing like this. If he wasn’t inside her soon, he felt like he would go mad with desire. He felt jealous and possessive and aroused all that same time. She belonged to him, and tonight he would finally make her his.
He licked and nibbled until her body shook with need. When she started to beg, he pushed at the entrance of her opening. And when she lifted her hips, he was lost.
Slowly, he sank into her. Bit by bit, he felt her wet flesh slide down him, and it took ever ounce of se
lf-control not to simply ravish her. Her nails dug into his side, and he knew she was struggling to take all of him. She was tight. And warm. And welcoming. He could barely breathe.
“More,” she begged.
He clenched his teeth. “Hang on, baby. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’d never hurt me,” she whispered. “I know that.”
Hurt her? Never. He’d never hurt her. He loved her. As the thought flitted through his mind, he pushed his hips down, and she screamed his name. He didn’t have time to dwell on his thoughts as her legs circled him. He focused on long easy strokes as she adjusted to him. In and out. In and out. They both punctuated the movements with their moans, and she writhed around him.
Pushing himself up, he watched her as he started to thrust a little harder. Her eyes were closed, and her head moved back and forth, but he needed more. “Open your eyes,” he whispered. “Look at me.”
Her eyes flitted open, and when she made eye contact, he felt the world still. Nothing else existed outside their bodies. It was only them, and he needed to see her come apart once more.
He reached down and pressed his thumb against her hard nub, and she immediately started to buck. “Stay with me,” he begged her. She locked eyes with him and whispered his name as she convulsed around him.
Brent couldn’t take anymore. As he surged deep within her, his orgasm took over, and he cried out her name.
***
He was still on top of her, but she loved his weight. She traced a finger over his skin as they both struggled to catch their breath. What had just happened was mind blowing. She needed to let it sink in.
“I must be suffocating you,” he muttered as he lifted his body.
“No, it’s fine,” she whispered. She liked having him this close to her, and suddenly, she was terrified that he would leave.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said soothingly. He slid to her side and pulled her close. She rested her forehead against his chest and breathed in his scent.
“That was nice,” she said softly.
His chest vibrated as he laughed. “Sweetheart. That was more than nice.”
Tara blushed, and she hoped he couldn’t see it. She was content to just lie there and listen to his heartbeat.
“I’m sorry for everything,” he said finally. “The way I accused you. The panic attack. Pulling you into this whole mess.”
She heard the sincerity in his voice. “If you hadn’t, this would never have happened. Besides, the panic attack was my fault.”
“Right. Because you should have told me that you ex was a dick. I would have been so much nicer to you,” he said sarcastically. “Baby, I know you’re used to taking care of yourself, but it’s okay to lean on someone else for a bit. Let me apologize. Trust me, it doesn’t happen often.”
She giggled. “Two orgasms,” she muttered. “That’s something you should be proud of.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Next time I’m shooting for three.”
She gasped. Three orgasms! “I don’t think I’d survive.”
“Practice makes perfect,” he whispered wickedly.
Chapter Six
The phone by the bed started to buzz. Tara opened her eyes sleepily as she watched Brent reach across and snag it. “Jenson,” he answered, his voice still husky from sleep.
Suddenly, she felt him tense. “I’m on my way,” he said quickly. Tara sat up and pulled the sheet up to her chin as he crawled out of bed.
“Brent? What’s wrong?” she asked.
“The guard at the gate is dead,” Brent said in a flat voice. “Stay here.”
Stay here? What if she could help? “But…”
“No.” He turned a cold eye towards her, and she shuddered. Sensing her fear, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m not going to be able to focus if I think you’re out and about. Stay here, okay?”
She nodded quickly, and he finished getting dressed in the dark. “I’ll call the landline when I’m done.”
“Be careful,” she whispered. He smiled briefly at her before hurrying out of the room. She couldn’t help it. As soon as the door closed, she was hurrying to the window. A few minutes later, she saw him running across the street.
What was going on? Was he going to be okay?
Please let him be okay.
She didn’t know what she would do if something happened to him.
She paced back and forth nervously as she waited for the phone to ring. When it did, she nearly jumped out of her skin. “Brent?” she asked, her heart beating rapidly.
“Tara? It’s Cassie. I work with Brent.”
“Cassie,” Tara wracked her brains. She remembered him speaking to her on the phone. “What’s wrong? Where’s Brent?”
“Brent’s fine. They’ve got a man in custody, and he needs you to come down and identify him. He thinks you might know him?”
“Matthew. Oh God, he thinks it’s Matthew. I’ll be right there. Wait- where am I going?”
“He’s in the holding fields in the back of the territory. Do you know where that is?”
Tara hesitated. “I’m not sure I know how to get there.”
“It’s okay. When you leave the condos, just head West. You’ll see an opening in the hedges a few feet down and a gate. You can meet us out there.”
He didn’t want to bring Matthew in the actual territory. That made sense. Tara quickly got dressed and headed outside.
The air was crisp and cold, and Tara shivered, but her mind was far from the weather. If Brent had Matthew, then they could finally move on from this mess. And Tara and Brent could finally move on.
But where they would move on to, she had no idea.
The clearing was easy enough to find. She opened the gate. Tara peered through. “Brent?”
“You made good time.” Tara turned around when she heard Cassie’s voice, but she couldn’t see her.
Suddenly, she felt someone shove her from behind. She hit the ground hard and gasped. Matthew was closing the gate.
“Hello, Tara.”
She froze as Matthew imitated the female voice. It melted away into the familiar voice that she once knew. It was raspy and cold. She pushed up from the ground and stared in horror as Matthew approached her.
“You. You’re responsible for all of this. What the hell do you want?”
He chuckled. “All in good time. You are a bit of a kink in my plans, but we’ll deal with it soon enough. First, I need you to do something for me.”
She stared into his eyes and gasped when they turned bright red. “You will kill the alpha, second-in-command, and security agent.” She felt him press a gun into her hands. “You will kill the alpha, second-in-command, and security agent. They are going to harm the human population. They are staging a coup. They must be stopped.”
“They must be stopped,” she repeated. “They’re going to hurt people.”
Matthew bent down and picked her up from the ground. Suddenly, she heard people yelling at them from all different direction. Tara gripped the gun and watched as Micah, Jackson, and Brent came into view.
“Shoot them,” he whispered. “Kill them.”
“Kill them,” she murmured.
“De’Massier!”
“I found her here with the gun,” Matthew yelled. De’Massier? “I can’t talk her down.”
“Tara.” She heard Brent’s voice penetrate the fog that was around her. “Tara, put the gun down.”
Her hands shook as she raised the gun. “Must be stopped. Going to hurt people.”
“Shit. Micah, get down!” Jackson yelled as he dove for the alpha.
Tara stared at Brent. Horror bloomed on his face, and she smiled. When she saw a mix of confusion, she winked. Suddenly, she whirled around and pointed the gun at Matthew. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.
He hissed as the bullet struck him, but she should have known it wouldn’t stop him. In an instant, he grabbed her and whirled her around. �
�Move, and I’ll bite her,” he threatened.
“Why are you doing this? I thought you wanted peace?” Brent said in a neutral voice. He held his hands up.
“I don’t give a shit about peace,” de’Massier hissed. “For too long, the vampires have been the low man on the totem pole. We can’t even reproduce. We’re dying.”
“Dying? You guys live for centuries,” Micah pointed out.
“And then you turned a human, and no one blinked an eye. Do you know how unfair that is?”
“Okay,” Brent said. Tara clawed at the vampires arm, but he didn’t move. “But that doesn’t explain the tunnel. Or Tara.”
“I needed a way into the grounds. I tried the tunnel at first, but without an invitation, I couldn’t get in. I couldn’t manipulate a shifter, so I tried a human. You followed her trail effortlessly, but I couldn’t get close to her again.”
“Why? What the hell do you want?” Jackson asked.
“I want to prove that we’re on top,” de’Massier screamed. “We are the more powerful force. I want to kill each and everyone one of you!”
“No!” Tara heard Brent scream before she felt the fangs bite into her neck. Immediately, she felt her life force leaving her. She sagged limply against the vampire as he continued to suck her.
“Power,” de’Massier said as he threw her to the ground. “She tastes like power. Come on boys. Let’s see if the three of you can take me. I’m far older and stronger.”
Tara whimpered as she saw the three men attack the vampire. It wasn’t long before all three shifters were flying through the air. The vampire cackled, and Tara suddenly knew without a doubt that they were going to die.
Suddenly, a bear came flying out of nowhere and attacked the vampire. He howled as the bear tackled him. She watched as a beautiful woman emerged from the woods, chanting.
“The waning moon has come to dark, but let its powers not depart. Give your strength to these bears three, so they may defeat the enemy.
Tara turned over and started crawling. She could feel the blood draining for her body, but she couldn’t just lie there and do nothing.
