Fall Fury

by Jaci Burton

  And yet, she couldn't seem to separate from him. God knows she'd tried like hell the past couple weeks, to no avail. Even when he wasn't physically present, she felt him. His earthy scent clung to her clothes and on her pillow when she laid down at night. Ridiculous, since he'd never been in her room. They had some weird psychic bond that defied explanation.

  Hell, considering her own inherent magic, who was she to deny that mystical forces surrounded them? Look at what she was capable of, and she thought herself an ordinary person.

  Maybe Max possessed some type of powers, and she was drawn to that part of him.

  "Thinking?"

  She shrieked at the unexpected sound of Max's voice. She hadn't even heard him come down the dock. Laying her palm against her breast to calm her speeding heart, she said, "You scared the shit out of me."

  He squatted down next to her. "Sorry. You were deep in thought and obviously didn't hear me. What are you doing?"

  "Thinking."

  "About?"

  "Stuff." Like you. And me. And us. And this infernal battle waging war in my brain right now.

  "Want to talk about it?"

  "Not really."

  He shifted and sat, resting on his left arm. Shannon took in the sight of him, admiring the way his jeans fit snug against his powerful thighs, the way his T-shirt hugged his chest. Damn he had broad shoulders, too. If she'd bothered to pay attention she'd have noticed that, but she was so busy picking the right words of denial out of her mind that she hadn't focused on the gorgeous man who sat next to her now.

  "I brought us a snack." He reached behind him and pulled out a basket containing a bottle of white wine and two glasses, a wedge of cheese and some bread. "Thought we'd have a little picnic and talk. If that's all right."

  She frowned and looked toward the house. "Where's my family?"

  "They left."

  She sniffed, more than a little bit irritated at the oh-so-obvious setup. "Still doing a bit of matchmaking, aren't they?"

  "Apparently." He smiled. She'd never noticed his dimples before on both his cheeks, so close to his curving mouth. A sudden desire to press her lips to one of those indentation made her lean back a bit, still unsure of where she wanted to go with all this.

  Max poured the wine and handed her a glass. He sliced a thin wedge of cheese and lifted his fingers to her mouth.

  She hesitated, the act seemingly so familiar. Still unsure how intimate she wanted to get with Max, she reached for the cheese, intending to feed herself.

  But Max snatched it out of her reach. "Uh uh. Let me."

  Warily, she opened her mouth and he slid the cheese inside, his fingers lingering as she closed her lips over the slice of brie. She shuddered at the taste of fine cheese and the equally exotic flavor of Max's finger.

  He popped a slice into his own mouth and washed it down with a swallow of wine. She watched the movement of his throat as he swallowed, then took a long drink of her wine to escape the sudden dryness in her mouth.

  When he lifted a piece of bread toward her mouth, she shook her head. "I can feed myself, Max."

  The gold and green in his eyes danced like the flickering rays of sun filtering through the trees. "I know you can. This way is more fun."

  She didn't disagree with that, and allowed him to continue to feed her. A simple act, and yet so incredibly erotic that she wanted to try it out herself. She reached for a small wedge of cheese on the plate and lifted it to his lips.

  One corner of his mouth curled in a wry grin, and he opened, letting her slide the cheese onto his waiting tongue. Before she could snatch her fingers out, he captured her wrist and held it in place, then closed his lips around her fingers, sucking them into the moist heat of his mouth.

  Desire shot between her legs. Her panties dampened and the very air around them seemed to still and warm. When he slowly pulled her fingers from between his lips, she knew what it must feel like for a man to sink into heat like that.

  Damn near burned her alive, and that was just the play of his mouth on her fingers.

  Their gazes caught and held as Max leaned in. The musky scent that she attributed to him mixed with the wine tingeing his breath. A heady combination that she found near impossible to resist.

  But resist she would. At least for the moment. For someone who'd always been self-assured, she sure as hell felt torn between her desires and her common sense right now. And she didn't know which one was the right one to follow. "I haven't seen the inside of the house since it's been set up. How about a tour?"

  Max paused, then tilted his head to the side, studying her. She turned away from his intense scrutiny to watch the last of the sun flitting behind the trees.

  "Okay, let's go," he said.

  He stood, picked up the basket and held out his hand to her, keeping his fingers entwined with hers as they walked into the house.

  She kind of liked the feel of her small hand in his much larger one.

  When they got inside the kitchen, he set the basket on the counter and turned to her. "Let's take that tour."

  He led her through the expansive kitchen and into a formal dining room that stood empty.

  "I lived in an apartment, so the set in the kitchen nook was all I had. No reason to have anything formal."

  She smiled at his explanation, imagining his bachelor pad back in Boston.

  The furniture in the living room was lovely, though. Instead of manly leather, as most single men possessed, a warm beige sofa and matching loveseat graced the living area. Two high-backed Queen Anne chairs in a beautiful pattern of golden browns and rust complimented the couch, along with a few impressive antique end tables and a coffee table. A heavily scrolled pattern etched the rounded feet of the mahogany tables. They were breathtaking and obviously well preserved.

  "My grandmother's tables," he murmured, stopping at the doorway leading to the front hall. "My mother insisted that each of us had some of Grams' furniture, and I always liked those pieces."

  "They're lovely."

  "Thanks."

  He waited while she approached the stairs, letting her walk up ahead of him. She was conscious of his eyes on her as she made the trek up the stairs, making her want to rush her pace, but she forced herself to take normal steps. She waited for him at the top, conscious of the way his gaze traveled over her as he made the last few steps.

  There were four bedrooms upstairs, and two full baths. She remembered the night she'd come in here with Max, and had fallen in love with the bath in the master bedroom. Gorgeous creamy marbleized tile, with a double vanity, a sunken whirlpool tub and a shower that several people could fit into made it every woman's dream bathroom.

  "I won't be using two of the bedrooms...yet," he said as he led her down the hall. "One I've converted to my office since I do a lot of work at home, and until I get a main PR office in town somewhere, I'll just set up here."

  She nodded, admiring the enthusiasm in his voice. Maybe she was wrong about his motives for moving here. If she'd bothered to think about him as a businessman instead of just a guy trying to reach the top of the Storm dynasty by way of getting into her pants, then she'd have realized this sooner.

  And she'd accused him of having a huge ego? Hers was boundless. She'd thought he was really trying to get to her family's money through her, when he didn't need it at all.

  But that only left one reason he had been trying to get close to her since the day that they met. He wanted her. Just her. She found it less uncomfortable to think he was just after her money.

  "I think I like this room the best," he said, drawing her out of her musings by leading her into the master bedroom.

  Wow. Her gaze immediately went to the sliding glass door, which led out to an expansive balcony that overlooked the lake. A king size bed centered the long wall, decorated by a gray and cream bedspread in a satiny finish. Wide, thick pillows were piled on the bed. It was beautiful, but not garish. Inviting, warm, and sensual. "You could fit ten people on that bed!"

&
nbsp; "Two would be just fine," he said with a wink.

  She swallowed past the nervous lump in her throat, although for the life of her she had no idea what she was nervous about. Yes, she felt something happening between them, but it wasn't like they'd never had sex before. After all, the balcony episode remained first and foremost on her mind every single day.

  This felt different. More important, somehow, but she didn't know why.

  Quit second guessing things and just go with it! Geez, woman, have you ever had a spontaneous moment in your entire life? Does everything have to be about control?

  "Come out here with me. I want to show you something."

  She jumped at the feel of Max's hand sliding into hers, yet she allowed him to lead her out the sliding door and onto the balcony.

  Her first whiff of the crisp air brought about a sensation of a brewing storm. Max had put some white wicker chairs on the oversized balcony, and even one of those chairs-for-two that slid back and forth like a rocker. Small tables were set next to each chair.

  "It's lovely," she said, stepping to the wood railing and leaning over, letting the wind whip strands of her hair from her ponytail. She closed her eyes and let the elements surround her, praying that the cooling breeze would extinguish the fire burning inside her.

  "Would you like a drink? I can go downstairs and get the wine."

  Did she want to prolong the inevitable? She was at the now-or-never point, the place where she firmly denied him forever, or took a giant leap.

  Honestly, she didn't know what to do. Instinctively, she knew that she'd have to give up some control to make love with Max. He wasn't like the men she usually chose. There wasn't a sit-and-obey bone in his entire body.

  Maybe that's what really scared her about him. The fact that she couldn't call the shots, that he stirred some need within her that she never even knew she possessed.

  The need to be dominated, to give up her control to one person and one person only. Denial had kept that part of her safely buried for years, but now she dragged it out and faced it.

  Dare she allow Max to explore that aspect of her? And what would happen if she gave it up to him? Would she ever be able to get it back? Would they ever return to equal footing?

  "We seem to find ourselves on balconies a lot," he said, moving behind her and whispering in her ear. His deep voice made her shiver, made her want things she wasn't sure she should want.

  "Yes, we do."

  Heat simmered between them, around them, mixing with the furious wind that stung her cheeks.

  "Weather's getting bad. You want to go inside?"

  She shook her head. "No. I love this. It's so primal, like communing with nature. Lame, I know, but I love stormy weather."

  His low, husky laugh rumbled against her back as he reached for her shoulders and pulled her against him. "It's not lame at all. I love being outdoors no matter the weather. It's like I'm a part of the elements."

  Max was the first man who truly understood how she felt. That was scary enough, let alone her body's reaction to being near him.

  He moved his hands up and down her arms, causing goose bumps to pop out on her skin.

  "I'm going to touch your body, Shannon. Everywhere. I'm going to undress you out here, and I'm going to make love to you tonight."

  There was no question in his rough, insistent voice. He hadn't asked. He'd told her what he was going to do. She opened her mouth to shout a vehement denial at not being given a choice, then closed it abruptly.

  Wasn't this what she wanted? To be taken, to give up the need to dominate every situation?

  Instead of her natural inclination to argue the point, she remained silent.

  She'd made her choice.

  *

  Max waited for the inevitable denial to break from Shannon's lips, but she didn't say a word. He'd felt her tense when he told her what he was going to do to her, but it was imperative that she understand how things were going to unfold between them He couldn't form a mate-bond with her unless she accepted that he was the prime alpha of the pack.

  Shit. She didn't even know about him yet. By rights, he should explain to her who and what he was, and what his intentions were toward her. But he'd just gotten her to a point of calm acceptance. Riling her up now would only delay something they both needed desperately.

  The sun had fully set, and in its place the moon climbed above the trees, a silvery ball so intense it hurt his eyes to look at it. He drew his power from the moon, and when it was full, he was at his most potent. Primal urges took over then. Urges that he had a difficult time controlling. Most often it didn't matter. He could run them out, and if he wanted to fight there were always wolves around to engage in some rough play. But this was different. This was Shannon, who remained in the dark about what he was. He'd have to fight the pull of the moon, the primal desire to take without asking, to force her, if necessary.

  As a wolf, his prime objective was to mate and impregnate the alpha female. He cringed at the thought of possibly doing that to Shannon when she didn't really understand the implications of the act.

  It wouldn't be fair to burden her with a lifelong commitment to him if she wasn't given the choice. But his body wasn't interested in fairness right now, and it seemed to want to be in charge. Just standing this close to her was a lesson in patience. He wanted to shred her clothes, bend her over and impale her cunt with his cock. Arousal spread hot and heavy in his groin, hardening him and tightening his balls.

  Her scent hung thick and heavy in his nostrils, despite the swirling wind around them. He laid his lips over her neck and drew in a breath of her sweet, musky smell.

  The perfume of her desire, the scent of her aroused sex, oozed from her pores. She was primed and ready for his invasion.

  The less civilized part of him threatened to surface and take what he'd already claimed as his. He fought back the primitive urges, determined to take things as slowly as possible for her. There would be time enough for savage passion later. Now, he wanted to savor every taste, every sigh, every moan drawn from her lips.

  But when she sighed and finally relaxed against him, signaling her surrender to his control, he was hard pressed to keep the wolf within him at bay. The full moon and the desperate need to mate caused the change to begin. Tonight would be a constant struggle between the wolf and the man.

  "Shannon," he breathed, taking a long swipe of her neck with his tongue. His blood burned, his skin on fire as the physiological changes swept through him.

  No! He wouldn't allow it, not yet.

  She reached up and clasped the back of his neck with the palm of her hand, arching her back and thrusting her breasts forward. Unable to resist, he slid his hands over her hips and along her ribcage, lifting the tank top over her belly, exposing her silken flesh.

  What a flimsy excuse for a bra she wore. He hadn't expected to find the lacy black bra underneath a casual top. He cupped his hands over the silken lace, flicking his thumbs across the thin fabric. Her nipples hardened to sharp points, her breasts swelling to fill his eager hands.

  A gasp tore from her lips as he brushed his fingers over the thin fabric. Desperate for the feel of her bare skin, he grasped the center of the bra and ripped it in half, greedily capturing her breasts. She moaned when his fingers found her swollen nipples, the encouraging sound causing his cock to swell and grow. He rolled the hard tips of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, rewarded with her sharp cries of delight.

  Her whimpers only drove his lust higher, forcing him to concentrate on remaining human. Once the beast within him surfaced, there'd be no turning back. His cock pressed painfully against his jeans, demanding to be embedded in the source of the musky heat surrounding them.

  Regretfully, Max released Shannon's breasts, slowly moving his hands down her ribcage and stomach until he found the button on her shorts. He popped it with his thumb, then drew the zipper down, pushing the impeding garment over her hips and toward the floor.

  A tiny
black scrap of material that he supposed one could call panties covered her mound, with two little strings resting on her hips.

  Piece of cake. He reached for the sides and ripped them. A giggle escaped her lips, followed by a pant of pleasure as he drew the remnants of the garment away from her pussy.

  He stood back and lifted the tank top off, then turned her around, positioning her so that the full moonlight bathed her naked body.

  That first night on the balcony at the restaurant, he'd been more interested in sinking inside her welcoming cunt than doing much gazing. Tonight, he wanted to see her, to touch her skin and taste every inch of it.

  "You're beautiful," he said, reaching behind her head to pull the clasp holding her hair up. Waves of silken sable fell over her shoulders and across her breasts. Turquoise eyes darkened as she kept her gaze focused on him.

  "This isn't fair," she whispered, her voice filled with husky desire.

  "What isn't?"

  "I want to see your body. I saw nothing of you that first night. Tonight, I want to see you naked."

  His heart slammed against his ribs. He only hoped that the body he presented her with could stay human through all this. Mentally tamping down the wild, raging beast within, he pulled off his T-shirt and slipped out of his jeans, then stood for her inspection. His cock sprang forward as if calling out to her.

  Shannon looked down and her eyes widened as they centered on his shaft. "Wow," she whispered, almost as if she hadn't expected him to hear.

  But he had, and felt a pride he'd never felt before. This was his woman, and she approved of him. He took a step forward and pulled her into his arms, no longer able to stem the savage flow of desire for her. She came willingly into his arms and wound hers around his neck, pulling his face toward her parted lips.

  His mouth came crashing down over hers, his tongue plunging between her open lips. She met his thrust by tangling her tongue around his and rocking her hips against his cock.

  A sudden gust of wind shot around them, first hot, then blissfully cooling. Dark clouds sailed overhead, obliterating the light of the full moon entirely. Thunder cracked in the distance. Loud, ominous, the next clap closer than the one before.

  Shannon tore her mouth away from his, her luminous eyes searching his face. "I...I can't help it," she cried, digging her nails into the skin of his shoulders.