Claimed: The Complete Short Romance Series

by Nichole Rose

  "I'm sorry," I murmur, running my fingers through his hair. It's always such a mess. He's so put together and composed, but his hair is unruly. "Do you guys get along better now?"

  "We get along great with Anna. Our relationship with our father is a little more complicated. He wanted Killian and I to follow in his footsteps, which neither of us had any interest in doing. Money doesn't mean as much when it's the reason you grew up without parents who cared. He can't wrap his mind around why we feel that way."

  "That's really sad," I whisper, my heart aching for him. "My dad died when I was a baby. A drunk driver killed him. I don't remember him, but my mom always made sure that he was part of my life. She talked about him all the time."

  "My mom died in a car accident too." Sebastian's lips compress into a thin line. "I didn't know it then, but she was high on cocaine. She took a curve too fast and slid off into a lake. They weren't able to get her out of the car in time."

  "That's terrible." I wrap my arms around him, hugging him.

  He lets me hold him for a moment before he kisses my temple and then my lips. He tastes sweet, like the glass of wine he drank with dinner. He smells sweet too. I sway closer to him on the island, deepening the kiss. His tongue touches mine, teasing mine out to play with his.

  His body grows taut, his hold on me tightening.

  A hungry growl rumbles in his chest. The sound sweeps me right over the edge into heady desire. I swear, everything this man does is sexy to me. I think I've been a pool of desire since I ran into him yesterday. There hasn't been a second since then when my panties weren't soaked.

  "Enough talking," he growls, biting my lip. He sweeps me up into his arms.

  I squeak and fling my arms around him, afraid he's going to drop me. But if I'm heavy, he doesn't seem to notice. He holds me close to his chest, striding through the house toward the stairs. When I wiggle for him to put me down, he ignores me.

  My boobs bounce as he carries me up the stairs, practically jogging the whole way. By the time we make it to the landing at the top, he's not even breathing heavy. I guess all that gym equipment in his basement really does get used. The treadmill at my house only gets used when I'm hanging clothes on it because my closet is too far away.

  I still can't get over how amazing his room is. The back wall is glass, looking out on the balcony and the city beyond. The windows extend up to the vaulted ceiling. Two of the remaining walls in the bedroom are wood. The third is some sort of rock that looks real. His bed is large enough to sleep an entire family, with an ornate headboard and fluffy white blankets. A plush white rug covers the floor.

  He carries me straight to the bed before sitting me down and stepping back. He tilts his head side to side, studying me intently. I'm not sure what he's looking at, but his lips curve into that signature panty-melting smile, and I have to squeeze my legs together.

  "You look incredible in this room, Paradise," he murmurs, slowly undoing the buttons on his shirt. "Like you belong in it."

  I watch him, my heart speeding with each little strip of skin he unveils. He definitely uses that gym equipment. His broad shoulders and upper arms are massive. So are his pecs. The smattering of dark hair somehow makes him more masculine, sexier. So do the hard ridges of his abdomen and the little trail of hair that leads toward his waistband. His body is wide, thick, but cut.

  "You look pretty good in this room too," I whisper, swallowing hard when he strips the shirt all the way off, leaving him naked from the waist up. His upper arms are covered in dark ink that seems to extend over his shoulders, but until he turns to toss his shirt over the back of the chair in the corner, I can't tell what it is.

  When he turns, I gasp. The tattoo is a massive tree, with the branches twisted so that the skin beneath appears like an owl's face. Ravens fly from the branches on the left side, twisting over his shoulder and down his arm. Owls do on the other. The entire piece is ornate and breathtakingly beautiful.

  "Mythological symbols of knowledge," he murmurs when he notices me staring at the artwork. His lips curve into a grin that's almost boyish and shy. "Killian talked me into getting ink when we were younger. I wanted it to mean something."

  "It's beautiful, Sebastian."

  He reaches up to touch the owls in flight on his arm, his eyes turning darker as he looks me over. "Maybe even a little prophetic."

  I blink up at him.

  "I feel like I've been waiting for you my whole fucking life." He laughs, the sound shaky, like he's discomposed. "I just didn't realize at the time what I was waiting for. It was you, little owl. I've always been waiting for you."

  "Sebastian," I whisper, my mouth going dry at the intense look on his face. He is…God, he's beautiful. He's dark and light and beautiful.

  "Paradise," he whispers back, stepping up in front of me. He cups my cheek in his palm, tilting my face back. "My own little owl."

  "Maybe I've been waiting for you too," I murmur, meeting his dark gaze. "My mom likes to roam. When I was little, we traveled all the time. I told her I'd go with her, but only if she promised that we would return to San Francisco for the school year every year. I've always felt like this city was meant to be my home. Maybe that's because some part of me knew I had to be here so you would find me."

  Satisfaction blazes in his expression half a second before he claims my mouth. His kiss this time is different. It's hard and deep, a true claiming. He attacks my lips with skill that leaves me dizzy, with desire that leaves me aching. He's a little wild, joyous.

  We work together to strip my shirt from my body. He pulls me up to stand in front of him, his big hands running all over my body. He seeks out every inch of exposed skin, his palms searing as he explores me. A tiny part of me worries that my flaws will turn him off, but that part is quickly silenced by the pleased sounds that escape his throat. To him, my body is perfect.

  "Fuck," he growls against my lips, delving his hand into my pants to cup my center in a possessive grip. "You were made to take me, Paradise."

  I think he might be right. My soft curves yield to his harder frame, locking us together like pieces in a puzzle. My skin is so much darker than his, but his is so much firmer than mine. We're yin and yang, phosphoros and thouros.

  I try to grind against his hand, aching. He stops me when he flicks open the button on my pants and then shimmies them down my legs, leaving me standing before him in nothing but my bra and panties. Thank God I wore nice ones today because when he steps back to look at me, he makes another of those little sounds in the back of his throat.

  "Gotta feel you in my arms," he growls, ripping his slacks open with shaking hands. He peels them down, taking his boxers with him. And oh my gosh….

  "You're big and beautiful everywhere," I blurt out, shocked. I thought penises were supposed to be ugly and way smaller than…well, than that. His is neither ugly nor small. He's almost as long as my forearm, and thicker than my wrist. The broad head of his penis…cock…is red. So is the shaft. Ridges and veins run down it, the root nestled in a small patch of dark curls above his balls.

  "Keep talking him up like that and this will be over before it starts, Paradise," he says with a little chuckle. His cock bobs like it's trying to get my attention. Before I can reach for it, Sebastian draws me back into his arms, wrapping his body around me.

  Every nerve ending in my body fires all at once and my muscles relax as if I've been holding tension I didn't even notice. I'm instantly addicted to the feel of his naked body against me like this. His skin is soft, his big body warm like a furnace. For perhaps the first time, I realize just how much bigger than me he is. My head barely reaches his chest, and he's able to wrap all the way around me with ease. His cock is wedged between us, nestled against my stomach. It's hotter than the rest of him, and somehow harder and softer at the same time.

  "You're so soft and sweet," he murmurs, boosting me up into his arms.

  I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, clinging to him. His cock is
wedged between us again, only this time, he's right up against my center. I grind against him because I can't help myself. It feels so good, like little fireworks pop inside me.

  I always thought I'd be a little nervous about losing my virginity, but I'm not. I think I'm too turned on to feel fear. And I know he isn't going to hurt me. He's been nothing but incredible since I met him. I don't know if it's normal to fall in love this fast or not, but I'm pretty sure I'm already halfway there with him, drowning in adoration and happy for it.

  "I need you," I whisper, grinding against him again.

  "I know you do," he says, leaning forward to kiss my chest again. I realize then that he's greedy. One kiss is never enough for him. One turns to two and then to three and four. And then he's tonguing my nipple through the lace of my bra, biting into the hardened bud.

  I cry out his name, grinding against him again and again as more fireworks burst inside me, firing in rapid succession. They strike some spot deep inside me that sends pleasure radiating throughout my entire body and moisture slicking my thighs.

  Before I know it, he's laying me out on the bed and peeling my bra off me. The delicate fabric tears beneath his eager hands, making him curse. I don't care though. I help him peel it away from my skin, arching beneath him because he's already falling on top of me, pulling one nipple into his mouth.

  "Sebastian!" I sob, writhing as he sucks hard and a whole new sensation blooms to life inside me. This one strikes even deeper than before, hitting me hard. I wrap my legs arounds his hips, mindlessly seeking out the friction I know will help take away the ache he's causing.

  He sucks and bites until I'm crying his name in an endless flood, and then he moves to the other side, repeating the process all over again. I scratch my nails down his back, using his cock to get myself off because I can't stop myself. I'm greedy too, desperate even.

  A cry of loss escapes my lips when he releases my nipple to kiss down my body. My stomach flexes beneath his lips, and then again when he sinks his teeth into me. I sob his name, so turned on it physically hurts. My skin feels tight, my blood too hot. Everything buzzes and hums like fireflies trapped under my skin.

  "You're so damn beautiful, Rowan," he murmurs against my skin. "Every part of you is soft, gorgeous. Jesus, I'm shaking here, little owl." He lays his forehead against my abdomen, sucking in a deep breath. That doesn't seem to help his situation any, because he growls so loud it hurts my ears. "Fucking hell. You smell as good as you look. I already know you're going to taste even better than that."

  He kisses down my belly and then onto my mound. He rests his lips there for a brief moment before he growls again and lifts me up to slide my panties down my legs. They're so wet, I feel my sticky juices against my legs as he peels them off me and tosses them toward the end of the bed.

  "Has anyone ever eaten your cunt before, Rowan?" he asks, lifting his head to look at me. Possessive jealousy glitters in his gaze, turning his onyx eyes into the darkest obsidian. His cheeks are flushed, his stare intense. He's bossy and commanding, compelling me to speak.

  "No. No one has e-ever touched me b-before, Sebastian. Only you," I sob, fidgeting beneath him because I can't seem to stay still. Quakes of need ripple through me until I'm trembling and shaking, my teeth chattering between ragged inhales. "Only you. Please."

  "No one but me will ever touch you, little owl," he says, his voice dark with masculine satisfaction. The same glitters in his eyes now, stamping every beautiful line of his face with ownership. I love seeing it there, love knowing he wants to keep me. "You're mine and I won't ever share you. I'll kill anyone who tries to take you from me."

  "M-me too."

  His lips curve upward, his smile indulgent, pleased. "You won't have to do that, killer," he says, amusement in his tone. "I'll never stray from you, never want anyone but you. Once I claim you, it's for good, little owl. Your touch is the only one I want."

  "Then let me touch you!" I cry out, reaching for him.

  "No." He catches my hands in one of his, holding me easily. "Not until I eat you, otherwise this will be over before it begins. I'm already on edge just from touching this gorgeous body. Jesus, you have no idea how fucking hard you make my cock, do you?"

  I want to tell him yes because I can feel how hard he is, but all that emerges from between my lips is another needy sob. I think I'm going to burst into tiny pieces if he doesn't do something to relieve the ache soon. It hurts. Everywhere. Everywhere.

  He releases my hands, wrapping his around my hips to pull me closer to him. He nudges my legs apart, settling his body between them. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about him staring at me down there, but it just makes me even hotter, even more achy and desperate. Especially when he grits out a curse and his whole body trembles. His hands dig into my hips hard enough to leave marks.

  "Sebastian!" I shout, shocked when he releases one of my hips to spread my lower lips open. Before I can even process that, he growls again and then buries his face between my thighs. His tongue presses against me as he licks me from bottom to top in one long swipe.

  A guttural groan echoes around the room, followed by another curse. He attacks my center then, eating me like he's dying of starvation and I'm a whole meal. He holds me open with two fingers, kissing my sex like he does my mouth. It's wet, sloppy, dirty as hell. It's also blissful, perfect heaven. Savage jolts of pleasure stab into me, leaving me crying out his name, lifting my hips to get closer. I'm so wet and he's so good with his mouth. Filthy sounds rip through the room. I love them. I love what he's doing to me.

  Oh my gosh. I didn't know it was possible for that to feel this good.

  "That's right, Paradise," he growls. "Grind that pussy all over my mouth. Take what you want from me. Use me to get you there, baby. Fuck, you taste so goddamn good."

  I wrap my hands in his hair, unable to do anything except follow his orders. I hold him to me, working my hips against his mouth, using him to get myself off. He licks and sucks and bites me, seemingly enjoying every second of it. His nose grinds against my clit as he thrusts his tongue into me, trying to get it deep, deep, growling the whole time.

  The coil inside cinches tighter, tighter, tighter.

  "Sebastian!" I wail as it snaps, flinging me headfirst into bliss. I ride his face from below, wailing his name until my throat hurts and my lungs feel like they're going to explode. I can't stop. Oh my God. He's turned me into a mindless, sex-starved crazy person. Bliss blasts through me again and again, until I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest and my entire body overheats.

  I fall limp beneath him, sucking in air in painful gasps. It hurts and feels good, is terrifying and beautiful all at the same time.

  "Good girl," Sebastian murmurs, his voice guttural with need, yet full of satisfaction. "Mm. You look so good when you're coming for me, Rowan. So good. God, baby. You're so effortlessly sexy. It's incredible." His praise calls to me in the dark where I float, keeps me grounded, and helps me find my way back to him.

  When I finally manage to peel my eyes open, he's hovering over me, stroking his hands up and down my sides, touching my face. His eyes are on fire with a combination of need and satisfaction that has my blood heating in my veins all over again. That's all right though. For him, I'll gladly burn. Over and over again.

  "Sebastian," I whisper, reaching up to touch his lips. "I need you."

  "You have me, Paradise," he whispers back, voice somber, serious. "I think you've had me since the second I set eyes on you, little owl. Now I get to make you mine."

  I'm pretty sure I'm already that, but before I can say it, he leans down to kiss me. I taste myself on his lips and part of me loves it, loves the way we're all mixed up together in that kiss, him and me and lips and tongues and tastes.

  "I'm not wearing a condom," he warns me. "When I'm in you, I won't have anything between us. It'll be just you and me, little owl. The way we're meant to be."

  I should tell him no, demand a condom…but I don't want
that. I want him bare inside me too, want all of him. But… "What if I get pregnant?"

  He dips his head, putting his lips right up against my ear. "Then everyone will know you let your boss between your thighs and I fucked you right the first time, Rowan. I hope I do get you pregnant so they all know."

  Oh, jeez. I'm pretty sure he means that. I'm also pretty sure I'm okay with that. The thought of having this man's child…my God, I don't think I've ever wanted anything more than I want to make a baby that's a little bit of him and a little bit of me.

  He moves between my thighs, lifting one leg up over his hip to open me up to him. His cock nudges against my clit, causing me to arch upward as another little jolt of pleasure goes through me. And I marvel at that, at how I can be so completely sated in one way, yet still so very greedy in another. I don't think I've ever felt such an incredibly perfect dichotomy before.

  I already know I never will again. Not unless it's with him. No one and nothing else could ever possibly compare. He's not even inside me yet, and he's already ruined me for all other men. I love it so much.

  He holds my gaze as he notches himself at my entrance. The powerful emotion in his eyes keeps me captive as he pushes inside me, little by little. There's so much emotion there, overflowing like stars in the midnight sky. My body stretches around him, giving way slowly. He grits his teeth, hissing as he fights to get inside me.

  "Fucking hell, you're tight, Paradise," he groans. "Your little cunt is going to make me work for every inch, isn't it?"

  It's probably not a bad thing that part of me is making him work for it. The rest of me is hurtling toward love, full speed ahead. No stopping, no slowing. It's terrifying and yet not. I think maybe I have been waiting for him my entire life, because I feel alive in a way I never have before, settled in a way I never have before.

  The stretch starts to burn as he pushes deeper. The burn rises in intensity, causing me to whimper and dig my nails into his arms. He grits out a curse and snaps his hips forward. My hymen tears in two. I try not to let him see how much it hurts, but tears well in my eyes and I whimper again, my body going rigid beneath his.