Read Online Lure of the Jaguar: Hades' Carnival, Book 7 by N.J. Walters - Free Book Online Page A

miracle that she was letting him kiss her at all.
    Her tongue tangled with his. Her breathing quickened and the rapid pounding of her heart echoed in his ears. He inhaled and the spicy scent of her arousal tickled his nostrils.
    Toni wanted him.
    In spite of everything he’d told her, the entire shocking story, she wanted him. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d pushed him away and tried to run. That would probably be the most sensible thing to do.
    Maybe he should take her somewhere else, somewhere safe and leave her alone. Maybe Hades would forget about her if he did so.
    But deep in his heart, Stavros knew there was nowhere in the world that was safe from Hades’ far-reaching grasp. And he could not leave Toni even if he wanted too. She was his heart.
    He was no longer acting intelligently, but going totally on instinct. He slanted his mouth over hers, tasting and teasing until it was no longer enough. The others had told him he’d know when he met the woman meant to be his mate. He hadn’t believed them.
    He did now.
    Stavros wrenched his mouth from hers. Toni’s eyes were half closed and filled with passion. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Heat rolled off her silky skin. She was wearing a tank top, which showed off her strong, slender arms to perfection.
    “Yes or no.” His cock pounded in time to his heartbeat. He wanted Toni more than he wanted his next breath, but it was her choice. “If you say yes, you’re mine.” He knew he should explain it better than that, but it was taking everything inside him not to throw her over his shoulder and drag her into the bedroom. It was the closest thing he had to a lair. Clichéd, yes, but that didn’t lessen the intensity of his feelings.
    Toni belonged to him. Was his to protect. And he would do so, no matter the consequences. Walking away from her was no longer an option. He knew what he had to do.
    Toni swallowed the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her. The way Stavros looked at her made every cell in her body stand up and sing. Oh, she wanted him. More than she’d ever thought it possible to want a man.
    But he wasn’t a man. He was a shapeshifting immortal warrior. And she was human. That couldn’t work. If she slept with him, he’d eventually leave her like everyone else in her life had.
    For once in her life, she didn’t care. Sure, there was heartbreak in her future, but she knew that making love with Stavros would be more than she could even imagine.
    He was staring at her, his bare chest covered in a light sheen of sweat. The muscles of his shoulders were bunched, his body tense. His eyes were black pools of myriad emotions. She couldn’t read all of them, but the one she recognized was need. He wanted her and she wanted him. It would have to be enough.
    “Yes.”
    Toni didn’t know what she expected, but his slow smile wasn’t it. And wow, was he hot when he smiled. It made him look younger. He had an ageless quality about him, but there was something old in his eyes. Of course, he’d lived longer than she could even imagine.
    Stavros stood and stared down at her. “You won’t regret this.”
    She kind of was already. The sex would be hot, but she was afraid he’d ruin her for any other man. Before she could think to change her mind, he pulled her to her feet and swung her into his arms. He kissed her again, and she forgot all her doubts. Rational thought didn’t stand a chance against his kisses.
    She knew he was walking, could feel the play of the muscles in his chest as he carried her into another room. She glanced around when he laid her on a bed. The bedside lamp was on and illuminated the space. The room was sparse, but the bright yellow paint on the walls and the pretty lamp and vase on the nightstand gave every indication that this was a woman’s bedroom.
    “Who lives here with you?” The question came out sharper than she intended. She wasn’t jealous. Not at all. But she didn’t want to be the other