man that appreciation would have gone a long way. It would have puffed his ego, maybe made him smile, and most certainly would have aroused him even more. As it was, Eli, the deeply scared shifter, was only wary of her look, of the desire she so quickly tossed his way. He had good reason to be cautious, to want to keep her as far away as he possibly could. But still he stepped to the side, inhaling deeply as she walked by.
Her scent was there now, when he should have picked it up before. Shifters relied 100 percent on their scenting abilities, of enemies, feelings, situations … mates, or in Eli’s case, simply females. Gritting his teeth once more at the anomaly he was presently experiencing, Eli closed the door, locked it, and turned to once again find her staring at him.
“I want to know what they said to you in the truck tonight,” she said, holding her hands down at her sides, looking into his eyes this time, as if she wasn’t as sexually aware of him as he knew she was.
Eli walked to her. It wasn’t by choice, he swore it wasn’t. The cat within was instantly drawn to her feline, reaching out for the similar being, wanting desperately to forge a connection. The man knew better, he knew what would result from this and yet, he couldn’t stay away. He’d never been able to listen to the warning and stay away.
“I don’t think that’s what you really want, Cannon,” he told her seriously, standing so close to her now the buckle of her belt brushed against his thick length. The touch was cool and sent spikes of desire flaring quickly throughout Eli’s body.
Every muscle tensed, every nerve stood on end, his breath growing more labored as he tried once again to make the effort. Pull away, back up, grab that damned towel, and get rid of her!
“I’m not here to play your games, Eli. Not tonight,” she replied, breaking his concentration with the deep husky sound of her voice.
He reached around her then, grabbing the band from her hair before she could think to stop him and yanking it free.
“This is far from a game,” he told her, watching with amazement as all that thick and wild hair fell loose, landing on her shoulders, framing her face. “Everything that happens from this point on will be serious and have consequences.”
She kept her gaze level with his. Never backing down. It just wasn’t in her nature to walk away from a fight or a challenge. How many times had he watched her in the sparring ring with shifters twice her size and weight? When she should have cowered or could have hidden beneath the “female” shield, she never did. She stood her ground and she fought, most times winning over the cocky male who thought far too little of her. Those thoughts made what Eli said next seem futile.
“If you plan to run away, now would be the time.”
She squared her shoulders. “I was never the one running, Eli. That was always you.”
Like dropping a match into a gallon of kerosene, her words sparked an inferno inside and Eli was immediately wrapping his arms around her waist, drawing her to him. “Not anymore,” he murmured before crushing his lips down over hers. “Not anymore,” he repeated as he pulled slightly away, only to plunge back inside again, his tongue taking hers in an intimate duel.
She tasted like fresh rain, like water to a parched thirst that threatened his speech. Her tongue was warm and tangled expertly with his. Her hands grasped his biceps, the palm of her right hand flat against the head of his cat tattoo. Heat pooled in his arm, grew into a ball of molten lava that seeped quickly throughout his bloodstream. The feeling was intense, immediate, and climactic. Inside Eli shook. Outside, he reacted.
He kissed down the line of her neck, loving the way she let her head fall back, giving him what he wanted without any argument. This wasn’t the usual way she reacted to him. And this wasn’t the usual way he treated her.
His hands gripped her breasts, loving the feel
Her scent was there now, when he should have picked it up before. Shifters relied 100 percent on their scenting abilities, of enemies, feelings, situations … mates, or in Eli’s case, simply females. Gritting his teeth once more at the anomaly he was presently experiencing, Eli closed the door, locked it, and turned to once again find her staring at him.
“I want to know what they said to you in the truck tonight,” she said, holding her hands down at her sides, looking into his eyes this time, as if she wasn’t as sexually aware of him as he knew she was.
Eli walked to her. It wasn’t by choice, he swore it wasn’t. The cat within was instantly drawn to her feline, reaching out for the similar being, wanting desperately to forge a connection. The man knew better, he knew what would result from this and yet, he couldn’t stay away. He’d never been able to listen to the warning and stay away.
“I don’t think that’s what you really want, Cannon,” he told her seriously, standing so close to her now the buckle of her belt brushed against his thick length. The touch was cool and sent spikes of desire flaring quickly throughout Eli’s body.
Every muscle tensed, every nerve stood on end, his breath growing more labored as he tried once again to make the effort. Pull away, back up, grab that damned towel, and get rid of her!
“I’m not here to play your games, Eli. Not tonight,” she replied, breaking his concentration with the deep husky sound of her voice.
He reached around her then, grabbing the band from her hair before she could think to stop him and yanking it free.
“This is far from a game,” he told her, watching with amazement as all that thick and wild hair fell loose, landing on her shoulders, framing her face. “Everything that happens from this point on will be serious and have consequences.”
She kept her gaze level with his. Never backing down. It just wasn’t in her nature to walk away from a fight or a challenge. How many times had he watched her in the sparring ring with shifters twice her size and weight? When she should have cowered or could have hidden beneath the “female” shield, she never did. She stood her ground and she fought, most times winning over the cocky male who thought far too little of her. Those thoughts made what Eli said next seem futile.
“If you plan to run away, now would be the time.”
She squared her shoulders. “I was never the one running, Eli. That was always you.”
Like dropping a match into a gallon of kerosene, her words sparked an inferno inside and Eli was immediately wrapping his arms around her waist, drawing her to him. “Not anymore,” he murmured before crushing his lips down over hers. “Not anymore,” he repeated as he pulled slightly away, only to plunge back inside again, his tongue taking hers in an intimate duel.
She tasted like fresh rain, like water to a parched thirst that threatened his speech. Her tongue was warm and tangled expertly with his. Her hands grasped his biceps, the palm of her right hand flat against the head of his cat tattoo. Heat pooled in his arm, grew into a ball of molten lava that seeped quickly throughout his bloodstream. The feeling was intense, immediate, and climactic. Inside Eli shook. Outside, he reacted.
He kissed down the line of her neck, loving the way she let her head fall back, giving him what he wanted without any argument. This wasn’t the usual way she reacted to him. And this wasn’t the usual way he treated her.
His hands gripped her breasts, loving the feel
Similar Books
