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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.
