For the first time in his life, he planned todeny himself. The realization would have been shocking, but he wasfar too lost in her to absorb it fully.
When her beautiful green eyes continued tohold his, he didn’t see any sign of her changing her mind. Therewas apprehension in her gaze, but it wasn’t of him. How she didn’tfear him, he didn’t know, but it only made him care for hermore.
And he did care for her, he realized with astart. He didn’t want to protect her because she was Del’sdaughter; he wanted to protect her because she washis.
Excitement pulsed through him at therealization. She was his, and he wasnotgoing to let hergo.
He squeezed her ass before turning to lay heron the bed. When he set her down and stepped back to gaze at her,her eyes fell to his erection.
He thought she might change her mind and boltthen, but she bit her lip and looked to him again. Her fangs hadextended until the sharp points showed over her bottom lip.
With tender care, he traced the tip of one ofthose fangs, and when it pricked his thumb, he ran the blood acrossher lips. When her tongue darted out to taste his blood, a spark ofhunger flared in her eyes.
He smiled as he pulled the robe from herbefore gripping the bottom of her T-shirt and sliding it up toreveal her belly. Tugging it higher, he exposed her pert breastsbefore pulling the shirt from her.
He tossed the clothing aside and gazed downat her. She was long and lean, and her time working on the manorhad toned her body. However, she still possessed shapely thighs andluscious curves that begged to be explored. And he was more thaneager to do exactly that.
His mouth watered as he climbed onto the bedbeside her and cupped one of her breasts. It filled his palm andspilled over a little as he ran his thumb around her nipple beforebending to suck it into his mouth.
Her fingers entwined in his hair, and shepulled him closer. He ran his other hand down her stomach. Itslipped between her legs where he rubbed her clit before dipping afinger into her. She arched beneath him as he turned his mouth toher other breast.
Her hips rocked as she fucked his hand untilher breath came faster. Releasing her breast, he lifted his head togaze at her as her head fell back.
While she was so focused on the pleasure hegave her, he slipped another finger into her. He stretched herfurther in preparation for his invasion when it came.
As she rode his hand, he drank in thebeautiful sight of her while he pushed her closer and closer toorgasm. When she came apart, he muffled her cry with his kiss asthe walls of her sheath contracted around his fingers.
He broke the kiss and leaned back to savorher beauty as her eyes fluttered open. A sexy smile curved herswollen lips while the lightning bolts illuminated her sun-kissed,silken skin and exquisite beauty.
She was the most stunning woman he’d everseen, and she washis. The wolf within him bellowed thisknowledge over and over again.
Always the more subtle part of himself, hewasn’t used to having the primal lycan part of himself seeking totake control, but it had been asserting its dominance since shewalked into his life.
He had no idea what would happen if the beastbroke free, but he was willing to find out if it meant making herhis.
•••
Lexi floated on a haze of passion as Cole remainedkneeling beside her with a look of wonder and something more on hisface. She couldn’t quite place what that something more was—confusion, disbelief, a dawning understanding that seemed out ofplace—but when his silver eyes met hers, the wildness in them madeher breath catch.
He was magnificent, powerful, and on theverge of losing control. After what transpired earlier, and herstill sore throat, that should frighten her. However, when hisfingers skimmed her belly and the tips of his claws grazed herskin, she felt no fear of him.
He’d been lost to a nightmare earlier—no, nota nightmare, he was trapped in a memory when she tried to wake him.He was with her completely now. And he would never physically harmher while awake.
He might end up breaking her heart, but thatwould be her fault as much as his. She’d walked into this knowingwhat he was, yet she was still here.
“You should have run, Lexi,” he said in agravelly voice distorted by his fangs.
She probably should have run, but she hadn’t,and she was glad. There was nowhere else she’d rather be.
Gripping her legs, he shifted until he kneltbetween them. When he leaned over her, the thick wall of his muscleand the heat of his body encompassed her. He propped his handsbeside her head as he held himself over her.
His silver eyes flickered, and for a second,she was staring into their Persian blue depths again. There wassomething so open and honest about that gaze, something sovulnerable it dug its way into her heart, and though her heartmight end up shattered, she would never run from him.
And then the blue was gone and the silver wasback. She ran her fingers over his high cheekbones as he lifted onehand and grasped his shaft to guide it into her. The head of itparted her and pushed inside.
Biting her lip, she kept her attentionfocused on him as sweat dampened his skin and the powerful musclessurrounding her vibrated with his barely leashed restraint. As hemoved deeper into her, she tried to ignore the discomfort theirjoining created.
And just when she believed he was going tobury himself inside her, he stopped moving and put his hand besideher head again. They stared at each other before he bent andreclaimed her lips.
