“Fuck,” he cursed while his body shivered above her. “No one has touched me like this,ever.”
She gathered the hidden meaning in his words.More.
She gave him what he desired.
He plunged back down on her mouth as she traced patterns along each and every sculpted divot. The veins on his arms bulged, and his muscles tightened. His throat rumbled as he too explored her every curve.
He firmly gripped the sides of the furs as his muscles stiffened. He was holding back, restraining himself.
Did he not want this? This time, she was the one to break away.
“Am I... doing something wrong?” Her cheeks flushed as uncertainty flooded her head. He was ancient; certainly the lovers he had acquired were more experienced than she.
He laughed, which only inflamed her rosy cheeks more.
“The opposite.” He nipped at her chin while releasing a low sigh. “The flavor of your lips, the smell of your skin... Having you beneath me is like being offered my favorite meal.”
His head hung a bit as his hair brushed her collarbone. “I just... don’t want to hurt you. Every fiber of my being is screaming to take you—completely—but I can’t hurt you, not any more than I already have.”
“What do you mean?” His desire had made her feel so powerful, but now she felt fragile again.
“You haven’t been with another?”
She shook her head. “How could you possibly know that? Can you...smellit on me?” Embarrassment burned within her; nausea crept in next. This conversation triggered a memory she wished she could erase. No, she had not given her virginity away, but she had offered it once.
“Of course not. I just assumed, with your title... it would make sense. Am I wrong?”
This was mortifying. “No... I mean...”
Just breathe.
He dipped his head again, kissing her neck. “I only want to bring you pleasure, not pain.”
She swallowed her humiliation and put on a seductive mask, willing her mind to stop thinking of the past. “What if I want it to hurt? Maybe I’ll like it.”
His eyes flashed like a hungry animal. His intrigue was short-lived as he visibly shook off the temptation. “You don’t know what you’re asking. You couldn’t possibly want that.”
“Oh, and you’re such an expert on what I want?” She tried to shuffle upward.
He followed, prowling above her with a confused expression. “I only meant?—”
“This is crazy. You barely know me, this shouldn’t... it can’t happen.”
It was clear he was surprised by how abruptly her mood had shifted. She could see a spark of that temper flaring in his eyes. Maybe she was overreacting, but it was his fault. He was just like everyone else, controlling, acting like he knew what was best for her. Her blood heated and not in the pleasurable sense.
“I just wanted?—”
“This was a mistake.” She tried to push him away. He didn’t budge. Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Get your hands off me.”
There was a flash of hurt on his face that was quickly replaced with something more savage. “You said you didn’t want to run anymore.”
She bared her teeth. “I’m a cunning liar, remember? Now move!” She shoved at his chest once more, but it was like he was made of solid stone.
“No.”
“Move!” The slightest wave of shadow threw Theo upward, sending him back, stumbling to his feet.
He roared a sound of feral frustration as he regained his balance. “You can lie to yourself all you like—but youcan’tlie to me. I’ve tasted it on you, your desire for me. It’s real. Even your clever little masks can’t disguise it.”
