Page 40

J uliette

Nothing could have prepared me for his admittance. Not a single thing.

Stunned, I searched his eyes, losing all feeling in my toes. Was I even standing any longer? “What did you say to me?” I don’t know how I managed to utter the question.

“You heard what I said, Juliette. I care about you. I will not lose you. You’ve turned my world upside down with your beautiful smile and lilting laugh and it will destroy me if anything happens to you. I can’t and won’t watch you die.”

There were no words needed, no understanding of what was happening between us.

But the pull, the crazy heightened electricity was something neither one of us could deny.

With Kage’s chest rising and falling, every breath he took as labored as mine, he fisted my hair with one hand, sliding his other under my bottom and lifting me from the floor.

“Goddamn it,” he breathed. “This shouldn’t be happening.”

I slipped my arms around his neck, darting my eyes back and forth across his. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

The moment his lips crashed over mine, my core erupted, extensive heat spilling down my arms and legs. I pressed my knees against his thighs as he dug his fingers into my scalp. Whoever said pain mixing with pleasure was a powerful aphrodisiac was brilliant.

Every action demanding, he thrust his tongue inside my mouth.

There was no way to calm my desires or control his.

The kiss was a fiery explosion, a desperate attempt at fulfilling an intense longing.

He sucked on my tongue then I repeated the action.

He tasted of fire and sin, the heady scent of musk and timber infusing my senses.

I was lightheaded, fighting nerves and more than a hint of fear. What could this mean? I shoved thoughts aside, allowing the tingling sensations to drive me into a moment of euphoria.

Within seconds, we were ripping at each other’s clothes.

He broke the kiss long enough to grin just before ripping my shirt off. With my legs still wrapped around his waist, I tugged at my boots, laughing when I almost tumbled from his arms.

We both laughed and he tightened his hold.

When the boots were tossed, he leaned me against the wall, jutting his hips forward to keep me positioned perfectly without falling.

With the same dark expression on his face, he cupped both my breasts, flicking his thumbs back and forth across my nipples.

Panting, I rubbed my fingers up and down his muscular back, marveling from his carved features. How could any man be this carved?

With every kiss, he stole oxygen from my lungs. With every touch, he exposed the vulnerable side of me, a woman who’d never felt anything like this before. While everything about him demanded respect, there was a sensual side to him, yet the need he felt inside was as desperate as mine.

Not just for sex, but for passion in all things in life.

With one hand, he unfastened my bra, tilting his head back and studying me as he lowered one strap then the other. The wry smile on his face could be considered annoying, but on him it was sexy as hell.

Just like everything else.

I lowered one leg to the floor, teetering on my toes as he stroked his hand across my skin.

He pulled me away from the wall just enough to dip me into an arch, the move lifting my breasts. A heady growl was followed by a wash of heat as he blew across one nipple. When he engulfed the tip, I let out a strangled moan.

The dazzling sensations from before were turning into electric jolts, another wave of prickles dancing down the back of my legs. He brushed the tip of his tongue across my hardened bud, alternating between sucking and licking until both my mind and body were in a frenzy.

Every sound made was a stark reminder he was all male.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the pleasure even as I longed to hold his thick cock in my hand.

He rolled his lips across my chest, consuming my other nipple and drawing a moan from the center of my being.

I tilted my head, staring up at the ceiling.

The feel of every scar under my fingers was a reminder, but not that he was a broken man.

It was a reminder that he was one of the strongest men I’d ever met.

The sound he made as he sucked on my taut bud caused moans to escape my lips. He dragged his tongue along my shoulder blade, the action slow and easy. When he nipped my earlobe, I laughed nervously.

Why was I nervous around him? There was no reason to be. We’d done this before, although everything had been different.

Heat swept across my exposed skin, melting me.

Kage pulled back, his nostrils fully flared.

Around him, I never knew what to expect.

The way he pulled me into his arms was possessive.

The rapid beat of my heart matched every solid thud of his boots as he took long strides into his bedroom.

Being inside his private space felt too personal, too intimate, but he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

His eyes never leaving mine, he lowered me to my feet, immediately ripping one boot off his foot then the other. After unfastening the button of his jeans, he stopped long enough to point toward my waist. “Off. Now.”

Even the sound of his voice was gravellier than before, every syllable drenched in lust. With his hooded eyes, he appeared more sinfully dangerous. How was that even possible given he was the epitome of rugged perfection?

I teased him just a little, swaying my hips back and forth before unfastening the button on my jeans. He wagged his finger before cupping his groin, stroking his bulge as he watched my reaction. I wet my lips and slowly tugged on the zipper. Only then did he do the same.

A soft laugh left my lips when I finally peeled the material away, shimmying the dense fabric over my hips and pushing them to the floor. Now wearing only a red thong, I felt more embarrassed than before, mostly because of the way he was looking at me.

As if he planned a feast.

With heat continuing to build, I took a step forward, but he shook his head. “Lie down on the bed.” His command was more authoritative than in the forest.

I obeyed him without question, shocked how much I was trembling.

Only being able to hear movements as he finished undressing was driving me crazy.

His approach was slow, methodical and he peered down at me for a few seconds.

At least that allowed me to bask in his features in a way I hadn’t been able to before.

He knew he was handsome, his arrogance no doubt a product of one too many women throwing themselves in his direction. But he appeared more boyish than godlike, his carved chin covered by three-day stubble and his hair completely a mess. God, how I wanted to run my fingers through his thick strands.

Crawling onto the bed, he straddled my hips, placing his hands on the comforter. As he leaned over, I rubbed the back of one hand across his cheek just to feel the soft beard. He growled in response and in my nervousness, I laughed, visibly shuddering as he lowered his head.

This time the brush of his lips across mine was light. There was no roughness, no incessant need. Just a slow and easy kiss as if he had all the time in the world.

He nuzzled my hand until I opened my fingers, rubbing my palm across his jaw to his cheek. His exhale was deep, ragged and long as if he’d waited for years for someone to do this.

A gentle caress of a lover.

Or a wife.

He wore his grief alongside every other badge of honor. Those didn’t worry me as much as the noose. The thick rope was tightening around his strong neck. That’s why his uncle had sent the letters, gifting him the horse and the sanctuary. His uncle was trying to save him.

After lifting his head, Kage took his time lightly blowing across my face. When he pulled back, he fanned his fingers, placing the tips on my face. As he pulled his hand down an inch at a time, I dragged my tongue across my bottom lip before darting it across the end of his palm.

He chuckled in a low-slung husky vibe and continued his path, pressing his fingertips into my skin as he moved down from my neck to my chest. His head was cocked when he rolled one finger around my right nipple, breathing as he repeated the move with my left.

Only this time he pinched the taut tip until I cried out, arching up from the bed from the surprise.

Another chuckle was followed by a slow and easy breath while he pulled his hand down my stomach. I concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest, trying to control my own breathing. Around him, almost everything was as difficult as it was appealing.

And frustrating.

With sensations rolling through me, I bit back a laugh. My pussy throbbed, the soft caresses adding to the tension and excitement.

The man knew exactly how to seduce a woman.

I shifted my hips back and forth in a blatant invitation.

The evil grin I wasn’t expecting. He shifted forward, rising onto both knees. I licked my lips all over again when he dangled his cock in front of my face. His cockhead was leaking, the few drops of pre-cum glistening against his skin.

He laughed softly seeing my reaction. “Lick it off, Juliette. Then suck me. I need that fucking wet mouth around my dick.”

There was something far too exciting about his dirty talk. When I didn’t open my mouth right away, he fisted my hair, tilting his head at an angle.

“I don’t think you want to be a bad girl. Now, do you? Part those sweet lips or I’ll shove my cock inside your mouth.”

I managed to slip my arm between his legs, wrapping my fingers around the base.

His eyes were bright, almost appearing dilated as I blew across his cockhead.

While I wanted nothing more than to continue teasing him, the lure of his sweet cum was too much to resist. I dragged my tongue through the drops, savoring the flavor.

The way he was peering down at me kept shivers drifting into my core.

I’d never been this on fire, my entire body shaking from tension and adrenaline.

The feelings were sensational. I licked around his cockhead, flicking my tongue several times before engulfing the head.

He lifted his head slowly, his jaw clenching. “Fuck. That feels good.”

I took another inch into my mouth, enjoying the taste as I swiped my tongue back and forth. My jaw muscles already ached from his girth, and the way his cock throbbed added to a fervor of excited tingles. How long had it been since I’d enjoyed sucking a man?

Not my ex. That was for certain.

The taste was musky, tangy, and salty at the same time. As soon as I slipped another inch into my mouth, he dropped his head once again. With one foot planted beside my head, he took over, thrusting the entire remainder of his shaft inside. The tip hit the back of my throat, instantly gagging me.

But he was slow in his actions, pulling out and allowing me to get used to his thickness.

When he slipped it inside once again, I clamped down, moaning, still swirling my tongue.

I eased my hand to his balls, squeezing them as he developed a rhythm.

I shifted my hand to the base of his shaft, twisting my fingers until he groaned in pleasure. I longed to have him fill my mouth.

His chest rose and fell as he raked both hands through his hair. As quickly as he’d claimed my mouth, he pulled out, wrapping his hand around mine and sliding the slickened tip back and forth across my lips.

“Soon, sunshine. Soon. But not now.”

He scooted backwards until he was able to slide one of my legs from between his. Bending it at the knee, he pressed my leg open wide, taking the time to roll his fingers in a circle before pushing it down to the bed.

Every few seconds he lifted his gaze, eyeing my reaction. There was no concern on his face, just a dangerous combination of lust and control.

He backed away, trailing his fingers down my bent knee to my foot.

As he jerked me closer to the edge of the bed, he did so unblinking.

His face taut. His breathing tight. The lightest brush of his fingers sent a shot of explosive heat directly into my pussy.

He rolled his hands along the inside of my legs, his thumbs grazing across my lace-covered pussy.

I almost convulsed from the electric jolts tickling every inch of skin.

Another moan escaped my lips and I turned my head to the side the moment he slipped fingers under the waistband of my panties. I was nervous yet excited, still panting as he slowly rolled them over my hips.

I was so hot and wet I couldn’t breathe, the wild bunch of butterflies giving way to a more treacherous group of bees. Soon they’d be stinging my insides, reminding me this wasn’t real, only a glimmer of a fantasy.

But that just didn’t matter, not when I felt so close to him. Closer than I had to any person in my life.

Including my father.

I felt as if I’d been allowed a vision of everything he’d been through, the horrors and anger, the sadness and remorse. The guilt.

As he wrapped his arms around my legs, all I wanted was to let go.

In truth, we both needed to shove aside aspects of our past and our identities, giving way to pleasure.

If only for tonight.