Changeling Winds: Episode Two (The Bachelor Battles Book 2) (30 page)

She stared at me, face nervous…
nervous
? It was an interesting thought. I hadn’t seen her that way.

“Are you getting tired?”

I nodded, flushing. “I just need to wash up first…”

This time,
her
cheeks went red. “I’ll meet you there.”

She moved stiffly through the tunnels and I watched her with a full feeling in my gut. How different would I feel after it was over and I belonged to her?

I couldn’t wait to find out, and I headed for the bathroom setup with eager feet.

Angelica

I wasn’t ready when he knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Stalling to make sure I could live with this choice.

“Jason.”

“Come in.”

He read it all on my face when he turned from closing the door. He saw how weak I was, how little it would take to push me into doing whatever he wanted. His expression grew concerned, but not for himself.

“Are you okay?”

I shook my head as he came closer, afraid to speak. I was scared of this choice and for a male who’d spent his life in fear, it was easy for him to recognize.

“I won’t push you. We’ll… talk?”

That wasn’t nearly enough and Jason read that, too. I wasn’t sure about my choice, but I’d made it. “You have no limits with me.”

His tone tightened a bit with jealousy.

“And the others here?
Will you make an arrangement with them if I’m not available?”

I thought about how this raging fire had shrunk to a tolerable throb in the hall, at his absence. “No.”

My heart raced as my blood heated up. “Will you seal our arrangement?”

“Yes, I will.”

Instead of the fierce bonding kiss I’d been expecting, Jason gently pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth.

“I want you, Angel.”

That name, from his lips, sent the flames higher, but also pulled a spark of emotion. I didn’t mind the sound of it from him… and he knew.

His gray eyes glowed with desire that that I was defenseless against. More than lust or loneliness, this feeling had spread through my cold, hidden heart and driven me into a new level of nervousness. He now had the power to hurt me, even if he didn’t realize it yet. If he walked away, ever, I would be crushed.

His hand came up to glide along my jaw, easing behind my neck to gently pull my mouth back to his.
I wanted him so much!
Enough to take what he would give, and be strong enough to let him go when it was over.

I met his mouth with a blast of heat. It sank into my gut, my legs, melting me against Jason’s hard body like I’d forgotten how to stand. He was sealing our contract, and there wasn’t a part of my body not straining for his when he finally drew back.

“Should I stop, slow down?”

He wasn’t sure what I wanted - most service calls didn’t involve actual mating most of the time - and was hoping I’d set the rules.

“Free. What you want only.” I wasn’t even capable of coherent speech.

Jason understood what I was allowing, and gave me another searching glance that I deflected by closing my eyes. He would make his own choices and I wouldn’t interfere or ask for more if I could help it.

I felt his hand brush my arm, then his thumb on my bottom lip.

“They said all Changelings crave it afterward, that the
lust
drives them then, not the need for blood.”

I hadn’t heard that, but it made sense, considering the fire and lava he was brewing in my gut with only his voice and light touches.

“But not you.
You never caved.”

I wanted to deny the claim, but he shifted against me as he pushed off his boots, and I forgot how to protest.

“You’re so different…”

“Unbroken,” I reminded in a sharp gasp as his large hand slid down my shoulder to brush the taunt nipple he could see through my shirt. He did it again and I shuddered.

“I have a condition to this arrangement.”

I struggled to pull out of the feverish spiral, to think.
“Whatever you want.”

Jason smiled. “You’re not allowed to hold back.”

I stared at him in shock. Not control myself? Do whatever I wanted? Was he insane?

“Angel…”

I growled my frustration, my surrender, and he slid in to seal our lips. This time, his touch was rough, demanding…

I was lost.

My hand snaked around his neck, pulled him close as the Change swept through me. His mouth went to my shoulder, hard body rubbing against me, and I groaned, feeling the blood red of my eyes, the swelling of my muscles.

A fast swipe of my hand removed his shirt, baring that bronze chest to my touch. He was so hard, so smooth and hot.

His hand slid between us, adjusting, and I allowed him to push my legs open, trembling.

I felt his hands undoing clips, buttons, and I moaned at the cool air on my skin as he yanked my cloak off… and then my shirt.

His mouth went to the center of my bra and I clutched at his silken hair, vaguely aware of my claws digging into my palms to keep from hurting him. They fit perfectly into the creases remaining from the first time he’d lit me up this way.

His head dropped lower, kissed the ugly scar on my stomach with loving care. My body was covered in them and I was glad to know he wasn’t bothered by it. I shuddered again, and Jason used a fast movement to strip me of my pants.

He swept me into his arms and dropped us onto the bed, holding me close. His skin was baking against mine, his body thrusting along my bare hip, and I sank my teeth into his shoulder, arching. Pleasure flew my way the second his big hand slid between my bare legs and I shoved it back, determined to enjoy these moments with him for as long as I could stand.

Jason swept my body with a muscle twitching in his jaw, and I realized he was fighting for control. The flames yanked me up another level and my hardening nipple drew his attention. As his mouth settled over a peak, his thumb pressed down, and I cried out, shattering.

Gasping, I held him tightly, not about to let him think we were finished. As I pulsed, he slid against me in shaky lust, and I pushed back, feeling the need roar to life. His hands roamed my naked body, rubbing, squeezing, exploring, and I groaned into his mouth. My claws extended, ripping into his shoulder and I snatched my hands from his flesh.

Jason stopped, scowling at me and I reluctantly sent my nails back to his hard skin.

An instant later, there was a smooth hardness stroking against my thigh and I was struggling to breathe. My claws slid into his arm… and that hardness jumped eagerly in response.

His fingers were still moving against me, but that other part of him was also thrusting against my slickness, hitting pleasure points as it pushed in further each time. I found myself arching to meet it, tilting my hips to line us up…

Jason’s hands encircled my waist, holding me in place, and he jerked forward feverishly.

I met his movement, opening my legs to give him access, and we both groaned as that hot, smooth bar slipped between the folds.

Fear, bright and unexpected, swirled over me, dampening the fire.

“Should I stop?”

There was pain in his voice, waiting to be told
yes, that this was way too far.

Besides not even being sure the act could be completed from this side-by-side position, the feel of that mysterious hardness had my body softening against it, welcoming… “No.”

Jason didn’t give me a chance to change my mind. His head lowered to my mouth and his fingers went back to that incredible matching rhythm on my swollen nub. His hips rubbed us together and I met his thrust when it came.

Able to be completed or not, there was enough contact to make me cry out, and to cause Jason to freeze at the sound.

“Angel?”

I buried my head against his neck. “Please.”

I wasn’t sure what I was begging for, but he knew. Jason shifted and then jerked forward, locking our hips as that iron bar shoved into my cringing body.

“Oh, Angel!”

He trembled against me as I
gasped,
the feel of him strange. The pain was little, easily forgotten, but the feel of him struggling to be still was enlightenment. This was what it felt like from
their
side.

Eager to learn more, I gently pushed back.

His hand slid around my thigh, lifting as he thrust again, and I couldn’t stop the scream as he slid fully into me, ripping, tearing.

“Should… should I stop?”

Before I could say yes, he trembled, ready to withdraw at my request. His pain was like looking in a mirror and I shook my head, blinking away the tears that had formed. “I was promised a service.”

I felt him swell inside me, the small jerk stealing my breath… as it did his. He was all hard manly body and sweet burnt sugar scents in the dimness and I memorized the feel as the fire leapt.

He leaned down to kiss me gently, body still, and I felt those flames surge back into a wall of need. But it wasn’t quite the same. This desire was fuller, less frantic fire and more baking heat. I realized it was the feel of his pleasure.

His arms trembled as he tried to control himself, breathing in short rasps, face twisted in a delicious mix of agony and ecstasy.

Suddenly, I wanted him out of control, released from whatever mental prison Rankin had him in. I wanted his thoughts of this moment to be of me, not her ghost!

Ignoring the discomfort, I moved my leg up to rest on his hip, letting him have full access.

His eyes snapped to mine, and I smiled through the reddening tints. “No holding back for you, either.”

He swelled inside me and the feel of it was enough to make my hips move restlessly against his. “Please…”

Jason

She was begging me to let go and rut between those sweet legs like an animal. And I wanted to. Now I understood what Rankin had been denying me and I was alive with a raging need I’d never felt before.

Angelica’s body tightened around me, her hot skin sliding against mine, and I shivered at the chill of lust that sank into my stomach. Her fingers were pulling me closer, mouth demanding on mine, and my already weak control snapped.

Now
I
was the one changing, turning into a lust-crazed animal that only wanted to get deeper. My body shoved into hers, lungs aching from the jagged breaths, and I arched as piercing waves of pleasure flew toward me.

Angelica unlocked our bodies and I groaned at the loss of her heat, but couldn’t keep from exploding against her hip.

As I shuddered, head on her shoulder, I was disappointed with myself. Hoping she wasn’t angry, I raised my head.

Her eyes were crimson orbs and flaming need.
“Again?”

My lips curved upward, and I tried to control my breathing. “I’ll need… a little help.”

Another, darker shade of red flooded. “You like being touched?”

My body moved against her, providing the answer.

Her breath caught, nipples hardening against my chest, and I felt my body start returning to life. Amazing!

Her hand rose, brushed my hair back so she could see my face.

“I’ve wanted to do this since we met.”

Her fingers tangled gently in my locks and she closed her lids in pleasure.

“So soft…”

The feel of her enjoying my body had that sense of pride waking, needing to be fed. I wanted her thinking about it all day tomorrow, so when I took her tomorrow night, she’d enjoy it more.

My body swelled to life at that thought, and I pressed against her hip in renewed want. I planned to do this every night, but right now, I needed to hear her moaning as I sent her over that cliff.

Thanks to the Network, I knew exactly how to position us to be sure I was making full contact with the outside of her body, as well as the inside. We were taught that there was little pleasure for the woman without that extra stimulation, though our training models certainly hadn’t seemed to care one way or the other.

I used my free hand to be sure. Only able to reach her with my thumb, I timed my strokes so that either my length hit her on the in-stroke or my thumb rubbed on the out.

“
Oohhh
...”

Her low groan sent heat flaring through my body and I moved faster, recognizing the delicious feeling this time. I would have to build up my control so that I could last longer. That thought, of practicing this over and over, had my hips and thumb stroking faster.

Her body arched, claws ripping into my shoulder, and I grunted, jerking forward.
“Yeah,
uhh
!”

Angelica was keeping pace with me now, mouth locked against my shoulder to hold in those noises I wanted to hear.

I stopped moving, struggling to get what I wanted before I exploded.

Angelica’s moan of protest had me lowering my head to hers. “Look at me.”