Gravity (9 page)

claim for the position of Lord. He was in a top-ranked family among his Pride, and only the eldest

brother retained the right to challenge for the position of Lord. In Logan’s family, Leo would be the

one entitled to that privilege, should he ever choose to accept.

A Lord has authority over all his Pride. However, the Overlord rules all Chitahs. The frightening

part was how close Tarek was to that rank, and his greed and treachery made his current position

even more dangerous. Tarek’s younger brothers had privately disowned him after he raped his

kindred spirit, but now they were forced to heed his call.

“How can he be a leader after what he did to me?”

Logan shook his head angrily and the black rims around his amber eyes intensified. “You’re not

a Chitah, so nothing he does to you matters in their eyes. Female or not, we cannot impose

punishment on other Breeds. Crimes like these fall through the cracks because leaders don’t want

to instigate war between one another. With Tarek in a position of authority, there’s nothing we can

do. He’ll be in power for fifty years. Until the next open challenge, the only ones who have a right

to challenge for his position are his brothers.

“Fifty years,” I breathed. “What about your Pride? Did anyone challenge your Lord?”

Logan explained that each Pride alternates years so a complete shift in leadership wouldn’t

occur all at once.

“I’m not sure if Leo will go for it. We have a fair leader, although his views are old-fashioned.

He’s respected.”

“Tarek can’t come after you, can he? Now that he’s in power?”

“He only has power over his own Pride. We’re divided by territories, and he has no dominion

over mine.”

“Maybe his people will stage a coup,” I said hopefully.

Logan slid his hand around the back of my neck and lightly ran his fingers against my sensitive

skin. The oversized window in his living room loomed behind the sofa, offering little privacy from a

curious eye.

“I wish there was more progress with Nero,” Logan murmured. “It burns me to know he walks

this earth.”

I touched his wrist. “Justus said there are dozens of Neros out there, and eventually all of them

will be caught.” I paused for a few beats. “Eventually. We had a long talk about it and I see his

point. I can’t live my life for revenge, or else I’m not living at all. Someday…”

“Yes, someday. He’s hurt you once, and I don’t like that he’s still free to do it again.” Logan

squeezed my leg. We couldn’t accuse Tarek of associating with Nero to help bring him down

because slander was punishable if not proven.

“How’s Finn getting along with Lucian?” I noticed a small wooden carving of a cheetah on the

table that I’d never seen before. “It’s so quiet around here; I wish he lived closer so I could see

him more often.”

The Cross brothers had been rotating Finn between homes so they could each bond with him

and his animal. Shifters and Chitahs—while similar in nature—faced different challenges. Chitah

siblings often live within the same house or building when there is a sister to protect. Finn was a

wolf, and it suited him to live in a pack environment. He had never received formal education, so

Lucian, being the brains in the family, tutored him.

“Little Wolf is doing well. He’s got it in his head he wants to be a lawyer,” Logan said with an

unwavering smile.

“He does?” I asked, poking my head up. “Seriously?”

Logan nodded. “I wouldn’t put it past him. He has drive that most men only dream of, and

after what he’s been through, he wants to protect those who the laws have not. The Breed can

always use good lawyers.”

“Ugh… Breed law. I should invite him over to take away all those bigass books that Justus

keeps on his shelf. Our history is biased, making other Breeds look bad. Makes me wonder what

you guys have on your shelves; no wonder all these rivalries exist.”

Logan laughed and nudged his fingers against my rib. “I think we should encourage him, don’t

you?”

“Now that you mention it, we have to make sure our child gets nothing but the best in this

world.” I sniffed out a laugh.

The motion was so fast I could only gasp; Logan pulled me onto his lap and locked his luminous

eyes on mine. A look of possession crashed through him.

“What’s this about?” I saw the serious look on his face and dropped my humorous tone.

“Hearing you say the words our child.”

I swallowed.

Hard.

“Logan, I can’t give you one of those.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Do you want them?” It was a stupid question because I knew he did. His former mate had

been pregnant with Tarek’s child and Logan was willing to raise it as his own. But maybe I wanted

to hear it from his lips.

His eyes slanted away. “Having young would bring me satisfaction.”

“I don’t think you should waste your time chasing me when I can’t give you what you want.”

Several small kisses tenderly touched my lips, awakening the butterflies. “You’re my lemon

cake,” he whispered across my mouth. “Children would only be a scoop of ice cream on the side,

but I don’t require any. You’re more than enough. You’ll always be everything that I want.”

I leaned back a little. “Then why the enthusiasm?”

He traced his finger across the small ridge on my upper lip. “Hearing your admission to sharing

something with me in life, whether we can have it or not, that is what stirs the male within me.”

I closed my mouth around his finger and gave it a little suck. He pulled it out quick. Awareness

flared in his eyes, along with restraint. “I’m going to court you the right way, Silver. I’ve gone

about it all wrong.”

Remembering the intimate moment I’d shared with Logan sure didn’t feel wrong, but it had

weighed heavily on his conscience. He felt that he wasn’t honoring the Chitah ways of courtship. I

hadn’t accepted his claim because that was as good as marriage. We had so many strikes against

us—being mortal enemies, for one. Still, I craved him whenever I shut my eyes at night and

thought of his body tangled with mine.

“Don’t you want me?”

Logan’s chest vibrated like a bomb about to go off. His lips fell across my collarbone and

savored me like melting chocolate under the summer sun. I weakened at the feel of his soft mouth

consuming the taste of my body. His kiss was insistent and rapturous.

“More than you know, Little Raven.”

He lifted his warm golden eyes. I traced the outline of his strong cheekbones and curled my

fingers around his ponytail. Logan nuzzled his smooth jaw against my cheek while caressing the

side of my neck with his hand. It felt wonderful to be so close to him.

“How long do you think you can hold out?” I tugged roughly on his hair, pulling his chin up so I

could run my tongue over his Adam’s apple.

Logan’s body responded whenever I took control—something a Chitah male was not used to,

but it drove him wild. I slid to the floor between his legs and his entranced eyes dragged down to

my mouth. With a swipe of my tongue, I wet my lips and continued running my hands up his

thighs until my fingers curled around his shirt, slowly rolling the ends away from his stomach. Every

move I made was dramatically slow, and I never looked away from the raw power pulsing in his

eyes. It became foreplay, where the longer I held his gaze, the more aroused he became.

My lips kissed the soft patch of skin just below his navel and I smelled his skin and tasted his

energy. Logan’s breathing grew heavy and his hand trembled when it touched my shoulder.

“Silver, stop.”

His words were caged.

I popped the button free on his black cargo pants and slowly pulled the zipper down. He grew

thick beneath the fabric and I stroked him while trailing my kisses around his abs.

Logan gripped my hair and pulled me away. “I can’t control myself if you keep doing that.” His

canines slid out and a primal gaze painted his face.

My tongue circled around the firm muscles on his stomach and he let out a ravenous moan.

My argument would not be in words, but actions.

I pulled the band down on his boxer briefs, revealing my first glimpse of him. Logan was

beautiful, and my admiration stirred something prideful on his face. Some of his hair had pulled

free from the ponytail, sliding in front of his eyes in thick strands.

I wrapped my fingers around his shaft. Every touch, every breath, every shift of my body

against his would elicit a wild reaction in him. I looked up beneath my brows and we locked eyes.

Never stare at a man that way and not expect to feel swallowed up by his power.

Logan battled against his animal with every ounce of energy, gripping my hair to pull my head

back. His breath was heavy, as if he’d run a mile. “I don’t know what will happen. I’ve never done

this.”

And he hadn’t.

“Let me do this for you,” I whispered. “Technically it doesn’t break your rules; it’s not sex by

your standard definition.”

Before he could argue, I wet my lips and his eyes followed the movement of my tongue. Most

female Chitahs weren’t into this type of bedroom play for reasons I just didn’t understand.

A unique spotted pattern, the color of honey and sand, rippled across his stomach and arms—

something that occurred when a Chitah’s emotions were heightened.

My eyes focused on his deadly fangs and we were both thinking the same thing.

“I trust you, Logan. I know you won’t hurt me. Let go and give yourself to me.”

I wrapped my mouth around the head of his shaft and Logan’s switch immediately flipped. The

bright golden-amber color in his eyes was swallowed up by obsidian black. I’d never felt more

powerful than having someone as deadly as Logan look at me with dark, sexual eyes—completely

in my thrall.

The wild Logan that ran on instinct watched me and the air between us charged. I took him

deeper, gripping him at the base while he loosened his hold and stroked his fingers possessively

through my hair.

I quickened my motions, taking time to outline every ridge and line with my tongue. Logan’s

fangs had slid all the way out and his entire body tensed. I felt his heart pounding when I

stretched my arm out and placed my hand on his chest. The look of arousal on his face as I

pleasured him was more exciting than I had imagined.

And yeah, I had imagined it.

Logan didn’t throw his head back or close his eyes. He watched so intensely that I got aroused.

His nose twitched and he took in a deep breath.

Now Logan knew that I wanted him too.

Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Leo’s ringtone and his eyes flickered between black and gold.

I released my grip and ran my hands all around his stomach, pulling down his shirt with a

frustrated groan.

“Answer your phone,” I said with a chuckle, tucking him back inside his briefs. “It might be

important.” If Leo was calling, it probably was.

Logan lifted his hips and reached in his back pocket. He turned the phone off, grabbed hold of

my arms, and pulled me onto his lap.

I wasn’t sure if it was a relief or a curse that I was wearing jeans instead of a skirt as I

straddled him. I waited for his words—ones that always melted me. Logan admired me with his

hands, and the simple stroke of his thumb over my eyebrow felt more intimate than any other

place he could have touched me. The way the backs of his fingers caressed my cheeks, how he

outlined my mouth with his thumb, and then Logan softly kissed the scar on my neck. A deep and

wonderful sound hummed in his chest.

He slapped my hip playfully. “I think you’ve broken enough rules for the evening. Come on, my

female. It’s too late for you to be out and I want you safe at home.”

“Mmm, I like it when you call me that.”

Logan tensed and the rims of his eyes expanded. “Female… or my female?”

“Sorry, Logan. I know how important your customs are and I’m not trying to imply—”

His lips mashed against mine in a molten kiss and before he could slide his tongue in, he pulled

back. “Imply all you want, my female.”

“Walk me to my car, Mr. Cross,” I said with a smile in my words.

***

Logan buckled me up in the cheap little car that Justus had recently purchased for me. And

truly, it was cheap. I had refused to let him waste his money on something extravagant. Having

Christian as my guard allowed me to zip around town and run errands—provided I kept Justus

updated with my whereabouts. I still had to ask permission to use the car. I could never win with

that man.

I hated to leave Logan in his condition, but better to leave before he scented my guilt. He

wanted to do the honorable thing and court me properly, and I always seemed to be leading him

down the path of temptation, like some kind of Pied Piper of Sex.

I dialed Page and waited for her answer.

“Hi, Silver. Are you in need of my services? Is everything okay?”

I laughed. “Yeah, just fine. Actually, I called to see how you were doing.” I cleared my throat.