Mist Revealed (15 page)

With her small foot cradled in his hand, he traced its slight arch and marveled at the softness of her skin. Unlike the females of his time, Cat embodied a delicate strength that left him in awe. Malin hadn’t exhibited such qualities. She… Rune froze. What was he doing, thinking of a female long dead?

He looked into Cat’s face. She was his future. She was the female who’d captured his heart. Malin had no place in his relationship with Cat.

They were two different females, and so too were their situations. He had to stop comparing them. That was exactly what he was doing—looking for clues that Cat would fall into the same pattern Malin had taken. She’d accepted his touch out of duty, not because she favored him. Jaron had held that role in her eyes. Every time Rune noticed how Cat’s behavior differed, he made a mental note of it, almost as if he were keeping a tally. In a way, he supposed he was. It had to stop.

He brought Cat’s foot to his mouth and sucked on her big toe, then moved to the next. With each one he worshipped, he accepted his regrets of the past, along with the disdain he harbored for Malin. He said goodbye to the female he never would have loved and forgave himself for not grieving her death.

The lack of emotion didn’t mean he hadn’t cared about her. He had. He’d wanted her healthy and safe. He just hadn’t loved her. There’d been no reason to cry over her loss. Death wasn’t an end but a new beginning and an opportunity for rebirth. Another chance at life meant hope of finding love. He prayed she had embraced it with a male worthy of her. She wouldn’t have experienced it with him.

His brethren had called him cold. They’d known. He’d denied it, but they had been right.

He was the cold one. No more. Cat had ignited a fire within him he hadn’t known he held. He burned…for her.

By the time he reached her little toe, a weight had lifted from his shoulders.

He set her foot on the ground and repeated the exploration on her other one.

Cat toyed with the short strands of his hair. “Do you plan to lick every inch of me?”

He raised his gaze to hers. “Yes.”

A sigh fell from her lips. She licked them, the bottom, then the top. “Then I should consider myself lucky I’m not ticklish.”

He tilted her foot and dragged the tip of his tongue along her arch. She pushed it more firmly into his mouth. He chuckled. “I suppose.”

He released her and moved into the space between her legs. “Your toes are perfect.”

“I just trimmed my toenails.” A small smile played on her lips. “My fingers too.” She wiggled them in front of him.

He captured one hand and studied her delicate fingers. Short, rounded nails tipped each. He drew them, one by one, into his mouth. A shaky moan escaped her throat. He glanced at her. Her attention focused on his lips. After a moment, she lifted her gaze to his. Lust burned in the depths of her blue-green eyes.

He swirled his tongue around the finger he held between his teeth. Slowly, he dragged his mouth off it. “You’re right. Perfect. Matches the rest of you.”

“I’m not, you know.”

He grunted and shoved her shirt up to expose her belly. Her soft skin lured him. He bent close and kissed the slight swell. “Then I think your definition differs from mine.”

She skimmed her fingers over the spot he’d laved. “Maybe for women of your time this is acceptable, but today, this”—she pinched a tiny flap of skin—“is called flab.”

She couldn’t be serious, but her wrinkled nose and scrunched brow told him she was.

“I need to hit the gym.” She sighed and moved her hand to her hips. She squeezed another small section of skin. “And go on a diet. Jesus, I knew I should’ve started packing a healthy lunch, but the snack machine is so handy and—”

“Cat?” He waited until she met his eyes. “Enough. You. Are. Perfect.”

“But if my body is going to be frozen, I want—”

He tugged her against him and captured her mouth in a fierce kiss. The confirmation he’d feared would take time to earn was tied in to her words. Unspoken, true. It didn’t change the elation. She was his gift, one he’d soon treasure for all time.

She remained passive in his arms for a moment before returning his passion. Deep strokes of their tongues built their lust. She shoved at his pants, tried to work the button free and failed. A growl crawled up her throat. He slammed her against him and swallowed her gasp. The woman made him wild. He took control of their kiss, leading her into a crazed mating of their mouths that reflected his growing need for her.

The ache in his gums grew unbearable. He wanted to bite her, make her his and worship her for all time. The idea grew with the clawing of her blunt nails over his back.

Soon, dammit, soon.

He tore his mouth from hers and buried his face in the crook of her neck, not the best place to gather his strength. Temptation rested under his lips. He touched her skin with the tip of his tongue, and her flavor hit him—fruity and sweet. She’d be his ambrosia. He could almost taste her rich blood on his tongue.

As soon as they returned to her homeland, he would finish their union. Jaron could continue the search for their missing gods and treasure while he made Cat his mate. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“Tell me you’ll—”

She yanked his head back and thrust her tongue roughly into his open mouth, stopping his question. A hand on his shoulder and the other gripping his neck, she held him still for her consuming kiss. She explored him as invasively as he had her, licking his teeth and cheeks and tearing his control to shreds. The tips of his fangs slid down. He tensed and fought the release of them completely. She swiped her tongue over one and gasped but didn’t pull away. She shifted her hands to his cheeks and carefully explored them.

He trembled under the force it took to keep his instincts in check. He wrapped his honor around him and allowed his consort to familiarize herself with his body.

Finally, she eased back, gaze still on his fangs. “I want to feel them sinking into me.”

Her words shocked him. He put space between them. “Are you sure?”

Hell, he would send Jaron to her home to search alone. Two, three days at the most. That was all it would take until he finished replacing her blood with his. The gods had been lost for many years. A few more days wouldn’t matter.

Her eyes widened, and she pressed against his chest as if she meant to hold him back. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”

“You don’t want me?”

He sounded like a whiny youth. He couldn’t help it. It was what he felt.

A blush crawled up her cheeks. She shifted her gaze to his chin. “I want crazy things from you, Rune. Things I never even fantasized about until you walked into my life.”

He tipped her chin up. “Tell me.”

“I want you to…to…” She closed her eyes. “I want you to lick my clit, eat me out and…” She peeked at him from under her lashes. “Bite me. Down there.”

His breaths quickened. The fangs he’d fought to keep retracted punched out. He stroked his thumb over her swollen mouth. “I want that too. What else?”

She shook her head.

“Tell me.”

“I want both inside me.” She turned away. The color of her cheeks darkened. “Your cock and your fangs. I want you to pound into me, fill me up and feed from me.” She glanced at him. “I want you to own me.”

In truth, she would own him. If he didn’t feed her his blood, her body would return to its mortal state. She would live out her life, then die. For him, on the other hand, he would be lucky if he lasted a week before death claimed him.

“We are equals, Cat. The only control I will hold over you is what you give me.”

She offered him a smile that smacked him in the chest. “You’re determined to win my heart, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” He stood and stepped behind her. If he didn’t move, he’d kiss her again. Enjoyable though it was, he had a purpose to fulfill.

He worked the comb through her hair, easing the tangles until smooth strands hung past her shoulders. The ends of one side teased her nipple. The other, the top swell of her breast. He grabbed the scissors and evened the mass of her hair so both sides would caress her plump flesh when she moved.

He released the lock he held. It settled against her back. “There. Perfect.”

She laughed and glanced over her shoulder. “Careful, Rune. Keep praising me, and you’ll inflate my ego.”

He shrugged. “I’m only stating the truth.”

“As you see it.”

“Perhaps, but my opinion is the only one that matters.”

He gripped the hem of her shirt and tugged it up. He’d reached the limit of his control. The worship he gave her was all he could afford at the moment. The lust only she stirred demanded payment. He craved her touch, her cries of completion in his ear and the undulating waves of her inner muscles bringing him to release.

He tossed the fabric aside and let his gaze roam over her chest. The sight of her pale flesh tore a groan from his throat. No bra restricted his view of her plump flesh. Her nipples stood erect, tempting him to bend closer and suckle. Unable to resist, he dipped his head and laved the hard point.

“Rune.”

Her whisper demanded more. He gave it to her, flicking the tip with his tongue. She held his head and pushed more of her breast into his mouth. He took her offering and sucked.

She cried out.

Her pleasured sound triggered his instincts. Deep pulls of his mouth tore more moans from her throat. Each one satisfied, yet increased his craving.

He released her breast and pulled her into his arms. With her hands clasped around his neck, she dragged herself up and nibbled along the column of his throat. The woman would be the death of him. She tempted him beyond anything he’d ever experienced.

He laid her on the center of the bed and covered her small frame with his.

“Rune, wait.” She pressed her palm to his chest, stopping him from claiming her mouth.

He looked into her eyes. No apprehension showed in them, only lust. “Why?”

“I want control. You said we were equal. Well, you worshiped me. Now it’s my turn.”

Fuck.
How could he turn down that offer?

“All right.” He sat on bent legs between her thighs and spread his arms wide. “Then worship me.”

Cat let her gaze roam over her lover. The man defined perfection. The hell with what he’d said about her body. Rune was a living work of art. His chiseled abs, wide chest and narrow waist matched what she’d always thought a guy should look like. Few did though. It took a lot of work to maintain the muscle mass Rune sported. Though in honesty, he didn’t have to hit the gym every day. His physique had been frozen at maturity.

And so will mine. He wants me to be his mate.

The words bounced around her mind. Was she actually considering it?

She needed to make a list and consider her choices along with the implications of each one. The step from no-strings-attached sex to dating required careful consideration, let alone the one he wanted her to make. Both opened her up to obligations she didn’t know she’d want to meet.

Men needed attention. They had physical needs and emotional ones, though few guys would admit to it. Rune was no different. He wanted reassurance from her, that she wanted his touch, believed his tales and trusted him. All those things were easy to give…when she was in his arms.

Otherwise, well, she wasn’t so sure. She knew for certain she was safe with him. Beyond that… She mentally shrugged. She hadn’t had enough time to think of everything that had happened.

The encounter with the
eldjötnar
bothered her too. Draven hadn’t tried to hurt her, but he left her with doubt, something far worse. Yes, she needed time. The only thing she could guarantee Rune at the moment was her passion. The rest would just have to work itself out. He’d promised they could take it slow.

She shoved the thoughts aside and focused on what she wanted from Rune—a distraction. Besides the virus and tales of mythology, her thoughts kept drifting to her grandmother and what she might have done. Quite frankly, it scared the shit out of her.

Catherine Saunders died days before Cat had been born. Her grandmother’s body had been cremated the day her mom went into labor.

Cat couldn’t help wondering what would happen to the gods’ abilities if her grandmother really had absorbed them. Would they be lost?

“Well, Cat? What are you waiting for?” Rune dropped his arms. “I could be fucking you right now.”

“I’m considering my options.” Which was true.

He stroked a finger between her breasts. “And they are?”

“What I want to do to you, of course.” Not completely a lie. She bit the inside of her cheek. A twinge of guilt squeezed her heart. The idea of not being completely honest with him disturbed her on a basic level. She ignored the implications of the revelation for the moment and flashed him a smile. “But I’ve decided. I want you naked.”

He chuckled. “Then naked is what you’ll get.”

He climbed off her and made quick work of removing his jeans. She did the same, tossing her outfit to the side. She faced him. He stood on the side of the bed, deliciously naked. His cock pointed straight at her, ready to impale her. The head glistened. More precome welled before her eyes. She licked her lips and crawled toward him.

Hands on his thighs, she bent her head and caught the drop with the tip of her tongue. The salty taste of him drugged her. She moaned and dug her nails into his firm muscles to stop her sway. The man would be her new addiction. She knew it as well as she knew her own name. The thought came and went. She opened her mouth and sucked him deep. No hesitation, no teasing. She swallowed him. Her throat closed around his head.

“Ah”—he fisted handfuls of her hair—“that’s good.”

If it weren’t for the huge cock in her mouth, she would’ve smiled at the praise. She eased back and curled her tongue around him. His erection slid between her lips. Before she lost her prize completely, she clamped her teeth around his length, right at the ridge around the head. He froze, exactly the response she wanted.

She gazed into his face. His eyes glowed, and full fangs filled his mouth. He no longer hid them.

“Cat.”

Her name. One word. Simple, yet the emotion laced into it was anything but.

His legs under her palms trembled. He released the firm grip he had on her hair and rubbed his thumb over her cheek to the edge of her mouth.

Dammit, the man really did want her heart.

Eyes closed, she leaned into his touch. He held her face in his hands and pushed his cock into her mouth. She opened wide and welcomed him. He thrust slowly, shallowly and possessed her. Did she really expect anything different? Or want something different?
No, I want him exactly like this—strong, powerful, primal.

He fucked her mouth. Each drive of his hips gave her more of his rigid length. Each stroke came quicker than the last. And each of his groans fed her craving for more. She moved her hands from his thighs to his ass. The muscles under her palms flexed. She squeezed them. He rewarded her with a grunt and more of his precome. She relished both.

It wasn’t enough.

She tugged him close, swallowing his length, and sucked.

“Fuck.”

Rune’s fingertips bit into her jaw. His cock jerked. More of his essence teased her taste buds. She relaxed her throat and waited for his release. He pulled his erection free, gripped her shoulders and tossed her onto the bed. He landed on top of her a moment later. Her breath rushed out with his dead weight on hers. He pushed up in the next heartbeat and drove his length into her.

She squeaked, the only response she could muster. He didn’t give her the chance to do more. He moved. Deep, rough strokes of his cock caressed her inner muscles, loosening them until he slipped in and out with ease. Her core molded to him, fitting his length perfectly, and quivered under his pounding drives.

Unlike the last two times they’d come together, Rune didn’t slowly build their passion. He took it and drove her to the edge of an orgasm. Heaviness settled low in her pelvis. He pounded into her and each smack of their bodies built the weight centered in her womb. Tingles spread from her core outward. Her limbs trembled. Her heart raced. She rode the peak of ecstasy. Each thrust pushed it just out of reach. She raced for the climax, reached for heaven, but it slipped through her fingers.

Rune buried his face against her neck. He licked over her pounding vein once, twice. A mumbled curse fell from his mouth. She couldn’t make out the words. He clamped his mouth over her throat. Sharp fangs dented her skin. She froze, but he kept fucking her. His dangerous kiss never wavered. She waited, unsure if she wanted him to bite her or not.

He groaned and added a rolling press of his hips. The screwing drive stimulated every inch of her sex. She focused on the move. He shifted so his groin rubbed her clit and the head of his cock nudged the mouth of her womb. The deep, intimate kiss built the sensations settling over her. She trembled. Every last inch of her body quivered.

She dug her nails into his shoulders. “Rune, please.”

She didn’t know what she begged for, release or his bite. At the moment, she’d welcome either. He withheld both.

He pulled his erection free, flipped her and impaled her. Her shocked cry turned into a moan. He ground his hips into her, and her eyes rolled back into her head. Some sound fell from her lips, not one she’d ever made. She couldn’t have stopped it. Colors dimmed. The world spun. Another hard press, and she moaned.

“You like?”

She nodded. She couldn’t have formed words to save her life.

He repeated the thrust she was pretty sure had touched her soul. Poetic and not a description she’d normally use. It fit though. He massaged her hips and stroked her core. Her pants came quicker. Each inhale brought her less air. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t move. He held her body in place and worked her to the point where tears streamed from her eyes. Pleasure, pain—they were one and the same. Her body was strung tight, ready to combust.

He gripped her hips, drove deep and let go. His grunt filled the room. Her cry of release followed. The jerking of his cock and the hot rush of his seed added to the intense waves rolling through her body. Her heart stopped, breath got caught in her throat and muscles seized. She fell into a world of white. Mist, the same kind she’d seen snake around Rune’s ankles, wrapped her in a comforting blanket. It buoyed her in the sea of icy foam, protecting her from the dangerous element, then seeped into her. In her mind’s eye, she watched it rush into her open mouth, her nose, her pores.

It became one with her exactly as Rune was joined with her. In this moment, she possessed both.

They were hers—man and mist.

Her release eased. So did Rune’s.

He collapsed over her and quickly pulled her into his arms. His cock slipped free. The loss of him left a void in her heart. She ignored it and dragged his arms tighter around her.

“My Cat.” He breathed the whisper into her hair.

She closed her eyes and savored the affection in his voice. She couldn’t help but wonder if it would last once he found out the details of her family’s legacy. They were a mystery to her still, but she could make an educated guess. Catherine Saunders had been a scientist first, a woman next and a humanitarian last. She’d faced her share of scandals involving animal and human research.

The lure of knowledge a perfectly preserved body offered would’ve overridden any twinge of morality or respect of the dead she had. In the end, it would’ve come down to the acquisition of knowledge. The woman might’ve died before Cat had been born, but she’d been told so many stories about her that she felt as if she’d known her.

Am I that different?
She cringed at the thought.
No. I have never hurt another living thing. Cells and tissue samples don’t count.

She was different. She cared. But would Rune see things the same way? She didn’t have an answer to that question. For once, she didn’t care to figure it out. She snuggled closer to him and let everything go.