Zealot (28 page)

“Bet I can change your mind.”

“Really?” Mischief shimmered in her eyes as her tongue lightly brushed her lower lip. “How?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a strip of small foil packets. “I made a quick stop on my way back from Outpost LA.” He tossed the condoms on the bed then framed her face with his hands. “I know I can’t claim you yet. At least this way I won’t have to pull out.”

“That did sort of ruin the mood.”

Tilting his head to the side, he bent and brushed his lips over hers. “I think we should try again.”

“I think you should shut up and kiss me.”

Happy to oblige, he pulled her into his arms as their lips fused. There was no teasing, no featherlight caresses. They were starving for each other and they intended to be fed. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and his fingers tangled in the back of her hair. Heat and hunger spread through his body, speeding his pulse and amplifying the soul-deep need thrumming through him. His mate stood in his arms, warm and willing.

Willing to “play”, yet not willing to surrender.

Forcing aside the exasperating distinction, he focused on the here and now. As long as they continued to progress, they would eventually reach their destination. All he had to do was survive the journey without going completely insane.

His tongue curled around hers as his knee urged her legs apart. Then he drew her sweater upward, bunching it beneath her arms. She lifted her hands from his shoulders and raised them over her head. He whipped the garment off so fast their mouths barely parted. Her eager fingers found the fastenings on his uniform top and had the front seam open in mere seconds. He paused long enough to unfasten her bra then struggled out of his shirt while she went to work on his pants.

“Wait.” He laughed. “The boots have to come off first.”

“No they don’t.” She shoved his pants down around his boots, tossed her bra aside, then pushed him backward until he sat on the edge of the bed.

With nearly frantic movements, she tore off her shoes and jeans. Her socks had either come off with her shoes or she hadn’t been wearing any in the first place. Naked and unashamed, she tore off one of the condoms and ripped it open with her teeth. Then she bent from the waist, her silky hair caressing his bare legs as she guided his cock to her mouth.

He groaned, tension rippling through his entire body. Her mouth was wet and warm, a paradise beyond imagining. She swirled her tongue around him, bobbed her head up and down, and then slowly pulled back. “Oh gods, you’re cruel.”

“Just making sure I have your undivided attention.” She grinned, clearly enjoying her power as she rolled the condom into place. “Is this cruel?” She climbed onto his lap, her supple legs straddling his thighs. “I need this so bad, I can’t think of anything else.” After aligning him for entry, she looked into his eyes. “Would you rather wait?”

Before he could offer his opinion, she lowered herself by blissful degrees, surrounding him with heat and pressure until he felt so good he wanted to scream. Their bodies melded, fusing into one as her snug core enveloped his aching length. “We’ve only been apart for a few hours,” he panted out the words, wild with the need to claim her. “I can’t believe how badly I missed you.”

Her mouth returned to his as her hips began to roll. She grasped his shoulders and he held her hips, steadying her as her movements accelerated. Her inner muscles caressed him and a deep flush spread across her skin. There was no pretense, no demure. She needed fullness, so he filled her. He ached for the firm grip of her body, so she took him deep and squeezed him tight as sensations streaked through their bodies like lightning.

Suddenly, their link activated and emotions flooded his brain. Demanding desire washed away his momentary confusion as her need fueled his. Knowing she wanted him as badly as he wanted her thrilled and excited him like nothing else could. A lifetime of human ideals might have triggered her hesitation, but beneath that civilized veneer, she recognized her mate and longed for their joining.

He bucked helplessly, matching each of her downward thrusts. He tore his mouth away, gasping, “Slow down or I’ll—”

She threw back her head and cried out. Her breasts quivered and her inner muscles squeezed in powerful spasms. He fought for control, but it was no use. His mate called to him with her pleasure and he was powerless to resist. He grasped her hips and thrust one last time, coming deep inside her warm body. They shook together, arms wrapped around each other as pleasure washed over them in tingling waves.

For a long time they just held one another, lazily stroking each other’s back.

“I missed you.” There was a hint of apology in her tone.

“I missed you too.” He lifted her off him and placed her in the middle of his bed. “And now I’m going to show you how much.” He quickly finished undressing, disposed of the used condom, and then joined her on the bed.

Indigo watched the play of muscles across Zilor’s arms and back. Physically he was everything she could have hoped for in a mate and then some. But his reaction in the conference room both pleased and bothered her. It was wonderful to know someone cared enough about her to be jealous. Yet dealing with a possessive man for the rest of her life was a discouraging prospect.

“Can I ask a question?”

He chuckled as he stretched out on his side, facing her, one arm supporting her neck. “Why do you feel the need to ask permission?”

“All Garin did was look at me and you acted like you wanted to rip off his head.”

“He looked at you as if he were assessing a potential purchase. I found it insulting.”

She smiled and ran her finger from his temple to his chin. “You found it threatening.”

His gaze narrowed and his lips pressed into a disapproving line. “Would you rather I allow other men to ogle my mate?”

“I’m not your mate.”

“Then what are we doing here?” He sat up, supporting himself with one hand against the mattress. “I’m getting tired of this game. You know how I feel about you. Are you still denying you feel the same?”

“No.” His forehead creased and hope sparked in the depths of his dark eyes. Clearly that hadn’t been the answer he’d expected. “I’m in love with you, but I won’t bond with someone who freaks out every time another man looks at me.”

He pulled her up and into his arms. “Say it again.”

“I won’t bond with—” He cut off her words with an urgent kiss.

“The first part,” he growled once his lips released hers.

“I love you.” She eased back so she could look into his eyes. “But you have to trust me or this will never work.”

The momentary euphoria left his expression and he grew intensely serious. “I do trust you, Indigo. All of my reactions are amplified by the mating pull. Once we solidify our link, the pull will stabilize and I’ll be able to control the urges. I won’t turn into a ravening beast every time someone looks at you.”

“I didn’t realize that was part of what you’re feeling.” She offered him a tentative smile, hoping to defuse the awkward situation. “Thank you for explaining.”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t be protective. If anyone tries to hurt you, I will show them no mercy.”

“I can live with that.” She tried to straddle his lap again, but he shook his head and urged her back down onto the bed. “I just told you I loved you. Often that triggers a similar response.”

He crawled on top of her, covering her without crushing her. “I’ve loved you from the first day I saw you. If Danvier hadn’t been there, I would have showed you just how amazing I found you right there in your shop.”

“I thought that’s what you were doing now?”

“Is that a more diplomatic way of saying shut up and kiss me?”

She chuckled. “I don’t like to repeat myself.”

“Neither do I.” He silenced her retort with a quick yet intense kiss then gathered her hands and pulled them above her head. “I want to fall asleep wrapped around you.” His mouth covered hers and lingered this time, the kiss deep and intoxicating. “I want your scent in my nose and your taste on my tongue.” He reinforced the claim with more kisses. “I want to grow old at your side.” He stared into her eyes, his expression filled with meaning.

His mouth returned to hers and her brain was so desire-addled she nearly missed the implication. For
him
to grow old at
her
side, they would have to bond. Without the link, even if they stayed together, she would die long before he grew old.

She ached, not just for more amazing sex but for all the things he promised. Happily ever after only happened in fairytales, yet he made her believe it was hers. All she had to do was accept it, surrender to it, and forever was within reach.

Her pulse sped and her muscles tensed as restlessness stole through her. She wanted to touch him, feel his muscles flex beneath her fingers and absorb his body heat. But he pinned her hands to the mattress, his long fingers easily spanning her wrists.

His lips trailed hot kisses down her neck, his tongue occasionally teasing her skin. “Your tattoos are lovely, but I’m glad they only frame your breasts.” He shifted her wrists into one hand then pressed his fingers against the underside of her breast. “It would have been a crime to distort their natural beauty.” He caught the nipple between his lips and sucked hard enough to make her gasp.

Sensations streaked from her chest to her groin, igniting the embers of her last orgasm. She arched, pressing deeper into his mouth. His fingers tightened as she tugged against his hold, desperate now to free herself from his grip.

“Lie still.” His tone was firm yet throaty, assuring her he was not quite as calm as he appeared. He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “It’s my turn to lead.”

She understood what he needed and was willing to give it to him, but it wasn’t easy for her to remain completely passive. Her passions ran just as deep as his and her body responded instantaneously to everything he did.

With their gazes locked, he slowly released her wrists and ran his hand down the underside of her arm. “Keep them there.” The silken command stimulated her senses as tangibly as his hands. He knelt between her thighs and urged her legs farther apart, bending her knees then rotating her legs out.

Open, waiting, she was offered to him in blatant invitation, a willing prisoner to his will—and her need. He trailed kisses between her breasts as his fingers teased her nipples. It was blissful torture just to lie there and let him explore. She wanted to wrap herself around him and rub against his chest. She wanted to touch him as boldly as he was touching her.

Heat gathered between her thighs, intensifying the ache deep inside her. She felt empty, incomplete and each brush of his fingertips over her breasts and his teeth scraping against her skin only made her more restless, more desperate.

He scooted off the end of the bed, kneeling on the floor, then grasped her hips and pulled her toward him. The ease with which he moved her, positioned her, always thrilled her. She was no waifish female. He was just amazingly strong.

One of his hands left her breasts long enough to slip under her knee. Then he returned his fingers to her breast as he lifted her other leg over his shoulder. Anticipation thrummed through her system, coiling through her abdomen as she waited for the first brush of his lips or fingers against her sex. He paused to inhale her scent, then he exhaled slowly, caressing her damp folds with his breath.

“Zilor,
please
.” Her plaintive tone reflected her desperation and all he did was smile, a slow, utterly masculine expression that made her want to grab his ears and pull his mouth to where she needed it most.

“Is this what you want?” He pressed his mouth against her sex and traced her slit with his tongue.

She moaned, fisting the bedding to keep from pulling his hair. “It’s a start.”

Chuckling without raising his head, he licked her again, and again. She closed her eyes and surrendered to the pleasure. Even knowing she was dying, he took his time, stroking not just her clit, but every fold and creamy crevice.

He was always a generous lover, but something was different this time. His touch was so careful, so reverent. It was as if he were afraid he’d never touch her again. Needing to fully understand what he was feeling, she found the fragile connection linking her mind with his. For a moment he resisted her attempt to activate the link, then he opened his end and emotions rushed into her mind. Tenderness, so achingly sweet it left her stunned and tingling, spread through her body and saturated her soul. But fear threaded through the stronger emotion, making the combination bittersweet.

She was about to reassure him when he pushed two fingers into her core and closed his lips around her clit. A strangled groan was the only sound she could push past her throat as his fingers began to slide and his mouth took command of her arousal.

With skillful flicks and careful sucks, he built her need to a fever pitch. She undulated, driving herself onto his fingers and increasing the pressure on her clit. Possessive hunger burned through the gentler emotions, consuming everything in its path. Her taste made him wild, made him aggressive, and she reveled in the intensity.

Urgency gathered beneath his lips, tightening with each stroke of his tongue. Close. She was so close. Climax fluttered inside her, clenching her inner muscles as well as her arms and legs. He sucked on her clit, increasing the pressure gradually until she cried out. Strong ripples of sensation pulsed through her body. He kept the waves crashing with the steady shuttle of his hand, but he was no longer touching her with his mouth.