A Hunter's Passion (4 page)

Duty be damned.

Chapter Five

The moment his mouth captured hers, her entire world fell away, as though a black chasm had opened beneath her feet and only he kept her grounded.

Night after night, she’d fantasized about his touch. But this was
nothing
like her memories. So exquisite was the feel of his mouth on hers, so enticing, so...
dangerous
as magic erupted within her, kindling with a force unlike anything she’d ever felt. With a sharp gasp, Jenna reared back, her trembling fingers rising to her tingling lips. It wasn’t as though she’d been
entirely
chaste without him, but she’d never let things venture beyond a kiss. And no one but Ryker had ever aroused such a feeling within her.

Her skin was flushed, her breath shallow as she lifted her gaze. Ryker’s chin dropped, a ripple of desire darkening his eyes to a smoky sheen. The sight made it difficult to catch her breath.

For so long, she’d wished for more time with him—a moment, a night, anything the fates could spare—but she’d never believed it possible. That made it all the more important that she take the chance now. Chaos might ensue, but the last thing she wanted was to leave this world with regrets.

Tipping back her head, she swallowed her fear.
This is it
, she told herself. Her one and only chance to be with him again. Tomorrow, duty would rear its ugly head and tear them apart. But she didn’t want to think about that. She was so tired of focusing on the future and all it held in store. The present was to be cherished, and she was done hiding from it.

Jenna clung to her newfound determination and threaded her fingers through his tousled hair. It hung low on his collar, shrouding his inked cross from view. Canting her head, she brushed the strands away, her fingers hovering above them. Her lips tingled with the memory of running them along the painted edges, savoring the sweet taste of his flesh, all the while knowing how pivotal the cross was to keeping him alive. Could she do so again? Or would it now burn to her touch?

He snared her wrist in a controlling but gentle grip the moment her fingers lowered toward it. Her gaze roamed the tapestry of sharp angles that made up his face, wandering over his full lips before continuing up the bridge of his nose and meeting his molten eyes. They burned like coals, the gray she knew and loved smoldering with heat.

“Jenna...” His head dipped toward her, his mouth poised above hers.

She shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to talk. He’d witnessed what she was capable of back in the alley, knew how uncontrolled her magic was, and their shared kiss had only driven that point home. Even now, the air between them reeked of burned ozone and a scorching heat lingered on her flesh.

She wanted him so badly, she could hardly think beyond the ache between her legs. Her magic sensed her need, craving the release she’d denied herself for so long. If this was to be her last night on earth, she hardly wanted to spend it listening to accusations or rationalizations. She wasn’t blind to the silver blade extending from the sleeve of his jacket, or the dagger strapped within his boot. And she was well aware of the concealed pistol, tucked in the small of his back and loaded with silver bullets. She couldn’t allow herself to forget that he was a hunter and she a witch. But for tonight, that was exactly what she wanted. To simply be Ryker and Jenna again, to feel him above her, to
finally
be with him again.

“Ryker...” she whispered. “I don’t want to talk tonight. I just want—” Her voice vanished, teeth raking over her bottom lip. How could she tell him all that she’d denied herself since discovering the truth? Too frightened of her magic, she’d locked herself away, too afraid to bring herself to the edge of pleasure.

“What do you want?” he questioned, relinquishing her wrist to brush a stray lock of hair back from her cheek.

Breath poised on her lips, she squared her shoulders, refusing to allow her nerves to frighten her any longer. She had many regrets, but only one burned with a fiery passion she could no longer deny. The thought of leaving this world without attempting to appease it was overwhelming. Selfish, perhaps, but the undeniable need burning in Ryker’s eyes gave her courage. He wanted her as much as she did him.

“You.”

Ryker swallowed hard, his hands settling around her waist and bringing her against him. He lowered his head, and she shivered when his lips brushed against the soft skin beneath her ear. “Well, here I am, sweetheart,” he rumbled, his voice laced with relief. “What remains to be seen is what you intend to do with me.”

A low moan fell from her lips as her head fell to the side, granting him access to her neck. There was something important she had to warn him about, something pivotal if they were to succumb to one another. But with his mouth nibbling its way down, she couldn’t for the life of her remember what it might be.

He pressed into her, walking her backward until she was flat against the wall, caging her against his hard body. Her hands skimmed beneath the shoulders of his jacket, pushing the heavy material to the ground before fumbling with the hem of his shirt and quickly yanking it up over his head.

A sharp hiss fell from his lips, giving her pause. Blinking, she caught sight of an unsightly bandage taped securely to his shoulder. The gauze was stark against his tanned skin, a tinge of brownish-red in the center.

“Ryker—”

Shaking his head, his clouded gaze met hers. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t want to think about anything other than you right now.”

“What did it?” she demanded, ignoring his request.

His mouth quirked. “A vamp.”

Jenna’s chest hitched as she silently measured the distance between the wound and his neck. Inches from his jugular. It could have torn out his throat. “But I thought...”

The tips of his fingers ran down to her shoulders, sliding beneath the thin straps of her sundress. “The cross only stops them from munching our throats,” he murmured as he dipped down and pressed his lips against her jaw. “It’ll heal, but right now I don’t want to talk about a dead vamp.”

She shuddered, the heat in his irresistible voice wrapping around her. The things his mouth did to her...she suddenly couldn’t remember what it was they were talking about. There was only his mouth and his tongue, laving at her throat and trailing south.

With a simple flick, the delicate slip of material pooled at her feet. Ryker drew back, his hungry eyes raking the length of her body. Never had she felt so sexy than in this moment, standing before him in nothing more than her lacy undergarments.

“So beautiful,” he whispered. “Jenna, I’ve missed you.”

Her throat tightened, eyes fluttering shut at the sound of his voice. Such a simple thing for him to say and yet her heart beat frantically. To hear that he still wanted her, that he still cared for her...for two years she’d convinced herself that he would think of her as nothing more than a monster.

A relieved giggle rose between them, and stretching on her toes, she wound her arms around his neck and stole his mouth. Her lips parted, and she melted into him when his tongue met hers with a possession she felt to her core.

Unbridled need overcame her. It’d been so long since she’d felt empowered and provocative—a way she’d only ever felt in Ryker’s arms. Making use of her newfound confidence, she found his hands and brought them to her chest, craving to be touched, caressed.

A low growl rose from his throat, his fingers unlocking the front clasp. She wanted his mouth on her breasts, yearned for the damp heat of his tongue on her pebbled nipples. Instead, he dragged his thumbs over them, teasing them with his hands. Capturing her nipple between his fingers, he continued his maddening game, stroking her in slow, rhythmic circles that had her panting.

Eagerness stole away her thoughts, her hands sweeping around his back to rid him of his pistol.

“Here,” he whispered against her lips. “Let me help.”

His hands abandoned her, and she nearly cried out with frustration, until a heavy thump drew her gaze to the table next to them where his gun now sat.

“Have at it,” he teased, before recapturing her mouth in a drugging kiss that left them both breathless.

She impatiently tore at his jeans, ignoring how good he looked wrapped in denim. He would look better wrapped around her, and she couldn’t wait any longer. Pushing his jeans and boxers down over his hips, she broke from the kiss so that she might see him in all his glory, his length jutting proudly between his legs. Unable to resist, she curved her hand around him and ran her thumb over his tip, grinning wickedly when his breath caught. Returning the torment she’d endured, she worked him slowly, her grip vacillating between teasing and deliberate. That his breath came quicker with every stroke only spurred her desire. Knowing that she could finish him right here filled her with an untold power. She wanted to drive him mad with need, to make him come in her hand, or better yet...

Flicking him a quick glance, she found him watching her with unrestrained desire. Heat awoke within her, her skin warming with passion, and without warning, she dropped to her knees and took him into her mouth. It was the most primal sensation, feeling him throb in time to her movements.

“Jenna,” he gasped as his hips rocked against her. “Wait—”

She took as much of him in as she could, her tongue swirling around his tip. Suddenly, she felt his long fingers cupping the back of her head, his stuttered moans enough to make her damp.

Breaking from the kiss, he jerked away and dropped to his knees before her. Without pause, he took her to the floor, the chill of the hardwood a jolt to her heated skin.

Her breath caught with excitement as she pushed up on her elbows, hoping to snag his mouth. It seemed Ryker had other plans, trapping her wrists in the palm of his large hand while the other tore off her panties. He paused, his eyes flaring as he took all of her in.

Jenna strained against his hold, more eager for him that she’d anticipated. “Ryker, please...”

Expert fingers found her pleasure spot, his touch sending her into an instant squirm. With every caress, her body grew warmer, closer to the edge she hadn’t dared to approach since learning she was a witch.

“Wait...” she entreated, suddenly remembering exactly what it was she had to warn him about. She felt it within, her magic responding to his ministrations, spreading through her stomach with untold strength.

“Breathe,” he whispered to her, his lips ghosting over her neck and down to her breasts.

She nearly cried with relief when he took one of her nipples into his mouth. He explored her body with a fervent passion, reuniting with her in a way she’d only dared to dream about. Even after their time apart, he seemed to remember everything she liked...every nip, every kiss, every touch.

Her stomach tightened, desire building to a dangerous level within her. She’d no idea how her magic would respond to an orgasm, especially not from one that was two years in the making.

“Ryker,” she panted.

“Just let it happen,” he murmured as he slid down the length of her body. She jumped the moment his mouth sealed around her sex, his warm tongue tasting every inch of her. It was exactly as she remembered—him poised at her center, his tongue teasing her clit as he sheathed one long finger within her. She whimpered, her hips writhing as she prayed for the torment to end.

Head pressing into the floorboards, she bucked beneath him. Unbearable pleasure raked her over, her fingers and toes tingling with numbness. Sensation stole her senses, warmth rising from the depths of her stomach until all she could feel was magic and pleasure.

He lapped at her clit one last time, and her back bowed off the floor, eyes squeezing shut as flames exploded behind her lids. Her entire body was a wall of heat, setting her ablaze from the inside out. Never had she felt anything so powerful in her life. Moaning, her fingers dug into Ryker’s hand as he kept them pinned. So lost to the pleasure, she hadn’t realized that he’d paused until he descended upon her once more, his tongue exploring her depths, devouring her as she climaxed.

“Ryker, please,” she whispered, praying for him to finish her again, to stop his torturous tongue.

“Please, what, love?” he murmured, his breath warming her inner thighs.

Love
...hearing that tightened her chest, but instead she slipped free of his grasp and dragged him up her body, their lips meeting in an ardent kiss. She could taste herself on his lips, sweeter than she’d thought.

Lost in the moment, a startled cry stole from her lips the moment he slowly slid within her. Moaning, she broke from the kiss and buried her face in his neck, her fingers scoring against his back as her inner walls clenched around him. She wanted to weep with satisfaction; two years was indeed too long, but the feeling of him sliding within her emptied her lungs.

To have it be Ryker that ended her abstinence and deliver her into sweet rapture was too much. Inch by inch, he filled her until their hips met. Without waiting for her to accommodate his size, he began to move within her, hitching one of her legs up over his hip.

“Open your eyes,” Ryker whispered, pausing.

Her lashes fluttered open, and the sight stole her breath. White fire coursed over her, the flames consuming her as they had in the alley.
Oh hell
, it was worse than she’d imagined, her skin slick with a crimson light, magic and energy pouring through her. Shadows flickered over the walls, her body illuminating the entire house with a lambent glow.

“You’re not hurt...” Wonder swept through her as she laid her palms flat against his chest, watching as the flames crawled over him without injury. She could feel the control within, the desire to ensure that her fires left him unharmed.

She dared to meet his gaze, afraid of what she would find there. Reproach, disgust, loathing...but it was none of those.

“Amazing,” Ryker murmured, awe brightening his eyes as light chased over his face. “Jenna,” he laughed breathlessly before reclaiming her mouth.

Her control fractured when he started to move within her again, her head falling back against the hardwood. She writhed against him, her fingers clutching at his shoulders. There were moments in which she thought it might be too much, that she might burst from feeling too much at once. It was his touch that kept her grounded and fed her control. And now she was so close, the edge
right
there, but she wasn’t ready. This time she wanted to come with him, wanted to feel him submit himself to her.