Assassin's Honor (38 page)

           
"What are you saying?" she asked in a breathless voice.

           
"I'm saying you're special,
cara
. It will never be just sex with you."

           
The desire on his face was enough to weaken her legs, but there was something else in his expression that tugged at her heart. The darkness of the emotion said his confession had come at a price to him. She didn't know what that cost was, but she was certain he believed he'd have to pay it. His hand cupped her chin and his thumb rubbed across her bottom lip in a light caress. She trembled at the emotions cresting like a wave inside her. God, what was she getting herself into? He was right--it wasn't just sex between them.

           
His mouth slid over hers in a teasing kiss. It undid her completely, her knees barely capable of holding her upright. Damn. Double damn. All the man had to do was touch her and she was ready to follow wherever he led. She clutched at his shirt and kissed him back.

           
The taste of him engulfed her senses with a silent roar that sent heat skimming through her body. The man had far too much power over her, but she didn't know how to counteract the effect he had on her senses. Her mouth parted beneath his as he deepened the kiss, and in a slow, teasing swirl, his tongue mated with hers. It was a dance of slow seduction that obliterated everything but him and his touch. When he lifted his head, she fought to clear the cobwebs from her mind as her gaze met his.

           
"Do you
understand,
mio dolce?" he asked quietly. "There's a hell of a lot more between us than just sex."

           
The tension in his muscular frame flowed through hers until her body was taut with an emotion she couldn't describe. The cut on her hand tingled, and she remembered Atia's warning about intimacy. The warning had come too late. She was in way over her head with this man. Something about him pulled at her.
Kept her off balance.
And this blood bond he'd made with her connected them in a way that was as intimate as when he made love to her.

           
"I do understand, and that's what terrifies me," she whispered. "We barely know each other and yet it feels right to be with you."

           
"Is that such a bad thing, carissima?"

           
"It is when I'm the only one who feels that way." Her voice cracked as she realized how much she'd revealed with her retort.

           
"But you're not the only one, mio dolce."

           
He lowered his head and kissed her again. Wrapped tight in his arms, she gave herself up to him without hesitation. It was irrational, but this was where she belonged. It felt right. Here, this moment, it was where she was supposed to be. Warm and silky, his kiss silently commanded her to give up all control. It was easy to do. The man had been in control of her from the first moment they'd met. But in yielding to him, she recognized his need for her.

           
It was in the way he held her, the beat of his heart beneath her palm, and the slight shudder that pulsed through him when she slid her hands underneath his shirt to caress his skin. Eager to touch more of him, she pushed the navy T-shirt up over his chest and he broke their kiss long enough to tug the shirt off him. Desire uncoiled inside her as she clung to him.

           
The last time he'd held her like this, she had not understood the depth of her need for him. This time she did. She wanted him. But she wanted his heart as well. Her fingers slid along the waistband of his jeans to the metal button. The moment her fingers slipped between denim and skin, he lifted his head.

           
A stark hunger etched into his rugged features, he captured her hand and carried it to his mouth to kiss her fingertips. His gaze never leaving her face, he backed away toward the bed and slowly began to undress. Transfixed, she watched with fascination as he removed his clothing. Intense pleasure swept through her, filling her with heat when he stood naked before her. The man was a beautiful male specimen of raw sexuality, powerful muscles, and a commanding presence that sent a thrill racing down her spine.

           
Her gaze drifted over the length of him, pausing briefly on his erection before moving on to his long, hard legs then back up to the width and breadth of his shoulders. Desire careened through her. She wanted him. She couldn't remember ever wanting a man this badly before. Quickly removing her shoes and socks, she reached for the bottom of her shirt with her gaze still locked with his. An invisible force gently restrained her, pushing her hands back down to her side.

           
"Let me," he rasped.

           
The deep growl of his voice sent a white-hot flame streaking through her blood. The sensation coiled its way through her until she ached for a release. Something told her today would hold even more dangerous emotions than she'd experienced the other day. Of its own accord, her top slowly moved its way up over her head and arms until it fluttered to the floor beside her.

           
A warm pressure caressed the base of her throat just as if it were his hand. The unseen force moved downward to her lacy-edged bra until the invisible caress cupped her breasts. There was something incredibly arousing about him using his mind to caress her. At that instant, a gentle pressure rubbed over her nipples. It tugged a gasp from her. God, this was the most erotic thing she'd ever experienced.

           
"Do you like what I'm doing to you, dolce mia?" His voice possessed a dark, dangerous edge to it, leaving her trembling.

           
"Yes," she whispered.

           
Invisible fingertips lightly, almost reverently, explored the tops of her breasts. First one bra strap slipped off her shoulder and then the other. Her breathing was unsteady and erratic as the warmth of his mental touch slid across her back to undo her bra. As the lingerie fell to the floor, his sharp inhalation made her tremble.

           
"Mea Deus," he murmured. The harsh whisper scraped over her skin in a firestorm of sensation. "Do you have any idea how much I want you right now, carissima?"

           
Unadulterated need glittered in his dark blue gaze and it made her sway on her feet and release a soft moan. She took a step toward him, but his invisible strength held her in place. Slowly the pressure slid downward to undo her jeans and slide the denim off her hips. When she stepped out of her jeans, he released a low, primitive sound of desire. It set her heart racing as her need for him accelerated. Heat flowed through her, dampening the wispy lace underwear she wore.

           
"Ares, please."

           
In response to her soft plea, his mental touch slid up her thighs to slowly remove the lace panties. A moment later, his invisible caress explored her intimately. She cried out at the pressure he placed on the sensitive spot between her legs. It sent a wild shudder through her, and in seconds, she'd climaxed beneath his unseen strokes. A soft warm glow washed over her and she opened her eyes to see desire still holding him taut. This time he didn't stop her as she moved toward him.

           
The instant she was in his arms, he crushed her in his embrace, his mouth taking hers in a kiss that drove her body into a frenzied pitch of passion. The strength and power of it consumed her like a fire out of control. Deep inside, she recognized another emotion spiraling upward. She resisted it, knowing all too well what it would do to her heart. Instead, she broke their kiss and lowered her head to press her mouth to the pink scar on his chest.

           
Beneath her mouth, the rapid beat of his heart crashed against his chest. The tangy taste of him mixed with his spicy male scent and the rasp of his breathing to send
her own
heart racing with anticipation. She lifted her head and stared into a pair of eyes dark with passion as well as a possessive glint that thrilled her. The unspoken statement said he was claiming her as his. It clutched at her heart. He had said it wasn't just hot sex between them. His expression made her believe it.

           
"I want you," she said in a husky voice.

           
She didn't know how they landed on the bed together, and she didn't care. The warm, hard weight of his body on top of hers was exhilarating as his mouth began to worship her body in a way his invisible touch couldn't. With each heated kiss against her skin, he explored her every curve. The farther down her body he went, the tighter her muscles contracted with anticipation and need.

           
The fevered pitch growing inside her rolled out in a sharp cry as his mouth found her sex. She jerked against the intimate caress, her body responding to his touch the way an instrument would to a master musician. Wave after wave of tremors laced through her, and when he pulled away to kiss her inner thigh, she murmured her protest. No man had ever worshiped her so thoroughly or with such skill. Her eyes fluttered open as he slid his body upward along hers to brace himself above her.

           
"I want to see your face when you explode over my cock,
carissima ,
" he said in a hoarse voice that echoed with desire and passion. "I want to know you're feeling the same thing I'm feeling."

           
With a quick twist of his body, he was on his back taking her with him. Straddled across his hips, she trailed her fingers over the solid length of him, enjoying the look of hunger that swept across his features. Suddenly, pleasing him was paramount.

           
He'd taken her to a place she'd never been before, and she wanted to do the same for him. She leaned forward and brushed her mouth across his nipple then gently nipped at it. He rewarded her with a low growl. She liked knowing he found pleasure in her touch. Slowly, she inched her way down his body, just as he had hers.

           
She could tell how much he wanted her. His body betrayed him. Every time her mouth brushed over a small part of him, he shuddered at the touch. Yet he restrained himself from taking control of the moment. She wanted him to lose some of that self-control. The sound of his breathing grew heavier as her mouth explored the hard line of his hip. But as she moved toward the tip of his erection, his breaths became harsh pants of excitement. And when she took him into her mouth a moment later, his sharp cry of pleasure filled her with satisfaction.

Chapter 16

           
"CHRISTUS," he cried out as the heat of her mouth encircled him. He didn't know how anything could be better than the other morning, but this was. It was beyond incredible. His body shuddered as her tongue laved and caressed his cock with a tender regard that set off a rush of emotion inside him.
An emotion that stated unequivocally that where this woman was concerned, he had no willpower, no control at all.
She was tearing down walls no woman had ever touched--not even Clarissa.

           
Her mouth gripped him tighter, and it made him ready to come out of his skin.
Enough.
He wanted to be inside her. With his mind, he tugged her upward and set her down on top of his erection. Surprise widened her eyes as she looked down at him.

           
"Don't say a word, carissima, that delicious tongue of yours was driving me over the edge," he growled. "And I want both of us to be satisfied."

           
The womanly smile curving her mouth made his heart slam into his chest. He'd been more than right when he'd said she was trouble of the worst kind. She wasn't just trouble--she was undoing every vow he'd made to himself over the years. With his hands curled around her hips, he held her in place as he thrust upward with his body.

           
A gasp of pleasure parted her lips, and he savored her expression. He wanted to please her.
Wanted to make her sob with delight.
And Deus help him, he needed her more than he'd needed anything else in his life. As she rocked against him, he stretched out his hand to gently push her backward. When she did so, he touched the deepest part of her and he groaned at the pleasurable sensation. It blinded him to everything around them.

           
Desire and need merged until the only thing he knew was the hot friction of her slick sex. Deep inside a pulse crashed through him and he urged her to move faster. She obeyed and her features glowed with a delight that pulled his sacs up tight with expectation. Suddenly, her body clenched tight around him. It was an exquisite moment of fire, pleasure, and anticipation.

           
Twice more he thrust up into her, his cock eagerly seeking every small tremor she released. With each passing second, her body tightened around him like a white-hot vise of silk, and her orgasm rippled over him with a ferocity that only intensified his own pleasure. It was the sweetest sensation he'd ever experienced, and with a roar, he spent himself inside her.