FavoriteObsession (20 page)

The tightness in her muscles built with each stroke. Arousal
flowed, bathing his cock with welcome. The sounds of sex filled her ears. His
pants and the steady movement of his shaft became her world. He set the pace
and led her to heaven. His thrusts took her higher. She tensed. Her breaths
quickened until she couldn’t draw in air. The edge of ecstasy hovered within
reach. Close, so close she could almost see it.

Ripples danced up her sheath. She opened wide, ready to
embrace heaven.

Josh stilled with his shaft driven deep, the head of his
cock pressed to the mouth of her womb. She sucked in air and met his lust-hazed
blue eyes.

“Would you still rather think?”

Damn him! She was ready to explode and he thought to tease
her? She bared her fangs.

He licked his lips and drove his cock a little harder into her
body. She gasped. Another wave of sparks left her trembling.

“Showing me those sexy fangs won’t stop me. They only make
me hotter.” He lowered his mouth to her neck and nipped along the length. “Answer
me, my female.”

My female.

The endearment male shifters used for their beloveds made
her heart skip a beat before pounding wildly in her chest. Josh growled, lips
brushing back and forth over her vein. She wrapped her arms across his broad
shoulders and held him close.

He pulled his hips back, a dragging retreat that made her
arch against him in an attempt to hold him inside. He clamped his mouth over
her neck. His teeth dented her skin. She whimpered. With only the head of his
cock captured by her lower lips, he stopped. Time stretched while the urge to
submit beat at her. After a long moment, she went limp beneath him. Still, he
didn’t give her what she wanted. Trembling, she held her breath and waited for
him to make the next move.

He released her neck and skimmed his lips to the scar on her
shoulder. She tensed but he didn’t give her the chance to push him away. He
halted his deliberate approach with his mouth poised over the old bite mark
that had lain dormant for three centuries. Until Josh had claimed her body and
captured her heart.

Slowly, as if testing her, he latched on to her shoulder. Tingles
ignited along the raised entry points. He flicked the center with his tongue, a
quick touch, there and gone. Sensations whipped through her body. Another flick
and she writhed around the tip of his shaft. She lifted her hips, desperate to
take him deep, but he held her down with a palm on her belly.

He eased back so only his lips brushed the four seared
points. “Well, my female? Should I stop or give us what we both want.”

“Give. Please, Josh, give it to me.” She responded the only
way she could.

He fitted his mouth to the bite, his teeth seeming to line
up with the old wound, and sucked at the same time as he drove home. Her body seized,
fire racing from her shoulder to her breasts and clit. The burn centered
inside, fed the inferno Josh had ignited and left her trembling. A low growl
over her wet shoulder and heat rushed outward to her fingers and toes.

“Gods, yes.” She panted. “More, give more.”

He dragged his rigid length back and slammed forward. The
thrust resonated through her body. A second hard stroke stole the color from
the world. The next few whipped her to a place she didn’t know existed but one
she never wanted to leave.

She widened her legs as far as they’d go and accepted
everything he gave her. The pistoning of his hips quickened. Her body shook
under the force of his pounding drives. Each thump resonated through her body.
Her pulse raced, vision wavered, and pleasured cries turned into breathy
squeaks. The thick rod pummeling into her thickened, stretching her to her
limits. She thrashed under him, whimpering and writhing.

No male had ever taken her with such raw need before,
fucking her to the point where heaven surrounded her, waiting to yank her into
the darkened realm of the gods. Her sheath spasmed, clenching and releasing
over his shaft, trying to coax him to fill her up. Gods, she had to have the
hot rush of his claim searing her womb. She needed it to ease the burn.

“Please…please…please.” Her orgasm hovered within her grasp.
So damn close. “Need…you.”

“Fuck, yeah.”

One last hard thrust and he grunted. With his groin locked
to hers, he spilled his seed into her. His climax triggered hers. She went
careening off the cliff into a sea of ecstasy. The inky mist buoyed her, loved
her, worshiped her. Undulating waves swept through her and took her deeper. The
intensity of her release grew with each spasm until she trembled violently, only
Josh’s body anchoring her while he kept coming, filling her up and sharing his
pleasure with her.

Bodiless, she floated on sensations and emotions. Colors
faded, blackness spread and she fell, too sated to fight it, only knowing she’d
never be the same again.

Josh splashed another handful of cold water over his face.
It didn’t ease the heat coming from his skin or cool the burn in his muscles. Palms
splayed on the counter, he hung his head and took shallow breaths. Everything
hurt as if he was coming down with the flu yet he’d never felt more alive.
Energy hummed within him. He had the urge to pace, run or maybe fuck Mira over
and over until he worked through the power revving up his system.

If it weren’t for the simmering agony in his teeth and
bones, he’d welcome the change. He worked his jaw, back and forth, back and
forth. The damn ache in his gums didn’t ease. It thumped. The pounding
reverberated into his head until he wondered if it’d actually explode. He stuck
his fist into his mouth and bit, the counter-pressure finally easing the pain.

A sigh escaped. He’d never gotten migraines before. If this
was the start of one, it sucked. He finished cleaning up, hung the towel up to
dry and paused with his fingers on the rack. Something caught his attention. He
narrowed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. No sound besides the
dripping faucet came to him. He frowned. A whiff of spring rain drifted to him.
He swung his head toward the door a moment before a knock sounded.

“You got a text from Kade,” Mira called out.

“What’s it say?”

He listened to the brush of cloth as Mira no doubt walked
back through the tiny bedroom to pick up his phone from where he’d left it in
the equally small living room. He could hear her quickened breaths and rapid heartbeat
too. She was agitated, had been ever since she’d woken up after the second time
they’d made love. He’d been about to ask her why, except the damn tingling had started
in his teeth. He’d retreated to the bathroom before she noticed the way he kept
grinding his molars.

Something was seriously wrong with him. On top of his
physical symptoms, he couldn’t help wondering if he was losing his mind. The
dreams, the crazy urges and the woman who kept coaxing him to take her hand
were nowhere near normal behaviors for him. He was one of those people who knew
they had dreams but could never remember them.
And now I’m suddenly starring
in realistic ones?
No, not normal at all.

Part of him wondered if the shifter’s gods were actually
trying to talk to him through his dreams, but that was impossible. According to
everything he’d learned, they could only connect with their children—pride
leaders, specifically. He shook his head at the ridiculous hope. Dreams—that
was all they were, nothing more, nothing less. But the pain and vision changes?
Yeah, he needed to see a doctor or a shrink, possibly both.

His anxiety kicked up with thought. His pulse raced. Sweat
slickened his palms. Maybe he hadn’t healed from the knife wound as well as he
thought he had or he really did have something wrong with his blood?

No, dammit. He refused to allow his goddamn mortal
weaknesses to hold him back. Deep breaths slowed the rapid beat of his heart.
Focus. He had to keep his mind together, for Mira’s sake. He refused to lose
his woman. She needed him as much as he needed her. Another deep inhale filled
his lungs with the scent of springtime. His pent-up air released in a slow
hiss.

Calmer, he turned his attention back to Mira and what they’d
shared. He hoped she didn’t regret it. He didn’t. Hell, he couldn’t wait for
another chance to slide inside her and love her from the inside out. His cock
hardened at the thought of sinking into her moist haven. Damn, he was acting
like a horny teenager. His every thought revolved around sex…and Mira.

Yeah, he had to talk to her and make sure she was okay. The
idea of her being upset agitated him, made his skin feel tight and his
fingertips burn. A red haze slid over his eyes. He shook his head. The world
around him swayed.

He choked on a groan and gripped the counter’s edge to
steady his legs.
No, dammit, no. Keep it together. Mira needs me. I won’t
fail her.

“Kade wants to know if you’ll take Molly tonight too. He
doesn’t think it’s a good idea for her to be around when…” She cleared her
throat. “He doesn’t want Micah to see her.”

Micah. The name of Edmund’s great-great nephew whipped rage
through him. He growled and had to press a hand against his chest. The
vibrations sent a sharp twinge into his lungs. He blew out a rough breath and
swallowed past the lump in his throat.

“I’m not leaving you alone to deal with that fucker,” he
rasped.

The bed squeaked. In his mind’s eye he could see her sitting
demurely on the edge in the dark-blue panties and bra she’d put on after her
shower. He fought the groan that accompanied the surge of lust.

“I’m a big girl. I can handle him.”

He shoved the door open and stared at the sight she made.
With her arms braced behind her on the rumpled sheets, her full breasts strained
against the confines of the bra. His gaze dropped to her pebbled nipples
pushing against the satin. He licked his lips. He wanted to latch on to them
and suckle, tease her until she begged him to fuck her. The desire to sear her
image into his mind stopped him.

Sheer will forced his gaze from the valley between her breasts
lower to the soft swell of her stomach. The tiny swatch of material hiding her
bare, smooth sex drew his eye and the scent of sex lingering in the room
reignited his passion. He wanted to drink of her pleasure and make her come
around his tongue. The memory of her flavor, the way her breathy moans
accompanied her rush to climax and the satisfaction he’d felt when she’d peaked
rushed back to him. He reached for the top edge of the doorjamb to steady
himself.

She turned her head and the wet strands of her hair slid
over her shoulder. Drips of moisture left dark circles on the sheets. A few
clung to her creamy skin. He licked his lips. The urge to follow the trail of droplets
on her chest with his tongue grew stronger, yet it wasn’t one he could give in to.
If he did, they’d end up tangled and sweaty in her bed again. That couldn’t
happen despite his desire to keep her there all day and night. He had
responsibilities and she had obligations.

His interlude with Mira was over for today. Tomorrow? Yeah,
he’d find every damn opportunity to get her alone. And naked.

He met her hungry, drowsy eyes and reined in his runaway
lusts. “I don’t doubt that, but you shouldn’t have to face him alone.”

She flashed a smile before she turned away as if she needed
a moment to get her composure. The deep shuddering breath she took confirmed
his suspicion. Yeah, that pleased him. So did seeing the way she fisted the
sheets as if she too wanted to close the distance between them, but when she
faced him, the controlled mask of a predator replaced the aroused one she’d
worn.

“I won’t. Kade, Rafe and a few of Xander’s wolves will be
there. Micah doesn’t know Aron is here or that he’s courting me too. Kade sent
the official response to Anton only. Kade suspects Micah will be a tad upset
when he finds out since Aron and I have a history together.”

Josh stepped around the chair blocking him from Mira. Her
gaze dropped to his erect shaft. Hunger flared in her eyes. He relished the
look of carnal lust on her face, but his irritation over her statement wouldn’t
be denied.

“The game is over, Mira.” He closed the distance between
them, tipped her chin up and captured her gaze with his. “No more suitors. You’re
mine.”

She parted her lips, soft pants escaping, and those eyes he
adored bled completely yellow-brown, the swirls of green and blue turning them
into a swirling vortex he could get lost in.

“I choose my mate. Those are the rules.” The husky edge to
her words pushed his annoyance away.

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “I mated you. That
overrides the rules.”

She swept her tongue over the lip he’d caressed. The tip
brushed against his finger. Electricity skipped down his spine and his dick
throbbed with renewed vigor.

She tried to shake her head, but he held her chin. No way would
he let her deny him. Once she sighed and the tension in her body faded, he dropped
his hands to her arms, the slight definition of muscles under his palms
reminding him she was more than the soft, lush female she appeared to be. She
was strength and power. Damn if that didn’t appeal to him too. He tugged her up
so her body pressed to his. With her flush against him, he threaded his fingers
into her hair and tipped her head back.

“I marked your womb, Mira. I’m your mate.”

“It doesn’t work that way. Accepting a human’s sperm is
symbolic, but that’s it. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Really?” He raised a brow. “You’re sure about that?”
Because he wasn’t.

“I’m not the first unmated female who’s taken a human
lover.”

He snapped his teeth together. “I’m not just your lover.
What we shared was more than sex. I claimed you.”

Anxiety slid into her eyes, leaving them wide and brimming
with tears. “You can’t be my mate, not for real.”

He brushed his lips to hers, a barely there touch that left
her trembling in his arms. “Who’s to say that what we feel isn’t real, kitten?”

She kissed him, twining their tongues in a slow, sensual
dance much like the sex they’d shared a couple of hours ago. Sharp fangs
scraped along his flesh. The sting didn’t bother him. It fed his hunger. He
deepened the kiss, needing more of her and what they could do to each other. He
couldn’t get enough of this woman, didn’t think he’d ever tire of her or be
able to touch another. He felt as if he were caught by the tail…if he had one, anyway.

She eased back. “What we feel is real. I won’t deny that,
but I don’t understand it.”

“There’s nothing to understand.” He laid a hand over her
heart. “The connection we felt from day one will see us through. You need to
have a little faith.”

“In who? The gods?” She laughed. “Or the Council? Because we
all know how well the Council follows rules. They bend and break them as they
see fit.”

“Then we should too.”

“And if we do, I’ll end up killing you!”

His muscles tensed. He blew out a rough breath and focused
on Mira’s pain, not the agony burning inside him. “That’s not what the vision
showed. You’re inserting your fears into it.”

“Kade saw blood dripping from
my
clawed hands and
Jazz crying over
your
lifeless body. How is that misunderstanding?”

“Why would—”

“Why would I kill you?” She rolled her eyes.
“Uhmm…desperation?”

One word explained it all and didn’t surprise him one little
bit.

“And you’re sure it won’t work for us?”

“No…yes,” she groaned. “I can’t take the risk.”

He jumped from the bed and paced to the bathroom and back. “Has
Kade had any other visions?”

She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “No, but—”

“But nothing. You’re reading into it. Kade was the first to
admit the scenes were flashes of the future, not a continuous scroll. How the
hell do we know how far apart those images are or if they’re even connected?”

“But his visions—”

“Are not complete.” Josh ran a hand through his hair and
fought to contain the growl threatening to escape. Mira wore a frightened look
on her face. He didn’t want to add to her stress. She needed reassurance, not
him blowing up at her over something he knew was eating her up inside. “The
visions are a warning. I get that but I’m not about to base my future off of
them.”

She stood, her chin raised and stubbornness stamped on her
features. “Well, I am. I refuse to take a chance with your life. I love,” she
paused to take a deep breath, “I love knowing you’re still breathing. I’d
rather you live apart from me than die by my hands.”

He clenched his jaw. He hadn’t missed her hesitation or the
way her gaze dropped to his chin when she tacked on her qualifier. She was
going to admit to loving him. The realization floored him. He opened his mouth
to ask her if she did but snapped his teeth together before making that
mistake. If she admitted her love, she’d use it as an excuse to save him from a
fate he wasn’t convinced was real.

He walked toward the dresser and made a show of checking his
messages. Her reflected image in the mirror showed her nibbling on her lower
lip while she stared at the floor. He glanced away before she saw him watching
her. “Fine. If that’s what you want to believe, I’m not going to fight you.”

She whipped her head to stare at him, the wet ends of her
long hair slapping against her chest. Her lips parted ever so slightly and she
inhaled—tasting the truth in his words as shifters often did. Eyes narrowed,
she studied him. She wouldn’t scent a lie because he was telling the truth. He
wouldn’t fight anymore. He’d prove her wrong. They were mates. He felt the
certainty of it in his gut. Everything else would work out.

Her brows scrunched and full feline eyes mapped him. “That’s
it? You’re just going to let it go.”

“Yep.” He bit his cheek to stop his grin and nodded. “I’m
not a foolish man. I know when to pick my battles and when to retreat. I also
know a stubborn woman when I see one. Nothing I say will change your mind, so I
won’t bother.”

“Oh.” She blinked. “I see.”

He turned his head to hide the amusement on his face. Out of
the corner of his eye, he saw her twist her fingers together. Good. Let her
ponder his words. She was used to heavy-handed men. He wasn’t going to force
the truth down her throat. Of course, he wouldn’t let her deny him either.

He picked up his ripped shirt and tossed it into the corner.
The jeans were salvageable so he yanked them on, got down on his knees and
looked around for his socks, found one. He tossed it aside with his shirt.

“Does Devin still have his clothes here?”

When she didn’t respond, he peered over his shoulder. She
stood with her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. The way she gnawed on her
bottom lip stirred up a wave of emotions. His first instinct was to go to her
and offer her comfort. He forced himself to walk toward the door. He had a plan
and pulling her into his arms wasn’t going to help him reach his goal. It’d
only end up with them fucking each other’s brains out. Not a bad idea but not
one that would benefit him either.