InsatiableNeed (3 page)

“Have you found anything?” she asked.

“I’m sure I would if I knew what the hell I’m looking for.”

“Anything on Jezebel. Or something like Jezebel. Or demons.
Or demon summonings. Or how to cancel a demon summoning.”

“Gee. That really narrows it down.”

“Shut up and look.”

A long sigh sounded from Zeth’s lips. “Yeah, I’m looking.
But I hate to tell you, Rae, I don’t think this is gonna have the ending you
want. Like I said, this place doesn’t look lived in. Seems to me if O’Brien is
planning something big and nasty, he’d keep his research material somewhere
else. Somewhere he could, oh, I dunno, find it.”

Raegan cursed. Damn it. She hated it when he had a point.
“But there has to be something here. If he’s doing this thing, there has to be
evidence for it, right? And this is the only other place in the whole goddamn
church.”

“Don’t know that for certain.”

“We’ve looked everywhere else!”

Zeth shrugged again. “Again, we don’t know that for certain.
Have you ever snooped around here before?”

“No, you idiot, but Harriet said it’d be here.”

He looked at her, arching a brow. “Oh that’s right. Tell me
again, what did Harriet say?”

“To come look in here.”

“And?”

“And nothing. That was it.”

“She said the demon rites books would be in this room?”

“Yes.” Raegan paused, frowning. Trying to garner straight
information from a Seer, one determined not to fuck with the natural order of
the world, was difficult, putting it nicely. Putting it not-so-nicely, it was
only slightly easier than trying to make a cat sit still for a sponge bath.
“Well, no. Yes. Kinda.”

“Oh, that clears things right up.”

She balled her hands into fists, one of the last strands of
her precious patience snapping in half. “She said what I was looking for was in
this room.”

Zeth snickered. “Yeah. That’s Harriet for you.”

“So it has to be here.”

“Yeah. Unless there’s something else you’re looking for.”

“There’s not.”

He laughed again and shook his head, his gaze finding hers
over the piles of clutter. “Harriet is a lot of things, but one thing she isn’t
is Little Miss Upfront. So there’s something you need to find in here.
Fantastic. Unless she said what it was, we’re wasting our time.”

Raegan swore. “Well, fuck.”

“There’s an option.”

“Fuck you.”

“All you have to do is ask.”

Heat crashed over her. She felt dizzy but shoved it aside.
Something was wrong. Aside from the obvious, Zeth had
never
spoken to
her that way, except for the earlier “pants down” comment, but that was more a
retort to her verbal fuckup than a pass. And it wasn’t as though he hadn’t had
ample opportunity to come on to her before. In the brief period between meeting
him and discovering what he was, she’d all but thrown her panties at his
face—or rather, she would have if things had ever gotten that far. But for all
his shortcomings, Zeth had never been so blatantly forward.

Maybe she was misreading him, but she didn’t think so. The
look in his eyes was different. Hot. Molten.

“Uhh…Zeth?”

“Mmm?”

“You know the…Jezebel thing?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think she might have…uhhh…”

He didn’t seem to be listening to her, now coming toward
her, his long, strong legs taking powerful strides.

“We should get out of here,” Raegan murmured. Her gaze had
landed on his mouth. “Jezebel…she could trigger at any moment.”

“Mhmm.” That was a definite purr.

“Zeth?” God, her voice sounded so weak and heady. Her gut
knotted and she pressed her thighs together, doing her best to ignore how slick
and wet she felt. How very aware she was of Zeth’s proximity.

“Yeah?” he replied, his voice husky.

“We should go.”

“Okay.”

“You’re about to do something.
I’m
about to do
something. And I don’t like you so I really don’t want you to do this.”

He swallowed hard and nodded. “Lead the way.”

So she did. She totally did. Well, she did if leading the
way consisted of leaping into Zeth’s arms, wrapping her legs around his waist,
and tugging his mouth up to hers. If leading the way meant rubbing herself
wantonly against the hardened strain of his denim-clad erection and sucking his
tongue into her mouth. Zeth growled and seized her shoulders, pulling her flush
against him and nipping at her lips.

And that was all it took. Zeth’s hands on her body, his
tongue in her mouth, his scent in her nostrils—all it took to remind her what
she was here to do, and specifically not here to do. All it took to remind her
who she was, who she was with, and how very much she wasn’t the sort of girl to
throw herself at werewolves.

“Stop,” she gasped, trying vainly to pull away from him.
“Stop!” She tugged him up for another kiss and thrust her pelvis against his.
“God, Zeth, let me go!”

“I’m trying,” he snarled, sounding miles away from the
seductive purr of just a moment ago. She would have contemplated the swift
change were she not so desperate to get as far from him as possible.

“Try harder!” Raegan snapped.

“It’d help if you could stop touching me!” He concluded by
fisting the loose material of her blouse and ripping it clean off her body, his
mouth breaking from hers to kiss a wet path down her throat.

“Zeth…” Her stomach tightened in ways that it should
not
tighten. God, she was wet. She was on fire. Every nerve blazed, and he couldn’t
touch her enough. “Stop touching me!”

“Are you deaf?” Zeth growled, his teeth nipping at her
breasts before ripping her bra away. “I’m
trying
.”

Raegan trembled. Every time she attempted to shove him off,
she wound up foiled by treacherous hands that tugged him closer and a mouth that
felt hexed to want nothing more than his kisses.

I can’t stop. Oh God, I can’t stop.

And from the way he made quick work of her clothing, it
didn’t take much to guess where they would end up.

Jezebel.

It had happened. Jezebel’s spell had taken over, and she was
alone with the one person she should definitely not be alone with. God, why
hadn’t she thought this through? Why hadn’t she been smarter?

O’Brien had sealed her fate. She was alone in a room with a
devastatingly sexy werewolf, an annoyingly untouched mattress, and her mind had
no control over her body.

Definitely time to panic.

Chapter Three

“You make me sick.”

He knew Raegan’s words were spoken out of fear and a need to
protect herself, but damn, that didn’t mean they didn’t sting.

Of course, responding with a crude, “Yeah, and this is all
so fucking fun for me,” while his hand dove into her slacks to rub her
cotton-clad pussy likely wasn’t the best move, but then again, he wasn’t really
in control of himself at the moment.

“I don’t know. Is it?” Raegan demanded. “You’re always
coming on to me.”

“Someone has a big ego.”

“Hard not to when you’re rubbing your big
something else
against
me!”

Zeth bunched her panties to the side, his fingers delving
into her warm, molten center.
Fuck.
“Jesus, you’re wet.”

“It’s the spell.” Her voice wobbled, but didn’t lose the
fire. “It’s happening.”

“Uh huh. And the spell’s making you all hot for yours
truly.”

“I hate you.”

There it was. Raegan’s defenses hard at work, piecing into a
wall she could hide behind. That wall had been the bane of his existence since
the first day he had to face her, knowing she knew what he was. And though he
understood she was lashing at him out of a need to protect herself, he couldn’t
help but feel his own instinct of self-preservation kick in. While she felt
incredible in his arms, her warm cunt beckoning his eager fingers, he didn’t
want her like this. He didn’t want her kicking and screaming. He wanted her
only if she wanted him.

Stop. Stop. Gotta stop.

No good. His body had betrayed him, his lips getting
precariously close to her pert, pink nipples, his hands behaving of their own
accord. O’Brien had summoned the demon, and Jezebel’s curse was in effect.
Struggling was a futile effort.

Why in the world he’d agreed to come on this stupid ass
field trip was beyond him. Fuck knew he’d pumped his cock to the thought of
Raegan’s succulent pussy squeezing him in all the right places enough times to
warrant a moment’s worth of hesitation. Tonight, she’d said. O’Brien was making
his move tonight. Tonight Jezebel would come and take away their ability to say
no.
And here he was, trapped with the gorgeous, maddening Raegan
Pritchett, flicking her clit with his thumb, listening to her heady breaths
alongside her scathing words. Zeth might have wanted her, but he didn’t want
her like this. Not like this.

But there was shit he could about it.

No cash register to rob. No boss to kill. Only a woman who
drove him out of his mind, warm, wiggling, and…well, not willing, but he wasn’t
in a position to stop.

The only thing he could do was revel in the fact that
Raegan’s participation was just as fervent as his own. That meant she’d
fantasized about him, too. Enough to want him, even if she didn’t admit it.
That, at least, meant something.

“Zeth, stop!”

He growled and put all his energy behind the will to obey
her command. His body, rather than listening, instead coaxed her legs to the
ground long enough to rip off her pants. Her slip-on shoes flew off as well, as
though propelled by force.

“I swear, Zeth,” she spat. “I’m gonna take one of my silver
bullets, engrave your name on it, and shove it down your throat.”

“Goddammit, woman, you’re the one who brought me here!”

“Not for this!”

“Stop yourself, if it’s so easy.”

“I can’t!”

He smirked in spite of himself, nipping at her breast. If
she was going to try to make this
his
fault, he wouldn’t go down without
a fight. “Think the lady doth protest too much,” he commented. Raegan’s eyes
blazed and she raised a hand, presumably to smack him. Instead, her fingers wove
through his hair.

“Bullshit,” she replied weakly.

“Oh really? Enlighten me.”

She didn’t respond at first, her face falling as though only
then realizing what was about to happen. Her vibrant brown eyes went wide with
fear—pure, unadulterated fear. Fear, Zeth could understand. Hell, he could even
respect the sentiment. Yet the other thing blazing within those eyes set his
teeth on edge, poking the tense beast within his chest.

Something even an infant could recognize as disgust.

Raegan sniffed miserably, her fingers raking down his chest
and dancing closer to the jackpot in his pants. “Oh God,” she pleaded softly,
though with whom, he couldn’t say. “Not this. Not
you
. Please!”

And for whatever reason, that was it. The last straw. Zeth
wasn’t so enamored with himself to not understand the difference between
forbidden fantasies and hardcore desires, but damn it, it wasn’t as though this
had been his idea. She was the one who had come to him, who had begged him for
help, who had pretty much led him to this cursed place by the shorthairs. Her
hatred for his kind notwithstanding, he knew she had been attracted to him at
one point. Treating him like a leper now—when he could do shit to help
himself—just encouraged his inner alpha to come play, the human side taking
seat in the peanut gallery.

He shoved guilt aside. She wanted him to be an asshole?
Fine. He’d show her an asshole.

“Mmm, Raegan. Gotta say, for a girl who has no interest in
me at all, your scent is—”

“Don’t you
dare
say anything nasty.”

“So I shouldn’t comment on how warm and…gooey you are?” He
leered, then ripped her panties away for good. Stupid things just got in the
way. “Think you might have a thing for the big bad wolf.”

“You’re
disgusting
.”

“And yet,” he drawled, sliding a finger between her pussy
lips. “You’re dripping with honey, honey.”

Zeth tapped her clit before she could attempt to kick him
across the room, and couldn’t keep himself from chuckling when she moaned.

“It’s the spell,” she whimpered. “Jezebel…”

He just laughed.

“Stop that!”

“Stop what? Finding your excuses amusing? Don’t think so.”

“I hate you.”

“Fair enough.” Zeth flashed another grin, shoving back his
creeping sense of tact. This was
her
choice. She wanted him to be the
bad guy—hell, she needed him to be the bad guy—and he’d give it to her. “But
oddly, that doesn’t make you any less wet for me.”

“You did this,” she hissed, her head rolling back as she
stepped out of the pool of fabric that had wrapped around her ankles. “You…
freak
.”

“
I
did this?” Okay, that pissed him off. Her inner
protective wall was one thing, but rearranging history was just weak. Zeth
punctuated his outrage with a particularly jerky thrust of his fingers inside
her core. Raegan mewled and grabbed hold of his shoulders, squeezing tight.
Every move made his dick harder than he thought possible. “Do you have any
connection whatsoever to reality, or are you just making this up as you go
along?”

The look on her face betrayed all the things he knew she
wouldn’t say. Instead, she came back with a bitter, “Asswipe.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but this was
your
brilliant
idea.” He paused, easing his fingers out of her and drawing them to his mouth.
Damn.
She tasted like cinnamon and warm apples. His tongue itched to spread her
wide and explore. “I just came for the company.”

She muttered something even his enhanced hearing couldn’t
detect, her calf wrapping around his hips.

“Not like this,” she whimpered, tears shining in her eyes.
“God please, not like this.”

Something within him wrenched. The plea wasn’t completely unlike
the one from earlier, but rather than fan his anger, it packed a crippling
punch. His heart softened, his inner man shoving the alpha aside. He didn’t
want to consider what was going on in her head. “Raegan, I’m sorry. I don’t
mean it. We just gotta—”

“Stop touching me!” she squealed, jumping when he pinched
her nipples, his mouth nibbling at her throat. “I swear, Zeth—”

The alpha surged back with an angry vengeance. “I’m
trying
.
Christ, don’t you listen to a word anyone other than
you
says?”

“It doesn’t feel like you’re
trying
very hard.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure this is
you
giving it your all.”
Zeth pulled his head back, his eyes narrowing when she suddenly fisted his tee
and tore it away without a blink. From where she got the strength, he didn’t
know or care. All that mattered was her hands were now on his naked skin. “And
hold on a second. How is it that I don’t know that this isn’t all
your
doing?”

“My doing?” Her mouth dove for his chest to shower his skin
with kisses. Her legs uncurled from around his waist. Then she was moving
lower, much lower. His cock strained for attention, aching for her hands…her
lips…

Shit. He was so incredibly fucked.

“You came to
me
for help,” he reminded her. “Knowing
full well what was gonna happen. You stuck yourself with me. Makes for a good
excuse, doesn’t it? Can’t keep yourself from fucking me, but at least you can
look at yourself in the morning.”

“You’re disgusting,” she said. Then, as though realizing now
where her mouth had decided to venture, she began to shake. “Zeth…”

“More excuses, now?”

She was on her knees now, her hands ripping at his belt. And
when she spoke, she sounded more like herself. “This is about to get real in
a…very real way.”

“Yeah,” Zeth agreed, his voice strained. She pressed her
right hand against his length and rubbed him gently as her other hand pulled at
his zipper. Then his cock was free—
God yes
—and straining for her
wonderful, brassy mouth.

“Hey!” she cried. “Watch it! You nearly got my eye.”

“Well, then don’t lean in so close, you moron. What’d you
think would happen?”

“I’m not
trying
to lean in.”

Yeah, he knew that. Just as she wasn’t
trying
to rip
his jeans down his legs. Just as she had no say in yanking his shoes off his
feet. None of this was what she wanted. Message received: loud and clear. But
this warring back and forth was between his nature and his humanity was taking
its toll. It was one thing to be out of control of his actions; it was
something entirely different to be blamed for his every move by someone who not
only understood what was happening, but likewise had no control over herself.

Fuck it. Might as well go for broke.

“Like you haven’t dreamed of my cock.”

“You’re depraved.”

“And you’re on your knees in front of me. What does that
make you?”

Raegan hissed through her teeth and winced when her mouth
neared his cock, her lips parting to accommodate him.

“Hexed,” she gritted out, her tongue indulging in a long lap
of his cockhead. “And pissed off.”

The first feel of her silken tongue rendered him lost. Zeth
gasped, his eyes rolling back and his hands flying to her face. “Oh Christ,” he
panted, surging forward and forcing his cock farther down her throat. “More.
God, more. Take me in deeper.”

“I’ your ‘reamsph.’” She attempted a growl, which made her
throat vibrate around his length.

Zeth couldn’t keep himself from moaning, even with his
temper on the rise again. He’d hate himself in a few minutes for his behavior,
but now need pulled at his nerves, combating with confusion and anger. He
snarled and fisted her hair, driving his dick deeper down her throat. “Fine,”
he spat. “Talk. I don’t care what you say.”

Raegan tried to protest again, instead earning more cock
down her throat.

“Fuck, yeah.”

“I ha’e you,” she spat.

“Trust me. Memo received.”

Her hate didn’t keep her from pulling hard on his cock every
time he thrust into her mouth, nor did it keep her tongue from swirling around
his belled head. Zeth swore and focused on the ceiling, grating his teeth and
doing his best to stem his warring conscience. The nice thing that came with
being a perceived monster was the lack of expectation in following society’s
rules. He knew he could look at her and easily brush off his conduct tonight on
being something other than human.

He could feed Raegan his excuse, and he knew she’d believe
it. But he didn’t want her to believe it. He didn’t want her to believe this
was what he was like. And he didn’t really want her like
this
. With
Raegan forced to her knees by the hand of a spell neither could see, no matter
how wonderful her mouth felt around his prick. No matter however much her body
might be reacting to him, and he knew it was. He could smell her liquid heat,
and the taste of her excitement lingered still on his tongue.

Zeth knew how much he’d hate himself tomorrow, and yet he
couldn’t stop. He couldn’t keep from thrusting so hard against her that his
balls slapped her chin, nor could he help his treacherous mind from picturing
her on the mattress, her warm skin under his, her legs spread, her cunt slick
and ready for him.

“Know why…you’re such a hothead,” Zeth said, stealing a
glimpse of her. The sight of his cock sliding in and out of her mouth had him
dancing dangerously close to orgasm already.

The only thing that held him back was his growing shame.

Stop talking, you motherfucking asshole.

Raegan blinked angrily at him, and for her tears he could
kill himself. Zeth grunted and looked away again, but he didn’t have time to
drown in a vat of self-loathing. Not now. Now he was losing himself to a series
of guttural grunts and purrs as he found a steady rhythm. With every other gasp
of air, he rumbled a combination of dirty compliments, mostly centering on how
hot she was or how good she felt.

He couldn’t bring himself to look at her again.

“Raegan—”

“
Gmphh!
”

His balls tightened, sweet ecstasy lacing his veins as his
body built toward a familiar precipe. He couldn’t stop if he wanted to, and she
wouldn’t let him. Every time she tried to shove him away, her grip on him
tightened and her mouth sucked him in deeper. She could do nothing, and neither
could he. Absolutely nothing. Zeth’s cock thrust steadily between her puckered
lips, the sharp jerks of his hips becoming more pronounced as he tensed.