Savage Hunger: Savage, Book 1 (15 page)

“If you say that shouldn’t have happened again, I swear I’ll drive my elbow in to your ribs,” she threatened unsteadily.

His lips twitched into what was almost a sad smile. “I’m not going to say that shouldn’t have happened, Sienna. I wanted to kiss you.
Had
to kiss you and feel you alive and clinging to me. Dammit, when I thought I almost lost you—”

“You can have me, Warrick,” she cut in, her voice husky with desire. She reached for him again, sliding a hand up his jaw and feeling the prickle of stubble there scrape her palm. “All of me. I want you so much right now it’s a physical ache. How can you not see that? Feel that?”

Something close to pain flickered across Warrick’s face as he caught her wrist and pushed it gently away.

“You have no idea how much I want you,” he said raggedly. “But I can’t have you, Sienna—”

“Why?” Her stomach clenched. “Is this some self-imposed torturous rule?”

“No, it’s not my rule. It’s shifter law. We can only mate with other shifters. If we take a human mate we’re banished from the community.”

Chapter Nine

That knocked the hope right out of her. Sienna’s heart felt like a towel being wrung out as she stared at him. The only man she’d ever wanted. The only man who could make her stomach feel like there was a butterfly rave going on inside. And he’d just told her they could never be together.

“You can’t ever be with a human?” she repeated unsteadily. His hesitation was long enough to put doubt in her mind and she latched on to it. “All the women I saw you with over the years. They couldn’t possibly all have been shifters, Warrick.”

His jaw flexed. “Sienna.”

“Answer me.”

“No, they weren’t all shifters.”

“But you slept with them?”

Again silence.

This time she caught his face between her hands and forced him to look at her. “
Warrick?”

“Some of them. Yes.”

Her heart went from a slow thud to a gallop as she licked her lips. And she didn’t miss the way his gaze followed the movement or the strangled groan he made.

“So when you say shifter law says you can’t mate with a human, you don’t mean sex, but…”

“Take a permanent mate. Life partner. Marriage. However the hell you want it spelled out.”

“But you can fuck whomever strikes your fancy in the meantime. Human, shifter, or whatever else might be out there,” she replied bluntly. Crudely. And felt his reaction as his erection jerked against her panties.

“Dammit, Sienna—”

“So, why not me?” she demanded and drew her nails down his naked chest. “Why not take me like we both know you want to.”

His fingers curled around her upper arms and the lines around his mouth tightened, even as his nostrils flared and potent desire shone in his gaze.

“Because my wanting you and my caring about you is already a perilous combination. If we sleep together—”

“I won’t get attached,” she promised with a carelessness she knew was bullcrap. She’d dated other men over the years, had even fooled around with some, but unfortunately that virginity status that had bugged Warrick when she was eighteen was still going to be a problem.

And if Warrick knew she was still a virgin, he’d kick her to the curb faster than last week’s garbage.

She moved on instinct against his erection, wanting to ease the ache. Knowing it was a huge risk to her heart to try and sleep with him and walk away afterward. But she wanted him. God, she wanted at least one night. “I’ll understand if it can never be more than sex. Please, Warrick. I just want one time. We never have to do it again if you don’t like it, I promise.”

Was she trying to fucking kill him?
Goddammit
. Warrick’s hands slid to her waist and he knew he had to lift her off him. Put Sienna as far away as he could before he did something completely stupid.

The wolf inside him, every primal fiber in his being, was screaming to come out and just take her. Because God he wanted her. Wanted her like he’d never wanted a woman before in his life. And there was no reason he couldn’t do exactly as she offered. Fuck her and walk away. Because to claim her as his mate would mean he’d have to bite her during sex. Mark her as his. And he’d never lost his head with a woman enough to do that. Sex was always sex.

But even though Sienna had obviously gained some experience along the way—
damn, how had she ever learned to tease a man like this
?—she was still too innocent. And she already drove him precariously close to the edge. Right now, he could barely think. Barely function with the way she rubbed herself like a damn cat in heat against his cock.

Jesus. He could smell her arousal, already imagine what it would taste like. Feel like on his fingers. On his cock. But if he took her, buried himself deep inside the sheath he knew would be heaven, he’d be a fucking goner for sure.

Grinding his teeth together, Warrick curled his fingers around her tiny waist to lift her away. But then he made the fatal mistake of meeting her gaze once more. The plea and hunger in her eyes was so potently raw, painful, almost every shred of his willpower snapped.

He might not be able to take her the way he did other women, but he could sure as hell make sure he took care of her needs. And get a little taste of nirvana while he was at it.

Instead of lifting her off him, he pushed her back onto the mattress and followed with his body. Her eyes widened and a gasp of surprise spilled from her lips.

“I won’t take you the way we both want,” he vowed thickly. “Please don’t ask me to, Sienna. But let me do this.”

Sienna only made a small whimper of acceptance and stretched her arms above her head as her legs fell open.

Warrick’s gaze slid down her body. Over the swell of her small breasts beneath the T-shirt to the flat of her belly just barely exposed where the shirt still rode high.

His gaze slid lower to white cotton panties that shouldn’t have been sexy on her. But the shadow of curls, flare of hips and long, pale thighs made them damn near erotic. He moved his palm to cup the mound of her sex and growled low in his throat when he felt the heated flesh through damp fabric.

The blood raged to his cock, tightening his flesh almost painfully as the need to possess this woman completely pounded in his veins.

Must keep control
became his mantra as Warrick maneuvered his thumbs beneath the edge of her panties and slowly tugged them down. Each delicious naked inch of her lower body he exposed had his muscles tightening with desire.

The golden curls that shielded her sex glistened with juices. Already the pink lips were swollen and slightly parted by her position, giving a glimpse of the cream between.

Sienna.
God, how many nights had he lain awake fantasizing about this? Stroking himself to release with her image in his mind. How many women had he taken to his bed wishing it were her? And now here she was in the flesh. Under the most fucked-up circumstances imaginable and still just as forbidden as always.

Damn she was so sexy
.
Her pale blonde hair spread out on the pillow, the T-shirt clinging to the swell of her breasts, and her lower body completely naked for him to do whatever he wanted. She was so vulnerable. But there was no fear in her gaze. Only that heady arousal and trust he didn’t deserve. Not when
the wolf inside him clawed dangerously close to the surface, trying to conquer the human, logical side of him. The wolf that only focused on the scent of her arousal and the knowledge that right now she was his. She’d always been his—if he’d wanted to take her.

“Warrick.”

His name, breathy, on her lips brought his human side back to dominance. Her pleasure tonight would be enough. It had to be enough.

With a growl low in his throat, he slid his hands on a path up her thighs, his breath catching at her softness and curves. His palms cupped the roundness of her bottom and he squeezed the fleshy globes and lifted her off the mattress, burying his face between her legs.

A choked gasp passed Sienna’s lips and her hands moved to his shoulders. But she made no effort to push him away and he wouldn’t have allowed her to anyway, not now that he’d had his first taste of her.

Oh damn
. The slickness of her arousal was like goddamned ambrosia on his tongue. The sharpness of her cries and the way her nails pierced his skin hurled him down a river of need and loss of control he’d never faced before.

But he held on by a shred. Letting his head spin with the intoxicating taste of her, while ignoring the persistent throb of his cock. This was all for Sienna.

He moved his tongue to find the hard little nub, buried between her swollen folds, and teased it mercilessly. Sucking, flicking and using the way she moved and her sobs of ecstasy to guide him.

It didn’t take long before she let out a sharp scream, her trembling thighs clenching around his head and her ass lifted from his hands. He gentled his touch, kissing her inner thighs as her body quaked through the climax. Until she went limp on the mattress with a long gasp of air.

Warrick eased from between her thighs, placing a kiss on her trembling stomach before moving up her body. A wave of doubt slid through him when he saw her bright, glazed eyes and the tears that shimmered in them.

“Sienna, baby,” he muttered raggedly. “Are you okay?”

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, shaking her head, but then turning it into a nod. “It’s just I’ve never…I never thought it would be so incredible.”

Pleasure and possessiveness rocketed through him, and a low growl built in his throat as he cupped the back of her neck and crushed his mouth down on hers. Claiming her and making her taste herself.

She didn’t push away, but clung to him, kissing him back vehemently. Curling her tongue around his and sucking in a way that promised she wasn’t as innocent as she’d once been. Warrick’s cock stirred and the dark need rose once more inside him.

No.
Ripping his mouth from hers, he set her away from him once more and struggled to breathe.

“I can’t. No more, baby.” He shook his head and stared down at her closed eyes and swollen lips, stunned at the ferocity with which he was driven to take her.

Her lashes fluttered up to reveal a crystal blue gaze that glittered with passion. “And what if I asked you again to make love to me?”

Then he’d have a hell of time stopping himself from spreading her thighs again and entering her like the fucking animal he was. Dammit, it was incredible how close she pushed him to the brink.

His body was rigid from the control he fought to hold on to. Cupping her cheek he muttered, “You know that I can’t, Sienna. Don’t tempt me any more than you already have.”

She sighed and nipped at his finger. “You’ve gotten me all warmed up now, Warrick. That was like an appetizer to the main course. You started this, I sure as hell wish you’d finish it.”

His body heated further and he bit back a growl of need. He dipped his finger along the soft crease of her mouth, teasing the dampness inside.

“You’re right. I did start it. I couldn’t stop myself. It seems to be a recurring problem with you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Way to go, blaming the victim. It’s like when you and Daniel used to pass the blame on to me as kids.”

Her comment had likely been a joke, but if he needed another reason why he should be keeping his hands off her, she’d just reminded him of it.

Dammit, she was Daniel’s little sister. Beyond the complications of her being human, there was also an unspoken friend code. Maybe if he could’ve seriously entertained a relationship with Sienna—if they could have more than just a fling, things would be different.

Pulling his finger away from the temptation of her teasing mouth, he shook his head. “We need to get some sleep, Sienna. The sun will be up in a few hours. You should try to sleep now.”

“Yes, I know. You’re probably right.”

She stared at him, as if hoping he’d change his mind, then finally gave a sigh of defeat and turned to lie down. She tugged the sheet up over her waist and placed her hand beneath her cheek on the pillow. Looking drowsy and less irritable. And all too innocent. Not at all like someone who’d just about screamed the house down with her orgasm.

His gut kicked briefly as he realized that the other agents in the house had likely heard her. Knew what had happened—but they’d be wrong. They would assume Warrick had fucked Sienna until she couldn’t see straight. They wouldn’t have the slightest clue how damn hard it was to not take her completely. To essentially walk away with a dick like granite.

“Are you going back to sleep too?” she asked softly.

He hesitated. Long enough for relief to flicker in her gaze and for her to pull back the sheet and gesture to the empty space next to her.

“Please, Warrick. Just hold me until the sun comes up. It’s been a horrible night and I think the only way I’ll get any sleep is in the knowledge that you’re next to me. Holding me.”

Her words were honest and without pride. The vulnerability and exhaustion in her gaze were what made him capitulate and slide down next to her. Warrick pulled her into his arms and she immediately curled her body into his, burying her face against his chest.