Vengeful Shadows (17 page)

“Tess,” he grated against her lips, fighting the urge to take her against the wall. With any other woman, he wouldn’t have hesitated, but Tessa was the farthest thing from any other woman he’d ever encountered.

She opened her sexy, sleepy eyes and looked at him. Arousal had darkened them to indigo and he nearly lost himself in their drowning blue depths. Pulling from his embrace, she released the hidden clasps that held her shirt together and unwound the fabric from her body. She backed toward her bedroom, holding his gaze in a heated challenge.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” he murmured.

Disbelief flashed across her face, and her lips curved in a half smile. “Yeah, well, every man thinks the woman he’s about to have sex with is beautiful.”

He followed her, lured closer by the luminescent glow of her bared skin, but her casual dismissal grated at him. The more clothes she took off, the more walls she put up.

“Is that what we’re about to do?” he asked, trying to keep the dangerous edge of hunger from his voice.

She stared at the near-painful bulge behind his fly and unknotted her skirt, letting the fabric flutter to the floor. “You don’t want to?”

Standing before him in nothing but a black bra and matching panties, his angel had vanished and a siren had taken her place. Bathed in the dim glow the streetlamp cast through her darkened window, she watched him. Any trace of her previous apprehension had disappeared. She was a woman on a mission.

She gestured toward his pants. “Lose them,” she ordered, her husky voice barely recognizable.

Apparently, that mission was him. Was it just last week he couldn’t imagine the angel next door wild and willing? He couldn’t believe how badly he’d misread her.

With slow, purposeful movements, he released the button. The rasp of the zipper was loud in the quiet room. Never breaking eye contact, he slid them over his hips and kicked them aside along with his shoes and socks.

He felt her sharp inhalation all the way to his gut. That tiny sound made him even harder. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”

As if a wordless signal passed between them, they came together in a flurry of movement. Her soft, satin skin permeated his senses. All he could see, all he could feel, all he could taste was Tessa.

He skimmed his hand over the curve of her waist and up her ribcage to cup her breast. Her nipple hardened against his palm through the fabric. He brushed his thumb across the sensitive flesh and she whimpered into his mouth. She was so hot, so responsive. His only coherent thought was, “More.”

Without warning or forethought it seemed, they’d collapsed on her bed. As they lay side by side, she met every kiss, every stroke with one of her own. She seemed as desperate for him as he was for her. And he
was
desperate.

In the low light, her pale skin gleamed like porcelain against the dark-purple bedspread. Gently, he tugged down her bra straps, exposing her breasts. Her nipples tightened under his gaze. As if uncomfortable with his perusal, she squirmed and reached for the waistband of his boxers. Catching her hand, he laced his fingers through hers and kissed her. He wanted to take his time. He’d been waiting too damn long to rush.

Her mouth opened sweet and hot under his, and he wondered how he’d lived without this for so long. The thought terrified him, but the idea of being without her frightened him far worse.

Her hand wrapped around his arousal, and the sensation dissipated his thoughts as he instinctively arched into the contact. He was dimly aware of yanking off his shorts, not caring where they landed. The only thing that mattered was getting closer. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him. Apparently, she wanted the same thing.

Her silky underwear did nothing to suppress the damp heat that singed his skin. He pushed upward, and she groaned at the sensation. Leaning over him, she took his mouth in a searing kiss, suggestively thrusting her tongue in and out.

He slid his hands up her thighs and over her bottom until he reached her panties. Hooking his thumbs under the fabric, he pulled them off, while she shifted to get free of the garment.

She returned to her earlier position. Only, this time, there was nothing between them.

She leaned forward, dropping heated kisses over his stomach and chest. His cock jerked sliding through her slick heat, and he gritted his teeth. It was all he could do not to bury himself inside her immediately. His hips pressed upward, seeking her warmth and she scooted forward.

“Tessa,” he warned.

“Protection,” she returned in the same tone of voice.

“Wallet.” God, he was an idiot. He hadn’t been this eager and reckless since he’d been with his first girl at fifteen. Tessa made him crazy.

She leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed his pants. Finding the plastic packet, she tore it open. He reached for the condom, but she raised his hand to her mouth and gently nipped at his fingers. “Let me.”

She gripped his cock and stroked him, her fingers cool against his aching flesh. With a practiced motion she sheathed him. He didn’t want to wonder about the man she’d learned that technique from, but he couldn’t help it. Jealousy he had no right to feel burned in his chest. Not wanting to ruin their first time together, he pushed it aside as best he could.

His body thrummed with the need to be inside her. The waiting was as close to agony as he cared to get. Splaying his hands around her waist and hips, he guided her as she straddled him, sliding her arousal-slick pussy along his shaft. For the first time in his life, he regretted being responsible. He wanted nothing more than to feel her bare flesh against him. Clenching his jaw, he attempted to let her set the pace, but he practically shook with the effort of it. He’d never wanted this moment of connection more.

Holding her gaze, he tried to lower her slowly. Tessa shook her head and pushed herself down, taking him all the way to the hilt. He groaned at the sweet, tightness of her body.

She tensed, pleasure and pain mingling in her expression.

Had he hurt her? “Angel, are you okay?”

The tautness drained from her limbs. “I’m fine,” she murmured. “It’s just been awhile.”

Some ridiculously primitive part of him wanted to roar. She was his—only his.

Tessa gradually rose up his length before sliding snugly to his base. Thought vanished at the sensation of their bodies moving together. His fingers bit into her hips as she adjusted her rhythm.

She was so fucking beautiful. Her hair swung around her shoulders giving him teasing glimpses of her swaying breasts. Skimming his hands over her stomach, he crested her ribcage to cup her breasts and tug at her nipples. She cried out, fucking him faster. Slipping his hands behind her back, he coaxed her into his arms. The angle changed significantly, and for a moment, he thought he was going to lose it, but thankfully, the moment passed.

Shifting slightly, he drove into her from beneath, his hand on her ass. He slid his other hand into her hair and cupped the base of her skull, urging her to meet his lips. Sweat-damp and panting, they ground together as she took him deeper. Their bodies strained, finding a frantic cadence as his last shred of self-control vanished.

“Tess,” he ground out. He’d never seen anything as beautiful as her passion-flushed face. He felt her release trembling like storm clouds on the horizon, but he wanted to watch it wash over her, to see that moment of surrender.

She stared into his eyes as if unable to look away. He thrust harder, wanting to push her headlong into pleasure. Her breath caught, and her pussy began to clench and ripple around him. The tightness of her body and her throaty moan was all he needed to push him over the edge. Release, intense and primal, shuddered through him as aftershocks trembled through her.

Their bodies pulsed where they were still joined. She slumped against his chest, and he stroked his hands over the delicate curve of her spine. As if suddenly uncomfortable, she tried to push from his embrace. He banded his arms around her and held her closer. “Stay,” he murmured.

She rested against him until her breathing quieted and her heartbeat returned to normal. Slowly, she raised her head. He was half-afraid of what he’d see in her eyes. Did she regret the intimacy they’d just shared? He wasn’t about to let her push him away again. He wanted her in his life.

She started to move away. The cool air hit him as soon as she shifted. Bereft at the loss of her warmth, he wrapped his arms around her.

“Just let me hold you for a little while,” he murmured.

Pulling back, she looked at him, surprised, but her eyes softened. She laid her head against his chest. It seemed to take forever, but incrementally, he felt her muscles relax until she was again a limp and pliant in his arms.

He’d thought she’d fallen asleep until he heard her whisper, “This is nice.” Her quiet sigh of contentment puffed against his skin, and he tightened his hold on her. Her breathing eventually deepened and evened out. She went lax against him as sleep claimed her.

Her earlier expression of bewilderment niggled at him. Why was she surprised he’d want to hold her? It wasn’t as if she was inexperienced. Far from it. Had none of her other lovers wanted to embrace her afterward?

Jealousy gnawed at him as images of her with faceless men assaulted his mind. He should be grateful for her expertise. He’d benefited from it. Instead, envy sank its barbed claws into his flesh.

A stupid and proprietary urge to keep her to himself swelled within him. Away from any other man. He wasn’t her first, but the thought that he wanted to be her last speared through his consciousness.

* * * *

In the long hours before dawn, Zander watched Tessa sleep. He couldn’t remember bothering to watch a woman after sex. It seemed a waste of perfectly good rest time. He could count on one hand all the times he’d spent the whole night with a lover.

She’d nestled into his body as if seeking shelter. Though she’d sought his nearness, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. Her slumber didn’t seem the typical post-sex variety. It was as if a faint tension quivered through her, despite her weariness.

He knew she had to be tired. He was exhausted. They’d reached for each other several times, unable to get enough of one another. He’d never come across a woman who had such extensive skill and knowledge of a man’s body. How many former lovers did she have lurking in the closets of her past? Jealousy fisted around his throat.

Sensual and generous, she’d satisfied his every carnal desire as if she were the personification of male gratification. The trouble was he wasn’t satisfied. Not completely. He wanted to make her lose control as she’d caused him to do all night.

Tessa whimpered in her sleep. In an effort to comfort her, he tightened his embrace. She thrashed, and the whimper escalated to a scream.

“Tessa! Wake up, angel.”

She pushed against him, still firmly in the grip of her nightmare. His name was torn from her throat on a sob, and his chest ached at the pain in her voice.

“So…much…blood,” she rasped.

Sitting up against the headboard and pulling her against him, he shook her gently. “Tess.” He smoothed the tawny snarl of hair off her face. “You’re having a bad dream.”

Hot tears spilled onto his skin. She gasped as she opened her eyes, her breath a harsh inhalation. Quaking shudders racked her body and vibrated through him. He tightened his embrace and rocked her back and forth.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he soothed. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“You can’t stop him,” she murmured in a groggy, shell-shocked voice.

“Who?” Fear sliced through him. Blood slowed in his veins, and time ground to a near-halt. Images of Julia’s mangled corpse hammered his mind. It was impossible not to picture Tessa in her place. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. He wouldn’t.

“Who, Tessa? Who can’t I stop?”

She blinked at him as if he were just coming into focus. The dazed clouds faded from her eyes, and she looked away.

“No one,” she murmured. “It was a nightmare.” She shrugged, the mask back in place. “I have bad dreams sometimes. I’m sorry I woke you.”

He didn’t release her. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

She shook her head. “I can’t really remember. It’s kind of a blur.”

She was lying. As much as he hated to admit it, she still didn’t trust him. Her tremors diminished, and her breathing grew deeper. Every so often, it hitched. He tensed at each sharp gasp. By slow increments, the rigidity drained from her muscles and she relaxed. Her breath escaped in moist puffs against his bare skin. Keeping her securely in his grasp, he eased to the mattress. Her fingers twitched and clutched at his chest. He stroked her arm in an attempt to soothe her.

Something was going on with her. Something she refused to share. That something niggled at him now, keeping him awake. She snuggled into his side, and he gazed at the woman in his arms. Moonlight glistened on the tear tracks drying on her face. The glow from the window fell on her hair and transformed the pale, shimmering mass into a nimbus of gold.

She shifted and adjusted her head on his shoulder. Remnants of exotic spices and elusive flowers still clung to her skin. He kissed her cheek, tasting the tang of salt. The need to comfort and protect swirled uneasily in his gut, and he thought again of Julia.

Had Niko lain with her in his arms, watching her sleep? Watching her face relax as slumber claimed her? Watching the fragile rise and fall of her chest, never suspecting that it could be crushed so easily? Never imaging he’d someday wake up to an empty bed and reach for the woman he loved, only to remember that she didn’t sleep there anymore? That she didn’t sleep at all?

Zander placed his hand over Tessa’s steadily beating heart, over the angel wing pendant that lay over her breastbone. The clammy heat of her skin warmed him. She sighed and smiled slightly in her sleep.

Confusion swamped him. Maybe, he imagined that Tessa hid deep, dark secrets. Was it simply the memory of his family’s tragedy that kept him on edge? Tessa wasn’t Julia, and he wasn’t Niko. So why the fear that if he didn’t watch over Tessa, something bad would happen? Why now? Why with Tessa? Was it that he knew she didn’t entirely trust him? Or was this something else?