Minka had never kissed a man in her life. The right situation-and the right man-had never come along. Even though she had nothing to compare them to, something told her Angelo's kisses were special.
As changes went, this was one she could definitely live with.
She moaned as Angelo slipped one hand down to the curve of her bottom and pulled her tightly against him. She could feel his hardness press against her even through his jeans. She actually trembled a little at the thought of what was hidden in there.
Minka slipped her hand into his long, silky hair, kissing him with a passion she'd never realized a person could feel. Maybe it was the beast inside her, or maybe it was just being with Angelo. Either way, right then, she was much more aware of her body than she'd ever been before. There were little sparks of electricity running all along her skin. Her fingernails and teeth were tingling like mad, like they were just on the edge of coming out but didn't want to for fear of ruining the moment. And more than anything else, she felt an insistent pulsing between her legs.
She slid her other hand down his stomach, not sure where she was going to let it wander, when Angelo suddenly caught her wrist and pulled away with a groan.
The move was jarring and so frustrating that she thought for a moment the beast would respond like it did when threatened, and attack Angelo. But she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, savoring Angelo's taste on her lips. When she opened her eyes again, it was to see him gazing down at her with something that could only be hunger in his dark eyes. That confused her even more. If he enjoyed what they were doing, then …
"Why did you stop kissing me?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"
He let out a breathless laugh and shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong, trust me. But if we don't stop now, things might go a little further than we intend."
Minka smiled, pleased that she'd been right about him being just as excited as she was. "Would that be bad-if things went further?"
He cupped her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb, his eyes soft. "No-God no. But there's no need to rush. Things are always better when you take your time."
Minka supposed she could agree with that, though there was a part of her that was more than ready to take it as far as Angelo wanted to go. But she could wait-as long as she didn't have to wait too long.
"Should we just go to bed instead?" she asked. She was looking forward to curling up with him on the couch. Perhaps they could even kiss a little more.
He smiled. "In a little while. We might want to watch TV first to … you know, calm down. Although, right now, I think I might need to take another shower-a cold one, this time."
Minka wasn't sure why he'd need to take another shower, especially a cold one, until she remembered the very large bulge in his jeans. Then a cold shower made complete sense. She had to bite her tongue to keep from admitting she didn't mind if he was hard down there when they went to bed. Then again, if he was that aroused, she doubted either of them would get much sleep-not that she would have complained, of course.
Chapter 9
"Do you want me to stay?" Angelo asked. "I can hang out in the hallway, make sure Coleman and his morons don't bother you again."
She and Angelo had gotten to Layla Halliwell's office for her first session with the DCO's psychologist a few minutes ago, and now Angelo was standing in the doorway looking like he was more than ready to camp outside all day if she asked him to.
"Thank you, but I don't think that will be necessary," she told him. "I doubt Dick is going to bother me while I am with Layla."
Angelo didn't seem convinced. "Maybe I'll just wait until Tanner gets here."
Minka couldn't help smiling. It would be silly for him to wait in the hallway, not to mention very boring.
"I will likely be with Layla for hours and would feel terrible knowing you were sitting on the floor in the hallway with nothing to do," she said. "Go find Landon and spend some time with him."
When Angelo hesitated, Minka thought she might have to say something else to convince him, but then he leaned closer-close enough that his scent filled her nose and did crazy things to her pulse-and kissed her on the cheek. "Okay. But if you need me, tell Layla to call Landon on his cell phone and I'll come running."
While the chaste kiss hardly compared to last night's fiery ones, it still sent a little charge of electricity zipping through her. She almost reached up to pull him in for a real kiss but caught herself. Even though she knew Americans were less reserved when it came to public displays of affection, it might have been a bit wrong to kiss him in front of Layla.
So she satisfied herself with reaching up to casually caress his slightly scruffy jawline with her finger. "I will call if there is a problem. Promise."
Angelo gazed down at her for a moment, then nodded in Layla's direction. "See you later. Tell Tanner I said hey."
Then he was gone, and Minka found herself closing her eyes so she could hold on to his scent and the feel of his lips on her cheek for a few moments longer. When she finally turned back to where Layla was sitting on the big U-shaped couch in the corner of her office, it was to see the psychologist smiling at her.
"What?" Minka asked.
She couldn't keep from blushing as she walked over to join Layla on the couch. Tall and slender with long, dark hair and brown eyes, Layla was a younger version of her sister Ivy. Only nicer.
"Nothing," Layla said. "Zarina said there's a serious connection between you and Angelo. She wasn't kidding. How did you and Angelo meet anyway?" She picked up her mug from the low table and took a sip. "Zarina said it was in Tajikistan but didn't give me any of the details."
Minka reached for the mug of coffee Layla had been kind enough to pour for her earlier and sipped the hot beverage, letting its warmth seep into her as she told Layla the story about how Angelo had saved her in that village, then carried her in his arms for miles to a helicopter before getting on a plane with her and cradling her on his lap the whole flight to the United States.
She hadn't intended to reveal more than that, but Layla was extremely adept at getting her to open up, and before she knew it, Minka was telling her about kissing Angelo last night. The experience was so vivid in her mind, she could practically taste him on her lips.
"I've never felt that way before," she added. "Is it normal to be so … excited by a man? Or am I feeling that way because of what those doctors did to me?"
Layla regarded her thoughtfully. "Before I answer that, do you mind if I ask how much experience you have with men?"
Minka looked down at her hands. "None. I know that must sound strange to you since I am twenty-six, but though the town I lived in-Khorugh-is very beautiful, it is also very small. Most of the younger men leave to find work elsewhere and do not return until they are older. My parents didn't think any of them would make a suitable husband, so instead of getting married, I spent my time working, either as a translator at the military base nearby or in my father's business."
"That's not strange at all," Layla said. "But since you don't have any basis for comparison, you're going to have to trust me when I say what I'm about to tell you."
Minka lifted her head to meet Layla's gaze. "Okay."
Layla leaned close, as if she was about to reveal a big secret. Minka leaned closer, too. "What you're experiencing is very normal, especially for a shifter."
"But I'm a hybrid."
"Which is just another way of saying a man-made shifter," Layla said. "Shifters like you and I have better eyesight, better hearing, and a better sense of smell than humans. Well, the same goes for sexual arousal. It's stronger and more intense for us."
Minka was relieved to hear what she was feeling was normal for a hybrid. She probably would have been attracted to Angelo regardless of what those doctors had done to her. It simply made that attraction stronger.
"So it isn't strange that I feel like this about a man I just met?" she asked. "I've known Angelo for only a few days."
Layla smiled. "That's something else about us. When we meet the right person, we fall for him really fast."
The right person. As in the man Minka was meant to be with. It seemed unbelievable that he would be an American soldier, but what else explained why she was so comfortable with him? She couldn't deny that she could see herself being with Angelo permanently. But he was in the army and would almost certainly leave soon. The thought not only hurt somewhere in her chest, but also made the beast restless.